Work is Worship??

Stephen Grant, in his book Of No Reputation, (published by J Ritchie Ltd.) is promoting the “work is worship” philosophy. He admits to being influenced by John Piper and John MacArthur. Both these men have been exposed for their liberal culturism. Piper boasts of being a spiritual hedonist.

John Piper has a website, DesiringGod.com,  where he states “whatever your job, it can be an expression of worship if you do it unto the Lord.”

Rick Warren also teaches this view. He wrote; “Your work is worship” and bases it on a depraved reading of Col. 3: 23, which has, “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as though you were working for the Lord”. (TEV). He also wrote, “if your heart is not in it you are in the wrong job. If you are not working with all your heart you are sinning.  (purposedriven.com )

Work is worship philosophy is not limited to Christendom. It is at the heart of Hinduism. 

 Swami Sivananda writes on the Hindu Divine Life Society:

Work is worship. Work is meditation. Serve all with intense love without any idea of agency and without expectation of fruits or reward. You will realise God. Service of humanity is service of God.

Work elevates when done in the right spirit without attachment or egoism. If you are a Bhakta (devotee), feel you are a Nimitta or instrument in the hands of God. If you adopt the path of Jnana, feel that you are a silent Sakshi (witness) and that Prakriti does everything. All work is sacred. There is no menial work from the highest view-point (from the view-point of the Absolute, from the view-point of Karma Yoga). Even scavengering, when done with the right mental attitude as described above, will become a Yogic activity for God-realisation. 

Hinduism teaches that all have the divinity within. There is no place for a fallen nature.

This where S Grant is taking us. He writes;

Work was never a consequence of sin or a punishment meted out to mankind as a result of their disobedience.

This is a cunning denial of Genesis 3: 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.  Grant suggests that work was necessary in the garden of Eden and therefore nothing really has changed.

But Scripture does not speak of work involving laborious toil in the garden. This aspect is certainly a punishment for the human race. Most of the world knows this even in the 21^st century in the struggle for survival. Science has done its best to remove the strain and stigma of labouring to produce food. If the significance of Genesis 3: 19 is removed, then all work can become worship and the worker is not contaminated by a fallen nature. We become as gods as Satan and the Hindus insist.

 Swami Sivananda preaches the state of quietude. Grant teaches the aspiration to a quiet life. He believes Paul was telling the Thessalonians to calm it. They were going over the top in their zeal for the Lord. Better to keep your head down and your mouth shut. Do not earnestly contend for the faith. Never rebuke error. Mind your own business and leave the perjurer to his devices. Stop preaching and concentrate on washing the dishes.

Grant urges his readers to look at the Theology  of Work website. There you will read “God created people to work. Not as a punishment but as a pleasure and a way of relating to God himself.”

There is no distinction between people, therefore. Salvation is not required. Work, being worship, is salvation.

“….of no reputation” is a term unique to Christ. He made Himself thus in taking upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh. The title of Grant’s book is misleading. Perhaps this is intentional. 

Time is Short

2 Thess 2 

The threefold revelation of that man of sin.

Chapter two of 2 Thessalonians refers to the Day of Christ and not to the Day of the Lord as false translations read. This change is a major satanic device to hide the true meaning of the passage concerning future events.

The textual evidence in favour of the Received Text is massive. (see my notes on this passage in AV Verses Vindicated.)

The Day of the Lord does not commence with the Rapture. There may well be an interval of time between the rapture and the commencement of the Day of the Lord. If the day of the Lord is referred to in this passage, the falling way and the appearance of the man of sin could well be in this interval of time.

The change from Day of Christ to Day of the Lord allows an already apostate church to deny its true condition and the presence among them of the man of sin.

Christendom is boasting of the emergence of a new, more powerful and vibrant church. But it is a Christless, bloodless, religion, denying the God given Scriptures.

The Thessalonian believers were well acquainted with the Old Testament teaching relating to the Day of the Lord. It is not a New Testament subject.

Paul had already reminded them of this, (1 Thess. 5: 1,2)But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

The Day of the Lord is an Old Testament subject, and relates to earth, while the Day of Christ pertains to the New Testament, and is heavenly.

Before the Day of Christ can fully arrive two things must happen. The great apostasy must have fully materialised and the man of sin must be identified. Verse 2 clearly tells us this. The day of Christ comes, heralded by the Rapture of the saints after the revelation of the man of sin. Verse 3 gives the first of the three apocalypses.

 This chapter tells us that there are three stages to the revelation of the man of sin.

The first is his identification. Those who believe Bible prophecy will be aware just prior to the Rapture that there is a man among them who ticks some of the boxes. He is a great world leader. He claims to be a peace maker and is given this role by world authorities. He teaches and authorises a world one faith order. He will rule over the revived Roman Empire. (As president of the EU). He will organise the rebuilding of the third temple in Jerusalem without causing friction with Muslims etc.

The Rapture then takes place.

The withholding of the Holy Spirit now being withdrawn, the whole church now being Raptured, the second revelation of the man of sin takes place:

The third temple is built and the man of sin enters it and takes upon himself the role of God. Verse 6 gives the second apocalypse. and now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

The third apocalypse is in v.8 where the man of sin is described as that Wicked, indicating that he becomes energised by Satan and can work lying wonders. All who rejected the love of the truth, a characteristic of the days of apostasy, will be taken in by him. They and the man of sin perish in the brightness of Christ's coming to earth.

Churches, chapels, Gospel Halls, etc will continue during those tribulation days, but not one true believer will be found among them.

The contract to build the third temple has already been drawn up. It requires only the signature of the man of sin.

