In the last two blog entries I have discussed in detail specifically what God says WILL NOT ENTER and live in His Eternal Kingdom; (Should We Really Be Crying out Maranatha?) http://discipleshipsuccess.blogspot.com/2012/01/should-we-really-cry-out.html
Almighty God is stunningly detailed and very specific about the characteristics, attitudes, behaviors and lifestyles which He will not allow to dwell in The Eternal Kingdom of Heaven. As I said, it is the duty of every person who calls themselves a believer to examine the list carefully, and if any of their desires, attitudes, behaviors and lifestyles, fit into the list of what God says will not enter, then we need to take God seriously and repent.
“GOD SAYS WHAT HE MEANS AND MEANS WHAT HE SAYS. THE WISE PERSON IS THE ONE WHO LISTENS CAREFULLY, WHO TRULY TAKES ALMIGHTY GOD SERIOUSLY, AND CHOOSES TO WALK ACCORDINGLY. EVERYTHING LESS IS FOOLISHNESS; GOD SAVE US FROM ALL FOOLISHNESS.”
In the blog entry just prior to this one, I discussed what God through Scripture says WILL ENTER into the kingdom of God. That's because true Biblical Repentance is in fact, a two phase process which involves internally and externally TURNING AWAY from certain things, and then internally and externally TURNING TOWARD some other specific things. So true repentance is turning away from what God says will not enter His Kingdom, and effectually turning toward what will enter God's eternal kingdom. Unless we do both effectively, then we have not truly repented. (What WILL Dwell into the Kingdom of God?)
http://discipleshipsuccess.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-will-dwell-into-kingdom-of-god.html?spref=fb
Once again, we saw in this study that Almighty God is stunningly specific about the desires; attitudes, behaviors, characteristics, and lifestyles which HE says MUST be developed and grown into us if we are to be certain of entering into and dwelling into God's Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. What's even more surprising to many believers is the indisputable fact that many of these characteristics which God says must be developed and grown into us, in order for us to have a guarantee of dwelling in His Kingdom, are not given to us automatically upon receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, according to Scripture. That is a shocker to many people, but even according to the New Testament, these characteristics are not automatically given to us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In fact more than once in the New Testament God gives us specific characteristics and behaviors which He guarantees to accept and welcome into His presence. In every single instance when He gives a guarantee of the characteristics attitudes and behaviors that he will accept into His Kingdom, it is surrounded by the words, "Therefore apply all your diligence, or "In light of these, make every effort…”
Over and over again God tells us to make every effort to do certain things and to avoid other things
· We are told to make every effort to enter through the narrow gate before time runs out (Luke 13:24).
· We are told to make every effort to make peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ before bringing our gifts and offerings to the Lord (Luke 12:58).
· We are told to make every effort to choose and to do what leads to peace and mutual building up of one another (Romans 14:19).
· We are told to make every effort to take hold of that for which Jesus Christ took hold of us (Philippians 3:12)
· We are told to make every effort to present ourselves as a faithful steward who rightly divides the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
· We are told to make every effort to enter into the eternal Sabbath rest of the Lord (Hebrews 4:11).
· We are told to make every effort to continually grow in our faith, in goodness, in godly knowledge, in self-control, in endurance, in godliness, in brotherly affection, and finally we are to continually grow in godly love. 2 Peter 1:5-7. If we make every effort to grow and develop in these qualities it will guarantee that we will not stumble. It will guarantee that we will not become barren or unfruitful in our knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. It will guarantee our entrance into the kingdom of heaven (2 Peter 1:5-11).
These are only the verses where we are expressly told to, "Make every effort" to do certain things. There are many other verses that tell us to "put on" certain characteristics, or other ones that tell us to "take off,” cast-off, flee, and "abstain" from certain other characteristics attitudes, and behaviors. These are overwhelmingly present throughout the so-called New Testament of Holy Scripture.
What's amazing to me is how many people literally freak out whenever we have a serious talk about obeying God's Instructions and Commands even in the New Testament of Holy Scripture.
Based on everything that I personally have seen, heard, read, and even experienced myself in churches, I believe that modern theology has perverted and changed God's Biblical definition of Grace to such a degree, that people are beginning to view almost any real effort to obey God and follow His Instructions as though it were actually a sin instead of righteousness. In other words, based on all I’ve seen, it is evident that people are beginning to believe that putting in any actual effort into doing what Scripture says is beginning to be viewed as though it were wrong, as though somehow putting an effort to obey God is the equivalent of denying His Grace and what He did through Jesus Christ. We are literally beginning to treat spiritual laziness as though it were a virtue and treating putting in effort as though it were a sin. Talk about calling evil good and good evil. Here is a very simple, very crucial, inconvenient, and often neglected set of Truths:
ALMIGHTY GOD IS NOT SCHIZOID!
THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD WERE BOTH GIVEN BY THE SAME ETERNAL, UNCHANGING, ALMIGHTY GOD
GOD CANNOT DENY OR CONTRADICT HIMSELF.
(2 Timothy 2:13)
THEREFORE.
GOD'S COMMANDMENTS CANNOT DENY CONTRADICT OR REFUTE GOD’S TRUE GRACE.
LIKEWISE, GOD'S TRUE GRACE CANNOT REFUTE, CONTRADICT OR DENY GOD'S COMMANDMENTS.
OBEYING GOD'S WRITTEN WORD IS NOT A SIN.
PUTTING FORTH EFFORT TO FOLLOW GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS IS NOT A SIN.
CHOOSING TO PUT FORTH EFFORT TO OBEY GOD'S COMMANDMENTS AND FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS CANNOT DENY, CONTRADICT, OR CUT US OFF FROM THE GRACE OF GOD.
ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS GOD'S TRUE GRACE THAT GIVES US THE WILLINGNESS, ABILITY AND POWER TO OBEY GOD IN THE FIRST PLACE.
It sounds ridiculous that we are forced to make such bold statements like these, but there is actually a school of thought that is teaching that if we put forth any real effort to actually do what the Scriptures command us to do, then we are no longer living in God's grace, because that theory assumes that we are now trying to become righteous by our own effort, simply because we are trying to obey God. Let me be abundantly clear, such a theological theory is FALSE DOCTRINE. Ignoring and disobeying God's Standards, Commandments, and Instructions does not prove that you believe and trust in God's Grace. On the contrary, disobeying God only goes to prove that in that particular area of your life where you are violating His instructions, you do not truly believe God enough to obey Him. Disobeying God's Word did not suddenly become a virtue after Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again. In reality , obeying God and following His Instruction is the true sign that we truly love and believe Him).
We Are Saved by Grace, Through Faith, but What Is Grace, and faith as God Defines those Terms?
No doubt you will say to me, we are saved by grace and not by our works. Okay, great. You have read and apparently believe Ephesians 2:8-10. It's true, I believe it too. We are saved by Grace through what Jesus Christ did on the cross, in His Death and Resurrection, and the Righteousness that Almighty God imputes to us because we believe His Son. That's what CAUSES us to be saved, and not our works. I completely agree with that and do not dispute it whatsoever. However, we are forgetting what Grace is supposed to accomplish in believers. What I do dispute and most strenuously, is how modern-day Christianity has redefined, or rather, mis-defined and drifted far away from God's Biblical definition of Grace.
You will say to me, well how do you know that modern-day Christianity has drifted away from God's Biblical definition of Grace? It's simple. I simply compared what Holy Scripture says will occur inside a person, and what effect that this is supposed to have on our behavior when God is truly at work within a person, and then I observed what is commonly taught, preached, rehearsed, practiced and most commonly accepted in church world, and with frightening regularity, what is commonly taught rehearsed and accepted within church world, runs directly opposite of what God defines as the function of His Grace.
Scripture is very specific about what will happen when Almighty God does His work inside a person. Whenever God works inside a person, that is the quintessential definition of God's grace at work. So what happens when it is God working inside a person?
o God cleanses us from everything that He considers filthy (Ezekiel 36:25). Notice that God will purge all idolatry from us. This means that the truly born-again person will NOT want to indulge in anything that was associated with idolatry or the worship of false gods. Notice that it does not say that idolatrous practices will suddenly become acceptable to God, but rather that God will remove idolatry from us. There is a difference. In the New Testament, believers are commanded to continue cooperating with God through that process (James 1:21-22,:27 Ephesians 4:22; 1 Peter 2:1).
o God will remove our old heart which is hardened by sin, and He will give us a renewed heart, (Ezekiel 36:26; Deuteronomy 30:6; Psalm 51:10-13). Again, by God's grace, it is our responsibility to continue cooperating with God in that process as well (Hebrews 3:13).
o God Will send His Holy Spirit to take up residence in us, (Ezekiel 36:27a). Now, that is a description of being born-again if there ever was one.
Please pay close attention. What does Almighty God HIMSELF say will be the result or the fruit or the visible evidence that such a transformation actually took place inside the believer? God is very specific about the ultimate evidence that a born-again experience has truly taken place:
Ezekiel 36:27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (Ezekiel 36:27 NASB)
GOD HIMSELF says that the RESULT of the HOLY SPIRIT coming to live inside a person will CAUSE us to WALK ACCORDING TO HIS STATUTES, and that we will CAREFULLY OBSERVE HIS ORDINANCES.
