Except in the Cross of Christ

“See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

“From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.” (Galatians 6:11-18 ESV)

Questions:

• Who today wants to make a good showing in the flesh?

• What is the main false faith being drilled into people today?

• Why are these people pushing this false faith on us?

• Are you willing to suffer for the sake of gospel of Christ?

Although Judaizers still exist today who are trying to convince Christians that they need to be more like Jews and that it will enhance their faith in Jesus Christ if they adhere to some of the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial and dietary laws and restrictions, they are not the primary threat to the Christian faith and practice. They are to some degree, and we should be cautious about being taken in by them, but they are not the biggest threat.

The biggest threat is what has been coined as “the cheap grace gospel,” because it alters, dilutes, and cheapens the gospel message that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught, and in order to appeal to the ungodly and to human flesh and to the desires of the flesh. For it sugarcoats the message of the gospel, and it is a variation from the gospel taught in the Scriptures, and it is a deterrent from the true gospel. And its influence over the minds and hearts of humans is very powerful and persuasive.

Those who have created this “cheap grace gospel” have done so to deceive naïve minds and to direct people’s hearts away from pure devotion to Jesus Christ and from walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, and away from the biblical requirement of dying to sin daily and of living for the Lord and for his righteousness. For the gospel they are spreading makes no requirements that we die with Christ to sin and that we now obey him in practice, but it gives carte blanche to its adherents to continue in sin.

But its handlers give off the impression that what they are teaching is the truth and that what Jesus and the apostle Paul taught, in essence, is the lie, for they convince their adherents that the things that Jesus and the NT apostles taught, if taught in their full context, are lies, and that the message they are teaching is the truth. But according to them all we have to do is make a profession of faith in Christ once and we are good to go to heaven regardless of how we treat God or others or how we live.

And so what is happening in our day and time is that the minority who are holding firm to the gospel that Jesus and his NT apostles taught are now regarded as those to be ignored and to be cast away and to be treated with disdain and with disrespect. For they make us out to be legalists and teachers of “works salvation” or “Lordship salvation,” as others call it. And they convince the masses that they are the ones in the right and that we are the ones in the wrong. And multitudes are streaming to them.

Thus, those of us who are still teaching the old time gospel that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught are castaways, and we are being rejected and ignored and persecuted. And so we are bearing on our bodies the marks of Jesus, for we are carrying our crosses, and we are following Jesus to the death because we believe the truth and not the lies, and we teach the truth which says we must die with Christ to sin and follow Jesus in obedience if we want to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

And the reason that so many people have bought into this cheap grace gospel is because they don’t want to be persecuted for the cross of Christ, but they want for people to like and to accept and to include them. And many of them don’t really want to die to their sins, for they like the idea that they can be forgiven their sins and on their way to heaven but while they continue in deliberate and habitual sin. And they don’t want to submit to Christ as Lord and obey him, because they still want to be lord of their lives.

So, if you stand on the tenets of the Christian faith and practice and what Jesus taught (in full) and what his NT taught (in context), and that is what you teach and share and practice, although not necessarily with absolute perfection, be prepared to be rejected and persecuted and cast aside as though you are a nothing. Be prepared to have evil spoken against you and for people to think you are crazy or in the wrong and for them to hate you because you stand for what is right. The Bible said this would happen.

And we live in those last days before the return of Christ where everything is getting crazier and crazier by the day, and one day God is going to bring his judgments on the people of the earth, and those who are promoting and who are believing in this cheap grace gospel, if they do not repent and turn to the Lord in honest submission to his will, they will die in their sins without the hope of eternal life with God. So make sure the gospel you are adhering to is the one of the Scriptures (in context) and not of the flesh of man.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Teach Them  

An Original Work / May 24, 2012

Based off various scriptures

Open up the blinded eyes of

Those who walk in sin’s darkness.

Turn them to the light of Christ

And to His righteousness.

Turn them from the pow’r of Satan.

Turn them to the peace of Christ,

So they may receive forgiveness

And eternal life. 

Teach them to put off their old selves

And their former way of life,

And to put on their new self,

Reborn to be like Christ;

To not copy worldly customs;

Be transformed in life and mind;

Obey freely His word in them,

Pleasing unto God.

Teach them how to love their neighbors

Truly as they love themselves;

Be a witness; share the gospel;

Satan’s lies dispel;

Comfort all who mourn in sadness;

Share Christ’s love and joy today.

Do this through your life and witness

For your Lord always. 

https://vimeo.com/125485489