Charismatic Confusion: Rejection of Sound Doctrine

Here's a rebuke to the Charismatic nonsense if I've ever seen one.

“…And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

Many today are looking for the Lord to manifest or reveal His power and presence in the spectacular (i.e., visions, emotions, tongues, and rock music), but that is not the Lord's method. And this is brought out to us very clearly in 1 Kings 19:11-12. Notice here that God was not in the wind, and God was not in the earthquake, and God was not in the fire; He was in a still small voice (i.e., He was in His Word).

In Hebrews Chapter 1:1-2, God has told us in no uncertain terms that He is no longer speaking by the prophets, but has "in these last days spoken unto us by His Son." That is BY HIS WORD. (See also John 1:1).

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..."

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN." That's a definition. That means in this age, there are no physical manifestations of God. God is not appearing unto us in a burning bush, or in a pillar of smoke by day; His voice is not now thundering down from off Mount Sinai as it did in days past. He is speaking to us BY HIS WORD.

I have personally dealt with people on numerous occasions who have sworn to me that Jesus had appeared to them. I do not doubt that something indeed appeared to them, but that something was not the Son of God. No matter how many verses you show them, and no matter how earnest you may make your appeal, they simply and emphatically refuse to believe what the word of God says. They say things like "I know what I felt." (Emotion). Or, "I know what I saw." (Visions). And those things are the very antithesis of faith. They'd rather trust in a vision or in some emotional experience, but they will not trust in the Word of God—the only thing that has the power to save. (John 6:63, James 1:21).

“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the RECORD that God gave of his Son.” (1 John 5:10).

For those of us who actually read the Scriptures, the Bible is clear that the Lord is currently seated at the right hand of the Father.

Mark 16:19: "So then after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."

Hebrews 1:3: "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

This Luther knew all too well. So when a devil appeared unto him in his bedchamber masquerading as an angel of light, Luther threw an inkwell at him.

Lewis Sperry Chafer, in his work "True Evangelism," notes, "Because of Satanic blindness to the Gospel of Grace (2 Corinthians 4:3-4), unregenerate man cannot comprehend the true basis of salvation, and is therefore ever prone to do the best he knows. This is to attempt to work out his own standing before God by his own efforts. It is this natural tendency to do something of merit that prompts many to respond to any appeal for a public action. It was an expression of sincerity that inquired of Jesus: “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” And His answer then is His answer now: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:28-29).

This is the reason that both the Charismatic crazies and the modern Emerging Church idiots rely so heavily on praise teams and jazzed-up rock music. It's an attempt to replace God's Spirit with another spirit. They appeal to the unregenerated nature of man by appealing to the emotions rather than compelling a person to make an intelligent decision for Christ based on evidence provided to them by the Word of God.

"...I received a letter from a Pentecostalist leader, informing me that the Assemblies of God, the “nationally-recognized and God-honored” segment of Pentecostalism was to hold its annual convention at Milwaukee Auditorium that summer. He asked me to promise him that I would attend this convention and consider the claims of “true, Bible Pentecostalism.” I did not promise him that I would attend, but I did promise myself that I would do so, God permitting.

When the time came I attended the opening service with Mrs. Stam and a friend. The theme of the convention was displayed on a large banner above the platform. It read: EVANGELISM. The “evangelist” for that night scarcely mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ. He said nothing about salvation through His shed blood, but after much acrobatics and screaming that his hearers “needed God,” “needed to have the devil knocked out of them,” “needed the Holy Ghost,” etc., he gave an invitation to come forward—not even then mentioning faith in Christ, or His death for our sins.

Around us sat a group of men, shouting “Hallelujah!” and “Praise the Lord!” as waves of noisy emotional expression swept over the audience.

At this point I took a slip of paper from my pocket and wrote: “Is this evangelism? The preacher has not even told them that Christ died for their sins.” — Cornelius Stam, The Charismatic Movement

I have, within the last few months, begun teaching and preaching again after a severe bout of illness. Of the two places I have begun preaching at regularly, one has completely forbidden my preaching on Pauline doctrine (it's run by Charismatics), and the other is virtually overrun by Jehovah's Witnesses. In both cases, it's opposition to doctrine (i.e., what the Word of God says) that's the primary issue. In the one, Pauline doctrine completely destroys the fallacy of modern-day prophets, tongues, faith healers, etc., and in the other, they do not want us preaching the Deity of Christ. To be quite frank, I'm surprised that either place is still allowing us to come at all. But for now, the Lord still has the door open. And as long as He does, my emphasis will be sound doctrine.

In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul tells Timothy to “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the DOCTRINE; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

Now here is where the rubber meets the road. Want to know why doctrine should be the main emphasis of our public preaching? Because 1. in doing so, "thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”, and 2. the time will come when they will not endure it.

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and DOCTRINE. For the time will come when they will not endure sound DOCTRINE; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5).

Did you catch that? According to that text, the "work of an Evangelist" is to preach sound doctrine. And this is why men like Dr. Ruckman placed such great emphasis on teaching it. And thank God for it. But it is also the reason Satan vehemently opposes it.

May our prayer ever be, "Lord, give me strength and courage to stand against this avalanche of false doctrine we are witnessing in these last days."

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all.