Category: False Teaching

I Have Finished the Work! #4

Monday, March 13, 2023

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

Could we say this at the end of our life, at the conclusion of our ministry?

Doubtless, today’s Scripture summarizes the best human life ever lived: it was the life of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. There was never any sin, and never any chance of sin. What Father God had sent Him to do, He did it without fail and without hesitation (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 12:18; John 8:29).

Firstly, He faithfully gave His Father’s words to a believing remnant in Israel, manifesting all that the Father is and does (see John 17:6,8,14,26). By the time of today’s Scripture, that work was finished. He had one final task to accomplish. Secondly, on Calvary’s cross, He faithfully gave up His life: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). That too was now completed, and note well Hebrews 10:4-14, recalling this as the fulfillment of Psalm 40:6-8.

Re-read today’s Scripture: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” When this earthly life is over, could we honestly say those words with our Lord? Did we glorify Father God on the Earth? Did we finish His work which He gave us to do? Were we walking by faith in His words to us, the Pauline epistles of Romans through Philemon? Of course, for us, it would not be 100% as it was for Christ. For a great many of us, we could say nothing more than, “I glorified thee on the earth a little here, and a little there, but it was not much.” Maybe it would be 50%, or even as low as 1%! We let religious tradition and philosophy interfere with our spiritual growth, we refused personal Bible study, and we allowed sin to master us.

In order to maximize that percentage, we need to pay attention to certain Scriptures and apply them to life by faith in the heart while we still have time to make things right….

Worthless Papers #3

Friday, March 3, 2023

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1,2 KJV).

Behold, Saul possesses worthless papers!

Saul is definitely relieved to learn the Lord is working with Ananias to confirm the fact he really is a saved man now. Read verses 10-19. With Ananias restoring Saul’s physical sight, Saul’s conversion thus made apparent, the saints in Damascus receive him. They recognize him as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and no longer feel threatened.

Decades later, as the Apostle Paul, Saul writes Philippians chapter 3: “[3] For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. [4] Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more [and here is his worthless résumé, all his accomplishments]: [5] Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; [6] Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Saul learned a valuable lesson on the road to Damascus, for here comes the contrast….

“[7] But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. [8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung [manure!!], that I may win Christ, [9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: [10] That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; [11] If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

If you think about, dear friend, there is much for us to learn from these verses too!

Worthless Papers #2

Thursday, March 2, 2023

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1,2 KJV).

Behold, Saul possesses worthless papers!

It is not uncommon in this world to see people parading their “degrees,” whose specialty in one field (or, a few fields) of study has caused them to now be under the impression they can comment authoritatively on any and every topic. To be sure, Saul of Tarsus had rabbinical training, having sat under the most eminent teacher of Judaism of the day (see Acts 22:3 and Acts 5:34)—Gamaliel known to orthodox Jews even now. Saul assumed he knew all there was to know about religion. He was a master at it. He would have had the equivalent of a doctorate in theology, being proficient not only in Hebrew, but Greek, Latin, Aramaic, and perhaps other languages. Knowing the Hebrew Bible, he had also been familiarized with Greek philosophy.

Furthermore, Saul had received from the highest-ranking religious leaders of Israel the legal power to round up any believing Jews who had found refuge in Damascus. Carrying those warrants and leading a party of troops, he is just outside of the city when he meets the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ! Whatever credentials Saul had, he realized they were useless at this point. Such worldly wisdom, such secular power, such religiosity, was worthless. “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?… I am Jesus whom thou persecutest…” (Acts 9:4,5). The God he thought he was worshipping was the very God he was upsetting!

“And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him to Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink” (verses 8,9). Once physically sighted but spiritually blind, he is now spiritually sighted but physically blind. His religious training is of no use to him now. Those warrants are unusable. There he is, vulnerable in Damascus, among the very people he had come to destroy….

Comatose! #5

Monday, February 27, 2023

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14 KJV).

