Preaching Christ

"Do not tell people how they ought to feel toward Christ.  Preach a Christ that will make them feel as they ought." - P.T. Forsyth

Jesus Loves Me And Theologians

A theologian is one who, when you remark that Jesus loves me this I know, demands to know what you mean by Jesus, what by loves, what by me, and what by know.  For asking such questions theologians are supported in oriental luxury in the seminaries, and respected as educated and intelligent men.

Although those words were written by me, I freely stole the concept from the brilliant and often hilarious popper-of-pompous-balloons, H.L. Mencken (1880-1956), who once wrote:

"A metaphysician is one who, when you remark that twice two is four, demands to know what you mean by twice, what by two, what by makes, and what by four. For asking such questions metaphysicians are supported in oriental luxury in the universities, and respected as educated and intelligent men."

Anyway, Jesus loves me, this I know.

By the way, I would never wear that tee-shirt that says,

Jesus Loves You - But I'm His Favorite


He told me it was our little secret.   :)

Grace Is Not An Afterthought

Grace has been defined as the "unmerited favor of God".

It's that wonderful free gift by which we are saved and given eternal life, and all our sins are forgiven.

But it occurs to me that some think Grace was an idea God had after sin came into the world.

Sort of like, "Oh my!", said God, "I must do something about that!"

No.  Not at all.

Grace was before time.  Grace was "invented" by God before there was ever a single sin committed to be forgiven by Grace.

Really?

Look at 2 Timothy 1:9,10:

"...who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity [literally "before the times of the ages" - Young's Literal Translation],


"but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel..."


If you are already a believer in Jesus Christ, know this: you and the Grace by which you were saved were part of God's plan for you before the world even began.

You don't have to understand it.  In fact, you can't fully understand it.  That's okay.  The beauty of it is just as beautiful.

If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, I beg you to believe in Him today.

He died on the cross for our sins.  He was buried and rose again from the dead on the third day.  He proclaims that whoever will come to Him, He will not reject.

Whoever WILL, may come, Jesus said.

Come to Him now.  He will forgive your sins.  You will have eternal life with Him.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

If you would like to read more about Him, you might want to start with the Gospel of John from the Bible:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NASB

Behold, He Makes All Things New

The First Sunrise of the New Year 2009

compiled by Michele Rayburn


Behold, He makes all things new...a New Covenant, a new creation in Christ, a new identity in Christ, a new spirit...


Psalm 40:3  He has put a *new* song in my mouth. Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.


Psalm 96:1  Oh, sing to the Lord a *new* song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.


Isaiah 42:9  Behold, the former things have come to pass, And *new* things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.


Isaiah 62:2  The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a *new* name, Which the mouth of the Lord will name.


Isaiah 65:17  "For behold, I create *new* heavens and a *new* earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind."


Jeremiah 31:31  "Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a *new* covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."


Ezekiel 11:19  Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a *new* spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh.


Ezekiel 18:31  Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a *new* heart and a *new* spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?


Ezekiel 36:26  I will give you a *new* heart and put a *new* spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.


Matthew 26:28  For this is My blood of the *new* covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.


Mark 14:24  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the *new* covenant, which is shed for many."


Luke 22:20  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the *new* covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."


John 13:34  A *new* commandment that I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.


Romans 6:4  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in *newness* of life.


Romans 7:6  But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the *newness* of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.


Romans 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the *renewing* of your mind...


2 Corinthians 3:6  God...who also made us sufficient as ministers of the *new* covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.


2 Corinthians 4:16  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being *renewed* day by day.


2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a *new* creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become *new*.


Galatians 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a *new* creation.


Ephesians 2:14-15  For He Himself is our peace...having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one *new* man from the two, thus making peace...


Ephesians 4:22-24  ...put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be *renewed* in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the *new* man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness.


Colossians 3:9-10  ...you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the *new* man who is *renewed* in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.


Titus 3:5  ...according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and *renewing* of the Holy Spirit.


Hebrews 8:8  "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a *new* covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah..." (Jer.31:31)


Hebrews 8:13  In that He says, "A *new* covenant," He has made the first obsolete.


Hebrews 9:15  He is the Mediator of the *new* covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.


Hebrews 10:19-20  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a *new* and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh...


Hebrews 12:22-24  But you have come...to Jesus the Mediator of the *new* covenant...


