If you truly desire to
enter into life, having pleased the Lord God, then naturally you won’t mind
checking to see if you are inside, or outside His will. Perhaps you have been
living His will inside out as many of today’s Luther-based believers do? And why
do I say Luther-based? Read on please, and see what the effect of one man’s
liberal and heretical teachings can do in our time.
From Catholicism to
'Presumptionism'
Historically the Catholic Church controlled
the western religious world, totally dominating the religious scene. She
dominated to such an extent that she actually organised to eradicate any
opposition, for there were small pockets of believers who lived by their
conscience, such as the Waldenses.
Nevertheless, the great mass of the
population of Europe and beyond lived under the authority of the Catholic
Church. As with all administrations, over time there came a time of rebellion. A
number of the clergy and layfolk became disillusioned with the religious
teachings of the Church and rebelled. One of these was Martin Luther. Although
he was zealous to change the church, and nailed his list of requests on the door
of one of the Church buildings, he was a little bit like a man leaping off a
train because he didn’t like the meal. He had not really thought out what he was
going to do once removed from the situation he so disliked.
Although Luther surely must be complimented
for standing up against the Catholic Church, his philosophy and interpretation
of Scripture often seemed to be motivated by a fanatical desire to condemn all
form of law and order given by God. He seemed to condemn God’s administration
along with the false administration of the Catholic Church.
"If Moses should attempt to
intimidate you with his stupid Ten Commandments, tell him right out — chase
yourself to the Jews."
(from a lecture at
Wittenberg)
This statement is not borne of a man
desiring to lead a true restoration of all things. Christ Himself said;
"...if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.." (Matthew
19:17)
Naturally then, the keeping of the Ten
Commandments is an integral part of our faith.
The time of the so-called ‘reformation’ was
a time of weakness within the Catholic Church, whereby those who hated the
Church simply spoke out in anger against it. As with all revolutions, death and
martyrdoms do not prove that the dead or persecuted were right. They simply had
a management disagreement, whereupon they paid a price. And so Luther proclaimed
many things of a zealous nature that were not really anything more than an angry
man proclaiming his repulsion of Catholic tradition. In so-doing, he went too
far in the other direction, giving birth to many conceptions still found in
churches today.
Luther’s famous "sin vigorously" quote
speaks for itself:
"God does not work salvation for fictitious
sinners. Be a sinner and sin vigorously ... Do not for a moment imagine that
this life is the abiding place of justice; sin must be committed."
Yet God says we should not sin; "The soul
that sinneth, it shall die..." (Ezekial 18:20) , as Christ also said to the
adulteress; "go, and sin no more." (John 8:11)
Luther went further still:
"Sin cannot tear you away from him [Christ],
even though you commit adultery a hundred times a day and commit as many
murders."
"A person that is
baptised cannot, though he would, lose his salvation by any sins however
grievous, unless he refuses to believe..." (The Babylonian
Captivity)
"It is more important to guard against good
works than against sin."
(Tischreden, Wittenberg
Edition, Vol. VI, p.160)
Out of the "reformation" came all sorts of
thoughts on how man should worship God. The reformation literally took many
people out of the Catholic frying pan and into the Protestant fire.
Luther and others created a cart before
the horse version of Christianity that told of a way to God that is the
exact opposite of the holy way of God.
Putting it in
perspective
God is consistent in His demands on His
people, and historically He has asked for obedience — and then
the blessings follow!
"What thing soever I command you, observe to
do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."
(Deuteronomy 12:32)
"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a
curse;
"A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I
command you this day:
"And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of
the LORD your God..." (Deuteronomy 11:26–28)
"And Moses and the priests the Levites
spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou
art become the people of the LORD thy God.
"Thou shalt therefore
obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his
statutes, which I command thee this day." (Deuteronomy 27:9-10)
"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.
"Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and
blessed shalt thou be in the field.
"Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body,
and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy
kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
"Blessed shall be thy basket and thy
store.
"Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be
when thou goest out.
"The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against
thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way,
and flee before thee seven ways.
"The LORD shall command the blessing upon
thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he
shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
"The LORD
shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if
thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his
ways.
"And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name
of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
"And the LORD shall make thee
plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle,
and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy
fathers to give thee.
"The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the
heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work
of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not
borrow.
"And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou
shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto
the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe
and to do them:
"And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I
command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other
gods to serve them.
"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:" (Deuteronomy 28:1–15)
"Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments,
and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do
them.
"Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments,
and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the
covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:
"And he will love
thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy
womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the
increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware
unto thy fathers to give thee.
"Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there
shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
"And the
LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil
diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all
them that hate thee." (Deuteronomy 7:11–15)
"And it shall be, if thou do at all forget
the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I
testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
"As the nations
which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye
would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy
8:19–20)
"For thou art an holy people unto the
LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto
himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth."
(Deuteronomy 7:6)
"And thou shalt remember all the way which
the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee,
and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest
keep his commandments, or no." (Deuteronomy 8:2)
This is the way the Lord dealt with His
people back then. All the prophets said the same, crying out to God’s people to
be obedient in love.
To believe in God does not necessarily give
one salvation.
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou
doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19)
Unless one understands what one is believing
in, one could completely misunderstand the will of God.
We all want to know that we are accepted by
God. and we can, but please look at what Lucifer has done.
Martin Luther did not understand (as perhaps
many reformers didn’t) that true belief in Christ actually meant observing
God’s vital law [minus the sacrificial system] as Christ did.
"Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:20)
That includes statements like:
"But he answered and said, It is written,
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
This same command was given to God’s people
some 1,500 years before Christ, in the law:
"...man doth not live by bread only, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." (Deuteronomy
8:3)
‘Every word’ is supposed to mean just
that.
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
Can there be two types of perfect? Was not
Abraham himself asked to be perfect, and He kept the laws and commandments of
God.
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD
appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and
be thou perfect." (Genesis 17:1)
"Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and
kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Genesis
26:5)
And we are warned: "Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
What is the will of Christ’s
Father?
"And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and
Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto
all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep.
For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law."
(Nehemiah 8:9)
Do you weep because of lawlessness today?
Remember Jesus wept over Jerusalem:
"Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets,
and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some
of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to
city:
"That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth,
from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias,
whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
"Verily I say unto you, All
these things shall come upon this generation.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou
that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:34 –37)
Note: Christ sent the prophets (verse 34).
What did the prophets teach? Why did the
religious leaders of their time kill them?
For the same reason they killed Christ! The
prophets and Christ taught that the law of God should be kept in a holy manner,
thereby exposing the traditions of man that were disguised and taught as the
traditions of God.
"Why do thy disciples transgress the
tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat
bread."
... "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias [Isaiah] prophesy of you,
saying,
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me
with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
"But in vain they do worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:2,7,8 &
9)
Note: Christ stated that Isaiah prophesied that there would
come a time when men would follow man’s tradition rather than the
commandments and laws.
Christ could not have said that, unless
He Himself kept the law. Otherwise He would have been a
hypocrite.
So belief in Christ is to believe
what He did, and what He taught.
It is easy for some preacher who does not
understand the truth to quote Scriptures out of context and appear to
have got it right. A closer look however will reveal that all he has done is
snatch some superficial verses, not understanding what real grace is, and
point the finger at those naughty law-keepers — like Christ. Most
teachers today are sadly ignorant of the truth and don’t realise this.
Salvation, then, is not something we get
the moment we believe in Christ — for we may not even know what "belief" is.
Salvation is the gift God gives to all who
understand that they have become one of God’s people, because they want to obey
christ in keeping the ways of God [minus the sacrificial system].
Salvation is a deal between God and whoever
wants to be one of His people. Just as a bride becomes the husband’s wife, and
is under the authority of her husband, so are we also under the authority of
Christ the moment we say ‘Amen’ to the invitation to become one of God’s
people.
Salvation is not a free ticket policy,
or all who believe in Christ would be saved. On the contrary, few of
those who think they believe shall enjoy salvation.
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works?
"And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22– 23)
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not
the things which I say?
"Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and
doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
"He is like a man which built
an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood
arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for
it was founded upon a rock.
"But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a
man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the
stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house
was great." (Luke 6:46–49)
Is your faith built on rock or sand?
The faith of today’s Christian lies in the
ruins of liberalism, promoted by those who saw and still see Christianity
as a new religion. To them, Christianity is kind of cosmic insurance
company whose only requirement for receiving eternal life is blind
faith.
Yet God has called us to be His
people.
We read clearly in the Book of 1st Peter:
"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance:
"But as he which hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I
am holy."
(1st Peter 1:14–16)
Note: We are asked to "be holy". There surely can
only be one way to be holy — one standard for all time. Our love for
the truth, and living the life is vital.
"Who by him do believe in God, that raised
him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in
God.
