The False Gospel of Substitution Theology
by Scott Wilson
www.pearlofgreatprice.info
RANSOM AND THE QUICKENING
Mat
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.
The ransom is in the context of Jesus doing something on our behalf. It is not a
"payment" in a literal sense
like with money. We are redeemed without money, the Bible says:
Isa 52:3 For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye
shall be redeemed without money.
Jesus did this:
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
The "payment" is His "example."
Jesus "led the way" so to speak hence:
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's.
1Co 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
Likewise we read:
Isa 52:10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the
nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Isa 52:11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing;
go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
We are "ransomed from sin" or more accurately we are "ransomed from the
SERVICE of sin."
The "wages of sin is death" but the gift of God is "eternal life THROUGH
Jesus Christ."
We avoid sins wages via the "Spirit of life in Jesus Christ" because the "Spirit
of life in Jesus Christ" is the
antidote to "ongoing sin service." The CROSS is the MEANS by which
this becomes a reality in our lives which is why the cross is the cornerstone of
the Gospel Message.
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according
to the scriptures:
Not only is the death and resurrection representative of Christ's victory over all things, by which we have something tangible to hold onto in our minds, but it is also an example (1Pe 2:21) for us to follow, and His death also establishes the New Covenant which we are to enter into (Heb 9:16,20).
Basically, we enter into covenant with God through repentance and faith, our
conscience purged of dead works (Heb 9:14), we are thus made acceptable to serve
God in which we serve in Spirit and Truth (Joh4:23). God forgives us our past
sins and we walk according to the Spirit (Col 2:13). Carefully read the
following verses:
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Jesus came in the flesh and condemned sin in the flesh which is a parallel to:
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things
not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by
the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is
by faith.
The obedience of Jesus Christ in a flesh body and His
overcoming of sin via a walk in the Spirit demonstrates that sin can be
overcome, and secondly, justly condemns sin because the example leaves us with
no excuse. Jesus did this on our behalf as an example that the righteousness of
the law be fulfilled in us who do likewise. This is why Paul writes:
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 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.
2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you
by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him.
2Co 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive
not the grace of God in vain.
2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of
salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now
is the day of salvation.)
The Ministry of Reconciliation is to approach God in
the correct manner seeking to be reconciled and to therefore be in a present
state of walking as Jesus walked (1Joh 2:5-6).
Can you see the cooperative dynamic (working together) taught in 2Cor 6:1 as it
relates to the rest of the passage? Compare the following:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the
last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
We are to
“work together” with God lest grace be received in vain. No
quickening of the spirit can occur without faithfulness or a “wholehearted
yielding to God.”
Our spirits are prepared in this world for glorification in the next.
Eph2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ, (by grace ye are saved;
1Pet3:18 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:
Understanding the quickening of the spirit is essential in understanding
authentic Christian salvation.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God:
Eph
2:9 Not of works lest any man should boast.
Salvation is
not of the works of the law, nor is it of any works done apart from faith. Hence
salvation is of God because it is not something we produce on our own, rather we
“work together” with God (faith) by which grace is made effectual to the saving
of the soul. We are thus QUICKENED when we truly cooperate, hence:
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be yet doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Authentic salvation is wrought through “receiving” the Word of God within the heart. It is only possible to “receive” the implanted word if one lays apart ALL filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. In other words the rebellion to God ceases (in repentance) and faithfulness to God takes its place. We are thus quickened by the very power of God which is why the Paul wrote of the work of faith with power:
Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you
worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and
the work of faith with power:
There is no boasting in any of this because we are dependent upon the grace of God, we don't quicken ourselves. Rather, we prepare ourselves in repentance and faith and thus “draw near to God” wherefore God raises us up to newness of life.
Jas 4:8 Draw night to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall life you up.
Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
The boast was in the law (Rom 2:17,23) which could never save anyone. True righteousness is of faith because it is representative of a pure heart out of which flows the righteousness of God, a true work of God in the Spirit.
1Pe
1:18 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;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 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.
