Chapter
Four
The title of this chapter is taken from I St. John 5:13.
In Chapter 5, as in many other parts of his first epistle (letter), St.
John is combating certain claims made by false teachers and encouraging
believers to hold to the truth so they can be true witnesses for Christ. One reason believers can share the gospel confidently
(boldly) [Acts 19:8] with others is because of the assurances they have from
Jesus regarding eternal life. In
verse 13, St. John writes:
“These
things I am writing to you that you may know that you have eternal life -
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.”
Note carefully the words used by the Apostle John.
Believers are not told to hope for eternal life or pray for
it or in any way be uncertain about it. St.
John tells believers they are to know that they have eternal life.
Moreover, Jesus assures:
“Amen,
amen, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes in him (God the Father)
who sent me, has life everlasting, and does not come to judgment, but has passed
from death to life.” [St. John 5:24]
Here again is certainty. Jesus
does not say he who believes is “in the process of passing from death to
life,” but that he who believes “has passed,” past tense, a
completed action, “from death to life.”
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Prior to Eve’s creation, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and told
him not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
He warned Adam, “... for the day you eat of it, you must die.”
[Genesis 2:16-17] However, as we
know, Adam did not go into the ground on the day he ate.
Therefore, we must examine the Scriptures to determine what God meant.
Man 1 is a tripartite being consisting of body, soul, and
spirit created in the image of the Triune God [see I Thessalonians 5:23].
The body needs no further definition.
The soul is the essence of a person.
A person uses his body to carry out the will and purpose of his soul and
to communicate with others. In
doing so, a person reveals that which is in his heart and mind [St. Mark
7:20-23].
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The spirit is what the soul uses to communicate with God, who is pure
Spirit. In turn, God speaks to man
through his or her reborn spirit. If
Adam and Eve’s bodies didn’t go into the grave and their personalities did
not cease to exist, then it must have been their spirits that died on that day
and indeed this is confirmed in many passages of Scripture.
The result was that Adam and Eve’s fellowship with the Lord, with whom
they had walked in the cool of the day, was broken [Genesis 3:8].
And since man reaps what he sows, we, Adam and Eve’s children, are born
with dead spirits. Just as
it is the genes of his parents that determine a man’s physical traits, so it
is with the condition of his spirit at the time of physical birth.
Therefore, what he inherits is not an “original sin” that can be
washed away by water baptism, as erroneously taught by most Churches and
churches. Rather, he inherits a
dead spirit and, because his spirit is born dead, he also inherits a sin nature,
that is, a natural bent away from God and the things of God.
Think about it. Did you have
to teach your baptized children to lie, steal, or rebel?
Of course not. Neither did
they have to learn such things from others.
They, like we, were born with a sin nature and no one had to teach us or
them how to sin. However, we cannot
put the blame for our sins solely on Adam and Eve because we, too, have sinned
[Psalms 14:3 and Romans 3:23]. And
we are told in Ezechiel 18:20, “The soul that sinneth the same shall die.”
Romans 6:23 reinforces the message, “For the wages of sin is death
....” Ephesians 2:1 and
Colossians 2:13 confirm that we die by reason of our sin.
It is abundantly clear from the Roman Catholic Bible that each of us, as
a child of Adam, was born with a dead spirit.
Each of us is a sinner. Therefore,
each of us is destined to die. However, according to the Roman Catholic Bible, the
definition of death - whether it is limited to only the body or also includes
the soul - depends solely on one’s relationship with the Jesus of the New
Testament.
We know our bodies will die. This
is true for the saved, as well as the unsaved.
However, as revealed in Ezechiel 18:20, our “souls” are capable of
dying also. Death of the soul is
referred to in Scripture as the “second death.”
For believers, the second death has no power because the believer’s
soul, through the regeneration of the spirit, does not die [Apocalypse 2:11 and
20:6]. However, for the unsaved,
those who do not have regenerated spirits, the second death is defined in the
context of hell and the pool that burns with fire and brimstone [Apocalypse
20:14 and 21:8]. In St. Matthew
25:41, Jesus revealed that such a place was not created for man but for the
devil and his angels (messengers of the devil, demons) and that the souls of the
lost will be there forever (v 46), separated from God forever, and tormented day
and night forever and ever [Apocalypse 20:10].
So while a man’s body is dying from ageing and he is struggling in this
world with a spirit that is dead to the things of God, condemning himself
through his unbelief, receiving the consequences of sin in his flesh, he is
without fellowship with God. Moreover,
his soul is destined to spend eternity in hell.
If you think this sounds like bad news, you are right.
His first parents, Adam and Eve, tried to cover their sin with fig
leaves. However, God did not judge
the coverings the two made for themselves, their works, to be adequate.
Therefore, the Lord made garments of skin for them.
Notice the wording carefully. God
did not make garments or skins for them. Rather,
He made garments of skin. Thus, it
is clear that the skins came from an animal slain by God. This is the first time the Scripture associates the shedding
of blood with the covering of sin. God
tells us in Leviticus 17:11, “... it is the blood ... that makes atonement (for
sin).” St. Paul reiterates
this truth in Hebrews 9:22, “... without the shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness (of sin).”
In summary, each of us is born with a dead spirit.
Each has sinned. The wages
of sin, that is, what is owed to us in return for sinning, is death.
This death is the second death, the death of the soul.
Those whose spirits are not regenerated (brought back to life or reborn)
cannot communicate with God. Therefore,
when the body of such a one dies, his soul cannot remain on earth among the
living because his soul can no longer communicate to those on earth.
Since his spirit has not been regenerated, so that he can communicate
with God, his soul and spirit cannot go to be with the Father. Therefore, his soul and spirit have only one place left to go
and that is hell, which, as mentioned before, was not created for man.
In hell he will receive a new and indestructible body which will be
tormented day and night forever and ever. For
believers, the bad news ends here.
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There is good news, literally the “good news” of Jesus the Christ,
the promised Messiah, the Anointed One, the promised seed of the woman in
Genesis 3:15. While the first part
of Romans 6:23 tells us the bad news, that the wages of sin is death, the latter
part gives us the good news:
“...
but the gift of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
While the first part of Ephesians tells us that we are dead in offenses
and sins, St. Paul gives believers the good news:
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not from yourselves, for it
is the gift of God; not as the outcome of works, lest anyone may
boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9]
As recorded in St. John 6:47, Jesus tells all mankind:
“Amen,
amen, I say to you, he who believes in me has life everlasting (eternal
life).”
After feeding the five thousand near Tiberias, Jesus told those following
Him:
“Do
not labor for the food that perishes, but for that which endures unto life
everlasting, which the Son of Man will give you.” [St. John 6:27]
Here in these verses, truly, is the good news.
Eternal life, or life everlasting, is a gift from God.
It is not something we can labor for like food which perishes.
God gives believers eternal life as a gift which was purchased
at the cross. Again, God’s
Word reassures us that we can’t labor for it.
It is given to those who look upon Jesus as whom He said He was
and is: a kinsman redeemer
(Christ or Messiah) and Lord (Master) of their lives [see
Leviticus 25:25]. Moreover,
believers are told that through their baptism they are buried with Him and
raised with Him [Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12].
However, baptism plays no role in salvation.
This will be explained in more detail later. In St. Matthew 23:10, Jesus instructed:
“Neither
be called masters; for one only is your Master, the Christ.”
In St. John 17:1-4, Jesus prayed:
“...
Father, the hour has come! Glorify
thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee, even as thou (God) hast given him
(Jesus) power over all flesh, in order that to all that thou (God)
hast given him (Jesus) he (Jesus) may give everlasting
life. Now this is everlasting life, that they may know thee (God),
the only true God, and him whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ.
I have glorified thee on earth; I have accomplished the work that thou
hast given me to do.”
Much is revealed about everlasting life in these few citations.
First, life everlasting is a gift, as stated in Romans 6:23,
above. Ephesians 2:8-9 confirms
that we cannot earn it because then we could rightfully boast.
Second, St. John tells us that life everlasting is a possession of
those who believe Jesus is whom He says He is.
Third, it is Jesus’ right to give God’s gift of everlasting
life to whomever calls upon Him to be Lord of his or her life.
And finally, everlasting life is the privilege of knowing God and
Jesus Christ. The Greek word
used in this text for “know” is “ginosko.”
Its meaning goes past mere awareness to intimate knowledge.
For example, one would know the likes and dislikes of a close friend.
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There are many “Jesuses” other than the Christ of the New Testament. Moreover, Jesus warned that false christs would come [St.
Matthew 24:24]. As learned in
Chapter Two, there is the Jesus of the Latter-Day Saints, a created being and
half-brother of Lucifer. This Jesus
cannot save you and those who think of themselves as Catholic, Orthodox, or
Protestant understand this. There
are the Jesuses of “The Churches.” Neither
can any of them save you. These
Churches have stolen the “power” of Christ for themselves and made Him a
liar. Thus, they preach a false,
impotent Jesus represented either as an infant in his mother’s arms or as a
helpless man nailed to a cross. St.
Paul warned against those who preach such a Jesus, having a form of godliness
but denying His power. These
Churches teach His virgin birth, death, burial, and resurrection.
However these same Churches strip away His power to justify, sanctify,
and preserve the sinner and give him eternal life. What you may not realize, is that such a Jesus is no less
false than the Jesus worshiped by Latter-Day Saints.
Neither can this Jesus save you. This
will be taken up in greater detail later.
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Each of us deserves to spend eternity in hell, separated from God.
This is the wage we have earned. This
is what God’s justice demands. However,
as God’s Word reveals in St. John 3:16-18:
“For
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that those who
believe in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.
For God did not send his Son into the world in order to judge the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
He who believes in him is not judged; but he who does not believe is
already judged, because he does not believe in the name of the only begotten Son
of God (Jesus).” [see also Jeremias 31:31]
In His mercy, God provided a plan of salvation for man because He knew
man could not come to salvation on his own.
St. Paul explains what it means to believe in the Jesus he knew, the
Jesus of the New Testament:
“But
we know that man is not justified (saved) by works of the Law, but by the
faith of (in) Jesus Christ. Hence
we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of (in)
Christ, and not by the works of the Law; because by the works of the Law no man
will be justified.” [Galatians 2:16]
While one man’s disobedience to God in eating of the forbidden tree
resulted in the door to the kingdom being closed, the God-man’s obedience in
hanging on the tree in accordance with His Father’s will resulted in the door
being reopened.
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The pervasive view on obtaining salvation among the Jews of Jesus’ day
was through keeping the Law of Moses (doing works).
However, the Pharisees had replaced God’s Law with their ungodly
traditions. Jesus taught that faith
in Him, not following the traditions of men, opened the door to the kingdom of
God. As recorded in St. John 5:24,
Jesus said:
“Amen,
amen, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has life
everlasting, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to
life.”
Devout Jews prided themselves on following the Law to the most minute
detail. Moreover, wealth was viewed
as God’s assurance of accepted behavior.
The wealthier one was, the more esteemed by God was the prevalent view.
When Jesus told the crowd, “It is easier for a camel to pass through
the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” His
listeners were astonished and angered [St. Mark 10:25].
The religious leaders hardened their hearts and resisted Jesus’
message. They simply did not
believe that Jesus was whom He claimed to be.
Moreover, most people then, as today, feel most comfortable in their
time-honored traditions handed down by their fathers.
If one has believed for the better part of his life that the path to God
is secured by biting the heads off chickens three times a week, receiving
certain sacraments, or lighting votive candles to the Blessed Virgin, it will be
extremely difficult for him to accept any other view.
Moreover, since he has resisted the “Truth,” God will harden his
heart against the truth of the Jesus of the New Testament, against His ability
to save and give eternal life to His sheep, just as Jehovah God hardened
Pharao’s heart when he refused to follow God’s Word and let the Jews go.
Even worse, God’s Word tells us:
“For
they have not received the love of truth that they might be saved.
Therefore God sends them a misleading influence that they may believe
falsehood, that all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have
preferred wickedness (not trusted in the Jesus of the New Testament).”
[II Thessalonians 2:10-12]
Jesus referred to the hard-hearted religious leaders in their disbelief
as “serpents, brood of vipers.” He
asked them rhetorically, “How can you escape the condemnation of hell!”
[see St. Matthew 23] It is
interesting to note that Jesus never referred to non-clerical Jews or the
Gentiles as “serpents” or “vipers,” but as “lost sheep without a
shepherd.” Jesus identified the
disbelieving Pharisees with the very seed of the serpent [see Genesis 3:15]. He told them:
“You
are of your father, the devil and the desires of your father you want to do ...
because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.” [St. John 8:44-45, NKJV]
St. Paul reiterates the impotence of the law to save in Romans
3:20:
“For
by the works of the Law no human being shall be justified (declared not
guilty) before him (God), for through law comes the recognition
of sin.”
In other words, the purpose of the Law is to allow man to
recognize by how far he misses the mark. In
fact, that is the definition of sin: missing
the mark. Man could not even gauge
how truly reprobate his life was until God gave him Ten Commandments.
Have you ever broken even just one so much as once?
If you have, then you have missed the mark.
Therefore, you have sinned and your infraction has earned a wage:
death.
Prior to God’s giving Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, man
lived by conscience. He had no
external gauge by which to measure his depravity.
His conduct grew so horrible that God mourned that He had made man:
“...
the LORD saw that the wickedness of man on the earth was great, and that man’s
every thought and all the inclination of his heart were only evil ....”
[Genesis 6:5]
The Ten Commandments, the Law, was never intended to save.
Rather, it is intended to work like a plumb line.
A plumb line can reveal that a wall is not straight.
However, it cannot straighten it.
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Only God’s grace saves. In
Galatians 2:21, St. Paul concludes:
“I
do not cast away the grace of God. For
if justice (justification) is by the law, then Christ died in vain.”
The word “grace” means unmerited favor, that is, we did nothing to
“earn” God’s favor. In the
Old Testament, the supreme example of grace was the redemption of the Hebrew
people from Egypt and their establishment in the Promised Land.
This did not happen because of any merit on Israel's part, but in spite
of their unrighteousness [Deuteronomy 9:5‑6].
Although the grace of God is always free and undeserved, it must not be
taken for granted. Grace is given
by God and received by man through faith [Amos 5:15]. As St. Paul observes above, if one throws away God’s grace
then - for the one who does this - Christ’s death was in vain!
Jesus died to save him. In
fact, Jesus’ death on the cross paid for every past, present, and future sin
of all mankind. However, Jesus will not force a man or woman to accept
God’s free gift.
In St. Luke 19:10, Jesus revealed, “For the Son of Man came to seek and
to save what was lost.” Note that
Jesus confirms that He does the seeking and the saving!
