Why do some preach differently on the "form of
doctrine" (Romans 6:17-18) regarding God's plan of salvation?
Because of the CHIEF TRAIT of a false teacher: FEAR OF
PERSECUTION FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST [Gal. 6:12, "Those who desire to make
a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, SIMPLY SO THAT
THEY WILL NOT BE PERSECUTED FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST."]
Otherwise, they would preach what the Lord's apostles preached
when telling a sinner, [under conviction] how to "call upon the name of the
Lord".
The apostle Paul here is addressing false teachers! It is THEIR
fear of suffering persecution FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST!
This is not just persecution in that it is hardship in general; this is persecution over what you preach on how to be saved.
What was the answer given IN THE BIBLE, that will cause persecution FOR THE
CROSS OF CHRIST? It is to preach BELIEF, REPENTANCE, CONFESSION OF FAITH, BAPTISM
FOR REMISSION.
Find a preacher who is not preaching THAT "form of
doctrine", and you will find a preacher who fears to do so because he
fears persecution FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST!
To be saved by the Lord, is to be saved by the preaching that
the Lord authorized and commanded the apostles to preach (for which they
suffered persecution FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST - 2 Tim. 2:9).
A preacher who fears to preach truth on how to be saved is
likened to the 'hireling' of which Jesus spoke of in John 10:11-13, “I am the
good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a
hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the
wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and
scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about
the sheep."
The apostle Paul attributed his persecutions FOR THE CROSS OF
CHRIST, to preachers who preached, not out of love for lost souls, but to stop
him from preaching FAITH, REPENTANCE, CONFESSION, AND BAPTISM. He explained
this in his letter to the Philippians in chapter 1:12-17, "Now I want you
to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater
progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has
become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment,
have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. Some, to be sure,
are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;
the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of
the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from
pure motives, thinking to ca-use me distress in my imprisonment."
Preach anything other than this "form of doctrine" [BELIEF, REPENTANCE FROM SIN, CONFESSION OF FAITH, & BAPTISM FOR REMISSION OF SINS]; and there will be no persecution FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST. However, in doing so,
you will declare to those who know what the apostles’ taught on the “form of
doctrine” that frees a sinner from sin, your own fear of persecution FOR THE
CROSS OF CHRIST. You will place yourself in the company of those of John 12:43,
who, “loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God”.
But if you preach this “form of doctrine” [BELIEF, REPENTANCE
FROM SIN, CONFESSION OF FAITH, & BAPTISM FOR REMISSION OF SINS]; you will
declare: your love for truth; for lost souls; that you are “set for the defense
of the gospel”; and you will be in company with Timothy, fighting “the good
fight of faith” [1 Tim. 6:12, 18].
Jesus said it this way,
"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the
Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth
comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought
in God” [John 3:20-21].
The apostle Paul warned of those who would preach so as to make disciples
of themselves, rather than of the Lord. He said, “I know that after my departure savage
wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own
selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER
THEM. [Acts 20:29-30]
The church that Jesus
promised to “build” (Matt. 16:18); has become divided into denominational
bodies because of this change in the “form of doctrine” on how to be saved.
The sinner doesn’t know that
there is a “form of doctrine” that will save him, nor does he know that there
is “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6-9).
But the preacher who reads
what “form of doctrine” the apostles’ preached in the book of Acts, will know. Should he THEN continue to preach “another
gospel”, God’s curse is upon him.
The “FORM OF DOCTRINE”, that
a preacher preaches regarding HOW a sinner is saved, reveals which is stronger
in that preacher’s life; his FEAR OF the truth, or his LOVE FOR the truth.
Let each preacher ask himself
in regard to his preaching on the “form of doctrine”, the questions asked by
the apostle Paul in Gal. 1:10: “For
am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men?
If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Haddon Robinson
observed:
Men have preached a
lie, knowing it's a lie if, in preaching it, they have put gold in their
pockets.
Men have preached a lie, knowing it's a lie if, when preaching it, they have achieved power and authority.
Men have preached a lie, knowing it's a lie if, when preaching it, they have achieved power and authority.
But men do NOT
preach a lie, knowing it's a lie if, every time they preach it, they are
courting imprisonment, persecution, poverty, and death.
It is contrary to
all human experience for men to go out and spend their lives preaching a lie,
knowing it's a lie, if every time they preach it,
they are ostracized from the community, hounded by the authorities, and turned
into the laughingstock of society.
And
yet THAT is precisely the penalty the early Christians paid for preaching that
salvation was ONLY possible by faith thru repentance from sin, confession of
Jesus as the Christ, and immersion in water into the death of Jesus Christ.
This
was the "form of doctrine" (Romans 6:17-18) preached to a sinner
throughout the book of Acts.
Note
carefully that it was NOT until this was OBEYED that forgiveness came to them ~
"...being THEN made free from sin....NOT BEFORE OBEDIENCE!