| Jimmy Swaggart and The Cross |
| In the article below, we examine Jimmy Swaggart's presentation of the cross. Rev. Swaggart says that he received this teaching by "divine revelation". This should be a red flag for any Berean out there to examine what he is teaching. Rev. Swaggart recently wrote, "That which the Lord gave to me, which I believe sheds more light on that which was originally given to Paul, pertains to the manner in which the Holy Spirit works within our hearts and lives." (The Evangelist, From Me To You, December 2004) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The article was written primarily for those who tune in to Rev. Swaggart's telecast to help them better understand what they might not have heard in his presentation. After reading the following, you will understand why we wrote this very important article. This is no way an attack on Jimmy Swaggart's past. This article does not deal with his character or past sins, but it deals with his preaching of The Cross being presented on cable TV via the secular BET network, among other stations. Consider the following (all bold text in this article is our emphasis and is not found in the original texts): Rev. Swaggart writes: "This Ministry is of God. Accordingly, we have a mandate from the Lord. That mandate is World Evangelism and, as well, the proclamation of the True Gospel, the "Message of the Cross." In other words, the Church must be brought back to the Cross. The Lord has mandated this Ministry to help carry this out. In fact, that's at least one of the reasons that the Lord gave me this great Revelation of the Cross in 1997." "The tragedy is almost all Christians think they know all about the Cross. The truth is this generation of Christians knows almost nothing about the Cross, especially about the Cross as it regards their Sanctification. These Christians can be set free only by the "Cross" being preached to them (I Cor. 1:18)." ( "From Me To You" section of his magazine called The Evangelist, January 2004) But where is the preaching of the cross? Where is the explanation of how the cross relates to our sanctification? For the past few months, a friend has been taping the Jimmy Swaggart tele-cast each week, so that we can examine his teachings. When someone tells you that they have received a "divine revelation", that is your cue to investigate. We have been deeply grieved and disturbed by the failure of Swaggart to preach the message of the Cross (click here) in its ENTIRETY. He proclaims that he is preaching the Cross and he has emphasized this over and over again but is he really preaching it? In this article we are presenting 7 Points which we feel need to be addressed concerning Rev. Swaggart's "Cross" Teaching on national secular television. 1) He is teaching "the Cross" as it relates to sanctification to a SECULAR TV audience. 2) Rev. Jimmy Swaggart has many times replaced the name of Jesus with the term "The Cross". 3) An incomplete teaching of sanctification and victory in the life of the believer. Where does prayer fit in? Repentance? Where does yielding to God fit in? 4) "Christ crucified" is what he preaches but where is the Resurrected Christ? Even in the opening salutation to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes in Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 5) Swaggart says that, "The Believer is to ever make the Cross the object of his Faith, and then the Holy Spirit can perform His Work..." No, the Cross is not "the object of our faith". The Bible says that THE LORD JESUS IS THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH AND HIM ALONE. 6) Listing choice verses without presenting the ENTIRE picture. 7) Swaggart writes, "our Redemption does not rest in the Resurrection, but rather the Cross.." Is that the reason why on Resurrection Sunday, the Resurrection was not preached on his telecast? We will prove beyond a doubt that without the Resurrection, we are yet in our sins for that is what the Bible says. It is important to read the WHOLE WORD OF GOD...not just choice verses. The Problem is The Presentation Upon hearing Swaggart preach the Cross, we find that it is not so much the message that he is preaching that is as disturbing, but it is, in fact, his PRESENTATION OF THE MESSAGE. He is not preaching the whole Gospel. One thing that must be learned by every teacher, preacher, evangelist, seminary professor, is: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. In this case, Swaggart's audience are those people in TV land, not in seminary. The average person viewing his telecast has little knowledge of sound doctrine and Christian theology. Many watching might not even be saved. Question is: Can they even get saved by watching his telecast? The preached message of the Cross must always point the listener to a PERSON, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Messiah and the Savior. The listener must realize that apart from Christ, he is hopelessly lost and will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. #1 Where is the Evangelist? Is Swaggart trying to reach the Believer or the unbeliever with his "new" cross teaching? His telecast airs on a secular TV network. He calls himself an evangelist. To evangelize the world, you must preach Jesus. The Lord Jesus, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins, who was wrapped and buried in a tomb and on the third day rose again. People (unsaved, especially) do not understand the term, "the Cross". To them, the Cross is something in a movie that they saw, a man holding up a crucifix in some demon possessed house. When preaching, one must always preach as though there may be some in the audience who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. We are not supposed to preach complex theology on secular television to people who have yet to get saved, yet alone understand theology. Keeping in mind that the majority of churches have