IF at any time there be held forth by the preacher the freeness and fullness of the Gospel, together with the readiness of the Lord of Peace to receive those that have any desire thereto, presently it is the spirit of the world to cry out, Sure this man disdains the law, slights the law, and counts that of none effect; and all because there is not, together with the Gospel, mingled the doctrine of the law, which is not a right dispensing of the Word according to truth and knowledge. (John Bunyan, The Doctrine of Law and Grace Unfolded)
Jun 29, 2013
Church of Wells - A false gospel of no assurance
Pastored by elders Jake Gardner, Sean Morris and Ryan Ringnald, the Church of Wells may appear to hold to the old gospel of sovereign grace that historic ministers like Rolfe Barnard proclaimed faithfully. However, in a portion of their church Manifesto, it is written, "For a man to believe himself in an eternal state of security (believing it an impossibility to fall from grace) while in this vile body of death, while sin and temptations still so easily beset him, is not only irrational but dangerous."
This quote is a direct contradiction to the gospel of God who declares righteous the ungodly freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. Whatever the Church of Wells may confess of believing salvation is a sovereign work of God, their manifesto denies assurance of eternal justification through faith in the free grace of Jesus Christ our Lord. God declares righteous the helpless and weary sinner and not those who are working hard to be free from sin in order that they may have assurance that they are justified by Christ. Working for the assurance of grace makes grace no grace. "For what doth the writing say? `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; 'and to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt; and to him who is not working, and is believing upon Him who is declaring righteous the impious, his faith is reckoned -- to righteousness." (Romans 4:3-5) Consider how the true gospel is despised and mocked by the religionist and will worshippers of our day. "I wonder that ye are so quickly removed from Him who did call you in the grace of Christ to another good news; that is not another, except there be certain who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the good news of the Christ; but even if we or a messenger out of heaven may proclaim good news to you different from what we did proclaim to you -- anathema let him be!" (Galatians 1:6-8)
Every poor and needy soul looking to Christ should be encouraged to have the same assurance of eternal life that David had. David was a man in a vile body of death while sin and temptations still beset him; yet the Holy Ghost was not irrational in leading him to confess "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..." After David despised the commandment of the Lord, committed adultery, fornication, theft, coveteous, and murder, the Spirit of God quickened him to cry in humility, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation..." (Psalm 51:12) The Holy Ghost brought to his remembrance the joyful promise of eternal salvation and the peace of God's love that he had left; "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." (Psalm 23:3, 6)
The Church of Wells Manifesto states, "For a man to believe himself in an eternal state of security (believing it an impossibility to fall from grace) while in this vile body of death, while sin and temptations still so easily beset him, is not only irrational but dangerous."
In scripture, the phrase "fall from grace" refers to those who fall into seeking to be declared righteous through Christ by works of the law. The Holy Ghosts's warns, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified [declared righteous] by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4) In light of this scripture, the Church of Wells Manifesto communicates to the child of God who falls into sin, "It is possible for you to fall under the curse of the law and for Christ to become of no effect unto you; God forbid that you should believe in the hope that Jesus Christ is your eternal life and everlasting justification. God forbid that you, a poor and needy sinner, should find peace through His cleansing blood while your sin still so easily besets you. It is irrational and dangerous!"
The Church of Wells Manifesto teaches that those who are still easily beset by sin and temptations must believe it is possible for them to be cursed by the law and for Christ to become of no effect unto them. John wrote to the church, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1) On 1 John 2:1, Robert Hawker commented, "Oh! what confidence might the faith of it produce, if grace was always in lively exercise, to come with it before GOD? Who would ever feel deadness, fears, doubts, misgivings, or even heart-straitenings in prayer, if he beheld the throne of grace, the pardon office, the mercy-seat of the LORD, thus encircled with mercy; JESUS, both the Propitiation for sin, and the Advocate for the cause of his people? What shall stop or silence the plea of JESUS CHRIST the righteous, with the righteous FATHER? This was our LORD'S own plea, when upon earth. 0 righteous FATHER! John 17:25. And it is his people's plea, taught by him, and offered up in him, now he is in heaven. And there is a great degree of blessedness in it, when rightly considered. For, when we thus plead, we plead upon the right and footing of GOD'S justice. When we look up to GOD, simply as we are in ourselves; we can only look up for pardon and grace, as helpless sinners.
The Church of Wells preaches a false gospel dressed up in a distorted view of God's unconditional electing love. They believe that God sovereignly elects some among the regenerate and others, among the regenerate, are forsaken and left unto eternal damnation for their unfaithfulness to maintain a "progressive" works righteousness. This view is a mixture of Weslyan Perfectionism and Baxterian Neonomianism. Here we have two massive errors combined into one message!
