|
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:11,12) |
|
The grace that is preached today does not teach us to deny ungodliness, to deny worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present world. It simply does not teach this! |
|
The grace preached today teaches that God saves us by an unconditional amnesty unrelated to our denial of ungodliness, unrelated to our denial of worldly lusts, unrelated to any attempt to live soberly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present world. |
|
The grace preached today is not the grace of God in Jesus Christ, it is a very sophisticated weapon of the enemy to destroy the building of the Kingdom of God. |
|
The sword of judgment is hanging over the United States. If I am hearing the Lord correctly we have one more opportunity of repentance left. If we Christians do not at once turn away from our sinning and begin to keep God's commandments there will be disastrous consequences for our nation. |
|
God stands ready to assist every believer in Christ as he or she, young or old, turns from the worldly lusts, profanity, and violence that fill the media and the entertainment world and begins to seek help from above. God's grace in Christ is wiser and more powerful than anything Satan can present and will help us overcome every deception and temptation. |
|
We must keep God's commandments found in the New Testament—every one of them. God will help us do just that if we will pray, read the Bible, attend the meetings of fervent believers, give, serve, and do all else the Bible commands. |
|
Listen to me! There will be no rapture (as currently conceived) to deliver you from trouble. It isn't going to happen. Go back to the Bible. Put on the whole armor of God. Prepare yourself to stand in the evil day that is upon us, the age of moral horrors. |
|
We have been grievously deceived, but the Lord Jesus will help us to turn from our wicked ways if we will make the attempt. |
|
Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding ever to affect Christian thinking is the defining of Divine grace as magic spectacles God wears so our continued unrighteousness is seen as Christ's uprightness; our moral filthiness appears as Christ's purity, and our stubbornness is transformed into Christ's meekness and obedience. |
|
While a certain element of the above is true when the sinner comes to Christ, to prolong this concept past the time the sinner gets on board, such that we are dealing with an unscriptural, mystical dispensation of grace, is to wreck all God has set out to accomplish under the new covenant. |
|
There was a believer in Corinth who was behaving immorally with his Father's wife. According to current teaching Paul should have said, "There's no problem here. All God is seeing in our brother is the moral purity of Christ. He is saved by grace, not by works of righteousness he has done." |
|
Gentlemen, we have been deceived royally. The enemy is proving to be a personage of considerable skill in the war of righteousness. |
|
Pretty strong statements! But how do they square up with Paul's teaching in the early part of the Book of Romans? |
|
Paul, reacting against the Jews who were attempting to make the blood atonement of Christ a part of the Law of Moses, spoke eloquently of God's willingness to ascribe righteousness to us when we have no righteousness of our own to bring before Him. We Gentiles make much of this assigning of righteousness to us—righteousness given through Christ while we yet are sinners. |
|
(To be continued.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14) |
|
"A peculiar people, zealous of good works." "Good works"! Do good works have anything to do with the Christian salvation? |
|
Are we saved to do good works? Does the New Testament teach this? |
|
Yes it does, unless the Book of Ephesians has been removed from the Scriptures. |
|
"Oh, Brother Thompson, even if I never do good works God loves me and has saved me by grace!" |
|
I don't think the Bible agrees with you. |
|
If we will look closely at Romans, Chapters Three through Five, we will see that Paul was not showing us a way to go to Heaven without trying to do good, as one contemporary "translation" has it, but was seeking to convince the Jews they could receive righteousness by putting their faith in Jesus Christ apart from observance of the Law of Moses. |
|
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:21,22) |
|
"The righteousness of God without the law," not the righteousness of God without righteous behavior! |
|
The Jews, having been instructed in moral behavior from infancy, would understand that receiving Christ did not signify they no longer would have to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. This would be inconceivable to anyone who had any knowledge of the Lord. |
|
The issue was circumcision, the feast days, and even the ten commandments provided it was understood the Ten Commandments would be obeyed to a far more comprehensive extent under the new covenant than was possible under the old. |
|
We Gentiles, not approaching the new covenant from the Jewish perspective, have missed the point! |
|
Releasing the Jew from the obligations of the Law of Moses is a far cry from the idea that once we accept Christ we no longer are required to live righteously. This would contradict much of what Paul wrote in the Epistles. Also it would defeat the purpose of God under the new covenant. |
|
The reason God is so willing to receive us is that Christ Jesus, who kept the Law of Moses perfectly, died on our behalf, purchasing us with His own blood. The blood of God's Lamb has made an atonement for us. We have been accepted in the Beloved. |
|
God's purpose in washing us in the blood of Christ and permitting us to enter the Holy of Holies in prayer is that we might now, having a heart and conscience free from all condemnation, receive the ability to live righteously. God has given us eternal life, the Holy Spirit, the body and blood of Jesus, perfect forgiveness, that we might learn to live righteously! |