Not the law. Not The Church. Not any church. Not
any other person. The title, “Son
of Man,” is a messianic title dating back to the time of the major prophets.
Since Jesus’ birth, we understand it to mean God in human flesh
(Emmanuel). St. Peter confirms that
there is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved [Acts 4:12].
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God’s plan for man’s salvation is described in the Scriptures and,
because our minds are finite and we live in a fallen state, we must accept
God’s purpose and plan on faith. There
is no way our minds can reason to it or even understand it.
God tells us in Isaias 53:10-11:
“And
the Lord was pleased to bruise him (Jesus) in infirmity; (for)
if he (Jesus) shall lay down his life for sin (as an atonement for sin),
he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord (God) shall be
prosperous in his (Jesus’) hand. Because
his soul hath labored, he shall see and be filled:
by his knowledge shall this my just servant (Jesus) justify many,
and he shall bear their (sinners’) iniquities.”
Justification refers to God’s declaration that a man is legally
righteous, just, or not guilty. This
means he is no longer condemned and, therefore, there is no penalty to pay.
In Romans 8:1-2, St. Paul reveals that:
“There
is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (believers),
who do not walk according to the flesh. For
the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law
of sin and of death.”
Why? Because, for those who
have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, as evidenced by the fact that
they no longer walk according to the flesh (more will be said on this in Chapter
Six), God has imputed their sins to Jesus and Jesus’ righteousness to them,
that is, God reckons their sins to Jesus’ account and Jesus’ righteousness
to their accounts. Notice the
wording carefully. These are not
“not walking according to the flesh” in order to be in Christ.
That would be works. Rather, because they are in Christ, they do not walk
according to the flesh! Moreover,
since Jesus died on the cross in their place, their accounts are marked “paid
in full.” That is why St. Paul
asks rhetorically in Romans 8:33-34:
“Who
shall make accusation against the elect (those who have accepted Jesus as
Lord and Savior, believers) of God?
It is God who justifies! Who
shall condemn? It is Christ Jesus
who died; yes, and rose again, he who is at the right hand of God, who also
intercedes for us.”
The question St. Paul is positing here is, “After God declares a man
not guilty, who can condemn him? Who
will speak counter to the Word of God?” Satan,
the accuser of the brethren, for one [Apocalypse 12:10]. And, as we shall see in later chapters, many Churches and
denominations do this, too!
Why did Jesus go to the cross?
“For
our sakes he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew nothing of
sin, so that in him (Jesus) we might become the justice (righteous)
of God.” [II Corinthians 5:21]
God’s justice, as recorded in His Law, demands death for the sinner.
Jesus, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us.
It pleased God to make Jesus a sin offering to redeem all who
would believe on His Son. In doing
so, God tells us:
“But
now the justice of God has been made manifest independently of the Law, being
attested by the Law and the Prophets; the justice of God through faith in Jesus
Christ upon all who believe. For
there is no distinction, as all have sinned and have need of the glory of God. They are justified (declared not guilty) freely by his
grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus whom God has set forth as
a propitiation (a blood sacrifice to atone for sin) by his (Jesus’)
blood through faith, to manifest his justice, God in his patience remitting
former sins; to manifest his justice at the present time, so that he himself is
just, and makes just (declares not guilty) him who has faith in Jesus.”
[Romans 3:21-26]
Why did God choose this manner of reconciliation to save all who would
believe on His Son? God’s Word
reveals the answer:
“That
he (God) might show in the ages to come the overflowing riches of his (God’s)
grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” [Ephesians 2:7]
To whom will God show in the ages to come the overflowing riches of His
grace in kindness towards us? It
will certainly be manifested to those in heaven.
This will include Old Testament saints, believers from the church age,
and saints from the Tribulation period, as well as the angels that remained
faithful to God during the time of Lucifer’s (Satan) initial rebellion.
It will also be known to nonbelievers and demons (fallen angels)
in hell, including Satan. It
is interesting to note that God did not create a plan of restoration for Lucifer
and the fallen angels. Their
hardness of heart is past redemption.
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When did God choose this manner of reconciliation - atonement through the
blood of Jesus? John the Baptist
identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as
recorded in St. John 1:29. Apocalypse
13:8 identifies Jesus as, “... the Lamb who has been slain from the foundation
of the world.” Thus, God’s plan
for man’s salvation was determined even before the creation of man,
even before Genesis 1:1. God knew
that man would fall short of the mark, that is, sin.
St. Paul reveals:
“But
all things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has
given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
For God was truly in Christ, reconciling the world to himself by not
reckoning against men their sins and by entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation (salvation).” [II Corinthians 5:18-19]
Reconciliation means the establishment of friendly relations between
parties who were formerly at variance with one another.
In this case, reconciliation between God and sinful man.
St. Paul elaborates in Romans 5:10-11:
“For
if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much
more, having been reconciled shall we be saved by his (Jesus’) life.
And not this only, but we exult (rejoice greatly) also in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
reconciliation.”
What St. Paul is explaining in the two above citations is that God and
Jesus are one and that man is reconciled to God through Jesus. Moreover, St. Paul confirms that if Jesus could reconcile us
to the Father, then He can also save us. In
addition, God gives all who believe in the Jesus of the New Testament a ministry
of reconciliation. That is, all
believers are to be witnesses for Jesus [Acts 1:8].
Believers are to preach the gospel and to be ready to do so both in
season and out of season [II Timothy 4:2].
In other words, the believer is to preach the gospel and always be ready
to do so. The minister is to
explain to the lost that the Jesus of the New Testament can save them.
Many Churches misinterpret what is meant by “the ministry of
reconciliation.” Orthodoxy is
typical. As discussed in The
Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, Orthodoxy views
reconciliation as taking place between the Church and the sinful member. Thus, as with the Catholic and many other Churches, the
ministry of reconciliation is taught to be a sacrament and a repeated ritual
necessary for forgiveness of sins (absolution).
However, according to the above citations, reconciliation occurs between
God and a man and is affected by the Jesus of the New Testament, not through an
ordained priest or Church. Moreover,
according to the Scripture, this reconciliation is an accomplished act (“who
has reconciled us to himself”), not an ongoing process that needs to be
repeated as would be necessary in a sacramental salvation system.
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St. Peter confirms that Jesus “... himself bore our sins in his
body upon the tree.” [I St. Peter
2:24] Through Jesus’ atoning work
on the cross, Jew and Gentile are now united as brothers.
St. Paul explains:
“Wherefore,
bear in mind that once you, the Gentiles in flesh, who are called
‘uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘circumcision’ in flesh made by human
hand - bear in mind that you were at that time without Christ, excluded as
aliens from the community of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the
promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you, who were once afar off (Gentiles),
have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, he it is who has made both one (Jews and
Gentiles), and has broken down the intervening wall of the enclosure, the
enmity, in his flesh. The Law of
the Commandments expressed in decrees he has made void, that of the two he might
create in himself one new man, and make peace and reconcile both in one body (the
church general) to God by the cross, having slain the enmity in himself.
And coming, he announced the good tidings of peace to you who were afar
off, and of peace to those who were near (the Jews); because through him
we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Therefore, you are now no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are
citizens with the saints (believing Jews) and members of God’s
household: you are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief
corner stone.” [Ephesians 2:11-20]
In the mind of a devout Jew, Gentiles were regarded as unclean.
Jewish tradition demanded that Jews separate themselves from Gentiles in
many daily activities. For example, Gentiles were allowed into the Court of the
Gentiles at the Temple but could go no farther.
Jehovah-worshiping Jews and Gentiles were separated by “an intervening
wall.” St. Paul reveals that with
His death on the cross, Jesus “broke down” that wall so that believing Jews
and Gentiles are now in “one body,” the church general. And both believing Jews and Gentiles have direct access to
the Father. Notice how similar the
concept of “both in one body” is to Jesus’ teaching about the Good
Shepherd in Chapter 10 of St. John. In
verse 16 Jesus said, “And other sheep I have (Gentiles) that are not of
this fold ( Jews). Them also
I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold (Jew
and Gentile) and one shepherd (Jesus)."
The word “saints” in the above citation refers to Jewish believers.
Old Testament believers were saved by God’s grace received through
faith, as recorded in the books of the Old Testament [see Genesis 15:6], just as
are New Testament believers today. They
looked forward in time toward the cross, with animal sacrifices being a
foreshadowing of the propitiation of the Lamb of God.
New Testament believers look backward in time to the cross and thus there
are no additional blood sacrifices required:
“He
(Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices daily, as the other priests
did, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people; for this
latter (sins of the people) he did once for all in offering up
himself.” [Hebrews 7:27]
St. Paul expands on how Christ removed identities and barriers for His
followers:
“But
before the faith came we were kept imprisoned under the Law, shut up for the
faith that was to be revealed. Therefore
the Law has been our tutor unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
For you are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For all you who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile); there is neither slave
nor freeman; there is neither male nor female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are the offspring of Abraham, heirs
according to promise.” [Galatians 3:23-29]
God promised Abram a son. Abram
means “father of many.” Many
years passed and still Sarai, Abram’s barren wife, had not conceived. Finally, tired of waiting for the Lord to fulfill His
promise, Sarai, which means contentious, took matters into her own hands.
She told her husband, who had endured many years of public humiliation
due to his name and childless life, to go into her young Egyptian slave girl,
Hagar, and lay with her, that she might conceive and bring forth a son.
According to the law, any child born to a slave would legally be the
child of the master, Sarai, in this case.
Hagar conceived and bore a son, Ishmael, meaning “God hears,” when
Abram was eighty-five. God again
promised Abram a son at the age of ninety-nine.
This time God told Abram his son would be born to Sarai, his wife, then
eighty-nine. God also changed
Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.” Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah, meaning “princess.”
Because Abraham laughed with joy when God reiterated His promise, God
told them to name the child Isaac, meaning “laughter.”
God told Abraham that His covenant would be passed down through Isaac,
the son of promise, rather than through Ishmael, the slave son of Law.
As revealed in the above citation, all believers are now children
of Abraham and heirs to the covenant. Since
all believers make up the church general, this means that the church general -
those in the body of Christ - are now joint heirs to the blessings under the
Abrahamic covenant.
As will be discussed more extensively in the chapter titled
“Conclusion,” some denominations mistakenly teach that God turned His back
on the Jews and that The Church has taken Israel’s place in God’s heart and
prophetic plan. This notion was
used by some Churches, as well as the Nazis, as a justification for persecuting
Jews. This heresy is called
“replacement theology” and is a doctrine of demons.
God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the
“stars of the heavens” and “the sands of the seashore” [Genesis 22:17].
The stars are indicative of spiritual Israel, which includes all
believers, while the sands are representative of physical Israel.
However, as the stars do not replace the sands, neither do believers (the
church general) replace Israel. God’s
prophetic attention will return to the Jews after the end of the church age. If your church teaches that “The Church” took Israel’s
place in God’s heart and prophetic plan, get out.
You are in an apostate church!
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At this point, one might ask, “What role do works play in God’s plan
of salvation?” What can I
do?” Jesus answers in His parable
of the vine and the branches:
“I
am the vine, you are the branches. He
who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for without me you can do
nothing. If anyone does not abide
in me, he shall be cast outside as the branch and wither; and they shall gather
them up and cast them into the fire, and they shall burn.” [St. John 15:5-6]
Without Him, we can do nothing. That’s
explicit! Moreover, after one reads
the Scriptures regarding God’s plan of salvation, one cannot help but conclude
that the works of man play no role.
God’s Word tells us over and over that salvation is a gift made
possible by His grace through the atoning work of His Son on the
cross. Salvation is received
through faith in the Christ, the Jesus of the New Testament.
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After explaining that one is saved by the grace of God received through
faith, rather than by works, St. Paul goes on to ask rhetorically:
“Where
then is thy boasting? It is
excluded. By what law? Of
works? No, but by the law of faith.
For we reckon (reason) that a man is justified by faith
independently of the works of the Law. Is
God the God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles also?
Indeed of the Gentiles also. For
there is but one God who will justify (declare not guilty) the
circumcised (Jews) by faith, and the uncircumcised (Gentiles)
through the same faith.” [Romans 3:27]
St. Paul affirms that we are saved by faith, not by works or faith plus
works. His expository reasoning is
that only the Jews are under the Law, since the Law was given only to the Jews
and not to the Gentiles. Therefore,
only the Jews know what works to do. The
Gentiles are not under the Law, do not know the Law, and therefore do not even
know what works to do to satisfy the Law. However,
since God also saves Gentiles who believe in Jesus’ atoning work on the cross,
then man is justified by faith through God’s grace alone and not by the Law or
any of its works. Therefore, no man
can boast of the works he has done toward earning his salvation.
Moreover, if we boast that we “earned” any part of our salvation,
then we steal from God a part of His glory and His mercy
for ourselves and we make Him a liar for He tells us repeatedly that
salvation is His gift to man through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross [see
Ephesians 2:7]. As summed up in
Romans 4:4:
“Now
to him who works, the reward is not credited as a favor (gift) but as
something due (a wage). But
to him who does not work, but believes in him (Jesus) who
justifies the impious, his faith is credited to him as justice (he is
justified by faith).”
The Jewish legalists of Jesus’ day, the Judaizers, taught that works
must be performed to enter heaven. The
many pagan mystery cults that flourished in the Roman Empire taught the same.
In fact, all false religions, starting with the first - the
Babylonian Mystery Cult at the Tower of Babel - have always taught that
man must perform works to obtain the gods’ favors.
Works were “known” to be a powerful tool unto salvation and the
religious establishments, both pagan and Jewish, took full advantage of the
peoples’ ignorance of God’s Word, recorded in the Old Testament.
The religious hierarchies (Jewish and pagan) used this Satanic lie to
generate revenues by “selling” salvation to the “faithful.”
There were those who brought animals to the Temple and sold them for
sacrifice at inflated prices. Some
coming from other lands with foreign currency had to exchange their holdings for
Temple coinage. Just as at
today’s currency exchanges, there was a profit to be made for providing such
services. However, those selling
animals for sacrifice and the money changers in the Temple charged usurious
rates, a practice labeled sin in God’s Word and, therefore, forbidden by Law.
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Some try to confuse the fact that one is saved by grace through faith
using:
“So
there abide faith, hope, and charity (love), these three; but the
greatest of these is charity (love).” [I Corinthians 13:13]
“If love is a greater virtue than faith, then how can one be saved by
faith?” they ask. The answer is
found in the meaning of the Greek word translated “greatest.”
That word is “meizon.” It
means greatest in time, that is, the most long lasting, not greatest in virtue.
Prior to going to be with God for eternity, the believer has faith in and
hope for same. After the rapture or
death, the believer no longer needs faith or hope.