The Church of Wells Elder Sean Morris has written in his book, The Condescension of God, "Did you know that even though God loved Jeremiah with “an everlasting love”, the Lord intended to damn, and declaratively damned, Jeremiah during a specific time period of his sojourning as a prophet? This means that God was angry enough with Jeremiah that He desired to send him to hell. Jeremiah was disqualified from his prophetic office, promises, and covenant for a time, and he scarcely escaped damnation but by the surmounting mercies of an everlasting love. Jeremiah was loved with an everlasting love, and therefore was of “the elect” according to Romans chapter 9." In another place Sean wrote, “The Church, upon regeneration, is initially saved, and to be initially saved, then you have undergone the gospel experience called ‘imputed righteousness’. If you have imputed righteousness, then, lawfully speaking, you have the righteousness of Christ covering you. Therefore at this point, you are savingly in perfection/completion; you are savingly, perfectly, and completely joined to Christ! If a man has imputed righteousness, but then fails to maintain his saving faith, this is a failure to maintain unity with the life of the righteous Christ which indwells him; therefore he will not produce Christ’s works righteousness (called ‘My works’ [Rev. 2:26]). If a man does not have works righteousness, then he has dead faith, and if it is not revived or made alive again, then he too will be judged dead, without God, Christ, and imputed righteousness – thus he has fallen from perfection into blame. If a man falls from a saving relationship with Christ, which is by saving faith apart from works, and then those inward, immediate, and empowering qualities of the gospel are not walked out, which means that the powers of initial salvation are not presently and progressively experienced by the individual, then there is no present progressive works righteousness.”
The Church of Wells Manifesto states, "For a man to believe himself in an eternal state of security (believing it an impossibility to fall from grace) while in this vile body of death, while sin and temptations still so easily beset him, is not only irrational but dangerous."
In scripture, the phrase "fall from grace" refers to those who fall into seeking to be declared righteous through Christ by works of the law. The Holy Ghosts's warns, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified [declared righteous] by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4) In light of this scripture, the Church of Wells Manifesto communicates to the child of God who falls into sin, "It is possible for you to fall under the curse of the law and for Christ to become of no effect unto you; God forbid that you should believe in the hope that Jesus Christ is your eternal life and everlasting justification. God forbid that you, a poor and needy sinner, should find peace through His cleansing blood while your sin still so easily besets you. It is irrational and dangerous!"
The Church of Wells Manifesto teaches that those who are still easily beset by sin and temptations must believe it is possible for them to be cursed by the law and for Christ to become of no effect unto them. John wrote to the church, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1) On 1 John 2:1, Robert Hawker commented, "Oh! what confidence might the faith of it produce, if grace was always in lively exercise, to come with it before GOD? Who would ever feel deadness, fears, doubts, misgivings, or even heart-straitenings in prayer, if he beheld the throne of grace, the pardon office, the mercy-seat of the LORD, thus encircled with mercy; JESUS, both the Propitiation for sin, and the Advocate for the cause of his people? What shall stop or silence the plea of JESUS CHRIST the righteous, with the righteous FATHER? This was our LORD'S own plea, when upon earth. 0 righteous FATHER! John 17:25. And it is his people's plea, taught by him, and offered up in him, now he is in heaven. And there is a great degree of blessedness in it, when rightly considered. For, when we thus plead, we plead upon the right and footing of GOD'S justice. When we look up to GOD, simply as we are in ourselves; we can only look up for pardon and grace, as helpless sinners.
The Church of Wells preaches a false gospel dressed up in a distorted view of God's unconditional electing love. They believe that God sovereignly elects some among the regenerate and others, among the regenerate, are forsaken and left unto eternal damnation for their unfaithfulness to maintain a "progressive" works righteousness. This view is a mixture of Weslyan Perfectionism and Baxterian Neonomianism. Here we have two massive errors combined into one message!
The Church of Wells Elder Sean Morris has written in his book, The Condescension of God, "Did you know that even though God loved Jeremiah with “an everlasting love”, the Lord intended to damn, and declaratively damned, Jeremiah during a specific time period of his sojourning as a prophet? This means that God was angry enough with Jeremiah that He desired to send him to hell. Jeremiah was disqualified from his prophetic office, promises, and covenant for a time, and he scarcely escaped damnation but by the surmounting mercies of an everlasting love. Jeremiah was loved with an everlasting love, and therefore was of “the elect” according to Romans chapter 9." In another place Sean wrote, “The Church, upon regeneration, is initially saved, and to be initially saved, then you have undergone the gospel experience called ‘imputed righteousness’. If you have imputed righteousness, then, lawfully speaking, you have the righteousness of Christ covering you. Therefore at this point, you are savingly in perfection/completion; you are savingly, perfectly, and completely joined to Christ! If a man has imputed righteousness, but then fails to maintain his saving faith, this is a failure to maintain unity with the life of the righteous Christ which indwells him; therefore he will not produce Christ’s works righteousness (called ‘My works’ [Rev. 2:26]). If a man does not have works righteousness, then he has dead faith, and if it is not revived or made alive again, then he too will be judged dead, without God, Christ, and imputed righteousness – thus he has fallen from perfection into blame. If a man falls from a saving relationship with Christ, which is by saving faith apart from works, and then those inward, immediate, and empowering qualities of the gospel are not walked out, which means that the powers of initial salvation are not presently and progressively experienced by the individual, then there is no present progressive works righteousness.”
