Antioch Agent

I found his thoughts on agnosticism amongst believers insightful. I quote Frank Holmes from the ‘Treasury of Bible Doctrine‘…

“… In these days when Scripture doctrine is assailed from many sides, it is especially necessary to maintain the truth. Skillful campaigns are being waged against the deity of Christ, the necessity of the blood of Christ for redemption, the eternity of the punishment of the unsaved, and a number of other Bible truths. Experience shows, too, that agnosticism regarding a doctrine is the first step in denying it. The brother who says of a certain truth, “Well, I used to believe that. I’m not sure now. I’ve been reading So-and-so, and he puts a different light on it. I don’t think anybody can be sure on such points” is probably a good half way to heresy. This type of agnosticism is increasing among believers with the increase of higher education. It is the fashionable cant of the intellectual world, the idea being that truth is unattainable anyway, and that orthodoxy is the badge of a low intelligence. But this position cannot be squared with Christianity. For Christian teaching is a dogmatic assertion of truth received by divine revelation. It is “the faith once delivered to the saints”. It was expressed by the apostles, “not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” 1 Cor 2:13. To be a straw Christian – “carried about with every wind of doctrine” – may be a mark of intellectual sophistication, but it is not a mark of spiritual maturity.

The man who is impatient of doctrine and will listen only to exhortation is acting unreasonably. Right doctrine is the basis of right action. Doctrine provides the divine reasons for or against a line of conduct…. “

I’m reminded once again of the words of the apostle Paul to young Timothy. 1 Timothy 4:12-13 reads “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” Indeed we are to place a high importance on the value on doctrine, such that we give a careful application of our mind to it.

Deuteronomy 6:23 “And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.”

The account of the exodus from Egypt and the journey to the promise land has many lessons for us. The children of Israel were brought out from a land filled with idolatry and from the bondage of slavery that the Lord might bring them into the promised land. For Israel, it was an earthly blessing and inheritance. A land flowing with milk & honey and abundant goodness, a land which the Lord swore to their their fathers. But along with that was the call to faith, obedience and a careful observance of all of God’s instruction. They still had to patiently remove the inhabitants of the land and to remain separate from the pagans in the land before they could fully come into the good of it.

We too have been brought out to be brought in as Colossian 1:10-13 tells us.

“..Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful .. increasing in the knowledge of God … Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

With all the spiritual blessings that we have come into, we indeed have a high calling as the children of God. He brought us out of spiritual bondage and darkness to bring us into the the dominion of light. Therefore ought we to in patience and endurance and continue to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. The children of Israel were brought out for a purpose, so were we.