2 Corinthians 4:1-2 ESV
“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.”
The Supplanter
It appears that the vast majority of today’s preachers, at
least here in America, do not hold to the same standard as did Paul with regard
to their teaching of the Scriptures. Many, in fact, are being taught to
manipulate, to lie, to twist the truth, to charm, and to deceive the masses.
Many of them have been trained in how to dilute the gospel,
and in how to cherry pick certain Scriptures in order to tickle itching ears
and to appease human flesh, and to make the gospel of our salvation more palatable
and acceptable to the people of the world.
And this is because they are now building earthly kingdoms,
not a heavenly one, and they are being guided by marketing tools, schemes, and
tricks rather than by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. And it is the world
they are trying to please rather than working to please God.
Thus, the gospel, as was taught by Jesus Christ and by his
New Testament apostles, has been altered and obliterated in order to make room
for this false gospel being taught which is supplanting the true gospel. For
the true gospel is under siege, and its replacement is what is being
disseminated.
For, not only are they teaching a false gospel in place of
the true gospel, while they are giving the impression that what they are
teaching is the truth, but they are also attacking the truth of the gospel by
calling it “works-based” or “Lordship” salvation. And they are attacking its
messengers, too.
But it isn’t just that this false gospel is being scattered
throughout the world within the gatherings of the church (or in what is falsely
called “church”), but that this false gospel is what is being disseminated via
social media, Christian websites, blogs, TV preachers, radio, and the internet,
in general.
And the majority of people who are receiving this “gospel”
message appear to be accepting this half-truth (lie) gospel message which has
supplanted the true gospel, and which is on all-out attack against the true
gospel. And this is evident on social media, on Christian discussion sites,
blogs, on TV, the radio, the internet, in books, and in our “churches.”
The False Gospel
This false gospel which has largely supplanted the true
gospel, and which is being largely scattered throughout the earth, has degrees
of severity, but the bottom line is still the same. For they are teaching that
a mere profession of faith in Jesus assures them heaven as their eternal
destiny.
So, basically, one can pray a prayer, repeating words after
someone else, and they can “receive Jesus into their hearts,” and then they are
congratulated that they are now part of God’s family and that heaven is their
eternal home, which can never be taken away from them.
So, at its least severe stage it still teaches a faith which
largely they do not define or describe, which ensures them forgiveness of sins
and eternal life with God, but which requires no repentance (turning from sin
to God) or obedience to Christ or submission to him as Lord.
Many now are taking it a step further and they are actually
teaching that submission to Christ as Lord, obedience to his commands (New Covenant),
and the forsaking of their sins is actually sinning against God, for they say
that means they are trying to earn their salvation by “good works.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 ESV
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
The True Gospel
The true gospel is being deliberately hidden from people,
but it is hidden from those who are perishing. The god of this world definitely
has blinded their eyes so that they will not see the truth. Satan has so
convinced them that the lie is the truth and the truth is a lie, that they just
don’t see it.
I see it all the time, daily on social media, where they are
buying into this cheapened form of the gospel by the masses. And if you are still
holding on to the true message of the cross of Christ, well, you are an old
fogie, or you are confused, or you are legalistic, etc.
But the truth is that Jesus died on that cross that we might
die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died that we
might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. And
He shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so that we would
honor God with our lives (1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15, 21; 1 Pet 2:24).
Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to put
our sins to death so that we would die with him to our slavery to sin so that
we would now be delivered from that slavery so that we would now be slaves of
God and of his righteousness (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).
So, we aren’t supposed to live in sin any longer like we did
before we believed in Jesus. For we have been given new lives in Christ Jesus
to be lived for God and no longer for ourselves, if indeed our faith is genuine.
But if we keep on living in sin, and if we are not obeying
our Lord, then the Scriptures teach that we will not inherit eternal life with
God.
[Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 6:7-8;
Rom 2:6-8]
So, just know that the gospel does not teach that a mere
profession of faith in Jesus Christ assures us forgiveness of sins and eternal life
with God. It teaches that we must walk (conduct our lives) in practice according
to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
And it teaches that if we continue living in sin, making sin
our practice, and if we don’t live in obedience to our Lord, that we don’t know
God, we don’t have salvation from sin, and we don’t have eternal life with God.
So, please take this to heart (1 Jn 1:5-9; Gal 5:16-21; 1 Jn 2:3-6).
Jesus Christ is looking for those who will surrender their
lives to him on his altar, who will leave their sinful lifestyles behind them,
and who will go with Jesus wherever he leads them, and who will do whatever it
is he commands them to do, within his perfect will, and according to his divine
character.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 6:44; Jn 14:23-24; Jn 15:1-11;
Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit
2:11-14]
By Jonathan
Foreman
I give you my destiny
I'm giving you all of me
I want your symphony
Singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs
I'm giving it my all
So, I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours I pray
To be only yours I pray
To be only yours
I know now you're my only hope
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