Category: Calvary’s cross

A Fair Shew in the Flesh

Sunday, October 2, 2011

“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” (Galatians 6:12 KJV).

The Galatians were pummeled with “another gospel,” a perverted works-religion version of Paul’s Gospel of Grace (Galatians 1:6-9; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3,4). They had trusted in Jesus Christ and “received [God’s] Spirit” (Galatians 3:2), but Jewish legalists were teaching the Galatians they could not be saved unless they were physically circumcised and kept the Mosaic Law (Acts 15:1-5).

Today, Christendom’s hang-up is not physical circumcision, but rather everything else from Israel’s program—tithing, water baptism, gift of tongues, and Sabbath day keeping. While most church leaders today condemn Galatia for being so deceived, those church leaders are oftentimes equally deceived by denominationalism (church tradition)!

Ever heard of “walking the aisle for Jesus?” Making a “profession of faith” before a church congregation? Being water baptized? “An ‘outpouring’ of the Holy Ghost?” Today’s Scripture exposes these activities for what they really are—“a fair shew in the flesh,” performances that draw attention to and glorify man’s works and boast in what you did (Galatians 6:13). Our performance is NOT the issue.

Christ defined “a fair shew in the flesh” in Matthew 23:5: “But all their works they do for to be seen of men….” Christ is describing the activities of the scribes and Pharisees. They had a nice outward appearance—a nice “shew”—but it was all vain, worthless, faithless religion. Christ continued: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” (verse 15).

Like the Pharisees and scribes, many denominational churches just seek membership, not a person’s salvation. As long as the individual walks an aisle, gets water baptized, and gives money, that is good enough. Is it? No. Salvation is not based on what we do for God, but what Jesus Christ did for us.

Beware of the “fair shews in the flesh” and avoid them!

Christ Crucified

Monday, September 26, 2011

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV).

Christ’s cross is seldom preached in Christendom’s “praise and worship” meetings. We Bereans know Christ crucified, yet religion emphasizes everything but. Most churches stress Jesus’ teachings and miracles, but our salvation is not found in anything that Jesus preached during His earthly ministry. Christ ministered to Jews under the Law (Matthew 15:24; Romans 15:8; Galatians 4:4,5). We are neither Jews nor under the Law (Romans 6:14,15; Romans 11:11; Galatians 2:16,20; Galatians 3:28).

Many claim to “follow Jesus”—but, which Jesus? The Bible speaks of “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:3,4); the “Jesus” of religion (the Four Gospel Records) is not the Jesus God wants us following today. We follow Jesus Christ as our Apostle Paul followed Him.

Paul did not follow Christ after His earthly ministry: “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more” (2 Corinthians 5:16). Today, in the Dispensation of Grace, we follow Christ according to His heavenly ministry as described only in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon.

Recently, a clergyman used his weekly column to voice his concern in my local newspaper. Why was he so distressed? That souls were going to hell? No! His column’s theme was that he feared cigarette butts were greatly polluting our streets! There was not one word about how to be saved by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Not one word about Calvary’s cross or Christ’s shed blood. Sad.

What did our Apostle Paul preach? “Save the planet?” Christ’s earthly ministry? No, today’s Scripture says he preached, “Christ crucified.” Today, the message of Christ’s cross is the foremost issue, not His earthly ministry. Paul’s Gospel—Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This message, the Gospel of the Grace of God, is the most important message we proclaim, for it alone is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16b).

The Precious Blood of Christ

Friday, September 23, 2011

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:18,19 KJV).

The term “redeem” means “to buy something back that which was originally yours.” When God created Adam (the first man), mankind was in complete fellowship with God. There was no sin or death. That all changed when Adam disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6,7). Sin had ruined God’s perfect creation. There, in Eden, God lost the human race to sin and mankind became part of Satan’s policy of evil, “the power of darkness” (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 2:2).

Coming up through the Scriptures, we see God setting His plan into motion. Somehow He would redeem man, and restore the fellowship He and man had once shared. God purposed in Himself to die for man—God would become a man to shed His sinless blood for our sins. The sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ, has “purchased us with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).

First and foremost, Jesus Christ died to redeem the nation Israel (today’s Scripture). Matthew 20:28: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many [Israel]” (cf. Luke 1:68). But, 1 Timothy 2:5,6 says: “the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” When we come to Paul’s ministry (“in due time;” see verse 7), God reveals that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for Israel and for everyone else (us Gentiles!).

Just as God will restore Israel at Christ’s Second Coming (Acts 3:18-21; Romans 11:26-29), Christ has restored us unto Himself now: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law…” (Galatians 3:13). If you have not done so, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, His dying for your sins, His burial, and His resurrection for your justification, and God will save you forever.

Be Established Saints

Saturday, September 17, 2011

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

The best book to use to introduce anyone to the Bible is the book of Romans, not John’s Gospel Record. The Holy Spirit designed the Bible’s canon so that Romans is the first of Paul’s epistles in Scripture. Lost people seeking salvation should study Romans chapters 1 through 5. Saved people seeking spiritual understanding from the Bible also need to begin in Romans, the foundational (basic) book of the doctrine committed to the Apostle Paul’s trust.

