Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20050508.htm

CHRIST'S PROPHETIC MESSAGE TO CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICALS
Part III: Christ's Appraisal Of Evangelicalism As Two, Offensive, Judging Factions
B. Christ's Evaluation Of Evangelicalism Detailed
2. Christ's Exposure Of The Factions' False Doctrines Behind Their False Judgments
e. Christ's Critique Of Errant Views On Salvation Security And Their Grave Effects On Evangelicals
(Revelation 3:14, 17b[e])
  1. Introduction
    1. Having critiqued the errant judgments leaders of the two factions in Evangelicalism make, Christ details how they arrived at this shocking state via mutually [and opposing] errant beliefs!
    2. Well, Rev. 3:14a, 17b[e] is Christ's critique of the false views on salvation security and their dire effects!
  2. Christ's Critique Of Errant Views On Salvation Security And Their Grave Effects On Evangelicals.
    1. Jesus said both factions were "the wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked one" [one article, four conjunctions], (3:17b) in a description of factions that judge each other, hinting the 5 adjectives may be interrelated, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966 ed., p. 845; A. T. Robertson, A Gram. of the Grk. N.T., p. 777.
    2. Incidentally, Loraine Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, p. 59 reports Calvinism's five famous points of belief are "not isolated and independent doctrines, but are . . . inter-related . . ." (sic)
    3. In viewing the adjectives in order, we see Christ critiqued the renowned 5 points of Calvinism AND its opposing 5 points of Arminianism with insight on the bad effects each system had had on Evangelicals:
      1. Jesus claimed the Laodiceans were fifth of all "naked" (NIV & KJV). The Greek word for "naked" is gumnos (UBS Grk. N.T., p. 845), and we define what Christ means by it through Scripture context:
        1. In Rev. 3:18, Christ said the solution to the Rev. 3:17 "naked" state came by putting on white garments acquired from Christ Himself to hide the shame of the afflicted party's "naked" state.
        2. Well, elsewhere in the book, only in Rev. 16:15 does a warning exist for (Tribulation era) believers not to let others see their "nakedness" in like manner (Moult. & Geden, Conc. to Grk. Test., p. 179).
        3. That context reveals the need for believers to avoid abandoning godly works (white garments are godly works, cf. Rev. 19:8 NIV) by not yielding to demonic deception and joining the earth's kings in a doomed effort to fight Christ at Armageddon, Rev. 16:14-16. (similarly see 2 Chr. 18:1-19:3)
        4. Thus, the "naked" state of Rev. 3:17 is the failure of believers to persevere in godly works and beliefs via ecumenically uniting with the ungodly in vain beliefs and pursuits that God must judge!
      2. This counters both Calvinist and Arminian salvation security views and their applications of them:
        1. Though Calvinists hold believers will persevere in faith and godly life by God's efficacious grace directed to them at justification, as these true sons of God (Rev. 3:19 & Heb. 12:6-8) were also "naked," they had not persevered in godliness in contrast to Calvinism's view on salvation security!
        2. Then, though Arminians hold believers can lose their salvation by a lapse of faith, the Laodiceans were true sons of God though failing thus to persevere (Rev. 3:19 in light of Hebrews 12:6-8)!
        3. In reality, the believer is SEALED by the HOLY SPIRIT at justification to KEEP him SAVED regardless of the believer's SUBSEQUENT spiritual life on earth, Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30.
        4. As the carnal works of Rev. 3:17 are the result of the errant beliefs in Rev. 3:18, (a) Calvinism has thus led its followers to trust God's predestination to keep them persevering in godliness, leading them to fail to trust in God to sustain holiness in their Christian ministries. (b) Arminians have leaned on the supposed power of human faith to persevere in godliness, leading to failure to trust God to persevere in holy ministries. Folk in both groups have thus switched to (at times demonic) error in getting involved in ecumenical unions that abandon tru e, godly works with dire results.
Lesson: (1) Doctrinally, Evangelicals have erred on the doctrine of salvation security: (a) Calvinists have held God's predestination keeps them persevering in godliness (b) where Arminians have relied on a fickle human faith for it. (c) In truth, the Holy Spirit's sealing ministry is what unconditionally and eternally secures the believer's salvation. (2) Both groups have thus impacted their followers through such errors to fail to LEAN or to lean on GOD for perseverance in holiness, leaving believers in both groups open to Satanic deception unto doctrinal error and resulting evil works via errant ecumenism!

Application: Christ calls us to lean on His power for belief and ministry holiness, 2 Timothy 1:13-14!