“Wake up!,” screams the Holy Spirit to today’s comatose professing church!

In Matthew 13:25, “the enemy” labored “while men slept.” Verse 39 identifies this “enemy” as “the devil.” The sleeping, of course, is not physical but spiritual. When people are spiritually oblivious, napping in the spiritual realm, they become more susceptible to Satan’s will. A saint not walking in the light of God’s words to him or her will fall into the spiritual trap of functional death, the Christian life not functioning (see today’s Scripture). Also, any lost people refusing to believe God’s words to them—they are content in being lost—they too will be vulnerable to Satanic deception (remaining lost). The context of the verses in Matthew chapter 13 is the Little Flock receiving and believing the Gospel of the Kingdom, God’s work (genuine), and lost Israel refusing and disbelieving the Gospel of the Kingdom, Satan’s work (counterfeit).

Satan’s evil world system is still in force now, misleading lost and saved alike, following the patterns already laid out in Scripture. It had duped the Corinthian saints (spiritual immaturity, heresies and sects, fornication, abusing spiritual gifts, petty lawsuits, mockery of the Lord’s Supper, et cetera), the Galatian saints (legalism, denominationalism, works-religion), the Ephesian saints (various sins and silly deeds delineated in Ephesians 4:17–5:21), and so on. In the verses following today’s Scripture, we read: “[15] See then that ye walk circumspectly [looking around, carefully, alertly], not as fools, but as wise, [16] Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. [17] Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. [18] And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;….”

If there is no renewed mind, thinking like a mature grace saint (Romans 12:1,2), we will be “fools… unwise… [not] understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Since the vast majority of the professing church has never paid much attention to the warnings the Holy Spirit issued 2,000 years ago, there is no filling of the Holy Spirit, and therefore no real spiritual fruit and meaningful Christian influence on the world. Like with Israel of old, a spiritual coma incapacitates….

Comatose! #2

Friday, February 24, 2023

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14 KJV).

“Wake up!,” screams the Holy Spirit to today’s comatose professing church!

For a great many people, the summit of being a Christian means nothing more than criticizing any and every non-Christian and trying to make lost people behave like Christians. “Stop doing those evils, and start doing these religious works!” While sincere, they are sincerely wrong. It makes no sense to expect non-Christians to conduct themselves as though they were Christians. What is even more preposterous, but usually overlooked, is when Christians act like non-Christians.

When Christians are “too busy” for Bible study, and/or “not interested” in having fellowship with believers, and/or “unwilling” to separate from the world’s desires and activities, and/or “indifferent” to false teaching in their denomination, this is far greater sin in the eyes of the Lord than non-Christians having lifestyles that are to be expected of non-Christians. A sinner cannot help but sin; his or her very nature is sin. Yet, the saint has a choice: walk by faith in Christ, or walk in the flesh. God intends saints (a title meaning “set apart, sanctified”) to be set apart from the world, the flesh, and the Devil!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2). It only makes sense for Christians to think and act like Christians—because that is precisely who they are. When Christians mimic the world, resembling non-Christians, they are spiritually comatose. Their Christian life is suspended. Alive in Christ positionally, they have decided practically to walk in the energy of the flesh—and their Christian life cannot and will not function. They are like the physical paralytic, sprawled out on a bed and totally helpless because they have decided not to have or apply the renewed mind.

Look at today’s Scripture. There are spiritual zombies in Ephesus, and they are all around us in our local churches….

Something in Which to Glory!

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:12-14 KJV).

In what shall we glory? About what shall we boast? In what shall we find value?

Religion produces people who enjoy bragging all about their “dedication to God.” “Look what I did—the ceremonies in which I have participated, the many prayers I faithfully recited daily, how much I put in the collection plate, see how many pleasures I gave up to please God! Come, see how much I love Him!” Dear friends, the Apostle Paul found great value in something—but that something was not what he did. All that human flesh can accomplish pales in comparison to the work in today’s Scripture.