1Pe 1:22 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:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
REDEMPTION IN CHRIST vs SUBSTITUTION THEOLOGY
Redemption literally means to be "set free by payment of a ransom."
Redemption - apolutrōsis
From a compound of G575 and G3083; (the act) ransom in full, that is,
(figuratively) riddance, or (specifically) Christian salvation: - deliverance,
redemption. The context of the "redemption" or "deliverance" is this:
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.
"ESCAPING THE CORRUPTION IN THE WORLD THROUGH LUST" via "BY HIS DIVINE POWER HAS
GIVEN US ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF
JESUS CHRIST.”
The above is very important to understand due to the fact that it is the very
thing that ALL the Substitution Views (Satisfaction, Governmental, Penal)
utterly overthrow because they twist the "death of Christ" into establishing
some kind of judicial "provision" which one is to "trust in." This is where the
vast majority of the Street Preacher Movement is in very grave error. Much of
the Street Preacher movement is rooted in the methodology of the various
Substitution Views, views which they have inherited through the work of those
whom have gone before them, namely people like Ray Comfort (Penal Substitution)
and people like Jed Smock (Governmental View), both of whom are clearly false
teachers. These people lack any concept of true Redemption which is wrought
through the DEATH OF THE OLD MAN and the subsequent BIRTH OF THE
NEW MAN wrought through ENTERING INTO COVENANT with God via the
blood and being regenerated. Instead of contending for the cross in the correct
manner, they instead preach a kind of "reform your behavior" or "stop sinning"
message combined with a "trust in Jesus," all of being premised upon the notion
that the death of Christ established some kind of judicial provision which one
simply has to believe in. It is quite dangerous because it entirely undermines
and veils the real meaning of the cross. The actual “transforming dynamic” is
completely removed from the cross and made something “subsequent” to “trusting
in the provision.”
This is why I believe that many of these preachers actually preach in a very carnal manner whereby they bear the fruit of pride, crudeness, and even often depend on gimmicks in order to garner attention. The basis of the free forgiveness of sins is “REDEMPTION IN CHRIST” which is an ABIDING MANIFEST STATE. The basis of the free forgiveness of sins IS NOT the establishment of a judicial provision as is taught in Substitution Theology.
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Remember that it is the grace of God that quickens (Eph 2:5) which brings about true inward righteousness for the law of God is written upon the heart (Heb 10:16) which is the New Covenant.
Rom
10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
Redemption IN Christ is believing with the heart unto righteousness. This is why
God is the author of the salvation of those whom obey Him (Heb 5:9) because it
is in WORKING TOGETHER (2Cor 6:1) that the “grace of God that quickens”
(Eph 2:5) is made effectual to the saving of the soul. We are justified freely
by “his grace THROUGH the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.” Which is
why...
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The basis for the forgiveness of sins under the New Covenant is the MANIFEST WALK of ABIDING IN JESUS CHRST, it is not a substitution of any kind. This is why Paul writes that faith does not void the law but rather establishes it (Rom 3:31), not because Jesus brought about some judicial provision via being a substitute, rather it is because Jesus brings about a MANIFEST WALK rooted in the HEART PURITY of those whom FOLLOW HIM.
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
THE
BLOOD ESTABLISHED THE NEW COVENANT
Christ was offered to God on our behalf because it is His blood which
establishes the New Covenant.
Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined
unto you.
It is through the New Covenant that we are purged of dead works and made
acceptable for God's service. The Bible teaches...
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal
inheritance.
The Substitution Views completely ignore the above two
verses because they teach “the cause” as being something different entirely.
Penal Substitution: Teaches that Jesus was literally punished by God as a wrath substitute for the sinner, thus with the wrath of God being “poured out on Jesus” it cannot be poured out again on those for whom the “judicial provision” was made.
Satisfaction Substitution: Teaches that the “infinite merit” of Jesus Christ serves to “cancel the offense” wrought against God via the “infinite offense” of sin.