an evening service on Sundays and christians are in attendance, who is left to watch Swaggart's telecast? The unsaved? So why not reach them with a simple Gospel message? Does Jimmy Swaggart just assume that all who are viewing his program are born again? The preaching of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is supposed to be our message. We must keep it simple. To teach "the cross" on Resurrection Sunday without teaching the resurrection is a grave sin for we, Christians, have a resurrected High Priest -- the Lord Jesus, who sits in glory- seated at the Right Hand of the Heavenly Father, interceding on our behalf. For a preacher to constantly mention the "sin nature" on the telecast is preaching a different gospel for it accentuates the problem rather than glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ who is the answer and solution to the problem. #2 Replacing "the Christ" with "the Cross..." On his telecast, Rev. Jimmy Swaggart has at times replaced the name of Jesus with the term "The Cross." He has at times replaced, "Jesus died for you," with "the cross". Rev. Swaggart's son, Donnie Swaggart, recently said on the program that one must come to the cross. The cross will set you free. No, it is Jesus that sets a person free. HE paid the price ON THE CROSS. We must be careful how we speak to the unsaved crowd, especially what is presented to them on secular television. The unsaved do not understand Christian doctrine. They do not understand Christian lingo or terminology. They need simplicity. We must preach a risen Christ, one who died, was buried and ROSE AGAIN, all to save "whosoever will" from their sins. #3 Sanctification Swaggart writes: "Without a proper understanding of the Cross, and I'm speaking of the Sanctification of the Believer, such a Christian cannot live a victorious life." (From Me to You, The Evangelist, May 2002) I disagree. Victorious christian living comes by three words, "YIELD TO GOD". Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. As we pray, the Lord enables us to yield to Him. As we yield to God, we have a victorious Christian walk. Our hope is in Christ Jesus alone! Years ago, when I was 21, I was invited to a concert that one of my unsaved friends was performing in. The place where the concert was being held served alcohol. I was tempted to order a drink (alcohol) but instead prayed in mind that the Lord would deliver me from the temptation and He did. What I ordered was a ginger ale. This is what is meant by yielding. I never had a strong temptation ever again to drink. Jam 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Jam 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. It is the Lord who helps us to resist. A proper understanding of the cross did not give me victory but it was my understanding that as believers in Jesus, God is able to deliver us from temptation as we pray to Him and yield to Him. My understanding of theology came later. Jesus said in John 15:5, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." This is the key to victory. As we yield to God, we will have victory. Without Jesus, we can do nothing! He enables us to walk with Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. What about Repentance? 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Something I have not heard much of in Rev. Swaggart's presentation is "repentance". Also what seems to be lacking in the mix is loving the Lord and the love of God toward us. 1John 5:2 says, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments." 1John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. What about Reading God's Word and Obeying it? How does reading God's Word fit into Rev. Swaggart's message? I have yet to find out by viewing his program. James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. What about Prayer? I have yet to hear how the prayer life of the believer fits into the "divine revelation" of Rev. Swaggart. 1Thes 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. When we think of the cross, we should think of the Lord Jesus and how much He loved us that He gave His life and shed His blood for us so that we might be forgiven and have eternal life. The world's perception of the Cross Although Christians may understand that by saying "The Cross," one is speaking of the finished work of Christ Jesus, the world does not understand. For many who are unsaved and superstitious, wearing crosses, scapulas, etc. around their neck and hanging crosses in their house to ward off demon spirits, the cross means something entirely different. We must be careful that we evangelize according to the WHOLE WORD OF GOD. I can stand on the corner and shout at the unsaved, "Christ crucified" but they would not understand. An explanation of what Jesus did for them is needed. #4 A Crucified Christ... Rev. Swaggart is constantly saying, "I preach Christ crucified." What he fails to mention, in our observation, is the fact that we have a Resurrected Christ. One who sits in glory at the Right Hand of the Father in heaven. Though Paul says, "the cross" and "Christ crucified", it is always followed with an explanation and in other parts of that same epistle, we find the Resurrected Christ. To take verses out of context is erroneous. The apostle never says "The cross has set us free." Why? Because it is the LORD JESUS, a person, the Savior, the Messiah, the Second Person of the Trinity who sets men free because of the finished work that He accomplished upon the cross. His life, death, burial, and resurrection is the Gospel. Jesus and His finished work! Nowhere in scripture will you find the phrase, "faith in the cross" because our faith MUST BE in a person-- The Lord Jesus. Gal 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free," John 8:36 says, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Notice it is the SON who sets you free. #5 "The Cross...The Cross...The Cross..." Viewing the