1 Peter 2:2  ...as *newborn* babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby...


2 Peter 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for *new* heavens and a *new* earth in which righteousness dwells.


1 John 2:8  Again, a *new* commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.


2 John 1:5  And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a *new* commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning; that we love one another.


Revelation 2:17  And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a *new* name written which no one knows except him who receives it.


Revelation 3:12  And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the *New* Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write on him My *new* name.


Revelation 14:3  And they sang as it were a *new* song before the throne...


Revelation 21:1  And I saw a *new* heaven and a *new* earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.


Revelation 21:2  Then I, John, saw the holy city, *New* Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.


Revelation 21:5  Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things *new*."


Morning Has Broken - sung by Cat Stevens

Legalistic Thinking vs. Grace Thinking

I thought a very simple illustration of how legalistic thinking differs from grace thinking might be helpful to you, for your own life or to help others.

A Pharisee, who was a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test Him (Matthew 22:36).

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"

Jesus answered,

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

This is a pretty familiar passage to many Christians.

How The Legalist Thinks

Very simply put, here is how a Legalist reacts to that passage in his unfortunately bondage-ridden mind:

All right! There's a couple of commandments I can sink my teeth into! I'm going to buckle down and do my best to follow those commandments! If I can follow THOSE commandments, I'll be in effect following ALL the commandments!

"I'll work hard to follow them! I'll read my Bible diligently, pray at least a half-hour a day (I think I'll use the A-C-T-S Method...Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), and see what I can do to serve my neighbors!

"Commandments and obedience, that's what it's about! After all, doesn't God deserve it?

You get the idea.

And if you're thinking, "What's wrong with THAT?", please read on.

After another round of "buckling down" to obey those commandments, the Legalist will think one of two things:

(1) "I've done pretty well this day [week, month, etc.]! At least better than Joe and Sue over there! All right! I'm gonna keep up this obeying stuff!", or

(2) "Oh no, I've failed again! What a total jerk I am. Am I even saved? I've confessed that sin a thousand times! How can I even face God? He must be VERY disappointed in me. Probably even angry. And why not? What a low-down skunk I am."

And he doesn't go to the Lord right away, because he is too ashamed and doesn't "deserve" to.

Self-righteousness or Despair. The two pendulum swings of the Legalist.

How The Grace Thinker Thinks

"Wow! It's all about love, isn't it Lord?! You loved me first, died for me on the cross and are now living in me!

"It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!

"I never could, and still can't, follow Your commandments perfectly enough to earn Your love and favor, but You did it for me when You nailed the commandments to Your cross and I died to the Law in You!

"You forgave me all of my sins, even the ones I haven't even committed yet! How wonderful and loving and gracious You are!

"I'm free! Free to follow You without condemnation, as You live your life in me, and work in me to will and to do for Your good pleasure!

"The more I understand the depth and breadth and length and height of Your love for me, the more I love You Lord! I can't help it!

"I love You because You first loved me, and You're showing me more and more how great Your love and grace really are!

"And as You fill my heart with love, a Fruit of Your Spirit, I find I love my neighbor too! It's a miracle!

"Thank you Lord! I confess those sins I've foolishly fallen into today, but I can face You freely because I know You've already forgiven me, and just want me to walk in fellowship with You, warts and all! How really great that is! No condemnation! Free!

"I DO love You, and I DO love my neighbor, because You're pouring out Your love in my heart even now!"

Final Comments

Should we sin, then, so that grace will abound? Paul the Apostle anticipated that question.

Because if all our sins are forgiven already, why not live like the devil?

If we're born again, Paul reminds us that we are a new creation. We've died to sin, and in our new heart, our new spirit, we love Christ and hate sin.

So now when we sin, it goes AGAINST our nature. And that's what happens when we walk by the flesh.

When Christ came into us to indwell us, we became "one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17).

So now when we walk by the Spirit, we not only walk by the Holy Spirit, we also walk by our own new spirit! And when we do that, we will love the Lord and love our neighbor.

It's not about commandments. It's about love.

That's biblical Grace thinking.

Humility, Legalism & Self-Abasement

Audio:
Humility, Legalism, and Self-Abasement

More audios can be found at http://www.graceforlife.com/radio.html

The Undermining of God's Gift Of Righteousness (Transcript)

N.T. Wright

How A New Kind of Legalist Is Attempting To Bring The Church To "Works" Salvation

The Roman Catholic Church held an almost monopolistic grip on the hearts of millions of people for hundreds of years.

