THE ULTRADISPENSATIONALIST ANTINOMIAN HAS STINKY FEET
. . . Thou shalt never wash my feet . . . -- John 13:8
F. L. and John Murphy have written a three-part essay entitled, “Temporal Fellowship," which has appeared in the May, August, and December 1987 "Florida Fundamentalist." The Murphys contend as follows:
“There are few, if any, religious denominations today, who do not teach that 1 John 1:9 means that unless one, after he has trusted Christ, CONFESSES his sins, he can lose FELLOWSHIP with God. My friend, I emphatically state here and now that SUCH TEACHING is indeed an ABOMINATION in our Saviour's sight." Ibid. May, Preface, p. 1
The new hyper-dispensationalists are embarking on a new journey called ANTINOMIANISM, an old sin problem. We would agree with them that no denomination would agree with their emphatic statement. Sensationalism seems to be the new order of the day with such NEW LIGHT theologians. There stock in trade is to outdo one another in the elimination of old doctrines not specifically mentioned in the so-called Pauline epistles. They sift their concordances alphabetically in order to cover their tracks on such dogmatic pronouncements but find themselves out on a limb "topically." Ultradispensationalism may take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. How far are you willing to go with ultradispensationalism?
The Murphy rationale is that since Christ paid for all of our sins—past, present, and future -- there is no need for confession and repentance or additional forgiveness.
"The sin question is settled and can never be brought up again (even though Paul brought it up again). Yet churches will teach people that they must be continually asking God to forgive their sins. It is a DISHONOR to Jesus Christ . . . it is a dishonor to the Word of God to ask God to forgive a SINGLE SIN!" Ibid. August, Part II, Page 2
In other words, the Murphys see a Christian's sins forgiven automatically as soon as they are committed. There is no difference in the "standing” or "state" or "position" of a Christian. There is no difference between a Christian, who fornicates and confesses it and one, who does not confess it, EXCEPT the confessing Christian commits the additional ABOMINATION of confessing his sin.
Fortunately, for the confessors, their sin of confession is automatically forgiven instantaneously with their fornication so that they have the same standing, state, fellowship, and position that the Murphy’s have. This is the way we divide the word, divide the word, divide the word . . .
The Murphys are upset that all Christendom build their doctrine of confession on 1 John 1:9. They do not like 1 John 1:9, which is supposedly not for us, being tribulation doctrine. They say:
"The confession of sins is the most mistaught doctrine in Christendom. Especially the daily confession of your sins. It is a carry-over of Judaism into Catholicism into Christianity. It is built on one verse: 1 John 1:9. Bear in mind that John (here it comes) wrote to the JEW and Paul was sent to the Gentiles . . . The doctrine of temporal fellowship is based on misapplication of the scriptures, imagination, and down-right STUPIDITY." -- Ibid., December, Part III, Page 2.
There you have it, nineteen centuries of stupid Christians! Well, before we accept such a novel doctrine or should we say anti-doctrine, perhaps we should examine a few things.
God Has Never Abrogated Confession
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso CONFESSETH and FORSAKETH them shall have mercy. -- Proverbs 28:13
I ACKNOWLEDGED MY SIN unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will CONFESS MY TRANSGRESSIONS unto the Lord; and thou FORGAVEST the iniquity of my sin. -- Ps. 32:5
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and CONTRITE heart, O God, thou WILT NOT DESPISE. --Ps. 51:17
Hyperdispensationalists ABROGATE what God never abrogates and make parts of God's word of NONE EFFECT. They think the general epistles are not for us. They think the gospels are not for us. They think the O.T. is not for us. Only the Pauline epistles are for us. No doubt, they do not believe the O.T. child disciplinary instructions are for us, because the Pauline epistles say nothing of the rod of correction. These fellows have Bible Correctors beat, for Bible Correctors get rid of words and verses, while these fellows get rid of whole BOOKS of the Bible in one fell swoop.
The N.T. Christian, in this dispensation of grace, would do well to pay less heed to these self-styled subtractors of Holy Writ and more heed to the Proverbs and Psalms. Christians, also, will not prosper, if they cover their sins, but they too will have mercy, if they confess and forsake them. God will not despise a CONTRITE heart in any dispensation, whether the Murphys THINK it is an abomination or not.
Repentance, Sorrow, Restoration
. . . I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed . . . I write to them which heretofore HAVE SINNED, and to other, that, if I come again, I will not spare . . . --2 Cor. 12:21 - 13:2
For I made you sorry with a letter. I do not repent . . . Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye SORROWED TO REPENTANCE: for ye were made sorry after a GODLY MANNER . . . -- 2 Cor. 7:8, 9
Brethren, if man be OVERTAKEN in a fault, ye which are spiritual, RESTORE such a one in the spirit of meekness . . . -- Gal. 6:1
Repentance receives no better treatment from the Murphys than does chastisement. Ibid. December, Part III, Page 2). Obviously, these Pauline scriptures show that a sinning Christian must deal with his sin AFTER he is saved. A brother, OVERTAKEN by sin, forsakes most of his Christian resources, but godly Christians, godly sorrow, repentance, and confession are still available for his restoration.
