A Response to Chris Lyons' Response

A very spiritually discerning friend, and fellow blogger, Landon Chapman, posted an article on the Pulpit and Pen website entitled Christians Attack Their Own In the Name of Love: The Plight of Practicing Biblical Discernment. The purpose of the article was to basically outline the path he has taken from first having his eyes of discernment opened, and being overzealous, to where he is now, a more mature, humble follower of Christ. After posting a link to this article on on his Facebook page, one commenter, by the name of Chris Lyons (of CRN.info) had the following to say, and I will address it point by point.

Landon, this is one of those things where I really have to wonder if you have all that much self-awareness or an understanding of irony. Probably the best way to sum it up would be "Physician, heal thyself." However, I know you are speaking from a place of pain (some real, some imagined), so self-reflection is hard, if not impossible. 

First of all, Lyons is making an assumption here that Landon is speaking from a position of pain. Why is he assuming this? Is there something he knows about Landon's past that could prove to be painful? Just what could this "place of pain" be? Could it be the deception, or the watered down Gospel he heard at his former Church in which Lyons is still a member of? Could this place of pain be Landon's earnest, tireless desperation to get the true Gospel out to those who need to hear it, and expose the enemy of the Word of God. To expose those teachings that lead people to an even more painful place, a place of rejection and eternal separation from God?

Secondly, Landon clearly laid out in his article that he is examining himself, and his motives. Lyon's appears to be taking the same liberal stance of "judge not," while leaving the entire context of the totality of Scripture out of the argument. He cunningly does this by appealing to this assumed "place of pain," while pleading to take on the role of caretaker here, and imagining himself to be the one thinking clearly and providing logic and reason to an otherwise out of control situation.

The biggest issue is that you assume your "discernment" is biblical, and your analysis reasonable. In your case, specifically, you've not really left the "cage stage" and you've eisegeted your own justification.

I don't think Landon "assumes" anything. I think Landon is a cautious student of God's Word, who only seeks to Glorify God. Yet Lyons is hypocritical in his assumption, since he provides no biblical reason of why Landon's discernment is unbiblical. However, Lyons must be unfamiliar with passages such as Romans 16:17-18, Ephesians 5:11, Galatians 1:6-9, Colossians 2:8, Matthew 7:15, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, 1 John 4:1, Jude 1:4, etc. etc. etc... or perhaps Lyons takes an allegorical hermeneutic approach to Scripture, and these passages don't really apply to us today, or don't really mean what they say. I'm just assuming.

In general, 99% or more of online "discernment" "ministries" (including, especially, P&P) are neither "discerning", nor "ministries" (in the sense that they are doing anything of substance to further the kingdom of God). They have become tools to divide and attack the Body of Christ over non-primary issues.

I'm glad he is able to come up with these statistics on the fly like that. Wow, 99%, huh. Well Lyons, what exactly do you consider to be a primary issue? Lyons has a misunderstanding of what causes divisions in the Kingdom. It isn't discerning individuals who stand up for the truth, it's false teachers (Romans 16:17) According to Lyons website, his mission appears to be unity among professing Christians, and attacking people who he refers to as "discerners." While the very premise of his argument is that "discerners," like Landon, create divisions among believers by "attacking those whom are already saved," he takes the hypocritical stance of reciprocating the attacks. Except, while Landon's concern is people being led astray, fed a false Gospel that leads someone to Hell, Lyons is more concerned with people standing around holding hands and singing Kumbaya in their descent to Hell.

They mistake "state boundaries" (denominational differences) for "National boundaries" (differences between Christianity and non-Christianity). They mistake "lost sheep" for "goats" and pastors of other flocks as "wolves". They, themselves, are cancers in the Body of Christ, much like the Judiazers in the Acts church (except now, secondary dogmas have replaced circumcision as the argument of choice). 

But the concept that Lyons just can't quite seem to grasp here is that simply because someone claims the name of Christ, doesn't make them Christians. The Biblically exegeted definition of a Christian is someone who is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Lyons doesn't seem to be concerned that other sects, like Catholicism, or the Unification Church,  teach a gospel that is contrary to the Word of God, and lo and behold, if someone biblically-minded, like Landon warns people against these errors, then they are just "cancers in the church." Lyons wants the "discerners" to ignore Ephesians 5:11, and instead, have fellowship with unbelievers, and ignore their grave errors.

