When Truth Becomes Contraband

EMG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together it's reasoned relevant content apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know need from Alex McFarland ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland when truth becomes contraband.

Where will we be what will we do when the truth becomes illegal contraband hi Alex McFarland, you're welcome to the program. As always, were talking about the current culture in light of biblical worldview to big stories in the news and I want to talk about it in light of the truth of God's word. Remember in Matthew 24, 35 Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The word of God is forever and we talked many times about the authenticity of Scripture and how the word of God is true and Jesus the son of God, he said, search the Scriptures for they testify of me. That said, John 539 so my friend Norm Geisler, the great Christian apologist of years past. He died about three years ago, but Dr. Geisler would often say that of the 80 some books he wrote his favorite was one called to understand the Bible look for Jesus because Jesus is the theme of Scripture and how we can know him and so truth exists. Truth can be known really.

The mission of all of life is to know truth honestly it regardless of anything else you might've done or accomplished your life mission is to know truth and if you haven't come to that point where you have found truth and amended your life in light of truth. Your life mission is not really complete yet and truth personified. Of course, is Jesus Christ. John 14 six Jesus said that he is truth in John 18 when he was before Pilate, he said, I have come to bear witness to the truth. Everyone that is of the truth will hear my voice.

Let's look at the converse of that for just a moment the Lord John 1835 Christ just before Pilate. Pilate asks the question, what is truth.

Jesus said that truth is himself.

He said for this reason I came to the world, to bear witness to the truth.

Everyone who is off. The truth will hear my voice so the flipside is if you reject Jesus. You are not off truth me think about that. Let that sink in for a minute because I want to relate that to the passing of John Shelby Spong SPO NG enough that name rings a bell, John Shelby Spong will tail a bit about them. In a moment, but also recently Josh McDowell, the renowned defender of Christianity. He wrote evidence that demands a verdict more than a carpenter and certainly over the last 50 years, few names have been as associated with the defense of Christianity like Josh McDowell and yet Josh was castigated, criticized, scrutinized and and frankly attacked over the weekend by by whom atheist Muslims but Aladdin of you know this but in South Africa about 40 years ago.

Josh debated the world's preeminent Muslim defender Ahmad did.in a big stadium in South Africa. This is just one of the heroics of Josh McDowell on behalf of the Christian faith. Ahmad dot was very intellectual. Just a ferocious debater and frankly among theologians who love the Lord a little bit feared because Ahmad dot had a certain kind of spiritual mojo about them. I think it was demonic. So who charges hell with a squirt gun to debate Ahmad did.and tens of thousands of people that saw that debate came to Christ.

Of course Josh McDowell, Josh. The brave Josh, the defender of Christianity, but Josh made some remarks in the news that frankly were 100% true. And of course he was attacked not by Muslims, not by atheist, but by Christians by Christians when I talk about that, but first I want to read Scripture Romans 118 through 32 and I want to talk today about when the truth becomes contraband. Could the gospel become illegal. Romans chapter 1 says this for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Literally, men who quote suppress the truth in their unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God had shown it to them for the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen in other words, there is no denying God exists, God created and we are accountable to God. The creation clearly shows this, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.

Romans 120, so that man is without excuse, because that when they knew God, they follow moral glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

You see, you have to respond to truth because if you ignore truth the next time truth presents itself, you may not be able to hear it as well, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and they change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man birds, four-footed beasts, and creeping things were for God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own heart, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, but people who reject God they become pagans they can't hear truth, they dishonor their own bodies. They've turned the truth of God into a lie.

Verse 26 of Romans one for this cause God gave them up to vile affections. The word vile VI LE means wicked that the pathways to depth the behaviors that destroy not only the body but the soul and you remember when Jesus was some in Mark chapter 6 of Mark chapter 2 Christ to forgive and demand sends Christ as presenting himself as Messiah and it says in Mark 63. They were offended at him and that's word scandal scanned the leads is the word in the Greek the things of Jesus are scandalous. Too many people nowadays. Sadly, even scandalous to professed Christians when we talk about these things in the state of the world we got to remember that our calling is to be bold for Jesus when we come back we'll go talk about the truth becomes contraband to talk about the passing of one man who reject the truth and the stance of one man who is been a champion for truth states and Alex McFarland here will be back after this wanted to raise your hand during a sermon. Well, here's your chance. Hi Alex McFarland here from the nationally syndicated radio program exploring for more than 10 years Micah spurred Harper and I have taught Scripture and answered hundreds of vital questions. We've compiled a brand-new book of the top 100 Bible questions from listeners of all ages from questions about supposing Bible contradictions to apologetics facts that prove the truth of Scripture. This new book features practical content that will be make the Bible come alive for you.

