Make Sure You’re Teaching the Truth
This writing will be more focused toward those believers in Jesus Christ who make it their goal and practice to share the message of the gospel of Christ with the people of the world. Some of you may already be aware of this, and some of you may not. But it is critically important that, in our day and age, we make certain that we are hearing the truth of the gospel, that we are believing in and living the truth of the gospel, and that we are sharing the truth and not the lies which are permeating many of today’s churches.
So, it is also critically important that we are getting the message of the gospel straight from the Scriptures, but as taught in their full context. For so many of the lies which are being taught today in the name of Christ, and in the name of the gospel, come straight from the Scriptures taught out of their context and twisted to teach what they do not say if taught in their appropriate context. So we cannot rely on many quick gospel tracts which often use Scriptures out of context to teach their gospel message.
But most of these false gospel messages are half true, but a half-truth is still a lie, especially if it is a deliberate half-truth. Most teach who Jesus was and is, and that he was born as a baby to a virgin mother, and that he was the only begotten Son of God, and that he came to the earth ultimately to die on a cross to save us from our sins and to give us eternal life with God. But so many of them deliberately leave out the “nuts and bolts” of the gospel message, and so many people are believing a lie and not the truth.
So, what is the truth we must believe? Jesus Christ said it so well:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26 ESV)
When Jesus Christ took up his cross it was to put our sins to death with him so that we might become the righteousness of God by faith in him, so that we might die with him to sin (not just once, but daily) and walk (in conduct) in obedience to his commands in holy living. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, by his grace, and follow him in obedience, then we have salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life with God.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
We are not saved from our sins and promised heaven when we die on the basis of a profession of faith in Jesus Christ only. So many people today, though, are teaching that all you have to do is make a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus and now all your sins are forgiven, and heaven is guaranteed you, and it cannot be taken away from you, but regardless of how you live. But Jesus taught that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience or we do not have life in him, and he’ll say, “I never knew you..”
Make Sure You’re Living the Truth
Does this mean that we must be absolutely perfect in every way or we are out? No! (1 John 2:1-2) Where God draws the line has to do with our works, some which he requires of us. If sin is our practice, and not obedience to the Lord, we do not know God, we are not in fellowship with God, and we do not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. But if what we practice is death to sin and living to God in walks of obedience to his commands, then we are promised salvation from sin and eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 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; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
But many people claim that Paul did not teach that. Yes, he did! See how many of these above Scriptures were written by Paul as carried along by the Holy Spirit. Most of them! He wrote this in Romans 6 (select verses):
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?.. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.. Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?.. and its end is eternal life.”
And what was the message of grace that Paul taught?
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14 ESV)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)
So, God’s grace to us is not free license to keep on living in deliberate and habitual sin and not in walks of obedience to his commands, and not in surrender to God’s will and purpose for our lives.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21 ESV)
And when this says, “that those who DO such things,” the verb tense renders the word to “DOING”, and the word also means “to practice.” So if these sins are what we practice, and others like them, no matter what our lips profess, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. And “practice” has to do with repetition, i.e. these are sins which are willfully and deliberately and habitually being committed. So don’t believe the lies that tell you that you can continue in sin and still be saved and be on your way to heaven.
Here is Your God!
An Original Work / July 18, 2012
Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV
You who bring good tidings to Zion,
Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,
And do not be afraid of the people.
Say, “Here is your God!”
See how the Lord God comes now with power.
His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.
He tends His flock just like a shepherd,
His lambs in His arms.
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from beginning?
Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.
None to Him compare.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.
Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?
Because of His great power and strength,
All accounted for.
Why do you say, “My way is hidden
From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord, He is your God.
He will not weary. He gives us power.
Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings just like eagles;
Walk and do faint not.
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