They mistake simple homiletic devices for heresy (like with the recent unsubstantiated attacks on Andy Stanley's current sermon series) and have absolutely no understanding of "charitable reading" (a la 1 Cor 13) when hearing something other than a rigid, Reformed exposition. They also mistake the differences, as do you, between people, personalities, and ideas, and seek to "warn" against and "condemn" people, rather than simply ideas. 

"Homiletic devices" like teaching people to come to church and follow Christ's teachings, even without knowing him as your Savior or as the Son of God, so you can have a better life? Why? Just so you can die and go to Hell afterwards? Perhaps Lyons doesn't know that Christ's teachings included him being the Son of God, and the Savior, and apart from him there is no life, but only weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30).

As I said to you, submission isn't submission if you only do it when you agree. And becoming a freelance "discerner" when you don't have the agreement of your own leaders to be a "discerner" for others in your own church, smacks of arrogance, not any sort of "biblical discernment" - even if you are right!

First off, how does Lyons know what the leaders of Landon's local church approve of or not? Has he forgotten that Landon left the heretical, man-pleasing, ear-tickling mega-church, Connection Pointe, to become a part of a bible-based, Gospel-centered church? A church that seeks to please God, rather than man? And, if any church, or local congregation is a true church, then Jesus Christ will be the supreme leader of that church, and the church's authority will be the Word of God, in which Landon's submission to is first and foremost.

Part of the problem, though, is within much of Western Christianity, where we have made the Gospel little more than a viral campaign for fire insurance to no earthly purpose. We decry pragmatism within the church, but we've taken the most pragmatic approach to the Kingdom of God by making it about "saving souls for heaven/from hell someday", when the primary import is stated plainly at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer: Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.

This twisting of theology here just proves Lyon's concern isn't about the eternal salvation of souls, but with making the world a better place to live. Jesus says in Matthew 10:34, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." The Great Commission of the Church is to go out and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), by preaching the good news of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial atoning death on the Cross. These are the essentials, not unity among false converts and false teachers. Lyons is right that Lord's prayer states the primary import of the Church, but Lyons clearly does not understand the passage he quoted. Does Lyons think that somehow there will be unbelievers in Heaven? God's purpose does not include any unrighteousness in his kingdom, and the only way to be declared righteous is by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, by faith in his sacrificial death, and believing that he rose again to conquer death. You must believe the Gospel... the true Gospel, not a false Gospel, otherwise, you are building a false kingdom, on false premises, that lead to a false savior.

I realize you're probably past the point of accepting any advice at this point I your life, but I believe, as do a lot of folks, that you have an incredible amount of potential and an enviable zeal that could be used for the good of the Kingdom, if you would only train your eyes on your own self for now, and leave the "wolf-detection" to the selected shepherds in your own local community, wherever that may be. 

If only you could see that Landon's eyes, by the grace of God, have been opened to the truth, he has now chosen a path of total submission to Christ and his Word. While God disciplines his believers reguarly, those who are not truly saved will ultimately be turned over to their own sinful desires. I would pray for you Chris Lyons, for you to examine your heart, in light of clear teaching of Scripture, through the entirety of Scripture, that you would see Jesus Christ for who he is. He is our holy and righteous judge, yet merciful enough to give his life for us on the cross, and if you don't have the urgency to take this message of truth to all the ends of the world, then what are you in it for? This life is temporary. Eternal life is forever.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:18

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Hey, don't judge me with that log in your eye!!!

One of the longest lived accusations against us Christians is that we are judgmental. It's true, however, we are, and often we are hypocritical in our censure, and we are condescending and degrading towards others that disagree with us. We are intolerant, bigoted and unwavering, and often come off as hateful towards them. So many times we are met with the parroted reverberations of Scripture taken out of context to try to disincline us from continuing in our beliefs and behaviors. Verses like Matthew 7:1,

Judge not, that you be not judged.

or,  Matthew 7:5,

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

These verses are favorites among the anti-Bible crowd, they like to try to use our own Scriptures, you know, the ones they don't believe, against us. But is this really what these verses are trying to tell us? How can we reconcile verses that appear to be telling us to be tolerant against the entire theme of the Biblical Gospel, which is to call people to repentance and faith? Calling people to repentance is absolutely foundational to the Christian faith (Hebrews 6:1). The unbeliever thinks that Christians should just concern themselves with helping others, loving others, feeding the hungry, clothing and sheltering the poor, and these are certainly things we should be doing, but a man can go to Hell on a full stomach. If we aren't calling people to repentance, we are being disobedient to Jesus' command.

