Judgment Is Coming! Are You Ready?

 I believe it is safe to say those that are rich in this world are not looking to die anytime soon if they are rich and happy. Why would they? They are living the "good life" as we say. Sadly, many that are rich in this world may have everything they want materially, but are bankrupt spiritually toward God. That's a horrific state to be in. What is worse, they have no clue that their day of reckoning is near.

Judgment is coming, and none will escape it.

Two rich men: The careless fool and the inquiring pragmatist

Then He (Jesus) told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man was fertile and yielded plentifully.   And he considered and debated within himself, What shall I do? I have no place [in which] to gather together my harvest. And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my storehouses and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain or produce and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many good things laid up, [enough] for many years. Take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself merrily. But God said to him, You fool! This very night they [the messengers of God] will demand your soul of you; and all the things that you have prepared, whose will they be? So it is with the one who continues to lay up and hoard possessions for himself and is not rich [in his relation] to God (Luke 12:16-21).

The Lockman Foundation. Amplified Bible (AMP 1987) 

The above describes one who lacks common sense, mental stability and sobriety. This person is reckless and detached from reality. He has no idea that he could die at any moment and after which time he will face the judgment of God. Why doesn't he know this? Because he is a fool and is spiritually dead. A person like this has gained the whole world but is in grave danger of losing his soul if he refuses to repent (Matthew 16:26).

Now we analyze the second man who was a rich ruler.

And a certain ruler asked Him, Good Teacher [You who are essentially and perfectly morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]? Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [essentially and perfectly morally] good? No one is [essentially and perfectly morally] good—except God only. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not witness falsely, honor your father and your mother. And he replied, All these I have kept from my youth. And when Jesus heard it, He said to him, One thing you still lack. Sell everything that you have and divide [the money] among the poor, and you will have [rich] treasure in heaven; and come back [and] follow Me [become My disciple, join My party, and accompany Me].

But when he heard this, he became distressed and very sorrowful, for he was rich—exceedingly so. Jesus, observing him, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle’s eye than [for] a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And those who heard it said, Then who can be saved? But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God (Luke 18:18-27).

The Lockman Foundation. Amplified Bible (AMP 1987) . 

From the reading of the text it appears the rich ruler was genuine in wanting to know from Jesus how he could be saved. Jesus' reply was surprising and I want to analyze it. Jesus said to him, you know the law: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, etc. The ruler replied that he obeyed all of the commands since he was a child. Why didn't Jesus tell him to simply believe on Him only to be saved? Why did Jesus refer to the commands of Exodus 20? Was Jesus implying he had to obey the law to be saved? If so, then this would mean we can be saved by earning our way into the kingdom by our own merits. No. Jesus was testing this man to see if he practiced what he preached.

Since he claimed he kept all the commandments Jesus put that confession to the test. He commanded him to sell everything he owned, give to the poor so that he will have heavenly wealth and follow Him like the disciples did. The rich man was devasted by this revelation; that he had not checked all the boxes on what was required for his salvation. In Matthew's gospel chapter 19:22 it says the ruler walked away sorrowful for he had great wealth. His god was his money. He proved he did not love God by violating the first commandment, "You shall not serve any other gods but Me" (Exodus 20:3). Jesus immediately exposed the rich ruler's hypocrisy by showing him that he did not obey the commandments like he proudly claimed he did. His salvation was no longer a priority if it ever was. Jesus said, "The one that attempts to save his own life will lose it. But he that is willing to lose his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39). He made the worst exchange of all, he was willing to give up eternal riches for temporary ones. As we say today, "He bet on himself" and by default rejected Christ. In the end, he was just as foolish as the first rich man I discussed.

I call this rich man a pragmatist because a person of his ilk will do what works for them, no matter if its moral or right. All that matters is the results fit to get him what he wants. Jesus shattered this rich young ruler's theology by letting him know that the only thing you lack is to be willing to give up the thing you love the most, your possessions. That takes sacrifice and dying to yourself. You see, his version of eternal life was not godly, it was worldly. Like many today, they want heaven here on earth. Perhaps that is what the rich young ruler wanted also. Is it any wonder Jesus said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24)?

Jesus also wisely declared, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon (Mammon is an Aramaic word that means treasure or riches, money Matthew 6:24).

Less I am misunderstood, the rich are not the only ones in trouble here. Those that are middle class and poor are not off the hook. 

The Word of God states for the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ( 1 Peter 4:17-18)?

