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Taken from my blog site:
Way Truth & Life
There is a tare that has been sown in among God’s people that has devastated a vast population; Matt 13:24-30. It has come in the form of a gospel that has been packaged and marketed to suit the ‘buyers’ so that they would be sold purely for its benefits; 2 Tim 4:3. It is a serious and grave error where you have a stumbling sick church as a result; Rev 3:14-21. A people who are seeking after God’s benefits with the expectation that He would come and fit into their world – as they continue to live changeless lives. A large catalyst for this movement and its foundation is a false grace centered message that affirms sin stating that we need not worry of any sin we may commit for Christ has dealt with all our sin, past, present and future and it is no longer held against us. Further to this He no longer sees sin in us, but only Jesus and His perfection. This is a half-truth with a twist, which is so like the enemy who has sown it! For in truth not only has Christ forgiven our sin but He has called us to be a Holy People (no longer to practice sin); 1 Peter 1: 15-16, to which He has provided to us a power, called grace; 2 Cor 9:8, 2 Cor 12:9, Eph 3:6-8, so that all who are born again will no longer walk in sin but live to overcome it; 1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:9. Grace is not the wave of God’s Hand dismissing our sinful acts and behavior, it is His very power to walk in so we may be an overcoming people; Romans 12:21, Rev 2:26. He in fact does see our sin, and His displeasure is revealed in the letter to the churches in Rev 2 & 3.
It is true, that God gives us an infinite number of benefits if we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior and follow Him; Eph 3:19-21. But to choose Him on the basis of how He can be an advantage to our lives we are setting ourselves up for a fall; Acts 5: 1-9, Acts 8:18-23, Matt 16:22-23. For Jesus Himself has said that in this world we will have many tribulations; John 16:33. He said that the world will hate us and we will be persecuted; Matt 10:22. He said some will be put to death for their faith in Him; Matt 24:9, all of which are most likely not things that are mentioned in the telling of this seeker friendly message.
The Gospel of the Kingdom and the Good news of the Gospel are what Christ came to not only speak and teach, but to fulfill. It would be the message that the early church preached and died for and many to follow; Matt 1: 23-24, Rev 17:6. It was not a seeker friendly feel good message like in the way it has been branded and delivered today. It was often met with confrontation as it was a stumbling block and offense to many who heard it; 1 Cor 1:23. It divided households and friends and it created enemies; Matt 10: 35-37, Luke 12:51. And words like ‘repentance’ and ‘the wrath of God’ were regularly used, unlike in today’s messages, where it is rarely spoken and taught, yet it is to be the very foundation laid for the heart so it can receive the good news of the gospel; 2 Cor 7:9-10. Instead, it has become a message of entitlement and inheritance of what is to be rightfully ours. For it is true we gain much, but equally true, we must understand what the cost was for our gain; the cost it was for God and His Son, and the cost it is to us. For it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4. It is the giving of His only Son, to die a death that no one could, nor understand the horror it entailed to prevail against the power of sin over mankind- to free all from the wrath of God that is to be unleashed against sin in judgement. Christ endured the torment of hell and this is why no one who calls on the name of the Lord will have to. Jesus has accomplished a work that no one can and for this, we deserve it not, but even so God made it that for all who would turn from their wicked ways and believe on His Son for their salvation – they will be saved; and this is the love and goodness of God. It is a message that is to be followed and it involves a cost to all who take it up. Jesus was plain when He told it this way; “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matt 16:23.
Where does this leave us? The need to begin – again, which is what Jesus began in announcing, as well as John the Baptist with these simple words; ‘Repent! For the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Matt 3:1-3 Matt 4:17. Repentance is the key to a heart that would prepare itself so to be in position to receive the revelation of Christ and is a must. Repentance is not a one-time thing but is to be a posture but to be a lifestyle. For until we have shed this body of flesh we will never be free for the need of repentance. For it is our responsibility – to be vigil in the turning away from sin as we put our trust in Christ that He may live His life through our yielded soul through His spirit. Then Christ says in His next words; “come, follow me” Matt 4:19; to describe the life of a believer in Christ. To follow is to do as He did and taught. He cannot live in us as a witness, if we continue to live in sin. For darkness and light cannot fellowship together; 1 John 1:6, 2 Cor 6:14. If we do not possess a heart that is transparent before Him and easily repents, then we need to ask God to reveal to us His love; Ephesians 3:19. We need to ask Him to give us the understanding of sin and its relation to Him and his hatred of it, and to open up to us understanding of scripture that will teach us in this. In asking God for this, we will walk in His light. To walk in the light means to have His light shine and reveal our hearts before Him and this is a most sober but blessed place anyone can be for we will remain of humble heart in light of our frailty and will rely upon Him (and trust not ourselves) for all things.
I believe that if any of the disciples of Christ were to live today they would be shocked not at this apostasy itself, for Jesus warned them of such, what would be most shocking to them is how many are deceived and have easily believed and turned away from that which Jesus and they preached and died for.
