THERE REALLY IS A DIFFERENCE!

A Comparison of Covenant
and Dispensational Theology

Dr. Renald E. Showers has written a number of books, including What on Earth is God Doing? (Loizeaux, 173), and The New Nature (Loizeaux, 186).

He is a Bible major graduate ('56) of Philadelphia Bible Institute (now Philadelphia College of the Bible); he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Wheaton College, a Master of Theology degree in church history from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Theology degree from Grace Theological Seminary.

Dr. Showers has served in the pastorate, as a member of the faculties of Lancaster Bible College, Moody Bible Institute, and Philadelphia College of the Bible, and as a visiting lecturer at Word of Life Bible Institute. He is presently on the staff of the Church ministries Division of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., and serves on the faculty of the Institute of Biblical Studies.

Dr. Showers is a member of Delta Epsilon Chi and the Wheaton College Scholastic Honor Society. He has been awarded the General Motors Citizenship Award, a National Scholarship, and the Charles Nash Church History Award. In 1982 he was chosen "Faculty Member of the Year" for excellence in the classroom and outstanding service to Philadelphia College of the Bible.

It may be fitting here to quote Mark Twain's sage remark, "Do not let your schooling get in the way of your education."

Much of Dr. Showers' book in question lives up to its title: There Really Is a Difference -- A Comparison of Covenant and Dispensational Theology, 225 pages, published by The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1990.

The author has written a fine piece of work in chapter 7, titled "The Davidic Covenant." This will prove to be especially valuable at the advent (Oct.) of the book titled Dispensationalism--Israel and the Church (Zondervan), edited by the Dallas professors, Bock and Blaising. One of their "dispensational" points is that the Lord Jesus is now reigning over the Church from David's throne, in heaven! Long ago, Dr. Chafer stated:

David was not promised a heavenly, spiritual throne, and the one who contends that David's throne is a heavenly rule is by so much obliged to name the time and circumstances when and where so great a change has been introduced (Systematic Theology IV:324).

We will consider the portions of Dr. Showers' book which fail to make a difference between Covenant and Dispensational theology. His statements are in italics with darker background.

The Great Omission

During most of its course, the sixth dispensation (Grace) has five ruling factors which God uses to govern people: human conscience, the restraint of the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, plus grace. As a ruling factor for the believer, grace consists of two things: a confirmed disposition toward God (the law of God in the heart, Rom. 7:22; 2 Cor. 3:3-11; Heb. 8: 8-12), and the indwelling Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19,20) (p. 45).

The author's claim that the law of God is in the heart of the believer will be dealt with below. At present we state to the contrary that the glorified Lord Jesus Christ is the Christian's indwelling life. This life is not "a ruling factor," but functions and flows according to its nature, and is not governed by law. "For to me to live is Christ"; "Christ, who is our life" (Phil. 1:21; Col. 3:4).

The Fatal Flaw -- The teaching that the law of God is written in the heart of a member of the Body of Christ is a fatal flaw, which breaks down the scriptural barrier between Law and Grace, Israel and the Church, Covenant theology and rightly-divided Dispensationalism. And yet Dr. Showers writes:

Dispensational Theology believes that Israel and the Church are distinct entities. It is convinced that although both have had special relationships with God, they are not essentially the same (p. 52)

Doctrinal Breakdown

In spite of the Old Testament's silence concerning the relationship of the Church to the [Israel's] New Covenant, the New Testament seems to indicate that the Church is related somehow to it (emphasis ours) (p. 103).

Dr. Showers is not alone in this doctrinal and dispensational breakdown. Almost all dispensational leaders are committing the same error. They correctly teach (there is no other choice) that the New Covenant of Jeremiah and Ezekiel is for Israel alone, and is millennial-kingdom future.

Yet, without exception, they falter and fall when the subject of the New Covenant is encountered in the New Testament (NT). In effect, they make the NT contradict the Old Testament (OT). Either Israel and the Church are totally unrelated, as the rightly-divided Word of truth insists, or they are related. If they are related in any way or to any degree, Dispensationalism is a dead issue.

Erroneous Emphasis

It seems obvious that Jesus was stating that the communion cup represents the New Covenant which God promised to Israel in the OT. The very fact that the Church partakes of the communion cup which represents the New Covenant promised by God to Israel seems to indicate that the Church partakes of the New Covenant (emphasis ours) (p. 104).

