Can such a man as this get saved?

News has come through of the death of Peter Sutcliffe AKA "The Yorkshire Ripper".  He was serving a whole life sentence for a series of horrific murders of many women over a period of several years in the Yorkshire area during the 1970s and 1980s.

Upon hearing of his death it is likely that there will be people making the following comment "Well, if anyone deserves Hell, it's him, no doubt he is there now". Is such an observation justified?

Firstly, let's look at the question -who deserves God's judgement in Hell?  The quick answer would be people like Sutcliffe, child killers, war criminals and so on.   However, if we are true to the Bible we need to acknowledge that we all deserve Hell.  We've all sinned in God's sight and deserve His just condemnation; Romans 3 v 10 and v 23 make this abundantly clear.  Moreover, if we look into our own hearts and see just how sinful our thought lives can be we know that we deserve God's condemnation.

Secondly, before we assume that all killers deserve Hell, but not the rest of us, let us remember the teachings of Christ that to hate someone is to murder them in our hearts - is any of us able to be acquitted of such a deed?

Thirdly, the Bible teaches that Christ's death was a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind - 1st John 2 v 2.  In that sense we all participated in the grisly events that surrounded His crucifixion.  We were all part of the crowd that howled for His blood, we all sat in Pilate's seat condemning Him, we all nailed Him to the cross and jeered at Him even while He bore our sins - in short we all have the blood of the Son of God on our hands.

Fourthly, God's grace is such that even convicted murderers can be forgiven, and given a place in Heaven, if they truly turn to Christ and receive Him as their personal Saviour.  I have heard accounts of people in prison for the most horrendous offences, being wonderfully converted.  Moreover, it is quite possible, that Sutcliffe turned to Christ before he died; we don't know this for sure but while that possibility remains we cannot say definitively that he is in Hell.

As I pondered the possibility of Sutcliffe turning to Christ before dying I'm reminded of the following that I heard a few years ago from a good friend of mine, a Christian evangelist who likes nothing better than to preach the wonderful Gospel of God's grace.  It goes like this.....

In a particular area there was a notorious atheist who openly  rejected the Gospel and would have nothing to do with the Bible.   One day he was thrown from a horse and  knocked unconscious. While he was still unconscious and hovering between life and death Christians prayed for him that he would wake up and have another opportunity to be saved.  In God's merciful providence he did recover and stated the following "you all thought that if I'd died I would have gone to Hell, but what you don't realise is that as I was flying through the air I turned to Christ and believed in Him just before hitting the ground."   Contrary to popular belief he would not have died in his sins.  This led to one penning the following words: 

"Between the saddle and the ground, mercy was sought and mercy found"

Is Peter Sutcliffe in Heaven or Hell? We don't know - but I suspect there will be surprises in Heaven!

Steve Chalke, the latter day Charles Templeton

The reason for this blog is simply to proclaim Gospel truths, and not to engage in personal "attacks" on individuals.  However, the situation with Steve Chalke's apostasy has now become so serious it ill-behoves me, or anybody else who cares for truth, to ignore the damage he is doing.

Before we come to Chalke, however, it would be worth looking at another apostate - Charles Templeton, as there is a common thread that unites both people.

Templeton was born in 1915 and, during the 1940s, he was a close colleague of Billy Graham; indeed, they preached together under the auspices of Youth For Christ.  Moreover, being Graham's senior by 3 years he seemed, for a while, to be the more prominent of the two.  Many young people professed to be converted under Templeton's ministry and he appeared to have God's blessing upon him.  However, by the time the 1950s came along he acknowledged an unwillingness to accept a literal interpretation of Genesis and, to cut a long story short, he finally admitted, during that decade, that he had renounced the Christian faith.  His eternal fate seemed to be sealed when he published the book "Farewell to God" just a short while before his death.

Steve Chalke, born 40 years later, professed conversion in his youth and soon began to engage in Gospel work, having a particular appeal to young people.  Indeed, shortly after my own conversion to Christ, in 1975, he would sometimes visit the church I was attending, and I greatly appreciated his clear, Bible based ministry.  I lost touch with him by the end of the 1970s but would sometimes read the odd article he had written in the Christian press.

