Category: works-religion

Saint, Why Sayest Thou Nothing? #5

Thursday, January 31, 2013

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13 KJV).

You are not alone in being shy about witnessing for Jesus Christ….

Once the Apostle Paul began his ministry, and started preaching the glorious Gospel of the Grace of God (that we are saved by grace through faith without works), legalism (works-religion/Mosaic Law-keeping) contradicted his message and confused and divided Christians (sound familiar?). Two areas where legalism was dominant were Ephesus and Galatia.

Paul instructed Timothy, a church leader in Ephesus, to “charge [command] some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). They have swerved from “godly edifying” and “faith unfeigned [genuine],” and have “turned aside unto vain jangling [useless, foolish talking]; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm” (verses 6,7).

Sometime later, Paul writes a second epistle to Timothy. It is the Apostle’s final letter. Paul pens that he is “mindful of [Timothy’s] tears” (2 Timothy 1:4). Timothy is very discouraged in the ministry, as evidenced by Paul’s encouragement: “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (verses 6-8).

Timothy is now ashamed of God’s Word and of Paul’s imprisonment. He once courageously proclaimed God’s Word, but now he is craven. The false teachers in Ephesus have intimidated him to silence, lest they have “competition.” Paul instructs Timothy not to fear the lost world. He should endure the suffering that comes with being a Christian. He should speak up about God’s Word! How can he do this? “According to the power of God!” Dear saints, our flesh is weak, but God’s power is more than sufficient to give us boldness to speak His Word to this lost and dying world.

Honesty or Flattery?

Friday, January 25, 2013

“He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue” (Proverbs 28:23 KJV).

Which will ye?

Which type of person would you “favour” more? Someone who told you a feel-good message, that which “tickled your itching ear,” or someone who was honest with you, and rebuked you when you did something wrong? Do you prefer a lie, or the truth? Behold, Satan’s lie, and God’s truth. Choose ye!

LIE #1: Do your best, and then God will do the rest.
LIE #2: Do your best, and then God will do the rest.
LIE #3: Do your best, and then God will do the rest.
LIE #4: Do your best, and then God will do the rest.

While the lie appeals to our flesh, and is thus very popular, it is vain flattery. We enjoy hearing, “You are good enough for heaven if you do the best you can.” Yet, we know deep in our hearts that our shortcomings are our “best.” If they are our “best,” then we are headed to anywhere but heaven!

TRUTH #1: “There is none righteous, no, not one… For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10,23).
TRUTH #2: “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
TRUTH #3: “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:4,5).
TRUTH #4: “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:24,25).

The truth, although it hurts our fleshly ego, is still in fact, the truth! Christ’s finished crosswork is a testament to our sins. This “offence of the cross” (Galatians 5:11) insults our self-righteousness, and demolishes any notion that our religious performance can give us a right standing before God.

In what have ye trusted? The truth, or the lie? Honesty, or flattery?

A Rejected Sacrifice

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

“But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:5 KJV).

We are some 6,000 years removed from today’s Scripture, and yet it teaches us a valuable lesson of eternal worth….

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” (Hebrews 11:4). The LORD gave Cain and his brother Abel clear instructions. Only Abel did what God said because only he believed what God said. Abel, a shepherd (Genesis 4:2), “brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof” (verse 4a). Cain, a farmer (verse 2), “brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD” (verse 3).

Notice what Abel brought—a sheep, a blood sacrifice, and its fat, which is what God said to do. Observe what Cain brought—something he grew. Cain had probably slaved away watering that crop, weeding that patch of ground, and so on. Cain brought the very “best” he could bring—it was the work of his own hands. He rationalized, “Surely, God will accept this fruit of the ground. He knows I put so much effort into it. How can He say no?”

When Cain saw the fire of God come down from heaven and consume his brother’s sacrifice, and yet nothing happened to his sacrifice, today’s Scripture tells us that Cain grew very upset. “How dare You, God! It was my very best, and You do not want it!” Cain probably threw a tantrum and cursed. Eventually, filled with that religious rage, he murdered Abel (verse 8).