Conscience Must Be Dealt With
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a GOOD CONSCIENCE . . . Holding faith, and a GOOD CONSCIENCE . . . Holding the mystery of faith in a PURE CONSCIENCE . . . --1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 3:9 (note 4:2).
. . . SANCTIFY the Lord in your hearts . . . having a good conscience . . . --1 Pet. 3:15, 16
The Christian must deal with his conscience and shame for sin, lest the devil get an advantage over him. The only way to deal with one’s heart and conscience is to confess one’s sins. Cleansing is NOT AUTOMATIC; the Christian must SANCTIFY the Lord in his heart. The Christian must keep himself in the love of God and build on his holy faith and pray in the Holy Ghost (Jude 20, 21).
Confession to Avoid Judgment
But let a man EXAMINE HIMSELF . . . For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are WEAK and SICKLY among you, and many sleep. For if we would JUDGE OURSELVES, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are CHASTENED of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. -- 1 Cor. 11:28 - 32.
The Murphys thumb their noses at CHASTISEMENT of the saved sinner (Ibid. December, Part III, Page 2), but the Bible, yea, the Pauline epistles teach it. Humbling oneself and judging and acknowledging one’s sin avoids chastisement and judgment. Even physical healing and special amends can be accomplished through self-judgment and confession of sins (2 Chron. 7:14; James 5:15, 16). All saved sinners receive chastisement here on earth (Heb. 12:7-10), but much of it can be avoided. The judgment seat of Christ and the loss of rewards there is also applicable to this discussion (1 Tim. 5:24; 1 Cor. 3:15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 4:17; Col. 2:18; 2 John 8). Confession and acknowledgment of one’s sins are necessary for both fellowship and rewards.
Confession Because of Broken Fellowship
. . . our FELLOWSHIP is with . . . his Son Jesus Christ -- 1 John 1:3
If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with him, and walk in darkness, we lie . . . -- 1 John 1:6
. . . But if we walk in the light . . . we have FELLOWSHIP one with another, and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from ALL SIN . . . -- 1 John 1:7
After telling us that John wrote 1 John 1:9 to the Jew (and we only have the Murphys word on that), the misguided and overzealous have the nerve to DISMISS 1 John 1:9 by quoting 1 John 1:7 without so much as a blush (Ibid., December, Part III, Page 2). Let it be noted that these Jews had their fellowship with Jesus Christ, had all their sins cleansed by Christs blood, and they also confessed their sins. The Murphys thumb their noses also at broken fellowship, THEORIZING that broken fellowship or lost fellowship would mean they would no longer be “fellowheirs” or “fellowcitizens” (Ibid. May, Part II, Page 4). What the Murphys do not understand is that it is the backsliding saved sinner that breaks fellowship—not God. Just as it was with the prodigal son who broke fellowship, with the father anxious and waiting for restoration, so it is with a backslidden Christian and his heavenly Father. The backslidden Christian will do one of two things: he will lie about his fellowship with the Father or restore that fellowship through the confession of sins. The backslidden Christian breaks fellowship with the brethren the same way that he breaks fellowship with the Father. How often do we see backslidden brethren stop praying, stop reading their Bibles, stop witnessing, stop visiting, stop the evening and mid-week service, and then even stop attending church altogether? We even see preachers quit preaching. Indeed, the quote is so true, “This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.”
Cleansing after Salvation
. . . Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might SANCTIFY and CLEANSE IT with the WASHING of water BY THE WORD . . . --Eph. 5:25,26.
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now (rightly divide brother); but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, THOU SHALT NEVER WASH MY FEET my feet. Jesus answered him, if I wash thee not, thou hast NO PART (Goodbye with me (Goodbye fellowship!) . . . He that is washed needeth not SAVE TO WASH HIS FEET, but is clean EVERY WHIT: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him . . . ye also ought to wash one anothers feet . . . --John 13:7-10, 14 (note Gal 1:1)
The Mideastern custom of washing feet is referred to throughout both Testaments (as a custom and not an ordinance). Going to the bathhouse, bathing, and returning caused one’s feet to become dirty again. The lesson, here, is that although we are completely cleansed, our feet get dirty in this present world. That is why we have an ADVOCATE (I John 2:1), and that is why we have an Intercessor High Priest, Jesus Christ (Heb7 4:14; 7:25; Rom. 8:34). “It is Christ that died . . . who maketh INTERCESSION for us.” Those who refuse to have their feet washed have no part with Christ and will eventually demonstrate this by their actions. This is why the new ultradispensationalist Antinomians have “STINKY FEET!”
-- by Herb Evans. Plains Baptist Challenger - February 1988, p. 2