One page that tells a 20 year story.

Is James 4:7-10 an appeal to salvation being made to the unsaved? It's an important question I want you theologians and laymen of the Word of God to ponder as I tell you a very short story about an article I'm writing.

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

I really wanted to get an article posted before I left for Ottawa. However... it kept growing and I was learning things I hadn't noticed before. I found there was potential in the article to go deeper into the topic of what the True Gospel of Jesus Christ is and how it ought to be taught and preached than I had ever gone at OMW before. Dreams of grandeur started to fill my mind... OK maybe I didn't get THAT carried away.. but I was really hopeful of stepping up both the quality and depth of my study on the topic.

Thankfully, I asked for assistance. I wanted an important (very important for my article) point to be reviewed. I had arranged for the entire article to be "peer-reviewed" (as though I could claim the person who agreed a peer!) but it was not completed before I had to leave. So I decided to send of a specific question. And I'm thankful I did. Lou Martuneac engaged some of his peers to answer the question for me. And guess what.. the answer came back that I was flat out wrong.

So now a great portion of the article must be rewritten, and the remainder needs to be deeply scrutinized. My own bias filled mind jumped at an opportunity to find itself validated in Scripture. This is exactly the same as when a secular scientist imposes his own worldview on the findings and then congratulates himself on being verified by the "evidence." Not a pretty picture at all is it? Well this is why "peer review" is so important. And who we "choose" to do these "peer reviews" is just as important as having them done.

So back to James 4:7-10. I've just read a new post at IDOTG about page 250 of John MacArthur's 20th Anniversary Edition of The Gospel According To Jesus. The quote being addressed at IDOTG was found on Pg 218 of the original printing (20 years ago), and 252 of the first revision. This quote ought to have been reviewed many times. The book has been an outstanding seller since it was first published, so it surely has been read many times.

When I turn to page 250 of the 20th Anniversary Edition of TGATJ I see the first line of the second paragraph, and the first line of the third paragraph do in deed say;

One of the most comprehensive invitations to salvation in all the Epistles comes in James 4:7-10.

The invitation in 4:7-10 is directed at those who are not saved -

Brethren, read the Epistle for your self and answer God honestly, can He tell a lie? Can God the Holy Spirit call "guilty, wicked hearers of the Word who are not doers; who are still captive to dead faith; who are bitter, selfish, arrogant liars whose 'wisdom is not what comes from above but is, natural, demonic'; who are loving the world and thus are the enemies of God; who's inner spirit is still dominated by lusts; and who are proud and self-sufficient" by a term that indicates they are saved believers, that being "Brethren"? The quote here is the continuation of the first line of paragraph 3 on Pg 25o.

The basic problem of the Lordship Salvation message is it's demands that a sinner be a disciple in order to be saved. Every Christian will be discipled by the Holy Spirit, this is true. And for the most part the debate with Additionists (those who would add to the Gospel such as Lordship Salvation does) is not with what a genuine conversion will result in, but it is about what must be done to be genuinely converted.

I will let Lou carry on the conversation on this subject at IDOTG. But you visit you will find the following post that I have made.

Mark Pierson you said
If I were away from my church for a while, and a great distance away at that, and I wanted to write a letter to that congregation I would address it to "my brethren", knowing full well that not all who attend there on a regular basis are truely saved. Some hearing the letter read from the pulpit would not truely be brethren. But that would not stop me from addressing the larger part of that congregation, that IS born-again as brethren.

The glaring difference between anything you ever have or ever will write and Scripture is that Scripture is perfect.

If I wrote, a sentence to the Church that said -

"Saved Christians, put your faith in Jesus Christ to be saved!"

I could simply be discounted as a very poor writer or worse a terrible theologian.

But if the Apostle James wrote "Saved Christians, put your faith in Jesus Christ to be saved!" the BEST case scenario would be that this letter could not be included in Scripture.

A man may addresses the Brethren and include the unsaved who are sitting beside those in fellowship. He would be in error to do so. But a man can, in sincerity, do so.

However, God who knows the heart, knows who are His, and who can not lie, could NEVER address an unsaved person using the term "brethren." It would be to bare false witness.

You may be able to project the error, shortcoming, and political correctness of a man on a man... even the Apostle James but to project those same shortcomings (falling short of the Glory of God even) on the true Author of this Epistle, namely God The Holy Spirit is something I would repent of if I were you.

Kev

I invite you to participate in the conversation. Have your ideas "peer reviewed" and review those of your peers. For as much as I respect other men who are senior in the faith to me, I fully agree with something my Brother in the Lord Cory McKenna prayed this weekend; "We (Brethren) are all one at the foot of the Cross."