program from this past Sunday, our observation is that Swaggart talked in circles; repeating himself over and over again and never truly getting to the point. To constantly say "the Cross...the cross....the cross" is not preaching the cross. I can preach "the recipe..the recipe...the recipe..." but you still have no idea what the recipe is. You do not know what the name of the recipe is or what the ingredients are or who created the original recipe or how the recipe tastes and most importantly WHY the recipe is important for you to know. I am using a strange example to help clarify my point. Swaggart seems to have replaced the ENTIRE Gospel message with the term "The Cross." I am talking about actually inserting the phrase, "the cross" in replacement of important Gospel truths. We must never condense the Word of God or the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by just redundantly saying the words, "the cross". This is not preaching the Gospel. Paul did not preach in the Book of Acts by saying to the unsaved, "I preach to you, The Cross" but rather he expounded on what the Messiah- the Lord Jesus did upon the cross. Most people will agree that Jesus died but do they know WHY He died? (Do they understand that they are sinners on their way to hell and that the only way to be saved is through the blood of Jesus Christ? One cannot get saved unless he knows he is truly lost. One can't get saved unless the Gospel is presented to them properly. Not "Jesus will make you a better person..." or "Jesus will give you new life..." These things come when one receives the Lord but what should our message be? Jesus died to save your soul, man cannot save himself...our righteousness is as filthy rags...our good works cannot save us. Only Jesus can save us. He died in our place...the Just for the unjust...the innocent for the guilty...the Righteous for the unrighteous.) How many believe that Jesus rose again? This is the Gospel: That Christ Jesus died, was buried and rose again. If we don't have a risen Lord, then our faith is in vain. To say that the "Cross will set you free. Come to the Cross," is lethal terminology. Our message must point the listener to the PERSON....the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our redeemer. He is not "the source," as Swaggart has stated on his program. A Proper Understanding Swaggart writes: "A proper understanding of the Cross brings about humility within the heart and life, and in fact, it is the Cross alone which can bring about this Work of the Spirit. The Believer is to ever make the Cross the object of his Faith, and then the Holy Spirit can perform His Work, which refers to dealing with the adverse situations in our hearts and lives. Once again, we're speaking of "self" and the "flesh." In fact, without a proper understanding of the Cross, it is literally impossible for these particular Works of the Spirit to be brought about. The Cross is God's Way, and if we attempt some other way, we automatically abrogate the help of the Holy Spirit; consequently, nothing can really be accomplished in our lives." (ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE DESERT BY JIMMY SWAGGART, February 2004) Again, what is wrong with the wording here? A better wording would be, "a proper relationship with Christ Jesus brings about humility within the heart and life. A relationship is achieved when we spend time in God's Word and in prayer. The Bible says in Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Pastor Adrian Rogers: “Many people ask, ‘What is the answer to my dilemma?’ The answer to your dilemma is not what, it’s Who. The answer to your problem — any problem — is Jesus.” Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Are we to be strong in the cross or in the power of the Lord's might? Eph 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Unto whom? The Lord! Notice, it is not the cross that gives us victory but God through Jesus Christ, who paid the price on the cross. Our victory is in Jesus. Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Again, we abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. J. Vernon McGee's comments on Galatians 5 are very different than Rev. Swaggart's presentation of victory for the believer: [The Lord Jesus] "He wants to live His life through us. That is the reason I keep saying that you are never asked to live the Christian life. You are asked to let Him live through you. No believer can live the Christian life himself. The old nature cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit...but how are we going to let the Spirit of God produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?....We are to abide in Christ if we are to produce fruit...The fruit is produced by yielding...We are to yield to the Holy Spirit who indwells us. The Holy Spirit wants to produce fruit--it is called the fruit of the Spirit..." Pastor Adrian Rogers: "How do some Christians live in victory and other Christians not? All Christians have the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in them, but not all Christians are totally following Jesus as Lord. They have Him in their midst, but He's not out in front leading. The difference is not in possession; it is in position...If you know you have the Lord, then the question is, are you following Him? Is He out in front leading you?" The Cross is not "the object of our faith". The Bible says that THE LORD JESUS IS THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH AND HIM ALONE. We find this throughout the Scriptures. We believe in Jesus... what he accomplished on the cross, how He became our substitute on the cross, how He gave His life a ransom for many. We worship Jesus, not the doctrine of the Cross. If I never hear another "cross" sermon apart from the name of Jesus and the resurrection, it will be too soon. Jesus is our Savior. It was HE WHO died upon that cruel cross. He suffered upon the