Governmental Substitution: Teaches that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ serves as a “substitute for the penalty” whereby God's Moral Government is upheld. Without such a sacrifice, it is deemed that, that the remittance of the penalty would compromise the well being of God's creation because the severity of sin would be negated in the face of free forgiveness.
Each view teaches that “the cause” for which Jesus died was to bring some kind of JUDICIAL BALANCE via providing an “offset” to free forgiveness in the context of a PROVISION ESTABLISHED which is then “trusted in.”
The
proponents of these views basically ignore what the Bible actually teaches and
instead use anecdotes and philosophical reasoning to establish their doctrines.
They also then snip a few "proof texts" completely out of their context and then
"read into" these proof texts their theology.
In the Bible we specifically read:
Heb
9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God?
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal
inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of
the testator.
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the
testator. This fact is completely ignored by many. The death of Jesus Christ
brought an end to the Old Covenant and established the New Covenant. It is via
entering into the New Covenant that the law of God is written upon our hearts
through which we are given a fresh start having our past sins remitted freely
without any provision being necessary. There is no substitution. Substitution is
a myth. Substitution is a fable invented by men.
AN EXAMPLE TO BE FOLLOWED
Jesus
taught the following:
Joh 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of
man should be glorified.
Joh 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from
this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Joh 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying,
I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
Joh 12:29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it
thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
Joh 12:30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for
your sakes.
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world
be cast out.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Jesus was to LEAD THE WAY which is why He also said in between those
words quoted above...
Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into
the ground and die, it abideth alone:
but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in
this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall
also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
His death has NOTHING to do with a substitution of any sort. Nothing to do with
bringing some balance either in a Penal, Satisfaction or a Governmental context.
All those theories are developed “hand me downs” from Bishop Anselm of Cantebury
in the 11th Century and any individual can very easily research this and know it
is true.
THE PATRISTIC CHURCH AND ATONEMENT
The Patristic era of the Church did not teach a provisional substitution of any sort, not even close. They held generally to …
Recapitulation
Moral Influence
Christus Victor
Ransom
Covenantal
All of
which just address different aspects of the death and resurrection of Christ.
The word "Atonement" is an English invention. The word rendered in
English as “Atonement” in the Old Testament in the Hebrew is...
kâphar A primitive root; to cover (specifically with
bitumen); figuratively to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: - appease,
make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to
pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).
In the New Testament the word “Atonement” only appears one time in the King
James Version and that is in Rom 5:11. The Greek word “Katallagē”
is translated as "reconciliation" everywhere else which surely points to a
theological bias by the translators (Penal Substitution was the popular view at
the time).
The word “Atonement” presents the concept of "At One Moment" and thus we
easily have the picture of a "provision" being established at a moment in time,
a provision which people are to simply "trust in." That is not what the Bible
teaches though.
OLD COVENANT BROUGHT TO AN END
The
tearing of the veil and the words "It is finished" when Jesus died
are in the context of the Old Covenant ending and the New Covenant being
established:
Luk 23:45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in
the midst.
Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is
finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the
new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions
that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the
promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of
the testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the
testator liveth.
Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
In Hebrews it is very plainly stated why Jesus had to
die and it has NOTHING to do with any kind of
substitution, not Penal, Satisfaction or Governmental. I reiterate this point
because Substitution is a complete fabrication invented by people who refuse to
submit themselves to what the Bible actually teaches. I realize that this can be
quite hard to grasp for the mind that has been sitting under the Substitution
Deception for a long period of time, people become emotionally invested in the
lie.
Instead of providing a provision like many have been deceived into believing,
rather, the death of Christ is the MEANS by which we can approach God
resulting in a REDEMPTION FROM ALL INIQUITY and the establishment of
HEART PURITY, out of which a zealousness for righteousness flows. Not only
that, but we are GIVEN A FRESH START, not having our past sins counted
against us. Carefully read the following passage...
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,
saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I
write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the
veil, that is to say, his
flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water.
That is what the Bible teaches and it is the view one will conclude if one is to
just read the Bible with an
honest heart and just accept plainly what it says.
