We live in a world where we all have been taught since childhood how to only be obedient and do right, or follow rules out of fear of punishment. This is why I can understand how preachers who don’t understand God’s grace can be afraid of the message of Grace. Because in their mind, if a person believes that they are forgiven of past, present, and future sins. Then what is going to stop a person from committing sin is how they think.This is the mindset of someone who does not trust God’s ability by the Holy Spirit inside of his people. I am fully aware that some people will try and use God’s grace and forgiveness as an excuse to indulge in things that they shouldn’t. But here is the thing, if a person thinks that way, they are deceived. Second, sin will destroy your life. But the fear of someone trying to take advantage of God’s grace should not hinder us from preaching the truth of his Grace. When you know what God’s truth that is believed in the heart of a person produces, you won’t be afraid and so concerned about how they will behave. The performance and behavior of someone who claims Christianity is not the determining factor of God’s truth. This is what it means to walk by faith and not sight.
Month: September 2014
Departing from the faith.
I Timothy 4:1-3 NKJV
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
I’m sure for most of us, this scripture has been taught that a person has left the faith entirely. But when you look at the next two versers after the first verse. It’s say people will give heed to demons, to forbid marriage and to abstain from certain foods. We see this in some catholic fellowships, where the leaders forbid to marry, and many people these days, including Christians are abstaining from certain foods out of fear. I believe that departing from the faith is not losing salvation. But rather departing from faith alone in Christ to also trusting in your works and being deceived by doctrine from demons that’s not true. The Apostle Paul says that he kept the faith. And what I believe he meant by that was that he kept the faith of trusting in the righteousness of Christ and not his own (Philippians 3:9). Paul departed from faith alone in Romans 7 and a had a sin revival in his life. Paul learned from this mistake and never departed from the faith again.
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Not trying to be like Jesus
All religions are in one way or another trying to BE LIKE Jesus. For instance, most religions believe that Jesus was a Good man and teacher who fulfilled the Law, and because so they believe that they have to uphold it to the best of their ability by trying to copy him as a good person. Religion also believes that they should enforce the Law and condemn people who don’t follow it, or try. Now as mentioned earlier, religions are trying to be like Jesus. Jesus is God manifested in the flesh, so in actuality religion is trying to BE LIKE God. Now to try and be like God is not a bad thing, but what did satan tell Eve and Adam? That they could be LIKE GOD by what they do. So religion is inspired by satan to push people to try and BE LIKE God by their works. This produces self righteousness and sin in people’s lives. This is why Jesus told the pharisees that they were of their father the devil. The only way you can truly be like God is to have him live in you by his Holy Spirit that enters you upon acceptance of Jesus finished work. I’m not trying to be like Jesus, I’m already like him because of his doing, not my works. Let him who has a ear hear what the Spirit is saying. My Son is not like me because of what he did for me, or tried to be like me. He’s like me because he was born from me. It’s the same with us and God.
If it condemns humanity, then it’s not from God.
If it condemns mankind, then it’s not from God. For those of you who are familiar with the sharia Law. If you notice, it’s designed to appear as if it wants to stop evil. But the reality of it is this, it’s design to condemn a person to death, or severe punishment for breaking religious laws. Such as drinking, smoking, not praying, etc. Just like Jesus said about the self righteous pharisees. The people who enforce the very punishment for these acts are guilty themselves of breaking them. This is truly the behavior of of a hypocrite. These things that they are trying to get people to stop doing are things that are detrimental to a person, but a person has a free will to do whatever they want. God never told us to go and condemn (without condoning these things) people, but rather love them and share the good news. The scriptures are clear what strengthens sin in people’s lives, and it’s not Grace, but Law (1Cor15:56). Remember church, we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. And the sharia Law is definitely his device. Any system of rules set in place for man to break for him to be punished is from satan. I’m not talking about the Laws put in place to govern the society that we live in to keep people safe from evil people. I’m talking about Laws such as religious ones, even laws from gangs are designed to punish you for the littlest thing. The enemy hates humanity, not Just Christians but even the very people who are deceived by him. God loves us and has done everything in his power to free us and to have relationship with him through Jesus Christ.
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