Frequently Asked Questions

by Chip Brogden

This page is updated and organized around the questions you submit to us. Please look over this page and see if someone else has already asked your question. If not, feel free to submit your question to us with the feedback form. We cannot always personally answer every question we receive, but we will post our public responses here. Right now these are in no particular order; as the page grows we will organize it by subject.

 Submit YOUR question!

 

Concerning Universalism

Q: It is reported that you promote Universalism in your book, "The Irresistible Kingdom." Is this true?

Chip: No, I do not teach Universalism. These accusations are largely made by people who have not even read my book. Since my writings are based on Scripture, I am more than willing to respond to intelligent, thoughtful, and Scriptural concerns related to the specific issues I have raised in the book. So far I haven't received any.

 

Links?

Q: I found some of your articles on a questionable website. Do you approve of this?

Chip: I have published my writings on the Internet since 1996. My material is freely available to anyone in the world who wants to take it and post it on their site, so long as they abide by the copyright restrictions. That does not mean I endorse or even know about all the thousands of places where my material may be posted. If a Universalist group or a Satanist group or a Buddhist group or a New Age group or a Baptist group or anyone else wants to post my content to their website that's fine with me because it gives me an opportunity to point them to Christ. That does not constitute an endorsement of the group. We don't endorse other groups, and that's why we have no links on our website.

 

Doctrinal Statement?

Q: Do you have a doctrinal statement?

A: No. I believe doctrinal statements are for lazy religious people who want a litmus test so they can quickly categorize someone as "good" or "bad" without making an honest effort to "prove all things" (1 Th. 5:21) by the Holy Spirit and take the noble approach of the Bereans, who searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things Paul taught were true (Acts 17:11). Anyone can hide behind a nicely-worded doctrinal statement. If you're truly interested in knowing what I believe then please read the materials and listen to the teachings. If they don't point you to Christ, if they don't line up with the Word of God, and if the Holy Spirit doesn't bear witness to you that I'm speaking the truth then feel free to disregard them.

 

Which translation are you using?

Q: I was reading your message "The Gift of Christ" and the first scripture that you used - Colossians 2:9-10a - is my question. Out of which translation is that verse quoted? I don't seem to find it in one of the translations that I know of.

Chip: Sometimes I paraphrase a verse of Scripture and express it in my own words if I cannot find a translation or a parphrase that I like as well as my own. If you don't recognize a verse I'm quoting that's probably why. Obviously I'm not someone who believes Jesus spoke King James English. I have been working on a paraphrase of the Gospel of John for a few years, but I'm not sure if people are interested in it or not.

 

Savior or Lord?

Q: If one has professed Christ, but is in active rebellion against Him, refutes His ways, does not see the value in relationship with Him, and even after coming to awareness of gross immaturity/ misconduct denies there is any need to mature/ change behavior, how might these principles [of the decreasing of Self] apply?

Chip: If I have professed that I love my wife, but I am actively abusing my wife, seeing other women, and don't see the value of a having a marriage relationship with her, even after someone confronts my immature and immoral behavior, would my profession of love mean anything?

A profession is worthless without the fruit to show for it. Although we cannot know the heart of a person, we can know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:16). Based on what you have told me this person probably falls in the category of those Jesus was thinking of when He warned that "not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of God, but the one who does the will of My Father" (Matthew 7:21). I think we need to make a distinction between a true profession of Christ versus pledging allegiance to the All-American Jesus, which is what 93% of Americans who claim to be Christians have really done.

Sinners and saints alike are subject to the decreasing of Self. It must be so, therefore it will be so. This person is heading for a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering.

 

Destruction or brokenness?

Q: A recent Infinite Supply, talked about submission vs. the rock coming down on one's head. Galatians 6 talks about God not being mocked and the principles of sowing and reaping. An individual like this is mocking God and sowing to destruction. What kind of destruction? Can self be decreased through destruction? Is destruction different from brokenness? How do these principles interact?

Chip: Excellent question! The simplest way to put it is this: brokenness is the result of submitting to God, while destruction is the result of resisting God. Either path results in the decreasing of Self - eventually. Obviously it is better to submit to God rather than resist God. He considers a broken, contrite spirit to be a the highest offering we can give Him (see Psalm 51:16,17). It is an act of worship to live in such a way as to be decreased so that Christ may be increased (John 3:30).

