Why do most denominations ignore certain parts of the Bible.
Why in the world is "Once Saved Always Saved" continuing to be taught, or not spoken of through omission. Seriously, there is so much scripture that runs counter to the idea that a person can never lose their salvation, that it is an injustice for denominations to keep teaching it.
Just the opposite is true.
Why are churches not seriously considering the issue of the Sabbath? There is no scripture that indicates that the Sabbath changed from Saturday to Sunday
Yes, there is.
Jesus said to keep the Sabbath. He mentioned that his followers obey his commandments, and that if you break one commandment, you break them all. That is, if one is not keeping the Sabbath, then they are breaking all the commandments. Jesus indicated that only those who keep His commandments will go to Heaven. If such is the case, then why is the overwhelming majority of denominations not acting as though this is serious?
Jesus spoke directly to the Hebrew folk, as their Promised Messiah. No where is it stated that an authentic Christian is anything other than Heaven-bound.
Why does it seem like today's modern church doesn't emphasize very much the damning nature of a lifestyle of sin and the need for obedience to Christ? They seem to be saying, "well, it's not for me to judge", given their lack of speaking on the subject.
There is lots of minsinterpretation and misapplication "out there." Much of it centers around just what the "church" is, over against the "Body of Christ."
I was asked this question: "If the modern church fails to follow the Lord’s ways in purity, will we not suffer the same fate as OT Israel?" My response follows.
church (non-capitalized) = assembly (not a building, btw)
Church (capital C) = Body of Christ
How often do we fail to note, to comprehend, the difference?
God is, indeed, the same yesterday, today, and forever. All of His promises, including the Church Age, the Age of Grace, and the restoration of Israel, are true. The Bible is God-Breathed. The promises will be fulfilled. Man's authority, on the other hand, is nothing more than that of the soulish, sinful nature. It is man seeking to do things his own way, while ignoring, thereby blaspheming God. All "our" authority is God's authority, period. Man has chosen, around the world, to defy the One Authority who is Righteous and Holy. Man's punishment, except as each turns to Jesus, will be horrific. God's children will never suffer loss. They will rejoice now and forever.
Authentic Christians are the Body of Christ. The latter is neither "modern" nor "non-modern." It is 2,000 years old, but formed by the will of God before the beginning of space and time. It is today made up of individuals who profess to have been authentically born again, receiving Jesus as Savior by Grace through Faith (Romans 10:8-13, for example). It is an entity which "follows" the Lord's "ways" in "purity." HE is pure. HE is Holy. The "Body" belongs to Him. Each individual is to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, each yielding to the will of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Each of those so doing is acknowledged as the "Righteousness of God in Christ." (Romans 3:22). Once that happens, the Church (capital C) itself cannot falter. The church (small c), the various assemblies, can and do falter, as did Israel. In many cases their membership does not realize that there are counterfeits among them; the counterfeits don't realize that, as well. The Church (capital C) will never have happen what happened to the Jews in Acts 13:44-47. There will be the Kingdom of God on earth promised to the Hebrew folk centuries ago; it will be activated. Jesus will be there, seated on the Throne of David, ruling with the 12 Apostles over the survivors of the 12 Tribes of Israel, the "remnant" from the Great Tribulation, and those Jews who trusted Him as Messiah, 2,000 years ago. The Church (Body of Christ), on the other hand, will be caught up to meet our Lord in the air, I hope soon --- and so shall we ever be!
Each individual Christian is to rely constantly on God's Word and the leadership of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of life. WE have no authority in the Spiritual realm! It is all of Him, none of us. Realize that even when we falter, HE never leaves us. HE is always present. Those who have been born again are secure in Him forever .... nothing can change that. We were forgiven 2,000 years ago at the Cross. He has even placed a special provision in His Word for those who falter while secure in His Amazing Grace: 1 John 1:9 is there expressly for that purpose. No Christian ever becomes "unsaved." 1 John 1:9 is there for the restoration of fellowship, not to restart salvation!
The "Old Testament" describes provisions and events that are distinctly opposite from the New Covenant in Christ. In the beginning people who were chosen became lost, separated from God: Adam-Eve, and the Nation of Hebrews. In the New Covenant we are lost but become found. In the Hebrew Bible God sent Abraham and Moses and all the writers of those Books between Genesis 12 and the end of Malachi. God chose a certain people to carry out His Will and when they departed from it, when they cried out against it, they were cast down, removed, excommunicated from His Presence. They suffered under commandments, rules and regulations, and countless oral demands imposed by the Jewish hierarchy. Their eternal standing was based upon selection plus obedience! NOT SO with Christians, who, after the prompting of the Holy Spirit, receive Jesus by Grace through Faith minus works, plus nothing.
In the Christian Covenant authored by the Apostle Paul, God is revealed as Jesus, ministering redemption for the Jews, and for all who believed by Grace through Faith. As a result we rejoice in our salvation, seeking to share what God has done for us with loved ones, friends, within the Body of Christ, employers ......... and total strangers who may be outside or inside His Body.
In short, one must not, cannot extract scripture from the "Old Testament" or Hebrew Bible and superimpose it on Christians today, expecting them to compare and contrast it and then bow down in obedience to it. When studying God's Word one must observe context, context, context, including who, where, when, what, and then "how" does this apply to me? We Christians are not the "audience" for the demands imposed or shortcomings revealed for Jews from Genesis 12 through Malachi, or the error of their ways declared to the Jews in Matthew, by Jesus Himself. Jesus pointed out that those errors could be erased. Grace through Faith found a home in Him: He would pay the price for the departure of the Hebrew folk from their status, and the "found" throughout humankind.
With respect to the Brethren, some posters are mixing apples and oranges, trying to come up with a genuine recipe for pumpkin pie. Set the apples and oranges aside; it's like combing the pages of an encyclopedia or dictionary for Spiritual answers. Spend your time Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15-16, KJV). Separate demands for the Nation of Hebrews and their multiple errors, from Grace through Faith for the whole of humankind. "Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord."
Read Genesis 1:1-3, John 1:1-5, 1 John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-3, then set aside time to follow Paul all the way through each of his letters, Romans through Philemon. Start with his calling in Acts 9ff. Paul ministers to, cries out to, Jew and non-Jew. Ask yourself along the way: To whom is Paul speaking, specifically? Where? When? What about? Those factors change! How does he identify those who need to understand Grace through Faith? Remember: If the plain sense makes sense seek no other sense. Go with it, yielding to the Holy Spirit for the precise interpretation and application.
Put a bag clip around Romans through Philemon. Notice its thinness, compared to the rest of the entire Bible. In that "thinness" we find the Whole Armor of God.