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You will talk about truth comes contraband in Romans chapter 1 it talks about those who deny truth and really if they don't worship the creator. Inevitably, they will worship the creation and like the Bible says I think we are in this time. Today their foolish heart became darkened. Romans 121 Romans 122 professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. Now let me pull a couple of things out of here and I want to talk about when truth becomes contraband and look in terms of Christianity. The opposite of true is false right, but the opposite of orthodoxy is heresy orthodoxy is right belief ortho practice CPR AX why is right action is Christians of your believer in Jesus we are called to right belief and to write living right action ortho Doxy.

The really ortho from which we get the word orthopedic speaks to the setting of a broken bone when you're Orthodox you're giving glory to God because you believed his revealed truth.

Remember the doxology deal XA dockside means glory out when you trust Jesus you believe his word. You are believing the right things and that is not only glorifying to God. But it's good for you praxis PR AX ISS were for action ortho proxy is right action so were living in a weird time when some outright deny the Bible.

Some claim to believe the Bible, but they advocate lifestyles and behaviors. Contrary to the Bible. That's like when people talk about you know the church by love endorsing gay marriage, well lit, biblically, love is the commitment to meet another person's needs, but it's seeking the highest good of another, well, obviously the highest good of any human being is to know God and to live by truth to avoid things that are false, contrary to the Bible destructive to the body in the cell. So regardless of how much the modern world might say that were being tolerant if I encourage my neighbor in something that is absolutely contrary to the Scripture. I'm not really showing them love. Also, let me say this, many modern Christians.

They name the name of Christ. They claim to be a believer but yet they live and they encourage life that is absolutely contrary to Scripture that is not ortho proxy and so if were going have a right belief that will result in right action.

Well, a person that opposes all of these things and more just passed away on September 12. Some of you that haven't have perhaps followed the spiritual and cultural battles of the Western world for a couple of decades might remember the name John Shelby Spong SPO in G and I wouldn't say this I don't say this brazenly.

I certainly don't say this with any joy, but without doubt John's Spong former Episcopal Bishop is in hell right now. Got to be Al Mohler of Southern seminary on the passing of John Spong said Spong went out of his way to covertly reject and deny every key doctrine of Christianity, which he did.

I first became aware of John Shelby Spong back in the 80s. I remember he would be on all the talk shows and he was for homosexuality and he was for gay marriage and he was against fundamentalist as he called them, like Dr. Dobson and Jerry Falwell and Billy Graham. And it's funny he at one time had served in Lynchburg, Virginia the home of Liberty University and I remember Spong was on some show this is 25 years ago plus and he said there is no hell what the Bible says that hell is false.

But if there is hell. The closest thing to hell is what I went through having to live in the same town as Jerry Falwell follow being a Bible believer and a fervent defender of Christianity. I mean can you imagine saying that being around one of the 20 century's most faithful Christians was hell. But that's where Spong was in the sad thing about it. The thing that which is very in situ us was that he claimed to be a Christian and noted no less a Christian, but a minister and a leader in the church. Now remember, the Bible says be not many masters. In other words, don't seek positions of leadership.

If you're not going to really live it and it says those that are in leadership will be judged all the more harshly so I want to unpack the word truth in the words. The word heresy and I want to talk about Frank since Dr. Spong because Dr. Spong used arrogance that he would say this because he had this as as all heretics do and certainly the progressives and the postmoderns and sadly many Christians today that are I don't know what I would call the hipster Christians.

They have this smug superiority. Spong once said the church is like a swimming pool. Most of the noise comes from the shallow end.

In other words, those of us that proclaim the gospel. Those of us that callout for the defense of the faith where the shallow wants to understand that so heresy heterodoxy orthodoxy means right belief. Jesus is the son of God, the Bible is the word of God orthodoxy, but heterodoxy means you're deviating from orthodoxy, so to say that Jesus wasn't a virgin born to say that Jesus isn't the son of God to set in the Bible isn't the word of God. All of those things are have radical beliefs, their faults heresy and of my goodness. Dr. Spong was heresy incarnate.

I mean really heresy denies the knowledge of the truth in favor of the quote alleged search for truth. As Spong said, God is not a Christian, God is not a Jew, a Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist.

All of those are human systems that human beings created not now listen how sophisticated this allegedly sounds. He says I honor my tradition.

I walk through my tradition, but we walk into the mystery of God, he said, quote I don't think my tradition defines God.

It only points me to God. That might sound very sophisticated and very intellectually aristocratic but but it's heresy. Heresy denies the knowledge of truth in favor of an alleged search politico that were going to talk about what to do. Truth becomes contraband stating on line Landau 10 for the first time since the covert shutdowns it's the 2021 truth for a new generation national apologetics conference worldviews the battles you must win featuring Dr. Alex McFarlane Dr. Frank during Sandy Rios and EW Jackson talking about raising children to come to Christ and stay with Christ in the midst of the critical race theory and Marxism in America October 15-17 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina conference and the concert by the Birdsong PAG 2021 October 17 register Alex, but.com are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country but you don't know what to do about it. That's why truth and liberty coalition was founded. We want to equip you to take back our country impact the world.