About 18 years ago, he ridiculed the Biblical teaching of a  6-day creation, labelling it "rubbish".  Had he disagreed with the literal interpretation of Genesis but showed respect to people who held to it, that would have been bad enough; but his arrogant contempt for those who held to this truth led me to the view that he was heading for a fall.

A few years later, he moved further away from the truth by denying that Christ had borne the wrath of God upon the cross (this essential truth is referred to as "propitiation" in Scripture) and denounced it as "cosmic child abuse".  Given that penal substitution, as it is dubbed  by theologians, is an integral part of the Gospel it was obvious that Chalke was on a seriously downward path away from the Bible.  As time passed he made it clear he rejected the concept of Biblical infallibility and, as if that wasn't bad enough, he came out strongly against the Biblical teaching on marriage and sexuality, siding with enemies of the Christian faith who were promoting unnatural perversions.

Further, he has made clear his willingness to bless so-called "gay unions" and his church, as far as I am aware, endorses "gay marriage".  His apostasy is now so complete, he has openly called for "government intervention" to deal with sermons that he deems to be "negative" on this issue.  In short, he wants to criminalise the Bible's teaching on this matter.

Given that both Templeton and Chalke started their downgrade when they moved away from Genesis there is this common thread that runs through both.  This is a clear warning to us, not to meddle with the first book in the Bible because, once we do that, we may well find ourselves moving further away from truth as we read through God's word.

Finally, it should be stated, that although both of these apostates are on the wrong side of God's truth, there is a sense in which Chalke is the more dangerous of the two.   To be fair to Templeton, at least he had a shred of integrity about him when he admitted to having renounced the faith so that we all knew where he stood, and where we stood with him.  Chalke, despite militating against God's word, still claims to be a Christian, and a minister, at that.  As a result of his endorsing "gay marriage" he is confirming people in their sin; if he wishes to damn his own soul, that is his lookout, but by supporting unnatural perversions he is damning the souls of all the poor creatures who are unfortunate enough to fall for his pernicious wiles.  In short, he will have their blood on his hands when they end up in Hell along with him. 

In conclusion it should be stated, that this dreadful state of affairs should not surprise us; after all,  Paul warn us that "some would depart from the faith..." - 1st Timothy 4 v 1; we are also told that there would be a "falling away" before Christ's return - 2nd Thess. 2 v 3.

May God give us grace not to fall in with the spirit of the age but to remain firm and steadfast, no matter how strong the temptation to throw in the towel and throw in our lot with the likes of Steve Chalke.

The real freethinkers

Given that it's been a few months since my last blog article I thought it was high time I put pen to paper and wrote about a matter that has been on my mind recently (and, no, it's not this virus business!).

During the 19th century this country was outwardly Christian, at least in a cultural manner.  Most people regularly attended church services (though I suspect that many were simply wearing the name "Christian" as a badge, without being truly born again of the Holy Spirit) and the laws of this country did not permit many of the unnatural perversions and other acts of wickedness which are prevalent today.   It was even the case that atheists were not allowed to stand for parliament. 

Against this backdrop a group of people emerged calling themselves "freethinkers".   They were strongly humanistic, even atheistic, and strenuously opposed the way that this country's laws and culture sought to conform to the Bible.

We all know that over the last century, and certainly, since the end of the 2nd World War, the culture and laws of the UK have moved well away from the teachings of the Bible and we are now living in a country which is not only post-Christian, but anti-Christian, with persecution being real for true Christians who seek to live by God's infallible word. 

Given the dire spiritual state of the nation, it intrigues me that there are still people around calling themselves freethinkers because of their atheistic humanism.  These poor creatures are 150 years out of date!  Why do I say that?  Simply because the true definition of a freethinker is one who is prepared to have views and beliefs that do not conform to the majority of the population.  Given that most people do not accept the Bible as God's word, the term "freethinker" is redundant as far as humanists are concerned.

