THE FAILURE TO LEARN FROM BIBLICAL HISTORY November 26, 2014 at 7:58am by Eddie Frias God is in control of all and restrains the sin of both the unregenerate as well as the regenerate man. (Prov.16:4, 19:21,20:24/Jer.10:23/Isa.45:7) But as His word teaches and has happened throughout biblical history, when those that profess Him become complacent and apathetic to sin and fail to be the salt and light He commands them to be (Matt.5:13-16), He removes His restraint and allows evil to prevail. Why? Because then men truly experience the difference between a godless society and one that strives to live for Him. Nowhere is this truth demonstrated more clearly than with Israel in the Old Testament. (Psm.Ch.78 & 106) When they obeyed, God blessed them (Prov.16:7), when they didnt, God sent their enemies to oppress them as well as cursed their land. After God sent them into bondage for a certain amount of time, they would repent, cry out to God and be restored. After restoring them the cycle would start all over again. America was never a totally Christian nation although the Constitution and many of its laws were written by God fearing men and based on many biblical principals. Because of that, obviously God blessed this country beyond almost any others in human history. Because of a few, many benefited (Matt.5:44-45) including the unjust, another principle we see at the beginning of the N.T. church. The amount of food, industrial products and power this young country has possessed has not been equaled by any other nation in such a short period of time (239 years). And now we have come to the exact same place in the cycle that has happened to generations of people that God once blessed, the time of trials, tribulation and judgment. It is no coincidence that the professing church of Jesus Christ is full of apostates, cults, false teachers and people who live worse than many of the unregenerate. Why? Because God has withdrawn His Holy Spirit from convicting many of them and has turned them over to reprobate mind! (Rom.1:28/II Cor.13:5/II Tim.3:8/Tit.1:16) They profess God with their lips but are far from Him in their hearts (Matt.15:7-9), they are Christians only in profession but not possession. They possess bibles, they attend church every week, are taught by their pastors and teachers, attend bible studies, pray, sing onto God and yet they cannot discern truth from lies (Isa.29:9-13/Jer.Ch.23) nor do they study for themselves (II Tim.2:15) to verify what they’re being taught. (Acts 17:10-11) They have trusted in men (Jer.17:5) more than God who has constantly warned them, but they love it that way because they don’t have to burn the midnight oil seeking for what they believe is the truth. (Isa.30:10/Jer.5:30-31) Because they lack discernment and refuse to learn the truth, they are like sheep led to the slaughter. (Jer.12:3) They have become like a drunken man who stumbles in the dark and knows not he’s about to meet death. (Job 12:23-25/Prov.23:21/Jer.25:27-37/I Thess.5:6-7) I Peter 4:17 declares that judgment must begin at the house of God first. Peter goes on to teach (II Pet.2:20-22) that for many, it would have been better for them to have never know the way of righteousness (the Gospel of Jesus Christ), than to have known it and turned from or not obey the commandment delivered onto them. On judgment day, God’s harshest judgment will not come upon the nonbeliever, Christ rejecting heathen, but upon all who professed to know Him but lived like a hypocrite, they have been shown more and will be held more accountable for that knowledge. (Lk.12:47-48/Heb.6:4-6, 10:26-30) It is obvious today, every professing Christian believes they are right with God, even those that hold to a false gospel and live a life of disobedience (Gal.1:6-9/Heb.5:9). The problem is, most (Matt.7:14) don’t even know they are deceived. If the gospel one believes in is taught by the majority of preachers today, you can be absolutely assured it is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ, for the truth has never been accepted or taught by the majority! (Matt.7:14, 20:16,22:14) This is the reason why true saints of God have been persecuted and hated throughout biblical history, they like Abel confront the lies their brothers in the flesh believe in and try to show them the way of the truth, hatred and persecution usually follow because it is so contrary to what many have been taught and prefer to believe. (I Kg.18:17-18/Jer.20:7-9/Matt.5:10-12/Jn.15:18-20) They know the Bible teaches and warns against false teachers and deceiver, (Matt.24:4-5, 24/II Cor.11:13-15/II Tim.3:1-5/Tit.1:10-11/II Pet. Ch.2) but yet most can’t discern nor have they learned what it actually is that makes those teachers false. Satan has made it an art in twisting the word just enough to still sound accurate but subtly enough to deceive and destroy the soul of those that believe his lies. His ministers preach Jesus Christ, preach His deity, preach the cross, preach His blood for their atonement, preach the resurrection, preach repentance, preach His grace, preach faith and preach eternal life to all who will accept and take hold of these truths. And yet, that last phrase is where the greatest deception lies and has always manifested itself in all false gospels - all who will accept and take hold of these truths. The devil is far too smart to bring a gospel that denies Jesus Christ as Lord or exclude the work He accomplished to merit salvation, that would be too obvious. No, his gospel does not deny that Christ is the savior, but rather, how men come to be saved? Satan’s gospel encompasses the same exact lie that he deceived Eve with in the garden at the beginning. “God doth know that in the day ye eat of the fruit, then YOUR eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as god…….”