The same exact principle is re-taught in the New Testament. As it is written:
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
So when God is working within us our willingness will change to agree with His Commandments and desires. Also, when God is working within us our abilities will change to agree with God Commandments and desires. Therefore, if we are not seeing progressive growth in our willingness, in our desires, and in our abilities to follow God's Instructions and do what pleases Him, then by definition we cannot be operating in God's True Biblical definition of Grace, because when it's truly God working inside us, obeying God is the result.
When I see what God says He will bring under judgment, and how He says He will judge certain attitudes desires and behaviors, then Almighty God has given me enough good sense to be scared. I'm scared for the church, because by the grace of God, when Almighty God says He's going to judge and condemn certain desires attitudes and behaviors, and that those things will NOT dwell in His Eternal Kingdom, I take that seriously. I BELIEVE HIM.
I'm noticing a pattern in church world where we are not often encouraged to believe God and to take Him seriously anymore. You will say, well how do you arrive at that conclusion? Well think about it.
If you received a report from a weatherman whom you believed to be even halfway credible, and he reported that a tornado had touched down and was heading in your direction at 70 miles an hour, then how would your actions show that you truly BELIVED the report? Would you send the children whom you claim to love out to play in the yard at that moment? Would you choose that moment to move the scrapbooking party on to the patio for a breath of fresh air? After hearing the report, would you look at your watch, and say, oh my, it's dinnertime. With the safety of you and your family on the line, would that be the moment you would choose to fire up the grill for your family barbecue? Would such actions and behaviors demonstrate that you truly believed the report? Of course not! On the contrary, if you truly believed the report, what you would do is grab the family members, grab the pets, grab a Bible and the emergency gear together with the insurance information, and then you would make tracks for the best and nearest place of safety you could reach, as quickly as possible. Then, while you were doing everything you physically could do, you'd be praying to Almighty God for safety. Now, that demonstrates that you believed the report.
The exact same principle is true concerning the Word of God. The real proof that you truly believe God is that you attentively listen to and obey His Instructions. The real proof that you believe Jesus Christ is that you deliberately hear and follow His Instructions. If we do not obey, then that is a sign that we did not truly believe Him.
We have the report that God’s judgment is coming. We have the report of what God will and when God will not allow to dwell into His Eternal Kingdom We claim to believe that the Bible is God's written Word. We claim to believe that it is the inerrant infallible Word of God. We claim to believe that all of it is true. However what is commonly done in church world does not demonstrate that we believe the word of God is true. Church world routinely teaches people at a minimum to ignore 76% of Scripture, but we even disregard more than that. 66% of Scripture is the Old Testament which we routinely disregard and teach other people to largely disregard it because supposedly, "We are not under the Law.” Okay, so in doing that we teach people to ignore or greatly diminish 66% of God's instructions right at the outset. At a minimum, 10% of the so-called New Testament is a direct quotation from the Old Testament, but we rarely take notice of those, because after all, 'We are under grace.'
Well, you see, we are Christians. We believe the words and teachings of Jesus Christ. Surely, if we could be certain that Jesus said something, we would take heed, and we would pay close attention and we would diligently practice doing those things until we got it right. Okay, great. Jesus said these words. As it is written:
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey EVERYTHING that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
(NRSV Capitalization and underlining added for emphasis).
Notice He did not say, teach them to obey some of the things I have commanded you. He did not say, teach them to pick and choose from My instructions which ones they want to obey as it seems most suitable to them and their preferences as if God's word is like some bloomin' cafeteria, where you could pick and choose what you wanted and ignore the rest, and still receive the full blessings of God. Messiah said, “Teach them to obey EVERYTHING I commanded you.” Do we do that?
When was the last time your preacher ever went systematically through the entire book of Matthew all the way to the book of Revelation and gave specific practical instructions on how to obey every imperative command that Jesus Christ gave in the so-called New Testament? I put it to you plainly when was the last time you heard it done (or even offered) in any pulpit, Sunday school, Bible study class or home Fellowship? So, in reality, we don't adhere or teach people to adhere all that closely to the Master's instructions either, now do we?
The apostle Paul said that ALL Scripture is God breathed and inspired by God. He said that ALL of it [not just some of it, all of it] is profitable and beneficial for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and training in righteousness, so that the people of God would be thoroughly furnished and well-equipped for every good work (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we routinely ignore and teach others to ignore a minimum of 76% of the instructions, how can we possibly expect to be thoroughly equipped to overcome the world, and to fulfill God's plan for the church?