Who, then, are the real freethinkers?  Again, using the correct definition of the term - the freethinkers of today are believers in Christ, who hold to the Bible as absolutely true and reject much of the thinking and behaviour of the majority of the population.

The real freethinkers of today stand firm for God's word and refuse to conform to the wickedness prevalent in this benighted country.  We stand against the unnatural perversions, the filth, the infanticide and the hedonism of the masses.  We have the courage to swim against the tide and are prepared to endure hardships and persecution for daring to challenge the extreme "political correctness" that pervades modern society.

In short the true freethinkers of the UK in 2020 are the ones who walk the narrow way as outlined in the words of our Saviour in Matthew 7 v 13-14.

In office, but not in power.

In recent months the news has been dominated by the C-Virus with people having an almost ghoulish obsession with the daily announcements of deaths and the rate of infection.   Moreover, the daily round of press conferences  by govt, minsters, most notably the Health Secretary, (dubbed "Hancock's Half-Hour") convey no genuine information that give any comfort, or assurance that they really know what they are doing.

Indeed, it would not be unfair to say that, at present, the govt. are giving the clear impression that they are in office, but not in power.

This should not surprise us; after all, human beings are fallible.   We carry on with our daily lives quite merrily until something out of the ordinary happens,  and then we see just how ill-equipped we are to deal with such matters.

Have we ever felt, at times, as if we are being swept along by events, like being caught in a fast-flowing river and helpless to turn round? At times like that our only comfort is to know that there is One who is both in office and in power.  That is, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

In Hebrews 1 v 3 we read that He upholds all things by "the word of His power".  He is in absolute control - governments come and go, so do Prime Ministers and Presidents, BUT the Lord Jesus is the same "yesterday, today and forever" - Hebrews 13 v 8.

If we are tempted to put our trust in the latest eagerly awaited press conference, or some official govt. announcement, then we will be disappointed time and again.  As the Bible says "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God" - Psalm 20 v 7.  Moreover, Psalm 118 v 8 exhorts us to trust in the Lord rather than "to put confidence in man".

As the country continues to reel from one crisis to another, (and the worst is yet to come) let us not despair, as many around us are doing, but have complete confidence in the sovereignty of God; He knows what He is doing and will perform all His good intentions to the glory of His name and the good of everyone He has been pleased to call unto salvation (Romans 8 v 28).

Glaring examples of the nation's hypocrisy

No doubt, like millions of others you are well aware that the nation is in the grip of panic due to the effects of the coronavirus.  Every day the death toll grows and, with it, the call to "save lives" by staying at home.  Moreover, there have been demands for an increase in the testing programme in order to detect the virus, and "save even more lives".

While it is right for the govt. to co-ordinate efforts to stem the spread of the virus and get medical help to those in need, I cannot help wondering if those involved in these efforts realise the blatant hypocrisy that manifests itself.  This is so in two ways:

Firstly, for decades now, our young people have been indoctrinated with the lie of evolution.  We have, teachers say, evolved from lower life forms.  The basic premise of this teaching is the survival of the fittest.  Indeed, it was the central plank of Darwin's so-called discoveries.  (Incidentally, Darwin was a racist, he believed that white people had evolved into a more intelligent race - they don't teach that in schools!) If evolution is true, then why are we concerned about people dying? Surely, if evolutionists are consistent with their own teaching then they would firmly promote the view that nature should take its course, the fit will survive, and the weak will die.

I'm not an evolutionist, I believe God created man in His own image, and that every life is precious, and so I'm not being inconsistent in being deeply concerned about the suffering of others.  This worldview (that because God created us all human life is precious) is the correct one and is reflected in the annals of history, as it was the Christians who set up compassionate and caring programmes during the days of the early church, at a time when Roman society valued life so cheaply.

Secondly, when the daily death toll is announced there are, quite naturally, many gasps of shock across the country, but what about the hundreds of babies butchered in abortion clinics every day?  Since these murders were legalised, in the 1960s, millions have perished, in a holocaust every bit as wicked as Hitler's murder of 6 million Jews.

Moreover, when Christians raise their voice in protest against this barbarity they are silenced and even arrested.  Further evidence of a society "that calls the evil good, and good evil"- Isaiah 5 v 20.