The new normal now followed by many, is Christian Humanism, a contradiction of terms – so is this body of believing
Paris Reidhead speaks powerfully on this subject in two short Youtube presentations:
Christian Humanism,
Crucified with Christ
Way Truth & Life
There is a tare that has been sown in among God’s people that has devastated a vast population; Matt 13:24-30. It has come in the form of a gospel that has been packaged and marketed to suit the ‘buyers’ so that they would be sold purely for its benefits; 2 Tim 4:3. It is a serious and grave error where you have a stumbling sick church as a result; Rev 3:14-21. A people who are seeking after God’s benefits with the expectation that He would come and fit into their world – as they continue to live changeless lives. A large catalyst for this movement and its foundation is a false grace centered message that affirms sin stating that we need not worry of any sin we may commit for Christ has dealt with all our sin, past, present and future and it is no longer held against us. Further to this He no longer sees sin in us, but only Jesus and His perfection. This is a half-truth with a twist, which is so like the enemy who has sown it! For in truth not only has Christ forgiven our sin but He has called us to be a Holy People (no longer to practice sin); 1 Peter 1: 15-16, to which He has provided to us a power, called grace; 2 Cor 9:8, 2 Cor 12:9, Eph 3:6-8, so that all who are born again will no longer walk in sin but live to overcome it; 1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:9. Grace is not the wave of God’s Hand dismissing our sinful acts and behavior, it is His very power to walk in so we may be an overcoming people; Romans 12:21, Rev 2:26. He in fact does see our sin, and His displeasure is revealed in the letter to the churches in Rev 2 & 3.
It is true, that God gives us an infinite number of benefits if we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior and follow Him; Eph 3:19-21. But to choose Him on the basis of how He can be an advantage to our lives we are setting ourselves up for a fall; Acts 5: 1-9, Acts 8:18-23, Matt 16:22-23. For Jesus Himself has said that in this world we will have many tribulations; John 16:33. He said that the world will hate us and we will be persecuted; Matt 10:22. He said some will be put to death for their faith in Him; Matt 24:9, all of which are most likely not things that are mentioned in the telling of this seeker friendly message.
The Gospel of the Kingdom and the Good news of the Gospel are what Christ came to not only speak and teach, but to fulfill. It would be the message that the early church preached and died for and many to follow; Matt 1: 23-24, Rev 17:6. It was not a seeker friendly feel good message like in the way it has been branded and delivered today. It was often met with confrontation as it was a stumbling block and offense to many who heard it; 1 Cor 1:23. It divided households and friends and it created enemies; Matt 10: 35-37, Luke 12:51. And words like ‘repentance’ and ‘the wrath of God’ were regularly used, unlike in today’s messages, where it is rarely spoken and taught, yet it is to be the very foundation laid for the heart so it can receive the good news of the gospel; 2 Cor 7:9-10. Instead, it has become a message of entitlement and inheritance of what is to be rightfully ours. For it is true we gain much, but equally true, we must understand what the cost was for our gain; the cost it was for God and His Son, and the cost it is to us. For it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4. It is the giving of His only Son, to die a death that no one could, nor understand the horror it entailed to prevail against the power of sin over mankind- to free all from the wrath of God that is to be unleashed against sin in judgement. Christ endured the torment of hell and this is why no one who calls on the name of the Lord will have to. Jesus has accomplished a work that no one can and for this, we deserve it not, but even so God made it that for all who would turn from their wicked ways and believe on His Son for their salvation – they will be saved; and this is the love and goodness of God. It is a message that is to be followed and it involves a cost to all who take it up. Jesus was plain when He told it this way; “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matt 16:23.
Where does this leave us? The need to begin – again, which is what Jesus began in announcing, as well as John the Baptist with these simple words; ‘Repent! For the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Matt 3:1-3 Matt 4:17. Repentance is the key to a heart that would prepare itself so to be in position to receive the revelation of Christ and is a must. Repentance is not a one-time thing but is to be a posture but to be a lifestyle. For until we have shed this body of flesh we will never be free for the need of repentance. For it is our responsibility – to be vigil in the turning away from sin as we put our trust in Christ that He may live His life through our yielded soul through His spirit. Then Christ says in His next words; “come, follow me” Matt 4:19; to describe the life of a believer in Christ. To follow is to do as He did and taught. He cannot live in us as a witness, if we continue to live in sin. For darkness and light cannot fellowship together; 1 John 1:6, 2 Cor 6:14. If we do not possess a heart that is transparent before Him and easily repents, then we need to ask God to reveal to us His love; Ephesians 3:19. We need to ask Him to give us the understanding of sin and its relation to Him and his hatred of it, and to open up to us understanding of scripture that will teach us in this. In asking God for this, we will walk in His light. To walk in the light means to have His light shine and reveal our hearts before Him and this is a most sober but blessed place anyone can be for we will remain of humble heart in light of our frailty and will rely upon Him (and trust not ourselves) for all things.
I believe that if any of the disciples of Christ were to live today they would be shocked not at this apostasy itself, for Jesus warned them of such, what would be most shocking to them is how many are deceived and have easily believed and turned away from that which Jesus and they preached and died for.
The new normal now followed by many, is Christian Humanism, a contradiction of terms – so is this body of believing
Paris Reidhead speaks powerfully on this subject in two short Youtube presentations:
Christian Humanism,
Crucified with Christ