Category: works-religion

Good Riddance! #4

Friday, April 12, 2013

“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13 KJV).

God’s people have never been welcome here in “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4) because He has never been welcome here. In short, if lost people could utter two words to us Christians after we have been raptured out, it would be, “Good riddance!”

Jesus Christ claimed that Abel was a “prophet” (Luke 11:50,51): Abel spoke to mankind on God’s behalf. Abel was also a saint, a man of faith because he believed what God said. Cain, Abel’s older brother, was just the opposite—Cain refused to believe God, and so he did not obey God. Imagine the animosity Cain had toward Abel.

Genesis 4:3-5 says, “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

Hebrews 11:4 confirms: “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Now, read Genesis 4:8: “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” What do you suppose Cain and Abel discussed before Abel’s death? Abel spoke God’s Word, reminding Cain that he had not brought the blood sacrifice God had commanded. Cain, reacting toward God’s Word as any other religious person would, becomes even more upset—how dare God reject his “alternate” viewpoint. Cain hated Abel for his “narrow mindedness”—Abel stood in the way of man’s religious “progress” and Abel had to go! Thus, Cain murdered Abel in a fit of jealousy and rage.

Let us develop this study a bit more, and see how this narrative perfectly parallels the context of today’s Scripture….

Do Not Confuse Me With Facts!

Monday, February 25, 2013

“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).

Some people will just never accept what the Bible actually says….

Every person is born spiritually “ignorant” and “dead in [his or her] trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 4:17-19). However, only a minority will ever accept true wisdom (Matthew 7:13,14): just a few will ever acknowledge their pitiful Adamic state, and just a fraction of that minority will appropriate by faith Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for their sins. What about the majority? They will do their absolute best to pretend that they are not really lost, that they are not really going to hell, that their church tradition is the final authority. They have an agenda—never, ever submit to the Holy Bible (this is the attitude of those already in hell).

I have encountered many individuals in my ministry. Some eagerly believed the Bible verses I shared with them. They were thrilled to have God’s Word enlighten them. Unfortunately, other people I met laughed at the verses (including a “grace” preacher!), they blatantly ignored God’s Word, and some quickly ended the conversation and literally ran away! They also discouraged others from using dispensational Bible study. Their experiences, their preconceived notions, and their traditions were at stake, and they knew it. Essentially, there was only one thing to say, and their actions could be reduced to the following words: “Do NOT confuse me with facts!”

In the context of today’s Scripture, the Corinthians were abusing spiritual gifts (especially the gift of tongues). They wrongly believed that speaking in gibberish (“unknown tongues”) was a sign of spirituality, so Paul reminded them that the test for spirituality today is what Jesus Christ says in his epistles, Romans through Philemon (today’s Scripture). Today’s Scripture makes it very clear—if anyone refuses to believe what the Lord has to say through Paul, let the person remain in ignorance. Give them their wish—confuse them not with facts. Free will!

Saved from Hell, But Lost in Tradition #7

Thursday, February 21, 2013

“…God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 KJV).

Can someone go to heaven without ever learning dispensational Bible study?

Yes, provided that they had faith in the right Gospel message, the Gospel of the Grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:3,4): “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day.” Acts 2:38, Matthew 3:2, and Mark 1:15 are not valid Gospels for us today—they are Israel’s salvation message, and they belong in Israel’s program.

While God wants all people to be saved from hell—that every person trust in the shed blood, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for his or her sins—God also wants every Christian to understand why He saved him or her (today’s Scripture). Although dispensational Bible study does not provide eternal life and salvation from hell—the Gospel of the Grace of God does that!—it does provide salvation from false teaching by explaining the practical implications of our salvation from hell. God has two programs in His Word, Israel’s prophetic program for earth and our mystery program for the heavenly places, and in the end, “in the dispensation of the fulness of times,” these two programs will bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:9,10; Colossians 1:16-20).

Today, there are millions of Christians who are heaven-bound. However, it is unfortunate that the majority have little to no understanding of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Due to church tradition, they often confuse God’s Word to Israel (Genesis through Malachi, Matthew through John, early Acts, Hebrews through Revelation) with God’s Word to us (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon); they apply Israel’s doctrine to their lives and then wonder why Bible study becomes burdensome confusion! They, ignorant of God’s will for them, are “taken captive by [the devil] at his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).

Beloved, in Christ, we are saved from hell forever. Now, let us remain steadfast in the rightly divided Scriptures, and let us not be lost in tradition.

We are thrilled to have recently launched our ministry YouTube channel. We only have one home Bible study video uploaded at the moment, but we will upload more as time goes by. By next week, we should have three additional home Bible study videos on YouTube next week! 😉 Praise the Lord! You can “meet” me teaching God’s Word rightly divided at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PncTlYsZ9eA.

Saved from Hell, But Lost in Tradition #6

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

“…God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 KJV).

Can someone go to heaven without ever learning dispensational Bible study?

Salvation from hell—“God who will have all men to be saved” (today’s Scripture).