"The communion cup which represents the [Israel's] New Covenant." Here is a doctrinal violation of the first order. The communion cup has to do with the shed Blood of the Lamb, not the New Covenant! "This do in remembrance of Me," not, this do in remembrance of Israel's New Covenant.

"The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant" -- This is a slight upon the Blood of Christ, to say the least. It is moving onto MacArthur ground, Covenant ground. As the believer partakes of the communion cup, does it represent to him Israel's New Covenant, or the precious Blood that was shed for his redemption?

The Blood of Israel's New Covenant is the "Blood of the Everlasting Covenant" (Heb. 13:20)--a covenant between the Father and the Son, of which the Church is beneficiary. It is a covenant infinitely beyond that of Israel's--there is no comparison. The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant has done vastly more for the Body of Christ than it will ever do for the nation of Israel via her earthly New Covenant, as we shall immediately see.

The second line of evidence [he is seeking to prove something] for concluding (emphasis ours) that the Church is related to the New Covenant is that believers who make up the Church partake of the spiritual blessings which God promised as part of the New Covenant in the OT.

1) Church believers have been regenerated (Titus 3:5); 2) received forgiveness of sin (Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 1:14; 1 John 2:12); 3) been indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19) ; 4) and received the new nature (a new favorable disposition toward God consisting of the law of God written in the heart) (Rom. 7:22; 2 Cor. 3:3; 2 Pet. 1:4) (p. 104).

No Comparison -- The author would have the heavenly Church partake of the "spiritual" blessings of earthly Israel's millennial New Covenant! The best of Israel's spiritual blessings cannot begin to compare with what the Bride has in her all-glorious Bridegroom!

1) Believers have been regenerated (Titus 3:5).

Would these dispensational leaders rob the Body of her heavenly blessings in Christ, by pawning off upon her Israel's earthly things? The regenerate Jew will be a member of the earthly millennial kingdom, outside of the Lord Jesus, subject to the theocratic law, and subservient to the King.

The regenerate Christian is re-created in the glorified Lord Jesus Christ, bone of His bone, one spirit and co-heir with Him, who is his very Head and Life. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4) to reign with Him forever over Israel and the kingdom nations.

2) Received forgiveness of sin (Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 1:14; 1 John 2:12).

First, the comparison: The forgiven Christian is positioned in Christ in the Holiest of All, for one thing. The forgiven Israelite will be a member of the earthly millennial kingdom--always a servant, never a bride!

Second, the error: There is no such thing as "forgiveness of sin. " If sin were forgiven, its sinfulness would in no way be altered. Sin had to be condemned in the judgment of death! "God sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" Rom. 8:3).

I, as an Adamic sinner, was not forgiven. My sins were all forgiven--past, present, and future. But I am not a forgiven Adamic sinner. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (I Cor. 15:22). As a sinner I was judged in death, crucified with Christ, then recreated in Him, positionally sinless, perfect, and glorified. When we know who and where we are in Christ in glory, we will never be enticed to look down upon earthly Israel for anything!

Third, none of the several Scripture references cited by the author have to do with sin, but with sins, i.e., Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 1:14; 1 John 2:12.

3) Been indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).

The Spirit of God will indwell the kingdom Jew to write the theocratic law upon his heart, and cause him to walk in all God's statutes and do them.

The Spirit of Christ indwells the Christian to bring the human-divine life of the Lord Jesus into his spirit as his Christian life. He functions by nature, by life, and is not governed by law. The Spirit would never write the law upon the heart of one who had died to the law. "For I through the law, have died to the law, that I might live unto God" (Gal. 2:19). "For the law (principle) of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation" (Gal. 6:15).

4) Received the new nature (a new favorable disposition toward God consisting of the law of God written in the heart) [Rom. 7:22; 2 Cor. 3:3; 2 Pet. 1:41.

Dr. Showers avers that the New Covenant Israelite will receive "the new nature," i.e., "a new favorable disposition toward God consisting of the law of God written in the heart." By "the new nature," he means the same as that of the Christian. It is true that the kingdom Jew will have "the law of God written on his heart," but all this has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity, or the heavenly Church.