|
It appears we evangelicals have misunderstood God almost completely. We have postulated a dispensation of grace (an unscriptural and destructive concept and term) to mean God no longer demands righteous, holy, obedient behavior. We are accepted of God (we say) on the basis of an unconditional amnesty, a legal state unrelated to our behavior. When we sin God sees only the righteousness of Christ. |
|
It appears it is not possible a more cunning device could have been invented by the enemy to destroy the purpose of God under the new covenant. |
|
(To be continued.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (I Timothy 6:11,12) |
|
It absolutely is true that as we set out on our discipleship the Holy Spirit does not deal with all of our sinful nature. Most of our worldliness, lust, and self-will is covered from God's sight, else we would be under condemnation all the time. |
|
But there always is a growing edge of righteousness the Spirit is dealing with concerning each individual. God always judges us at this point. Either we are abiding in Christ in the challenge under consideration, and bearing the fruit of righteousness, or we are not abiding in Christ, are not obeying the Spirit, are not growing in righteousness. When this is true we come under Divine judgment. We are beginning to draw back to destruction. |
|
Think of your own life. Isn't it true that God is dealing with you at the present time concerning some area of worldliness, bodily passion, or self-will? If He is not, may we be so bold as to say you are not a disciple?—you are not growing in Christ? You may have a head knowledge of salvation (so do the demons) but you are not experiencing it. |
|
We are free from condemnation only as long as we are abiding in Christ, faithfully following the Spirit of God, getting the victory through Christ over every sin the Spirit points out to us. |
|
One can see from this what a grievous error the concept of a dispensation of grace actually is. The concept of the dispensation of grace presents a new kind of Divine dealing with man such that he relates to God on a theoretical plane having little reference to the reality of his personality. God views him in Christ apart from what he is. This is terribly, terribly incorrect! |
|
There is no such thing as a dispensation of grace! |
|
There indeed is a new covenant. The new covenant creates in a human being much, much greater righteousness, holiness, and obedience of personality than ever could be true of the Law of Moses. Under the new covenant God writes His laws in the heart and mind. Forgiveness serves to keep the believer without condemnation while the Divine commandments are being written in the heart and mind. To conceive of the grace of forgiveness as an alternative to the program of moral transformation into Christ's image, a legal, mystical state existing only in the mind of God, rather than what it truly is, an actual, substantial re-creation of the personality, is the negating of all God has planned and hoped for in Christ. |
|
The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom is not ascribed righteousness, ascribed peace, or ascribed joy, but actual righteousness, peace, and joy of the born-again human personality. |
|
This is why Paul repeated that those who live according to their fleshly impulses cannot possibly inherit the Kingdom of God. Why not? Because there is no sin in the Kingdom of God. To enter the Kingdom of God is to cease from sin by the power of Christ. To enter eternal life is to cease from sin by the power of Christ. To be saved is to cease from sin by the power of Christ. |
|
(To be continued.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (I Corinthians 15:34) |
|
We are not saved from sin by the power of Christ so we can go to Heaven but that we might have fellowship with the Father. Christ did not present Himself as the way to Heaven but as the way to the Father. Today we need to think more about going to the Father. The Christian salvation is being viewed as a means of man getting what man wants—now, and later in the spirit realm. |
|
But the Bible is a record of how God is going to get what God wants, that is, children who obey Him, fear Him, love Him, obey Him strictly, and enjoy His holy Presence forever. |
|
How does all of this sound to you? |
|
When we begin to talk about the fact that our salvation is validated only by our becoming a new creation of righteousness you ought to hear the stuff thrown at us. |
|
"We have to sin while we are in this world." |
|
This must be in the Book of Hezekiah. It sure isn't in the Bible. In fact the Bible says that sin shall not have dominion over us. Again, we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh. |
|
"Christ did it all so there is nothing we have to do." |
|
If this is true, why are there hundreds of commandments to righteousness in the pages of the New Testament. |
|
There are numerous commandments we are to obey, such as to let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth. If Christ did it all and there is nothing we are to do, why does the Bible command us to let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth but only that which builds up the hearers? Why does it command us to prefer one another? Why does it command us to work quietly with our own hands? Why does it command us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling? Why does it command us to present our body a living sacrifice? |
|
Why are these hundreds of commandments in the Scriptures if we are not supposed to obey them? The Book of First John tells us if we are not keeping God's commandments, and yet profess to know Him, we are a liar and the truth is not in us. |
|
And then we hear: |
|
"We don't have to strive. He will do it in us." |
|
Try flopping around like a jellyfish and see how far you get in the Kingdom! |
|