cross to pay a debt that we owed. He, who knew no sin, died for sinners that we might be declared righteous through Him. He rose again for our justification. If Jesus did not rise, we are yet in our sins and hopelessly lost. Our faith is in Christ Jesus...the risen Savior. We have access to the Heavenly Father through Jesus alone. Proper wording should always be, "It's the LORD JESUS who should be the object of our faith." For He alone suffered and paid the price for our sins UPON the cross. Jesus completed the work of salvation for us. To Him be all the praise. Preaching "The Cross" means pointing people to the Lord Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection. When you shift your preaching (your words) away from the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and replace it with "the cross", "the blood", "the grace", your gospel has become another gospel. It should be "the cross of..." "the blood of..." "the gospel of..." Of whom? The Lord Jesus Christ. Our reason for preaching must be to point souls to the Lord Jesus Christ, saved and unsaved. The focus of our message, no matter what the subject and no matter who the audience, better point the listener to the Lord Jesus Christ. No man can come to the Heavenly Father except through Jesus Christ. We are NOT saved, redeemed, justified, sanctified, etc. APART FROM receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us apart from receiving the Lord Jesus. Consider the following: "If one doesn’t preach the Cross, which means that one doesn’t believe the Cross, then one is not preaching and believing the Gospel; the Gospel is the Cross!" (BUT IF NOT . . . BY JIMMY SWAGGART The Evangelist November 2004) Does the above excerpt in any way, shape or form truly preach the Gospel? The doctrine of The Cross is the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must glorify the Lord, who accomplished the Finished Work, 2000 years ago. We do not give glory to the Finished Work. We are saved because of what Jesus did for us. Without His death and resurrection, we would be lost for all eternity. But we give glory to the Lord Jesus, who accomplished the Finished Work. When one attends an art exhibit, the painting is admired but the ARTIST gets all the glory. The errors are subtle and to the undiscerning, it appears to be sound theology because "the cross" are the words spoken and thrown around in a sermon but could there be leaven in the presentation? Just because one says that he is "preaching the Cross" does not mean that he actually is doing so. Swaggart writes: "As it regards Television, as far as I know, this Ministry is the only Ministry preaching the Cross. Now, please understand, there certainly may be Preachers with whom I am not acquainted who are preaching the Cross, but as far as I know, we are the only ones. I realize that most every Preacher mentions the Cross once in a while, but that’s not what I mean. Thank God for that, but that’s not exactly “Preaching the Cross. For one to preach the Cross, it not only has to be for Salvation, but as well for Sanctification. While some few Preachers definitely preach the Cross for Salvation, and thank the Lord for that, almost none are preaching the Cross as it regards Sanctification. That’s the reason that the modern Church is filled with people who simply do not know how to live for God. That’s the reason our Telecast and our Ministry over SonLife Radio are so very, very important." (The Evangelist, From Me to You, Nov.2004) "We are the only ones..." I don't know where Rev. Swaggart gets the idea that his ministry is the "only ministry". Most should see a red flag in such a bold statement. Here is another red flag: "...Not only has to be for salvation..." ?? Folks, we are to preach the Gospel so that souls can get saved! All the sanctification sermons in the world will do no good if the person listening is not saved! The Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" Once the person is saved, TRULY SAVED, the Holy Spirit begins to work within that person. As the new Christian reads the Word of God, he learns from the Lord. As the saved person goes to a Bible believing church, he learns doctrine and important life lessons. As the saved person fellowships with other true Christians, he becomes stronger in the faith. The Christian walk is a daily walk with the Lord Jesus-- it is a personal relationship with Him-- not formulas and strategies. The Cross must be preached for the SALVATION OF SOULS. The sinner must come to the Lord Jesus. Reaching lost souls-- The preaching of the Gospel-- takes precedence over all other sermon topics, including sanctification. In contrast to Swaggart, let us look at Dr. Oliver B. Greene's explanation of the cross: "Christ was delivered for our offenses, He has been raised again for our justification, and we know beyond a shadow of doubt that He lives at the right hand of God the Father, making intercession for all believers. Jesus dealt with sin and SINS in His cross: Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27) Christ gave Himself an offering for sin, and IN CHRIST the believer has answered for his sins; but no man can answer for his sin apart from being in Christ by faith in His shed blood by which we have the atonement. Jesus took our sins and bore them in His own body on the cross, that we might possess God's righteousness." ~ (Oliver B. Greene, The Atonement of Christ, p. 154) Notice that Dr. Greene's message is the message of the Cross-- Stated plainly for all to understand. He also states, "raised again for our justification..." This is important because without the Resurrection, we are still in our sins. Our faith is in vain. When one receives Christ as Savior, they enter into His death and resurrection ("Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."). Does Rev. Jimmy Swaggart teach this with his cross doctrine on TV? I would like to know how the Resurrection fits