Fundamentals of the Faith –or—

A Smokescreen to Hide Rebellion and Unbelief?

Pastors, religious leaders and theologians argue vehemently over what they call “the fundamentals of the faith.” The list of fundamentals varies from one “defender” of the faith to another; but every list I have seen always includes the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible, the Bible’s account of creation, the eternal deity and virgin birth of Christ, and the vicarious death and resurrection of Christ as the sinner’s Substitute. I frankly and openly confess, without apology that I fully believe and delight to preach these facts of divine Revelation. There is no such thing as a saved sinner who denies them. Yet, I have a few questions.

Inspiration

Most of those I hear and read after who defend the Book, the blood, and the blessed hope, who would never dream of denying that the Bible is, indeed and in its entirety, the inspired, inerrant Word of God refuse to belief and confess the doctrine most plainly revealed in it, and even oppose it.

I refer not to deep, mysterious things, but to vital gospel doctrine. Divine sovereignty, eternal election, sovereign predestination, effectual redemption, and irresistible grace are matters so plainly revealed in the Word of God that they cannot be missed by any who read the Book of God (Rom. 8:28-39; 9:11-24; 11:33-36; Eph. 1:3-22; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; Isa. 53:4-12; Heb. 9:12; 10:11-14).

So I ask such—“Is your defense of inspiration really a fundamental point of faith, or just a smokescreen to hide your rebellion and unbelief?” Why argue about the inspiration of the Scriptures if we do not believe and preach those truths revealed in the Scriptures? If the Bible is not our only rule of faith and practice, it really does not matter whether it is inspired or not, does it?

Creation

Why argue about the Bible account of creation if we refuse to accept the Bible account of the new creation? Why fight over Darwinian evolution if we embrace the far more evil Arminian theory of evolution? Multitudes of will worshippers, who would disown their own parents before disowning the divine creation of the universe, openly assert that the new creation is an evolutionary process with which God has little to do. Their theory of spiritual evolution is that “God gets salvation started and man completes the work.” Knowing that the Word of God plainly teaches otherwise (Rom. 9:16; Eph. 2:1-10; 2 Tim. 1:9-10), I ask such— “Is your doctrine of creation really a fundamental point of faith, or just a smokescreen to hide your rebellion and unbelief?”

Deity and Virgin Birth

Without question the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal God, one with and in all things equal with the Father and the Spirit. He who is our Savior is that One who was conceived in the womb of Mary, without the aid of a man, by God the Holy Spirit. He is the holy God and the holy man, the God-man Mediator, by whom we are saved. He who is the sinner’s Substitute must be both God of infinite merit and a man without sin in one glorious person.

Still, I must ask, “Why argue with men over the Deity of Christ and his virgin birth, if we are willing to embrace any doctrine that makes Christ a failure, robs him of his glory, and frustrates the purpose of his incarnation.” That is exactly what is done by all who deny that the Lord Jesus Christ, by his death at Calvary, effectually accomplished the eternal redemption of his people, satisfied the justice of God as our Substitute, and actually secured the everlasting salvation of all for whom he died. The Scriptures assert these things with absolute clarity (Isa. 53:10-12; Rom. 5:10-11; Heb. 9:12). To suggest that there are some in hell suffering the wrath of God, or that there might be, for whom the Lord Jesus Christ has already suffered the wrath of God is to assert, as many openly do, that “Christ died in vain for them, that he did all he could to save them, and failed.” What horrid blasphemy! To declare that Christ is a failure is to declare that he is not God. So I ask those who deny our Lord’s accomplishments at Calvary—“Is your doctrine of the deity and virgin birth of Christ really a fundamental point of faith, or just a smokescreen to hide your rebellion and unbelief?”

Resurrection

How often I hear men proclaim, “I believe in blood atonement.” Almost every confession of faith adhered to by even minimally conservative “Christian” groups assert belief in the vicarious death and resurrection of Christ as the sinner’s Substitute. I know of none that do not make that assertion.

I must ask all who profess such faith, “Why argue and debate about the vicarious death and resurrection of Christ, if we deny the efficacy of his death and the message of his resurrection?”

The Word of God declares the glorious good news of redemption accomplished, justification finished, righteousness brought in, and sin put away by Christ. Yes, he actually did something at Calvary, and did it vicariously in the room and stead of his people. The proof that he has accomplished what he came here to accomplish is his resurrection from the dead (Rom. 4:25). God delivered his Son to death because the sins of his people were imputed to him. He raised him from the dead when he had by himself purged our sins and put them away.

The long and short of that is this—If any sin can ever be charged to any sinner for whom Christ died, then the resurrection is a myth, we have no Savior, and we are forever without hope because Christ is still in the tomb. As Paul puts it, “If Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up.”

In the light of these things, I ask all will worshippers, those who deny that all shall be saved at last for whom Christ died—“Is your defense of Christ’s vicarious death and resurrection really a fundamental point of faith, or just a smokescreen to hide your rebellion and unbelief?” No, I do not ask the question. I assert plainly, your religion is nothing but a smoke screen by which you attempt to hide your rebellion against God, your enmity of heart toward him, and your willful, obstinate unbelief.