Category: religious bondage

Evil Communications #1

Sunday, November 12, 2017

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33,34 KJV).

What are “evil communications?” Are we immune to their effects?

Not long ago, I counseled a dear Christian who was having some major and continuous difficulties. We were able to identify the source and we studied verses that were useful in correcting his thinking and behavior. Moreover, I encouraged him to limit his contact with certain “friends.” Perhaps they meant well—hopefully so (!)—but they were negative spiritual influences. They were offering their denominational doctrine to help him cope with his problems, but such false teaching had only made matters worse for him.

Today’s Scripture begins, “Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners.” It is easy to assume that, since we who have trusted Christ are eternally secure in Him, we are immune from Satan’s lie program. Yea, we can be quick to suppose that no one can trick us because we have the Holy Bible in our possession. Today’s Scripture says that, if we think others cannot deceive or corrupt us, we are in fact deceived. For example, we can hear sound Bible doctrine but fail to keep it in memory and/or fail to use it by faith. People can come along with incorrect information and confuse and/or distract us. This happened to the Corinthians.

Paul spent 18 months in Corinth, winning various individuals to Christ and educating them in the Bible rightly divided (Acts 18:1-11). The church at Corinth was established and growing, but Satan would not be outdone. Once Paul left to preach the Gospel of Grace in other regions, false teachers visited and corrupted the Corinthian saints with a mixture of Greek philosophy and Judaistic legalism.

Consequently, some Corinthians recanted faith in the doctrine of literal, bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12). Therefore, they were under the impression that they could live however they wanted. The latter part of verse 32 says, “…let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.” If there were no resurrection, there would be no accountability. Today’s Scripture thus immediately follows with a warning: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners….”

Spirituality or Futility? #8

Friday, November 10, 2017

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:37,38 KJV).

Here, we see two alternatives—spirituality and futility. Our choice?

God sent the Apostle Paul to us Gentiles to give us the Dispensation of the Grace of God, or Jesus Christ’s heavenly ministry (Ephesians 3:1-9). From Heaven, not Earth, Christ is speaking today. In this dispensation, God is forming the Church the Body of Christ, a heavenly people whom He has blessed “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We are not the nation Israel; God is not finished with Israel. She will rise again after our dispensation (Romans 11:1-36)!

We are saved by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins (Romans 3:23–4:8)—apart from any works of any kind. Upon believing the Gospel of the Grace of God, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13,14). We need no water (or any other) ceremony to “enhance” our Christian life. God gave us a new nature in Christ, power that produces good works and gives us victory over sin (Romans 6:1-23). The Law serves no purpose in our life because God’s grace teaches us to “deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and “to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11,12,14). Jesus Christ died to put away sin, so we put it away in our life. Our hope is not God’s earthly kingdom (Israel’s hope) but rather His heavenly kingdom (Ephesians 2:6,7; 2 Timothy 4:18).

Romans is the most basic Book for this dispensation. It outlines justification, how to have a right standing before God. Therein we also discover sanctification, how God has set apart believers to do His will. Moreover, we see Israel’s past, present, and future statuses. Finally, there are basic but specific grace principles for everyday living. Three useful Pauline passages are Romans chapter 12, Ephesians chapter 4, and Colossians chapter 3.

We study all the Bible, but anything other than Pauline doctrine and duty is but futility!

Spirituality or Futility? #7

Thursday, November 9, 2017

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:37,38 KJV).

Here, we see two alternatives—spirituality and futility. Our choice?

Dear friend, a sure way to engage in futility is to reach back into previous dispensations and/or reach forward into future dispensations, and force those verses on us today. To use Bible verses God once applied before our dispensation, or to follow Scriptures God will apply after our dispensation, is to fall prey to Satan’s “wiles” or deceitful strategies (Ephesians 6:11). If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, such Bible mishandling frustrates or hinders God’s plans for your Christian life! If you have not trusted Christ, such Bible misusage hides from you God’s current Gospel message! Christians remain confused and defeated; lost people stay unsaved and Hell-bound!