As Lent begins, the time when religionists temporarily (a mere 40 days) relinquish some pleasant food or activity, let us remember that our performance is often non-performance. Once we place ourselves on that treadmill of “do, do, do,” we are guaranteed to fail at some point. Human flesh is simply too weak to maintain 100 percent—that is sin! Even concerning one rule, we cannot keep it perfectly. We mess up eventually.

If ever we believe that our puny works are worth bragging about, let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul in today’s Scripture. While some boast in their religiosity (in the passage, the Judaizers applauding their rite of physical circumcision), and such denominationalists today urge us to obey their church’s instructions so they too may boast in our ability, let us eschew such foolishness. Being imperfect, all their works do not measure up to Christ’s finished crosswork. At Calvary, we find the only sacrifice that will ever please the God of the Bible. If we must boast, let us brag that He did what we could never, ever do!

See our archived Bible Q&A: “Should Christians observe Lent?”

God’s Grace on Parade

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

“…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20 KJV).

Today, especially here in southern Louisiana, the Catholic festival of Mardi Gras takes advantage of God’s grace. God’s grace abounds even when drunkenness, lasciviousness, and gluttony are committed overtly on our streets for religion. Because we live in the Dispensation of the Grace of God, they can flaunt their sin without being consumed by fire from heaven!

“Mardi Gras,” French for “Fat Tuesday,” is a day when religious people—professing “Christians”—lose self-control (excess alcohol, food, and partying). The following day, Ash Wednesday, they promise to live “holy” for the next 40 days (Lent). A priest will then place ashes on their foreheads proving that God forgave them for that riotous living. Blasphemy!

Regardless of all its biblical allusions (illusions!), Mardi Gras is still evil and anti-God. It was never Christian, originating from pagan Roman festivals, Saturnalia and Lupercalia (interestingly known for riots, drunkenness, gluttony, and fornication, and subsequent repentance).

The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostles Peter and Paul, was clearly against Mardi Gras reveling and drunkenness (Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Peter 4:3). So why do professing Christians engage in the very activities that God the Holy Spirit condemned?! As Christians, we should “deny” the activities of Mardi Gras (Romans 6:11-15; Titus 2:11-15).

If I appear offended, I am. Mardi Gras, despite its godly façade, is offensive to the great God and my Saviour Jesus Christ! God’s grace continues to tolerate such foolishness from mankind. Man parades his sin, and God parades His grace, holding back wrath.

Are you a Mardi Gras reveler? I declare unto you the wonderful Gospel of the Grace of God. God did for you at Calvary what you could never do: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus Christ shed His sinless blood and died to put away all of your sins, Mardi Gras revelry included.

If you rest in Christ Jesus alone as your Saviour, God will save you forever, make a trophy of His grace, and then YOUR life will be God’s grace on parade!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

You may also see our archived Bible study Q&A, “Should Christians celebrate Mardi Gras?”

Firmer in Their Murmur #4

Sunday, February 19, 2023

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven…. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves…. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:41,43,61 KJV).

Behold, they have become firmer in their murmur!

“I do not follow Paul. Paul is just a man. I follow Jesus.” Whenever someone says this, they are advertising Bible ignorance: they need to do more biblical studying and less spiritual murmuring. For example, is it not interesting that Jesus Himself ordered the healed leper to “offer the gift that Moses commanded” (Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14)? Adopting the pattern described earlier, can you just imagine the idiotic reply? “But, Lord, I follow God. Moses was just a man. I obey God’s command.”

Of course, the Lord Jesus knew Moses was only a human, but Moses was God’s spokesman to Israel. To reject Moses meant refusing Almighty God’s messenger. Advising His Apostles, Christ stated in John 13:20: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” To receive Christ’s messenger or apostle to us is to accept Jesus Christ Himself, and to receive Jesus Christ is to accept Father God who sent Jesus Christ as the Spokesman for the Godhead. Christ commissioned the Apostle Paul to reach us, “Delivering thee from the people [Israel], and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee [‘apostello’],….” (Acts 26:17). The Holy Spirit thus moved Paul to pen Romans 11:13: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office….”