According to today’s Scripture, Paul wanted to “establish” the Roman saints, to educate them so they would have the same understanding of God’s Word as he did. Notice how the book of Romans is laid out:

  • Romans chapters 1-5: JUSTIFICATION — our salvation and position in Christ Jesus.
  • Romans chapters 6-8: SANCTIFICATION — how our salvation and position in Christ affect our lifestyle.
  • Romans chapters 9-11: DISPENSATION OF GRACE — where is the nation Israel today?
  • Romans chapters 12-16: CHRISTIAN SERVICE — sound doctrine for daily Christian living.

Romans 16:25,26b explain how God will “stablish” (stabilize) your Christian life: “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, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets,”

The foundation of your Christian life is “my gospel,” Paul’s Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Built on that is “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery,” sound doctrine from Paul’s epistles. Finally, “the scriptures of the prophets” refers to all of Scripture in light of the doctrine in Paul’s epistles.

If you want your Christian life to be “established” (fixed) and “stablished” (stabilized, strengthened), you need to build up a structure of sound doctrine inside your inner man. Study and believe the book of Romans, and ye will be established saints!

Ask and Ye Shall Receive?

Friday, September 16, 2011

“And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23,24 KJV).

Unanswered prayer is confusing. Have you ever prayed to God for something, and yet you never received it? Why did today’s Scripture not work? Did God lie? Not at all. Dispensational Bible study dispels confusion and doubt: today’s Scripture was not spoken to us. Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry spoke exclusively to Israel (Matthew 15:24; John 4:22; Romans 15:8).

Faith healers and prosperity preachers enjoy Matthew 18:19: “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” This too has nothing to do with us Gentiles: it belongs to Israel’s apostles.

If you pray according to today’s Scripture (or Matthew 7:7; Matthew 18:19; etc.), and do not receive what you prayed for, it is not because the Bible has mistakes, or because God does not love you, or because you had too little faith. God demonstrated His love for us, fully and clearly, at the cross of Calvary. These verses do not work today because God did not speak them to us. God is not doing today what He did with Israel in time past.

When our Apostle Paul prayed three times for the Lord to deliver him from his “thorn in the flesh,” Jesus Christ answered “No” three times (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Why did today’s Scripture not work for Paul? Again, today’s Scripture was spoken to Israel, not to Paul and us in this Dispensation of Grace.

Saints, while God will not answer our prayers in the same way He answered Israel’s prayers, He does hear our prayers. Regardless of what happens, we have “the peace of God which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:6,7).

Remembering the 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Sunday, September 11, 2011

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18,19 KJV).

It is difficult to fathom that today marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. On that dreadful day, over 3,000 Americans perished. Amidst the heartache, I recall many preachers piously screaming, “God’s judgment and wrath has come on America!” God’s promise to Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14 was flippantly quoted as though it were God’s message to America. Sinful men, not God, orchestrated the events of 9/11.

All nations, not just the United States, abound with greed, dishonesty, unbelief, violence, and fornication, and all are worthy of God’s wrath. However, today’s Scripture says that, in this the Dispensation of Grace, God is “not imputing [applying] their trespasses unto them.” Today, God’s attitude toward the world is “grace and peace,” not wrath and war. This is why Paul’s epistles open with “grace and peace.”

God in His grace is postponing His wrath (2 Peter 3:9), but the day is coming when this dispensation will conclude. Only then will God pour out His wrath on unbelieving mankind. Thankfully, we Christians will be raptured out before that period of wrath begins (1 Thessalonians 1:9,10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Currently, God is not condemning the world for their sins. Rather He extends His grace to all the world through Jesus Christ, His shed blood, His death, His burial, and His resurrection (Paul’s Gospel, the Gospel of Grace; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Through Christ’s shed blood, God in His grace offers His forgiveness to everyone (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). But, only when we trust in Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour does God apply (“imputes”) His righteousness and salvation to us. How many of the 9/11 victims were ready to die? Few.  Do not put off salvation; you are not guaranteed tomorrow. Please trust in Jesus Christ today.

-IN MEMORIAM-
The victims of 9/11/2001

-IN DEDICATION-
All those affected by 9/11/2001

*This is excerpted from a larger Bible study titled “September 11, 2001: The 10th Anniversary.” The Bible study can be read here.

The Sin of Presumption?

Monday, September 5, 2011

“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (for we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV).

If one has the assurance of going to heaven because he or she is relying exclusively on Christ’s finished cross work—and not on his or her own performance—religion calls this “self-righteous arrogance.” According to church tradition, “the sin of presumption” is committed when an individual has the assurance of eternal salvation in Christ.

Church tradition demands that in order to avoid the sin of presumption, we must never rely on our good works alone, but we must never rely on God’s power alone either. In other words, religion teaches salvation comes by our “good” works and God’s power. That is a devil’s lie, beloved (Romans 4:1-5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5)!

