Unmaskings

Unmaskings

Dedicated to guileless lovers of God in Christ

Even before the sad "Scandalizers" story affecting our beloved PCA denomination broke, I had hoped to write something about "unmasking" with regard to all of us fallen humans, but especially with regard to all those who claim the Name of Christ.

Right up front, I do believe that it is one of the tasks of all truly-called (by Christ) church ministers of the gospel, to faithfully, diligently, and as comprehensively as possible "unmask" every deceit and disguise, put in place to avoid having to subscribe to the sole righteousness of Christ via regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

But the first and most important person that an "unmasker" must work on, is himself.  And this project can never end, in this life.  As a matter of fact, an "unmasker" can never proceed further with regard to any other person, doctrine, or dynamic, until or unless he has first addressed his own heart as thoroughly and honestly as he possibly can.  I believe that many "unmaskers" do their "unmasking," to protect and sustain their own "masks."  But, by saying that, I am making no actual accusations about any specific individual human beings whatsoever.  A statement like that is made simply because of our knowledge of fallen human nature as the Scripture defines it; and as a result of our own experience with it (our fallen human nature).

The truth is, that ever since the Fall of Adam in the Garden, all of us who are of his progeny, (and this includes everybody except Jesus), immediately, upon conception, throw a "mask" over our faces, so that we can appear to be something other than what we actually are.  We do this because we are afraid--and understandably so.  We are petrified of the Holy God most of all; but we are also terrified of ourselves and of other sinners.

This little treatise today will be fairly gentle with the people in the world who make no pretense of any Christian faith; but it may be a bit "hard-hitting" with regard to professing Christians, who yet resist the gospel of pure and free grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is my studied belief, that every false gospel, every heterodox doctrine and belief, is a thinly-veiled veneer, designed to seek to make a way for a condemned sinner to stand before a wrathful God on his or her own merits or works--even if this is just a "sliver" of "merits" or "works."

The gospel is so offensive to the pride of sinful humans that any and all methods will be concocted to try to avert it--and all of them involve, in some way, human effort or commendation.

All the Bible writers (OT and New) were "unmaskers" of false gospels--but perhaps the Apostle Paul was the epitome of this.  Here are his words to the church, as they are found in 2 Cor. 10:4-6: "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." (ESV)

The only thing that ever rips the mask off of any of us sinners is the terror we experience when we realize that we have broken the law of God, and that we are now forced to stand before the Holy God to receive His rightful judgment of us.  This work is the conviction wrought by the Holy Spirit in the process of a sinner coming to Christ in regeneration--the relief of this horrible curse and condemnation being provided through faith in the gospel of Christ.  (This is all as per Jn. 16:8.)

But it is actually possible, to be "partly" convicted of sin; but not "wholly" convicted of sin.  Only those who come to recognize their sin, loathe it, despise what it did to Christ and God's honor, ever come to an adequate understanding of sin--and they alone are proper candidates to hear, receive, and be wondrously-blessed by Christ and His gospel of grace and mercy.

All of this makes the true gospel of so much infinitely more value than any and all false gospels put together.  For many people, it will be too late.  The Judgment Day will strip off all pretenses; and all false hopes will vanish into oblivion.  But such is the power of sin, that we sinners will hold out as long as we can--hoping that we can appease God in some way other than the blood righteousness of Christ being applied to our desperate and hopelessly-lost souls.

May all of those being drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit come all the way to Him.  If they do, they will enjoy a heaven of freedom from sin, even while they are here on this sin-infected sod.

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #17

4 June 2025