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY GRACE THROUGH THE
REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS
Now we
will examine carefully Romans chapter 3:24-26 and the associated context. It is
very dangerous to rip snippets of scripture out of their context and impose
theological views upon them and thus negate the harmony of what the Bible
teaches. Scripture is not of private interpretation.
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
We are "justified freely by His grace," ie. purely by the mercy of God.
Forgiveness that we do not deserve,
forgiveness which cannot be earned. Yet it is important to recognize that
"justified freely by His grace" is
CONNECTED to "redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Not only that, but GRACE
itself encompasses the “divine influence upon the heart” and thus to define it
simply as “unmerited favor,” like many do, is error. Very few people understand
that GRACE literally means...
charis
From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or
concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon
the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):
- acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure,
thank (-s, -worthy).
thus grace comprises of BOTH "divine favor" as well as "divine
influence." This is why we read:
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and
godly, in this present world;
The "free forgiveness of sins" (justification) is directly associated with the
divine influence upon the heart wrought in "redemption that is in Christ." Not a
PROVISION or a SUBSTITUTIONAL LEGAL ADJUSTMENT like many
have been deceived into foolishly believing, but rather the “free forgiveness of
sins” is premised upon a MANIFEST ABIDING REALITY. Which is why we read:
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The "redemption" is this:
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Redemption - apolutrōsis
From a compound of G575 and G3083; (the act) ransom in full, that is,
(figuratively) riddance, or (specifically) Christian salvation: - deliverance,
redemption.
The REDEMPTION has to do with ESCAPING BONDAGE. Please carefully
read Romans 8:1-4 several times in order to clearly grasp what it is saying. Now
connect that sentiment to...
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.
"Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust"
via "the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue."
That is the key. The forgiveness of sins is hinged on the RESCUE FROM
BONDAGE and not a substitutional counterbalance of any sort. This is why
Paul would write...
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eternal life is the gift of God wrought THROUGH redemption IN Christ
Jesus. Dear reader, can you see yet how the substitution message actually twists
the entire Gospel by destroying in the mind the concept of an ABIDING
MANIFEST STATE OF PURITY? The cessation of sin has nothing to do with rote
willpower, submission to rules, or anything like that, rather it has everything
to do with a MANIFEST STATE OF ABIDING IN CHRIST. This is why
there is no sin in salvation. None. No sin/repent/sin/repent cycle. None of
that.
It is a real redemption designed to effect a real ONCE AND FOR ALL
rescue not to be repeated. I know I reiterate many points multiple times in this
study but the importance in understanding these things is crucial to an
understanding of the Gospel as well as an understanding as to how so many people
are being deceived. Now let's carefully read Romans 3:25-31...
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
The
righteousness of God was declared to the world when Jesus was set forth as the
spotless Mercy Seat
(propitiation) offering by which we may be forgiven THROUGH FAITH IN HIS
BLOOD (blood which established the New Covenant).
Mercy Seat - hilastērion
Neuter of a derivative of G2433; an expiatory (place or thing), that is, (concretely) an atoning victim, or (specifically) the lid of the Ark (in the Temple): - mercy-seat, propitiation.
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
God is just in doing it this way because the New Covenant provides the MEANS
why which the forgiven are redeemed from ALL iniquity and truly made
pure, and are thus endued with a FAITH THAT UPHOLDS TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS
through the means of the Grace which quickens (Eph 2:5) which is the power of
God from on high (Luk 24:49), thus faith being a work with power (2Th 1:11), for
grace is made effectual through faithfulness which is working together with God
(2Cor 6:1).
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By
what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
There is no boasting because it is not via OUTWARD WORKS but via REGENERATION through REDEMPTION IN CHRIST whereby we are led by the grace of God made effectual through our working faith (synergy) and thus we WALK in righteousness.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified
by faith without the deeds of the law.
This ought to be making sense by now dear reader. We are justified by faith because faith is the MEANS by which our hearts are purified through yielding to the divine influence of God. This is why Peter would claim both that FAITH PURIFIES THE HEART(Act 15:9) and that OBEDIENCE PURIFIES THE SOUL (1Pet 1:21-22).