into his "revelation" of the cross. Later in this article, we provide quotes of what Swaggart says concerning the resurrection. Dr. Oliver B. Greene: "Through His death, burial, and resurrection Jesus accomplished the means whereby poor, hell-deserving sinners can be justified." #6 Remaining at the cross... Swaggart writes: "There is only one correct object of faith, while there are untold millions of incorrect objects. That one correct object is "Christ and Him Crucified" (I Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2, 5; Col. 2:14-15; Gal. 5:1-2, 4; 6:14). In this manner, and this manner alone, will the fire burn within our lives, without consuming the bush." (The Evangelist, February 2004) Now, we have Rev. Swaggart saying that the correct object of faith is "Christ and Him Crucified." This seems to be another phrase that Rev. Swaggart redundantly says in his teaching. We cannot say in every sentence or sermon, "I am preaching Christ and Him crucified." Although this is in the Bible, there are so many other ways that the Bible introduces Jesus to the reader. Paul does not address Jesus in every chapter of every epistle as being "Christ crucified". When searching in a concordance for "Christ," we find many different ways of addressing the Lord: in Christ, the glory of Christ, the grace of Christ, the Gospel of Christ, gentleness of Christ, obedience of Christ, truth of Christ, power of Christ, etc. What Paul meant by saying, "Christ crucified", is found in Acts 17:3: "Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ." Did Paul redundantly say in every passage of Scripture, "Christ crucified?" No. Should we take one or two verses and say constantly to a secular TV audience, "I am preaching Christ crucified."? No. Erroneous teaching is founded on a few Bible verses and "new revelations" of them. Cults are formed by taking one or two verses out of context. Most everyone today knows that Jesus died but how many know WHY he died? How many believe that He paid the price for our sins on the cross? How many believe that Jesus rose again on the third day? We preach a risen Savior for He indeed was crucified and died for our sins and He is risen and is seated at the Right Hand of the Father, interceding for us. Swaggart writes: "The Cross is where the victory was won, and it is where the victory is maintained." (Jimmy Swaggart, ~The Evangelist, Main Article, Oct. 2003) Again, proper wording is what our KJV Bible states. That victory is through the Lord Jesus Christ. 1Cor 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Through whom? Our Lord Jesus Christ! John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [He gave power....it is the LORD.] Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. J. Vernon McGee in his commentary speaking of Colossians 3:3 and Galatians 2:20: "...In all of these passages the thought is that when Christ was crucified, the believer was crucified at the same time. The believer is now joined to the living Christ, and the victory is not by struggling but by surrendering to Christ. The scriptural word is yield; it is an act of the will." Jesus Christ dwells in us through the person of the Holy Spirit. The ever abiding presence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in all believers. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, as believers, to live through us the life of Christ. This is why the Bible states “Spirit of God lives in you” and “Christ lives in you.” These are used interchangeably in Romans 8:9-10. Baptists "know almost nothing about the Spirit"?? Rev. Swaggart writes: "Our Denominational friends, who do not believe in the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other tongues, just sort of take the Holy Spirit for granted. In fact, they know almost nothing about the Spirit. Our Pentecostal friends, and I am Pentecostal, are a little more advanced as it regards the Spirit, but not much.." (AMALEK, The Evangelist, April 2004) Really? Is that why many Pentecostal preachers lack sound doctrine and follow the "move of the spirit" into every erroneous way except for the right way-- the Biblical way? I have yet to see a Fundamentalist preacher get involved with the unscriptural so called "moves of the spirit". Swaggart writes: "HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK? He works strictly from the realm of Faith (Gal. 5:6), but with its object ever being the Cross of Christ. In other words, the Cross plays just as much a part in one's Sanctification as it does one's Salvation. But most Christians don't know that; therefore, they live a defeated life." (AMALEK, The Evangelist, April 2004) Christians live a defeated life because they are not yielding to the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." The Holy Spirit always points people to the Lord Jesus Christ. We walk in victory because Christ lives in us and as we yield, we have victory-- putting our trust solely in the Lord. Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. Oliver B. Greene writes concerning victory: "The Corinthians...they could have been strong, victorious believers, successful witnesses and outstanding examples of the believer;but they had quenched and dishonored the Spirit. They were not walking in the light; they were not permitting the Spirit to guide them into paths of right living and the warmth of God's love. They were following their own selfish desires-divided, arguing among themselves, drinking wine at the Lord's table. Paul decalred tht many of them were sick and some were dead because they had refused to judge themselves. They had refused to yield to the Spirit and dedicate their lives unreservedly to the Lord, allowing the Holy Spirit to posess and lead them in order that they might glorify God in all that they did." (The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Timothy and Titus, p. 171.) #7 Where is the Resurrection? Swaggart writes in the Evangelist, October 2003 Main article, "While the Resurrection is extremely important, even as would be obvious, our Redemption does not rest in the Resurrection, but rather the Cross....all that His Resurrection affords cannot be had or held unless we first of all understand that we have this not because of His Resurrection, but rather because we know and understand that "we have been planted together in the likeness of His death." Yes we have been planted together in the likeness of His death but let's not split up the verse and stop there. The same verse also says, "in the likeness of his resurrection." Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: The verse right before this states, Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. How dangerous it is to split up verses and not teach the entire picture. Without the Resurrection, we are just dead. Without the Resurrection, our sins are washed away but we are simply dead people. In Christ's Resurrection, we are new creatures-- we are living people in Christ. The old man is dead and the new man is raised up in Christ Jesus. Dr. Sinclair Ferguson explains: "Union with Christ in his death and resurrection is the element of union which Paul most extensively expounds...if we are united to Christ, then we are united to him at all points of his activity on our behalf. We share in his death (we were baptized into his death), in his resurrection (we are resurrected with Christ), in his ascension (we have been raised with him), in his heavenly session (we sit with him in heavenly places, so that our life is hidden with Christ in God), and we will share in his promised return (when Christ, who is our life, appears, we also will appear with him in glory) (Rom. 6:14; Col. 2:11-12; 3:1-3). Rev. Swaggart writes: "Let not the Reader think that we are minimizing the significance of the Resurrection in any fashion. We aren't! We are merely putting it in its proper place. In fact, the Death, Burial, Resurrection, Ascension, and Exaltation of Christ are all looked at as "The Finished Work" (Heb. 1:2-3). Correspondingly, we should think of His Finished Work in that capacity. But at the same time, we should know that it is the Cross which is the primary objective, and the Cross which made everything possible. That's the reason that Paul also said: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). He didn't say: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Resurrection. . . ." (the Evangelist, October 2003 Main article) The Resurrection in its proper place?? Swaggart is not giving the complete picture. This is the problem in taking verses out and developing formulas without using the whole Word of God. Paul says he should glory in the Cross but it is a figure of speech which means he glories in what the Lord Jesus did for Him. God gets all the glory. Notice that the Bible also tells to glory in the Lord. 1Cor 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 2Cor 10:17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Swaggart writes: "As well, he said: "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect" (I Cor. 1:17).He didn't say: "Lest the Resurrection of Christ should be made of none effect." He also said, "But we preach Christ crucified" (I Cor. 1:23). He didn't say, "But we preach Christ resurrected." Again I emphasize that the Resurrection was of supreme significance. One might say that it was the ratification of all that had been done on the Cross. But still, it is the Cross to which we must look, and because it was at the Cross that Christ atoned for all sin, thereby satisfying the demands of the broken Law, which then abrogated Satan's legal right to hold man in captivity." (the Evangelist, October 2003) You cannot split up the doctrine of the Cross and teach the Crucifixion without the Resurrection. We are not disputing the fact that the Cross made everything possible. But the presentation given is not giving the whole picture. We as believers, first come to Christ Jesus and are forgiven of all of our sins because of the sacrifice that Jesus made upon the cross and we have hope because He rose again. We are new creatures because Jesus rose again! The work of conversion in our lives was the work of the Holy Spirit. The work of regeneration and sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit. This is why we are "Born of the Spirit". When a person becomes a believer, the Holy Spirit takes abode within his heart. We are regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. We are joined to Jesus for the rest of our lives and we are in Christ. We are partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) We are not in the cross. We are in Christ Jesus. We do not give glory to the cross but rather to Christ the Lord who died upon the Cross. Our sins were nailed to the cross and we are raised with Christ Jesus to walk in newness of life. Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. Notice that Paul preached that Jesus died and was risen again from the dead. The word "cross" appears 28 times in the New Testament. The name of Jesus appears 942 times in the New Testament. The word, "crucified" appears 37 times. With the way Swaggart redundantly says, "the cross" over and over one would think that it were the other way around. No, my dear readers, Jesus appears 942 times in Scripture. He is the center of Scripture. The Old Testament pointed to Him and the New Testament testifies of Him...that He has come and that He fulfilled the Scriptures. We are to look to Jesus ALWAYS. It is He who finished the work and purchased our redemption. The cross cannot be disconnected from the empty tomb. Without the Resurrection there is no justification for us. We are dead to sin but alive unto Christ Jesus because... Jesus is alive. I think J. Vernon McGee said it best in his commentary on Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." "Between Paul and the world there