Through the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, the awful legalistic system of "salvation by works" nearly choked out the light of the Gospel of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Only small pockets of true believers in Christ escaped the dark heavy blanket of Roman Catholicism.

Then around 500 years ago came what we call the Reformation.

Men like Luther and Zwingli and Calvin and Knox, imperfect men, but intense students of the Scriptures, rose up and shined the light of the Gospel into the darkness of European Catholicism.

These brave men brought an end to the monopoly of the Popes. They boldly proclaimed that salvation was...

By grace alone, not by merit;

By faith alone, not by works;

By faith in Christ alone, not in sacraments;

under the final authority of the Word of God alone, not the unscriptural teachings of the Bishop of Rome.

The Central Point of the Reformation

The central point of the Reformation is what we call Justification by Faith. Don’t let the fancy phrase throw you. This is merely the sublime and simple truth that when we believe in Jesus Christ we are “justified” or “declared righteous” by God.

This means that we are fully in right standing with God, our sins forgiven and no longer held against us.

This is accomplished because God judged our sins in Christ on the Cross, and gave us the “gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) by imputing the righteousness of Christ to us, when we believe in Christ.

As 2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Romans Chapter 5:1,2 gives us the result of this wonderful act of the Lord:

“Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

The Permanence of Justification

When we are justified, declared righteous by God, it is forever. It is permanent. And it occurs at the moment when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, when we believe the Gospel.

The “gift of righteousness” can never be taken away, because it is part of a "package deal", to put it crudely. This righteousness is given to us by grace through faith, and that is “not of yourselves” and “not of works” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Even the very faith by which we believe in Jesus Christ is a gift given by God through the New Birth, regeneration.

This “imputed righteousness” contrasts starkly with the unbiblical Roman Catholic teaching that one is actually “made righteous” (“infused righteousness”) through the Sacraments like Baptism, and the Eucharistic Mass, and through meritorious good works.

And this false teaching goes on to say that this so-called righteousness sort of “leaks out” through sinning, or neglecting the Sacraments, and therefore can be lost, which damns the soul of the one who fails to maintain his “righteousness” by his works and attendance to the sacraments.

Let me put it another way. True biblical justification is when we are declared righteous by God when we believe in Jesus, and that puts us in right standing with God forever, all of our sins paid for and forgiven, past sins, and future sins.

The false teaching of Roman Catholicism says that through the Sacraments, like Baptism, and the sacrifice of the Mass, we are actually "made righteous" in our whole being, but not permanently. We must keep doing good works and going to the Mother Church for the Sacraments, or we will end up in Hell.

And the key word here is "works". This is legalism at it’s worst, and any thinking person who believes in this system will always live in fear, if they’re not doing their good works too well, or missing the sacraments.

Or they will be self-righteous and smug because they follow certain rules and rituals, at least better than the next guy.

In Come the Neo-Legalists

The Reformation did not, of course, abolish Roman Catholicism. This organization of works salvation has continued these many years, and still thrives today.

But until recently one could more or less count on Protestant, non-Catholic, Bible teachers to uphold Justification by Faith Alone. One could more or less count on Protestant Bible teachers to oppose the so-called Justification of Rome, where grace and works are mixed, making it “no longer grace” (Romans 11:6).

But back in the 1960’s and 1970’s there was a professor at Westminster Seminary named Norman Shepherd. In 1975 some of his former students were being questioned by committees for ordination, to be ordained to the Christian ministry, and when the question “How is a sinner justified?” was asked, these students of Shepherd answered, “By faith and works.” The questioners were shocked, and began digging in to why these students answered that way, and they traced their answers back to their professor, Norman Shepherd.

Shepherd was allowed to teach for six more years, which was a disgrace in itself. He should have been immediately thrown out. After all, this is the Gospel we’re tampering with here.

Shepherd was finally released in 1981, the dung having hit the fan hard enough. Even then, though, several professors who then agreed with Shepherd were allowed to remain, teaching hundreds of students who spread the cancer of this heresy yet today.

The big foot of undermining Justification by Faith had been stuck in the door, and the result has mushroomed into several full-blown ministries and movements, some directly from Westminster, and some relatively independent.

Allow me to name some names and then I will attempt to capsulize the kernel of the heresy.