Satan would never discourage us from quoting Bible verses because he did it in Matthew 4:6. Yea, he used Scripture… but did not handle it dispensationally. As long as God’s Word is not “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15), it furthers Satan’s agenda most ingeniously (without suspicion!). “We are in God’s will because we are Scriptural. Satan cannot deceive us.” Of course, to not use the Scriptures God’s way is to, by default, achieve Satan’s goal!

God is not currently forming an earthly people—the nation Israel. There is no water baptism and no tithing (mandatory giving) today. God is not telling us to confess our sins, follow the Mosaic Law, keep the Sabbath, offer blood sacrifices for our sins, sell everything we have and give to the poor, drink poison, heal the sick, raise the dead, look for “signs,” build an ark, and so on. God told other people in other dispensations to pursue and do those things, but He did not tell the Apostle Paul to instruct us concerning them. What futility to try to make God do something He is not doing today! If we will know what He is doing today, and will do His will today, we heed the Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon.

Let us conclude this devotionals arc….

Spirituality or Futility? #6

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:37,38 KJV).

Here, we see two alternatives—spirituality and futility. Our choice?

One can be “Scriptural” and still be completely outside of God’s will. We must be Scriptural and dispensational, aware of God’s current program. Yea, we should always respect a Bible verse’s dispensational context before we try to apply it to ourselves.

Notice Romans chapter 11: “[11] I say then, Have they [Israel] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? [13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:….” With national Israel temporarily fallen, the ascended Lord Jesus Christ sent the Apostle Paul to us Gentiles with a special dispensation (or set of instructions for our faith and obedience).

Ephesians chapter 3: “[1] For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, [2] If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: [3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) [5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;….”

What Paul wrote in Romans through Philemon was not made known in Genesis through Malachi, Jesus’ earthly ministry (Matthew through John), or early Acts. Therefore, to constantly emphasize the non-Pauline Bible Books to the extent of diminishing the Pauline Books is to ignore a secret God was deliberately withholding at that time. Now that He has revealed that secret through Paul, ignoring Paul is to be completely ignorant of God’s current operations….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Can you explain Philippians 2:14-16?”

Spirituality or Futility? #5

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:37,38 KJV).

Here, we see two alternatives—spirituality and futility. Our choice?

Dear friend, is it Scriptural to slay and offer our children to the LORD God? Why, yes, read the instructions in Genesis chapter 22. Would we be following the Bible if we built an ark to escape an approaching world flood? Of course, God commanded that in Genesis chapter 6! Is it Biblical for us to bring animal blood sacrifices for our sins? Indeed, the Book of Leviticus says so. Would we be following God’s Word for executing people who collected firewood on the Saturday Sabbath? The Book of Numbers contains those guidelines, you know! Should we sell all our possessions and give to the poor? The Lord Jesus said to in Luke 12:33. He also declared one could drink poison and not die in Mark 16:18!

When church members today say, “Every promise in the Book is mine; I follow all the Bible,” they do not mean that. Not one slaughters their children in sacrifice, not one builds an ark to prepare for a global flood, not one executes those who work on the Saturday Sabbath, not one offers animal sacrifices, not one sells all possessions to give to the poor, and not one drinks the poison. Why do they not follow these verses if they are claiming “all” the Bible? Those verses do not support their denomination! Why do they not “follow Jesus” in Luke 12:33 and Mark 16:18? It is too awkward and revealing!

The truth is, dear friend, we can grab (“name and claim”) all the verses we want, but if it is not what God is doing today, we are wasting our time. Whatever is not according to God’s will shall eventually come to nothing. According to the Bible, the Dispensation of the Grace of God was given to the Apostle Paul for him to give it to us Gentiles. We thus need to listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say to us through Paul….

Spirituality or Futility? #4

Monday, November 6, 2017

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:37,38 KJV).

Here, we see two alternatives—spirituality and futility. Our choice?

Despite instructing the Corinthians to heed the Lord Jesus Christ’s words spoken through the Apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit anticipated disrespect and rebellion. Some Christians would still prefer religion (what they wanted to do, they would indeed do!). Read the latter part of today’s Scripture very carefully. To pursue their own desires, they would ignore God’s words through Paul. Skirting Pauline doctrine, they would then cleverly “justify” their activities using other Scriptures. (Sound familiar?)