The Christian has the Lord Jesus in his "heart" (spirit)--He is his very life. He is one with the Father, in the human-divine life and nature of His Beloved Son. He is "accepted in the Beloved"; "and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:6; 2:6). Favorably disposed toward God, and that by indwelling law? Of all things! It is imperative for the believer to get off Israel's private ground, and abide above!

For scriptural proof of this teaching, Dr. Showers calls forth three Scripture references, each of which has nothing to do with the law written upon the heart. Here they are:

"For I delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Rom. 7:22).

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ (emphasis ours) [not the law] ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God" (2 Cor. 3:3).

"By which are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4).

To Dr. Showers the divine nature is the law written in the heart. On the contrary, the believer is partaker of the human-divine life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Memory Lapse, Perhaps?

It was noted earlier that some of the New Covenant promises were purely spiritual in nature, but others were material and national in nature. In addition, it was noted that the Church today partakes of the spiritual blessings which God promised in part of the New Covenant. The Apostle Paul declared that Church believers have been "blessed with all spiritual blessings" (Eph. 1:3) (p. 108).

It is sad, if not frightening, to observe the lengths to which one will go in an effort to prove a false point. Here the author cuts the heart out of Ephesians 1:3, one of the highest of Church truths, for the sake of Israel's earthly New Covenant. (A dispensational leader that needeth to be ashamed.)

Dr. Showers has it that "Church believers have been blessed with all spiritual blessings" (Eph. 1:3), so as to make them include Israel's New Covenant blessings. But Ephesians 1:3 states that the Church believer's blessings are infinitely otherwise: "All spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ''! "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy" (Rev. 22:19), might almost apply here....

Unreasonable Reasoning -- Note the lack of dispensational doctrine in the following reasoning:

The Church, which began shortly after Christ's death (Acts 1:1-4; 11: 15) [right!], has partaken of the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant [wrong!]. According to the Apostle Paul's teaching in Romans 11, during the time of the Church, a remnant of literal Israel is being saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ.

These Israelites who make up the remnant become members of the Church through salvation. They thereby partake of the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant, as do the members of the Church (p. 110).

In Romans 11, therefore, Paul explained how the Church now partakes of the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant (p. 111).

The first is a confirmed, favorable disposition toward God. This disposition consists of the law of God in the heart and has been called "the new nature" by many [Covenant] theologians. It is placed in the heart [not "it," but a blessed, living Person!] (the inner control center of the Christian) through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (p. 200).

To think that dispensational leaders would be making Covenant-oriented, anti-dispensational statements such as these! Dr. Showers then favorably quotes the Lutheran theologian, Dr. Norman C. Habel:

The new covenant, however, will not have an external set of laws, no decalog inscribed in stone, but an innate sensitivity to the will of God. The law will be part of man's nature" (p. 201).

Finally, the author makes one more attempt to cross the heavenly Body with the earthly nation:

The promise of Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:25-27 were specifically to Israel. They were to be fulfilled as part of God's future New Covenant relationship with the nation of Israel. However, as noted in the earlier treatment of the New Covenant, although the Church is not Israel and does not partake of the material and national promises of the New Covenant, it does partake of the spiritual promises (emphasis ours) (pp. 202,203).

Doctrineless Deductions -- Note now the deadly, doctrineless deductions:

Since the law of God in the heart (the favorable disposition) and the indwelling Holy Spirit were part of the spiritual promises of the New Covenant, one would expect (emphasis ours) the New Testament to indicate that Church saints have both of these factors of the grace administration of God's moral absolutes.

The Father's moral absolutes for the member of the heavenly Body of the Lord Jesus Christ are the fruit of the Spirit, against which there is no law, whether internal, or external.

A Blessed Hope! -- It is simply and reasonably asked, When, if ever, is the Christ-centered Church going to be led by true dispensational leaders who will be for the rightly-divided Word, and not against it?

When are our leaders going to stand up and fearlessly, unashamedly, and distinctly declare for all to hear, "We oppose all law-oriented theology, no matter by whom or which schools, and we are totally for clear-cut classic Dispensationalism, as centered in the ascended person and Cross-work of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ"?

May it be soon, and sincere!

Sept. '92

The Lord Jesus Christ
Is All That We Need
For All That We Are

RENALD SHOWERS

THERE REALLY IS A DIFFERENCE!