However, God will continue to love His children, and they Him, throughout
eternity. Thus, while faith and
hope and the need for both will pass in eternity future, love will not. Again, man is saved by God’s grace, not by faith!
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Many who subscribe to the Catholic and Orthodox faiths and their
derivatives have been erroneously told that Church tradition taught that one is
saved by faith plus works and that Martin Luther altered the King James Version
of the bible to read that one is saved by faith alone.
However, this supposition presents a number of problems, not the least of
which is that the King James Version was not printed and distributed until 1611,
more than sixty years after the reformer’s death!
Moreover, as discussed in Chapter One, the people did not even request a
new translation free from the trickery of the popes until 1603, some fifty years
after Luther’s death. Therefore,
the charge that Luther modified the King James Version is false.
Nevertheless, presented below are the relevant verses from all three
versions of the bible.
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not from yourselves, for it
is the gift of God; not as the outcome of works, lest anyone may boast.
For his workmanship we are, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which
God has made ready beforehand that we may walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:8-10,
Roman Catholic Bible]
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God; not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:8-10, The
Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms]
“For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast. For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:8-10, King James
Version]
None reads that man is saved by “faith” or by “faith alone.”
Rather, all three confirm the same message from the same perspective:
one is saved by God’s grace which is received through faith.
The gospel message presented in all three bibles is the same!
Is one saved by grace alone?
Absolutely! That is the
message throughout Scripture. Moreover,
people have great faith in Buddha, icons, deceased ancestors, and themselves.
However, such faith cannot save. Only
God’s grace can save. Differences
in denominational teaching arise due to various evolved Church (Catholic,
Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, etc.) traditions, which will be examined in
Chapter Five.
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As already cautioned, many Churches preach a false Jesus rather than the
all-powerful Christ prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New.
This false Jesus, of course, is a false path which leads to hell.
Also, some churches and people preach a false gospel of “brotherly
love.” This is an alternative to
the true and saving gospel of the Christ of the New Testament. While human love may conquer all in books and movies, it is
not a path to God. In a September
19, 2000 interview on 60 Minutes II, self-admitted cafeteria Catholic and
pop-star-turned-mother, Madonna, revealed to her many fans and the viewing
audience that “all paths lead to God.”
When the interviewer asked the “Material Girl” how her opinion
squared with the position of the Catholic Church, she explained that one need
not agree with everything the Church teaches to be a good Catholic.
According to this formerly unwed mother and
singer-turned-movie-and-porn-star, “love” is the key. “Some believe in Jesus,” she explained, “while others
believe in Buddha. At the end of
the day, we all end up at the same place.”
Sadly, many share Madonna’s view.
However, there is not so much as a single verse in Scripture to support
this demonic lie. In fact, God’s
Word contradicts this mistaken Madonna:
“And
this is the testimony, that God has given us eternal life; and this life is in
his Son. He who has the Son has the
life. He who has not the Son has
not the life.” [I St. John 5:11-12]
The only “love path” that leads to God is through the One who said,
“Greater love than this no one has, that one lay down his life for his
friends.” [St. John 15:13] So
yes, love saves, but it is God’s love for us through Jesus’ shed blood that
opens the door to the kingdom, not our love for one another.
Believers pray that God will open the eyes of those following false
christs and false gospels [II Corinthians 4:3-4].
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The notion of buying and selling salvation is what prompted Jesus to
attack those engaged in such activities in the Temple.
What God had intended for good, namely, animal sacrifices, which were to
be a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, man had corrupted by his
“love of money” (what St. Paul termed the root of all evil in I Timothy
6:10). Thus, the spiritual aspects
of Temple worship had been overtaken by the pecuniary aspects:
“And
they came to Jerusalem. And he
entered the temple, and began to cast out those who were selling and buying in
the temple; and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of
those who sold doves. He would not
allow anyone to carry a vessel through the temple.
And he began to teach, saying to them, ‘Is it not written, “My
house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?”
But you have made it a den of thieves.’” [St. Mark 11:15-17]
Here again, Jesus emphasized the importance of knowing the written Word
of God. It is written in Isaias
56:7. The
perverse religious leaders had turned their backs on God’s Word in
favor of selling salvation. God had
revealed through the prophet Osee (Hosea in the KJV) around 750 B.C.:
“...
I desire mercy and not sacrifice: and
the knowledge of God more than holocausts (animal sacrifices).” [Osee
6:6]
Temple leaders could not find a way to sell mercy or enhanced knowledge
of God. However, they did find a
way to hawk animal sacrifices. Moreover,
God revealed through the prophet that His prime desire was for people to come to
a greater knowledge of Him. How had
this knowledge been lost? The
things taught by man in the synagogues and in the Temple - the Old Testament
analogue for The Churches - had long since become corrupted by the traditions of
men. Only through the Scripture
was God’s Holy Word preserved uncorrupted.
However, the Pharisees had hid the Word of God from the people and, out
of greed and lust for power, instead taught them the precepts of men.
Jesus lambasted the Pharisees for withholding the truth of God’s Word
from the people:
“Woe
to you lawyers! because you have taken away the key of knowledge; you have not
entered yourselves and those who were entering you have hindered.” [St. Luke
11:52]
Thus, over time, people who were following the Word of God and entering
the kingdom began to be hindered by the false teachings of the Pharisees after
they established a religious system to serve their selfish needs.
At that point, as Jesus noted, the Pharisees would not go in themselves
and their false teachings did not allow their followers to enter, either.
They were bad shepherds! God’s
Word says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” [Hosea 4:6, KJV]
Thus, Jesus’ criticism of this false religion was on target.
It was only after Jesus upset their lucrative financial dealings that
Temple leaders began plotting His death.
At the same time, the Babylonian and other mystery cults sold salvation
through auricular confessions to their priests.
They also hawked sacred items such as carved images of their gods and
various talisman to be worn around the neck to ward off evil spirits [see Acts
19:25-40]. It was precisely because
of such widespread abuses in both Judaism and paganism that the Samarian
sorcerer named Simon, when he saw the miracles of Philip and the other apostles,
asked them to “sell” him some of their power, so he could sell salvation to
others [Acts 8:9-20]. St. Peter
told him to go to destruction, along with his money, because he thought the free
gift of God could be purchased [I St. Peter 1:18-19].
Jesus condemned the practice of selling salvation with the words,
“Freely you have received, freely give.” [St. Matthew 10:8]
The
Jews believed a man’s riches were a blessing from God and that his
righteousness could be measured by his material wealth.
They believed in the next life the wealthy would get the best seats in
heaven, because they now got the best seats in the synagogues and at feasts. Moreover, the wealthier one was, the more he could and did
put in the religious coffers. But
Jesus condemned such teachings as the “traditions of men.” In fact, He told the religious leaders they would receive a heavier
sentence (greater condemnation) for their sin than those who were
poor [see St. Luke 20:46-47]. Jesus
turned the established religious organizations, Jewish and pagan, on their
heretical heads by teaching salvation as a free gift from God, apart from
works purchased and performed. Exasperated,
the Temple leaders asked Him:
“...
‘What are we to do that we may perform the works of God?’
In answer Jesus said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe
in him (Jesus) whom he (the Father) has sent.’” [St. John
6:28-29]
Dissatisfied with His answer, since there was no way for the religious
establishment to sell “belief,” they asked Him what sign He would give them.
This was a recurring theme among nonbelievers in Jesus’ day just as it
is in ours. All during His ministry, the religious leaders kept asking
for a sign even as Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cast out
demons, and raised the dead [St. Matthew 9:26].
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St. Paul instructs believers on their relationship to good works and how
such works are related to the life of the believer:
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not from yourselves, for it
is the gift of God; not as the outcome of works, lest anyone may boast.
For his (God’s) workmanship we are, created in Christ Jesus in (for)
good works, which God has made ready beforehand that we may walk in them.”
[Ephesians 2:8-10]
Notice carefully what is said here.
Believers are saved. Salvation
is not through ourselves, it is a gift from God. It is not a result of works. As with God’s plan for man’s salvation, which was
determined by God before He created man and man fell, so it is with good works.
As revealed above, the good works the believer does were made ready by
God beforehand. So not only
can we not save ourselves through “our” works, we cannot even do good
works apart from the Jesus of the New Testament.
Moreover, the believer cannot pat himself on the back for the good works
he does since they were made ready by God for him to walk in even before
he was saved! For the believer to take any credit for any good works he
performs would be to steal a part of God’s glory. Jesus instructed His disciples:
“...
let your light shine before men, in order that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father in heaven.”
[St. Matthew 5:16]
If a believer can perform good works apart from God’s indwelling Holy
Spirit, then credit for those works should go to the individual, rather than to
God, and this is exactly what faith-plus-works Churches and churches teach.
This is why some denominations claim that man has some inherent good in
him. However, this verse makes it
clear. The believer can take no
credit whatsoever for his good works. Moreover,
“good” works performed by a nonbeliever, which would by necessity be
performed apart from Jesus Christ, are seen by God as the equivalent of the
“rag of a menstruous woman.” [Isaias 64:6]
If you are in a Church or church that preaches you deserve
anything other than hell, get out. You
are in an apostate church.
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The fact that works play no role in the believer’s salvation can be
affirmed further from Chapter 1 of Ephesians.
In verses 4-7 St. Paul reveals:
“Even
as he (God) chose us in him (Jesus) before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blemish in his sight in love.
He (God) predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ as his
(God’s) sons, according to the purpose of his will (to do His good
pleasure), unto the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he favored
us in his beloved Son. In him we
have redemption through his (Jesus) blood, the remission of sins,
according to the riches of his (God’s) grace.”
The first thing we should note in the above passage is that it is God who
chose who would be holy and without blemish in His sight.
How is it that God can look upon a sinful man as holy and without
blemish? Only through His
imputation of Jesus’ righteousness to the believer, as discussed earlier. Second, note when these were chosen - before the foundation
of the world. Third, why were they
chosen? Because it was God’s will
to do His good pleasure. Moreover,
the text makes clear that God favored those He chose (graced them).
Thus, again we see further confirmation from the Roman Catholic Bible
that a man’s works play no role in his salvation.
Jesus confirms that a man’s works, even though viewed as “good” by
the world, cannot save him:
“Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven;
but he who does the will of my Father in heaven shall enter the kingdom of
heaven. Many will say to me in that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in thy name, and cast out devils in thy
name, and work many miracles in thy name?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you.
Depart from me, you workers of iniquity!’” [St. Matthew 7:21-23]
I believe these are among the most frightening words in the entire
Scriptures. False teachers lead
many to believe that their works make them followers of Jesus and that their
very ability to perform such works validates this view. This is analogous to the Pharisees’ belief that their
wealth was confirmation of their good standing with God.
Jesus corrected their misunderstanding.
As can be seen from the above verses, He will do so again.
One can say Jesus is Lord with his lips but reject the Lord in his heart
and still perform works if it suits God’s purposes.
God can and does use evil men to accomplish His good pleasure, as the
above citation makes clear. The Old
Testament records many examples of wicked rulers being used by God to accomplish
His will. The New Testament reveals
incidents of Jesus using demons to accomplish His purposes.
Men who think they are prophesying, casting out demons, and working
miracles in their own power are only fooling themselves.
The feeling of power is a drug to which they become addicted.
Jesus’ disciples, on the other hand, walked in submission to God,
humbled themselves, crucified their flesh daily, and found their strength in the
might of the power of the Lord [see Ephesians 6:10].
Unless we do likewise, as prompted by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit,
then Jesus does not know us even though we may be great name droppers!
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In the latter part of Chapter 25 of St. Matthew, Jesus describes the
future Judgment of the Nations. Some
mistakenly interpret this as judgment of Egypt, Germany, the U.S., etc.
However, such is not he case. In
Scripture, “the nations” generally refer to the Gentile nations, as distinct
from the nation of Israel. Similarly,
there are only two peoples: Jews
and Gentiles (sometimes called Greeks).
When Jesus returns to earth to end the battle of Armageddon and establish
His millennial kingdom, He will come at the most reprobate time the earth has
ever experienced [Apocalypse 16:16]. During
the preceding seven-year period of Tribulation, 144,000 Jews will have been
sealed with the Holy Spirit (these are discussed more fully in Chapter Six and
Appendix A). They will be witnesses
for Christ among Jews and Gentiles and will convert many. However, since these will be acting in direct opposition to
the world ruler, the Antichrist, they will be persecuted by his one-world
government. Therefore, it will be
difficult for Christ-believing Jews to obtain any of life’s necessities.
Some will assist them, help them to survive and not desert them in their
needs. Jesus refers to these as
sheep. Others will shun them and
report any contact to the authorities who will then hunt them down and throw
them into prisons and kill them. Jesus
refers to these as goats. Thus,
when Jesus returns, he must deal with living sheep and goats.
He must determine who will enter into and populate His millennial
kingdom.
The criteria He will use to make His decision are recorded in Scripture:
“...
for I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink;
I was a stranger and you took me in; naked and you covered me; sick and you
visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.
Then the just will answer him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see thee
hungry, and feed thee; or thirsty, and give thee drink?
And when did we see thee a stranger, and take thee in; or naked and
clothe thee? Or when did we see
thee sick or in prison, and come to thee?’
And answering, the king (Jesus) will say to them, ‘Amen I say to
you as long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it
for me.’” [St. Matthew 25:35-40]
The sheep, whose actions are described in the above citation, are invited
to enter into the kingdom. Those
who did not do these things are called goats.
They are sent to everlasting punishment [St. Matthew 25:46].
Some argue that, at least in this instance, eternal destinies are based
on works: feeding, clothing, and
visiting, rather than grace through faith.
Viewing the above verses in isolation, it certainly would appear to be
so. However, numerous other verses
reveal that such a supposition is incorrect.
There is only one true gospel and, thus, only one entrance to the
kingdom. We have no less authority
on this matter than the Jesus of the New Testament: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father but through me.” [St. John 14:6]
Moreover, God’s Word refers to the one and only gospel - the
“everlasting gospel” - in Apocalypse 14:6.
Further confirmation that there is only one true gospel is provided by
Jesus Himself, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole
world, for a witness to all nations; and then will come the end.” [St. Matthew
24:14] Thus, it is clear.
The sheep are those whose hearts were transformed by the gospel, the good
news of Jesus resurrected preached by the Jewish witnesses.
This change of heart resulted in changed lives and attitudes as it always
does and, in this instance, bold actions to help persecuted Jewish witnesses and
new believers. Confirmation that
these are believers who accepted the gospel can be seen from the way they
preface their question with the title “Lord,” the same way Saul did on the
road to Damascus [Acts 9:4-5]. After seeing how the sheep address the king as “Lord,”
the goats do likewise. As Satan
mimics God, so the goats mimic the sheep. They
ask:
“‘Lord
when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in
prison, and did not minister to thee?’” [St. Matthew 25:44]
However, these goats never recognized Jesus as Lord and their actions
toward the Jews of the Tribulation period prove it.