Pioneering writers include E.P. Sanders, N.T. Wright, Steve Schlissel, Steve Wilkins, Douglas Wilson, and Peter Leithart.

They have been joined by a multitude of Pastors, bloggers and other writers, and teachers in Seminaries. Many in the Emerging/Emergent Church movement have gravitated toward these men, particularly toward N.T. Wright. And they have infiltrated otherwise orthodox places, including major denominations and seminaries, as well as theological magazines and websites.

Now some of you may say, “Oh you shouldn’t name names. That’s ungracious of you, Terry.”

Friends, this is too important. Those of you who know me know that I much prefer just teaching the wonderful grace of God, both for initial salvation, and for our ongoing lives. It’s all of grace, and that’s my passion. But when teachers and pastors and writers trample on that grace with a convoluted system of works salvation, we need to know about it.

They operate under names and ministries you may have heard:

Shepherdism, named after Norman Shepherd;

Auburn Avenue Theology, named after a church in Louisiana called Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church;

Federal Vision;

The New Perspective on Paul, or NPP.

This last term is often associated with N.T. Wright, who has become practically a rock star among his followers. An engaging man, a Bishop in the Anglican Church of England, he is a scholar and writes books faster than most people can read them. But he writes for the masses, the common man, so to speak, and so has become more popular than some of the more stuffy academics. And this has made him all the more dangerous in spreading this New Legalism.

What They Have In Common

I won’t pretend the issues and sub-doctrines are not varied and even complicated, but they have one important thing in common -- a rejection of the biblical Justification by Faith.

Like most false teachers, their terminology is often the same as orthodox terminology. But the expression of their error can mostly be bunched under an important term: Covenant Nomism (sometimes called Covenantal Nomism). “Nomism” refers to “Law”.

Although their implementation of the doctrine varies (for example, some teach that one enters the “covenant” through water baptism, others through so-called “faith alone”), the basics are as follows:

1. One enters into a “covenant” of the “people of God”, through “faith” and/or baptism. This is a real covenant which makes one a real Christian, they say, as one follows Jesus as Lord.

2. Once in the “covenant” of the family of God, it is now one’s responsibility to stay in the covenant, and follow Jesus as Lord all the days of one’s life...or else! (more on the “or else” in just a moment). This is blatant Legalism.

3. IF one remains in the “covenant”, by assembling together and obeying the Law sufficiently, THEN, at the end of one’s life, or the end of the age, one will be “Justified”, or “declared righteous” on the basis of their life and works! Did you get that? They’re not justified by faith at the time they believe. They are justified at the end of their life, or the end of time, based on their works.

4. Here’s the “or else”: If one departs from sufficient obedience to the Law, or (in some cases) stops fellowshiping in the local assembly, they are deemed “out of the covenant”, and will never be “justified”, even though they truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and were in His “covenant” and were true Christians. Their works, or lack of them, have ultimately damned them.

What Can Be Done?

Admittedly, this is an extremely brief introduction to Neo-Legalism, or Covenant Nomism.

The men teaching these things are not ignorant, and they’re not stupid. They are biblically classic false teachers.

What would I recommend?

1. I don’t recommend studying these men, except by the most discerning and biblically knowledgeable. Too many have been swayed by their false doctrines.

2. I do recommend studying the biblical doctrine of Justification by Faith, just as the FBI reputedly studies real money, in order to quickly identify the counterfeit.

There are many good books on the subject. A thorough classic is by James Buchanan, The Doctrine of Justification. Another good one, perhaps easier to read, is James White’s The God Who Justifies.

An excellent sermon by Charles Spurgeon can be read at:
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/3392.htm

Scriptural support for Justification by Faith can be found at:
http://www.carm.org/doctrine/justification_verses.htm

3. If you accept true biblical Justification by Faith, have the courage to say so. And don’t be afraid to mention names. Too many Protestant believers and teachers have been returning to Roman Catholicism. While for some there may be an inherent attraction to the ancient religious trappings of Romanism, in many cases it’s simply an abandonment of the great truth that God justifies us, declares us righteous, forever, when we believe in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Having given an inch to the Legalism of salvation by works, they go the whole yard back into the darkness of Roman Catholicism.

Remember, the biblical truth is, we are declared righteous by faith, as a free gift, when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be all the glory.

The Undermining of God's Gift of Righteousness

This week's audio message:

The Undermining of God's Gift of Righteousness

Grace For Life audio archives are here.