Rom
3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the
Gentiles also:
Rom 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith,
and uncircumcision through faith.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we
establish the law.
It is THROUGH FAITH that we ESTABLISH THE
LAW. Faithfulness establishes true righteousness because the righteousness
of God is made manifest in the lives of the faithful. Thus:
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2Co 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive
not the grace of God in vain.
2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of
salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now
is the day of salvation.)
Workers Together = Synergy
sunergeō
From G4904; to be a fellow worker, that is, co-operate: - help (work) with, work
(-er) together.
Which is why Paul wrote:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Grace being the DIVINE INFLUENCE UPON THE HEART and Faith being
WHOLEHEARTED YIELDING the combined result being “MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF GOD IN HIM” which is not substitution or positional but rather it is
TRANSFORMATION.
The false substitution gospel rips TRANSFORMATION from the cross and
replaces it with a provision.
Due to doing that the DYNAMIC of “SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH” and the DYNAMIC of “REDEMPTION IN CHRIST” is completely redefined in the minds of those under the delusion into being an ABSTRACT or POSITIONAL concept. In light of this it becomes completely irrelevant whether ones appends conditions to "receiving the substitution" like "stop sinning" as they do under Moral Government theology because they have ripped the TRANSFORMATIVE DYNAMIC complete from the cross. THE SUBSTITUTION DECEPTION IS DIABOLICAL – A SYSTEM OF ERROR
Here
are two quotes from two very different theologians who both upheld substitution.
One theologian is John Calvin, an idol of the Calvinists. The other is Charles
Finney an idol of those whom uphold Moral Government Theology.
John Calvin wrote:
"23. Hence also it is proved, that it is entirely
by the intervention of Christ’s righteousness that we obtain justification
before God. This is equivalent to saying that man is not just in himself, but
that the righteousness of Christ is communicated to him by imputation, while he
is strictly deserving of punishment. Thus vanishes the absurd dogma, that man is
justified by faith, inasmuch as it brings him under the influence of the Spirit
of God by whom he is rendered righteous. This is so repugnant to the above
doctrine that it never can be reconciled with it. There can be no doubt that he
who is taught to seek righteousness out of himself does not previously possess
it in himself.418 This is most clearly declared by the Apostle, when he says,
that he who knew no sin was made an expiatory victim for sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21). You see that our
righteousness is not in ourselves, but in Christ; that the only way in which we
become possessed of it is by being made partakers with Christ, since with him we
possess all riches. There is nothing repugnant to this in what he elsewhere
says: “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin
condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us,” (Rom. 8:3, 4). Here the only fulfillment to which he refers is that
which we obtain by imputation. Our Lord Jesus Christ communicates his
righteousness to us, and so by some wondrous ways in so far as pertains to
2059the justice of Gods transfuses its power into us. That this was the
Apostle’s view is abundantly clear from another sentiment which he had expressed
a little before: “As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous,” (Rom. 5:19). To declare that we
are deemed righteous, solely because the obedience of Christ is imputed to us as
if it where our own, is just to place our righteousness in the obedience of
Christ."
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.v.xii.html
Charles Finney wrote:
"IV.
What is intended by our "being made the righteousness of God in Him."
This also cannot be taken in its most strictly literal sense. It cannot be
conceived that we should be converted into the intrinsic, essential
righteousness of God. The idea of representation obtains in both clauses of our
text. As Christ stood before God to represent the sins of our race, so his
pardoned children stand forth to represent the righteousness of God. He stood
disowned and forsaken of God, as if He were Himself our sin; we stand forgiven
and accepted through Him, as if we were God's righteousness. He is treated as a
sinner; we for his sake are treated as righteous. Just think of this. What an
exchange! Christ was infinitely righteous, but laid aside the relations of a
righteous one, and appeared for us as a sinner and was treated accordingly. We
were altogether lost in sin, yet we are transferred governmentally from that
position before God, and for Christ's sake are treated as if we were righteous.
