The 1689 London confession was a capitulation to Protestant false doctrine including the eternal subordination of the Son (see my belief statement) and a capitulation to law preaching and a Sunday sabbath. On the other hand, the 1646 London Baptist confession is a testament to faith. Regarding law preaching the 1646 Confession teaches that the preaching of the gospel in no way requires the terrors of the law in preparation to gospel proclamation.
Benjamin Cox authored the Appendix to the 1646 confession of faith. I have listed part of his appendix at http://newcovenanttheology.com/1646_confession.html although you can also google it. The most striking aspect of this appendix is the determination he had to stand by scriptures to say that Christians must believe to the end, that they must not be lawless just because they are freed from the Law of Moses, but that they must be obedient to the law of Christ, the law of faith, which will set them free in a true holiness. For Cox, the gospel of Christ was a law. He affirms that no one is made perfect through sanctification. But he maintains that the law of Christ can be fulfilled. My notion of continuing justification is implied in Cox's writings. See also http://newcovenanttheology.com/righteousness.html
Update: Ok, it is now time for downhome rant. I have had it!
I have a couple of hundred, sometimes more, folks coming by this website monthly. But you know what? People come by here and most probably see this site as just another site dedicated to New Covenant Theology. Well, you are wrong. This is the ONLY site that I have ever been able to find, and I look from time to time, that is dedicated to New Covenant Theology. The others are imposters, pretenders, and liars.
Is that too strong? Well, lets see. The guys like Reisinger and Downing are losers in the most important race ever run. They don't have the gospel, they don't care about the gospel and they don't represent the gospel. They have law, they care about law and they represent law.
Well, how do they do that? Simple, they believe that the law of Moses can convict of sin. They reject the truth that the gospel is the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT . They have never been cut by the gospel and their gospel is different!!!! I get so sick and tired of hearing that the law convicts and the salve of the gospel heals. No, the gospel does it all. It cuts the heart and heals the heart after repentance. It is a sovereign act APART FROM THE LAW OF MOSES.
Then there are Jon Zens and Cliff Bjork. They have an intellectual understanding of my view that the gospel convicts. But they shut me out. Bjork would not have fellowship with me as his heroes are the legalistic Covenant Theologians who spawned this incredible doctrine of law conviction in the first place. I dont' have time for their crap. I will instruct any young person who wants more understanding as a new Christian, but I don't have time for the crap of so called teachers who never grow, who shut me out because I am standing for GRACE.
As a matter of fact, I will stand alone if I have to until Christ returns and if there are no believers in the power of the gospel you will never find me submitting to those who come up short of the doctrine of gospel conviction.If you don't stand for Gospel Conviction and you claim to be a mature "teacher" of the gospel, so called, then you DON'T stand with me.
If Bjork chooses to shun me I STAND IN DOUBT OF HIM AS WELL. For years I have given these guys the benefit of the doubt, though I really knew they would never change. And truth is they have not changed in 30years!!! I am NOT JUMPING TO A RASH CONCLUSION HERE!!!
So then, bottom line is this, I will stand for the gospel and wait for those others to come along who do so as well. I will stand for the true New Covenant theology which must, I repeat, must contain the doctrine of gospel conviction!!!
I don't know if there are any Gentiles left who will hear the truth, and maybe it is for a Jew to come along and hear my message. The Gentiles may have had their fulness past. It may be that only descendents of Jews will be saved from now on. Based on the feedback to this website, which has been practically non existent, I would say that the Gentiles are in BIG BIG TROUBLE. This message is my final warning to the Gentiles: believe the gospel of Jesus Christ! Hear Him!
New Covenant Theology has been taught by many others in a way that allows men to remain Protestants, to remain within the historical "mainstream" of religious thought. I believe this view is not correct. I view New Covenant Theology as being gospel centered, that is founded on the power of the gospel in the lives of men. I therefore reject the notion that the law of Moses can convict of sin in a saving way. Most New covenant teachers retain the covenant theology doctrine that the law can convict the elect savingly. I have parted ways with these fellows, namely John Reisinger and others of his camp, and W.R Downing and others who follow his teachings. I certainly am not here to make a final judgement on these folks, but I do believe that the elect are not going to carry a false gospel to their graves. And law preaching is a false gospel!
