Reformation is an ever on-going process
(Message delivered by Pastor at the True Life Church 10.30 am Service, Oct 31, 04)
Text: I Peter 1:23-25
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
“What man says will wither like grass. What God says will last forever.”
Today, Oct 31 (1517) is Reformation Sunday, the day Martin Luther a German monk nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church. The 95 theses were 95 statements in opposition to what the Pope was doing, selling indulgences or forgiveness tickets to the people whereby their loved ones who had died could reduce their time in purgatory (a false Roman Catholic teaching), and total release if enough payment was forth-coming. It is all money, money, money!
As soon as their money into the treasury “clings”, out of purgatory their souls would “spring”. And what the Pope was doing with all the money he collected? He would use it to renovate St. Peter’s Church which is still standing in the Vatican in Rome today. Martin Luther’s protest against all this trickery on this Day marks the beginning of the 16th Century Reformation.
The story is told in the Philippines a Roman Catholic country of a rich man who died. The priest came often to see his son to sell him indulgences. He tried to induce him to pay more money. “Your father will soon come out.” “How far is my father out of purgatory?” asked the son. “His left foot is now out.” “Never mind,” chuckled the son, “My father’s right leg is made of wood.”
What he nailed on the door of the Wittenberg Church “was copied, translated, printed and spread on angels’ wings throughout Germany and Europe in a few weeks.” What followed this was that “The Reformation of the 16th Century, is next to the introduction of Christianity, the greatest event in history”, says Philip Schaff, Church historian. “It was a revival of revivals.”
Since the founding of the Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore in 1950 we have not forgotten the commemoration of this great event and we urge every B-P Church to observe it lest we forget.
But Reformation is not an isolated event. It is an ever on-going process. As far as I am concerned it confronted me as soon as I arrived in America in January 1948 to study at Faith Seminary. I was challenged to join a 20th Century Reformation in order to preserve the 16th Century Reformation whereby we were freed from the evils of the Roman Catholic Church to become a Protestant Church.
Yes, there was need of another Reformation. We were now swamped by modernism and liberalism and the battle was waged by Dr. Gresham Machen, Professor of Theology of Princeton Seminary, the teacher of Dr. Carl McIntire, who in turn was my teacher. Dr. Machen declared modernism and liberalism is not another form of Christianity, but a totally different religion. They also carry the Bible but they don’t believe any word of it as we fundamentalists do. They don’t believe a single miracle including our Lord’s resurrection. My contact with modernism through a Methodist Bishop who taught me English at Anglo-Chinese School was most disappointing. He never showed his students how we might be saved. He ridiculed the miracle of Jonah, “If you believe the whale swallowed Jonah, you can believe Jonah swallowed the whale.”
In 1948 when I arrived in America Dr. Machen had died so Dr. McIntire his student carried on the battle against modernism and liberalism. He called this the 20th Century Reformation in order to preserve the 16th Century Reformation. I was deeply moved that wintry morning of January, 1948. My heart was knit to his heart and for over 50 years I am a fundamentalist and I believe to the last word the Bible, the Word of God and God has blessed our Church.
Now I am involved in a 21st Century Reformation. My two Assistant Pastors at Life Church who served with me as teachers at Far Eastern Bible College which I founded in 1962 suddenly disclosed they could not take the oath required of faculty members that the Bible is God’s Holy Word to the last letter, but I immediately refuted them. They said they had discovered mistakes in the Bible but I declared the Bible is 100% perfect without any mistake. They resigned from FEBC. As we are in the same Church and the Session has taken their side, I have no option but to get out and serve you who believe in a perfect Bible like me.
So, True Life B-P Church which we are today is involved in a 21st Century Reformation. You have heard my messages from this pulpit all these months and weeks without compromise. Life Church Session recently declared they also believe in a perfect Bible without any mistake short of an apology to the Lord by the two Assistant Pastors, now elevated pastors. This confuses the issue all the more. So our involvement in a 21st Century Reformation goes on. As the title of my message for today is, “Reformation is an ever on-going process.”
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THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter VIII
To men and women in dark pleasures Jesus Christ shines the Light of Life
The Feast of Tabernacles was now over (Ch 7:37) but our Lord did not return to Galilee. He remained in Jerusalem because He had finished His work upcountry. According to God’s timetable, He must witness in the national capital. As the festive crowds in the city had taken up all lodging room, “and every man went unto his own house,” Jesus retired to the Mount of Olives. He who said “the Son of man hath not where to lay His head” had camped out there beneath the olive trees that night.
When Jesus returned to the Temple early in the morning, the scribes and Pharisees brought before Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. They wanted an opinion from Him whether this woman according to the Law of Moses should be stoned. This was a trap. As usual our Lord turned the tables on His enemy. Without an argument the accusers were dispersed. A Lawyer of lawyers and a judge of judges, the Divine Master thwarts every cunning and craftiness of man.
Not willing to admit defeat, the Jews regrouped for more encounters. They resumed their challenge to His credentials because under Mosaic Law two witnesses at least are required for corroboration. Jesus replied that He had the corroboration of Another, His Father. Even if He stood alone, His testimony was true, since He spoke of things too deep for them to judge. This confrontation took place in the treasury of the temple, also known as Court of the Women. Jesus is the Master of polemical preaching.
It was a sharp encounter, and it was a marvel that the exasperated Jewish bosses let Him go. In the providence of God they were restrained by the popular support given to our Lord. “…. and no man laid hands on Him; for His hour was not yet come.” (v. 20). The higher restraining factor, however is God.
V. 21-30 is a new section. Here Jesus hints of His crucifixion (v. 28) and impending death and His return to the Father (v. 21-24). Once again He was rudely rejected.
V. 31-59 speaks of a final encounter insofar as this chapter is concerned. It is a long debate that ends with the unbelieving Jews trying to stone Jesus, but He got out safely from the Temple precincts.
The main topic is freedom. These Jews priding themselves to be Abraham’s descendants and therefore of God thought they were a free people. This was a manifestation of their nationalistic spirit that made them oblivious to their enslavement under foreign powers – from Egypt to Rome. Jesus tried to show the freedom from sin that He was talking about. He pointed out their being sons rather of the devil (v. 44) and their enslavement to sin. The only way out from the bondage of sin and death to freedom and life was through the Son. This brought the Jews into a second argument on Abraham in which Jesus revealed His pre-existence to Abraham’s day. This statement again was challenged because the Jews judged our Lord to be under 50 years old. How could Abraham have seen Him who was dead many years? How the Jews missed point after point of the Word of Life. And you?
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