Today’s Scripture says that we are “always confident,” fully persuaded that while we live in these physical bodies, we are not in heaven’s glory. As members of the Church the Body of Christ, we are equally confident that our souls will appear in heaven as soon as these physical bodies die. According to today’s Scripture, if we have no confidence in going to heaven, then we have no confidence in presently being here on earth and not in heaven.

The Bible says we need to be made right with God, and in Christ, we are forgiven and eternally saved! According to Paul’s Gospel, the Gospel of Grace (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), we need to trust exclusively in Christ’s shed blood, His dying for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection if we are to receive eternal life.

The so-called “sin of presumption” is nothing more than a “cunningly devised fable” used to keep people fearful and bound in religious systems (2 Peter 1:16). I have assurance of going to heaven because Christ was “good enough.” I boast in Jesus Christ’s righteousness that has been applied to me, and I am saved in Christ.

Life is Unfair Indeed

Thursday, July 21, 2011

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 KJV).

Life is unfair. The guilty are declared innocent, and the innocent are condemned. Productive citizens’ lives are cut short by tragedy, yet those living ill-repute lives survive to do great damage to society. The wicked prosper while the Christians are mistreated. Corrupt millionaires seem to triumph over the people who live average to borderline-poverty lives. God’s people suffer persecution from Satan’s evil world system.

Indeed, life is so unfair. What better way to demonstrate that than to quote today’s Scripture: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust….” The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:3 and Hebrews 1:3 that Christ died for “our sins.” “For he [God the Father] made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin;” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God the Father sent His perfect Son to Calvary’s cross to bear our shame, our sin, our punishment, and our debt.

Heaven’s best came to this nasty world to save us, earth’s worst. Jesus Christ always pleased His Father (Matthew 3:17). We never pleased God (Romans 8:8). Christ did not deserve to go to Calvary. He went there because we deserved to go there, and He took our place so we could be saved from sin’s penalty, the everlasting lake of fire.

Life is SO unfair. The beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ, who always pleased His Father, died for us rotten, disobedient, ungrateful, arrogant, foolish, stubborn, sinful, hell-bound men trapped inside of these earthly tabernacles.

  • The just Son of God died for us, the unjust sons of Adam.
  • The sinless Son of God died for us, the sinful sons of Adam.
  • The loving Son of God died for us, the unlovely sons of Adam.
  • The innocent Son of God died for us, the guilty sons of Adam.

Behold that cruel cross of Calvary and realize that life is unfair indeed.

What About Unanswered Prayer?

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” (Psalm 66:18 KJV).

Unanswered prayer is a popular topic. Why are some prayers “unanswered?”

Read Isaiah 59:1,2: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Using the above verses, denominationalists say that if we have unconfessed sin, God does not hear our prayers (or He refuses to answer them). Of course, these religionists are not “rightly dividing the word of truth” like 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs.

Before we claim a Bible passage as ours, we need to notice to whom is the passage written. Psalm 66:18 and Isaiah 59:1,2 are not written to us in the Dispensation of Grace. They are God’s message to the nation Israel. God made a covenant with Israel—if Israel refused to listen to Him, He judged them in chastisement (in this case, unanswered prayer). Israel had to perform and obey if they wanted God’s blessings. That was their agreement with God in the Old (Mosaic) Covenant (see Deuteronomy 28).

It would make no sense to steal Israel’s passages (like Isaiah 59:1,2 and Psalm 66:18), because God dealt with Israel under law whereas He deals with us under grace (Romans 6:14,15). We are NOT in Israel’s works-religion (performance-based acceptance) system.

God judging us for unconfessed sin? If we have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we have perfect righteousness. How can God impute sin to us when we are in His Son (Romans 4:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:19)? As Christians, we can boldly come to God our Father in prayer. He hears all our prayers.

So, why do we not always get our prayers answered how we want? Evidently, we are trying to get God to do something He is not doing today (like asking Him for the promises He gave Israel and never promised us). Unanswered prayer is the result of us not praying in accordance with Paul’s epistles.

On the Sufferings of This Present Time

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 KJV).

Everyone suffers, Christians and lost people alike. Our suffering originates from three sources:

  1. We all live under the curse of sin. According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, matter is becoming less and less usable. Every living creature grows sick and eventually dies. Romans 8:21,22 and Genesis 3:16-19 explain the curse (the bondage of corruption) was instituted on creation because of sin. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
  2. We make mistakes, hurting ourselves and others. Others make bad decisions, and they negatively affect us. Of course, this too is closely related to #1 (sin). Christ said, “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).
  3. We Christians suffer for righteousness’ sake. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29).

Until we leave this present evil world of Satan, we will continue to suffer from all of the above. The good news is what Paul writes in today’s Scripture: this temporary suffering is nothing when compared to the eternal glorification that is awaiting us as members of the Body of Christ.

When we Christians receive our glorified bodies in heaven, we will be free from these bodies of sinful flesh, never to suffer again. What a hope we have in heaven, all because of Christ Jesus and His finished cross work on Calvary!