"Seeing ye have purified your souls in
obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
"For all flesh is as grass, and all the
glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof
falleth away:
"But the word of the Lord endureth for
ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
(1st Peter 1:21–25)
Have you purified yourself in obeying the
truth? Christ opened the door for us Gentiles to take hold of an offer
originally given to Israel. But just like the parable of the wedding feast (in
which the King invited guests who refused, so He then invited strangers —
Matthew 22:2) so also has God invited us. Yet we must live by the same rules of
righteousness. Our duty is to love and obey Christ who obeyed God. We must
know His ways; we must walk in His pattern, or we have become
corrupt.
"And hereby we do know that we know him,
if we keep his commandments.
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not
his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
"But whoso
keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we
that we are in him.
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so
to walk, even as he walked." (1st John 2:3–6)
Do you keep the commandments?
The trap has been sprung, and
many "believers" enter in by the broad gate, having been deceived into
believing they are already "saved". They know not that salvation is a process.
We are dealing with a life and death
issue here.
Has God got two ways to salvation? Is God
double-minded? Certainly not!
He has always desired that His people live
by His laws and commandments and learn them to the point where they
are written on our heart by familiarity. God’s law is the stamp of His
people.
"Hearken unto me, ye that know
righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the
reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." (Isaiah 51:7)
The whole intention of God has always been
to separate to Himself a people for Himself; not to hand out free
tickets to foreigners.
"And ye shall be holy unto me: for I
the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be
mine." (Leviticus 20:26)
This is the purpose of the gospel — for us
to walk in God’s law and love Him with a whole heart, as Christ did, as King
David did, etc.
"And the rest of the people, the priests,
the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had
separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their
wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having
understanding;
"They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into
a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses
the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the
LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;" (Nehemiah
10:26)
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful.
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
"And he shall be like a
tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his
season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper.
"The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind
driveth away.
"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
"For the LORD knoweth the
way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish." (Psalm
1)
The delight of the believer should be the
law of the Lord, and he should be separate from the wicked who do not love
the law of the Lord, for in this Psalm we see by what means God will judge the
earth.
"And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will
dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be
my people.
"Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you,
"And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2nd Corinthians 6:16–18)
What a promise! Furthermore, if we are the
temple of the Living God, we must surely live by the law that abides in
the temple.
Our faith in reality is all about becoming
God’s people by obeying Him.
The ‘trap’ is the doctrine of deceit that
leaves the "believer" ill-equipped to be one of God’s people. Woe to the
teachers who have taught this deceit, for as Christ said, it would have been
better if these people had not been born, as also the great Apostle Stephen
cried out to those who taught lawless ways:
"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears,
ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do
ye.
"Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have
slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have
been now the betrayers and murderers:
"Who have received the law by the
disposition of angels, and have not kept it." (Acts 7:51–53)
That same cry goes out today from the
mouth of a few who understand the Everlasting Gospel.
Why won’t people see? Christ Himself
lamented the same thing. To the teachers of His time He did not mince
words:
"Why do ye not understand my speech? even
because ye cannot hear my word.
"Ye are of your father the
devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of
it.
"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." (John
8:43–45)
They did not love God, therefore they could
not understand, because they did not know or keep the rules.
"But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in
you.
... "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have
believed me: for he wrote of me.
"But if ye believe not his writings,
how shall ye believe my words?" (John 5:42, 46 & 47)
"For this is the love of God, that
we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1st
John 5:3)
Do you have the love of God in you?
The trap is that modern Christianity
does not understand that this earth will be judged by the law of God.
"Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which
I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments."
(Malachi 4:4)
This reminder comes at a time when the earth
is about to be burned an the end of this age. The law of Moses is very
relevant — but the Devil’s goal is to deceive if possible [which it is] even
the elect. The Apostle Peter writes again:
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.
"Seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation
and godliness," (2nd Peter 3:10-11)
Will you be keeping God’s law then? Or are
you saved in your lawless state now?
You see, at the time of Christ, God’s people
were going astray, and today is no different. But from what are we going
astray? We must be going astray from an established value system — God’s
Law — for Peter writes;
"For ye were as sheep going astray;
but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (1st Peter
2:25)
If Christ brought us back to the
truth; as a Good Shepherd, then, if we are to be His sheep,
we must answer to His voice.
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
(John 14:15)
Which commandments?
