Three Streams

I wonder, (just a wondering) if today’s atmosphere of theological confusion, biblical ignorence among contemporary Christians can infact be traced back to some of the theological positions of their founders.

Let me take Charles G Finney for example. For those of you who do not know, he is regarded by historians as the father of ‘modern evangelicalism) (thats most of you guys who claim to have a personal relationship with Christ).

Finney is credited by shifting the emphasis from Calvinism to Arminianism, and the effects of this revivalist were to be felt all across America and the UK.

Anyway , some peeps mix up hyper calvinism with calvinism, (hyper calvinism basicly sez that we shouldnt preach the gospel to the lost). It would seem that Finney mixed up the error of hyper calvinism with that of Calvinism and in so doing rejected the basic tenets of Calvinism, Presbyterianism and esssentially reformed protestant theology.

This is actually no small thing, because a divorce has actually taken place, in that, essential protestant distinctives are actually no longer present among protestants! You perhaps may think, as I once did, ‘who cares’ I’m not a ‘protestant’ I’m a Christian’, and what does it matter? Well unfortunately it does matter, because whether we like it or not those of us who are evangelical/pentecostal/brethren or baptist etc are in fact ‘protestant’ and if we lose our distinctives then we cease to be who we claim to be and we will soon discover (if it has not already taken place) that our religious experience is devoid of the riches we expect it to posess.

What is probably just as sad, is that the many people who are suffering from today’s spiritual sickness do not even a)recognise the symptoms b) care enough to think about it. Christians, we are actualy living in times like the book of Samuael where it says ‘The word of the Lord was very rare in those days…’.Let me give you a quote that I found on the net by someone who analysed Finney’s doctrine.

“Many of the doctrines he argued most vehemently against are, in fact, core biblical truths.In other words, it was not merely hyper-Calvinism—or even simple Calvinism—that Finney rejected, but the biblical essentials of sola fide and sola gratia (justification by faith alone through grace alone). In effect, Finney also abandoned sola scriptura (the authority and sufficiency of Scripture), as shown by his constant appeal to rationalism in support of his new theology. The movement he led therefore represents the wholesale abandonment of historic Protestant principles.”

If this is true, (and I am actually more sympathetic to Finney than most in the Reformed camp) then is it any wonder that after enjoying an initial burst of spiritual enthusiasm and growth, that after the froth and bubble has died down, after the fire works have passed, that what is left is a decreasing movement with those who remain within its boundries crying out for lack of authentic religious experience and no solid biblical frame work with which to build their lives upon!?

Are you disallusioned with church? Are you struggling with questions of your faith? Do you long for God? Then I appeal to you to cry out to him, search the scriptures look for answers within its pages and study the lives and writings of men of God of old. Find out the roots of your faith. Get back to basics. You may say, ‘I cant be bothered’, well remember this The Lord says in His word ‘My people perish through lack of knowledge.’ You may call yourself Christian, you may find yourself in church, you may have ‘asked Jesus into your life’, ‘You may even be baptised and involved in church’, but at the end of the day this is no evidence that you are infact saved. You are living in days like OT wher the House of God lay in ruins, you may have been born into this rubble and think that it is normal, but it is not. God is stirring up a new people to begin clearing out the rubble and start building afresh on the Solid foundation of the Word of the Lord, as we build using the materials of his word the glory will fill the temple and Jesus will return.