was a cross. That should be the position of every believer today. That will have more to do with shaping your conduct that anything else. You will not boast about the fact that you are keeping the Sermon on the Mount, or that you belong to a certain church, or that you are a church officer of a preacher, or a Sunday school teacher. You will just glory in the Cross and the One who died there." - In the commentary for verse 15, McGee comments: "...The essential thing is: Has the Spirit of God come into your life and made you a new creature in Christ Jesus? This can come about only through faith in Christ." Liberty Bible Commentary sums up Galatians 6:14-15 like this: "Crucifixion means a death of shame. The world has no more power over Paul because it is dead as far as he is concerned and Paul is also dead so far as the world is concerned. This was accomplished by means of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was crucified to the world when he was crucified with Christ. The old Saul died and was buried with Christ, the new Paul lives...Nothing short of death and the creation of a new nature can be effective, and this comes only when one is identified with the crucified, risen Christ...The only thing that is important is to be a new creation in Christ. (2Co 5:17). " How important is the Resurrection? The Resurrection is so important when preaching the Gospel. Notice how the Gospel is presented by the Apostles: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Rom. 10:9) Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Pet. 1:21) And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain ... And if Christ be not raised, your faith [is] vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Cor. 15:14, 17) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31) R. A. Torrey: "Gospel preachers nowadays preach the gospel of the Crucifixion, the Apostles preached the gospel of the Resurrection as well. (2 Tim. 2:8-Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel.") The Crucifixion loses its meaning without the Resurrection. Without the Resurrection the death of Christ was only the heroic death of a noble martyr; with the Resurrection it is the atoning death the Son of God. It shows that death to be of sufficient value to cover our sins, for it was the sacrifice of the Son of God." (Torrey, R. A. What The Bible Teaches (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1898-1993) p. 177) H.A. Ironside: The Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost of the risen Savior, says, "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." And He speaks of Him as the anointed One, exalted at God's right hand. The Gospel is the Gospel of the Risen Christ. There would be no Gospel for sinners if Christ had not been raised. So the apostle says, "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). A.C. Gaebelein: The highest place was given to Him, who died on the cross, far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named. There He is now the Man in the Glory. Once more let me state it, the Lord Jesus Christ is corporeally present in the highest heaven. Everything depends on this. If His physical resurrection and corporeal presence in the highest heaven is denied, His present work and future work are an impossibility, and we rob ourselves of every comfort joy and peace. Then, too, His atoning work on the cross has no meaning for us. Bible Pathway says: "As the One Who led captivity captive (Psalm 68:18). With His resurrection power, Jesus broke the captive power of Satan. When He led the Old Testament saints from paradise into heaven, He led captivity captive (compare Ephesians 4:8; see also Galatians 5:1; Revelation 1:18)." Way of Life.org The believer has a new standing as dead in Christ and resurrected with Christ. Therefore, because of this new standing, he is instructed to “walk in newness of life.” Paul F.M. Zahl (ModernReformation.org) says: "The atonement, or forgiveness of sin once and for all achieved on the cross, weighs in, and heavily. But the atonement is confirmed, ratified, sealed, and made enduringly good by virtue of Christ's rising from death. Our justification hinges on a risen life, present in us now because Christ is present with us now." Pastor Adrian Rogers: "The resurrection is not merely important to the historic Christian faith; without it, there would be no Christianity. It is the singular doctrine that elevates Christianity above all other world religions." John MacArthur: If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain, your faith in Him would be pointless, and your sins would still be counted against you with no hope of spiritual life." A.C. Gaebelein: The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is in Glory occupied with us should lead us into a holy life which glorifies Him. That loving eye is never withdrawn from us. If we were to remember this constantly, what a power this would be in our lives! Fundamental Evangelistic Association: The Resurrection also assures us of the power needed to live a victorious Christian life: "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead...." Ephesians 1:19 and 20. There will never be any trial too great any burden too heavy, or any temptation too strong. The same power that raised up Jesus is available to all who believe. As we learn to trust Him more and ourselves less, He will be able to display daily His mighty power in our lives. The devil's goal is to distract people from the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil preaches about the "baby jesus" and the "crucified jesus" but the Resurrected Jesus is nowhere to be found. We, as believers in Christ, serve a Risen Savior. H.A. Ironside wrote: We are not preaching the Gospel of a dead Christ, but of a living Christ who sits exalted at the Father's right hand, and is living to save all who put their trust in Him. That is why those of us who really