Oh, don't get me wrong. I have heard the obligatory disclaimer said from the pulpits, "Now remember people, Grace is not a license to sin.” The problem is that modern Christendom does not agree with what the clear Biblical definition of what sin is. Sin is missing the mark or the bull's-eye of God Highest Standards. His standards are defined and described in His Instructions, Laws and Commandments. Therefore violating those is sin (1 John 3:4; Hosea 8:1; Daniel 9:11).
Now, if we redefine grace to mean that it is no longer critical for us to aim for and to try to meet the standards of God's Instructions, Laws, and Commandments, then what we have basically said is it does not really matter whether or not you teach people to aim for and hit the target of God standards. When we do that, then in actual practice you are turning the grace of God into a license to sin, even as we claim that we are not.
So here's a pop quiz. You have two people. Both claim to have received and believed Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior. One of them encounters a biblical imperative or command in Scripture and says to himself. 'Well, I know that this is a command in God's word, but I don't really have to do that anymore, because I'm under grace. So even if it is a sin, God will cover me because I'm not made righteous by my deeds, but I made righteous because I believe in His Son.'
The other person approaches Scripture and his life in this way: He encounters an imperative or Command in Scripture. He says to himself. 'Wow, that's a difficult command for me based on my weaknesses. It surely does go against what is comfortable and natural for me. My natural inclination is to go the opposite way than what God says He requires here. I love God. Since I'm obviously not in agreement with Him and His Commandments and desires here. I desperately need him to change my heart, my desires, and my attitudes in this area, so that I will come into alignment with what God desires and requires. Then he starts trying to follow the imperatives with his behaviors. He constantly falls short, but he takes falling short seriously. He admits that he is falling short, but he starts again to pray and push himself to obey God's imperative in that area of his life. He slowly but surely gets better at putting God's word into practice in that area. Depending on the command, his own development, and the weaknesses that he is trying to overcome, it may take a minute, hours, days, weeks, or even years of persistent prayerful effort, but he finally overcomes. In this certain area, through persistent prayer, effort and course correction, obeying God in this area of his life eventually becomes no longer a struggle and has become more natural.
Now, which of those believers is truly walking in God's true and Biblical grace?
Let's be truly rational and use godly reasoning, if only for a moment. Which of these requires more of God's grace to accomplish it? Does it require more of God's grace for us to obey our sinful nature and do what is most natural, satisfying for us, and pleasing to our own passions and desires, or does it require more of God's grace for us to deny our natural selfish nature and obey God's instructions instead? Which requires more of God's grace to accomplish?
The true child of God is the one who ends up obeying the Father. If you don't want to believe me, then believe Jesus Christ whom you claim to believe as your Lord and Savior (Matthew 21:28-32). Messiah further says:
“Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:34-36 (NKJV)
Scripture is very clear, that I am a slave to whatever I obey, either righteousness or sin, (Romans 6:15-19). So, if I continue to pursue, to enjoy, to indulge in, or to walk in what God specifically calls sin, then in those areas, I cannot possibly be truly free in Jesus Christ, because if I was truly free in Jesus Christ, I would be breaking away from those things, not indulging in those things.
THE FREEDOM THAT JESUS CHRIST PURCHASED FOR US WAS THE FREEDOM FROM SIN, NOT THE FREEDOM TO SIN. THAT'S A LIFE-AND-DEATH DISTINCTION WE HAD BETTER LEARN TO MAKE.
· When you refuse to teach God's Laws, Commandments and instructions, how can people help but miss the mark of God's highest standards? We’re almost guaranteed to sin (to miss the mark) when we are taught that hitting or missing the target has no real value or consequence anymore. That's NOT the grace that Scripture teaches. That's NOT Biblical Grace.
· When we refuse to teach the Commandments and standards that even Jesus Christ commanded us to teach (Matthew 28:19-20), because people might, "Get turned off from the gospel," and, "They might get into legalism.” Which is really fancy speak for they might actually feel convicted and urgently try to amend and adjust their lives because they fear the coming judgment of God, (which incidentally is exactly what's supposed to happen), but when we refuse to teach Christ's Commandments and make urgent calls to repentance because it might turn people off, that's not Biblical Grace.
Do we not understand yet, that it is the abandoning of God's Laws Commandments Instructions and Principles in the churches, (because sinners can't obey God; Romans 8:5-8; so it is LAWLESSNESS in the church), that actually CAUSES people to turn away from God in the last days? As it is written: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:12 (ESV).
