Jude 1:3-4 ESV
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
This is the situation at large in the church in America
today, though not in every congregation. There is still a remnant here in
America who are holding fast to the truth of the gospel who have not
compromised with the world, but they are in the minority. And they are the
persecuted ones for righteousness’ sake because they are standing strong on the
truths of Scripture in a Christian culture which is largely rejecting the hard
truths of the gospel. So, they are largely being opposed by the majority.
The majority seem to have all gone the way of the world and
of turning their gatherings into businesses of men to be marketed to the world
just like any commodity. So, they have compromised with the world in order to
attract the world to their gatherings and in order to keep them coming back.
So, sermons have been replaced with motivational speeches, and with comedy routines,
and the Bible has been largely replaced with marketing books and with books written
by humans not being led along by the Holy Spirit.
The church gatherings for worship and for the teaching of
the word have largely turned into entertainment for the world. The great hymns
of the faith have largely been replaced with feel good songs shallow in any
kind of deep biblical truth so that the songs don’t offend anyone. Same with
the gospel, it has been diluted and altered to make it more attractive to the
world so that it does not offend people, so that it does not make them feel
uncomfortable, and so they don’t feel judged, so that they will come back to
the gatherings.
So, the grace of God is being taught as though it merely
forgives sins and promises heaven when we die. No requirements, though, for
repentance, walks of obedience, or submission to Christ as Lord. They call that
legalism or “works-based salvation.” And so they are basically giving their adherents
free reign to keep on living in their sin while claiming heaven as their
eternal destiny. Many, in fact, see being “in Christ” as more of a status
instead of a lifestyle, so they will claim who they are in Christ to ease guilt
for sinning.
Jeremiah 6:13-14 ESV
“For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.”
This is exactly what is happening today. Those who are
teaching a half-truth diluted and altered and cheapened gospel message do so
for greed, to grow their numbers in their “churches,” i.e. their businesses.
For they are appealing to the sensibilities of the people of the world. They
are not living and teaching the Word in order to please God and to truly save
souls from hell. So, they lightly heal the sin wounds of people, which is no
healing at all, for it leaves them still in slavery to sin, and still headed to
hell.
For, they do not teach dying with Christ to sin and living
to God and to his righteousness. They do not teach forsaking our lives of sin
to follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his will and to his ways. And without
death to sin we cannot be reborn of the Spirit of God. And without obedience to
our Lord and the forsaking of our sins, we do not have salvation from sin and
eternal life with God. We are not in genuine fellowship with God. We don’t know
God and he does not know us, and heaven is not our eternal destiny.
Isaiah 30:9-11 ESV
“For they are a rebellious people,
lying children,
children unwilling to hear
the instruction of the Lord;
who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’
and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things,
prophesy illusions,
leave the way, turn aside from the path,
let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”
This is where many professing Christians are today, and it
is obvious if you ever get on social media and/or any Christian discussion
site, and/or if you join the blogging world, and/or if you are attending any
modern “church” gathering today and if you listen closely to what is being
taught, and to what is not being taught, and to what is being taught against,
and to what is being encouraged and strengthened. And then just listen to what
the congregants are talking about when church is not in session, too.
And it isn’t that most of them don’t know the truth, but
that many are refusing to listen to and to accept the truth. So, if you try to
share with them the truth, many of them will fight back against you, and they
will accuse you of being legalistic or of teaching “works-based salvation,” or
of being self-righteous or hyper-religious. And, if truth be told, in most
cases, it is because they want to believe the lies which coddle them in their
sin, and which make no demands for them to repent or to obey the Lord.
Galatians 4:16-20 ESV
“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”
Now, I know that in the context of what Paul wrote here he
was addressing the issue of the Judaizers who were convincing the Christians
that they had to be circumcised and that they had to follow some of the Old
Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, or purification laws in order to
be saved from their sins and to have eternal life with God. But this can easily
be applied here to this situation, for whether teaching legalism or
libertinism, it is still of the flesh of man, and it is still man-made
religion.
Today the situation has flipped, and now the big and serious
issue is of the wolves in sheep’s clothing (the charlatans, the false teachers)
who are convincing Christians that they don’t have to repent (turn from their
sins), and that they don’t have to obey the Lord, and that they don’t have to
surrender their lives to Jesus and make him their Lord and Master. So, if you
are one who is still teaching what Jesus and his NT apostles taught, in
context, you will become their enemy by telling them the truth.
Therefore, what is taking place is that the vast majority of
those claiming faith in Jesus Christ are following the world more than they are
following Jesus, and they are being convinced to reject the true gospel in
favor of teachings which pervert the grace of God into sensuality and which
deny Jesus as Lord of our lives. So, if you are teaching the truth, you are
going to be rejected and cast aside by pastors, elders, church people, friends,
and even your family members, and sometimes you will have to stand alone.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn
15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1
Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10, 15; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:22-25; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Gal
5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal
6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb
10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Rev. 2-3; Rev
18:1-6; Rev 21:8, 27; Rev 22:14-15]
Courageous!
An
Original Work / December 24, 2013
Based
off Various Scriptures
The Word of God throughout taught.
Some people heard but did doubt.
Still others had faith in Christ.
By grace He purified them.
They turned from sin
And they obeyed Christ.
He opened up their blinded eyesight;
Turned them from darkness
To the true Light;
Forgave their sin by His might.
He strengthened them in their faith.
He said, “Remain my faithful.”
He called them to obedience.
By faith, they were so grateful.
By faith, they were to follow Jesus;
To daily sit and listen to Him;
To have such faith
That mountains could move;
To love those whom He gave them.
Be on your guard; courageous.
Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.
Take up the shield of your faith;
Protect against all evil.
Do not move from
The hope that you have.
Your faith in Jesus let it endure.
Hold to the truth;
Your conscience be clear.
Endure with perseverance.
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