In the last BLOG a discussion about the distinction between what an evangelical hypocrite versus a true evangelical humility erupted. The big discussion is about humility and then looking at evangelical humility. But as we hopefully saw a person can be an evangelical in terms of theology and even practice (in morality and church attendance) and still be an evangelical hypocrite. Indeed this is not a popular subject and not many large churches could be built while teaching this in the modern day, and perhaps many if not all large churches would be emptied out if someone began preaching to the heart and the nature of true sin. Not many in our day that has been steeped in the teaching of the self-esteem doctrines of our day would stand to hear the truth of the kind of heart the Gospel actually requires in a person. Grace is not something that just makes up for what a human being can’t do in his or her own power, it must do it all or it will not save that soul.
The first quote is from Thomas Shepard and then a few comments on it by Alexander Whyte in a book he wrote on Shepard originally published in 1909. The second is from Jonathan Edwards. Note how they fit together.
‘Of all hypocrites,’ says Thomas Shepard, that pungentest of preachers, ‘take care that you be not an evangelical hypocrite.’ A hundred times and in a hundred ways Shepard says that. But what does the dreadful man mean? He means this: An evangelical hypocrite is a man who sins the more safely because grace abounds; who says to his lusts, both of mind and body, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all such sin, and who reasons with himself thus: God cannot, by any possibility, cast any man into hell who loves evangelical preaching as I love it, and who would not sit a day but in an evangelical church. My evangelical brethren, let us take good care! For if evangelical hypocrites are to found anywhere in our day it is in a church like ours and under a doctrine like ours.
…without the least mortification of the pride of their hearts. But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory… (Jonathan Edwards)
Where are evangelical hypocrites to be found today? By definition, according to Whyte, they will be found in the evangelical and conservative churches. If we are not awakened to this, we will go on giving easy words and nice potions to people which in effect drugs them and lulls them to sleep as they slip easily down the path into hell. There are most likely large numbers of lost souls who are rest in the fact that they love what passes as evangelical teaching and are conservative politically and morally. There are large numbers of lost souls who nod at conservative doctrines and conservative morality. But just like those who are standing before God on the last day being ready to descend into hell, all of that is without the least mortification of the pride of their hearts. We can know that there are many who call themselves Reformed and yet are full of pride and self. There are many who are Reformed and yet are proud of being gracious to others. There are many who are Reformed and are proud of their humility. A false humility can be proud of its own humility while looking down on the pride of others which just may be true humility. The world must not define humility and pride for us or what is Christian will be lost.
How many people are there in the Reformed world that focuses on the external man and yet makes no effort to see pride killed in his or her own heart? True enough, there is a lot of talk about the heart in our day. But the talk about the heart is limited to the feelings. As long as we can get the affections flowing we think the heart has been touched. So it is possible to deal with what we call the heart and yet miss the truth about the heart altogether. The pride of the heart must be mortified so that the creature sees self as exceedingly sinful in the heart. The Lord in His mercy must show us the pride of our hearts by the light of His holiness and glory or we will simply judge ourselves by externals and other human beings. We will then go along as evangelical hypocrites into eternal darkness. Spiritual darkness has descended upon our land today and it is getting darker. Human beings continue to look to methods and ways of making things externally better and getting people to make decisions for Christ. But the best that those things can do is to make evangelical hypocrites. What must happen is that God must show us the depths of pride and self in the heart so that we can seek Him to have this pride mortified (put to death) in us. We must be careful of ourselves and of others. After all, Jesus did say that the gate/way is narrow and few will find it.
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