It indeed is true that as Christ is formed in us we begin to show forth His Nature in our personality. But Christ will never be formed in us until we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. If we don't do what we have been commanded, if we don't awake to righteousness and quit sinning as Paul exhorts, Christ will never be formed in us. |
|
I have seen some of the people who have been advised that Christ has done it all or they do not have to fight the good fight of faith because Christ will do it all in them. From all appearances it isn't working! |
|
"We are Pharisees and legalists if we attempt to keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles." |
|
I have heard this tactic employed by believers who want to go to the movies where there are films including scenes of moral filthiness, violence, and profanity. When we protest we should not do such things the reaction is "you are a legalist." |
|
What is a legalist—someone trying to obey Christ and live a holy life? If this is the case you can call me a legalist all you want. |
|
"But you aren't perfect!" Tell me about it. But I'm keeping short accounts with God and I'm pressing on. Hallelujah! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (I John 2:4) |
|
"You are trying to earn your way to Heaven." |
|
First of all, we Christians need to go back to the Bible and discover that going to Heaven is not the goal of redemption. Heaven is the place of Paradise in the spirit realm, the location of God, Christ, and the saints and holy angels. If we are saved we will go there when we die. |
|
But to go to Heaven is not the goal. The goal is the reward we receive in the day of resurrection. The Kingdom of God is coming to the earth when the Lord appears. Our place in the Kingdom will not be determined by grace or mercy but only by what we have sown during our lifetime on the earth. |
|
If we have suffered with Christ, obeying Him faithfully, we will rule with Him. |
|
If we have been careless we will suffer an incredible loss of inheritance. Listen to me! We will suffer an incredible loss of inheritance in that day and mercy and grace will have nothing to do with it. You ignore this warning at your peril! |
|
Heaven has little to do with our goal. Heaven is a staging area for the army of the Lord that is to return with Jesus and drive sin from the creation. |
|
Where will you be in that day? |
|
It is ironic that the New Age-Hindu religions and philosophies have as a main goal the removal of the idea of sin and guilt. They infer that you can do whatever you like, that you make the decision whether it is good or evil. The concept of "sin" is archaic and must be removed if man is to find fulfillment. |
|
Isn't it amazing that we Christians have come up with the same conclusion although arrived at in a different manner. It no longer matters whether we sin! |
|
Whether determined from New Age beliefs or evangelical Christianity, the result is the same. People are relieved from fighting the good fight of faith, the true Christian fight, the determination to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. |
|
The eternal truth is, God will never receive anyone who is walking in darkness, except initially to forgive him and lift him back on the path so he can fight his way forward in God. |
|
Today's pastors and teachers are presenting a faith that has little connection with reality. They are saying we gain righteousness by believing certain things and making certain statements. They teach that if a person believes what the Bible says is true, righteousness will flow from the Divine Throne whether or not the person is living a godly life. |
|
Added to this is the theory that belief in the lordship of Jesus brings to the worshiper a state of righteousness that produces all necessary moral and character transformation apart from any effort on the part of the believer. Jesus has overcome all enemies, and by placing our faith in Him we also have overcome all enemies. Our part is to rest in the finished work of Christ. No struggle, no effort on our part is required. Jesus has done it all. Anything we are to do the Lord will perform in us and through us. |
|
(It must drive Jesus and the Apostle Paul crazy to hear the things being taught in their name!) |
|
(To be continued.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) |
|
It is a sovereign grace (they are saying), an unconditional salvation untouched by human effort. Many proceed further to claim that once this sovereign grace has been accepted it never can be changed or lost. It is from God alone and man's actions can neither add to nor subtract from it. |
|
This concept does away with the "good fight" of faith. It is a demonic delusion designed by Satan to destroy the moral strength of the Church. |
|
As we follow the Lord in the Christian warfare we learn how to lean on the Lord. We cannot gain victory by our own efforts to overcome sin. We soon will give up in despair if we do. It is "the sword of the Lord and of Gideon." We have to do the fighting but it is always the Lord Jesus who gives the necessary strength and wisdom. |
|
We learn to move with the Lord and rest with the Lord. He is the Overcomer with a capital "O." We are the overcomer with a small "o." We cannot fight the good fight of faith by ourselves and the Lord Jesus will not fight it for us. |
|
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21) |
|
"Him that overcometh . . . even as I also overcame." |
|
The path to victory includes knowing how to rest in Jesus while we are gaining victory over Satan, over the spirit of the world, over our fleshly lusts, and over our own self-will and self-seeking. We gain total victory over these adversaries by the Spirit's guidance and strength, as we pray, read, hope in, and trust in the Scriptures, as we confess our sins, as we resist the devil, as we gather together with fervent saints, as we minister to and are ministered to by the other members of the Body of Christ and by all the other means God has provided. |
|