"And this is love, that we walk after his
commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the
beginning, ye should walk in it." (2nd John 1:6)
Do you realise that Christ was actually
preaching the gospel some two years before his death, perhaps even
three years (Mark 1:14 and Matthew 4:23)? This makes a mockery of today’s
so-called "Gospel", as the Gospel is the good word of God. Naturally we
can’t have two different standards and rules coming from the same God! The
Gospel has been preached from the beginning — that we ought be obedient
to the Lord our God who desires us to be careful and enter through the
narrow gate.
There is no other way to please God than by
believing, through Christ, that the sacrificial system has gone (but not the
law of righteousness), and to love God and mankind within the boundaries
of God’s everlasting ways.
The trap laid down in the beginning
by the Evil One, that even in disobedience we can still live and please God, has
widened to apply to all who hope in the Lord’s salvation.
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye
shall not surely die:" (Genesis 3:4)
One can take a thin layer of quotations out
of the New Testament that point to being saved by believing in Christ — and
reject all other Scriptures. But this is delusion. Christ and the
Apostles warn us against doing this, knowing that just as Eve was deceived, so
we also can be.
"For I am jealous over you with godly
jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a
chaste virgin to Christ.
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the
serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ.
"For if he that cometh preacheth another
Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have
not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear
with him." (2nd Corinthians 11:2–4)
The chilling fact is that you are probably
going to Hell, being rejected by Christ, because you willingly deceived
yourself, knowing that;
• Ungodliness
• Unrighteousness
• Disobedience
• Transgression
• Unholiness
• Backsliding
• Rebelliousness, etc.,
all pertain to the act of a human being, or human beings, doing
something other than what is required of God.
Although there are some things hard to
understand within the writings of Paul in particular (as Peter writes –2nd Peter
3:16) the bulk of all writings in the New Testament, when carefully and
prayerfully read, point to keeping the law (minus the sacrificial system).
Paul said; "Be ye followers of me, even
as I also am of Christ." (1st Corinthians 11:1)
Christ said He only preached His Father’s
doctrine.
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not
mine, but his that sent me." (John 7:16)
And God said, through King Solomon;
"For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye
not my law." (Proverbs 4:2)
Unfortunately, most seekers of truth will
believe the lie, and think they have salvation by empty belief. Please take heed
of Christ’s words themselves, and understand that to believe in Christ is to
believe He kept His Father’s law faithfully to the end, as He has asked us to
do also, or we will, through our rebelliousness, "die in our sins."
"Did not Moses give you the law, and yet
none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?" (John
7:19)
Here Christ is chastising the Jews for
not keeping God’s law of righteousness.
"Do not think that I will accuse you to the
Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
"For had ye believed Moses, ye would have
believed me: for he wrote of me.
"But if ye believe not his writings, how
shall ye believe my words?" (John 5:45–47)
Here Christ is pointing out that the laws by
which God will judge man are the laws given to Moses. Furthermore, had the Jews
truly believed in the writings of Moses, they would have known that Christ would
come to straighten the law of Moses (that they had bent). But because they would
not believe Moses — they could not believe Christ, for He said the same
thing.
"And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than
one tittle of the law to fail." (Luke 16:17)
Are you going to reject these scriptures,
and still keep your favourite quotes, thus deceiving yourself? This question is
asked in love.
Please avoid the trap. Modern Christianity
is not where God’s people should be. It is lawless. It is an
entanglement of man-made traditions. It is fool’s gold. It doesn’t even make
sense. It certainly isn’t fair on those who lived before Christ, and it has
mocked God.
If Christianity had had a true
reformation at the time of Luther, we Christians would be a light on the
hill. But because of the teachings of Luther and others, ‘Christianity’ has
become a form of entertainment for pagans to laugh about on Sunday mornings (and
why not?).
From their point of view, Christianity has
nothing good to offer, except light entertainment.
Where are the true people of the Lord who
live by every word of the Living God? Where are the real men who
"walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly... "But his delight is in the law
of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
Where are you?
Can’t you see that the Lawless One is
going around promoting, through his false apostles, that the law of God is
gone?
Well did King David write of this age when
he prophesied; "It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void
thy law." (Psalm 119:126)
If it was a light to his path, why isn’t it
to us?
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path." (Psalm 119:105)
Shame on us all for doubting the Living God,
for He is fair, He is consistent throughout all eternity, both in the past, and
in the future.
Shame, shame, shame on us all, for we have
sinned, in taking hold of the world’s ways and neglecting the Holy ways of our
Mighty God in whom we claim to trust.
"Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep
not thy law." (Psalm 119:136)
Have Christ and the prophets died in vain
for us? Or if we are to be the Lord’s peculiar people (1st Peter 2:9) will we
rejoice in or reject His peculiar and perfect way?
Today’s Christianity is nothing like the
way God gave to His people.
Be brave, and be of good courage. Look at
yourself, and what you believe.
Are you going to walk right into the trap?
Do you really think Christ is going to be well pleased, just because you
"believed"? Or do you think He is likely to be angry if you are careful of
your ways and live by God’s standard?
What more can be said? All that can be done
is to appeal to your conscience, and your ability to reason, and beg you to walk
in the opposite way of liberal Christianity. Ironically, liberal Christianity
does not give liberty; only through God’s law of love can true
liberty be experienced.
For this is what God loves.
"For this is the love of God, that
we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
(1st John 5:3)
Therefore, if you don’t want to please God
and live, disobey Him and see what happens. The Bible is full of examples of
what happens to those who disobey Him. Yet the Lord has called to Himself a
people in whom He delights.
Be brave, humble yourself and take hold of
God’s standard and avoid the misery coming to those who enter through the
broad way into the trap...
"For as a snare shall it come on all them
that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
"Watch ye
therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke
21:35-36)
Are you worthy? Or are you under the
strong delusion that "she’ll be right..."?
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming:
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
"And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
"And for this cause
God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a
lie:
"That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2nd Thessalonians 2:8–12)
What is light? And what is
truth?
"For the commandment is a lamp; and the law
is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:" (Proverbs
6:23)
Christ was the light of the world
because He kept God’s law, toppling the administration of the time as He
went, being our example in a dark world.
Pilate asked Christ; "What is
truth?"
He was looking at it, for Christ was
living the law.
"Thy righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness, and thy law is the truth." (Psalm 119:142)
Lawlessness is therefore the
trap.
Of course, Christ covers us if we make a
genuine mistake, but we are lost if we do not embrace the holy standards of
the Lord, and love one another who are of the faith with a fervent love.
If you are truly called by God to be one of
His people, you will know what I have written is true.
There is "a way that seems right
to man" but it’s way leads to death.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the
same is a thief and a robber.
"But he that entereth in by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep.
"To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his
voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
"And when
he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him:
for they know his voice.
"And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee
from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." (John
10:1–5)
Are you entering through the door, or are
you trying to climb up another way?
It is hard for us to conclude that we have
been deceived, for often a deceived man or woman does not realise they are
deceived, unless someone, or something jolts them out of error.
Praise God if you now understand that at
this time those who seek after the Lord are under strong delusion from
the lawless one to be lawless.
We know how alone one can feel as one steps
out in true faith to follow the Lord God with a whole heart as
King David did.
Please believe me though, it is worth it,
for the truth of the Lord, and the fervent love of the brethren are worth
far more than anything the world can offer.
There will be "new" things to learn. There
will probably be an inner struggle to come to terms with what you have read, and
will read, but the gospel is all about how we respond to God’s offer for us to
be His holy people.
The Evil One knows all he has to do is
convince us that we will not surely die, and we will never be God’s
people!
How can the disobedient inherit the
promises of God?
Therefore if you truly desire peace and
genuine love and fellowship in this life, and the joy God has for all who love
and obey Him in the new world, then turn and live, for we have all been wicked
(lawless) in this generation.
"But if the wicked will turn from all his
sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that
which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die."
(Ezekial 18:21)
The people of God are to live God’s ways
here on earth to show Him that we are ready to be His people forever.
We pray that this article has helped you to
see more clearly that the religion we call Christianity today is mostly a
melding together of worldly ways with parts of God’s law: an unacceptable
doctrine to the Lord. We hope that you will choose to honour God by keeping His
ways in your heart and living them out in your life. We also hope that you come
to be one of us who love the Ancient paths of the Lord.
"Hearken to me, ye that follow after
righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,
and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
"Look unto Abraham your
father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed
him, and increased him." (Isaiah 51:1-2)
May God bless you as you choose this day to
serve the Lord according to His holy law.
The choice is yours, if you choose to serve
the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then His righteous ways come with Him,
for they are His will for us.
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the
LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve
the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)
And we welcome you to be part of our
house if indeed you choose to serve the Lord His way, thus avoiding
the snare of the Devil which is the trap...
Author: EM