But these passages are obviously in Scripture for a reason; so what are they telling us? Well, if you view this passage in it's proper context, which is Jesus preaching the Sermon on the Mount, we can make more sense of it. Up to this point, he's talked about the beatitudes, being salt and light, the relationship of the law of Moses to the New Covenant in himself. He gave examples of unrighteousness, and talked about inward righteousness, alms giving, prayer and fasting. He talked about social ethics, materialism and anxiety and trust. Which then brings us to this final part, social relationships, of which not judging others is a major theme.

Now, the Scribes and the Pharisees were the religious influence at the time. They stood, in opposition to Jesus as fulfillment of the law, as purveyors of the law. Their social and religious influence was widespread among the Jews, and Jesus was preaching to them a different idea, a different way of thinking about the law, in contrast to the norm, which was full and total submission to the law. See, the Pharisees and the Scribes in many ways had been twisting Scripture in their own times, to promote a false religious system back then too. They taught, much like the Roman Catholic church of today teaches, that we achieve salvation through good works, and obedience to the law.

What Jesus was in effect saying to them was to stop criticizing every aspect of everyone in accordance to the law. That is not why the law was given. The law was never given as a means of salvation, but as a light to shine on our unrighteousness, so that we could see ourselves as sinners in need of a savior. Jesus didn't come to save the righteous, but the condemned (Luke 5:32). Without condemnation, there can be no salvation. So he wasn't telling us not to call people to repentance, or not to tell other people that their sins are killing them, and sending them to Hell (Romans 6:23). This is the essence of the Gospel for us to do this.

People must know that they are sinners in order to see themselves in need of a savior. Those who believe themselves to be righteous, or believe that obedience to the law, as did the Scribes and Pharisees, are lying to themselves, and sending themselves to Hell (Romans 3:10). Those who believe that Jesus was here to show us the way, or that going to church just means "hanging out with your buddy, Jesus" are believing a lie. Jesus wasn't telling Bible-believing Christians not to make people aware of their sins, he was telling the unbelievers that their judgement against others was misplaced, misappropriated, and blatantly hypocritical. They were hypocritical not because the law they were preaching was necessarily wrong, but because they were not believers themselves, or didn't understand the proper purpose of the law, and calling people to repentance. Moreover, as condemned sinners themselves, in God's eyes, they were just as guilty as anyone else, even though they lived their lives trying their hardest to be obedient to the law. They just weren't good enough. Their good deeds were like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), because they did not surrender to Christ.

Only once you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ alone, do you have any kind of standing to "judge" others. But it's not your own judgement that you are to judge others by, it's the judgement of God. God is the ultimate judge, and we are only proclaiming his judgment. It's only by the word of God that we can proclaim this judgment, and doing so on our own terms, and by standing on our own righteousness to proclaim it is absurdly hypocritical. However, we must continue to proclaim the truth that all are sinners and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), and that the only way to be saved is to repent of our sin (Luke 13:3-5), meaning, to change our mind, our attitudes, and our perspective on sin, and to see it for what it is, an evil abomination in God's eyes, and to turn our faith in Christ alone for the fulfillment of God's law, and our salvation (Gal 2:21). But the essential to this truth is that one must see himself as unrighteous, and condemned, before the throne of God before he can be saved. If one doesn't see himself this way, they cannot be saved.

So next time an unbeliever throws one of these verses at you in response to you trying to share the Gospel with them, kindly respond back to them that you are not the one judging them, but God has already judged them:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:18

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The "Carnal Christian" and Reality

I often hear "Christians" say "God just wants us to enjoy life," or "Christians don't have to be so up tight all the time."  Not incidentally, this often comes from those who regularly indulge themselves in worldly things.  But sometimes, even the most well meaning, well behaving Christians will express this.  But is this really what God wants? Some Christians, or people who claim to be Christians, may regularly attend church, study God's word, and even participate in outreach programs or mission activities.  They may be able to quote Bible verses, and often pray with other Christians, or ask for prayer.  However, they only display these traits around other Christians.


Enter, the two faces of "Carnal Christianity."

