Symptoms from believing a counterfeit gospel

Seeking seeking seeking yet never ultimately satisfied. Working working working yet never ultimately secure. Excited amazed and awestruck over God and his word yet ultimately never in love with him. Reluctantly following Jesus because we know he is more powerful and holds our destiny all amounting to fearful obedience. The fact escapes us that God wants our joyful glory in him and not our reluctant fearful obedience. We can find ourselves in essence earning our own salvation thru our own surrender to him which can be another form of trying to control your own life rather than giving it to God. Our Christian ethics and morality is not so much about loving and glorying in God but rather it is a way of getting what we really want; peace prosperity happiness and blessings. Identity and self worth are usually found in activism, mysticism, moralism, spiritualism, formalism, legalism, social reform etc... All these can be signs of latching on to a counterfiet understanding of the gospel. So therefore by the Spirit and through the Spirit let your life be Christ Centered. Christ IS the blessing you are searching and looking for in everything else.

Make WAR!

The closer I get to God through Christ Jesus by abiding in his word striving to please him, it is in this closer relationship to Christ  I realize all the more the depth of my sin. So on the one hand I rejoice in the grace of God who for our sake made his Son to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God; yet on the other hand the closer I press towards being nearer to God and his glory, I find myself becoming more confounded and grief stricken with my own sin. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death? 


While I continue to grow, being conformed to Christ through his Spirit, I see that the many sins, while becoming less, the sin that is now less than before is now even weightier and more burdensome to my soul as was the many sins. The closer I approach the glory of the living God the more magnified is my impurities. Though my casual sin is less frequent, when I find myself making myself a slave to it again I fall into a much more desperate state of sorrow than when I was at a greater distance from God and embracing much more sin. I have moved away from many sins in my life only to realize that sin is still at my heels all the while ready to spring up. I have not distanced myself at all from its reach.


Oh you silly man! Do not fall prey to the wiles of the evil one. It is not as if you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you. Though your body is dying due to sin nevertheless you live because of the Spirit that dwells in you! God is faithful to restore your confidence that he may keep you from letting the evil one have an advantage. Quickly turn from your sorrow to the joy that is in Christ Jesus! Let your life be a life of repentance that you may never make peace with your sin. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received the Spirit of adoption as Sons by whom we cry Abba Father! Do not pretend as if you yourself can distance yourself from what you cannot see in the power of sin but by the Spirit we can make war on our sin and by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body. 


Beloved we must decide to actually make war with our sin. It is not faithful stewardship to the ministry of righteousness for us to yield to sin. Fight the good fight and so prove that you are in the faith. You are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Now be bold and have confidence for you have overcome the world and this is the victory that overcomes the world, your faith. 

Works have nothing in common with Grace

Wherever faith is proclaimed to be the only decisive means of taking hold of salvation for the believer, there will be those who will scream even louder that faith in Jesus Christ is not enough. Those who say such things openly pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ and hinder the grace of God. Let me say it this way first: Faith that comes from God always comes with good works and these good works were prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. The New Covenant is glorious because it is the proactive grace and mercy of God poured into our hearts. The New Covenant is essentially God creating in us what he commands. If there be anything which I am to do in the covenant to secure it, then will it be an insecure covenant; But if the covenant be all God’s doing and if my name be in that covenant, my soul is as secure as if I were now walking the streets of heaven. This truth of the gospel is for some hard to completely receive even when we know it to be the grace of God. As fallen creatures we naturally want to have the reigns of control on our own happenings. We are always looking for our end of the deal and this end of the deal must be a work. Works and achievements cater to our self promoting pride. Pure grace to the human heart is rejected and makes us uncomfortable and vulnerable. Grace is unsettling to the fallen condition of man because it seems to rob us of our precious pride and boasting and this concept is hard to make sense of. To make sense of it, many will desperately create ways to advance the human will component in salvation. People will go to great pains to promote the human doings and never give the grace of God its full measure of splendor. The way of salvation as stated in Scripture is done in the very plainest terms, and yet there is no truth about which more errors has been uttered, than that concerning the faith which saves the soul. It is faith that ties the heart to God. Paul says that Israel while pursuing the law of righteousness never arrived at the law. He means they never obtained the righteousness they were pursing. Why? because they did not pursue it by faith but as though it were by works (Romans 9:31-32).This same unfaithful understanding that cursed old Israel has been carried over into the age of grace and has cursed many would be followers of Christ. The principle of works has no part in the grace of God other than work of Jesus’ perfect life lived on our behalf to be a substitute for our sinful works.  Some will think if I do this or if I do that and to place confidence in such things. The truth is that you could not believe in Jesus if you had done that because then you would believe in yourself and not Christ. This is the plain truth of it. There is no getting around it. If you were so and so or if you did this and that then you could have confidence. Confidence in what? Confidence in your doings. To have that is the exact opposite of confidence in Christ. Grace is not fifty-fifty or even sixty- forty. Grace is 100% God. Faith is not to gage from something good within you or to somehow lower the standards of Gods perfect law as to delude yourself into thinking you are actually pleasing God by your filthy rags. But faith is to say in spite of the fact that I am guilty in the sight of God nevertheless I believe that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin. To have faith like this is the scariest thing in the world and the most assuring thing in the world because God is never changing and he is eternally faithful.  Because of the human soul’s propensity to default to a works based righteousness, it is no wonder there is a widespread misunderstanding of the Covenant of grace and saving faith. There will always be a need of reminding ourselves of Christ alone and there will remain a need for teaching and biblical persuading in the ways of true grace.

Sections of this article contain restated excerpts from Faith, what it is and what it leads to by Charles H. Spurgeon  

Study with integrity and praise God when you get it wrong.

