Live and let live in the Church

We are in the last days, the world is falling apart and chaos is growing, so you would think the Church would be an unmovable mountain standing up for what is right and eternal. NO, the Church is failing too, numbers are dwindling and the Church is becoming ineffectual for God.

Why?

Over the years the Church has failed to sort itself out, to self-rule based on the guidelines laid down in the Bible and get rid of the people and doctrines which are perverting the message of Salvation and watering down the power of God’s Word. This was the warning contained in Malachi to the Jews and the modern Church, ‘sort yourself out!’

I would like to look at one area in which I think the Church has failed, and that is the idea that any ‘Gospel’ will do as long as your intentions are good or, to be more precise, that salvation can be achieved in many ways.

There comes a point where a drink becomes flavourless the more water you add. Eventually you put it down and look for something else. Satan has worked very hard, and with the help of lazy Christians is doing a good job at watering down the Word of God, and in doing so the effectiveness of God’s Church

It is our duty to learn and study the Bible and to ask God for understanding. Part and parcel of this is 2 Timothy 2:15, which I can’t stress enough.

15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

More and more we put up with things in the Christian faith, as long as the outcome is the same, as long as we get more converts. ‘As long as’ seems to be more important than what Christ says. There is a slow watering-down of truths in the Bible, and Christians are accepting it on the basis that it doesn’t matter, we don’t need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s any more, it’s the overall meaning that’s important. People professing to be Christians are corrupting the scriptures and teaching a different way to salvation. Jude 4 explains the future of these people and those who follow their false teachings.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Sorry to disappoint you, but ‘as long as’ doesn’t work with God and is contrary to everything the Bible teaches us. When Jesus walked the earth He didn’t water down His message just to make it more acceptable to people, remember the rich man in Matthew19:20,21

20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Jesus could have accepted him as a disciple then and there and overlooked the money problem, but Jesus saw that it was something the man couldn’t let go of, so much so that the young man chose the money over Jesus. What sort of disciple would he have made. Not one Jesus could have used. He had something which was more important to him than Jesus.

Today is no different; God calls those He wants, God sees everything both seen and unseen; both spoken and thought. It is not our choice that counts, we can only see the external and the now. Ephesians 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Unfortunately there are people coming into the Church who aren’t bothered about doing their best for God but are there to satisfy their own agendas and desires. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us about certain people in the last days. Specifically in verse 5 we read about their true nature:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God
5 having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Galatians is a very good book to read regarding the corruption of the gospel, in Chapter 1:6,7 we read;

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

And in the following verses (following) on we are warned what will happen to the people who try to preach another message or gospel. Not just once but twice it is mentioned, showing the seriousness of the situation, and what I like about this reading in the Amplified Bible is the translation of ‘accursed’ - (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment) which is included in the reading.

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

The message is clear; don’t mess with the message. If you don’t know something then keep your mouth shut and find out, don’t make it up. You are playing with people’s souls and your own eternal life. If God thought fit to put it in the Bible then it is worth repeating. It’s also worth learning what you are talking about so you don’t speak out of turn or lead someone away from their faith.

In Galatians we have a prime example of people adding to the gospel to make it fit their lives rather than changing to fit into the life Christ wants for them. It’s not all the fault of Satan either, man has a knack for being lazy, always trying to find the easy way out, and in doing so playing right into the hands of Satan. Then there are times when Satan will send people to corrupt and split up the Church. If you don’t know the scriptures and haven’t got the Spirit of Christ in you then you won’t see the signs or understand what’s going on. You will be led away from the true gospel of Salvation.

The message of salvation is simple, Paul was specially called by Christ to speak to the nations (the non-Jew) to give the good news. I came across a few verses somewhere which were collectively titled ‘Marks of the true Gospel’, all of which were taken from Galatians;

1:11-12 - Teaches that the source of the Gospel is God.

2:20 - Shows that life is obtained through death; we trust in the God who loves us and died for us so that we might die to sin and live for him.

3:14 - Explains that all believers have the Holy Spirit through Faith.

3:21-22 - Declares that we cannot be saved by keeping laws: the only way of salvation is through faith in Christ, which is available to all.

5:24-25 - Proclaims that we are free from the grip of sin and that the Holy Spirit’s power fills and guides us.

The problem with this simplicity is that the modern Church thinks it isn’t popular with people, it’s not what people want to hear today. They think the gospel is old fashioned and was fine in its day but now we need something more. Church leaders who themselves haven’t been taught properly search through the Bible to find other ways to excite the congregations, to provide ‘tradition’ and ‘rituals’, and in doing so make a basic mistake caused by a lack of knowledge of the scriptures. Others just ignore the scriptures altogether.

You can’t just read the entire Bible and assume it all relates to the Church; this is wrong and will lead you into all sorts of confusion. Yes, the Bible is all good, obviously, it was inspired by God. 2 Timothy 3:16 explains:

16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

If you read from the Amplified version it gives a bit more detail.

16. Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action),
17. So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Verse 16 is often used to show that all the Bible is relevant for the Christian and teaches how he/she should live today. This is just not the case. The whole Bible is good to read and lessons can be learnt from it all, but we have to understand that we can’t live by Old Testament Laws, neither can we look to the Old Testament for our salvation, nor can we use the Gospels to understand how we are being called by Christ.

We can’t spiritualise every Old Testament story to give an up-to-date teaching, why would we want to? There are enough relevant lessons to be learnt in Paul’s teachings, which are specifically given for the Church. If we don’t understand the Word, how can we hope to be ‘complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ as it says in verse 17.

From a basic understanding our faith can grow as we read and listen to the Word, from that God can reveal deeper truths, and so our faith increases more. Romans 10:17:

17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

There is only one way to gain salvation, but there are different gospels. The reason for this is that gospel means ‘good news’; it is not a magical word which is only connected to salvation.

I gave some scriptures earlier, the Marks of the true Gospel, here now are four which narrow the field even more and concentrate the message of Salvation.

Romans 3:23 - Everyone has sinned.

Romans 6:23 - The penalty for our Sin is death.

Romans 5:8 - Jesus Christ died for Sin.

Romans 10:8-10 - To be forgiven for our sin, we must believe and confess that Jesus is Lord. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ.

There is no other way; no matter what people say or preach they can not create any other way to gain your place with God for eternity. Living a good life, giving to charities, attending church every week will not save you, these are works, and you can not be saved by works. Romans 11:6

6. And if they are saved by God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's wonderful kindness would not be what it really is free and undeserved.

Also in Titus 3:4-7;

4 But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. 5 He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.
6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did.
7 He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life.

If you are not being taught this then you are in the wrong place, don’t accept any other message. Salvation is a free gift from God. No matter how many meetings you attend, how many gestures of goodwill you do, this will not get you any nearer to an eternity with God.

Finally I would like to end with another list, this one even more condensed and straight to the point, in fact this list contains one verse. This IS the message of salvation, no frills, and we have all heard it at some time or another. John 3:16:

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”

What could be simpler? If you are being told something else then you now know the fate of those who are speaking it, and of yourself if you listen.