Mat 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.............. This actually is not scary at all, Calvinists are responsible for millions of Christians being led astray of The Word of God. God says, In Romans 6.3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Rom 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Rom 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Rom 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Rom 6:7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. Rom 6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. Rom 6:9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Rom 6:10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. Rom 6:11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus..................And in many , many other places. Christ said if you love me keep my commandments. ..........Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ............If there is no condemnation, there is no fear of not being recognized as Christs own, hence Matt 7.21-23 pertains to those who come to Him in another way, in their heart and not in obedience to the faith......................Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 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. Jude 3-4 There are two types of Christians in the churches today: (1) Those who profess to believe the Bible, yet only obey that which they want to obey based on personal preference, bias, convenience, what the preacher said; and (2) those who believe the Bible and seek diligently to obey all that Jesus commanded to New Testament believers. The group that picks and chooses what to obey and what not to obey must find like minded believers and choose the church of their choice--thus, you have many denominations/groups of like-minded pickers and choosers. It is hard to get anyone to leave their group. Those who obey all the New Testament are a small minority, but usually have wonderful fellowship, godly homes, and peace with God. I want to be in this group. The commission Jesus gave to the church was to teach the gospel, baptize the believers, and then teach them to observe all things that Jesus commanded (Matt. 28:19,20). Most modern churches dont take this serious. The apostles taught the first century church to observe Jesus commands. Many of the commands and teachings the apostles taught the first century churches are now not being taught or observed in churches today -- many beliefs and practices, which are not from the apostles are being taught and practiced! We see this as nothing else but disobedience: a rejection of Jesus as LORD, and a rejection of the Bible as our sole authority for faith and practice. The apostle Paul told the churches (which includes us) three very important principles: #1. We dont have the right or permission to change what the apostles taught the first century churches. 2 Thess. 2:15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 2 Thess. 3:6,7 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. Romans 16:17,18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. (If a preacher teaches anything other than faith only, he loses all denominational church funding.) #2 We are to follow the apostles and use them as a ruler to measure other teachers credibility. We are not to be so proud as to think we can improve on the apostles. Phil. 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. (I Cor. 11:1 also). Phil. 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. I Cor. 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. #3 Those who changed what the apostles taught were grievous wolves. Any change to the apostolic pattern is a perversion. What we today are teaching and observing is either APOSTOLIC or from a GRIEVOUS WOLF. (Christ will not know them) Acts 20:29-31 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Gal. 1:8,9 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. 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. Jude 3,4 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 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. In order not to be deceived, the Word of God must be the SOLE AUTHORITY in our lives. In order for it to be the sole authority, we must surrender our will to it, and obey it without preferring one thing above another. I Tim. 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. John tells us that if everything were written about Jesus life that could be written, the world could not contain the books. So, we see God hand picked what he wanted in the relatively small New Testament that we have. The Holy Spirit made no mistakes. If God saw it as important enough to include, so must we. No matter how small the matter may seem to you, if you pick and choose in any area, then YOU become the authority, and not the Bible. You then become a hearer and not a doer in that one area, and this leads to self deception. James 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. .....................Consider, Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 8:35-38 “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”. 1Pe 3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be Gods will, than for doing evil. 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 1Pe 3:19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 1Pe 3:20 because they formerly did not obey, when Gods patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 1Pe 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1Pe 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. ......................This is part of what Christ meant we must die to self, and become alive In Him...............Some of these things are hard sayings, they take belief, commitment, obedience and accepting the responsibility of doing what God commanded, but consider the rewards of being in Christ an everlasting home in Heaven with Christ. This short span of time here on earth is but a testing ground for an eternity with our Heavenly Father, our Creator. It will surely be worth it all, when we see Jesus coming back to bring judgement upon all who reject Him and who commit sin with no remorse.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 01:01:15 +0000