As St. James reminds us, “Faith without works is dead.” [St. James
2:26] The goats failed to recognize
Jesus as Lord when presented with the gospel time and time again.
As we just saw above, Jesus said: “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven.”
[St. Matthew 7:21] Only those who
do the will of the Father will enter. And
what is the will of the Father? That
they believe in Him whom the Father has sent:
that Jesus is Lord. This is
both the will of the Father and the work of man:
to trust in Jesus. Thus, as
in the church age, the sheep are saved by grace received through faith in the
Jesus of the New Testament.
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What is the believer’s relationship to God through Jesus? Adopted sons and daughters.
We are no longer enemies against God, as we were when we were born with
dead spirits [Romans 8:7]. What do
we have as a result? Redemption
through our kinsman redeemer Jesus the Christ who paid our debt at the cross so
God could mark our accounts “paid in full.”
How do we become adopted children of God through Jesus?
One of the beatitudes Jesus preached to the multitudes was, “Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
The biblical meaning of “peacemaker” is very much misunderstood today
and the appellation often is used totally out of context.
When two leaders of murderous factions who are known not to be believers
in the Jesus of the New Testament sit down at the “peace table” to negotiate
an agreement, the media often quote political leaders who make reference to
Jesus’ teaching. During Israeli
and Palestinian peace negotiations, which President Clinton supported, the
president commented on their progress and remarked in front of television
cameras, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the earth.”
However, the president got the beatitudes mixed up.
Jesus said it is the meek who will inherit the earth, not the
peacemakers! No one came forward to
correct the president. In a sense,
though, his words may prove to be prophetic.
If the Israelis take the president’s bad advice and trade land for
peace, then indeed the Palestinian peacemakers will inherit more of the earth!
However, God’s Word tells us such a “deal” will not hold [see
Isaias 28:14-15].
The true meaning of peacemaker is found in St. John 1:12-13:
“But
to as many as received him (Jesus) he gave the power (right) of
becoming sons (children) of God; to those who believe in his (Jesus’)
name: Who were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (born from
above).”
Thus, the one with whom the peacemaker has made peace, and is therefore
blessed (happy), is God. How?
By receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Thus, we become sons of God by believing in (trusting) Jesus.
Jesus tells us in St. John 8:34-36:
“...
Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
But the slave does not abide in the house forever; the son abides there
forever. If therefore the Son makes
you free, you will be free indeed.”
A slave might live in his master’s house until the master puts him out
or sells him. God told Abraham to
send Hagar and her son, Ishmael, away. Both
were slaves. However, the
master’s son (Isaac) lives in the house of his father for as long as he
desires. Through Jesus’ atoning
death on the cross and our acceptance of Him as Lord and Savior, we become sons
and daughters of God. There is a
tremendous difference in the relationship between a man and his slave as opposed
to that of a man and his child. Jesus
illustrated this beautifully in a parable called the prodigal son [St. Luke
15:11-32].
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What sin do you think might send one to hell?
Murder? Adultery?
Fornication? No one is in hell for these or similar sins.
Moreover, many are in heaven who have committed murder, adultery, and
fornication. King David is but one
example. St. Paul is another.
All who are or will be in hell are there for the same sin. Jesus tells us in St. John 16:9 that the sin of the world is
that it “... does not believe in me.” The
reason nonbelievers commit these acts is because, contrary to God’s will, they
do not believe in the Jesus of the Scriptures.
Thus, they are rebels.
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Perhaps you are concerned that you have committed what is termed the
unpardonable sin. If you are even
the least bit concerned, then relax. You
have not.
As recorded in St. Matthew 12:24, the Pharisees, after seeing Jesus cast
out demons from a possessed man, said He did so through the power of Beelzebub,
the devil. Beelzebub means “Lord
of the Flies.” Jesus’ response
is recorded in St. Mark 3:28-29:
“Amen
I say to you that all sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and the
blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit never has forgiveness, but will be guilty of an everlasting sin.”
Remember, the Holy Spirit is in the world convicting sinners of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment [St. John 16:8].
This stiff-necked group of disbelieving Pharisees not only refused to
listen to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, they attributed to Satan the
power Jesus was exhibiting in casting out demons.
This reveals a hardness of heart and spiritual perversion accumulated
over a lifetime of disbelief and disobedience that would make it virtually
impossible ever to repent. If you
are concerned that you have committed the unpardonable sin, you demonstrate by
such concern that you do not have such hardness of heart. Therefore, you could not have committed the unpardonable sin.
Some women are inclined to believe that abortion is the unpardonable sin.
As explained above, it is not. Every
sin of abortion is nailed to the cross of Jesus.
However, many women are under the mistaken impression that after that
“troublesome fetus” is removed from her womb, it is gone forever.
Not so. God will forgive the
confessed sin of abortion. However,
the woman will one day meet the child she aborted.
If she becomes a believer, she will meet her child in heaven.
If she does not become a believer, she will see her child at the Great
White Throne Judgment where she will be judged by her works.
Certainly the aborted child will serve as a witness.
In either event, she will face her murdered child [St. Matthew 10:26].
Because God is merciful beyond our comprehension, the painful memories
concerning the abortion, both for the believer and the aborted child, will be
erased. In fact, every believer’s
pain from this life will be removed from his or her memory.
Even though believers will spend eternity with God, if they were allowed
to hold on to their memories to the extent that they recalled lost family and
friends, eternity would hold some element of sorrow for them.
For this reason, God’s Word promises that He will erase these things
from their memories:
“And
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
And death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying,
nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” [Apocalypse 21:4]
This will be accomplished following the Great White Throne Judgment.
For the lost, however, there is no such mercy.
Rather, they will exist through all eternity with their sorrows!
They will hear over and over again in their minds the words of those who
witnessed to them and recall their many excuses for rejecting the Jesus of the
New Testament.
The Roman Catholic Church uses a similar verse on blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit to argue that certain sins can be forgiven in this age but
others can be forgiven only in the next age and that this supports its teaching
on purgatory (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1031):
“And
whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but
whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in
this world (age) or in the world (age) to come.” [St. Matthew
12:32]
The first thing to be noted is that St. Mark 3:28-29 and St. Matthew
12:32 are not contradictory. Moreover,
this truth is recorded also in St. Luke 12:10:
“And
everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but
to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.”
All three gospel accounts are in accord with one another. Notice, however, that none of these three recordings
addresses sins that can be forgiven in one age versus another, as the
Catholic Church posits. The subject
in each citation is forgiveness of one sin:
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. All
three accounts make clear that this sin cannot be forgiven.
Why? Because blasphemy
against the Father and the Son will result in the Holy Spirit convicting the
blasphemer of his transgression. However,
if one blasphemes against the very One who convicts of sin, then he will
certainly not hear the convicting voice of that same Holy Spirit.
And it is for this reason that blasphemy against the Holy spirit cannot
be forgiven in the age during which Jesus spoke these words or in the age to
come, from Jesus’ perspective, the church age, which was not established until
after His ascension. Again, the
Roman Catholic Bible nowhere teaches that sins can be expiated after one’s
death.
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In order to make peace with God, and thus become His adopted children and
joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), we must first be spiritually regenerated.
This is referred to by believers as being “reborn.”
No less authority than St. Peter confirms that believers “... have been
reborn” and he emphasizes that their rebirth was “not from corruptible seed
but from incorruptible (seed) through the Word of God who lives
and abides forever.” [I St. Peter 1:23]
Those who do not consider the Holy Bible to be the authoritative Word of
God often scoff when asked if they’ve been born again.
However, when a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin and a
leader of the religious establishment, asked Jesus what a man must do to enter
into the kingdom of God, Jesus did not scoff.
Rather, He responded:
“...
Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God.” [St. John 3:3]
It is interesting that Jesus answered Nicodemus this way.
Jesus said that without being born again, a man cannot even see
the kingdom of God. One cannot
enter what one cannot see.
This is explained by St. Paul:
“But
the sensual man does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit or God, for
it is foolishness to him and he cannot understand, because it is examined (discerned)
spiritually.” [I Corinthians 2:14]
Obviously, Nicodemus was not born again because he could not discern that
he was standing in the very presence of God and His kingdom.
His inability to discern spiritual things is confirmed in St. John 3:9
where, after Jesus explained the things of the Spirit, Nicodemus asked further,
“How can these things be?”
St. Paul answers:
“For
if thou confess with thy mouth (speak aloud) that Jesus is the Lord, and
believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart a man believes unto justice (righteousness),
and with the mouth profession of faith is made unto salvation.” [Romans
10:9-10]
Nicodemus addressed Jesus as Rabbi, teacher, and as one with whom God
abides. But Jesus is much more.
Jesus told them at the feast of the Dedication (celebration of the
rededication of the Temple - Hanukkah) in Jerusalem, as recorded in St. John
10:30, “I and the Father are one.”
Jesus continued His discussion with a bewildered Nicodemus:
“...
Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” [St. John 3:5]
Here Jesus notes that a man must be born again of water and the Spirit.
The Greek word “anÇthen” has two meanings:
“again” and “from above.”
Now in his first birth, a physical birth, man is born of water.
The breaking of a woman’s water is a sign that her delivery is near.
At the time of Nicodemus, John the Baptist was baptizing people in the
Jordan River much to the agitation of the religious establishment.
It was widely understood that submergence beneath the water was an
external and symbolic representation of an internal spiritual washing.
Namely, in being baptized by John, the person was making a public
statement that he was repenting, turning from sin.
John’s baptism had nothing to do with salvation, only repentance.
The purpose of John’s ministry was to prepare the way of the Lord, the
promised Messiah. It was to
John’s baptism that Jesus was referring when He said that one must be born
again of water. In other words, he
must repent, turn from his sin. Admitting
and turning from sin is a prerequisite for accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior
and inviting Him into one’s life. If
one does not first repent, he cannot legitimately ask Jesus to come into his
life.
It is interesting to note, too, that the word baptism comes from the word
“baptizo,” which means to immerse or submerge.
This no doubt is why John was conducting his baptisms at a riverbank
rather than at one of the ceremonial basins in the Temple.
Further verification is gained from Acts 8:38-39 wherein St. Luke records
the baptism of the eunuch by St. Philip:
“...
both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
... when they came up out of the water ....”
The second step Jesus referred to was being reborn of the Spirit.
As discussed earlier, each of us is born with a spirit that is dead, a
condition we inherit from the first man, Adam.
Our first and physical birth included water and a dead spirit.
In order to enter the kingdom of God, one’s spirit must be regenerated,
that is, raised from the dead. One
must be born of the (second) last Adam. St.
Paul elaborates:
“...
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
So also is it written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul’;
the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit.
But it is not the spiritual that comes first, but the physical, and then
the spiritual.” [I Corinthians 15:44-46]
So the physical man is born first (with his dead spirit) and then the
spiritual. However, both the
rebirth via water (repentance) and the Spirit (spiritual regeneration) come not
from ourselves or any other man but anÇthen, from above, from God.
Nicodemus appears one last time in Scripture.
As recorded in St. John 19:39, he was among those who came to retrieve
Jesus’ body from the cross. He
brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. It is unlikely that a ruling member of the Sanhedrin would
have come with expensive burial elements in hand to remove from the cross the
dead and naked body of an itinerant preacher and assist in His burial, thus,
according to Jewish custom, rendering himself unclean for a period of days.
Therefore, it is likely that Nicodemus finally recognized Jesus for whom
He was and is: the Master.
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On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a jubilant celebration
commemorating God’s preservation of the Israelites in the desert on their way
from Egypt to the promised land, Jesus provided new understanding for one of the
solemn rituals.
Each day the priest would fill a gold pitcher with water from the Gihon
Spring and lead a large procession back to the Temple.
Along the way, they would sing a hymn of praise to the Lord based on
Isaias 12:3. The pouring out of the
water from the golden pitcher into the basin in the Temple reminded the people
of how their ancestors got water during their long trek through the desert.
The story is recorded in Chapter 20 of the book of Numbers.
Psalms 78:15-16 also speaks of this phenomena, water flowing from the
cleft in the rock. Perhaps you have
heard the hymn “Rock of Ages”?
God told Moses to bring forth water from the rock by striking it.
Moses did so and the water came forth [Exodus 17:6].
Later, God told Moses to only speak to the rock to bring forth water.
However, in a fit of anger against the disquieted throng, Moses struck
the rock. For being unfaithful in showing God’s sanctity before the
Israelites, God told Moses he would not accompany them into the promised land
[Numbers 20:11-12]. With the Jews
fully aware of this history, and with the rabbis seated in solemn fashion, Jesus
stood up in their midst and announced loudly:
“If
anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink.
He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, ‘From within him (out
of Jesus’ heart) there shall flow rivers of living water.’” [St. John
7:37-38]
Again, Jesus stressed the importance of knowing Scripture.
By His words, the crowd understood Jesus to be equating Himself with
Jehovah God who had led the Israelites through the desert by day as a cloud and
by night as a column of fire and provided their water from the cleft of a rock.
After this, some said Jesus was a prophet.
Others said He was the Christ. Some
questioned whether or not the Christ could come from Galilee, a class (tribal)
distinction. When allegations were
brought before the Sanhedrin, the attendants were called to testify. They said, “Never has man spoken as this man.”
Their testimony did not make the Pharisees happy.
Instead of being able to condemn Jesus by the witnesses’ testimony, all
they could do was criticize the witnesses for not knowing the Law (Torah).
Nicodemus, however, defended Jesus, saying, “Does our Law judge a man
unless it first give him a hearing, and know what he does?”
[St. John 7:37-53] In I Corinthians 10:4, St. Paul identifies the rock from
which his ancestors drank:
“...
they drank from the spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was
Christ.”
Thus, St. Paul makes clear that the spiritual Rock from which the
Israelites drank was the Jesus of the New Testament.
Jesus was the source of their water when they were wandering in the
desert. That is why Jesus is
identified as the “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me.”
As mentioned above, Moses was told by God to strike the rock but only the
first time. From then on, he was to
speak to the rock. This is symbolic
of the shepherd being struck, the Christ dying only once for all, and after this
coming to us not again on the cross but only by the Word (speak).
The centurion who came to Jesus in Capharnaum seeking help for his sick
servant told Jesus there was no need for Him to come to the home of an unworthy
man like himself (Gentiles recognized that Jews were forbidden to enter the home
of a Gentile) but if He would only speak the Word his servant would be
healed [St. Matthew 8:5-13].
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God promises eternal life to His children because they believe.