What a wonderful transaction is this! It were easy to show that this were the
perfection of philosophy in government to make such a substitution as will save
an indefinite amount of suffering, and yet secure most perfectly, regard for the
law, obedience to its precepts, and confidence in the great Lawgiver."
http://www.gospeltruth.net/1848OE/481206_substitution.htm
Both quotes deal with an understanding of 2Cor 5:21 in a substitutional context.
Both of these men lacked any understanding that the context of that verse is
that of a MANIFEST TRANSFORMATION as opposed to any "positional
transfer of righteousness" (Calvin) or any "exchange of governmental position"
(Finney). The theology of both men totally destroys the message of the cross and
brings confusion and misdirection upon those who hold their theology in high
esteem.
Paul contended that Timothy:
1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding
profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith.
avoid profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.
OPPOSITIONS OF SCIENCE RELATED TO ERRORS CONCERNING THE FAITH.
Science means: gnōsis
From G1097; knowing (the act), that is, (by implication) knowledge: - knowledge,
science.
Paul is speaking of "oppositions" where BOTH SIDES ARE WRONG (knowledge
falsely so called), or in other words, people arguing within the confines of a
false paradigm. This is EXACTLY what is going on today with the debates
between Arminianism, Calvinism and Moral Government. They are ALL beheld
to the error of substitution and they are all misleading people away from a true
understanding of redemption. Instead of truly digging deep and studying to show
themselves approved people have allowed themselves to be led around by the nose
by the various theologians whom they hold in high esteem. Instead of simply
reading the Bible with an honest heart and reflecting upon it, people allow
themselves to be influenced by theologians without carefully examining what
those theologians actually say. People are drawn into the "camp flavor" that
suits them and they then take up their pitch forks against the opposing camps
having no idea that they are just part of a WHOLE SYSTEM that is in
error.
Many theologians, like Charles Finney or John Wesley, may very well have a lot
of truth in their writings but it is the subtle errors which pervade their works
which make them so dangerous. These people contend for a theology of which the
underlying framework is in complete error. Remember that rat poison has to have
something alluring and tasty with which to draw the rat, in order that it will
ingest the poison. This is why it is so important to be FIRST grounded in
what the Bible actually teaches as opposed to allowing oneself to becoming first
grounded in what the theologians teach.
Study the Bible FIRST before digging into any theology books.
BABYLON
The
system of denominations and the various schools of theology is BABYLON.
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great
is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of
every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful
bird.
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,
and the kings of the earth
have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed
rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my
people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her
plagues.
Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her
iniquities.
Babylon means confusion: bâbel
From H1101; confusion; Babel (that is, Babylon), including Babylonia and
the Babylonian empire: Babel,
Babylon, Mixing
Confused tower building has occurred throughout history as men choose their own
way instead of following God's way. We must come out of Babylon lest we be
partakers of the sins of Babylon. We must FIRST approach God in the
correct manner, with an HONEST HEART, a heart which has been purged of
ALL rebellion through the process of repentance. Godly sorrow works repentance
unto salvation.
REAL REPENTANCE
2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented
of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
2Co 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort,
what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what
indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea,
what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this
matter.
Act 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said,
Unto John's baptism.
Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,
saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after
him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act_20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act_26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
We approach God in the above manner whereby the rebellion in our hearts is put
to death, or purged out, once and for all. In a similar manner as to how a wild
horse must be broken before it will submit to a rider, sinners must be broken
before they will submit to God.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Repentance is not meant to be repented of (2Cor 7:10), there is no going back
and forth over some "salvation line" via repeated repentance. Repentance is the
FIRST WORKS (Rev 2:5), not an ongoing works. Faith is the ongoing work...
1Th
1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and
patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Many today unfortunately view salvation in a provisional or positional context.
In their minds they don't grasp the MANIFEST STATE OF ABIDING IN CHRIST which
is salvation. This is why people can debate about “losing your salvation”
where on one side many will teach that “salvation is a position one cannot lose”
whilst on the other side they will teach that “salvation is a position that one
can lose.” Salvation is not an abstract position though, it is a manifest
reality. The positional viewpoint is a result of Substitution Theology.