In the 2,000 years since the carnal Corinthian church was urged to follow God’s spokesman to Gentiles, Paul (Romans 11:13), and warned not to be “ignorant” of his apostolic authority over them, a most unfortunate result is before us. Even at such a late date, the professing church has overwhelmingly and most pathetically failed to be spiritual. Instead of following the Apostle Paul as he follows Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), church members follow everyone else.

Roman Catholics elevate “Pope” Peter and his “apostolic successors.” The Kingdom Hall of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” stresses the teachings of Charles Taze Russell. “Christian Scientists” follow Mary Eddy Baker. The Church of Christ parrots Alexander Campbell. Joseph Smith still guides the Mormons. Seventh-Day Adventists look to Ellen G. White for instruction. The Lutherans to Martin Luther, the Methodists to John and Charles Wesley, the Presbyterians to John Calvin, et cetera.

Now, friends, we will never, ever, ever, ever, EVER say these people ignore the Bible. Their doctrinal statements and creeds quote Bible verses to some extent. In addition to mishandling Scripture by quoting only the “preferred” phrases, they corrupt God’s Word by forcing on us verses that God never directed to us Gentiles in the Dispensation of Grace. They do not give preeminence to Christ’s heavenly ministry through Paul. Instead, their ignorant leaders—guiding them in confusion—place emphasis on Christ’s earthly ministry. (Christ’s earthly ministry was to the nation Israel exclusively, as Matthew 15:24 and Romans 15:8 expressly declare!)

Ignorance thus turns into futility….

To Please Men, or God?

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do it, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:22,23 KJV).

Whom shall we please—men, or God?

For two years, a Christian man periodically taught Bible studies at his house. He invited various individuals, including his sister (who he knew was unsaved and trapped in the cult he himself had escaped decades earlier). At his request, she attended most, if not all, his studies. He gave a clear Gospel message and invitation after each meeting. One day, she informed him that she was going away for the weekend. Why? That cult was sponsoring a retreat and she had enrolled!! The dear brother in Christ was disappointed beyond words. Evidently, she had been attending his studies simply to satisfy him.

A new Christian woman recently expressed to me bewilderment about a “spiritually disjointed” married couple she knew. The wife was a “Bible reader,” supposedly “skilled in the Scriptures;” her husband was a cult member. They attended services at a “feel-good” prosperity church and assembled with the cult for “worship services.” The Christian woman asked me how such incongruity could exist. I explained to her that the wife is likely reading verses but not studying them rightly divided. She cannot discern truth from error because she knows no truth. Furthermore, it appears she “fellowships” (?) with her husband’s denomination just to gratify him. The “feel-good” church is evidently her preference, so he goes there to pacify her.

While today’s Scripture features the servant-master (employee-employer) relationship, by extension, it better explains the Christian-God relationship. Whom should we be serving? Are we to attend Bible study or church services to satisfy a spouse, neighbor, sibling, parent, or friend? Is our behavior merely to impress those people watching us (“eyeservice, as menpleasers”)? Whatever we do, friends, we should do it in “singleness [sincerity] of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do it, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Above all, we must conduct our lives motivated by heart faith in God’s message of grace to us. “…As to the Lord, and not unto men.”

Arrayed in Hypocrisy

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27,28 KJV).

“Looks can be deceiving” is not only true during Halloweentime, but confirmed year-round within Christendom.

Today is Halloween, when children dress up and feign themselves to be creatures they are not. Likewise, many church leaders today wear “Christian” garbs, but their ministries do not bring the Lord Jesus Christ glory and honor. They promote their denomination, and seek to perpetuate it, rather than serve and exalt the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Bible manifests these who appear to be good, as “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

In today’s Scripture, Jesus Christ exposed Israel’s corrupt religious leaders who misled the nation in His day. In His Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13:24-30,37-43, Christ explained how just as He had sown good seed (wheat, believing Jews) in Israel, Satan had also sown tares/weeds (unbelieving Jews). Tares resemble wheat; unbelieving Jews resemble believing Jews. The unbelieving Pharisees and scribes, for instance, looked like God’s people (believing Israel). Judas Iscariot was another example of Satan’s tares—the apostles never realized who Judas really was until it was too late!

