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AN ANSWER TO FOUR LECTURES DELIVERED IN ENNISKILLEN CATHEDRAL BY THE BISHOP OF CLOGHER RICHARD HANSON

by

REV. IVAN FOSTER

Minister of Lisbellaw Free Presbyterian Church

Published as a booklet in 1970

 

Chapter 1 – The Unchangeable Character of Christianity

Before examining the text of these lectures we shall examine the title:  “CHANGING CHRISTIANITY IN A CHANGING WORLD”. Its suggestion as before stated, is that Christianity must change with the times. But is this so? We say no.

I. My first reason for rejecting a changed Christianity is that the needs of the world (i.e. mankind) have not changed.

Solomon, the wise man, said: “There is no new thing under the sun”. The scoffer points to the men who recently walked on the moon and cries: “There is something new”. No doubt this is man in new surroundings and new circumstances, but—and this is what Solomon meant —it is old-fashioned man who is on the moon. Th men who trod the earth in the dawn of creation and those who trod the moon’s surface in recent times are exactly the same SPIRITUALLY and MORALLY. Six thousand years may have brought man many technological advances, but he has not advanced one inch toward God or holiness. The sins of the world today were those of the world at the time of the Roman Empire, and correspond with those of the Babylonian Empire. The awful virus of depravity can be traced to its source—Adam’s transgression. ‘By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners’ (Romans 5:19).

In his unrighteous state before God man has remained and will remain utterly alienated from God. However, the grace of God has decreed that this state of affairs can be remedied and that only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The preaching of the Gospel is the spreading of this good news. The resultant religion that stems from faith in the Gospel is Christianity. Christianity is the religion based upon and agreeable to the Holy Scriptures. The position of the reformed theologian can be summed up in the words of the statement which the Bishop swore he believed.

‘Are you persuaded that the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?’ (Consecration of a Bishop, Book of Common Prayer.)

In answer to this the Bishop should have been honest and said, ‘No’, since he believes that the Bible does not give us sufficient doctrine and we must add to and alter it. Of course the Bishop was posing as a reformed and Protestant Bishop, and since this is what the Reformers believed—namely that the Bible contains all the doctrines necessary for our salvation through Jesus Christ—he said, ‘I am persuaded…’ (more…)

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees,” Isaiah 35:1-3.

I read these verses with the mindset that ‘The Lord says what He means and means what He says!’

I consider these words to be a literal setting forth of what the Lord purposes to do one day for Israel and in the midst of mankind. I recall my brother in law, the late Dr John. Douglas, responding to a Christian who held to an ‘A-millennial’ view of prophecy, that if he is wrong in taking God  to mean what it says, then he will explain to the Lord on that great day of standing before Him to give an account of our ways and doings, ‘Lord I simply believed what you said, rather than trusting in any notion of man as to what you meant!’

It came home to that A-millennialist, that there was simple and honest logic behind Dr Douglas’s understanding of Scripture!

Metaphorical

A-millennialism is essentially a dismissing of a considering  of the wording of prophecy as being literal but rather it is to be understood as figurative and metaphorical.

Such a notion gives licence to man’s fertile imagination and produces the most ludicrous notions as to what God’s Word means! The ‘prophetic’ exegesis of those who hold to this notion, demonstrates a likeness to the famous Heinz ’57 varieties’ advertising slogan of some years ago! It is a case of making God’s Word to say whatever you would like it to say!

When we stay with a literal understanding of God’s Word, except where He makes it clear that He is using parabolic language, then that is wise, irrespective of the empty scoffing of foolish men!

What is stated in this chapter is entirely in keeping with other portions of God’s Word.

Isaiah 11 is just such a chapter as is 2:1-4; 9:6-7; 60:1-22; 65:17-25; Micah 4:1-8; Zechariah 14, and I must, of course, add Revelation 20:1-10.

We are told very specifically by Peter that: “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed,” Acts 3:24-25.

To return to Isaiah 35, one of the chapters I read today (3rd June), what wonders are here outlined as being what the Lord plans to do on the earth and amongst mankind.

IN THIS CHAPTER IS EMPHASISED GOD’S PLAN FOR HIS ANCIENT PEOPLE ISRAEL AND THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD IN GENERAL

1. It is very wrong to believe that the Lord has abandoned and is finished with the nation of Israel! Paul makes that clear in his writing to the church at Rome. “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew,” Romans 11:1-2.

He then goes on, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to detail God’s future purpose for that ancient people. (more…)

A few comments on a most appropriate psalm for the people of God today.

Psalm 85 is one of the four chapters of God’s Word allocated in McCheyne’s Bible Reading calendar for reading and study on Saturday 31st May.

As I read it, I found it so appropriate and relevant to the circumstances prevailing in many places amongst the people of God, not least here in Northern Ireland.

I jotted down some observations as I read the Psalm and then felt that I should share them with our ‘Burning Bush’ readers.

So here they are, (a little enlarged) for whatever they are worth, and I trust the Psalm will bless you as it has blessed me — aye and much more!

1. «To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.» LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.

‘It is the prayer of a patriot for his afflicted country, in which he pleads the Lord’s former mercies, and by faith foresees brighter days,’ C H Spurgeon.

As it was with Jacob, the nation of Israel, so it has ever been with the New Testament Church! How frequently the Lord has had to ‘bring us back’ from captivity! His bringing us back from captivity is a wonderful evidence of ‘favour’! The word means ’to take pleasure in’. What a favour is that!

2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

What a ‘bringing back’ it has ever been! There is ‘forgiveness’ for our many sins which CAUSED our captivity. In our folly we abandoned the Lord and became slaves of that which oppressed us.

3. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

How we need to ever remember what backsliding and departure from ‘the Old Paths’ bring upon us! ‘Wrath and fierce anger’!

Sadly, God’s people repeatedly forget this truth and only learn it afresh when they begin to reap that sad harvest! “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting,” Galatians 6:7-8. (more…)