What has God done for man that man could never do for himself? How has the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with our sin problem, fully and completely? What must we do to be saved, to appropriate to our account, what Jesus Christ did for us, so we can avoid eternal hellfire?

The Gospel of the Grace of God answers these questions. “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Salvation from false teaching—“God who will have all men to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (today’s Scripture).

Why is Almighty, holy God willing to save us weak, sinful humans from the hellfire we deserve? What will He do with us who have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour? How does Christ’s finished crosswork impact our lives on a daily basis?

Dispensational Bible study answers these questions. We study all of the Bible, but we emphasize Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, God’s Word written to and about us members of the Church the Body of Christ. God will use us in the heavenly places for all eternity to glorify Jesus Christ there (2 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6,7; 2 Timothy 4:18). “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Colossians 2:6). We received Christ by faith without our works; our Christian life will operate likewise—by faith in what Christ will do in and through us. “Ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). We are “dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11).

Saved from Hell, But Lost in Tradition #5

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

“…God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 KJV).

Can someone go to heaven without ever learning dispensational Bible study?

The Gospel of the Grace of God is the solution to man’s sin problem, and salvation from hell can be found therein: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Simple faith in this Gospel alone guarantees a person that he or she has been given the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), is forgiven of all sins (Colossians 2:13), and will be “present with the Lord” in heaven upon physical death (2 Corinthians 5:8). “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

Dispensational Bible study is the key to Bible understanding, and salvation from false teaching can be found therein: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Verses 16-18 discuss false teachers who failed to “rightly divide the word of truth.” They subsequently misled some Christians to doubt their own salvation from hell!

Paul warned Timothy of apostasy, a departure from God’s truth in order to embrace “doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1). He instructed Timothy regarding salvation from deception: “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (verse 16). Years later, he cautioned Timothy regarding impending “perilous times”—especially false teaching (2 Timothy 3:1-13). “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (verses 14,15).

Salvation from hell is the most important Bible doctrine, but let us not forget that God wants to save us Christians from false teaching….

Saved from Hell, But Lost in Tradition #3

Sunday, February 17, 2013

“…God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 KJV).

Can someone go to heaven without ever learning dispensational Bible study?

People commonly believe that if they just quit doing bad things, God will accept them into heaven: “I need to stop [name the sinful act], and I need to start going to church, donating money, praying, fasting, et cetera….” Frankly, this does absolutely nothing for them. They are focusing on their symptoms (individual sins), and ignoring their underlying sickness (sin nature). Man’s main problem is not that he commits sinful acts; his primary dilemma is that his nature is wicked (the origin of his sinful actions).

Even after “going through the motions” of religious obligation at church, the sinner is no closer to heaven than if he had stayed at home and done nothing. He may have “quit” certain sinful acts and replaced them with pious works. Nonetheless, his nature is still sinful, still anti-God, and still worthy of hell. Despite his “dealing with the symptoms,” he is still spiritually sick!

Thus, it behooved Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, to completely treat us sinners. He made a “house call,” but not to prescribe more rules to clean up our lives. We needed more than reformation (symptom reduction); we needed regeneration (complete spiritual healing). We lacked spiritual life, so God Himself came to give us His!

Although we do not have righteousness before God in and of ourselves, we can be “made the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ died, not simply to pay for our sins, but to also crucify our sin nature with Himself! “Our old man is crucified with him” (Romans 6:6). When we trust the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for our sins, God takes our sin and sins and applies them to Calvary’s cross, and appropriates the merits of Christ’s perfect crosswork to us (imputation and justification). We also receive a new nature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) (regeneration).

But, salvation from hell is not just a fire escape….

Saved from Hell, But Lost in Tradition #2

Saturday, February 16, 2013

“…God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 KJV).

Can someone go to heaven without ever learning dispensational Bible study?

Soul salvation and spiritual growth, although related, are not to be confused. SIN, not a failure to correctly use and/or comprehend the Bible, is what prevents people from going to heaven.

Lost people are going to hell, not because of their sins (plural), but because they are spiritually dead (the “Adamic nature” that causes their sins). People are not sinners because they sin; they sin because they are sinners. Their main problem is not that they do bad things; their primary issue is the sin nature that causes them to do those bad things. This nature is completely opposed to God, and people gratify it by disobeying Him.

Paul describes the predicament of lost mankind: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his [God’s] sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19,20). Our sinful actions simply confirm that we have a nature that is thoroughly anti-God.

The Mosaic Law (specifically the Ten Commandments) condemns us. Because of our wicked nature, we cannot even keep 10 rules to make God happy with us. As the Apostle John wrote, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). In our identity in Adam, we have no righteousness (that is, we have a bad standing before God). A lost soul needs to be made right in God’s sight, before he or she physically dies and goes to hell. In order to go to heaven, his or her sin and sins must be dealt with, and Christ’s finished crosswork provides salvation from those sin and sins. Additionally, God has for this person a teaching curriculum to explain why He will save him or her….

God’s Grace on Parade

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

“…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 (2012) Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

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?