(Gen.3:5) Unless one understands God’s word spiritually, they will never understand the metaphors, allegories and spiritual language God uses to teach His children truth. (I Cor.2:9-16/Jn.4:23-24, 6:63) In the garden, there were trees Adam and Eve could partake of (eat) and a tree they were forbidden to eat from. All the trees of the garden and the tree of life (in the middle of the garden) all provided life sustaining food, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not to be eaten from, it would bring death.(Gen.2:8-17) It is not my intention to interpret in detail what these trees represented in this writing, but to simply summarize what they point to. The tree of life represents Jesus Christ and all the other trees represent those that teach the truth because they preach the true gospel. Man is to partake of that fruit because it gives eternal life. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents the false gospel and partaking of it will bring death to those who eat of it. We see this metaphor carried on in Matthew 7:17-20 with the good trees and bad trees, good fruit and bad fruit. So what is the deception Satan is using to deceive all those that think they belong to Christ but yet are believing a lie? (II Thess.2:10-12) Jesus Himself describes the false teachers as professing and acknowledging that He is Christ but not to believe them. (Matt.24:4-5) Paul teaches they preach Jesus but it’s another Jesus whom he did not preach. (II Cor.11:3-4) He also teaches they bring another gospel, which is not really another gospel but a perverted version of the gospel that he did not teach. (Gal.1:6-9) So, the devil’s gospel is one that points to Jesus Christ, confirms Christ is the savior but is somehow subtle enough to deceive the believer into believing a lie? What is Satan’s sin and ultimate goal according to scripture? “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I WILL EXALT MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD: I WILL SIT ALSO UPON THE MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH.” Isa.14:13-14 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sinbe revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and EXALTETH HIMSELF ABOVE ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD, OR THAT IS WORSHIPPED; SO THAT HE AS GOD SITTETH IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, SHEWING HIMSELF THAT HE IS GOD.” II Thess.2:3-4 “And unto the angel of the CHURCH IN SMYRNA write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty,(but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which SAY THEY ARE JEWS,AND ARE NOT, BUT ARE THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the DEVIL SHALL CAST SOME OF YOU INTO PRISON, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. And to the angel of the CHURCH IN PERGAMOS write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and WHERE THOU DWELLEST, EVEN WHERE SATAN’S SEAT IS: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, WHERE SATAN DWELLETH.” Rev.2:8-13 The truth of scripture on this issue is undisputable, Satan’s goal from the beginning and to this present time is to deceive people (especially God’s people) into believing they are worshiping God when in reality they are worshiping the him! He comes in the name of Christ, speaks all the language saints expect to hear but is representing another Christ and not the true savior of the Bible. Where is the deception you might ask, since everything his ministers are preaching can be verified in scripture? It is so subtle and so deceiving that even the elect would be deceived IF it were possible (Matt.24:24) , but since the elect do have the Holy Spirit leading them to the truth (Jn.14:26, 16:13), they can discern the subtle difference that millions cannot. As Paul says in II Cor.11:3; “But I fear, lest by any means, AS THE SERPENT BEGUILDED EVE THROUGH HIS SUBTILTY, so your minds should be CORRUPTED from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Whatever the lie is that Satan has been using since the beginning, is so subtle that most worshipers cannot discern it. And as we have already read, his goal is to deceive all believers (especially God’s elect) into worshiping him as if they were worshiping Jesus Christ and he deceives them in a way that he knows arouses and causes the desires of our flesh (mans pride) to believe it, that is exactly what Genesis 3:6 describes. “And when the woman saw that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD, and that it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES, and A TREE TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” The gospel Satan presents is a gospel that attracts the fleshly or natural desires of fallen man. That is exactly the opposite of the true gospel that the scriptures actually describe and teach. No man seeks or understands the true God of the Bible because in his flesh man is born spiritually dead and in sin, rebellious to the things of God and has no desire to come under the authority of anybody but himself. (Psm.14:1-3/Rom.3:10-13) So, Satan’s