It is very important to approach the scriptures with a pure heart, being always prayerful, and committed to seeking the inspired authorial intent, the writers original intended meaning. 

This is not always easy. We are all influenced by many factors when considering the scriptures and the most obvious influence is our own local church traditions. In many cases, preachers and teachers and members have great confidence; not necessarily from responsible study and sound exegesis of scripture but the confident endorsement and affirming of their church tradition. They have in many instances made up their minds about God’s word and will effectively learn no more accept what is left to learn in their local church tradition.   

The difference between studying with integrity of scriptures and studying with integrity for a given tradition is a matter of being more concerned about getting at the biblical writer’s intended meaning over and above merely making sure a meaning lines up with ones church tradition.

The meanings in God’s word are precious and we should take every care to eliminate our prejudices and limit our interpretive error when seeking to learn of God. But even though we have prejudice and error, we still do not ultimately fall or stand in the presence of God based on our error or our truth. But rather we are ultimately fit to stand in the presence of God because we are believers in Jesus Christ; In the Grace of God through a trusting acceptance of Jesus and his finished work on the cross taking our sins though he had none. This secures our salvation that otherwise is unobtainable in and of ourselves. This salvation gives us a sure and living hope of the promises of God, having been counted righteous and just through faith in Jesus Christ. This faith lived is expressed in our acts of love even springing forth from God’s Holy Spirit which has sealed us until the day of redemption. This is the righteousness that over comes human error. 

Proof texting

Proof-texting is the use of out-of-context quotes to support an argument or it can be defined as the use of individual scripture texts to produce apparent support for a doctrinal position without adequate regard for the contexts of the individual texts. 


This is not including texts for illustration or texts used in its proper context. Rowland Croucher says of proof texters in one of his blog post: Proof texters would much rather have a short list of texts that support precisely what they have decided to believe instead of spending the time to know exactly what each writer teaches about the complete doctrine. Croucher goes on to say the purveyor of proof-texts can appear to be wonderfully informed and a deep scholar of the Bible. 

This sort of thing can be carried into the pulpit as well. Sermon proof texting is a preaching style that often uses many scripture quotes in one sermon. Each scripture is intended to build the point or points. The problem with this preaching style is that the context is usually lost by the third or fourth scripture citation, if it was ever established at all.

This sermon style and teaching style is comforting to the members because they can see their belief system powerfully laid out in scripture upon scripture, like a beloved memorized tract. If they don’t hear those familiar themes comfortingly repeated as a ritual week after week they most likely do not get excited.  

The biggest issue that arises from contextless sermons and teaching is that it does not edify those who really want their understanding of God to be expanded and empowered to be able to face the stresses and temptations of life.

Be on guard and study for yourself. Have your preachers and teachers stand accountable for teaching the word of God in its proper context so that you can be sure you are absorbing the mind of God. 

Does James disagree with Paul?

Justification by works for James and justification by works for Paul are not addressing exactly the same issue and they do not carry exactly the same meaning.

Paul vehemently denies that a man is justified by works in the sense that those works are the merits by which God rewards him or pays him the wage of Justification.


Paul teaches at the beginning of the Christian life when God looks down on a sinner and decides to pronounce him guilty or not guilty, Paul says that just like Abraham our faith is reckoned to us as righteousness. Paul further teaches that this very faith works itself out through love as when Abraham verified the faith through which he was justified.  


James on the other hand is focusing on how a person maintains an ongoing and right standing with God?


James says in this sense, a person is justified by his works which is the evidence that your initial embrace and professing of faith was authentic.

Conclusion

Does justification as an ongoing and final right standing with God throughout the Christian life depend on works?

I think Paul would say NO, if by works you mean deeds done to show that you deserve Gods ongoing blessings. Paul says in this sense it would be justification by works and he rejects it completely.


I think James would say YES, if by works you mean the fruit and evidence of our initial faith. James says in this sense it is necessary evidence that is needed to identify authentic faith. If it is not there, there is no reason to think you are justified.

For Paul justification by works which he renounces means gaining a right standing with God through the merit of works.  

For James justification by works which he affirms means the works that are necessary in the ongoing life of the Christian to confirm and prove the reality of their initial faith.

Both James and Paul are right!

Ledisi

                                    Ledisi- Pieces of Me                                                       

It Starts and Ends with Faith

It is through faith  that God pardons us of our sin. The bible tells of this wonderful truth in many words and expressions. One of these biblical expressions is "Justified by Faith". It means; God counts a person to be just and right before him through faith in Jesus Christ. The simple idea of faith alone saving anyone has confounded most and has been rejected by the rest. The purpose of this blog is for  Gospel Clarity and so we must be clear in knowing that justification by faith is the foundation by which the church stands and eternal life is received. 

Justification by faith apart from works of the law is one of the most devoted biblical doctrines of the Apostle Paul. This doctrine drips from his pen onto the pages of the bible.

 “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” Romans 3:27-30

Paul teaches we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone and not of any works. Paul explains it shall be alone by faith.

“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 for if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works” Romans 4:4-6

Abraham was not justified by any work he did but by faith. The scripture says he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. God has not changed his plan of salvation from one generation to the next. His plan of redemption has been the same since the foundation of the world. God redeems man to himself by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Consider Romans 4:16

“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Romans 4:16

Here Paul is saying that our justification must be according to grace and therefore it must be by faith and not works because a work is not according to grace but according to is owed to someone. Paul wrote these things for our benefit that we might know the glorious news of being reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

” fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also.24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, Romans 4:21-24

” Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2

Jonathan Edwards says: To be justified is to be approved by God as a proper subject of pardon, with a right to eternal life; and therefore, when it says that we are justified by faith, what else can be understood by it, than that it is faith  by which we are rendered approvable as proper subjects of this benefit?