HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT 1
Salvation according to the gospel of the kingdom is free. You just have to pay for it the rest of your life.
"Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross (daily) and follow me."
Luke 14:27
Matthew 16:24
Mark 8:34
Luke 9:23
This is the gospel according to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Comment:
If we can pay for our salvation with our lives, we do not need Jesus to die for us. we need to know that Jesus saved us so we can qualify to work for Him (Eph 2:10). The Gospel is about Jesus' work for us, never about what we can do for Him. Working for Him is a privilege and a consequence of His grace. This is certainly non-negotiable
CrossCulture West Covina
Clarification: The payment is NOT a "works" payment but a losing of one's life and will and property and preoccupations to Christ. That is what the first of the Ten Commandments really means in the first place and God is wise to put that first. Dismiss the First means you dismiss the rest and the whole Scripture for that matter.
The other reason it is NOT a "works" payment is because you are NOT EARNING salvation. You are simply maintaining the salvation you already have and obtained by faith, an Apostle's teaching and early church teaching that modern Christians are not aware of nor are they taught such. That is why Paul admonished the "church of joy" to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling". He did not say "work FOR your salvation with fear and trembling".
CrossCulture West Covina
Another Clarification:
The Gospel of Christ is the gospel of the kingdom. It is not even forgiveness nor Christ working for us. Surprising but Biblical. The gospel of the kingdom is essentially the invitation of God for men to become part of his Kingdom (both on earth and in heaven) and YES, IT IS ABOUT WHAT WE DO FOR HIM ONCE WE BECOME HIS ROYAL SUBJECTS.. Christ would simply buy us with his own blood to consummate our purchase from slavery of sin to the freedom of his kingdom.
Christ himself said that "unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" John 3:5. Being "born of water" is about WHAT WE CAN DO FOR HIM. Water baptism of the Romans 6 meaning, i.e., united with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. It is something that God cannot force us to do and we must do it on our own by our own free will.
When the Apostle Paul presented his doctoral dissertation on Soteriology to the church in Rome, he made a very explicit condition for man to experience the salvation he outlined from Romans 3 to 9 and that is "to present you bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE (i.e., THAT IS WHAT ONLY MAN CAN DO FOR GOD) Rom 12:1.
As we have shown, "never about what we can do for Him" can mislead many to believe that we just ride the wave of salvation without any responsibility. Well, the Bible clearly shows with all its warnings that we can lose it anytime. Christians should be aware that ALL of the New Testament (originally called the Apostle's Doctrine) is addressed ONLY to believers to encourage and guide them in their faith and salvation journey. It is NOT a book intended for unbelievers because Paul himself said that the natural mind cannot comprehend the things of the spirit of God. Hence, ALL the warnings in Scripture ARE FOR BELIEVERS.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT 2
Anger, the Christian, and the fires of hell
There has been a lot of talk about the topic on anger and there are well meaning opinions and even sermons addressing it. There is just one thing lacking: WHAT DID CHRIST SAY AND WILL I LOSE MY SALVATION IF I AM ANGRY?
That is the bottom line, isn't it? If you believe that anger is no big deal with God then, sure, you may get angry all you want.
But if you KNOW that anger leads to being judged at the judgment seat of Christ and being thrown "into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" and "where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched", most probably you would even fear to harbor any grudge, resentment or bitterness.
So let's start with how Christ is going to judge his people. Here is what he declared in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be LIABLE TO JUDGMENT.’ But I say to you that EVERYONE WHO IS ANGRY WITH HIS BROTHER WILL BE LIABLE TO JUDGMENT; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be LIABLE TO THE HELL OF FIRE." Matthew 5:21-22
Hmm, so anger makes one a murderer? EXACTLY! That is what Christ Himself declared quite explicitly and clearly. There is NO OTHER WAY to interpret this. In the same sermon, Christ makes it obvious that anger is the result of unforgiveness, "Love your enemies..." etc. and finally in the Lord's prayer and this is why the early Christians chose martyrdom instead of hating their persecutors:
"and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors...
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE OTHERS THEIR TRESPASSES, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES." Matthew 6:12,14-15
When James reprimanded Christians about their disputes and quarreling, he made clear what they were actually doing: " You desire and do not have, SO YOU MURDER. You covet and cannot obtain, so YOU FIGHT AND QUARREL."
John was even more direct when addressing Chrisitans: "EVERYONE WHO HATES HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER, and you know that NO MURDERER HAS ETERNAL LIFE abiding in him." 1 John 3:15. If that does not convince anyone that they LOSE ETERNAL LIFE, nothing will because they DO NOT BELIEVE the word of God nor the teaching of the Apostles.
Christ was very emphatic about this to John when He describes what will finally happen to his people in the new heaven and new earth, "But as FOR THE COWARDLY (scared to faithfully represent Christ), THE FAITHLESS, the detestable, AS FOR MURDERERS, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and ALL LIARS, THEIR PORTION WILL BE IN THE LAKE THAT BURNS WITH FIRE AND SULFUR, which is the second death.”" Revelation 21:8
Lack of forgiveness is hatred leading to anger which makes us unholy. And Paul clearly tells Christians in Hebrews 12:14, "Strive for peace with everyone, and for THE HOLINESS WITHOUT WHICH NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD."
God CANNOT AND WILL NOT bring into his Kingdom ANYTHING THAT IS UNHOLY!
That is why Paul was very straightforward with the Christians in Ephesus when he said:
"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named AMONG YOU, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For YOU MAY BE SURE OF THIS, THAT EVERYONE WHO IS sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), HAS NO INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST AND GOD. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE." Ephesians 5:3-6
Finally, will anger cause me to lose my salvation? MOST DEFINITELY, YES!
Love is NOT REQUIRED of a Christian. It is EXPECTED because of our new nature. "For I tell you, UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS that of the scribes and Pharisees, YOU WILL NEVER ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." Matthew 5:20
No comments:
Post a Comment