10. Every Christian should be like Phillip! We ought to be a workmen not ashamed of Jesus Christ and His written Word. You should study as much as you can to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ our all-sufficient Savior. Phillip carried with him the infallible interpretation of Christ about the identity of the suffering Person in Isaiah 53 from the encounter with Jesus Christ on the Road to Damascus that some of the followers of Jesus had. We learn that Jesus is the Messiah and the suffering Lamb of God. The words of Jesus are divine Scripture. The fallible local church is subordinate to the infallible Scriptures. It alone is our sole inspired authority. If someone is confused about Scripture it is not because the clearness of Scriptures but it is because the nature of man has blinded the eyes of every living soul. A sinner should also recognize (though some disagree) that God has also blinded the minds and hearts of men. Sinners should confess through the Word preached their abandonment to spiritual blindness because sinners have exalted themselves above God. We have committed idolatry against God which is the very sin of Satan in his fall. God must humble and soften the hearts of His people. The local church is only an unsafe means if it does not match up with the divine Word. The local church should always be in light of divine Scripture. It should not be the Scriptures in light of the local church. The reason there are many non-Christian cults who claim the name "Christian" is not because of the Scriptures but their errant subjectivity, blind perversion and abominations concerning illegitimate private understandings of divine Scripture. I think everyone engages in what the Reformers called "private interpretation." The pope himself engages in "private interpretations" and every converted Catholic regarding sacred history. The only Persons who do not engage in "private interpretation" regarding the written Word but engage in "infallible interpretation" is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit alone. I also suppose that glorified angels and saints will never err on the interpretations of Scripture. There is no divisions in heaven about the understanding of divine Writ. Jesus mentioned that He came to bring division on earth. I think God is glorified in this division unto His glorious mercy and justice. Sinners have a abandoned tendency of blind subjectivity concerning Scripture. Private interpretation should always arrive at the author's intended meaning. It must rely on rules of private interpretation that is from Scripture. Scriptures provides us with the interpretive method of how to understand it. It means the clear passages in light of the difficult passages to comprehend. The divine Word is clear that everyone must turn from their sin and return to the Cross of the divine Scapegoat. We ought always to adhere to the rules of interpretation from the divine Word. With any teaching we are to responsibly ask, does it correspond to the divine Word alone? Is it compatible with sacred Scripture alone?
11. The divine Word is self-explanatory, self-attesting, self-sufficient and thoroughly clear. The world wants to impose its subjectivity on the written Word. The cults want to elevate their "organization" over the author's intended meaning. To possess a subjective interpretation of divine Scripture is sin. The Scriptures universally declare that sinners have gone astray and have turned to their own way. If we say, "let the church decide what Scripture means!" we fall into the pit of hellish beliefs that deny the gospel of God. I have dealt with non-Christians cults and their views come from their particular church not the divine Word. The Scriptures remain unbreakable and non-blameable regarding the subjectivity and diverse interpretations. The accusations of wrongdoing are with the blind interpreter of Scripture. Everyone has fallen short of the glory of God. If we sin on matters of the nature of man, we will not have a right view of salvation. Human beings are abominable sinners and compromise the author's intended meaning of the divine Word. God, however, never compromises His absolute holiness. The Roman church emphasizes as the Mother of Scripture. That is, that she decides what it does and does not mean. We see in her body of theology that it has failed her because it has contradicted the living Scriptures. She teaches "infusion" regarding the nature of justification. Rather the Bible clearly teaches "imputation." We see that the Orthodox Church has placed herself above Scripture. She teaches that Mary is our Spiritual Helper. However, the Bible clearly teaches that Christ and the Spirit suffice as our Heavenly Intercessors. This does not mean that angels do not pray for us, but it is in a different context about the Virgin Mary. I do not deny intercessory prayer among Christians but I deny the salvational link people give Mary in our redemption in terms of ultimate intercessors. The Orthodox Church denies the sufficient and efficacious intercession of Jesus Christ in behalf of His people if she holds to Mary as an ultimate intercessor in heaven. Did Saint Peter need the intercession of Mary so his faith would not fail? No, Christ was enough through the Spirit to pray for Peter so his faith would never fail. Jesus prays for us in heaven in the same way without any additional Heavenly Intercessor in sense of Rome and Orthodoxy. I respectfully suggest to you that the real Jesus loves unlike the Virgin Mary. No one could intercede like Jesus. His love is beyond knowledge and comprehension! Are you sure you know the real Jesus? The real Jesus does not need Mary to ease His anger. The real Jesus has so much compassion and love that it is divinely and supernaturally and spiritually unparalleled and supernaturally incomprehensible concerning the love with which He loves His people. If you need Mary to intercede for you because you fear Jesus' anger, I would like to point out that you are simply blinded by your own sin. The divine Scriptures present a Jesus that always understands; always loves; always hopes; and always effectively forgives His astray people.
12. We are separated from our holy Creator through our sin. We are tainted with sin but the divine imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ covers us through faith in His blessed name. There is an infinite gap between us and our Creator. The Savior died for us. That is, the Cross bridges the gap between us and God. He unites us in holiness and reconciliation. Religious activity never removes sin. Good works do not remove sin. Rather the all-prevailing blood of Jesus Christ alone at His Cross alone (not purgatory in anyway!) removes sin. In and of ourselves, we stand condemned and worthy of hell fire. However, in Christ we are forgiven people and possess His divine righteousness where we are able to stand before Him. Do you realize in your heart of hearts that you are no good before a holy God? The law of God has been broken and we have violated His prescriptive will. You worthy of eternal hell because of original sin and actual transgressions. We have been into the pig pen of great sin. Every sin is an offense against the superlative holiness of God. We have injured His tender heart and offended His goodness and greatness. God, however, demonstrates His love toward us through His dear Son alone. Its not through anyone else but through Jesus Christ alone because in Him the Father declared "I am well-pleased in Him: hear ye Him." Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Christ died for bad people. Are you convicted over your sin and misery? We are full of sin and actual transgressors. We have fallen into abominable iniquity and our disobedience is unto witchcraft before a holy God. Is there any hope? Shall we perish in our sin and despisement of the innocent Christ by our very natures? Will we not spend eternity in hell for our wrongs and harm of others? The only hope we have is Jesus Christ! It is not in anyone else, but through the only eternal and divine Son of Man. He became man as the Incarnate Second Person of the Trinity. He lived an immaculate life where He earned spiritual salvation for us and He submitted to the supreme agony of hell upon the Cross where our abominable witchcraft and disobedience was placed on Him alone. This is the essence of divine grace from divine Scripture.
This blog web site is for the in-depth, sound and basic exegetical study of the Bible in Reformed apologetics; that is, I shall expound upon the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. There shall be biblical studies in world religions and non-Christian cults. I also quote and research reformed writers and I am happy to study from them. May the Lord bless everyone who reads this blog with spiritual riches in Christ which is His imputed merit by faith alone.
