Review: The Anti-Gospel: The Perversion of Christ’s Grace Gospel by Edward Hendrie

“The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.” Proverbs 20:12

The book of proverbs warns us repeatedly that there is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. One of those ways is the exaltation of Arminianism in modern Christianity. Jabobus Arminius was a “Protestant” reformer who argued that while man’s nature is depraved, it is not so totally depraved that it cannot understand the gospel and choose Christ as savior. Arminius argued for the existence of a “prevenient grace” that allows unregenerate man to understand the truth of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as it applies to the salvation of the soul. This is what I believed when I first started reading the Bible and what was taught at the Independent Fundamental Baptist church I was attending at the time. To believe in the idea of “total depravity” was labeled “Calvinism” and heresy.

Before reading Hendrie’s book I thought that my problem with Fundament Baptist teaching stemmed from the doctrine of the rapture or Zionism, but The Anti-Gospel made it crystal clear that the problem with most modern churches goes far deeper and is much more insidious than hair-splitting over end times prophecy or the definition of Israel: it flows out of an erroneous view of who God is and what role he plays in our salvation. Arminianism, or the “free-will,” “come whosever will” gospel teaches that man is sovereign over God, and that Christ can only react to our free-will decisions. By Arminian logic there are a whole lot of people in Hell who Christ does not actually want there, but they were too foolish to accept his help. The gospel of sovereign grace that the Protestant Reformers fought and died and that the Bible clearly and unequivocally teaches is in stubborn contradiction to the lenient, easy-believism of the vast majority of evangelical churches in America.

“God has chosen his elect to be saved by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3-9; 2:8-10. God imbues his elect with the faith needed to believe in Jesus. Hebrews 12:2; John 1:12-13. The devil’s false gospel contradicts the word of God and reverses the order of things. Under the anti-gospel, instead of a sovereign God choosing his elect, sovereign man decides whether to choose God.” – Edward Hendrie

I encourage you to get a copy of Hendrie’s book and read it with an open mind. It will expose so many lies that have been sown in American churches today in order to fill pews and encourage tithes. Understanding of God’s sovereign role in regenerating his elect so that they are able to believe the gospel and serve him acceptably will humble you to your core. You were not smart enough, or humble enough, or good enough to come to saving faith on your own. You were chosen by God and created for this glory. For the elect that is incredibly good news and you can rejoice in the knowledge that your salvation was settled in heaven from the foundation of the world. But for the reprobate this is complete and utter foolishness.

“Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” Proverbs 20:9.

But that is what the unregenerate say when they claim that they believed to righteousness by their own sovereign act of will. Hendrie will use his skill as a legal scholar to rightly divide the Bible and set the record straight on the root of so many false doctrines popular today.

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The Seed is Christ (Continued)

We have been examining the Christian Zionist assertion that modern day Israel is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and that God has a distinct group of elect known as Jews that have a pre-existing and irrevocable covenant with him.

Let’s look at Genesis 12 again through this light because it is a favorite of the Zionist Christians.

1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Zionist Christians will make an application of Genesis 12:3 to mean that we as “Gentile nations” must bless the nation of Israel established in 1948 AD. Looking at these verses does it make sense to say that this promise is ultimately about a nation established in 1948, or is it about Jesus Christ? Are nations blessed when they bless Israel, or are they blessed when they bless the name of Jesus Christ?

The Resurrection - El Greco, Public Domain Image

What is clear is that Galatians 3:16 is telling us that the ultimate seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ. And if we want to take the Zionist’s approach to scripture and claim that a later covenant cannot disannul a pre-existing covenant, let us look at another singular seed that predates the promises to Abraham:

[14] And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: [15] And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. – Genesis 3

Again, is this seed the tribes of Israel, or is this seed Jesus Christ?

Where I could accept a plural application of Genesis 3:15 is in its harmony with Jesus’ parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13, but let’s leave that discussion for another day. As far as who will actually bruise the head of the serpent, that can only refer to Jesus Christ, and this prophecy sets the precedent of a literal seed fulfilled in a singular person which Paul then expands on in Galatians 3.

As if all of this weren’t enough evidence to establish the matter, the Lord also gave us the glorious Messianic prophecies of Isaiah 53. Here you will find another individual Seed:

[10] Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11] He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. [12] Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Crucifixion with Mary and John - Michelangelo, Public Domain Image

In verse 10 we understand the "he" to be God the Father in the phrase “he shall see his seed,” the seed being Jesus, the Son of God the Father. There is no way to insert national Israel of 1948 or the tribes of Israel in the Old Testament into these verses and have them make sense. Only Jesus Christ is an acceptable offering for sin, who can justify many and bear their iniquities. And because of this perfect act of self-sacrifice we see in verse 12 that the Father promises him an special inheritance. We see this aspect of Messianic prophecy in Psalm 2:

[7] I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. [8] Ask of me, and I shall give thee [singular] the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. [9] Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

This incredible psalm is quoted and referenced many times in scripture, most notably Revelation 2:26-27, "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."

Dominion of the world is given to Jesus Christ by the decree of God the Father, and anyone that rules and reigns through him does so because of their part in Jesus' inheritance, not "national Israel's," Jesus says, "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father." - Matthew 20:23

So we can rest assured in the knowledge that God keeps every single one of his promises. Heaven and Earth both belong to God, and our stake in both of them are for his ultimate pleasure and glory.

“The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.” Leviticus 25:23.

Selah.

For I Desired Mercy...

Wrath: Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation. (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

With all of our imperfections as humans, how does God the Father expect us to deal with each other? The answer is, gently.

This doesn’t mean we withhold just punishment or neglect to hold others accountable, but it does mean that we should not act wrathfully or unmercifully toward each other, even when the temptation is there.

After witnessing some of this wrathful behavior recently, Hosea 6:6 came to mind. And it’s surely one of my favorite verses.

“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

Our Lord doesn’t care about our desire for vengeance or our burning need to be “in the right”. He only requires our mercy for others, the way He is so merciful to us.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19

The knowledge of God and His law are far more important than how many political points we score against our opponents. Followers of Christ play the long game.

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverb 16:32

The White Mountains of New Hampshire are an example of God's preeminence. (From Mt. Eisenhower)