I hope the reader understands the severity the Apostle's statement here. First, God will discipline and chastise His own children (Hebrews 12:5-11). Many of us will be punished heavily for our disobedience to the Lord. But rest assured, we will not lose our salvation, but I daresay most of us will be severely warned for our sinful complacency in the kingdom. Can we be honest? Are we being as effective as we can be in the Church? I know I'm not. Oftentimes we are busy about the wrong things and not about the Lord's business. Its time that we all take self inventory and tighten things up. 

Why? Judgment is coming. Are you ready?

For those of you who are not Christians, you currently are under God's wrath because of your willful rejection of Jesus and the gospel (John 3:19,36). You do not have any hope right now because the devil is your father and he desires to kill you (John 8:44). That's the bad news. Here's the greatest news of all time! You can repent right now, today and get it right with God through Jesus Christ. His bloody sacrifice on the cross for yours sins is available for you to receive if you are willing to place your trust in Him. Once you believe in Christ, He takes all your sins away, forgives you, and He adopts you into His family as a son or a daughter. This is the only way anyone is ever saved. No one goes to heaven by being a "good person". God will not accept any sacrifice other than one believing on the One whom the Father has sent (John 6:29).

To attempt to earn salvation another way is a one way ticket to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

By God's extraordinary love mercy and grace I will escape God's holy wrath. 

Will you? (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

Why Are You Afraid?

 There are numerous things in this world that people fear. A terminal illness diagnosis. Loss of a Job. Not having enough money to pay bills and retire. The welfare and safety of our family. And most of all, the fear of death. So many people do not have an assurance of where they will end up when they die. Most believe and or hope they will end up in a better place because they have convinced themselves they are good. But who determines ultimately who is good and who is evil? Do we or God Almighty? 

It is the latter, God.

The phrase the world is going to hell in a handbasket while poetic and popular is true. This present world is going to burn  - literally! Environmentalists that want to save this world will not succeed. This beautiful planet with all its glory and splendor is disposable. Sorry but not sorry. I'll explain what I mean. 

I am sorry in the sense that I am firm believer that we should do all we naturally can to preserve and protect our natural resources; our forests, parks, lakes, rivers oceans and wildlife. I know there are many organizations that our committed to maintaining a healthy eco system like the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife and National Park Service. The reason I feel bad for them is because while they are fighting a noble battle now, they CANNOT save this planet. Here's why.

2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up (emphasis added).

Verse thirteen provides us the promise of a re-created world: Nevertheless we according to His promise look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13; Isa 65:17; Rev 21:1). So you see, in order for us to inherit the new heavens and earth, the Lord will have to destroy the current one. The one we are living in now is full of unrighteousness so it cannot remain. This old evil place will undergo a literal baptism by fire!

This is why I am not sorry the old earth will be destroyed because of the new one that awaits us.

Who will enjoy the new heavens and new earth?

Only those who have repented of sins and genuinely placed their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life in the here and now! Time is running out my friend to get it right with the Lord. No one knows when they will draw their last breath and wake up in eternity - either in heaven or hell. 

Those of us who are in Christ have nothing to fear because when we die, we will immediately wake up in heaven. The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). The Word of God are not just words on a page, they are the heart of God to mankind to internalize so that we are transformed in mind and heart. Without the truth from scripture a person is dead while they are alive. They are a corpse. How? Here it is. Scripture teaches us prior to one's conversion we are dead in our trespasses and sins. The great news is God has made us alive in Christ by regenerating us to newness of life by the Holy Spirit. (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13; Rom 6:4; Titus 2:13). It is the gospel message that saves the soul if it is received by the hearer. What is the gospel? That God in the person of Jesus Christ sent by the Father to come and save sinners from their sins, forgive them once they have believed in Him and His substitutionary work on the cross. Jesus said it plainly to the religious leaders of His day, "unless you believe that I AM He you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). To die in your sins is to die unforgiven; meaning that person will pay for their own sins in a Christless eternity due to rejecting their Lord and Master.

Jesus also gave this very sobering warning: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell" (Matthew 10:28). If you reject Jesus Christ the only way to salvation, you have every reason to be afraid of what is going to happen to you. You need to repent today!

So in summary, a person will be afraid because they do not know what the future holds for them because they are ignorant of Biblical truth. Instead of listening to those of us who do know the truth, they rather play Russian Roulette with their souls and ape what most damned to hell people are saying when a person they love dies, "Well, they went to a better place." That is a deceptive comfort if it is not true. You do not have to roll the dice on your life. Jesus Christ has shown us the way, its Him, alone. He said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me (John 14:6).