However, St. Paul warns:
“Let
no one lead you astray with empty words; for because of these things (sin),
the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.” [Ephesians 5:6]
St. Paul tells us further in Colossians 3:6:
“...
the wrath of God comes upon the unbelievers ....”
From these verses we learn something surprising:
the opposite of belief is not disbelief, unbelief, or nonbelief, but
disobedience! This should not be
surprising since God’s will is for all to come to salvation [St.
John 3:16].
Children of God are joint heirs with Christ and have an inheritance in
the kingdom. However, as explained
in Chapter Two, believers do not have a share in His divinity.
The children of disobedience, on the other hand, have no such
inheritance:
“For
know this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous one
(for this is idolatry) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
[Ephesians 5:5]
Moreover, Jesus tells us in St. John 14:23:
“...
If anyone love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we
will come to him and make our abode with him.”
St. John illuminates in I St. John 5:3-4:
“For
this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are
not burdensome. Because all that is
born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the
world, our faith.”
Sometimes those who do not understand the teaching of Scripture
mistakenly think that believers have a “license to sin.”
This is not true as will be made clear later in this chapter.
Certainly one who claims to be a believer but follows the way of the
world would leave most wondering, and rightly so, if he were truly “born
again.” The believer is expected
to walk the Christian talk he professes to God and others.
Moreover, the believer is to be a light in a world walking in darkness.
Jesus commands believers to, “... let your light shine before men
....” [St. Matthew 5:16] Why?
“... in order that they (men) may see your good works ....”
So that a man can receive praise? No.
So that God in heaven will be glorified [see Acts 4:21, KJV].
The complete verse, provided earlier, is reproduced below:
“...
let your light shine before men, in order that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father in heaven.” [St. Matthew 5:16]
The only way God can receive glory from works a believer performs is if
those works are the ones prepared by God beforehand for the believer to walk in
[see Ephesians 2:10]. Thus, it is
clear that good works are not a prerequisite or requirement for salvation,
but a result of salvation. Churches
that teach salvation by works or faith plus works do not understand this.
It is analogous to the proverbial question:
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
In the instant case, “Which comes first, salvation or good works?”
Errant Churches and churches teach that good works come first.
However, God’s Word reveals that salvation comes first and that apart
from salvation there is no such thing as “good” works.
Moreover, if a believer is not walking in the works God has prepared for
him, but is walking in his own works, then his works are filthy as well and they
cannot be called “good” [see Ephesians 2:8-10].
They are made of hay, wood, and straw and will be consumed [see I
Corinthians 3:15]. By the way,
God’s Word tells us that the chicken must have come first [Genesis 1:24]!
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Jesus commands believers to be the salt of the earth [St. Matthew 5:13].
Salt was so important to the ancients that it was used in making
covenants [Numbers 18:19, KJV]. In those days, every man carried a pouch of salt with him.
After two men agreed on a matter, similar to a contract today, each would
take a pinch of salt from his pouch and drop it into the other’s pouch.
Then they would agree that until they could identify whose salt belonged
to whom and separate the grains, they would adhere to the agreement. Of course, after the salt was commingled it would be
impossible to identify which crystals belonged to whom.
That’s why the salt covenant was a permanent one.
In Jesus’ day and before, salt was used as a preservative.
Without salt, there was no hope of preserving meat and other foods.
Without salt, neither the bread nor the vegetables tasted good.
Salt was used also for medicinal purposes and in Temple worship.
Salt was so necessary to the preservation of life, both man and animal,
that it was a medium of barter. You
may recall that the city of Sodom made its wealth selling salt [see Genesis 14].
Salt is still used as a preservative in areas where refrigeration is not
available.
The problems in the U.S. today have nothing to do with the way the world
acts and everything to do with the way many Christians behave. Today, people who call themselves Christian do things
Christians a generation ago wouldn’t even talk about.
The light has grown dim and the salt has lost its flavor.
Many today are trying to reintroduce a sense of morality into society
through an ever increasing number of initiatives in the physical realm.
Some hold hope for a return of Christian morality through the electoral
process. However, this is man’s
way, not God’s. God’s Word
reveals:
“If
my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and
will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” [II Chronicles 7:14, KJV]
Humble themselves, as used in the above citation, means to confess their
sins. The problem today is that too
many Christians justify their sins.
Many say, “Oh, I don’t really get drunk, just a little high
sometimes. Besides, it’s not like
getting drunk is a big sin. It’s
no big deal to God.” However,
God’s Word warns:
“...
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor
sodomites (sexual perverts), nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards
... will possess the kingdom of God.” [I Corinthians 6:9-19]
Note the company God places drunkards in:
idolaters and sexual perverts. To
God, seeing His children get drunk and knowing the consequences that inevitably
follow is a big deal.
Salt also creates thirst. By
walking in a Christ-like manner and exhibiting the fruits of the Holy Spirit -
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness,
and temperance - there is created in those around the believer a thirst for such
fruits.
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Believers are to stand on the promises of God for security rather than
rely on ever-changing circumstances. St.
Paul exhorts believers to be courageous and walk by faith rather than sight [II
Corinthians 5:6-7]. When St. Peter
asked Jesus to bid him to come to Him (walk) on the water, Jesus did so, as
recorded in St. Matthew 14:28-31. And
St. Peter walked on the water while his focus was fixed on Jesus. However, when St. Peter took his eyes off the Lord and looked
at the winds and the waves, his circumstances, he began to sink.
If the believer keeps his focus on Jesus, rather than circumstances, the
believer will continue to walk in the right path.
When I was in grade school, my father would sometimes let me sit next to
him and steer the car. However, he
would keep his hands on the wheel. I
would tell him that he didn’t need to, that I could do it myself.
However, my dad was too smart to turn over control of a car to a kid.
Without the Jesus of the New Testament in our lives, we can expect to go
the wrong way time after time. We
are bound to take wrong exits, too. We
run off the road onto Drug Drive; or Adultery Avenue; or the Fornication
Freeway; or Murderer’s Rowe; or Liquor Lane, all of which merge into the
Valley of Death that connects to the Highway to Hell.
If we submit our lives to Jesus, He, like my earthly father, will keep
His hands on the wheel of our lives. If
we stay surrendered to His control on a daily basis, He will keep us on the
right path.
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St. Paul exhorts believers to:
“...
Walk in the Spirit (Holy Spirit), and you will not fulfill the lusts of
the flesh. For the flesh lusts
against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh (a man’s flesh and
spirit are in constant struggle); for these are opposed to each other, so
that you do not do what you would. But
if you are led by the Spirit (born again), you are not under the Law.”
[Galatians 5:16-18]
Again, St. Paul encourages believers:
“And
be not conformed to this world, but be transformed in the newness of your mind,
that you may discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
[Romans 12:2]
The newness of mind refers to the fact that, as a believer, one sees the
world differently than when he had a dead spirit.
The believer now has eyes to see and ears to hear.
His mind is renewed continuously by reading the Scriptures and,
hopefully, through attending regular services at a bible-believing,
bible-preaching church. Is the
believer ever tempted to sin? Of
course. St. James confirms in his
epistle, “But everyone is tempted by being drawn away and enticed by his own
passion (flesh).” [St.
James 1:14] How is the believer to
prepare to recognize and respond to temptation?
St. Peter answers:
“Be
sober, be watchful! For
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking someone to
devour. Resist him, steadfast
in the faith ....” [I St. Peter 5:8-9]
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Temptations occur within trials. Trials
come along, sometimes from God, sometimes from circumstances.
God doesn’t tempt anyone [see St. James 1:13].
God does send trials our way, though, to strengthen believers in areas
where we are weak in Him, to more closely conform us to Jesus.
Within the context of a trial, Satan will enter and tempt the believer.
How strong can the temptation be? St.
Paul assures us:
“...
God is faithful and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength, but
with the temptation will also give you a way out that you may be able to bear
it.” [I Corinthians 10:13]
Thank God for the words “God will not permit you (the believer)
to be tempted beyond your strength (in Him).”
However, the believer doesn’t always avail himself of the strength
available to him. For example,
let’s say a believer, call him Joe, runs into money problems because he has
run up too much debt on his credit cards. In
God’s view, he has become a bad steward and is on his way to becoming a worse
one. God may bring a trial his way
to chasten him [see Hebrews 12:6].
Let’s say one day Joe’s boss, Ed, calls him into his office after the
store has closed. Just as Ed places
the day’s cash receipts on his desk and starts to say something to Joe, Ed’s
phone rings. He answers.
Joe notices the change in Ed’s countenance. “I’ll be right there,” Ed assures the one on the other
end. He turns his back to Joe to
open the wall safe behind his desk. “My
wife’s been in an accident,” Ed hurriedly explains to Joe.
“I’ve got to run. Can
you count the receipts and put them in the safe?”
“No problem,” Joe responds. He
watches Ed hurry down the hall and out the door.
Joe counts the cash. He
ponders a moment and counts it again. He
takes $800 and puts it in his pocket, never noticing the newly installed
security camera. He places the
remainder in the safe and spins the tumbler.
On the way home, Joe stops at an electronics store and buys a new stereo
he’s been wanting. He pulls the
wad out of his pocket and pays cash. Several
days later Joe is arrested for grand larceny. Joe chose to give in to the demon’s voice rather than to be
strong in the Holy Spirit and resist the devil.
God established the trial to strengthen Joe. However, Satan (actually one of his demons) used the trial as
an opportunity to tempt Joe and Joe gave in.
How can the believer escape the temptation?
St. James reveals:
“Be
subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he (the devil) will
flee from you.” [St. James 4:7]
Do we always escape? No.
Why? Because a man’s flesh
is continually at war with the will of his spirit (the spirit is willing but the
flesh is weak). St. Paul felt so
strongly about the separation between the will of a man’s flesh which dwells
in his members and the will of his spirit that he taught that the sins a
believer commits are committed by the flesh apart from the will of his spirit.
St. Paul shares with us his lament for the actions of his members (the
makeup of his physical body) and his hope for release from his earthly body
which seeks only after death (sin):
“For
we know that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal (soft in the flesh),
sold into the power of sin. For I
do not understand what I do, for it is not what I wish that I do, but what I
hate, that I do. But if I do what I
do not wish, I admit that the Law is good.
Now therefore it is no longer I that do it, but the sin that dwells in
me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, no good dwells,
because to wish is within my power, but I do not find the strength to accomplish
what is good. For I do not the good
that I wish, but the evil that I do not wish, that I perform.
Now if I do what I do not wish, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin
that dwells in me. Therefore, when I wish to do good I discover this law,
namely, that evil is at hand for me. For
I am delighted with the law of God according to the inner man, but I see another
law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and making me prisoner to
the law of sin that is in my members. Unhappy
man that I am! Who will deliver me
from the body of this death? The
grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Therefore I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but with my flesh
the law of sin.” [Romans 7:14-25]
St. Paul is explaining that while his renewed mind wants to do the right
things, his physical body wants to continue in sin.
He reasons that if he does with his body what he does not wish to do in
his mind, then it is not he who does it - because it is not done freely - but
the sin that dwells in him. It
would be analogous to someone putting a gun to your head. At that point, you likely could be forced to do something
with your body that your mind really didn’t wish to do. For example, if someone were holding your child hostage, you
might be willing to rob a bank to redeem her even though you had never purposed
to do such a thing in your mind.
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What is the believer to do about his sin?
St. John answers:
“If
we acknowledge (confess) our sins, he (God) is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity.” [I St. John 1:9]
Why would the devil flee from a believer?
Because the believer is in submission to God through belief in His Son
Jesus and all that such belief entails. Moreover,
if the believer has no unconfessed sin in his life and is walking in the will of
God, then his fellowship with God is not broken.
Therefore, Satan has no power over the believer unless the believer
purposefully allows Satan to enter into his life. Why can Satan not dominate the life of the believer?
St. John reveals:
“You
are of God, dear children, and have overcome him (the devil), because
greater is he who is in you (the Holy Spirit) than he who is in the world
(Satan).” [I St. John 4:4]
Some mistakenly believe that Jesus established auricular confession of
one’s sins to a priest. Certainly
this was a feature of pagan religions of Jesus day and before.
They recall having heard or read where Jesus told someone to go and tell
it to the priest. However, Jesus
never told anyone to confess his sins to a priest.
As recorded in St. Matthew’s gospel, after curing a leper, Jesus told
the man:
“...
go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a
witness to them.” [St. Matthew 8:4]
The curing of leprosy was rare in ancient times and people considered it
to be a miracle from God. Moses had
recorded the gift a cured leper would offer in Leviticus 14:1-7.
Also, Leviticus requires that the priest verify the cure.
Thus, Jesus’ words to the restored leper harkened back to the Law of
Moses and had nothing to do with sin or confession of sins to a priest.
Moreover, now every believer is a priest [Apocalypse 1:6].
This means that the believer can approach God directly.
That is why we pray to God in Jesus’ name and confess our sins directly
to God.
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How can it be that the devil and his demons have no power over the
believer unless the believer willfully submits to the temptation?
It is not through his own power but through the power of Him who lives
within, the Holy Spirit of God. St.
Paul tells us that in the day of our belief we were “... sealed (by the
Holy Spirit) for the day of redemption.” [Ephesians 4:30]
St. Paul explains further:
“In
him, I say, in whom we also have been called by a special choice, having been
predestined in the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel
of his will, to contribute to the praise of his (God) glory - we who
before hoped in Christ. And in him
you too, when you had heard the word of truth, the good news of your
salvation, and believed in it, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the
promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance, for a redemption of possession,
for the praise of his (God’s) glory.” [Ephesians 1:11-14]
Here St. Paul reveals why some are saved:
to contribute to the praise of God’s glory.
St. Paul also tells us that the believer’s sealing by the Holy Spirit
is a type of pledge of his salvation which is his inheritance.
When the believer accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, his salvation is
established at that moment. However,
it most often is not accomplished at that moment, the repentant robber on the
cross who said to Jesus, “Lord remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom,” being a notable exception [see St. Luke 23:42]. Therefore, as a pledge of salvation and inheritance, the
believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit of God.
The sealing with the Holy Spirit serves as a type of earnest money in the
purchase of a property. This is
particularly fitting since the believer is a purchased property:
“You have been bought with a price....” [I Corinthians 7:23]
And what was that price and who paid it?
St. Peter reminds believers:
“You
know that you were redeemed (purchased for a price) from the vain manner
of life handed down from your fathers (traditions), not with perishable
things, with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot (Jesus was without sin).” [I St. Peter
1:18-19]
St. Paul reminds us who the beneficiaries are in Hebrews 9:15 wherein he
explains that “... they who have been called may (will) receive eternal
inheritance according to the promise.” To
whom is St. Paul referring when he speaks of those “who have been called”?
