“The truth is that the inspired apostles and evangel ists of New Testament times NEVER relied on this kind of empty preaching to save people from sin. That sounds SHOCKING but it is true.” To speak lightly and sarcastically of preaching of the REALITY of Jesus Christ and His shed blood is blasphe mous. When the apostle Peter wrote his epistle, he spoke of the “precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” If preaching of Christ’s blood is “empty preaching,” then certainly all of the apostles are guilty of “empty preaching.” The apostle Paul wrote to thé Ephesians that they were “made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephes. 2:13 ). In his epistle to the Colossians, he wrote of the “redemp tion we have through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14). The book of Hebrews abounds with references to the importance of Christ’s shed blood, and John speaks of the “blood of Jesus Christ his Son which cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). Although Herbert Armstrong howls denials to the contrary, his way of salvation is a way of grace and law homogenized. In his article “JUST WHAT DO YOU MEAN — SALVATION” ( Plain Truth — July 1961), he sets out to prove to the world once and for all that the “persecutors” are wrong when they accuse him of teaching salvation by works. His method in the article is to make you (the reader) the lost person whom he is leading to conversion. (We dare not say salvation — for Mr. Armstrong doesn’t really believe you have that until the resurrection). He points out that you are a sinner and guilty before God, which of course is correct. From this he leads you to forsake your sin and to begin to keep the law but points out that although you have done this you are still lost. He does this to prove that he doesn’t teach salvation by keeping the law. He then leads you to what he calls “contact with God.” This state is achieved through Christ but must be maintained by keeping the law. He writes: “Your works — your Law keeping while certainly required . . .” and further “So where are you? Even with your Commandment-keeping which — make no mistake •— God requires of you.” Anyone with a knowledge of Seventh-Day Adventism will immediately recognize Herbert Armstrong’s source for this part of his theology, but let us not give Ellen G. White undue credit for originality either, for she borrowed her pattern of teaching from certain teachers who “troubled” the church at Galatia (Gal. 1:7). How wisely Paul deals with this problem in Gala tians 3:1-3: “0 foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Salvation was not probation to the great apostle. He wrote, “For the preaching of the croîs is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are 'saved, it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18). Paul was so sure of heaven that he assured the Phillipians that to die would be’ “gain,” and that to “depart and to be with Christ was far better.” Not only is Herbert Armstrong confused about the means and the way of salvation, he is also unconcerned with the urgency of salvation. In his booklet “Predestination — Does the Bible Teach It?” he writes that all his effort in producing the booklet will be worth-while if he can just comfort those who have (continued on next page)
“Yet on that first Sunday in 1934, probably NO one — certainly not I myself — recognized what a momentous event actually was taking place. “What really occurred that Sunday morning precisely at 10 o’clock, was a momentous event. It was the fulfill ing of a definite cornerstone prophecy of Jesus. More than that, it was the initial, start-off event of the ful filling of some 90% of all the prophecies in the Bible! And approximately a third of the whole Bible is pro phecy!” (Plain Truth , Jan. 1959, p. 3). Now follow this closely. Mr. Armstrong teaches that even though he did' not even know it himself, .90% of all the prophecies in the Bible hinged upon the be ginning of his radio broadcast. The article goes on to say that in about 69 A. D., the Romans successfully stamped out the organized preaching of the gospel in any effective manner, and that the pro fessing Christians turned away from Christ’s truth, and embraced pagan fables. Soon, Mr. Armstrong says, the true Gospel message was lost. Now notice this further quotation from the same article: “From that time, the world has heard the name of Christ. The world has heard a Gospel of MEN ABOUT Christ. The world has called it ‘The Gospel of Christ’— but it is very far from CHRIST’S Gospel — it is a pag anized gospel of MEN ABOUT Christ. It is a counter feit!” Please note that this is not a review of Catholicism through the centuries. It is not a commentary on Mod ernism in the last days. It is Mr. Armstrong’s evaluation of all Gospel preaching from the days of the early church until his radio broadcast began in 1934. Does he mean the life-changing ministry of D. L. Moody was a counterfeit? Yes he does. Does he mean the world-shaking ministries of men like Luther, Wesley, and C. H. Spurgeon were counterfeits? Yes ,he does. When one considers the scriptures, it is really not so strange that a false prophet should be confused about himself. Satan had the same problem. His heart being lifted up because of his beauty, he set about to ascend to the very throne of God (Isa. 14:12-14). Pride became the downfall of the “Son of the Morning.” The perusal of a few issues of the Plain Truth, with special attention given to Mr. Armstrong’s autobiography, should convince most readers that pride is not the least of his problems also. II. HERBERT ARMSTRONG IS CONFUSED ABOUT SALVATION. A lot can be endured in conflict of Bible teaching if a man is right in his understanding of the simple plan of salvation. Men may differ on events of prophecy, modes of baptism, systems of church government or some of the so-called non-essentials of the faith, but in this one important area a man must either be right or wrong. There is no middle ground or room for debate. There is but one way of salvation. Armstrong’s contempt for the promise of salvation by receiving Christ as personal Saviour is expressed by Rod erick C. Meredith, one of his writers, in the March, 1957 issue of the Plain Truth. He scorns the work of present- day evangelists in the following words: “Many people contend that there are many evangel ists stomping up and down the land telling their audi ences about the REALITY of Jesus Christ and HIS SHED BLOOD and calling upon them to ‘Accept Christ and be saved.’ “ ‘Come up and give your heart to the Lord tonight,’ they plead. ‘Won’t you come? Come now while the Spir it is moving you. Come up and say, Tonight I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour from sin.’
FEBRUARY, 1962
25
Made with FlippingBook Online document