Fighting the Four Evils

The very term 'patriarchy' evokes all kinds of negative feelings in modern society. For many in modern western society, particularly women, it is the most evil and worst dystopian nightmare possible. For others, it is seen as outdated and antiquated, but nevertheless viewed unfavourably. Yet for some acculturated in western culture, it is simply foreign but evoked not strong emotions. Either way, there is no concept of patriarchy in modern western society, and increasingly westernised countries all over the world. By contrast, patriarchy is seen as the norm in many cultures and societies, all over the world, including those that are successful in their own right. One striking observation to be made is that all successful civilisations are patriarchal, be it Greek, Roman, Chinese, Babylonian or Egyptian. Male authority in the family and in the Church, in the case of a Christian society, as well as in society generally, is the instituted order of God.  Without patriarchal aut...

Heresy is often defined as simply 'error' and classified more or less as 'theological heresy' and 'moral heresy'. However, heresy is more than that. It is rebellion. That is the heart of all heresy. All rebellion leads to illegitimate authority and a lust for power. For heretics not only seek to justify themselves, but also want to have the power to do so. They seek to use the Law of God which has a spiritual power, and manipulate and twist it, to justify their evil. Show me a heresiarch, and I will show you a person full of rebellion, and all kinds of lust, not least, the lust of power.   Rebellion is not simply about going against God, though that is certainly what it is. It is driven by lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, combined together with the desire to justify one's theology.  This attempt to justify one's own theology is precisely the problem - one seeks to define the truth, and not only that, manipulate God when o...

When speaking of dangerous doctrines, the average Christian today will point to the obviously erroneous doctrines of cults, such as that Jesus was a spirit brother of satan, that there are two 'gods' in the Bible, a cruel God in the Old Testament, and a kind God in the New Testament, or that Jesus had only a divine, but no human nature, and therefore did not die for the sins of the world.  However, little do these Christians think about why these heresies are able to arise in the first place. They simply dismiss them as the doctrines of crazy, psycho heretics - all without realising that they themselves are just as susceptible to heresy as those who are blatant heretics. One should never assume that because one attends a 'normal' church that one cannot fall into the trap of heresy. All most Christians to do is target such heretics for criticism, and lift no finger in helping them understanding why it is heresy, and why have they turned to such heresy as Jude 1:22-23 i...

At the essence of heresy is rebellion, leading to confusion, and not the other way round in being confusion in essence, leading to rebellion owing to ignorance. Rebellion is always at the heart of all heresy. Heretics believe in their heresy because of their rebellion against God. Such rebellion is not mere rebellion, but arrogant rebellion which not only loves sin, but loves to challenge the authority of God, in not only who He is, but also His Word, and ultimately, His Lordship. For that is what rebellion ultimately seeks to oppose, and to usurp the Lordship of God over one's life so that one can exercise one's own lordship over one's life. Heresies are of two kinds:  1. Theological heresy  - that which denies or distorts any aspect of the Nature of God. 2. Moral heresy - that which denies, opposes, compromises on, or qualifies any Commandment of Jesus Christ in any way, shape or form. A person may affirm all the true doctrines of the Trinity and Salvation, includi...

Heresy is often thought to be simply any doctrine that deviates from the true doctrines about Jesus. While doctrines that deviate from the true doctrine about Jesus is certainly heretical, that is only an example of heresy. Such an understanding of heresy misunderstands the real essence and the nature of heresy itself.    Heresy is in essence, rebellion against God. It is the exercise of illegitimate authority against God through the perversion of doctrine. For in such doctrine is borne out of rebellion against God itself, a hatred of God, in particular, a love for that which is carnal. Jude 1:8-19 sums up the nature of heretics:  Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.  Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  But these speak evil of whatever they do not know...