He is referring to those who have answered “Yes, Lord.”
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After departing from where He had raised a young girl from the dead, two
blind men followed Jesus and called out to Him, “Have pity on us, Son of
David!” They asked Jesus to cure
their blindness. When Jesus asked
them if they believed He could do this, they answered, “Yes, Lord.”
[St. Matthew 9:28]
After being taunted in Galilee by Jewish leaders sent from Jerusalem,
Jesus traveled to the region of Tyre, some thirty-five miles north. The area was a Gentile coastal region of Phoenicia.
There, a Canaanite woman (Gentile) called to Jesus, “Have pity on me, O
Lord, Son of David. My daughter is
sorely beset by a devil.” It should be understood that as a non-Jew, this distraught
mother had no way of approaching God. She
had no Temple, no Holy of Holies, no altar, no sacrificial offering, and no high
priest to intercede with Jehovah God on her behalf. Her spiritual condition
was one of utter hopelessness.
Jesus told her He was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. But the woman fell down
before Him and begged, “Lord, help me!”
Jesus told her that it would not be right to take the childrens’ bread
and give it to dogs. Bread, of
course, was the primary staple supporting life in Jesus’ day.
She did not argue. She
agreed with Him, saying, “Yes, Lord; for (yet) even the dogs eat
of the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Jesus responded, “O woman, great is thy faith! Let it be done to thee as thou wilt.” And her daughter was healed from that moment [St. Matthew
15:21-28].
This story is all the more poignant in light of the cultural background.
The Jews did not consider the Canaanites, the cursed decedents of Noe’s
(also spelled Noah) wicked son Ham [Genesis 9:25], whom the Jews had to fight to
enter the promised land, to be on their same spiritual level.
In fact, many of the Jews referred to Gentiles as “dogs.”
In this story, Jesus verbally paints a scene of a family gathered around
the table for the meal. The dogs of
course would be prancing anxiously around the table, waiting impatiently for
their opportunities.
In His analogy, Jesus is telling the woman that it would not be right to
bring blessings upon her, a Gentile, before first bringing such blessings upon
Israel. It would not be right to
feed the dogs (Gentiles) with the bread (Jesus) intended for the children
(Israel). The woman agreed, “Yes,
Lord.” However, picturing herself
not as a child at the Master’s (Jesus’) table, for those at the table were
of the house of Israel, but as a dog under the table, the woman responded that
even as a dog she was eligible to receive the crumbs.
Jesus commended her on her faith. It must have seemed all the more precious to Jesus in light
of the fact that the religious leaders of the house of Israel were, for the most
part, rejecting His claim of being the Master [see St. Matthew 23:10], the
promised one - the Son of David, a messianic title. This is one of the many places where it is
recorded in Scripture that Jesus referred to Himself as “bread.”
The significance of His many references to Himself as bread will become
clear in later chapters.
When Jesus arrived at the house of His friend Lazarus, He found Mary and
Martha mourning the death of their dear brother.
Martha told Jesus she was sure that He could have prevented Lazarus’
death had He been there. Jesus
assured Martha that Lazarus would rise. Martha
agreed that her brother would take part in the resurrection.
Jesus corrected her misunderstanding:
“‘I
am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he die,
shall live; and whoever lives and believes in me, shall never die.
Dost thou believe this?’ She
said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of
God, who hast come into the world.’” [St. John 11:25-27]
Lazarus’ coming forth from the tomb after four days was a foreshadowing
of how God would work His plan of salvation during the church age, the present
age of grace. First, a man is
called by God while he is spiritually dead and bound in sin.
Jesus called, “Lazarus, come forth,” when Lazarus was dead and bound
in burial bandages [St. John 11:43]. Lazarus
heard the call. He responded “Yes,
Lord,” rose, and came out of the tomb still in bondage.
Jesus told them: “Unbind
him, and let him go.” [St. John 11:44] This
is what Jesus does for the sinner when he responds “Yes, Lord.”
He frees the sinner from death and the bondage of sin and the grave and
gives him a new and eternal life.
It is interesting to notice how similar Martha’s confession of Jesus,
“... I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the
world,” as recorded in St. John 11:27 above, is to St. Peter’s, “Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the living God,” as recorded in St. Matthew 16:16.
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The blind men, the Canaanite woman, and Martha all answered, “Yes,
Lord.” The Holy Spirit is in the
world convicting all of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment [St. John
16:8]. As the Jews were encouraged
by John the Baptist, so are we encouraged to turn from our wicked ways and agree
with God that we are sinners and in need of a Savior, the Christ of the New
Testament. Which of us can answer,
“Yes, Lord”? Jesus gives the
answer in St. John 6:44-47:
“No
one can come to me (answer Yes, Lord) unless the Father who sent me draw
him, and I will raise him up on the last day.
It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they all shall be taught of
(by) God.’ Everyone who
has listened to the Father, and has learned, comes to me ... (and) he who
believes in me has life everlasting.”
How are we taught by God today? As
Jesus notes above, “It is written.” He
teaches us through our bible study. We
are also taught during services if we regularly attend a bible-believing,
bible-preaching church. If the
preaching at your church is from some source other than Scripture or if the
preaching contradicts the Scriptures, then you are not in a bible-believing
church! Many Churches and churches
have moved away from teaching Scripture and are instead teaching as doctrines
the traditions of men. They do not
preach the Jesus of the New Testament, but an antichrist! They hide God’s Word from the people. As discussed earlier, this is what the Pharisees had done
which caused Jesus’ righteous wrath in the Temple.
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St. Peter was so concerned that false teachers had and would in the
future continue to malign the gospel that, near the time of his death, he warned
of false doctrines that destroy and pointed to the inerrancy and supremacy of
Scripture, in this case, the writings that one day would be assembled into the
New Testament:
“This,
then, you must understand first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is made by
private interpretation. For not by
will of man was prophecy brought at any time; but holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. But
there were false prophets also among the people, just as among you there will be
lying teachers who will bring in destructive sects (teachings).
They even disown the Lord who bought them, thus bringing upon themselves
swift destruction. And many will follow their wanton conduct, and because of
them the way of truth will be maligned.” [II St. Peter 1:20 - 2:2]
Note carefully what St. Peter is saying.
Believers must guard against those whose teaching departs from the true
gospel. It is important to know the Scripture. It is the responsibility of the believer to determine if the
teaching he is hearing is in accordance with God’s Word.
If it isn’t, he needs to find a new teacher.
Some who argue that it is possible to lose one’s salvation often look
to II St. Peter 2:1 (above) for support: “... there will be lying teachers who
will bring in destructive sects (teachings).
They even disown the Lord who bought them, thus bringing upon themselves
swift destruction.” Viewed out of context and in isolation, it would appear that
this verse does allow for loss of salvation since they definitely were
“bought.” However, as I St.
John 2:2 confirms “and he (Jesus) is a propitiation for our sins (believers),
not for ours only but also for those of the whole world (nonbelievers).”
Thus, Jesus died for all - believers and nonbelievers.
However, only believers accept His payment.
Therefore, St. Peter is not teaching that a believer can lose his or her
salvation, but that nonbelievers preach false gospels and bring upon themselves
swift destruction.
As recorded in the New Testament, Jesus often prefaced His Words with,
“It is written.” Some argue
that Jesus was referring to the Old Testament since the writings that one day
would comprise the New Testament hadn’t yet been written.
This is true. However, note
what St. Peter says in the above citation:
“... no prophecy of Scripture is made by private
interpretation.” [II St. Peter 1:20] While
Jesus was speaking of the Old Testament, St. Peter is not!
He is talking about the writings that he and others wrote that were in
circulation among the churches. In
fact, in II St. Peter 3:16, St. Peter referred to St. Paul’s writings as Scriptures,
as discussed in Chapter One. Moreover,
St. Paul told believers to stand firm on the things they learned by epistles
[see II Thessalonians 2:15]. What
St. Peter and St. Paul are teaching is that believers are to compare what is
being taught with the writings in circulation among the churches. During this time, there were some preaching errors.
Some doing so intentionally and other not.
Apollos provides an excellent example of the latter:
“Now
a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man ...
instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke
and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of
John. So he began to speak boldly
in the synagogue. When Aquila and
Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God
more accurately. And when he
desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to
receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed
through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the
Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” [Acts 18:24-28, NKJV]
Comparing the spoken word to the written Word is precisely what the Jews
failed to do with regard to the Law and the Prophets (Old Testament) that
allowed their corrupted teachers to move them away from God’s Word to the
traditions of men which Jesus condemned!
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One of the major controversies in Christian theological debate concerns
election and predestination, that is, who can come to Jesus. At first glance, verse 44 of St. John, Chapter 6, quoted
above, appears to be a threat to the concept of free will. This idea is repeated in St. John 15:16:
“You
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and have appointed that you should go
and bear fruit ....”
St. Paul brought the “good news” to the Gentiles at Antioch and:
“On
hearing this (the good news) the Gentiles were delighted, and glorified
the word of the Lord, and all who were destined for eternal life
believed.” [Acts 13:48]
St. Paul summarizes important theological insights taught in Scripture:
“For
those whom he has foreknown he has also predestined to become conformed to the
image of his Son, that he should be the firstborn among many brethren.
And those whom he has predestined, them he has also called; and those
whom he has called, them he has also justified, and those whom he has justified,
them he has also glorified.” [Romans 8:29-30]
St. Paul explains in Ephesians 1:5-6:
“He
predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ as his sons, according to the
purpose of his will (His good pleasure), unto the praise of the glory of
his grace, with which he favored us in his beloved Son.”
Finally, St. Paul reveals to believers:
“For
God has not destined us unto wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus
Christ who died for us ....” [I Thessalonians 5:9]
Some are inclined because of these verses to conclude that man does not
have a free will, that whether or not a man believes is determined solely by
God. Others believe in karma or
destiny. However, look again at St.
John 6:45:
“...
Everyone who has listened to the Father, and has learned, comes to
me.”
In verse 45, Jesus affirms that the Holy Spirit of God teaches us through
conviction and that this enables people to accept the truth concerning Jesus and
respond, “Yes, Lord.” Moreover,
it is revealed through God’s Word that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God.” [Romans 10:17] However,
only those who listen and learn will respond, “Yes, Lord.”
The disobedient refuse to listen. They
refuse to learn. Some are so busy
following a false christ, an antichrist taught by a Church, that they refuse to
read the Scripture and therefore cannot “listen to the Father.”
And if they do not listen, they cannot learn. These do not even know the Jesus of the New Testament.
Neither do they know how far from the New Testament the impotent Jesus
their Church preaches is from the all-powerful Christ of the Scripture.
Therefore, these cannot respond, “Yes, Lord.”
Others are enthralled listening to the cacophony of the world.
As revealed in III Kings 19:12, God’s voice is like the “whistling of
a gentle air.” Others simply are
too busy, too involved ministering to the flesh (doing “good works”), or too
concerned with the things of this life to be concerned about where they will
spend eternity. As St. Paul warns
in II Timothy 3:7, some are so busy:
“...
ever learning yet never attaining knowledge of the truth.”
What is the truth? Jesus
revealed the answer:
“...
I am the way, and the truth, and the life ....” [St. John 14:6]
Thus, some, ever learning the useless things of this world that will
perish along with this world, never come to the knowledge of truth, namely, that
the Jesus of the New Testament is the way, the truth, and the life.
This Jesus is the only path. Some
have hardened their hearts against the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
A hardened heart builds up a thick skin like scar tissue.
Over time it becomes less and less likely that the good news of the
gospel of Jesus Christ can penetrate. St.
Paul warns believers:
“Now
the Spirit expressly says that in after times (the time after Jesus’
ascension) some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits
and doctrines of devils, speaking lies hypocritically, and having their
conscience branded (seared with a hot iron).
They will forbid marriage, and will enjoin abstinence from foods, which
God has created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by the faithful and those
who know the truth.” [I Timothy 4:1-3]
As will be learned in Chapter Five, it didn’t take long for these
demonic heresies to take root in many of the local churches.
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The key to understanding the biblical meaning of predestination is
understanding God’s foreknowledge of each of us.
In the first chapter of the book of Jeremias God declared to the prophet:
“Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified
you (set you aside for My purposes); I ordained you a prophet to
the nations.” [Jeremias 1:5]
Since God is sovereign and all-knowing, He knew before the foundation of
the world who would say “Yes, Lord” and who would not.
While a man is in this world carrying out his free will, God was
in heaven knowing the man’s end even before He created him.
So from God’s perspective, one’s answer to Jesus appears to be
predestined [see Ephesians 1:5]. From the man’s point of view, however, it is not.
It is somewhat like viewing “an instant replay.”
The runner is free to run right or left before the play is videotaped.
However, on the replay, he must run the same way he did originally.
Nevertheless, he had a free will and he exercised it in executing the
run. One may hear the gospel one
hundred times and reject it. However, he has the
free will to accept it at the one-hundred-and-first hearing!
Our God is a God of more than just second chances!
Moreover, God’s will is for all to come to eternal life through
Jesus and this is what has delayed Jesus’ return.
As St. Peter explains:
“The
Lord does not delay in his promises (to return), but for your sake is
long-suffering, not wishing that any should perish but that all should
turn to repentance.” [II St. Peter 3:9]
Thus, no one will be in hell because God predestined him to go there.
Everyone who enters hell will do by his own choice and against God’s
will [St. John 3:16]. Because God foreknew who would accept His free offer of
salvation and say, “Yes, Lord,” He made sure the gospel message was gotten
to him. This is the biblical
meaning of predestination.
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The Roman Catholic Bible describes what happens to the man and woman who
accept the Jesus of the New Testament as Lord and Savior.
As St. Paul teaches in Galatians 5:24:
“And
they who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and
desires.”
St. Paul is not speaking literally, of course.
Rather, he is explaining that a decision to accept Jesus is at the same
time a decision to reject those desires of the flesh that God has labeled sin.
Therefore, believers need not automatically respond to their sin natures when
tempted, as they did when they were in bondage to sin, before the Son “made
them free.” [St. John 8:36] It
should be understood, of course, that not everything of the flesh is sin.
In Chapter 4 of Ephesians, St. Paul instructs believers further,
encouraging them to no longer walk as those who are unsaved, chasing the
worthless pleasures of this world, giving in to lewdness, and working all manner
of unclean acts. St. Paul
emphasizes that such things are not learned by hearing of Christ.
Rather, St. Paul exhorts:
“...
as regards your former manner of life (walking in sin) you are to put off
the old man, which is being corrupted through its deceptive lusts.