Cain symbolizes today’s average religious person, who refuses to do what God’s Word says: “Trust in the finished crosswork of Christ alone and I will save you.” Like Cain, they offer “their absolute best”—tithes, water baptism, acts of charity, penance, church membership, et cetera—things God never commanded them to do for salvation! Those things are “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) when compared to Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice of Himself.

And when they die, like Cain, they will be greatly disappointed.

333’s 600th – A Daily Banquet for the Inner Man

Sunday, January 20, 2013

“I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways” (Psalm 119:15 KJV).

Beloved, as we reach another milestone, rejoice in Christ with us!

Nothing compares to God’s Word working in you when you believe it (1 Thessalonians 2:13). It takes the lost and dying sinner and makes him or her a saint of the Most High God. It grips the hearts of saints and causes them to do the work of the ministry. It is a lighthouse of hope when the storms of life ravage a soul. It leads one to a deeper understanding of what God is doing today, which results in a greater appreciation of our Creator and Saviour Jesus Christ. But, unless we read the Holy Bible for ourselves—and mostly importantly, believe it—it cannot and will not profit us.

Just as our physical bodies require adequate food to survive, our souls need sufficient sustenance. Religion starves us by offering “morsels [read that crumbs] of ‘truth,’” but our inner man requires more than a skimpy daily ditty of “spiritual wisdom” if it is to mature. Religious tradition will not lead us to spiritual maturity. God uses His Holy Bible, not church tradition, to “effectually work in them that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Our purpose is to teach God’s Word, the Holy King James Bible, so it can be understood and enjoyed. We intentionally pack each and every study with as much sound doctrine as space permits. We do not simply talk about the Bible. We study it, consider it, and then believe it, remembering that context is of utmost importance. When studied correctly—“rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15)—God’s Word literally becomes a banquet for your soul!

Each daily devotional is designed to cause you to think outside of “religious norms.” You see what God’s Word actually teaches rather than what it is often presumed to teach, and as one brother says, “The ‘old Book’ is made a ‘new Book.’” Every day, we study the King James Bible rightly divided. We “meditate in [God’s] precepts,” and we “have respect unto [His] ways” (today’s Scripture). What a spiritual banquet it is!!!! 🙂

Thank you, dear readers, for your continued prayer. We pray for you upon every remembrance. On to #700!

Twice-Guilty Thieves #7

Saturday, January 19, 2013

“For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face” (2 Corinthians 11:20 KJV).

Beloved, take today’s Scripture to heart, lest religion take your heart so they can take from you!

Today’s Scripture summarizes religion:

  • “If a man bring you into bondage.” Religion (<religare, ‘to bind’) shackles us, for we sinners can never perform enough to be perfect. The more rules we attempt to keep, the more we stumble and the more miserable we become.
  • “If a man devour you.” Religion consumes you; it gains your trust, making you believe you are “good enough,” but it only disappoints you because you can never be perfect.
  • “If a man take of you.” Religion extorts your time, treasure, and trust. Eventually, it will literally take away everything—your joy, your savings, your time, your liberty in Christ.
  • “If a man exalt himself.” Religion tries to dominate your Christian life (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:24). It demands that you keep rules, regulations, rituals, and rites. It threatens you, “Keep my ordinances, or God will not bless you.”
  • “If a man smite you on the face.” Religion abuses you. It disfigures the “face” of your inner man. You forget your identity in Christ, and you return to the “weak and beggarly” system of Law-keeping (Galatians 4:9). You forget that God has accepted you forever in Christ (Ephesians 1:6), not because of what you have done or what you have not done, but because you are in Christ, and Jesus Christ’s performance and finished crosswork on Calvary makes you forever pleasing in God’s sight!

Unfortunately, like the Corinthians (today’s Scripture), most Christians allow religion to deceive them. They do not study the Bible for themselves, and they do not study it “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15). They confuse themselves with Israel, and they ignore God’s Word to them (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon), thereby making themselves vulnerable to church leaders who steal Israel’s verses in order to steal their purses!

Dearly beloved, beware of the twice-guilty thieves, and avoid them.