They had to have had a hot love toward God in the first place for it to become cold in the second place, right? So we are not talking about lost sinners who do not know God here. Come on! Does that really sound like abandoning God's Laws, Commandments, Instructions, and principles will truly bring about more Grace (Romans 6:1), or does that just set people up to become lukewarm, so that God will have no choice but to reject them on the last day (Revelation 3:14-22)?! Whose side are we really on when we do things like that?!
- When we tell teachers in the church that ‘We don't want to use Biblical terms like discipleship, because it invokes ideas of being trained and disciplined which has a negative connotation for people,’ (and this was a church elder who said this to me); when we start accommodating people's comforts to such a degree that we are willing to change what Scripture says and change what Scripture requires in order to do it, that is not Biblical Grace. Do we need to talk about what God considers a person who rejects and despises His discipline?! (Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 3:11; Proverbs 15:5; Hebrews 12:5-11; James 1:12). God considers a person who rejects discipline as a bastard and a fool (those are HIS Words). Can we please NOT teach people how to become bastards and fools in God's own household, while teaching them to pretend and allowing them to believe that this is actually required and what it means to live under His Grace? Do we care whether God considers people His true and legitimate children, or He doesn't? We are called and commanded to make disciples, and not illegitimate children out of people. If you really love God, and if you truly love and care about people, then that key difference matters!
- When we train church leaders to apply American business mass-market consumer principles, and we re-repackage Jesus and the gospel to become more popular with consumers, instead of helping people become victorious triumphant overcomers and disciples who will be truly popular with God and Jesus Christ, that's not Biblical Grace.
- When we care so much about making sure that we do not offend the fella in the pew so that Christ will not be unpopular with him, but we barely take notice of what offends God and Jesus Christ, and what would make US unpopular with Him, then we have truly lost perspective on how the grace of God functions. When we care more about changing our approach so that God will be more popular with people, instead of helping people change so they will be truly more popular with God, then who are we really worshiping at that point?
· Paul the apostle himself said that we were to follow him, as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
· Paul aimed for and strove to keep the Commandments. He strove to, and taught the Corinthian church (a predominantly Gentile congregation) to keep the Biblical Feasts of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
http://www.awarenessministry.org/whychristianscelebratefeastdays.htm
The Grace Paul Preached and Lived
· What is critically and equally important is that Paul the apostle did not believe nor did he teach that the grace of God meant that all he needed to do was believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that Christ died for our sins and rose again; (as is often taught today). Paul the apostle also did not teach that because he was under grace, it did not really matter whether he obeyed God and overcame or he did not. This is not the grace that Paul believed in or taught at all. Listen to how Paul walked, even and taught though he believed and taught the grace of God. As Paul himself through the Holy Spirit, wrote to the church; As it is written:
o 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. (NRSV)
· The word "disqualified" in the Greek New Testament in this verse is Greek Strong's #96 [adokimos]. It literally means to be reprobate, rejected, or cast away from the presence of God
· God used Paul the apostle to write two thirds of the New Testament. Was Paul under Grace? Of course he was.
· From the plain text of Scripture, did Paul put forth effort to obey God and Jesus Christ, and to bring his life under subjection to the Scriptures? Of course he did
· From the plain text of Scripture does it sound like Paul believed or taught that putting forth effort to forcibly bring yourself under subjection to God and Jesus Christ would be the same as denying what Jesus Christ accomplished and that putting forth effort to obey God would cut you off from God's Grace, as some teach in Paul's name today? NO, even Paul the apostle did not believe or teach the definition of grace that is often presented in modern-day Christianity. Instead, he labored diligently to cooperate with God's work of grace in his life, so that he would not be disqualified.
As I've said before, I will say it again. Yes, God's grace absolutely does provide forgiveness when I realize, when I agree with God, and I admit that I have fallen short of HIS standards. At the same time the true and real grace of God also gives me the power to desire, to choose, and to progressively do what God says pleases HIM, and to successfully turn away from what God says doesn't please Him, and to overcome those things. Whenever I can walk in that manner, I don't just think I'm under grace, then I KNOW I'm walking in God's grace at that point.
Closing Prayer
Almighty God Yahweh, Yeshua Messiah, and gracious Lord Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us. Mercifully save us from every deception we have believed. Mercifully save us from turning your grace into a license to sin or disobey You. Instead, bring us into your true and Biblical grace through Messiah. Save us from sin, and make us truly free and able to obey you. Graciously transform us and fill us to overflowing with Your unfailing love. Mercifully make us Your true sheep. Mercifully tune our hearts to love you. Graciously tune our ears to hear, to hearken, to heed, and to faithfully obey Your voice and instructions, so that You may be pleased to call us Your children because we obey You as our Father. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment