Category: False Teaching

Who Is a Sinner? #3

Sunday, August 18, 2013

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Behold, God’s standard of righteousness, of which we all fall short!

When I asked a religious person where her soul would go when she died, she insisted her “Law keeping” would merit her heaven. I then reminded her of James 2:10: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” I explained to her that by her breaking one commandment, she was guilty of breaking all of God’s laws. The Law demands absolute perfection. She replied, “I can only do so much.” Exactly—we cannot be perfect!

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written [Deuteronomy 27:26], Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith [Habakkuk 2:4]” (Galatians 3:10,11). God gave the Law so “all the world may become guilty before [him]. Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19,20).

The prophet Habakkuk wrote of the LORD, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…” (1:13). God is so holy, so “separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26), that He cannot even look upon our sin! Thus, when God the Father “made [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21) on Calvary’s cross, He and God the Holy Spirit literally had to forsake Jesus Christ. Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46).

Law-“keeping” only condemns: it saves no one! If we want God to deal with us on the basis of our performance—and much of the world admits in religion they want Him to do this—the Bible says that we are setting ourselves up for burdens, misery, uncertainty, frustration, and a curse….

Who Is a Sinner? #2

Saturday, August 17, 2013

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Behold, God’s standard of righteousness, of which we all fall short!

I once posed this simple, straightforward inquiry to a priest: “Where would your soul go if you died right now?” He answered, “Heaven, after I am cleansed in purgatory.” I explained to him God’s Word declared we could be “made the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21) by simply trusting in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins. When I thus questioned him regarding the purpose of purgatorial cleansing, he (blasphemously) replied, “Yeah, but now we are not talking about what Jesus did. We are talking about what I am going to do!”

Beloved, billions have allowed religion to burden them which such a weight that they, sinful people, will have to please a holy God before they can get into heaven. They are basing the salvation of their eternal soul on the presumption that they can do what Jesus Christ—God manifest in human flesh—could not do! Exactly what can we weak, mortal men do to measure up to Almighty God? How can we even think about proposing a more perfect sacrifice than what Jesus Christ offered on Calvary’s cross nearly 20 centuries ago? What utter foolishness!

God the Father said to Jesus Christ, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Jesus declared, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). Can God say that about us sinners? Is He really “well pleased” with us all the time? Can you honestly say with Jesus, “I do always those things that please [God the Father]?” Nay! That is what sin is!

We would do well to swallow our pride and confess that we will never measure up to God’s standard of holiness “doing the best we can.” Our character, our sinful nature, produces sinful behavior, only bringing shame to our Creator, Jesus Christ, and gendering nothing but His wrath….

Who Is a Sinner? #1

Friday, August 16, 2013

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Behold, God’s standard of righteousness, of which we all fall short!

I recently spoke with a religious family member about her soul salvation. My question to her was simple and direct, “Do you have the assurance of going to heaven, and on what basis do you have that assurance?” After a long pause, she uttered softly, “Heaven, because I have never done anything wrong in my life.” I then politely explained to her that that was a lie—calling God a “liar” is “doing wrong” in and of itself! Additionally, I reminded her of today’s Scripture, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Oddly, she actually agreed that all have sinned (despite her earlier comments, “I have never done anything wrong”).

The above conversation demonstrates the spiritual blindness of works-religion people. Religion distinguishes between “good people” and “bad people.” As long as you attend church and submit to the denomination’s demands (rites, rituals, ceremonies, et cetera), “doing the best you can,” you are considered “good” and “heaven-bound.” “Bad” people—those going to hell—are the people outside the church membership—gang members, fornicators, thieves, drunkards, murderers, and atheists.

As the Berean Bible student knows, this system of relative morality is flawed: no human, whether religious or secular (worldly), is the standard of righteousness. There are absolute right and absolute wrong, and they do not vary from person to person. Today’s Scripture plainly shows us that we have “come short of the glory of God.” One person may appear to be better than another, but both persons are sinners when compared to the absolute righteousness of God (Jesus Christ)! The standard of righteousness is the same for everyone; every person is not an independent standard. As Paul reminded, “they…comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Works-religionists fail to understand that they too are sinners, but not because they commit “more heinous” deeds than others. They are sinners because their character, their nature inherited from Adam, is anti-God. That nature (sin) then produces wicked actions (sins)….

Honest Samuel

Friday, August 9, 2013

“And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand” (1 Samuel 12:4 KJV).

How many politicians and church leaders could we say this to today?

About 1,000 years before Christ, Samuel (“heard of God”) served as a prophet, a priest, and a judge over the nation Israel for many years (although the Bible does not provide a numerical figure, it does tell us he served from “childhood” to him being “old and grayheaded” [1 Samuel 12:2]). His sons are wicked rulers in Israel, guilty of administering crooked judgment and accepting bribes—they “walked not in [Samuel’s] ways” (1 Samuel 8:1-5). Thus, Israel desires Samuel to choose his successor, which is Israel’s first king, Saul (1 Samuel chapters 8-10).