But Satan’s counterfeit believers are not confined to Israel’s program. Today, within local assemblies of the Body of Christ, there are people feigning themselves to be Christians: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Beloved, beware of the church leaders who are arrayed in hypocrisy, “and avoid them” (Romans 16:17b). If their teaching does not agree with the rightly divided King James Bible, you have no business as a child of God to be listening to them.

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

You may also see our special study, “Should Christians celebrate Halloween?”

Bible Q&A #435: “Can you explain the ‘Corban’ tradition?”

The Common Man Needs to Hear

Sunday, October 8, 2017

“Therefore go thou, and read in the roll [scroll/volume/book], which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD’S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities” (Jeremiah 36:6 KJV).

All should hear the LORD God’s words!

Early English Bible translator William Tyndale penned (early 1500s): “I have perceived by experience how it is impossible to establish the lay people in any truth, except the Scriptures were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text.”

Mark 12:37 says, “…And the common people heard him gladly.” Scripture says the lay people “heard [the Lord Jesus Christ] gladly.” Their religious leaders, who should have taught them God’s Word, withheld it. The ordinary Jews had been so thoroughly starved of truth for so many decades. Consequently, the nation as a whole was unable to recognize Jesus as Messiah/Christ. Now that salvation has “come unto the Gentiles” through the Apostle Paul’s ministry (Romans 11:11-13), God wants the “common people” of “all nations” to hear His Word plainly in their native language. Brother Tyndale thus labored so tirelessly to give us our English Bible rendered from the original Hebrew and Greek. In fact, we “common people” can be grateful that 75% to 85% of our King James Bible is actually Tyndale’s translation.

Bible translation is ever so important, as it gives we “common people” of the world the opportunity to have God’s words in our native tongue. Romans 1:5: “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:….” Romans chapter 16: “[25] Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, [26] But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:….”

Brethren, may we faithfully translate God’s words into the languages of the “common people” of “all nations.”

Light Bulbs and Lenses #2

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130 KJV).

Light… bright… lenses… sight!

Every lost person who has come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has known the initial thrill of total forgiveness of all sins. They have experienced the joy of deliverance from the eternal penalty of sin—Hell and the Lake of Fire. The Bible, what once seemed “nonsensical,” is now viewed as invaluable. There is now a consciousness of sin, something absent prior to coming to Christ. Works-religion, once appearing so “meritorious,” is now recognized as worthless. Almighty God, once thought of as a “distant and cruel ogre,” is now seen as a loving Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on Calvary’s cross—His sinless shed blood and resurrection—is appreciated personally. There are eternal life, hope, peace, acceptance, love, and mercy. None of this was known before faith in Jesus Christ.

The above scenarios accentuate the spiritual light that God’s words bring when they are spoken in Gospel preaching and/or written in Gospel literature. It is not until the lost soul becomes a saved soul, that it really begins to realize its former destitution and wretchedness. Many have rightly likened this unto a light bulb being turned on inside the heart. What was hidden in shadows is now manifested. There is a whole new worldview, a strange but fascinating and fitting way of looking at life. However, sadly, spiritual confusion begins to creep in. So many contradictory churches and groups start introducing spiritual darkness. The new Christian soul, still eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ, starts experiencing the “lost” mentality it once suffered!

There is a reversion to ignorance. The Gospel and Scripture in general are no longer clear—now muddled by every belief imaginable. The high hopes at the moment of justification, being declared righteous before God, have disappeared. Christian thought and living now seems uncertain and burdensome. Whatever sharp Bible knowledge the soul had is now being worn down. At this point, some Christians just throw away the Bible in hopelessness. They go back to the world, indulging in human evil. Other Christians, still reeling to and fro spiritually, remain in church, simply because human “good” appeals to them.

They all need more light, and lenses….

Our latest Bible Q&A article: “Can you explain 2 Kings 2:23-25?”