Twice-Guilty Thieves #4

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

“For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face” (2 Corinthians 11:20 KJV).

Beloved, take today’s Scripture to heart, lest religion take your heart so they can take from you!

In the context of today’s Scripture, Paul is defending his apostleship. He writes that he is concerned about false teachers polluting his Corinthian believers. They preach false gospels, false Jesuses, and false spirits (verses 1-4). Verse 13 describes them as “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.” Actually, verse 22 indicates these false teachers were Jews, which implies what they were preaching to the Corinthians to turn them against Paul and his ministry.

Paul preached, “Ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14); however, the false teachers taught the Corinthians, “Ye are not under grace, but law!” They were slandering and denying Paul’s apostleship and message in order to gain the Corinthians’ trust. Sadly, it worked!

Today’s Scripture demonstrates how these false apostles negatively influenced the Corinthians. The Corinthians were taken “into bondage” (Mosaic Law-keeping; Acts 15:10; Galatians 4:9; Galatians 5:1), wrongly believing they were under Israel’s performance-based acceptance system of law (works-religion/legalism also deceived Galatia [Galatians 5:1-5] and Ephesus [1 Timothy 1:3-11]; cf. Acts 15:1-5.). The Corinthian Christians were taught to be Scriptural: perform to get God’s blessings as taught in the Bible’s “Old Testament.” (They are today’s prosperity preachers!)

Claiming Israel’s verses as though they are ours is, essentially, to deny our identity in the Church the Body of Christ. Attempting to follow a program that God never gave us is to reject the program He did give us through Paul. It is a deliberate refusal to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

“Name it and claim it” preachers literally “steal Israel’s verse to embezzle your purse!” Despite their alleged sincerity, the Bible is clear these false teachers are not serving God. They are actually extorting money from you under false pretenses (today’s Scripture). What is most appalling? They are using Scripture, and giving “God” the praise!

Twice-Guilty Thieves #2

Monday, January 14, 2013

“For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face” (2 Corinthians 11:20 KJV).

Beloved, take today’s Scripture to heart, lest religion take your heart so they can take from you!

Members of the “name it and claim it” movement, despite their duplicity and heresy, are actually quoting the Bible (!). Prosperity theology does not simply appear out of “thin air;” it is found in God’s Word. Deuteronomy chapter 28 is one of the primary passages of Scripture used to teach that God will reward you with material blessings based on your religious performance. The Bible indeed teaches this, but it is speaking to Israel in time past. God declares no such thing to us today in the Dispensation of Grace (search Paul’s epistles in vain).

Note Deuteronomy 28:1,2: “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” We then read of dozens of blessings, which are often “claimed” today.

Now, read verse 15: “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.” God lists dozens of curses, which everyone today ignores for obvious reasons.

“Claiming” part of the chapter to follow—the blessings—and willfully rejecting the rest—the curses—is dishonest. Nevertheless, the “name it and claim it” crowd—as does religion in general (today’s Scripture)—names the verse in order to claim the purse! This robs Christians of their identity in Christ, and it keeps them ignorant of what God teaches them through the Apostle Paul.

Wilt Thou Love Instruction or Hate Reproof?

Saturday, January 12, 2013

“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish” (Proverbs 12:1 KJV).

We can choose to either love instruction, or hate reproof.

No one person has the perfect answer to every issue in life. God’s Word, the Holy Bible, does not tell us specifics about how to handle every life matter. However, there is plenty of “instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) contained therein, and it will literally take an eternity to soak it all in. Will we, by faith, submit to God’s instructions to us, or will we distance ourselves from the Being whose “understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5)?

As sons and daughters of Adam, we do not naturally “love instruction” (today’s Scripture). We want to do things our own way, in our own time, and at our own pace. “Me! Me! ME! You are not my boss! Do not tell me what to do! I will make my own decisions, no matter what the consequences are.” Such an attitude is “brutish” (today’s Scripture): it is uncivilized, senseless, and even animal-like. God has tolerated this for 6,000 years from billions of people—imagine the longsuffering of God for witnessing it for this long!

