WesleyGospel Ministries

P. C. Nelson, Bible Doctrines, ch. 9.

Stanley Horton in Five Views on Sanctification, ch. 3.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? –Romans 6:1-2 (KJV)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   –1 John 1:8-9 (KJV)

His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. –1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)

The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. –Titus 2:11-12 (KJV)

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? –Hebrews 9:14 (KJV)

Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. –Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)

Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness. –Jude 1:4 (KJV)

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Mark Jones, Antinomianism: Reformed Theology’s Unwelcome Guest? P&R, 2013.

Daniel Steele, A Substitute for Holiness: Antinomianism Revived. Schmul, 1980.

Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans. Kregel Publications, 1982.

—, “Against the Antinomians,” Luther’s Works, vol. 47 (Fortress Press, 1971), pp. 99-118.

Apex Revenue, “Why Cold Email Is Dead and What’s Next for Sales Teams.” (2/5/24).

Daniel Defoe, The Complete English Tradesman, chs. 8, 15.

John Hayward’s The Horrors and Terrors of the Hour of Death (1690) – click for text.

It came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.  –2 Kings 3:15 (KJV)

He set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD BY HIS PROPHETS. –2 Chronicles 29:25 (KJV)

PRAISE THE LORD WITH HARP: sing unto him with the psaltery and an INSTRUMENT OF TEN STRINGS.    –Psalm 33:2 (KJV)

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.  –Psalm 149:3 (KJV)

Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. –Psalm 150:1-6 (KJV)

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Both R. A. Torrey and James Orr were among early fundamentalist theologians. They both contributed to The Fundamentals; and Torrey was the editor of the whole collection (4 vols).

R. A. Torrey, “Musical Instruments,” Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (1917).

James Orr, “Music,” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915).

Herbert Lockyer, All the Music of the Bible, ch. 5: “Instruments of Praise.”

Orville Nave, “Music,” Nave’s Topical Bible.

Frank Thompson, “Musical Instruments,” Thompson Chain Reference.

James Hastings, “Music and Musical Instruments,” Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1909).

Let forth the hateful
The murderous
Let their malignant prayers resound
The reverberant
Odious request
The wish of death abound
So enticing
The retaliation–chords of man
The all deafening
Oscillation of the damned

–Meshuggah, “Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion”–

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John Hayward’s Hell’s Everlasting Flames Avoided (1696) – click for text.

Go tell that fox. –Jesus’ view of King Herod, Luke 13:32 (NIV)

My kingdom is not of this world.  –Jesus to Pilate, John 18:36

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.   –Philippians 3:20 (NIV)

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own...they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.   –Hebrews 11:13, 14, 16 (NIV)

I’ve recently got into the habit of reading the daily newspaper online. Political and football news always seem to take center stage. In response to that, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” The meaning of this statement is pretty simple. But so many of the Religious Right Christians out there fighting the battle against abortion and gay rights, which are both extremely bad sins that need to be done away with, I think often lose sight of the larger issues: such as living by faith in the Gospel, experiencing life in the Holy Spirit, and developing personal ethical standards. They get wrapped up in politics, and they forget the words of Jesus, which in effect were, “Politics are not My thing,” or “the U.S. government is not of the Gospel,” or how about, “My heavenly kingdom is not of the world of politics.”

Jesus wasn’t into politics. They tried to make him a king once, but he ran away into the mountains. The only times he said anything about government leaders, it was either satirical, disinterested, or rebuking. Herod he called a fox: a predatory animal that only comes out at night, often a symbol of a sly deceptive person. Pilate he corrected, saying that all of his political authority was given to him from God up above. And he’ll admit that, with Paul, that governmental authority does come from God (Rom. 13). But that’s about it. He does not go to say that world governments are of God, or godly, or even suggest that governments have anything to do with the Gospel or life in the Holy Spirit.

Separation of church and state? Was Jesus about that? You kind of get the idea that he was—if not legally, then at least practically so far as what Christians should be dwelling on, on a day to day basis. I’d think that today, Jesus would be focused more so on what the Southern Baptist, Assemblies of God, and other evangelical churches are doing right now, and how their missions are being carried out. I think Jesus cares about that 90% more than he does about what is going on in Washington D.C. Not that he doesn’t care about the government at all. Sure he does, but it definitely comes out as a secondary or maybe even tertiary issue in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Jesus cares more about missionaries than politicians. Of that I can be sure. Does he love them more? Maybe. Did he love John more than the other disciples? Maybe. Peter, James, and John were in His inner circle. What about the other apostles? Or about Judas Iscariot, whom he called a devil? God loves everybody. Jesus died for everyone. But not everyone repents from their sins and puts their trust in the cross for their salvation. Not everyone embraces their own cross either. I think God feels more of an affinity for those who care about His evangelistic cause on the earth: living out and preaching the Gospel. Not so much for those who lobby for Republicans and Democrats. Not at all. I don’t see Jesus having much in common with those types of people at all.

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UPDATE: 10/12/24

COMPETITION:
THE MAIN CAUSE OF SOCIAL DISORDER AND FAMILY DYSFUNCTION

Whether the obsession with competition lodges itself within the hearts of men and women in the form of political enthusiasm, careerism, or sports enthusiasm–the Machiavellian orientation of secular American capitalists is a die-hard selfishness, disregard for others, deception as an acceptable form of problem management, cruelty as means to accomplish some desired end, covetousness covered up as a work ethic, which are various embodiments of Scrooge: this is the main cause, I am convinced, of all rivalry among adults and children. Whether its Mrs. Oleson or Nellie it doesn’t matter. Family dysfunction as well as neighbor dysfunction is the natural result of a secularized American capitalist ideology, infused with a dose of “survival of the fittest” Social Darwinism from Herbert Spencer. I urge against all forms of secular capitalist ideology, especially the Republican kind, as it is a sandy foundation to build a family on. In my almost 40 years of being an American I’d say that the secular Republican capitalist type of ideology is without question the most divisive and dysfunctional point of view that parents could ever adopt: such an ideology is anti-Good Samaritan, anti-Christian, anti-Christ, and anti-Bible, and is a setup for failure in marriages, childrearing, and all small businesses. Sibling rivalry will almost invariably result where such an ideology persists in a family. It is the unchecked toxic ideological propaganda of Republican political pundits; and an idolatry of U.S. presidents above the worship of Christ and his word. Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” There once was a time when the Book of Proverbs, and not Republicanism, was where American men got their philosophy of work; and its time that Christians shifted their gaze in that direction, and away from sly gangster capitalists, rapists, prideful billionaires, and serial playboys who promise people the moon, but just end up molesting a bunch of women once they get into the White House.