know the Gospel never have any crucifixes around our churches or in our homes. The crucifix represents a dead Christ hanging languid on a cross of shame. But we are not pointing men to a dead Christ; we are preaching a living Christ. He lives exalted at God's right hand, and He "saves to the uttermost all who come to God by Him." Yet the devil must keep Jesus dead upon the Cross because the Resurrection is the power of God. Because Jesus arose we can walk in God's power. We have the power to overcome sin and power to live a victorious life in Christ through the Holy Spirit abiding within us. Because of Jesus, we shall have eternal life when we leave this earth...we have hope. Death is swallowed up in victory. John11:25 says, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" What a powerful statement! Many so called "christian" denominations keep "jesus" dead upon a cross-- the crucifix-- or they place "jesus" in the arms of his "mother". The Jesus of the Bible did die for our sins but He rose again and is alive right now. He has ALL POWER. He is not on the Cross anymore. He is not a baby. Christ Jesus is the Great High Priest who is seated at the Right Hand of the Heavenly Father. The Lord gives us the victory. Dear Christian, if you need victory, Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. In Conclusion: Preachers must give a simplistic Gospel message to the unsaved viewers. Evangelism is about reaching souls with the glorious Gospel message that Jesus saves. Proverbs 11:30 says, The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. To give the listener one ingredient instead of the whole doctrinal recipe is to err from the point. To say, "I am preaching the cross...I have a divine revelation ...the cross is the object of your faith...in order to have victory, you must understand this in order to have victory..." is NOT PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. For the unsaved, or even a struggling Christian for that matter, to hear this has profited them nothing, in our opinion. Victory, in the life of the believer, starts with repentance. In prayer, one grows closer to the Lord and thus the Lord enables us to walk in victory as we yield-- for we put our trust in Him. 1Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. To preach a "crucified Christ" without equally preaching a risen Christ is grievous to all Christians who know the Word of God and who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself says in Revelation 1:18, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, wrote in 2Timothy 2:8: "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:" To preach on secular TV a cross without the Resurrection, without explaining the plan of salvation for all the unsaved who are watching, without presenting the Scriptures in their entirety, without presenting the work of the Holy Spirit in the sanctification of every believer, without preaching repentance but rather presenting the Cross as some kind of magic formula to gain victory over sin is erroneous. God gives the victory. The object of our faith is Him. As we yield to God in our life, we will walk in the Spirit. It is by the Lord alone that we have victory. Our adoration, our life, our faith is in Jesus Christ and His finished work. It is finished. God deserves all the glory for HE IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH. We are to love Him and when we love Him, we will do those things which are pleasing in His sight. God will enable us to live for Him as we pray to Him and yield. Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. ADDITIONAL NOTE: Remember one thing: When preaching the Gospel, one must keep the message simple. We do not condense doctrine down to a science to a SECULAR TV audience..ie: "Christ is the source...cross is the means..." We preach the WORD OF GOD...straight out of the Bible to the saved and to the unsaved. When one preaches the Cross, the message should lead to a PERSON-- THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. The message should not lead people into confusion or back to the message but rather to a PERSON. The Message of the Cross points people to a PERSON-- The Resurrected Christ!. We do not glorify a doctrine or a teaching but rather preach the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not say, "come to the cross...the cross will set you free" because it is JESUS THAT SETS MEN FREE. The message to a SECULAR TV AUDIENCE (BET NETWORK ) must lead the people into a concise understanding of WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED AND THAT APART FROM RECEIVING CHRIST JESUS AS SAVIOR, ONE WILL GO INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE for this is what the Bible says. Victory can only come by receiving Christ Jesus. If I were to preach to the unsaved, "we need to get back to the message of the Cross..." Am I preaching the cross? No! The unsaved would have no understanding of what I am talking about. The work of an evangelist, teacher, expositor, etc. is to expound and teach the Scriptures and point people to the Lord Jesus Christ so that they may realize their hopeless condition apart from Christ--that they are LOST AND ON THEIR WAY TO HELL and so that they may BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND BE SAVED. We do not glorify a message or a doctrine but rather A PERSON-- THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. The point is that if we do not preach the GOSPEL and tell the unsaved that they are lost and that they are on their way to HELL and that they need the Lord Jesus, what does it profit? All the sanctification sermons will profit them nothing for they have yet to get saved. We must preach the Gospel-- The Good News That Jesus Saves to the SECULAR TV audience. Copyright © 2003-2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries All Rights Reserved |
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