But be renewed in the spirit of your mind (your attitude), and put
on the new man, which has been created according to God in justice and holiness
of truth.” [Ephesians 4:22-24]
St. Paul is explaining that the believer did not come to know Jesus
through his flesh, the flesh representing the old man which is being corrupted
by chasing after the things of this world which appear good but which, in the
end, result in death. That is why
such things are deceptive. Rather,
the believer came to know Jesus through a renewed mind which leads to changes in
one’s thinking and attitudes. The
believer no longer looks at the world the same way after his spirit has been
regenerated and his mind renewed. For
example, most among the unsaved would agree that murder is wrong.
Even most flesh can come to grips with this truth.
However, many would argue where to draw the line between what is a sin
and what is not. Some would draw it
at adultery, fornication, legalization of prostitution (which is already legal
in more than half the counties in Nevada), abortion, parental consent for an
abortion for a minor, sexual relations between adults and children, bisexuality,
homosexuality (as of July 2000, homosexual marriages are recognized as “civil
unions” in Vermont), or the legalization of drugs.
The inability to distinguish between right and wrong is a characteristic
God’s Word calls a reprobate mind [Romans 1:28, KJV].
Since the unsaved reject God’s standards presented in the Scripture,
they consider totally irrelevant factors in determining morality.
Some consider things like “mutual
consent” to be important while others consider answers to questions
like “Whom does it hurt?”
Some can’t even understand that a Boy Scout who advertises his
homosexuality is going to come into conflict with the organization and the Scout
pledge to “keep myself morally straight.”
At one time people understood this to mean no sex outside of marriage,
homosexual or otherwise. It is only
with a reborn spirit that a man has eyes to see and ears to hear and a renewed
mind by which he can understand that what God calls sin is sin regardless
of mutual consent among participants or whom it may or may not hurt.
God knows sin always hurts us and often others.
This is why He gives us standards to live by, for our protection and
happiness, not to spoil our fun. Again,
one result of a reborn spirit is a reorientation of one’s thinking and
attitudes. Two of my father’s
favorite words to me were “perspective” and “attitude.”
What he taught me as a child prepared me to readily accept God’s Word
that we must adopt His perspective and attitude.
St. Paul reiterates that the believer is a new creation:
“If
then any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:
for the former things have passed away; behold, they are made new.” [II
Corinthians 5:17]
Moreover, St. Paul confirms that:
“He
has rescued us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of
his beloved Son.” [Colossians 1:13]
Thus, believers do not inhabit the same dimension as nonbelievers!
As early as the second century, Christians came to be called the “third
race,” neither Jewish nor pagan, but a community apart. 2 Their
lives and conduct were radically different from those of both pagans and Jews.
These early Christians truly were “not conformed” to the world.
Believers are Christ’s representatives on earth.
As His ambassadors, we are to live our lives in a Christ-like manner [II
Corinthians 5:20].
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St. Paul addresses in Chapter 6 of the book of Romans an old and
still-heard allegation. After
preaching that where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds even more, some alleged
that believers were free to sin with impunity so that God’s grace would flow
even more abundantly. Also, some
who claimed to be believers, but were not, spread the lie that the more
they sinned, the more grace God would bestow on them.
St. Paul takes up this heresy in rhetorical fashion in Romans 6:1-10:
“What
then shall we say? Shall we (believers)
continue in sin that grace may abound? By
no means! For how shall we who are
dead to sin still live in it? Do
you not know that all we who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been
baptized into his death? For we are
buried with him by means of Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ
has risen from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we may also walk in
newness of life. For if we have
been united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be so in the
likeness of his resurrection also. For
we know that our old self has been crucified with him, in order that the body of
sin may be destroyed, that we may no longer be slaves to sin; for he who is dead
is acquitted of sin. But if we have
died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live together with Christ; for
we know that Christ, having risen from the dead, dies now no more, death shall
no longer have dominion over him. For
the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives,
he lives unto God.”
In referring to believers being dead to sin, St. Paul is expressing the
fact that believers are no longer slaves to sin.
Jesus taught that everyone who is living in sin is a slave to sin.
He went on to say, as recorded in St. John 8:36, “If therefore the Son
makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
Therefore, the believer is free from the bondage of habitual sin.
That is why St. Paul asks rhetorically how one who is dead to sin can
live in it? For example, if an
alcoholic repents and is treated for his addiction by Jesus, he will be made
free and will no longer want to return to a life of alcoholism.
How can the alcoholic stay away from liquor day after day?
Without Jesus in his life, it would be difficult if not impossible.
Jesus says the believer is to “... deny himself, and take up his cross
daily ....” The cross is a symbol
of the believer’s death but only for his flesh.
If he picks up his cross daily, then he dies daily to the sinful desires
of his flesh, as St. Paul affirms he himself does in I Corinthians 15:31.
Prior to the Holy Spirit coming into his life, the alcoholic was like the
proverbial dog that returned to his vomit [see II St. Peter 2:22].
St. Paul points out that he who is dead to sin, namely the old
man, is acquitted of sin. Moreover,
he makes it clear in the above citation that the believer’s baptism is
symbolic of Jesus’ burial and resurrection.
That is why when one is baptized in a bible-believing church, one is
completely immersed, as in being buried. Also,
public baptism clearly identifies the one being baptized as a follower of the
New Testament Jesus. The one doing
the baptizing asks the one to be baptized if he or she has accepted Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior. After receiving
an affirmative answer, acknowledging Jesus before men [St. Matthew 10:32], the
baptizer says: “I baptize you, my
brother (sister) in Christ, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.” As the
immersion takes place, the baptizer continues:
“In the name of Jesus, buried in the likeness of His death, raised in
the likeness of His resurrection.” Baptisms
take place with the congregation present so that the new believer can be
welcomed into the body of Christ, the local church.
Going beneath the water symbolizes the burial of the old man, the sinner
who is now dead. Coming up out of
the water represents the birth of the new man who, like Christ, is rising to new
life. Since we are united with
Christ, we know that our old man was crucified with Him and we are dead in our
flesh to sin but alive in our spirits and minds to God.
St. Paul continues his exhortation of new believers in Chapter 4 of
Ephesians. He instructs them to put
away lying and speak the truth; to not let their anger get control of them and
lead them to sin, thus giving the devil a foothold in their lives; to stop
stealing; to stop speaking ill of others; to remove all bitterness and wrath
from their hearts:
“On
the contrary, be kind to one another, and merciful, generously forgiving one
another, as also God in Christ has generously forgiven you.
Be you, therefore, imitators of God, as very dear children and walk in
love, as Christ also loved us and delivered himself up for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God to ascend in fragrant odor.” [Ephesians 4:32-5:2]
What should be appreciated here is that St. Paul is instructing new
converts. These are the same
who before their conversions unwittingly walked in the darkness of this world,
fulfilling the lusts of their flesh. Thus,
as recent converts, they needed instruction on how to walk in the Spirit. New converts, through the power of the Holy Spirit, begin
putting off the old man and putting on the new.
As they learn to crucify (deny) their flesh in its will to sin, their
spirits become more attuned to the “whistling of a gentle air,” as the noise
of the world is subdued and the Holy Spirit speaks to their reborn spirits [III
Kings 19:12]. While the acceptance
of Jesus as Lord and Savior, the promise of salvation, and the sealing by the
Holy Spirit are instantaneous and simultaneous, knowing how to put off the flesh
and walk in the Spirit as a new creation is not [see Galatians 5:16 and 5:25].
As an aside, it is interesting to notice in the citation above that
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is described as ascending in a fragrant odor.
This contrasts sharply with God’s condemnation of the burning of
incense to Him:
“Offer
sacrifice no more in vain: incense
is an abomination to me.” [Isaias 1:13]
The Pharisees hid God’s Word from the people so they could sell them
incense to burn in their synagogues. In
Isaias 66:3, God clearly ties the burning of incense to idolatry:
“...
he that remembereth incense, as if he should bless an idol.”
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Some refuse to answer, “Yes, Lord,” because they mistakenly believe
that they have to “clean up their act” before they can come to Jesus.
This is another of Satan’s lies. There
is not one word of Scripture that supports this notion. In fact, there is verse after verse that invalidates such a
claim. The repentant robber on the
cross next to Jesus didn’t have time to straighten out his life before coming
to Jesus. Saul was on the road to
Damascus not to clean up his act, but to kill more followers of the Way,
believers. Moreover, it is only after
coming to Jesus that our lives can be straightened out through the
indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus
said, “... without me you can do nothing.” [St. John 15:5]
Many refuse to answer, “Yes, Lord,” because they’re afraid if they
do some “goody two-shoes” calling himself a Christian and wearing the Law on
the tip of his unceasingly condemning and self-righteous tongue will approach
with a list of 126 “really fun” things they can’t do anymore.
But that’s not the way it works. Believers
have been in their shoes. They understand that it is God who changes people -
not a list of prohibitions - and He does it from the inside out.
Man makes only cosmetic changes. Moreover,
these internal changes which result in external manifestations that can be seen
by others come about slowly, one at a time.
God does not set about to correct a lifetime of sin overnight.
Jesus neither condemned sinners nor did He come into the world to do so.
Jesus said that he who does not believe in the Son of God is already
condemned [St. John 3:18]. Therefore,
there is no further condemnation. If
you are following any “Son of God” other than the one prophesied in the Old
Testament and fulfilled in the New, then you do not believe in the Son of God
and you are on a path to hell!
If you consider yourself to be a Christian and see someone drinking a
beer and decide to witness to him, please don’t say, “Hey. Don’t you know that drinking that beer is going to send you
to hell?” That’s not the gospel
of the Jesus Christ of the New Testament! As
already discussed, no one is or will be in hell for drinking beer or anything
else. All are there for the same
reason: disbelief in the Jesus of
the New Testament [see St. John 16:9].
Some refuse to answer, “Yes, Lord,” because they understand only too
well that having a reborn spirit and renewed mind do not fit with the lifestyle
they’ve been leading and wish to continue.
They’ve seen changes in believers’ lives. They understand that the believer dies to his own desires and
walks in the will of the Father, but certainly not without stumbling from time
to time. They are not willing to
submit. They don’t want to give
up their sin. Some are not willing
to part with their pornography collections.
“I have every issue of Playboy going back to the first,” they
explain. “Do you know what
that’s worth?”
I don’t know the dollar value. However,
I believe any fair appraiser would establish a dollar value certainly no greater
than the dollar value of the whole world. While Jesus didn’t address directly the monetary value of a
stack of magazines, He did ask, “For
what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of
his own soul?” [St. Mark 8:36] “Yes,”
I reply, “I know what you believe your collection is worth - your soul.”
Others don’t want to part with their “fast-lane” lifestyles, or
their promiscuous sex lives, or other things which God’s Word calls sin. Some make the mistake of estimating whether they could
give up the sin that is holding them back from answering, “Yes, Lord.”
Many conclude - rightly - that they could not.
However, what they fail to account for in their assessments is that no
believer has ever given up these things in his own power.
That’s why Jesus invites us to:
“Come
to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of
heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” [St. Matthew 11:28-30]
The believer is attacked by the world, the flesh, and the devil every
single day. His soul tires from the
constant war between the desires of his flesh that dwell in his members and his
renewed mind [Romans 7:23]. Jesus
characterized this fight as labor for the burdened soul.
He invites us to take up his yoke which is light.
That is, rest in Him as the branches rest in the vine [see St. John
15:5]. Let Jesus take the lead and
your burden. The yoke couples two
together. Where one goes, the other
follows. Learn from Him which way
to go by listening to the Holy Spirit within. Jesus promises this will make your burden light.
St. Paul instructs believers:
“And
do not be drunk with wine ... but be filled with the Spirit ....” [Ephesians
5:18]
In comparing wine with the Spirit, St. Paul is teaching that both have
similar control over one’s life. Both
lower inhibitions: submit yourself
to the Spirit, not to wine, and you will walk in the will of God.
The flesh desires wine just as a renewed mind and reborn spirit desire to
be controlled by the Holy Spirit. The
effect of the wine will wear off and another drink will be required. It
is likewise with the Spirit. Each
day the believer must ask the Spirit to help him walk in submission.
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There are those who pretend to accept Jesus but do not. St. Paul gives those who call themselves believers a test to
use to determine the veracity of their acceptance:
“But
immorality and every uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among
you, as becomes saints; or obscenity or foolish talk or scurrility, which are
out of place; but rather (make) thanksgiving.
For know this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or
covetous one (for that is idolatry) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and God. Let no one lead you astray
with empty words; for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the
children of disobedience.” [Ephesians 5:3-6]
How
do we know St. Paul is not talking about a believer who has lost his salvation?
Because he calls such fornicators and unclean persons “children of
disobedience.” As discussed
earlier, this is a biblical term for the unsaved.
What St. Paul is teaching here is that if
you are living for the pleasures of this world, in habitual sin, then you
are not born again and you have no salvation.
St. Peter instructs believers to:
“...
love one another heartily and intensely. For
you have been reborn, not from corruptible seed but from incorruptible, through
the word of God who lives and abides forever.” [I St. Peter 1:22-23]
Another test for self-assessment is found in Hebrews 12:6-8, wherein St.
Paul reveals:
“For
whom the Lord loves, he chastises; and he scourges every son whom he receives.
Continue under discipline. God
deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not
correct? But if you are without
discipline, in which all (believers) have had a share, then you
are illegitimate children and not sons.”
As has been discussed, being born again in not a license to sin.
In fact, to live in the flesh after having been reborn is an invitation
for God’s chastisement. A changed life which exhibits good works made ready by God,
as promised in Ephesians 2:10, is evidence of a reborn spirit.
If a believer continues to lead a life of sin in spite of God’s
chastisement, the Father, in His mercy, may call His child home.
This is called “sinning unto death” [see I St. John 5:16-17].
Some try to fool men into believing that they are born again.
Others try to fool God. Some
fool only themselves. These are
addressed by Jesus, as recorded in St. Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he who does the will of my Father in heaven shall enter the kingdom
of heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and work many miracles in
thy name?’ And then I will
declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart
from me, you workers of iniquity.’”
Note that Jesus does not argue with their claims.
As revealed many places in Scripture, God can and does use evil men to
accomplish His good pleasure [see Romans 8:28].
Moreover, in casting out devils (demons), it is not the power of the
exorcist the demons fear but the name and power of the Jesus of the New
Testament. However, as Jesus said, heaven is reserved for those who do
the will of the Father. And what is
the will of the Father?
“For
this is the will of my Father who sent me, that whoever beholds the Son, and
believes in him, shall have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the
last day.” [St. John 6:40]
We only have one way to behold the Son of the Scriptures and that is by
reading them.
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Following one’s death, the Master will say one of two things:
“Well
done, good and faithful servant,” [St. Matthew 25:21]
or
“I
never knew you. Depart from me.”