SALVATION IS A FAITHFUL PURE AND SANCTIFIED STATE.
It is impossible to go back and forth in a cycle of being
saved/unsaved/saved/unsaved. The reason for that is because to rebel again
having come to a full knowledge of the light (having experienced a genuine
salvation from sin) is to rebel from the perspective of clearly knowing the
truth. That kind of sin wreaks havoc on the soul and it is no simple matter to
recover from, it is extremely dangerous because godly sorrow is not something
that can be conjured up at will. Repentance is simply not to be taken for
granted which is why Peter warned...
2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions
of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter
end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have
known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is
turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in
the mire.
Peter is speaking of those who actually “escape the pollutions of the world” through the “knowledge of Jesus Christ.” This is an experiential knowledge of KNOWING JESUS, the experiential knowledge of receiving the implanted Word in the heart.
Many
people have no real idea what a real repentance consists of simply because they
have been deceived by the false substitution gospel. They view salvation as some
nebulous position that is held, whether conditional or not, as opposed to
salvation being the MANIFEST STATE OF ABIDING IN THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN JESUS
CHRIST. You don't just sin against God having come to a full knowledge of
the truth and expect to find easy forgiveness. No way, you very well may
discover that you are simply unable to find the godly sorrow which works a
genuine repentance a second time. We can fail the grace of God and be defiled.
We are given the example of Esau as a warning...
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall
see the Lord:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any
root of bitterness springing up
trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one
morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the
blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought
it carefully with tears.
Looking Diligently, Beware: episkopeō
From G1909 and G4648; to oversee; by implication to beware: look diligently,
take the oversight.
With this in mind let us carefully examine Hebrews 10:16-31...
Entering Into Covenant And Being Both Justified And Sanctified
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,
saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I
write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the
veil, that is to say, his
flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water.
Admonished To Remain Steadfast In The Faith
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he
is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.
Warning About Rebelling After Having Come To A Full Knowledge Of The Truth
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the
adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy,
who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite
unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will
recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Now very carefully read Heb 10:16-31 again. That passage speaks of:
1. Entering into covenant, having the law written upon the heart, and being cleansed.
2. An admonition to remain steadfast in the faith.
3. A
strong warning about willfully sinning after having been sanctified by the blood
of the covenant and how doing that is to spurn the grace of God.
Now I ask you, have you EVER heard a preacher anywhere teach that passage
in context? I NEVER have. It is because the preachers and those that
follow then believe in SUBSTITUTION and thus have no concept of real
redemption and what it actually entails. Very few people today are actually
coming to a true redemption due to the prolific nature of the false teaching
that abounds worldwide. To experience godly sorrow which works a real
repentance, to go from a state of darkness to light, to go from the power of
Satan unto the power of God, and then to sin against that full knowledge
willfully is to UTTERLY SCORN THE GRACE OF GOD that brought one into a
redeemed state. That is the very reason that the author of Hebrews states that
NO SACRIFICE REMAINS IF YOU DO THAT.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is for the purpose of this...
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
The
reason no sacrifice remains is because the covenant designed to PERFECT THE
SANCTIFIED FOREVER has been violated and therefore the blood by which one
has been enjoined into the covenant has been completely voided. There is no
sin/repent/sin/repent cycle. REAL REPENTANCE MEANS THE REBELLION STOPS
PERMANENTLY. I'll reiterate that it is no small matter to do one's first
works again and find a second repentance. This is why many in the Patristic Era
of the Church were very skeptical about the possibility of a second repentance.
They understood what real redemption was all about and did not take such
repentance for granted. God will not be mocked. Grace is not a license to sin
and the blood of Jesus is not a get out of jail free card.
It is for this very reason that the Substitution Message so dangerous. It
completely destroys any understanding of real redemption and also negates the
serious nature of rebellion to God.