We are given a choice. Jesus said if we fall upon the Rock we will be broken; but if we refuse, the Rock will fall upon us and crush us to powder (see Matthew 21:42-44). I've experienced both, and I can tell you it is far better to go ahead, submit to God, and allow Him to break us. A stubborn refusal to submit to the decreasing of Self will unnecessarily delay God's dealings with us and will eventually result in destruction. The most extreme example of this is alluded to in I Corinthians 5:5, where a person was to be "delivered over to satan for the destruction of the flesh." Notice, however, that even when destruction is called for, the purpose is redemptive: "that the spirit may be saved." Even so, I would rather turn myself over to Jesus voluntarily than be turned over to the devil!

 

Trusting teachers?

Q: I wish to be frank about one hesitation I have since reading your material. I would be very cautious about accepting "discipling" from any person other than Jesus...how [do] you see your role as one who "disciples" others?

Chip: That's a great question, and you're right to be cautious. It's important to note that discipleship is not merely "my" role, but is the role of every believer: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:19a). From the very beginning He chose human beings to go out and disciple other human beings. I don’t think that's very safe, but that is how He has arranged it. So we are not doing anything special, we are simply doing what God has told all of us to do. For us, this takes on the role of writing, teaching, and being an example to others with our life. I think the more you read the more you will find that we are pretty adamant about the preeminence of Christ and the repudiation of everything man-centered. This is one reason why we could no longer support Organized Religion. The deeper into Religion you go, the more dependent on the pastor, the teacher, the prophet, or the apostle you become. The man-centered, platform-based "system" does not produce spiritually mature people. How could it? True discipleship takes people away from man and teaches them dependence on Jesus for everything.

Discipleship is teaching people how to get connected to Jesus and stay connected to Him! One of my favorite passages of Scripture is: "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him" (I John 2:27). Time and again I have used this as an excuse to run away from my calling. See, God? They don't need me to teach them! But He would keep taking me back to this: "He gave some... pastors and teachers..." (Ephesians 4:11). So which is it? Does God teach us Himself, or does man teach us? It is both. I believe the goal is to abide in Him, and when we do, the Anointing (Christ) will teach us everything and we will not need any man to teach us. But how many of us abide in Christ perfectly all the time? He does use other people to teach us, to encourage us, to remind us, to challenge us, to help us, to push us, to edify us, to keep bringing us back around to Christ as All in All. But that doesn't mean those who teach are worthy of preeminence or authority over us - and if they are really sent from God they will not accept that position anyway, even if we are so misguided as to offer it to them. Even Jesus, the King of Kings, refused to let the people take Him by force and make Him a king!

I mostly confirm what God is already doing in someone's life. He has given me the ability to express things people intuitively know to be true but cannot put into words. I can help them make sense of what the Lord is trying to accomplish in their lives. I can take something complex and find the simplicity in it so it is more easily understood. These are all gifts from God. I'm not the husband, I'm just the midwife. I can't give anyone revelation. I can't make them do anything they don't want to do. All I can do is encourage them and point them in the right direction. Apparently that basic function is needed in the Body of Christ "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..." (Ephesians 4:13). Presumably, when we are all mature, we will not need the ministry gifts anymore. Everyone will be abiding in Christ and we will finally see He is really all we need. That will be a wonderful day! Clearly we are not there yet, and that's one reason why we keep doing what we are doing.

 

Old Covenant or New Covenant?

Q: Why do you think some people in the body who appear to be "mature believers" still not grasp or understand grace and want to live under the old covenant even though they are miserable and defeated?

Chip: Religion is a very powerful influence on people. In fact, it is the most powerful carnal influence I can think of, more powerful than sex or drugs or witchcraft or politics. What can be more powerful than believing that God endorses what you are doing? Antichrist is not a secular spirit but a religious spirit. Religion has, for thousands of years, caused people to steal, kill, and destroy one another. Religion exists to lead us away from the simplicity of Christ. Religion exists to give people who do not understand Grace something to believe in.

Freedom from Religion is the gift of God, and Grace is the cure for Religion. Grace is a completely different state of mind and heart, and in my opinion, Grace is itself a work of Grace, meaning one does not achieve this Grace through trying to understand it. It is beyond comprehension. It must be experienced and received as a gift, and that immediately sets it apart from Religion, which is totally based on achievement through works. I believe God gives this Grace to those who are genuinely hungry and thirsty for Truth. Most of us start out religious, but if we are sincere and really open to God doing a work in us, He will lead us towards a New Covenant, away from Religion and towards Relationship. He will wean us away from Religion the way a mother weans a baby away from her breast.