gospel is desirable to natural man but God’s gospel is not, one is attractive to the sinner and the other is repulsive and contrary. Both proclaim Jesus Christ as savior, His blood as our atonement, His grace, repentance and faith in Him, but one is false and one is true. So again, where is the difference in the two gospels? It’s not in the facts of what Christ did, Satan wouldn’t dare deny the obvious in scripture, no, his deception is directly connected with the believer who does not have spiritual discernment and is easily persuaded by a gospel that is attractive to his way of thinking, a gospel that makes man feel like HE IS IN CHARGE OF HIS SALVATION AND IS ACTING AS HIS OWN GOD IN THIS MATTER, this is the pride of fallen man and his natural tendency. Do false gospel believers act or think they are actually God? Absolutely not! Ephesians 2:2-3 teach that all who are unsaved are under the power of the devil and it is his spirit working in them. All unbelievers have the spirit of Satan working in them. And what did we learn Satan’s main goal is? To be like God and to be worshiped as God! What else did we confirm from the fall in the garden? That the lie the devil convinced the woman of (a picture of the bride) was that she could be LIKE god. Even though Eve was not born in sin and had not sinned, the devil convinced her to believe his lie and thus she died spiritually, by partaking (eating) of his lie (fruit). (I Tim.3:14) If Satans deception could convince a righteous person who had never sinned into believing a lie, how much more could he easily convince a lost person whose nature is fallen into believing the same lie? What is the lie or the gospel that Satan created to appeal to natural man that causes him to be “like god”, even though they can’t discern it? And at the same time causes these deceived believers to exalt and worship a false Christ that is actually Satan himself in disguise? It is a gospel that steals the power and glory of God in salvation (Psm.3:8, 18:46, 24:5, 25:5, 62:1, 7, 68:19, 20, 79:9) and transfers it to prideful man himself, making “him” the god of his salvation. Rather than acknowledging that only Jehovah God can save men from sin and eternal damnation as the entire bible teaches, the devil convinces man that “he” can be LIKE god, “he” has the power to determine his eternal destiny, “he” can make the choice and tell the almighty God that “he” will make the decision by “his” own free will on whether or not “he” wants to be saved. Does the Bible teach that man has that power? Absolutely not! None understand, none seek God and none are any good, all of man’s works are as filthy rags, there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not! (Eccl.7:20/Isa.64:6) Satan has turned the gospel into an invitation to all men and has convinced many that they can be the author of their salvation by convincing them they make the choice whether or not they want salvation, subtly making them god without realizing it. Whoever it is that makes the final choice in salvation, has put themselves in the position of God! Does that sound familiar? Is not that the gospel going out from 90% of all churches today? Have not men been taught that God loves everybody and wants all to be saved and anybody that will come, confess, believe and call on Him shall be saved? That gospel is made up of verses taken completely out of context and used to convince man he has the power to decide his own salvation, thus making him the god of his salvation. They also teach man still has freewill to choose God even though the bible teaches he does not (Jn.1:12-13) and will not seek nor can he understand the things of God. (Rom.3:10-12/I Cor.2:12-14) Ultimately, the devils gospel is one that puts man in charge of his own salvation and by doing so, has caused him to come to a false Christ and worship a false god because he has not come to the true God of the scripture, the sovereign God that saves men by His own will and purpose. (Eph.1:5,11/II Tim.1:8-9) As the scriptures teach, man is dead in his sins and trespasses (Eph.2:1-6/Col.2:13), genuine salvation can only happen by God choosing man (Psm.65:4/Jn.15:16/Eph.1:4-11/II Thess.2:13), God coming to him (Jn.6:44,65), God breaking his rebellious spirit and changing his hard heart (Ezek.36:24-27), God granting him repentance (II Tim.2:23-25), God shedding His love in his heart (Jer.31:3/Rom.5:5), granting him His grace and His faith (Eph.2:8-9/Rev.2:13), His mercy (Psm.103:17), imputing His righteousness upon him (II Cor.5:21) and giving him His Holy Spirit so that man can then begin to live for God (Jn.14:26, 16:13/Rom.8:9-11), otherwise unregenerate man is spiritually dead and will never, ever come to the true God of the bible! Salvation is by God alone and because of that, all men must realize they need to cry out to Him, acknowledging they are lost sinners and have believed the lies of Satan and his false ministers which permeate our land today (II Cor.11:13-15). Asking God to grant them His forgiveness, grace and mercy and begin to seek Him if God will grant them repentance onto the truth and salvation. May God’s glory be exulted in those who understand the true gospel of Jesus Christ and give God all the glory for their salvation. (Ex.34:14-15/Deut.4:24, 5:6-10/Josh.24:19-20) In His love & grace, Eddie Frias
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 00:24:57 +0000
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