I know my eternal future is secure so I am not afraid. 

Do you know if yours is? If you are unsure I urge you to repent of your sins today, trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation so that your future is glorious instead of tragic.

Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 

- Galatians 4:16

Is the Bible An accessory to many Church-goers?

 The answer to this question unfortunately is a resounding yes. Why do I make this assertion? Because many people take what their Pastor says hook, line and sinker instead of being like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 where it says that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether these things were so. The Bereans didn't even take Paul's and Silas' word as true until they examined it; and these men received direct revelation from the Spirit of God! We have an obligation to study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman who is not ashamed - rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). 

If you're not diligent in study, you will be duped by these numerous false teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing. Here's what these charlatans do: They love to say that "God told me to tell you..." Putting God's name on your falsehood clearly implies dogmatism does it not? This is where the hypnotism begins in these social-prosperity-gospel centers (I can't in good conscience call them churches). To make their "prophecy" appear authentic, they will take a Bible verse(s) out of context. What they are doing is claiming they have received "divine revelation", and they want the Bible to bow its knee to their divination. Remember, the Bible for the false prophet is an accessory and not the Necessity for life faith and practice. Once they get the foolish churchian[1] riled up with their ear-gasm i.e. your “breakthrough”, they fatten you up for the kill - the money grab! 

Mission accomplished. You've been played. 

I would love to say that the victim (i.e. church-goer) has been freed from their hypnotic trance, but most return the following week to receive the same abuse from the same wolf in the pulpit. We call this Stockholm Syndrome - when someone has an unhealthy affection or attachment to their abuser. This is far worse! This is spiritual witchcraft. This is what Paul said to the churches in Galatia:

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh?

Galatians 3:1-3

        Screenshot taken from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words                                                                   Thomas Nelson Publishers 1985, pg 65             
 

Understand why Paul is rebuking the Galatian church: He is upset with them and calling them fools because they received the true gospel and were saved by grace through faith and by the Holy Spirit - not by any external work they performed. But they began regressing, thinking their salvation would be sustained by works of the law rather than realizing their justification was by faith alone in Christ alone. Paul is piggy backing off a discussion he began in the previous chapter after witnessing Peter and other Jews play the hypocrite- stating that Gentile converts needed to keep the Mosaic law in order to be saved (Galatians 2:12-21). This is how a person begins to doubt their salvation, the power of God in their lives and the trustworthiness of the Bible. Think about it, if everyone in the pulpit is coming up with some new aberrant revelation every week, then the Bible is nothing more than an accessory to their heterodoxy[2] - it’s no longer the engrafted Word alone that saves the soul (James 1:21).

My Bible clearly tells me that God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

The abuser is masquerading as a representative of the Lord - using the Lord's name in vain as they mentally, intellectually and spiritually devour your mind and soul as they line their pockets.

What we are to do is what I said at the very beginning of this article is to carefully analyze what we are hearing and place it beside the scriptures to see if what they are saying is confirmed through Holy Writ. If it’s not, reject it and them (i.e. a person that habitually misinterprets scripture is not being Spirit led).

A person who is genuinely Spirit-filled will not perpetually teach gross and careless error on purpose - they just won't. They reverence and love God and His Word too much to do that. I get that we are flawed as humans, even the best of us will mis-interpret scripture due to poor hermeneutics[3], ignorance, naivete and sinful impulse which can lead to subjective unbiblical private interpretations, but that is never an excuse to not work hard to get the text of scripture right. We have the tools - commentaries, Bible Dictionaries, lexicons, Bible software, Authentic Bible Teachers and Expositors, etc. Most importantly we have the Spirit of the Living God (1 John 2:20).  You see, delivering the Word of God faithfully is a lifestyle and worship to God.

At least that is the way I see it.

Job said, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). 

Jesus said to the devil, "It is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4, originally from Deuteronomy 8:3).

Psalm 19:7 - The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul (italics added for emphasis). The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Psalm 119:105 - Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

John 6:63 - My words are Spirit, and they are life (Jesus speaking italics mine).

Using the Bible as an accessory shows one's disdain for God. We cannot treat the Bible like a handbag shoes or jewelry that we put on and take off. The Word of God if intentionally studied and understood changes your worldview, continually. You will (not probably) filter everything through a Biblical lens. It is a narrow road to think Biblically and most unpopular, but it is the only way that saves the soul.