R S

Hebron Gospel Hall, Bicester, denies the incorruptibility of the blood of Christ.

Penfold’s blasphemy concerning the blood of Christ.  As placed on the Hebron Gospel Hall, Bicester, website, demonstrating this to be the official teaching of that  assembly.

“The Bible clearly and repeatedly refers to the physical body of Christ. It was a normal body of flesh and blood, in every respect the same as every other human body, apart from sin. Based on 1 Pet 1:18-19 some erroneously teach that Christ’s blood was not human but was physically eternal. They claim that Jesus took all of His blood back to heaven with Him. These verses do not actually say that the blood of Christ was ‘incorruptible’.[my highlighting- RS] True, it is precious and eternally efficacious for sin, having supreme infinite value spiritually – but is never said to be physically eternal. Acts 20:28 says the blood is ‘God’s’ but only in the sense that Christ is God, not that His blood was non-human. Red blood cells, which have no nucleus, are continually produced in the bone marrow of large bones at a rate of 2 million per second. They die within a lifespan of about 120 days. The Lord’s true humanity demands that His blood had to be replaced, as did His skin (about every 30 days), just as in all other humans. If the Lord’s blood never ‘died’, He would have had the same red blood cells from Bethlehem to Calvary which implies a totally inactive bone marrow. However, since He was truly human, His bone marrow would daily replace His dead blood cells. All other explanations lead to a non-human conclusion. The Saviour’s deciduous teeth, His hair, His nails and His spittle all passed from Him in the normal way without in any way compromising His holy sinless person. True, His body was incorruptible in the grave (Psa 16:10), but the discharges from that body were never ‘incorruptible’ during His life. Heb 9:12 says Christ entered into heaven by His blood (dia), not with His blood; that is, by virtue of His blood, not literally carrying it.” 

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know^G1492 that^G3754 ye were not^G3756 redeemed^G3084 with corruptible things,^G5349 as silver^G694 and^G2228 gold,^G5553 from^G1537 your^G5216 vain^G3152 conversation^G391 received by tradition from your fathers;^G3970

1Pe 1:19  But^G235 with the precious^G5093 blood^G129 of Christ,^G5547 as^G5613 of a lamb^G286 without blemish^G299 and^G2532 without spot:^G784

V18 gives assurance that redemption was not made with things that are corruptible. Penfold’s words are therefore mischievous and dishonest. I personally know of nobody, apart from I Paisley, who believes the blood of Christ not to be human. The Lord is now a Man in heaven. He is human, with a physically eternal body. Penfold implies this cannot be so. Nothing human can be physically eternal. Penfold denies the physical resurrection and ascension of Christ. Note Luke 24: 39. a spirt hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.

 

The Greek word alla, “But” means “contrariwise”. Opposite to that which is corruptible, the precious blood of Christ is therefore shown to be incorruptible, then, now, and eternally. If these plain verses do not mean what they say, then nothing in the Bible is trustworthy. Mr Penfold does not own to a trustworthy Bible. If he does, perhaps he will care to name it.

Penfold’s dissection of the body of the Lord is foul and nauseating. He does not explain how something that no longer exists can be eternally efficacious.

Be wary of Brethren teaching.

D Newell,  in the April 2014 issue of  Believer’s Magazine, urges readers to add  E H Banroft’s Christian Theology to their library.

Bancroft taught the peccability of Christ; that Christ was capable of sinning.

 Emery H. Bancroft, Elemental Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1977), pg. 136; also Everett F. Harrison, A Short Life of Christ (Grand Rapids Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1968), pp. 80-81; Mark G. Cambron, Bible Doctrines (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1954), pg. 86.

Is D Newell ignorant of the content of the books he recommends? Or does he believe that Christ did have a fallen human nature when He became incarnate? It must be one or the other.

M Penfold taught that Christ had a fallen human nature on his website, Webtruth.org. 

After attention was drawn to this heresy, it was removed from his website. This does not mean that Penfold no longer believes this heresy. On the same website  Penfold wrote

True, His body was incorruptible in the grave(Psalm 16: 10) but the discharges from that body were never ‘incorruptible’ during His life. Heb. 9: 12 says Christ entered into heaven by His blood (dia), not with His blood; that is, by virtue of His blood, not literally carrying it

Penfold holds to the blasphemous doctrine that the blood of Christ was corruptible. His website is well named, Webtruth. Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!

 Michael Penfold once sold good Christian literature. This was later reduced to the sale of greetings cards and teddy bears,etc, but they did often have Scripture verses on them.

Now we find nothing of any spiritual value in his current catalogue.Rather the converse! On napkins and notebooks we find these injunctions: 

Do what you love.  

Your future is created by what you do today.

Create your own happiness.

Follow your heart.

Dream big.

Be merry.

Raise your glass.

Dance.

Do what you love.

Love what you do.

Life is about creating yourself.

M Penfold preaches among the Brethren. What he preaches appears to be very confused.

No peace for the wicked. See Isaiah 57: 21

THIS WEEK’S QUOTE

 Found on David Cloud's Friday Church News. wayoflife.org

“I pray that I may be able to preach with such

convicting power that my people will sweat! I

do not want them to leave my services feeling

good. The last thing I want to do is to give

them some kind of religious tranquilizer--and

let them go to hell in their relaxation. ... The

messages preached in our churches should

make backslidden Christians sweat. And if I

achieve that objective when I preach, I thank

God with all my heart, no matter what people

think of me. Jesus is Victor! ... Lord, help me to

preach with boldness--not concerned with

‘what people think of me.’ Amen” 

 

(A.W. Tozer)

Thank God this fellow, Tozer, was not with the Brethen, eh? We would soon have given him the boot. -RS