[St. Matthew 7:23]
These two statements form
the basis for what believers call a personal relationship with the Jesus of the
New Testament. Either you have it
or you don’t! There’s no middle
ground. You can’t develop it in
the next life. While you may know
Him, or at least think you know Him, if you are not obeying the will of the
Father, by believing in the Jesus of the Scriptures, then Jesus, by His own
Word, maintains He doesn’t know you. Remember,
too, that we are to do the work of God:
“This
is the work of God, that you believe in him (Jesus) whom he (God)
has sent.” [St. John 6:29]
Thus, it is both the will of God and the work of God that
we believe, that is, trust in the Christ of the New Testament.
Most will not. Most will
look to a different Jesus, others to their Church or church for salvation.
All such paths lead to the same place!
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How can the believer preserve his “saved” status after he has
repented of his sins and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior?
He cannot. However, God can
and does. This is called
preservation of the saints. Jesus
promised no one could snatch His sheep from His hand [St. John 10:28]. St. Paul confirms in Philippians 1:6:
“...
he (God) who has begun a good work in you will bring it to perfection
until the day of Jesus Christ (Christ’s return).”
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If the believer is not growing, he is backsliding. St. Peter exhorts believers to:
“... grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ.” [II St. Peter 3:18] How
does the believer grow in grace? Through
reading the Scriptures [see II Timothy 3:16-17]; hearing God’s Word from
pastors and teachers [see Ephesians 4:11-12]; enduring trials (suffering)
through His grace [see I St. Peter 2:19]; and by being filled with the Holy
Spirit of God, as discussed above. Being
filled with the Spirit is not a matter of how much of the Holy Spirit the
believer has. Every believer has
the same amount of the Holy Spirit and this cannot change.
Rather, being filled with the Spirit refers to how much of the believer
the Holy Spirit has, how much control over the believer’s life.
Is the believer asking the Spirit to control his thoughts and actions
every day, as he should? How does one stay filled with the Spirit day after day?
This can only be accomplished by speaking in psalms, singing hymns, and
giving thanks to the Lord always and for all things, day by day [see Ephesians
5:19-20]. An excellent book for
those already mature in their Christian walk which reveals from Scripture how to
allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life is:
“How On Earth Can I Be Spiritual?,” by Dr. C. Sumner Wemp published
by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, 1978.
Limited copies are available from Dr. Wemp for a nominal charge of $10.00
plus $1.50 for shipping and handling. Visit
his website at Sumnerwemp.com or write Dr. Wemp at 10005 Chimney Hill Lane,
Dallas Texas 75243. Don’t let the
doctor’s name mislead you. His
book is about releasing the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.
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Believers are told to be submissive to the will of God; to government
authorities; to those in authority over them, such as bosses; wives to their
husbands; children to parents; and, finally, even one to another [Ephesians
5:21].
The word submissive is sometimes misunderstood, particularly in today’s
parlance. It is often thought of as
“being less or not equal.” However,
is this true? No.
Jesus made it clear that He was in submission to the Father.
He had come to do the will of the Father.
Now certainly God the Son is in every way no less than the Father.
Jesus answered any question about this in His statement “... he who
sees me sees also the Father ....” [St. John 14:9]
Therefore, it can be concluded that being in submission does not imply
inferiority.
But how can submission be accomplished when man is a rebel by nature?
St. Paul answers:
“And
do not be drunk with wine, for in that is debauchery (sins of the flesh);
but be filled with the Spirit.” [Ephesians 5:18]
Thus, a believer who is walking in submission to the Spirit will be
controlled by the Holy Spirit and, therefore, submissive.
St. Paul provides an excellent example, as recorded by St. Luke in Acts
16:1-10. St. Paul purposed to take
Timothy and Silas with him to preach in the region of Galatia.
However, the Holy Spirit forbad them to preach the Word in Asia at that
time. St. Paul then decided they
would go preach in Bithynia, a costal province in northwestern Asia Minor.
However, the Holy Spirit turned them around and sent them to Philippi to
preach the gospel there and many were saved.
St. James argues in his epistle that while we cannot see a
person’s faith, we can see the results of that faith, in this instance,
a submissive spirit. We are told in
God’s Word to follow our Master’s example.
Jesus was submissive to the will of the Father even unto death. He never failed to pay taxes.
He never called for the abolition of taxes. He never told slaves to revolt against their masters.
He never advocated the overthrow of the occupying Roman army.
Therefore, when the media report that some so-called Christian
fundamentalist group is responsible for blowing up a government building, do not
be fooled. Contrary to what the
criminals and media might claim, they are not believers.
Jesus never taught rebellion against authority.
One of the marks of a believer is submissiveness.
While we all give in to the devil’s prompting to rebel from time to
time, rebellion is not a way of life for the believer.
Believers are allowed to appeal to those in authority over them.
Daniel did this successfully, as recorded in Daniel 1:8-16.
The king’s order was that the captive Daniel eat meat from the king’s
table. This presented a problem
since the meat had been offered to a false god.
Daniel did not rebel. He did
not insist on his “rights.” He
did not initiate a strike or sit-in. Rather,
he explained to his Babylonian superior that while he was in submission to him
and the king, he had to follow a higher law, the law of his God.
Jesus appealed to the Father to “... let this cup pass away from me
...” as recorded in St. Matthew 26:39. However,
Jesus ended His prayer by asking that the will of the Father be done, rather
than His own.
Jesus sometimes is criticized for not having condemned slavery, the
ownership of one individual by another. Some
feel that He should have encouraged slaves to turn against their masters.
It should be understood, however, that Jesus came to free all slaves,
free and bond-servant, from the same cruel master:
sin. Jesus’ words were spiritual, not corporal.
Jesus told His followers:
“And
do not be afraid of those who kill the body (slave owners, Romans, etc.)
but cannot kill the soul. But
rather be afraid of him (God) who is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell (eternal damnation).” [St. Matthew 10:28]
Had Jesus initiated a mission concerning freedom for slaves through
physical violence, many would have been caught up in the fray to free their
bodies at the cost of their souls. The
people could not have comprehend or embraced two mutually exclusive ideas:
(1) love your enemies, which presumably would apply to many if not all
slave owners; and (2) rebel against them, kill them if necessary.
Is slavery wrong? Yes. Have some
who called themselves Christian defended slavery by twisting selected verses
from the bible? Yes. However, the Word of God is clear on this matter:
“There
is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor freeman … For you are all
one in Christ Jesus.” [Galatians3:28]
St. Peter exhorts:
“...
And all of you practice humility towards one another ....” [I St. Peter 5:5]
Even today, Jesus frees the slaves who answer His call. He regenerates their dead spirits, seals them with the Holy
Spirit for the day of their redemption, renews their minds, and gives them
eternal life. The very message of
Jesus contains an ethic of love which stands in direct opposition to any
supposed justification of slavery.
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One thing should be clear by now. A
believer is to know that he or she has eternal life.
Twenty-two of the New Testament’s twenty-seven books speak of eternal
life in one way or another, e.g., everlasting life, kingdom of heaven, kingdom
of God, salvation, justification, etc. Jesus’
promise of eternal life to believers is recorded in all four gospels [St.
Matthew 19:29; St. Mark 10:30; St. Luke 18:30; and St. John 10:28].
The Jesus of the New Testament promises everlasting life to those who
follow Him:
“My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.
And I give them everlasting life; and they shall never perish; neither
shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.” [St. John 10:27-28]
Jesus is so adamant about His promise of eternal life that He makes a
double promise: (1) And I give them
everlasting life, and (2) they shall never perish.
To never perish is to have everlasting life!
Then, to make sure the point is understood, He adds that no one - and
this includes Satan - can snatch them out of His hand.
The prophet reveals God’s position:
“And
from the beginning I am the same, and there is none that can deliver out of my
hand: I will work, and who shall
turn it away?” [Isaias 43:13]
These and many other verses in the Roman Catholic Bible just do not allow
for the possibility of losing that life after it has been given.
This fact should be viewed as another argument against the notion of
anyone earning any part of his salvation. It
is universal in man’s experience that what he gains, he can lose.
Not so with a gift from God!
Some at the church in Thessalonica were grieved because their loved ones
had died and they were afraid that these would miss Jesus’ promised return and
the opportunity to enter into the kingdom.
St. Paul corrected their misunderstanding, as recorded in Chapter 4 of I
Thessalonians. He assured them that
their departed loved ones were already with the Lord and that soon they, too,
would be with the Lord. Moreover,
he told them to comfort one another with this assurance [see I
Thessalonians 4:18]. There can be
no comfort in the words, “you may go to heaven when you die.”
Neither is there comfort in the idea of going to purgatory for some
incalculable period of time.
As St. Paul neared the end of his life, he told young protégée,
Timothy:
“...
there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just Judge, will
give to me in that day ....” [II Timothy 4:8]
St. Peter, too, was no less certain about his eternal future:
“...
I, your fellow-presbyter (elder) and witness (Apostle) of the
sufferings of Christ, the partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed in
time to come (kingdom of God/heaven) ....” [I St. Peter 5:1]
St. Jude spoke of his and others’ “common salvation,” as recorded
in St. Jude 3. Thus, St. Paul, St.
Peter, and St. Jude certainly had no doubts concerning their eternal destinies.
And for good reason. There
is no teaching by Jesus or His disciples recorded in the Roman Catholic Bible
that states, implies, or even allows for the possibility that one could lose his
salvation. The Scriptures make clear that the reason he cannot lose it
is because he did not earn it. It
was a gift from God with absolutely no merit on his part.
Therefore, the only way one could lose his salvation would be for God to
take it back. However, the prophet reveals:
“For
I am the Lord and I change not ....” [Malachias 3:6]
God does not change His mind. He
does not give eternal life one day and rescind it the next.
Unlike us, God is not double-minded [St. James 1:8].
He does all His good pleasure. Moreover,
God instituted marriage to be binding until death, not binding one day and not
the next. Is it possible that the
Creator of the universe intends His promise of eternal life to be less binding
than the man’s promise to the woman in the marriage ceremony?
Hardly. Jesus reassures us
in St. Luke 12:32:
“‘Do
not be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the
kingdom.’”
Note the word give in the above citation.
Thus, once God justifies the sinner, the promise of eternal life is made
and the seal of the Holy Spirit is down payment of later fulfillment.
Moreover, the believer is also glorified at this same time.
St. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:30:
“And
those whom he has predestined, them he has also called; and those whom he has
called, them he has also justified, and those whom he has justified, them he has
also glorified.”
To “glorify” means to magnify God through praising His name and
honoring His commandments [Psalms 85 (86):12].
Thus, those who are saved magnify God.
If one can lose one’s salvation, then what is God to do with the fact
that, according to His Word, He has already glorified that one, that is,
magnified Himself in that believer? There
is no answer. The question is
rhetorical. Its purpose is simply
to point out the absurdity of any teaching that one can lose his or her
salvation.
Finally, St. Paul assures believers:
“For
the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” [Romans 11:29, NKJV]
Believers are not to have any doubts about their eternal future.
Either we believe Jesus was and is whom He said, as recorded in the New
Testament and not diminished by some Church’s teaching based on ex-Scriptural
revelations, or we do not. If we believe Him when He says we have all sinned; that He is
God in human flesh; that He was sent by the Father to seek and to save those who
are lost and give His life as a ransom for many; and that He died, was buried,
and rose bodily from the dead, then we must believe, too, that He has the
authority to grant everlasting life to His followers.
There simply is no other choice. Study
Philippians 4:3 and Apocalypse 20:15.
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God’s Word assures believers:
“For
as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made to live.” [I Corinthians
15:22]
Notice the wording carefully. Sinners
are brought back to life by Christ, not by a Church or some sacramental
salvation system. The disobedient
have always segmented what they believe about the Christ.
Some believe Jesus was a philosopher who preached love.
Others believe Jesus was a created being, not the Son of God.
Some believe Jesus died on the cross but did not rise from the dead
bodily, but only in spirit. Too
many believe that Jesus’ death on the cross did not pay their full debt for
sin and that there is an unpaid balance owed.
Some believe Jesus lied on the cross when He called out “it is
consummated,” finished, referring to the work of salvation [see St.
John 19:30]. The Greek word Jesus
called out was “Tetelestai.” This
word was used in economic transactions and was well known to all.
It meant “paid in full.” We
use the same concept today. One may
make a down payment, buy on lay-away, installment plan, or interest payments. None of these pays the full bill with a single payment.
Only when one pays the full amount owed does one get a receipt from the
merchant marked “paid” which is shorthand in today’s business lexicon for
“paid in full.” Jesus’ death
on the cross at Golgotha was not a down payment, a lay-away payment, an
installment payment, or an interest payment.
The Jesus of the New Testament, the Christ paid it all on that old rugged
cross. There is no “balance
due,” not one penny, not one prayer. This
is why St. Paul and St. Peter referred to believers as “bought,” past tense,
a finished transaction, rather than a purchase in progress [see I Corinthians
6:20 and 7:23; and II St. Peter 2:1], which is what sacramental salvation
systems teach.
Some acknowledge Jesus’ turning water into wine, healing the lame, and
causing the blind to see. Some even
believe Jesus raised the dead. However,
some who believe all these miraculous things about Jesus’ ministry, recorded
in the Scripture, deny His authority to grant eternal life and preserve the
believer, recorded in that same
Scripture. However, Jesus assures
us again in St. Matthew 19:29:
“And
everyone who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or
wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold,
and shall possess life everlasting.”
What would it mean if one encountered a god whose word could not be
trusted? The obvious answer is that
if we cannot believe the Jesus of the New Testament when He promised eternal
life, then there would be no basis upon which to believe the other things He
taught! If we cannot believe the
veracity of Scripture wherein Jesus promises eternal life to His sheep, then
there is no basis for believing He established a church or empowered His
followers with the “Great Commission” to make disciples of all nations [St.
Matthew 28:19].
St. Paul warned against false teachers who would preach a form of
godliness but deny its power to justify the sinner, sanctify, preserve, and save
him. He directs us: “Avoid these.” [II Timothy 3:1-5] St. Paul expresses his attitude toward such false teachers:
“But
even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you other than that
which we have preached to you, let him be anathema!
As we have said before, so now I say again:
If anyone preach a gospel to you other than that which you have received,
let him be anathema!” [Galatians 1:8-9]
Based on the above analysis, it is clear that the Roman Catholic Bible
faithfully presents the complete gospel message:
“...
from thy infancy thou hast known the Sacred Writings, which are able to instruct
thee unto salvation by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproving,
for correction, for instructing in justice; that the man of God may be perfect (complete),
equipped for every good work.” [II Timothy 3:15-16]
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Proceed to Chapter 5
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