---

[1]  A Churchian is a church attendee not a Christian

[2] One of the meanings of Heterodoxy is unbiblical teaching vs Orthodoxy which is biblical teaching

[3] Hermeneutics is the science of interpreting scripture

Is the Bible a Accessory to many Church-goers? A Preview

If you're not diligent in study, you will be duped by these numerous false teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing. Here's what these charlatans do: They love to say that "God told me to tell you..." Putting God's name on their falsehood clearly implies dogmatism does it not? This is where the hypnotism begins in these social gospel centers (I can't in good conscience call them churches). To make their "prophecy" appear authentic, they will take a Bible verse(s) out of context. What they are doing is claiming they have received "divine revelation", and they want the Bible to bow its knee to their divination. Once they get the foolish churchian[1] riled up and ear-tickled, they go in for the kill - the money grab! 

Mission accomplished. You've been played. 

I would love to say that the victim (i.e. church-goer) has been freed from their hypnotic trance, but most return the following week to receive the same abuse from the same wolf in the pulpit. We call this Stockholm Syndrome - when someone has a strange affection or attachment to their abuser. This is far worse! This is spiritual witchcraft.

Is God Fair?

There are several ways I could answer this question. If you ask the average person Is God fair, they would say no. Now what do I mean by average? In this PC culture someone may think that I am belittling someone's intelligence by calling someone average but I am not. I am using the word average as a rule or barometer on how most likely people think about God - the God of the Bible; the One and Only True God by the way. Declaring God is not fair is a statement of ignorance on those who know Him very little or not at all. Being ignorant of something does not mean a person is unintelligent, rather it means they lack knowledge about a matter.

But, of all of things to be ignorant about, the absolute worst person to be ignorant about is the nature of God. If one does not understand God's nature, you will NEVER fully understand your own nature; its absolutely impossible. Can we know God's nature? Yes. How? Only through His self revelation, the scriptures.

Now at this point there will be many that will disagree with me and say Jesus appeared to them in a dream or vision and revealed Himself to them. How would they or anyone else know for certain it was Jesus? What did Jesus say to them?  Does this encounter comport with scripture? You see experiences are subjective. No one else can validate what the person claimed they saw and heard is true. Can God communicate to us in a dream? Yes because He is sovereign. We find instances of that in the Bible, but is was never random; it was always for a purpose.  We have the more sure word of prophecy in our laps (2 Peter 1:19). The Canon is closed. Any heavenly or divine experiences we have should be subordinate or bow the knee to objective scripture. I do not see why God would need to reveal Himself in a dream when we have all we need about Him in His word.

I also will not sit and have a debate on whether someone claimed they had a prophetic dream and or vision from the Lord. 

Will a man judge God?

In Malachi 3:8 the question is asked will a man rob God? The answer is that the children of Israel were robbing God of tithes and offerings (italics mine). My point being is that if a man will rob God,  certainly he has no problem judging Him un-righteously.

When a person declares that God is not fair, what they are actually saying is God is not just, or He is not executing justice towards me; He is treating me far less that what I deserve. We have all heard the phrase, "Be careful what you ask for you just might get it!"  The last thing any person should want is for God to be fair or just. Why? Because we being the wretches that we are would be instantly incinerated into hell by the Lord. That is divine justice which most of the world will receive at the end of time. Unregenerate mankind's "goodness" is deplorable to God. Remember what I said earlier, man does not know his own nature - that it's depraved.

The wisdom of Solomon regarding the nature of man

Proverbs 14:12; 16:25 - There is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 15:8 - The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is His delight

Proverbs 21:27 - The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, how much more when he brings it with wicked intent

Proverbs 20:6 - Every man will declare his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?

Solomon's report card on the nature of man is bad, but true.

What do we need from the Lord?

In a word, pity. That involves humbling ourselves which prideful humans do not want to do. They figure it makes them look weak. Guess what? Man's strength is weak compared to Almighty God. He just refuses to accept it. What we need is the Lord's compassion, His everlasting mercy and grace. Without these virtues no one will see the Lord favorably. 

In Micah 7:18-20 we read, Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us. You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in the days long ago.

So the prophet Micah reveals to us that God delights to show mercy. It gives Him joy to take away our sins. This is the dominate truth of the scriptures; that God is merciful and is ready to forgive and save sinners. So no God is not fair according to man's definition of fairness. In today's society that is nothing more than DEI and social justice. God is not a socialist - He is the Ultimate Evangelist.

All men are guilty before the Lord and those who are not saved currently have the wrath of God abiding on them (John 3:36). By God not being fair and delivering us from our sins instead, we have eternally avoided His justice- praise God! 