It is diabolical as to how the Substitution Message achieves the destruction of
the Gospel Message via simply holding to the premise that the forgiveness of
sins is premised upon a PROVISION as opposed to an ABIDING STATE.
Thus people in their "position" are easily lured into thinking that they can
cross the "positional line" so to speak, sin/repent/sin/repent. It is for this
very reason that theologians like Charles Finney could put pen to paper and
write something like this...
"He who does not habitually overcome the world, is not born of God. In saying
this, I do not intend to affirm that a true Christian may not sometime be
overcome by temptation; but I do affirm that overcoming the world is the general
rule, and falling into sin is only the exception. This is the least that can be
meant by the language of our text, and by similar declarations which often occur
in the s, Bible. Just as in the passage: "He that is born of God doth not commit
sin, and he cannot sin because he is born of God." Nothing less can be meant
than this--that he cannot sin habitually--cannot make sinning his business, and
can sin, if at all, only occasionally and aside from the general current of his
life. In the same manner, we should say of a man who is almost universally
truthful, that he is not a liar. I will not contend for more than this,
respecting either of these passages; but for so much as this I must contend,
that the new-born souls here spoken of do, all of them, habitually overcome the
world. The general fact respecting them is, that they do not sin, and are not in
bondage to Satan. The affirmations of Scripture respecting them must, at least,
embrace their general character. "
'Occasionally overcome by temptation? Can sin, if at all, occasionally?' Where
is that taught in the Bible?
Satan, as a response to the notion of disobeying God, said to Eve...
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
Such is the fruit of Substitution, Theologians unwittingly recycling Satan's very first lie and imply that you can sin and not surely die.
A true Christian CANNOT sin occasionally, it only takes one act of rebellion to bring about spiritual death.
Jesus
redeems us from ALL INIQUITY and PURIFIES us. Salvation does not
produce "occasional sinners who can occasionally be overcome by temptation” like
Finney teaches above. Rather...
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts.
Thus with the affections and lusts CRUCIFIED the following no longer
takes place which is why the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus
Christ...
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it
is finished, bringeth forth
death.
Willful sin is out of the question. Don't be deceived. Dear reader, if you
cannot perceive this truth then you have obviously not repented because you
obviously don't view rebellion to God in as serious manner as you ought to.
Rebellion defiles the heart and rebellion after having been sanctified by the
blood is much worse. Examine yourself dear reader to see if you are really in
the faith or not. There is no sin/repent/sin/repent cycle, that notion is a lie
from the pit. Remember...
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified.
Now bear in mind that I am explicitly speaking of rebellion here,
willful sin, known premeditated wrong doing. I am not speaking of sins of
ignorance like misjudgment or perhaps a short answer to someone due to being
frustrated, or even a bad word a new believer may utter if they hit their thumb
with a hammer due to having a patterned habit having been wrought upon the brain
through long practiced habit, those are things in which we are reproved of and
thus we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ as we add to our faith.
I am speaking very specifically of any sin rooted in iniquity of the heart, sin unto death, disobedience unto unrighteousness. Any premeditated act of wrongdoing, whether acted out or in the mind, is a willful sin and will condemn you. Don't be deceived. The standard of God is heart purity, the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ, and nothing less. Grace has raised the bar because we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness.
Conclusion
So in conclusion let us recall the words of Peter...
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now,
by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 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.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent
that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
2Pe 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as
our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath
written unto you;
2Pe
3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are
some things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also
the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest
ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
What manner of persons ought we be in ALL holy conduct and
godliness? Let us be diligent that we may be found of him in peace, without
spot, and blameless.
Do not be one of the "workers of iniquity" which Jesus warned us
about...
Mat 7:21 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.
Mat 7:22 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?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
Rather DEPART FROM ALL INIQUITY once and for all in a real
repentance via the means of the cross and be raised up to newness of life
whereby we remain steadfast in Christ having victory over the lusts of the eyes,
lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
1Jn 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is
from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong,
and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any
man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the
will of God abideth for ever.
BE YE DOERS! Please consider.