Peter Drucker, Church Management, and Jesus

For reasons I won't bore you with, we were unable to attend our regular church last week, which is out of town.

So we attended a local church known for its fast-growing exciting atmosphere.  We had visited before.

Highly organized.

Three duplicate services, a worship band that could make a good album, a state-of-the-art lights and sound system, programs for everyone, very organized.  Interspersed videos.

Family-oriented with "practical" messages on parenting, daily living, marriage, and workplace.  Touching, quality messages, delivered interestingly by Pastors in jeans and casual shirts.

Very organized.  Smooth.  Flawless transitions.

One of the fastest growing churches in the nation.  Planned to the nth degree.  Did I say organized?

But as I pointed out to my son on the way home, the Pastor, teaching a practical (actually very good) message, never mentioned Jesus Christ, or His cross, death, resurrection.  Never fed the sheep with the Bread of Life.

Except for a little bit in the music, there was no mention of the Christ Who is our Life.

Really good message.  Tasty.  But I couldn't help but think that the sheep were still left hungry.

I know I was.

I kind of know the Senior Pastor of that church.  And you know what?  I have zero doubt that he very much loves the Lord, and as the saying goes, he means well.  I know he does.

But you want to hear a real irony?

I can almost bet that the leadership of that church is well-familiar with the famous management guru, Peter Drucker.  The place drips with the efficiency of Drucker's management principles, which I have encountered many times in business over the years.

The irony is, it was Drucker who said...

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."

Spurgeon, Puritans and Depression

Charles Spurgeon had a distaste for "modern thought".  He said, "We are satisfied with the theology of the Puritans."

Nobody wants to pick on the beloved Spurgeon.  But how much better off he would have been to say, "We are satisfied with the theology of the BIble."

Spurgeon suffered from bouts of depression.

In the reading of many of his sermons and several biographies of his life, I am convinced that the catalyst, if not the cause, of his depression was his immersion in the Puritans.

Whether connected physiologically to his brain chemistry or not, I'm convinced that his depression was brought on by the confusion he was subjected to by the Puritans.

1. His Bible taught him to gaze upon Christ...

...the Puritans taught him to look to himself in introspective examination of his wicked and deceitful heart.

2. His Bible taught him "It is finished"...

...the Puritans taught him that he must "persevere"...or else.

3. His Bible taught him that the New Covenant was unilateral, accomplished entirely by God...

...the Puritans dragged him over the blessing/cursing coals of the Old Covenant, never rightly dividing the Old from the New, a la Hebrews 8.

4. His Bible taught him that he was a Saint who sins...

...the Puritans taught him that he was a Sinner who was also sorta a Saint.

5. His Bible taught him that sin shall no longer be master over us because we are not under law, but under grace...

...the Puritans taught him that he might have been initially saved by grace, but he surely was now under law.

6. His Bible taught him that he had been given a new heart by God, one that loves Christ and hates sin...

...the Puritans taught him that his heart was deceitful and desperately wicked, confusing the regenerate with the unregenerate.

7. His Bible taught him that he could rejoice in the assurance of his salvation...

...the Puritans taught him, "Not so fast, Buster! Do you KNOW you're saved? 100% sure? C'mon, you know what a wretched creature you are! Will you stay till the end? That's the question! Are you properly aware of your sin, such that you daily grovel and weep and mourn for it? I didn't think so! You probably don't even weep and wail for the lost, do you? Huh?! Huh?! And you call yourself a preacher! You may fancy yourself a worker for God, but do you match US? Do you put in 18 hours a day? Do you visit the poor and needy and lost until you're exhausted? I didn't think so. Not so fast, Buster!"

8. His Bible taught him that if he would walk by the Spirit, he would not fulfill the lusts of the flesh...

...the Puritans taught him that if he would not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, he MAY be able to walk by the Spirit.

9. His Bible taught him, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage..."

...the Puritans taught him that if he strived hard enough, he might rid himself of his bondage, though they weren't too sure, since they had not rid themselves of theirs.
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Obviously there were exceptions to the above caricature of the Puritans. They themselves were confused many times, and so it's no surprise that they would confuse others.

But such mingling of Old Covenant and New Covenant means mingling grace and works, freedom and bondage, joy and condemnation, assurance and doubt.

And it's not just Spurgeon. Such confusion is the norm when one immerses themselves in Covenant Theology.

We don't need "modern thought".

We need ancient New Covenant thought.