(For a complete discussion regarding the differences between righteousness under the Law of Moses and righteousness under the Law of Christ please see: http://www.newcovenanttheology.com/righteousness.html )
Covenant Theology has always held to conviction by law. This is a quote from John Owens: "What is necessary to be found in us antecedaneously to our believing unto the justification of life?there is supposed in them in whom this faith is wrought the work of the law in conviction of sin that which any man hath first to deal withalis the lawWithout this the gospel cannot be understood, nor the grace of it duly valued the faith which we treat of being evangelical cannot be acted by us, but on a supposition of the work and effect of the lawAnd that faith which hath not respect hereunto, we absolutely deny to be that faith whereby we are justified," Gal. 3:22-24; Rom. 10:4 Jon Zens has said in the work Justification, pp. 74-76, " Will the N. T. sustain such a strict opinion? In light of the truth claims made by Owen, we need to be clear in this matter." Too bad Jon has not come to my aid in the onslaught against me mounted by Cliff Bjork, his best buddy. He just keeps silent, and my emails have gone unanswered.
I have rejected the mainstream of the so called New Covenant movement that has embraced this so called power of law. Of course, the scripture is clearly on my side: the elect are CUT TO THE HEART by the gospel, not by the law. The elect are saved by the conviction of the Spirit because they BELIEVE NOT in the Savior. We are not saved or brought closer to salvation by the guilt generated from violation of law. (Acts 2:36-38, John 16:8-9, Rom 8:3, Phil 3:2-9)
I view Spurgeon's position as being against the true gospel. Indeed, if any of you hear the true gospel and are convicted by the same, you will understand that law is not necessary for salvation at all in even one case! Paul was determined to know nothing but the gospel as he went preaching to the Gentiles. Paul understood the power of the gospel and the weakness of the law. And so it has always been, even in Old Covenant times. (Heb 4:2, Heb Ch 11, Nu 21:9, Isa 7:14 and 9:6, Dan 9:23-27, Hos 6:2, Psalms Chapters 2, 16 and 22, Mt 16:21)
While Jon and his associate Cliff Bjork agree with me regarding the preaching of the law what now remains to be seen is whether they will ever possess the discernment that I believe is necessary to separate from the Puritans, Protestants, Papists, and the current crop of So Called New Covenant Theologians such as Reisinger and Downing and Zaspel, etc, etc. I suppose it boils down to whether their hearts are with me or not. They aren't with me as of this writing.
This Neo Circumcision, ie the teachers of Covenant Theology and law preachers, are false apostles, disguised as servants of righteousness. (2 Cor. 11:1-23.) Many of you view these men of Covenant Theology as being heroes, but you are accepting a gospel that you did not receive if indeed you are truly saved. You are accepting a different spirit than you received, if indeed you were saved. (2 Cor 11:4)
Therefore, you MUST reject this Neo Circumcision as Paul commanded the Corinthians to reject the original circumcision party! This is a command of the Apostle Paul. If a man claims to be delivered by law conviction, and has never experienced true gospel conviction, then he remains among the lost and his profession of faith is for nothing. Many, many people are so deceived! They will cast themselves upon the mercy of God at the Last Day and be rejected. Who of you will escape their fate!
The gospel is not for sale. You will never be charged for any information here regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 2:17 which speaks of not peddling the gospel. KJV is wrong) Anyone not giving a free gospel is not walking according to the Apostle Paul. Also, tithing is a tradition
The definitive published confession of faith that most closely follows biblical teaching is the 1646 London Confession of faith (the early Particular Baptists).
1.The teachers here reject law conviction as ever being necessary to the salvation of the elect.
2.The teachers reject the concept of eternal generation that teaches that Jesus was eternally begotten. They support the biblical view that Jesus was begotten with regard to His birth on earth and with regard to His resurrection.
The greatest critique of Covenant theology is this following scripture from the Apostle Paul which destroys this theology that has resulted in church state abuse, wars in the name of Christ, persecution of Jews by Martin Luther (See the Luther/Menno link) and the murder of men in the name of Christ by both Catholics and Protestants historically:
"To the Jews I became a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law, THOUGH I AM NOT FREE FROM GOD'S LAW BUT AM UNDER CHRIST'S LAW." (1 Cor. 9:20-21)
THE ONE AND DONE theory of justification espoused by the protestants voids the need for a New Law of Christ. See my page entitiled "Righteousness!" in the table of contents on the left.
This website rejects Theonomy, or the belief that nations of the world can be "Christian" and therefore can become the keeper of true religion. If this were true Jesus would not have said that His kingdom was NOT OF THIS WORLD. The leaders of the church would not have been the Apostles but rather men who controlled government. It is not wrong for a Christian to serve in government, but the only holy people are the believers in Christ. Any other view is evil.