Later, after Saul is anointed as Israel’s king, Samuel addresses the nation (today’s Scripture). Let us see how this man of God ruled God’s people (1 Samuel 12:1-5):

“And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed [Saul]: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.”

Even the LORD Himself testified to Samuel’s honest reign! It was such a shame that his sons did not follow his example, for their corrupt administrations led Israel to reject Samuel, and more importantly, God’s wisdom by which he ruled.

333’s 800th – Alive with the Living Word of Christ

Thursday, August 8, 2013

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16 KJV).

Dearly beloved, only by God’s grace, we mark yet another ministry milestone!

The many competing voices and opposing views further complicate an already problem-laden world. Exactly whom are we to believe? Jesus Christ, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, told Satan: “That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4; cf. Matthew 4:4). Our King James Bible says, “but by every word of God”—this is the most important part of the verse, so why is it absent from the modern “bible” versions?!

Just as our physical bodies need nourishment to become physically mature, our spiritual bodies must also have food if we are to become spiritually mature adults. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect [mature], throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

All of the Bible is for us, but not all of the Bible is to us or about us. It is not simply enough to be scriptural; we must also be dispensational. Our daily studies over the last 800 days were designed to teach you how to approach God’s Word, God’s way, so you can be “godly edified,” strengthened for God’s glory, rather than confused by false doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3,4). Saints grounded in God’s Word rightly divided will not be “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14,15).

Our King James Bible has served English-speaking people well for over 400 years—it demonstrates itself to be trustworthy, authoritative, and the perfect words of God. We can entrust our earthly lives—and more importantly, our eternal souls!—to it. Yea, its doctrine gives us life, both now and forever.

Thank you for praying for this ministry endeavor. Lord willing, onward to #900! 🙂

Note: Our latest home Bible study video, “Bible Authority & The Four Revelations of Jesus Christ” (80 minutes), has been uploaded to YouTube. You can watch it here.

Judge Not? #2

Sunday, August 4, 2013

“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1 KJV).

Today’s Scripture, often used against the Bible believer who exposes sin for what it is, is not teaching what it is often assumed to assert.

We will not understand what Jesus Christ meant in today’s Scripture unless we read the context: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. [Because/Explanation/Reason] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast oute the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

By simply reading the verse with its context, the clarity is astonishing! When any dear soul attempts to argue, “Judge not, that ye be not judged,” politely remind them that there are four succeeding verses to quote too. If you happen to have your King James Bible in hand, let him or her read those verses. To what type of “judging” is Jesus referring? According to Jesus, He is talking about a “hypocrite” (verse 5). Certainly, Jesus knew what He meant, did He not?

Before we proceed any further, let us define “judge.” To “judge” means “to form an opinion or conclusion about.” God’s Word, the Holy Bible, enables us Christians to form sound conclusions about various life issues, doctrines, beliefs, practices, and so on. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Surely, God intended us to “judge,” for His Holy Spirit inspired the words “prove [test, discern, examine] all things” and “hold fast [seize, take, grip] that which is good.” Unless we “judge,” how will we determine what is “good?”

What Jesus Christ was discussing in today’s Scripture is that we should not judge hypocritically….

Judge Not? #1

Saturday, August 3, 2013

“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1 KJV).

Today’s Scripture, often used against the Bible believer who exposes sin for what it is, is not teaching what it is often assumed to assert.

The world’s most prominent religious leader recently commented about homosexual clergy within his church. Pope Francis stated, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? We shouldn’t marginalize [prevent from having attention or power] people for this. They must be integrated into society.” Such apathetic, pathetic words from someone who claims to be “the vicar of Jesus Christ” (which Jesus Christ?; 2 Corinthians 11:3,4).

Our Lord Jesus declared in today’s Scripture, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” What did He mean? Was He defending the pope’s view, as many other lukewarm (professing) “Christians?” Many often assume Jesus taught that we should be totally silent about the world’s sins. It is usually haughtily said to the Bible-believing Christian, “This is the way God made me, so stop judging me. Jesus said not to judge.” Such a response is nothing more than a misunderstanding of today’s Scripture.

Naturally, when God’s Holy Word pricks the conscience, the desperate sinner will then “take cover” behind any available “fig leaf” (his or her parents did it back in Genesis 3:7-11). Perhaps nothing is more absurd than when the unholy sinner uses God’s Holy Word to justify his or her sin—completely disregarding the Bible’s purpose (which is to expose sin so man can see his need for the Saviour Jesus Christ!).

Rather than being held accountable to God Almighty for wresting (twisting) His Word to make it say something so as to bolster our sin, why not leave it alone and believe it, setting aside our pride and admitting our fault, our unrighteousness, our sin, like the Bible so clearly proves? Rather than idly speculating what type of “judging” to which Jesus referred in today’s Scripture, it would spare us much heartache and shame if we would—who would have guessed it?—simply read the context!

Let us do just that….

A Worthless Witness, a Useless Report, and a Profitless Audience

Friday, August 2, 2013

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:16 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is a valuable lesson from Israel’s history. We need to learn it… and quickly!