Jun 21, 2013
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins - Robert Hawker
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
I must beg the Reader's attention to another very sweet and interesting point, which the HOLY GHOST hath here dwelt upon, by his servant John. If we confess our sins, (saith John,) he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Is GOD'S faithfulness and justice concerned to forgive the sins of his people on their confession of them? Yes! for having received an equivalent payment, yea, more than an equivalent, in the death of CHRIST; the faithfulness and justice of GOD are both engaged, in Covenant engagements, to discharge the Principal Debtor, now the Surety hath made him free. And in the pardon of all CHRIST'S redeemed ones, the LORD remembers, and fulfils his everlasting Covenant, Isaiah 49:9; Zechariah 9:11. And the confession of sins in the pardoned, is not the cause of pardon, but the effect, This will always follow, where the grace of GOD brings salvation.
I must beg the Reader's attention to another very sweet and interesting point, which the HOLY GHOST hath here dwelt upon, by his servant John. If we confess our sins, (saith John,) he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Is GOD'S faithfulness and justice concerned to forgive the sins of his people on their confession of them? Yes! for having received an equivalent payment, yea, more than an equivalent, in the death of CHRIST; the faithfulness and justice of GOD are both engaged, in Covenant engagements, to discharge the Principal Debtor, now the Surety hath made him free. And in the pardon of all CHRIST'S redeemed ones, the LORD remembers, and fulfils his everlasting Covenant, Isaiah 49:9; Zechariah 9:11. And the confession of sins in the pardoned, is not the cause of pardon, but the effect, This will always follow, where the grace of GOD brings salvation.
Moreover, it is among the precious testimonies of our enjoying communion with GOD, that we confess our sins before him. He that hath most communion and fellowship with GOD will be most open and communicative. It is with GOD'S friendship in this particular, as it is with man's: the more we love a man, the more we delight to unbosom ourselves to him. So with GOD in CHRIST, the more the LORD hath our confidence, the more we shall find grace to unfold to him, what we feel by reason of sin. Nay, as our sins and transgressions are all against GOD, the more sensibly we shall feel our love to him, the more we shall feel hurt at offending him. And, therefore, none will be so ready to rip open the soul before GOD, as that soul who loves GOD most, and dreads to do any thing so as to be shy before him. And, as we know, that the LORD knows all our secret sins, which are in the light of his countenance, before we can inform him: so we also know, that so gracious is our GOD, that he hath pardoned them before we have confessed them, and before we called for mercy, he hath answered, Isaiah 65:24. Oh! what a thought to comfort us. None but GOD'S friendship could admit a friendship like ours! His love, not our deservings, becomes the standard of his favor. Hence, our communion with him, is kept up on our part, in confessing our sins. And on his part, in pardoning them in JESUS.
1 John 2:1 - We have an advocate with the Father - Robert Hawker
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)
He warns the Church against sin. But, aware what a body of sin and death the best of men carry about with them, be bids them, under all sin, and all discouragements, to look to CHRIST. And how blessedly he speaks. If any man sin. And who is there of the LORD'S people; which sins not? We have (saith he) an Advocate with the FATHER, JESUS CHRIST the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. Observe. We, that is, the Church have this Advocate. We have not now to look out for an advocate. We have One, yea, an Almighty One. And he is both an Advocate, and a Propitiation; that is, he hath both paid our debt as a Propitiation, and now takes up our persons and our causes, as an Advocate, to see our sins all cancelled, and done away in his blood. And, observe yet further. This Advocate which we have, is with the FATHER. He who hath set forth CHRIST, as a Propitiation in his blood. So that GOD, who hath given CHRIST, and set forth CHRIST as a Propitiation, is He, with whom CHRIST hath to do, as our Advocate. And I pray the Reader yet further to observe. The Apostle doth not say, we have an Advocate with our FATHER: for though he is our FATHER in CHRIS JESUS, and very blessed it is to know him as such, in numberless instances and occasions; yet here, CHRIST is said to be an Advocate with the FATHER. Not only CHRIST'S FATHER, and our FATHER, but the FATHER. What! is there more in the expression the FATHER, than our FATHER, or CHRIST'S FATHER? Yes! upon the present occasion for which John writes. For let it be observed, that as John is holding forth this encouragement to the Church of CHRIST, that CHRIST is an Advocate and Propitiation for his people under the infirmities of sin; he is dealing with us as on the footing of GOD'S justice. He considers the FATHER, therefore, as GOD, holy and just; and One that will not clear the guilty, Exodus 34:7. Hence he tells the Church, that CHRIST is with the FATHER, both as a Propitiation for sin, having fully paid down on the judgment-seat, the compleat price for our redemption; and also while there (which he ever is,) he is an Advocate, to plead, and see that his Church is accepted, pardoned, justified, sanctified, and glorified, according to the agreement in Covenant-settlements.