Instead of spending all our time reading Christ’s earthly ministry (to Israel! Matthew 15:24), we should consider His heavenly ministry to us through Paul. The Corinthians were negligent here (1 Corinthians chapter 10), as is much of the professing church now. Let us not be firmer in our murmur—or even murmur at all—concerning “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [Paul’s ministry]” (Romans 16:25,26). Let us be appreciative of the Lord speaking through our Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 14:37)! “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (verse 38).

Firmer in Their Murmur #3

Saturday, February 18, 2023

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven…. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves…. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:41,43,61 KJV).

Behold, they have become firmer in their murmur!

When addressing the Corinthian church’s abundant problems, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul prompted these saints to recall the Hebrew Bible (after all, some Corinthians had been synagogue-attending Jews; see Acts 18:7,8). Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-14. These members of the Body of Christ were repeating the sins of ancient Israel. As Israel abandoned Moses, so Corinth had forsaken Paul. Neither group was grateful for their God-given identity. Both dabbled in devil worship, sexual transgressions, and various other iniquitous deeds.

Observe verse 10 of 1 Corinthians chapter 10: “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.” This is the same activity in today’s Scripture—the Jewish unbelievers were doing it in Christ’s earthly ministry, as Israel complained centuries back (in the days of Moses). “And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!” (Numbers 14:2). God pronounced judgment: “Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me” (verse 29). As Corinthians stated, they “were destroyed of the destroyer:” “Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD” (verse 37). See also Numbers 26:63-65.

When Korah incited a revolt to challenge Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:1-3), God smote these unbelievers by causing the ground to open and swallow them alive (verses 31-35). “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD [Could they get more confused than this?!]” (verse 41). The LORD inflicts another plague, killing over 14,000 people (verse 49).

Let us not be “firmer in our murmur” either….

Only What is Done By Christ

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11 KJV).

“One day this life will soon be passed, only what is done by Christ will last.”

A Christian preacher’s obituary publicized how he had attended three seminaries and earned a doctorate in theology. In his lifetime, he taught at several seminaries and colleges, and pastored numerous local churches. He enjoyed training men and women for the ministry, with his hundreds of students becoming missionaries, preachers, and seminary teachers. Moreover, he led 30 tours to “the Holy Land.” His four sons were pastors, and his daughter married a pastor. Certainly, much was achieved—but was it Christ in him?

Our human viewpoint has its limitations. Indeed, we can evaluate their performance by comparing it to a denomination’s checklist. They were water baptized, confessed their sins, founded or joined local churches, studied theology books, traveled to foreign lands as “missionaries,” memorized prayers, taught religion classes, visited homes to distribute “inspirational literature,” and so on. According to the denomination, they are in a right standing before God. However, the Lord looks beyond outward performance; He stares right down into the person’s very heart. What He wants to see is faith in His words, Holy Scripture, and, unless it is trust in an intelligent understanding of His Word to us, it is but sinful flesh striving to copy the life of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, while the aforementioned preacher had a testimony of forgiveness of sins and eternal security in Christ, he was nevertheless a vehement Bible corrector. As always, we will let the Lord judge his malicious comments concerning Scripture. However, we do know that being indoctrinated with naturalistic textual criticism and manmade traditions is no substitute for the renewed mind and its resultant victorious Christian living. One can be saved and on his or her way to Heaven, but still think and behave ridiculously—even outright teaching false doctrine.

Never forget, dear friends, “One day this life will soon be passed, only what is done by Christ will last.” Our “hustle and bustle” in religion will amount to nothing. Only (!) what (!) Jesus (!) Christ (!) does (!) in (!) us (!) has (!) eternal (!) value (!).