The Bible is one giant book of instruction, for it informs us regarding what God has done, is doing, and will do. It also demonstrates His mercy, wisdom, love, and grace. Alas, very few “love [that] instruction.” In fact, the Bible’s claims are often met with, “I do not believe in God; leave me alone!” “That Book has mistakes; it was written by man.” Such replies are “brutish.”

The Bible is one giant book of reproof, for it reprimands us concerning our fallen (sinful) state. It also provides information about God’s plan to restore us unto Himself through Jesus Christ. Alas, almost all “hate [that] reproof.” In fact, the Bible’s claims are often met with, “Oh no, not me! I am no sinner!” “I can get to heaven without Christ.” Again, such responses are “brutish.”

Let us cherish and believe God’s instructions to us—Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. Let us not be brutish.

Established Saints #7

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of you and me” (Romans 1:11,12 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is God’s will for every believer.

I speak from experience when I claim that denominational teaching hides God’s will from Christians. Religious tradition deceived me for nearly 15 years, so I was scripturally ignorant. Today’s average “Christian” church is so fixated on vain customs, rites, ceremonies, programs, rituals, prayers, dogmas, and experiences, its members have little to no time to study the Bible for themselves. The method whereby God grows us spiritually is Bible study, so if we are distracted by everything else, is it any wonder why most professing Christians know little to nothing about what God is actually doing today, and know everything they presume Him to be doing today?

Dear saints, if we are to be used of God to the fullest extent, we must be “established:” we need to be Christians who have a solid footing in sound Pauline Bible doctrine. This is only possible when we study and believe the Bible “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15). Unless we understand where we are in God’s Word, and where in the Bible to find ourselves, we will never appreciate our identity as members of the Body of Christ, and we will never know what God wants us to do in this the Dispensation of Grace. We do not go to the non-Pauline books of the Bible to try to find God’s will for us there (although we study all of the Bible!).

Trusting Christ as our personal Saviour is our birth into God’s family. Learning that Paul is our apostle is the first “baby step” in the Christian walk. Delving deeper and deeper into Paul’s epistles to discover God’s Word to us, and our belief in those doctrines we read, will mature us spiritually. We can then become adult Christians, who have a clear understanding and an immense appreciation of God’s will for us. Be ye “established saints!” 🙂

Established Saints #5

Sunday, January 6, 2013

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of you and me” (Romans 1:11,12 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is God’s will for every believer.

God wants us believers “established;” that is, to have us understand His Word as the Apostle Paul did. Our Lord Jesus Christ desires to His fill us with His life, but He cannot live His life in and through us until we know the doctrine that is His life!

“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, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). Paul’s epistles follow this “doctrine, reproof, correction” pattern. Notice:

  • Romans – basic grace doctrine (Calvary’s finished crosswork: how it saves us and impacts our daily living; Israel’s past, present, and future statuses; practical grace living)
  • 1&2 Corinthians – reproof (carnality/spiritual immaturity, fornication, philosophy, pagan idolatry, denial of bodily resurrection, abuse of spiritual gifts, misuse of the Lord’s Supper, denial of Paul’s apostleship, embracing false teachers, condemned)
  • Galatians – correction (works-religion/legalism [Mosaic Law-keeping] condemned)
  • Ephesians – advanced form of Romans (Calvary’s finished crosswork: how it forms the Body of Christ and accomplishes God’s overall plan in creation).
  • Philippians – advanced form of 1&2 Corinthians (reproving disorderly saints)
  • Colossians – advanced form of Galatians (correcting asceticism, “self-denial” for religious purposes)
  • 1&2 Thessalonians – doctrine of the Lord’s coming for the Church Body of Christ (1), and for the nation Israel (2). After our glorification in heaven, reproof and correction are unnecessary.
  • 1&2 Timothy – church order
  • Titus – church order and good works
  • Philemon – brotherly love and Christian fellowship

The moment we trust Christ as our Saviour, we are spiritual babies. But, God wants us to grow spiritually, to become mature believers, to learn more and more and more about what He is doing and why He is doing it. We can then appreciate His Word and understand His purpose and plan for creation.