The only hope for our benighted country is a great turning to God, and this is why we need to re-double our efforts to spread the Gospel.  Although evangelism is severely limited, at present, due to understandable govt. restrictions, the situation will not last forever.  When the crisis is over and many people have lost friends and relatives they may be more willing to listen to the call to repent of their sins, accept Christ as their personal Saviour, and submit to him as Lord.  May we be ready to take these opportunities as they present themselves.

In the meantime we can give ourselves to prayer, that God would be pleased to work in people and prepare their hearts for the revival that we so desperately need in our nation.

God is in control - we are not!

I note that, once again, the news is dominated by the effects of this virus that appears to be sweeping across the UK, and indeed, the world.   The whole country seems to be in the grip of fear as the death toll mounts - (but still only a very small fraction of the total population).

As I listen to news reports I'm tending to wonder what is worse - the illness itself, or the panic and mass hysteria that accompanies it.  It is my view that the reason for this state of extreme anxiety (that's putting it mildly!) is that people are beginning to realise, perhaps for the first time in their lives, that they are not masters of their own destiny.  We are not in control - God is.  He is in charge, He calls the shots, He ordains everything that comes to pass.  The Bible states that God "works all things after the counsel of His own will" - Ephesians 1 v 11.

This fact of God's sovereign control over everything that comes to pass is a great comfort to believers in Christ.  We know that, whatever happens, we are kept by His power and this gives us an enormous sense of peace, at a time when millions of people are undergoing the stress that comes with an increasing feeling of helplessness.  As Jesus put it "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you....Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" - John 14 v 27.  The unsaved do not have the privilege of taking on  board this truth.

In the light of the above I find myself feeling deeply sorry for the people who do not know the Lord.  They are like people caught in a river with a strong current, being swept along not knowing where they are going, or what will happen to them.  Perhaps it may be that, being in this state, they will recognise their need of Christ, and that He will be pleased to draw them to repentance and faith in Him as their personal Saviour and Lord.

In the meantime, let us, who know the Lord, keep our confidence in Him remembering the words of Psalm 91 v 4-7 "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day; nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.  A thousand shall fall by thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."

Open theism? Open Muppetry!

Imagine the following scenario - two friends, we'll call them James and John, often met together to discuss their hopes and aspirations for the future.   One day, James proudly announced that he had bought a plot of land and was "going to build a house".   "I've ordered all the materials and hope to start next week", he said.  "That's interesting", came the reply,  "let's have a look at your building plans".    James looked incredulous -  "plans", he said "I've got no plans, I'll just put one brick on top of another, and see what emerges.  Don't you think that's a good idea?".   "No" said John "I think you're mad!!"

In a nutshell, that would be the builders' equivalent of Open Theism.

Open theism is a theological line of thought that states that God is not in control, and He doesn't even know the future.   His actions are entirely dependant upon what we do, and He has no actual plan that is being infallibly carried out in accordance with His "unthwartable"  will.  (Unthwartable is not a proper word - it's a bobism, I made it up, see Job 42 v 2 in the ESV).

To suggest that God does not have a plan that is being carried out is to deny the truth of Genesis 50 v 20.  This is where Joseph acknowledges that the evil perpetrated against him by his brothers, in selling him into slavery, was ordained by God to bring about a greater good. Throughout the Bible we see instances of God ordaining events in accordance with His sovereign will for a specific purpose.  Moreover, we read, in Ephesians 1 v 11, that God works all things in accordance with "the counsel of His own will"; and who can forget the famous Romans 8 v 28 where we read that "all things work together for good.....".  In fact, in the New American Standard Version it states that"God causes all things to work together for good...."

As far as knowing the future is concerned, God is outside of time, having created it in the first place.  To suggest that He doesn't know the future is a form of blasphemy!

In short, if God is not in control of all things then, put simply, He is not God.  Open theism then becomes A-theism!

As Christians we can have complete confidence that God is in control of all things, that He does ordain everything in conformity with His sovereign will, and that His plans will be infallibly carried out with no hindrance from mere man.