To employ trusting in Jesus as the only aspect of the victorious Christian life, not following the Spirit's guidance in using the means God has provided for gaining release from the world, for conquering our fleshly lusts, for overcoming our self-centeredness, will lead to confusion, passivity, despair, and finally, spiritual destruction—a complete loss of inheritance. |
|
The current teaching that Jesus did all the overcoming for us is a lie. This lie was designed to destroy the moral character of the Church. Satan knows that God cannot use an unrighteous Church to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth. |
|
Neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament Scriptures advocates a trust in God apart from the daily, active, diligent, intense, single-minded seeking of God's will in every area of personality and behavior. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us to read the Scriptures. He helps us, and then speaks to us when we make the effort on a consistent basis. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us to pray. He helps us and speaks to us when we make the effort on a consistent basis. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us to present our body a living sacrifice. He helps us when we make the effort day by day. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us to give an offering. God blesses us when we give of our means on a consistent basis. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us to resist the devil. We resist the devil, according to the commandment in the Word, and then God strengthens us. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us so we choose Him in times of trial. We make the choice and then God blesses us. God provides a way of escape for us so we may emerge unharmed. |
|
(To be continued.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21) |
|
Christians who walk in the passions of the flesh shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. |
|
I do not know how modern teachers of grace deal with the above passage, whether they apply it to unbelievers or to the Jews or to whomever else. But one thing is clear from the internal evidence of the Book of Galatians—the passage is addressed to born-again, Spirit-filled believers. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us to put to death the deeds of the flesh. We make the effort and then the Holy Spirit does the work. |
|
Ordinarily God does not move us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow the Lord. But God will bless us if we do so. |
|
We say "ordinarily" because there often are times in our discipleship when the Lord prompts us or reminds us to do something. Also there are seasons when God "bears us on eagles' wings," helping us through a difficult period. The times when the Lord "bears us on eagles' wings, lifting us out of ourselves for a season, are extraordinary interventions, not the normal Christian experience. We do not grow during such times. We grow when we are using our spiritual "muscles." |
|
There is a multitude of commandments to righteous, holy living found in the New Testament writings along with many stern warnings concerning the consequences of not turning from our sinful ways. If we respond obediently to the exhortations and warnings God will deliver us from sin and rebellion and we will enter eternal life. |
|
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17,18) |
|
"Obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." The key is obedience. |
|
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (Romans 6:22) |
|
Everlasting life is the result of holiness. We become holy as we obey the teaching of the Apostles. |
|
It is of God that we address Jesus as Lord. It also is of God that we do what Jesus says. It is vain to call Jesus, Lord and then not do what He says. |
|
Jesus will not obey the commandments for us, although He certainly stands ready to assist us as we come to Him for help. We must obey God in all that the Apostles have stated. When we obey the Word, God sets us free from sin. When we do not obey the Word we are not set free from sin. The result of slavery to sin is spiritual death. This is the meaning of the famous Romans 6:23, which is not addressed primarily to the unsaved! |
|
The reason so many evangelical believers have been deceived by the current errors is they no longer are "people of the Book." God's people have turned away from reliance on the written Word and are following the various traditions and errors in the evangelical churches of today. The worst of these errors is that we are saved unconditionally and shall go to Heaven no matter how we behave. |
|
Some pastors have become psychologists in the attempt to relieve the pressures on people. There is a place for psychologists in the world as there is also for medical doctors. But it is the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God that finally breaks the chains of sin. |
|
Perhaps the reader is weighing the two alternatives. Should I rest in Jesus and wait for Him to live the Christian life in me, or should I obey the numerous commandments in the Gospels and the Epistles, praying always to God to help me overcome the love of the world, the love of sin, and the love of my self-will? |
|
Must I overcome or did Jesus do all the overcoming for me? |
|
If you are making this choice now we suggest that you turn away from the soft, people-centered, ear-tickling "gospel" we are hearing in our day. Reread the New Testament and discover for yourself whether it teaches that Jesus will do it all for you and in you, or whether you must meditate continually in the written Word, being careful to do all that it commands. |
|
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8) |
|
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. (Matthew 25:26,27) |
|
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (II Peter 1:10) |
|
"If ye do these things." |
|
Amen! (from The First and Second Resurrections) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