Reader! what a blessed subject is here? Oh! what confidence might the faith of it produce, if grace was always in lively exercise, to come with it before GOD? Who would ever feel deadness, fears, doubts, misgivings, or even heart-straitenings in prayer, if he beheld the throne of grace, the pardon office, the mercy-seat of the LORD, thus encircled with mercy; JESUS, both the Propitiation for sin, and the Advocate for the cause of his people? What shall stop or silence the plea of JESUS CHRIST the righteous, with the righteous FATHER? This was our LORD'S own plea, when upon earth. 0 righteous FATHER! John 17:25. And it is his people's plea, taught by him, and offered up in him, now he is in heaven. And there is a great degree of blessedness in it, when rightly considered. For, when we thus plead, we plead upon the right and footing of GOD'S justice. When we look up to GOD, simply as we are in ourselves; we can only look up for pardon and grace, as helpless sinners. But, when we look up in the interest of CHRIST, from an union with CHRIST; we then plead on the score of justice. And hence, upon this account it was, that Paul called the crown, which he knew was laid up for him, a crown of righteousness; because it was the just earnings of CHRIST'S blood and righteousness. And Paul declared, that when it was given to him, it would be by the righteous Judge, 2 Timothy 4:8. Reader! what know you of these things? Are you so looking to the throne? Can you hear the awful threatenings of GOD'S holy law against sins; and yet look undismayed, under the consciousness of a broken law, to the LORD'S righteous judgment against every single breach of it, because you behold the whole law fulfilled, in the Person of your Almighty Surety, and know your security in Him? If so, then will you enter into a blessed personal enjoyment of this sweet scripture, in stedfastly beholding and resting upon him, who is your Advocate, and with the FATHER, JESUS CHRIST the righteous; and who is the propitiation for your sins! See Romans 3:25 and Commentary:
Jun 14, 2013
2 Thessalonians - 2:10 - William Odling
"Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thess 2:10) Here is, doubtless, mystical Babylon spoken of; and the awful ruin which is to befall her for rejecting God's truth. And is it not evident God has given them up to "Strong delusions to believe a lie, that they all may be damned who believe not the truth; " Verse 12; or condemned, as a body of people, to temporal calamity and destruction; and were it not for their obstinacy and blindness, they might be saved from it. So that we say, it was on account of their obstinacy, unbelief, and rejection of their Messiah, and his gospel; and they, as a nation, being cut off from all its privileges; and the dreadful destruction and dispersion coming upon them, (though unknown to him when it should take place. Matt. xxiv. 36;) which caused the great heaviness, and continued sorrow of heart which Paul felt: and he had such affection for his Jewish brethren after the flesh, who had been such a privileged people, being God's adopted as a nation, and he one of them; and he gave the highest instance of his love towards them, when he said, "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:" or in other words, I could be content to die the most accursed death, and be treated in the most ignominious manner, if so be they might be saved, and not be cut off from being a nation, and become dispersed and outcasts. Rom. ix. 1—5. But he was aware, that their ruin was hastening upon them, except they repented: for they had rejected Christ their Messiah, and his gospel, and put it from them, and Paul had turned to the Gentiles on that account, (fifteen years before he wrote the above:) and said to them, " Beware lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets, " Behold, ye despisers and wonder and perish." See Acts xiii. 40—46. Perish by the Romans, and be lost eternally.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 and 1 Peter 4:17 - William Button
But, says Mr. F. sinners are punished for disobedience; and produces two texts, 2 Thess. 1:8-9, “Taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.”—And 1 Pe. 4:17, “what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”—To which I reply, there is a reverential and obedient attention due to the gospel, as a revelation from God, stamped with divine authority, and every way worthy of himself; and where this is neglected, as it was by the unbelieving Jews, who despised and rejected it as folly, and not worthy of their attention, as well as by sinners in every age, it undoubtedly aggravates their sin, and will increase their punishment. But what has this to do with special faith, or with that evangelical and spiritual obedience of heart and life, which flows from the grace of faith in the soul?—However, as I have before given my thoughts on this subject, I take leave of the Third Proposition, and hope, Sir, you are satisfied with what has been said, and that you are convinced by this time, Mr. F. is entirely mistaken in his assertion, “That the gospel, though it be no law, but a message of pure grace, yet virtually requires such an obedience to it, which includes saving faith.”
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