Over the last twenty to thirty years I’ve encountered various people who have taught a “rules” based Christianity in various forms. These can vary from the obvious cults or false religions, AKA Walter Martin’s Kingdom of the Cults had a list of those. They not only have new teachings but often require new rules. Since Martin’s book is sixty years old there have been a number of ones he doesn’t mention.
There are others more difficult or controversial to include:
Mike Breen’s LifeShapes and huddles: 3DM, The Order of Mission (TOM), the Covenant Kingdom Network (CKN), and Network Church Sheffield (NCS) and the associated forms of this in the Verge Network/Community, where the name Alan Hirsch and others come to mind. These can be grouped under the more extreme “Missional” wing of the church.
In a similar way the larger Spiritual Formation Movement, activated by Foster, Willard and lately John Mark Comer has reintroduced the ideas of Ignatius Loyola and the Jesuit order into modern Evangelicalism.
“John Mark Comer’s 2024 book is Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did., which serves as a guide to spiritual formation and intentional discipleship. It explores creating a “Rule of Life” (an order/rhythm) to facilitate abiding in Jesus, covering practices like Sabbath and slowing.”
There are equally large worldwide groups like the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) that have grown from their birth on C. Peter Wagner, the Fuller Professor who Rick Warren did his doctoral thesis under. Lance Wallnau and Bill Johnson are a couple of major players in that movement. The idea of having modern day Apostles to follow leads one in a similar direction.
Of course as previously mentioned the Society of Jesuits formed by Ignatius Loyola as the means to the Counter Reformation and the greater Roman Catholic Church under the authority of the Pope can be viewed as the largest movement having a structured rules based practices which can be viewed outside the scope of what the Bible prescribes.
All this is derived from read Mike Ratcliff’s blog post this morning. People will see this differently. But hopefully I’ve raised at least an inkling of concern. Must study and prayer is needed in this area, to truly be discerning. Spurgeon’s quote is appropriate:
Here is Mike’s Post.
BTW I would add perhaps this scripture passage to the ones Mike quotes….though it is more related to the end of days and specifically about restrictions on what we eat, it is still true that all the post resurrection times are part of that.
Some Will Depart from the Faith
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Discernment in this area is very difficult…there are lots of good things being mentioned, and lots of good intentions. All involve aspects of our Sanctification becoming more like Christ. In the comments I will include a ChatGPT brief summary of one aspect of this. Also I will include below the WCF section on Sanctification, for clarification of the Reformed view. I also think that we use the words Discipleship and Missional too much today. I prefer the old KJV wording in the great commission about teaching and doing:‘
God calls, draws and makes disciples…we teach them, hopefully with the full context of God’s Word, the Bible.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Just for clarification, Missional in my mind implies living out our Santification in the real world, not just internally. The biggest part of that is Preaching/Sharing the Gospel the Good News of Christ. We can all do that. Just asking as Phillip did:
Everywhere
Act 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Act 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
…a man of Ethiopia
Act 8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Act 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
I actually don’t see a set of rules when I read this. And it largely about effectuating our destroying sin in our lives. The whole Bible is the prescription medicine of becoming more holy. We need to stay within it’s whole context and be careful in trying to leverage or exercise specific areas even if the sound good.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
This is not to diminish Good Works as described in the Bible in our Commandments and illustrated in our Confession of Faith.
Overall our chief end is described:
Larger Catechism
Q. 1. What is the chief and highest end of man?
A. Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.
CHAPTER 16
Of Good Works
1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention.
2. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.
3. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they may be enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will, and to do, of his good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.
4. They who, in their obedience, attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.
5. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit; and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment.
6. Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God’s sight; but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.
7. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God, they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.
CHAPTER 13
Of Sanctification
1. They, who are once effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart, and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them: the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified; and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
2. This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part; whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
3. In which war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome; and so, the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Rainbow Trout 