One can never discern who is more misinformed about what is really going on in the world—the mainstream news media, or the gullible public who listens to them and parrots their “information.” Many news outlets report about topics that have little to no relevance to their readers: profit, not quality news reporting, is usually the goal. Even once well-respected news agencies and “conservative” reporters seem to repeatedly discuss the same worthless stories. Consequently, they distract the public from learning about the most important issues. As a dear Christian brother in the ministry confessed, “If you want to run me out of the room, turn on the news!” (A hearty “Amen!”)

Dear Christians, we should be aware of what is occurring in the world, and we need to analyze it from the Bible-believing viewpoint, but remember that prolonged exposure to the media’s programming and literature will only lead to depression. Those journalists and anchors discuss news from an unscriptural, worldly standpoint—usually their comments are just worthless speculations void of true wisdom.

Satan polluted Israel using false prophets (see today’s Scripture). The nation was so misinformed by these self-proclaimed “servants of God” that their resultant national idolatry brought God’s wrath upon them. Israel believed that so-called “wisdom,” but God said it made them “vain” (worthless, empty, useless). Even today, sadly, many Christians are so saturated with the world’s “wisdom”—even in many alleged “Christian” churches—they have almost no understanding of what Jesus Christ said in His Holy Bible. Their Christian lives are distracted, which does exactly to them what it did to Israel’s spirituality—it makes their lives “vain,” worthless, unacceptable to God.

Hearken not to the world’s “wisdom”—that goes for the mainstream media’s reports… and the denominational churches!

Instant

Thursday, August 1, 2013

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2 KJV).

Be ready to preach the Word, anyone, anywhere, anytime….

Today’s Scripture is an excerpt from the Apostle Paul’s final epistle to a young bishop, Timothy. In this farewell letter, the elderly apostle encourages young Timothy to endure the hardness that is coming, yea, to survive the intense hardships that he is already facing in his ministry. Soon after this epistle is written, Paul will pass off this earthly scene (verses 6-8), having been executed for, in the eyes of the Roman law, preaching an “illegal message.”

In today’s Scripture, Paul is not suggesting Timothy do something. He wrote in the previous verse, “I charge [command, order] thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;” What is the Holy Ghost’s commandment to Timothy? What is His commandment to us? “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Why must we do this?

The next two verses explain: “For [Because] the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

As Christians, it is our responsibility—yea, our privilege—to study God’s Word rightly divided on our own so we can then preach it (thus allowing that truth to combat the apostasy, the doctrinal error). We must be “instant [ready] in season, out of season:” we will get into Bible conversations we would never expect, with some of the people we would never expect to hear from, at a time when we would never expect them. Today’s Scripture says to “reprove [expose sin; blame], rebuke [correct], exhort [advise, encourage, urge] with all longsuffering [patience when provoked] and doctrine [sound Bible teaching].” The only way we can do this is to study God’s Word rightly divided on our own.

Again, be instant to preach the Word, anyone, anywhere, anytime!

Israel, Stand Still! #11

Friday, July 19, 2013

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

Israel must stand still and do nothing in order to see her God work mightily on her behalf!

God’s nation in the earth, Israel, was ruined. For over 15 centuries, she repeatedly broke His covenant with her by ignoring His laws, especially by worshipping pagan idols (Judges 2:10-20; 1 Kings 11:1-43; 2 Chronicles 36:14-21; Nehemiah 9:6-38; Isaiah 40:18-20; Jeremiah 44:1-30; Ezekiel 5:5-17; Daniel 9:3-19; Hosea 2:2-9; Malachi 2:1-17; et al.). Legally, she could not be God’s people, for she was now under Satan’s control.

And so, God’s plan, devised in eternity past, was implemented. The Scriptures unfolded that plan over a period of centuries. The seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15, man’s Redeemer, became the seed of Abraham, the seed of Isaac, the seed of Jacob, and the seed of David. That seed is Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16), God manifest in human flesh (John 1:1,14), the fulfiller of the Abrahamic Covenant, and the means whereby salvation would flow through Israel to the Gentiles.

That Messiah-Redeemer Jesus would save Israel from her sins first (Matthew 1:21). Then, and only then, those redeemed Jews would bring salvation to the Gentiles (Exodus 19:3-6; Isaiah 61:6; Zechariah 8:20-23; et cetera). When Jesus Christ offered Himself to Israel as their King, they demanded His crucifixion: “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:14,15; Acts 3:13). (Without Israel’s cooperation, how would salvation go to the Gentiles now? God’s solution to that dilemma was to raise up Saul of Tarsus and make him Paul the Apostle sent to us Gentiles without Israel [Romans 11:11-13]).

JEHOVAH God the Son let them nail Him to that awful cross of Calvary, and His blood poured out. Without that shed blood of Jesus Christ, Israel (and actually, all people) would be hopelessly lost forever. Little did Israel know, that by killing their Messiah, He could then save them with that shed blood—that was God’s wise plan all along! Israel could now be saved by that marvelous work He did for them (and us) at Calvary….