We recently were in the Midwest. I realized how few people knew what Andy Lanning and Rev. Nate Langerak actually say in some of their sermons. They wanted proof.
We sent some proof, and I share it here. These are in no particular order. Bear with me as this will take more than one post. I’ll try to keep my thoughts concerning these quotes at a minimum.
The two leaders claim ‘I am Christ and Christ is me’.
Rev. N. Langerak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-SbgLlFd5A Christ Life Mar. 13, 2022 (Second RPC YouTube channel)
C. 1 hr., min 0:35. “I am Christ and Christ is me. You cannot join me too closely to Jesus Christ. Christ believes in me, Christ repents in me, Christ does good works in me, Christ obeys the law in me. I live, and you have to understand that that life is a Christ-life in the first place because that life is above condemnation. You can’t condemn me; not if I break the whole law, you can’t condemn me, the devil can’t, the world can’t, the law can’t. … you may not condemn me; if you’re going to condemn me, you have to condemn Christ first …”.
Truly, there is no judicial condemnation from God for the elect. However, this is not because Christ is inside of us, living our lives for us, somehow on our behalf. THAT is not why there is no condemnation for us. We are free from condemnation because we are in Christ, our representative Head. We are free from condemnation because of what Christ did for us on the cross.
A. Lanning https://www.sermonaudio.com/solo/72773/sermons/814221615525915/ Leaving All and Following Jesus Aug 14,2022 on sermon audio
C. min 38:35, “I [God] see only Christ. It was My good pleasure to take you and unite you to Him [Christ], to give you all the things of Him. It was My good pleasure to identify you with Him so that you may say ‘I am Christ and Christ is me’.”
Yes, we have a new identity, but it is according to our New Man which the Spirit creates in us. Our union with Christ does not ever make us Christ. Nor do we become divine. The scriptures do not conflate the creature with the Creator. Only God, Christ and the Holy Spirit are the Great I AM, Exodus 3:14. We may say we are IN Christ, we are like him, conforming to His image. But, it is out of harmony with the reformed confessions to say that we ARE Christ. AND then to also say that Christ IS us. This is Pantheism.
NL is the gospel?
Rev. NL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQNN3fKCYwY Zealously Affected 8/7/22
C. min 49:15. “They would have plucked out their own eyes for him [Paul]. The gospel zealously affected them. It laid hold on them. They wanted to hear it; they would do anything to hear it. They would do anything including plucking out their own eyes that that gospel remains among them. That’s true of you. I know that you would have plucked out your own hearts for me and if that ever changes, I will know what happened.“
NL equates his message to his own person at min 45:19-30 and continues that idea in the above quote. He comes very close to likening himself to the gospel itself. “They would do anything including plucking out their own eyes that that gospel remains among them … you would have plucked out your own eyes for me“.
NL goes beyond what Paul says
Paul does not make this same comparison as NL claims. He doesn’t need to because it was the challenge to his apostleship that he responded to. According to Calvin, when Paul writes about the plucking out of the eyes, he is saying that as evidence of an extraordinary love the Galatians had had for him; a love stronger than a willingness to die for him. This strong love changed when men came and sowed strife and distrust about Paul, their preacher. NL is wrong when he states that the meaning is that the Galatians would do anything to hear the gospel. The plucking of the eyes is connected to their relationship with Paul, not their relationship to the gospel.
Also, why does he change the reference from eyes to hearts? Because perhaps using the word ‘hearts’ saddles his listeners with a greater weight of loyalty. But, this is a loyalty beyond the loyalty that Paul desired. Paul hoped to revive in the people a dedication and trust towards himself as their preacher. This is evident when in the next verse he addresses them ‘my little children’.
But NL demands loyalty to him and if you challenge his message or his style; then, you are against him personally. But, our heart belongs to God only, and not to men. First John 4:1 teaches us to try the spirits; and the messages of all men. Therefore, all true preachers welcome this.
Freedom in Christ equals a freedom from all judgment of other men?
At minute 1:13:32 NL states, “The end of those who are duped … is damnation; they would exclude you. But in light of what he’s [Paul] going to say next; part of that exclusion, is to exclude you from your liberty in Jesus Christ. Understand what that means; in Jesus Christ you are judged of no man, and you can be judged by no man; you may not judge me and I may not judge you. We are free from the judgments of men. In Jesus Christ we have been judged already, we were judged at the cross of Jesus Christ. We were judged as perfectly righteous …; we are free in Jesus Christ … we’re free. I do not need you to tell me how to live, I know already”.
Three points about this
First, our liberty in Christ is the freedom to love and serve Christ. It is a freedom to willingly live according to the fruits of the Spirit, as in chapter 5. Paul says in chapter 5:25, ‘let us also walk in the Spirit’. This is a passage about a sanctified life. This freedom in sanctification does not put us above having our words and actions judged. Rather, it places a greater weight of accountability upon us. The passage, and the chapters that follow, do not teach a definition of liberty to be a freedom from judgements of men. NL is wrong. He erroneously presses the ‘no condemnation’ of our justification into the text; and it doesn’t fit.
Secondly, no one may judge another about the destination of their eternal soul. However, you certainly may and should have your words judged, evaluated and assessed in light of the scriptures. NL doesn’t bother to make this distinction. Therefore, the implication is that to challenge his teachings is to judge his soul. Union with Christ does not render us automatically free from any and all judgements or evaluations of men.
Third, NL says, “I do not need you to tell me how to live, I know already”. Really? Because of sin, we easily lose our way. Most believers do actually need to be told from Sabbath to Sabbath how to live. Thus, they search the scriptures daily to learn more about how to live.
Thank you for this post. The RP leaders are now showing their true colors. Not only are they moving in the direction of antinomianism, but they are also coming dangerously close to uttering blasphemy, if they have not already done so.