Jesus said that no one who drinks the old wine immediately desires the new wine because they believe the old is better (Luke 5:42). This statement is very revealing about human nature and demonstrates the difficulty people have with making the transition over from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. As a practical step you might gently suggest they listen to our audio series on Galatians or Hebrews. But bear in mind that there will always be those who choose the comfortable bondage of Religion compared to the uncomfortable freedom of Grace. If we have really discovered Grace then we will always have an opportunity to extend it to those who have not yet found it. Maybe that will help them grasp it a little better.

 

Old Testament diet?

Q: Pork? Are we suppose to eat it today? From what I read it is unpleasant to God and not good for our flesh bodies. How do you see it. Thank you!

Chip: I'm pretty certain that adultery is more unpleasant to God than bacon, ham, and pork chops, but do we follow the Old Testament and stone everyone who has committed adultery? Pork isn't really the issue. The issue is: are New Covenant believers obligated to the provisions of the Old Covenant? To answer this question you have to read the entire Bible, not just selected commandments from the Old Testament. I can think of reasons why pork may not be a healthy choice for some people, but there is no Biblical or spiritual basis for eating or not eating pork - unless you are a Jew still obligated to the Old Covenant.

I am a Gentile, saved under the New Covenant, obligated to Christ. And so for me, and for all those in Christ, "the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17). The Author of this New Covenant, Jesus, explained it to me like this: "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man" (Mark 7:15). So I believe God is more concerned with who we are than with what we eat. When people turn material things like food and drink into religious issues it reveals a deeper problem.

 

Generational curses?

Q: My question is this if we are free from the law through Christ who became a curse for us. How do pray against the generational curses to the third and fourth generation? I need guidance on this for a family reason, I have prayed and nailed to the cross all of my forefathers sins that we never seem to be delivered from.

Chip: Why do you think you are cursed? Who told you that you are cursed? What Scriptural basis do you have for believing you are cursed? Even if you were cursed, the Bible says you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). You cannot believe two opposite things at the same time. If you believe Christ became a curse for you then there is no generational curse. If you believe there is a generational curse then you are saying Jesus did not really become a curse for you. You can believe either one you want, but you cannot believe both. If you pray against something you make it real. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There is no New Covenant basis for generational curses, and even the Old Covenant passages alluding to generational curses are taken out of context by people who want quick and easy solutions to problems. It's tempting to believe that a problem can be solved quickly and easily and that's why these deliverance ministries are very popular - especially if we can blame the devil, or our parents, for our problems. The truth is that bad parents raise kids who grow up to be bad parents who raise kids who grow up to be bad parents. We swear we won't be like our parents when we have kids of our own but, lo and behold, we end up doing the same things they did. That's not a spiritual issue, that's learned behavior. That's not demonic, it's fallen human nature.

When you come to the Lord that is the end of that vicious cycle. "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed" (John 8:36). Someone in your position can stand on the finished work of Christ and break that "generational curse" through Christ-centered, Spirit-led living. All it takes is one person to wake up one day and say, "You know, I can find my identity in Christ. I am a new creature in Him, and just because my parents and grandparents and great-grandparents did certain things doesn't mean I am obligated to do them, too."

 

Do you teach Gnosticism?

Q: the increase and decrease message ls similar to the gnostic teachings of dissolving self and realizing the being in us through sexual magic.they claim via this that christ is born in our heart by process of sexual energy transmutaion.and this realeases the superhuman powers already wired in man.pls reply to this.

Chip: Following your line of reasoning, if a false teaching mentions Christ then every teaching that mentions Christ is false. But I don't see the similarities at all. Feel free to search our website and let me know if you find any references to sexual magic or releasing superhuman powers. I don't teach this, I don't agree with it, and I don't see how it relates to anything I have ever written or taught on the subject. Either you don't understand Gnosticism or you don't understand what I am teaching - probably both.

 

Who does your web design?

Q: I've been following your website over the past few years and all the changes you've made (most of all the content) but also it's design. Do you do your own web design?

Chip: I do my own web design. If I had to pay a web designer to change it as often as I change it I would go broke. I'm satisfied with the latest design and I think we'll keep it for awhile.

 

Speaking engagements?

Q: I was curious if you have a calendar of events. Do you have any speaking engagements or retreats that you attend?

Chip: We don't have many events, but when we do, we announce them to those subscribed to our email list. Subscribing to the email list is the best way to stay abreast of what we are doing.

 

Submit YOUR question!