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Truth and liberty.net timeless truths in a soundbite culture for a new generation radio. Welcome back to truth for a new generation biblical worldview with Alex McFarlane it would talk about the truth becomes contraband that I've got to remind you conflict away folks truth for a new generation, the nation's largest longest-running apologetics conference. It's coming to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina October 15-17 20 the amazing Frank Turek Sandy Rios award-winning journalist Bishop EW Jackson it's for all ages will be talk about creation versus evolution were to be talking about defending the faith and you don't want to miss it.

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Plus, if you want to host a TMG rally in 2022. Reach out to us were doing 10 one night rallies next year and your city might be one of the places where we go. You can go to my website which is Alex McFarland.com Fred we have got to rally the church to valiantly, passionately, effectively defend the truth of the gospel. My website Alex McFarland.com. By the way, someone 1960 says the sum of your word is truth and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever.

God's truth endures forever. So John Spong past and not only was he a heretic did not mean passionately zealously denied all about Christianity, but he had just this cockiness about himself. Oh my goodness he he carried himself as being utterly sure that he couldn't be sure he was passionate in his belief that no thinking person would believe is basic basically an atheist and as most atheists are. He was a moral libertine because morals and values and beliefs and behaviors can't be separated due to what you believe definitely defines how you behave. And that's the deposit I have no greater joy than when my children walk in truth, show me a person that denies God and his word and I'll show you a person that doesn't believe they have to acknowledge any moral boundaries a SWAT Spong, though he at one time was married got into homosexuality, advocated for homosexuality. But here's the thing, while heresy announces itself with a smug superiority.

Heresy carries itself in a false humility it it's like oh I'm too too humble to believe that I I a mere human can apprehend truth that we can apprehend truth and what is truth tear ETH. We talked about it many times. Truth is that which corresponds to reality, truth is the way things really are to understand heresy is commitment to a contradiction heresy rejection of God's revealed truth is commitment to a contradiction because you think you know that you don't know you're sure that you can't be sure you're positive that you can be positive and and heresy carries itself in this false humility now heresy markets itself as quote the new genuine Bishop Spong and in many like him said that we have to get away from quote these medieval ideas that are in the Bible and you know it's just so academically. Arrogance and and frankly patronizing to say while Christianity is based on ideas from the Middle Ages will first of all, the Old Testament was completed 400 years before the birth of Christ.

The New Testament was written within from 40 to 70 A.D. so were talking 10 to 40 years after the life of Christ thought the key parts of the New Testament regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus were memorized and recited and circulated by the church within weeks after Calvary's cross and it's just so sad that Bishop Spong, he said, quote I have become convinced that we must put an end to atonement theology or there will be no future for the Christian faith in the atonement is that Christ died on the cross for our sins and that is the Christian faith and so heresy denies the authentic to insist that it is what is truly authentic, which is completely false.

Now this past week, and Josh McDowell, who has been a friend and mentor and I may literally family friend for 25 years and he made a statement where he said that black and white individuals have the same opportunities in terms of work and education. We can all go places if we just work really hard while the Twitter verse had a meltdown and something about it. The people who were just murdering Josh and and I'm not and I repeat it but tweeting horribly rude and critical things of Josh were Christians and young hipster preachers with podcasts and I tweeted us a look, I've been around Josh Mandel for 25 years. People don't know that he and his wife have personally out of their own pocket paid for scholarships for minority students to go to college and done so many things but so many Christians have said to me, and this relates to heresy. While the church's fundamental mission in this moment is to stand against racism false. The racism is bad. Of course, but the church's fundamental mission in every generation is to preach the gospel. First Timothy three, Paul said Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, so I want to say to all the ordained ministers in all the self-appointed Christian revised source out there.

If you say more about racism than the gospel.

You're not doing your job is racism bad. Of course, but the fundamental mission of the church is to preach the gospel of salvation are fundamental mission. Listen carefully fundamental mission of the church is not to end racism but to get sinners saved now if you love your neighbor as Jesus said, racism will end, but the primary mission of the gospel is to help sinners miss hell and go to heaven now racism and love and benevolence that sets an outflow of the gospel. But if were saying more about social justice than the resurrection of Jesus were not doing our job.

May God deliver us heresy and set our feet on the solid ground of truth are ministry folks is here to help you do that TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland ministry, PO Box 10231 is Borough, NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 Collis at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one or give online@alexmcfarland.com while you're there, listen the program archives. Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time is we bring you more true for a new generation fund TMG radio