These "Christians," though very knowledgeable, and very good actors, really haven't submitted their lives to Christ. When they aren't around other Christians who may be holding them accountable, they become a completely different person. (Or, should I say, return to being themselves?) Take for example, the Christian that loves NFL football.  Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with enjoying sports, or other interests for that matter, but when it causes a believer to not act like a believer, are you really a believer?  Are you sidelining your beliefs, putting them on hold, so you can fit in with the crowd you are watching the game with? Are you regularly skipping church service on Sunday mornings, because the football game is just too important?  I know a Christian who does this; He has no problem getting drunk, cussing, partying with a bunch of unbelievers, while never once extending the love or witness of Jesus Christ while, for example, watching the Superbowl. You would never know this person was a Christian if he didn't tell you, as there are no fruits.  I've heard from this person on many occasions that I'm just too up tight, boring, and that I "need to get a life," because I "spend too much time" studying God's word, and things that pertain to Christ.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"  In other words, Christians aren't supposed to integrate with the world, we're supposed to stand apart from the world. Am I saying that we should not associate with non-Christians, or not have friends who aren't believers?  No, but I am saying that we aren't supposed to act like them.  We are supposed to be salt and light in a dark world of unrighteousness.  There are only two types of people in the world, consistently described throughout Scripture: people who belong to God, who have eternal life, and people who belong to the world and their god, Satan, who will have eternal death (Acts 26:18). The Greek word translated as fellowship throughout the Bible is Koinonia, and it primarily means "association, communion, joint participation." The Bible tells us repeatedly that we are supposed to have this fellowship only with like-minded believers, and that having it with unbelievers corrupts the mind and the soul of the believer. (Proverbs 12:26, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 14:7, Proverbs 24:21, 1 Cor. 15:33)

So, are you really a Christian, if you are only a Christian around other Christians? Charles Spurgeon once said, "Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite." If we aren't witnessing for Christ in our relationships with unbelievers, then we are being disobedient to God. Take a moment to think about your actions, and what they portray when you are around unbelievers. You cannot be devoted to both God, and things of the world (Mt 4:10, Mt. 6:24). As Christians, our delight is not in the world, but in God. (1st John 2:15-17)

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Our modern daily lives require us to be in constant contact with unbelievers.  We have coworkers, family members, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, who are totally lost, and on their way to Hell.  Jesus never tells us not to associate with these people, on the contrary, we are to love them, so much so, that we want them to know Christ as their savior too (Mark 16:15).  God does not want us to sit idly by, relax and have a good time, act like unbelievers and never take the Gospel to those who need it.  Sharing the Gospel is more than just talking it--it's living it!  When your boss sends you on that business trip to Las Vegas, and you're the only Christian in the group going, how does it serve the Kingdom to drink and gamble, and indulge in the sinful activities with others who don't believe? What motivation does an unbeliever have to know Christ if he sees no difference, no fruits from the supposed believer?  Doesn't this give the unbeliever a sense that joy in Christ isn't enough, that we still need to "let go and let loose" sometimes in order to be fulfilled?  It seems to me that this would tell the unbeliever that being a Christian is too much work, and requires breaks to be satisfied, but in reality, the true believer desires the things of God, and is repentant of their sins.  The true believer is fulfilled in Christ (John 4:14), and desires to do the will of God (Luke 6:45).  It is the natural desire of man to work evil, to do things that are displeasing to God (Matthew 15:19). But God has sent the Holy Spirit to live in those who are saved, and we no longer have the heart of man, but have a regenerated heart of Christ (John 7:38-39).

Now, we are still human, and all human beings will stumble, but if you find yourself regularly indulging in worldly activities, and you feel no guilt, no remorse, no need for repentance, or you don't believe there is anything wrong with it, my plea for you is to examine your heart.  Examine your faith to see if you are really in it. Desire to know the truth, and truth can be found in His word. If you can't look back over the time since you were "saved," and see a noticeable difference in your worldview, life and desires, and a definite growth in your relationship with Christ, you might not be saved.

The world is full of false teachers, preachers, and wolves in sheep's clothing who claim that God isn't concerned with our obedience to his laws, or otherwise try to rationalize a sinful lifestyle.  But these people are liars and deceivers.  They have even crept into the Church unnoticed, and are slowly taking over (Colossians 2:23; Jude 4). Be not deceived by this, as Jesus says in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Jesus says to these people, who act like Christians, but still serve the world, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Mt. 7:23)  If you're not sure if you're desires are in God, please see my post on how to be saved, The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'll end this post with the following clip of a sermon by Pastor Clint Pressley, of Hickory Grove Baptist Church.

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