Those who desire justice/fairness from God will ultimately get what they deserve. Those of us who are saved are not getting what we deserve; rather we are receiving mercy and grace and that is because of God's love.

Those who are unsaved are also experiencing God's mercy and grace everyday they live, but because they are ungrateful, they do not thank the Lord for it. Sadly the moment things go wrong in their lives, they are quick to blame God; stating that he is not fair. Remember, everyone in life receives either mercy and grace or fairness/justice. No one EVER receives injustice from God.

           For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways says the Lord                                                              As the heavens are higher than the earth,                                                         

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts

 Isaiah 55:8-9

                        

Are We Supposed To Fight For Biblical Truth?

 Lately I wondered if Christians have been too harsh and critical of other Christians regarding their doctrine. Let me explain what I mean. I follow several YouTube Christian Content Creators that are solid Biblical Expositors. They have no problem pointing out doctrinal error in the pulpit of Pastors when they come across it. I agree them with more than I disagree because I share a kindred spirit with them. They are Biblically astute. Those that filter what they see and hear through a Biblical lens are being led by the Holy Spirit and do not habitually fall into error. Those that are emotive more than doctrinal often fall into serious error. Performance based “Pastors” are only interested in arousing the emotions of their congregations; it’s the blind leading the blind. Seeker sensitive “Pastors” love to “Decree and Declare” things to their congregations; God is going to bless you with a new house this year! There’s a healing with your name on it! I prophesy that you’re not going to be broke anymore, etc. While all this positive confession tickles and tantalizes the senses, they’re lying to their gullible audiences. Those of us who have a reverence and fidelity for Biblical truth find this egregious and heart breaking. God has placed ministry gifts into the Body of Christ for equipping and maturing of the Saints, not for us to be merely entertained and to be ineffective in the kingdom (Ephesians 4:11-15).

Should we just pray for Pastors and parishioners who are in error and not test their doctrine? It is unloving to correct false teaching?

Those that do not want us to question the Pastor always say to just “pray for them!” One of the most famous retorts regarding the Pastor is, “Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm!” That verse is almost always taken out of context. For an explanation regarding this verse, read my article here: https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2024/01/touch-not-my-anointed.html

The Bible does not say we are to just pray for those who teach error. Rather we are to lovingly correct them who contradict the truth (Titus 1:11-14). This is what Paul instructed Titus to do. Those who are able to teach are supposed teach others so that we mature and grow in truth. The apostle John in his second letter wrote to the elect lady and declared that he was happy that some of her children were walking in the Truth (2 John 1:4).              

The Apostle Paul wherever he traveled would enter into the synagogues of that city and preach Christ.

From the Amplified Bible Version

Acts 17:1b-2 – …they came to Thessalonica, and there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul entered as he usually did, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned and argued with them from the scriptures.

Acts 17:17 – So he reasoned and argued in the synagogue (in Athens) with the Jews and those who worshiped there, and in the marketplace (where the assemblies are held) day after day with any who chanced to be there

Acts 19:8 – And he went into the synagogue (i.e. Ephesus), and for three months spoke boldly persuading and arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God

 

Why should we be so passionate about God’s word? Simple, it is the Truth! The world has no problem championing their lies. We have to counter their lies with the Truth. If we keep silent, we are in sin and the following will be the result. This is what Paul commanded Timothy to do:

2 Timothy 4:2-5 - preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound (or healthy) doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears from hearing the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

If you’re a Pastor and you’re not up to the task of doing what Paul commands above, do yourself and your congregation a favor and step down from the pulpit.

Teaching and preaching God’s word is a labor of love and patience. It is also every Christian’s responsibility. This is NOT an option! Paul gave Timothy the command, and by extension us as well. Remember, Paul told Timothy that God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Jude 3 commands that we are to contend (or fight) for the Faith once for all delivered to the saints.

1 Peter 3:15 says this: Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

1 John 4:1 COMMANDS us to test the spirits to see if they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  That means we are to evaluate what we hear and make a judgment to determine if what we are hearing is true or false.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 commands us to test all things. Cling to that which is good.

Acts 17:11 commends the Berean Christians stating they were more noble than the Thessalonians because they received the Word of God with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. The Bereans had the sense to examine what they heard from Paul and Silas and compared what they heard against the scripture to verify if they were hearing the truth.

 2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is breathed out buy God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished for every good work.

If we say Amen to everything we hear because its coming from the pulpit, we might as well say the Pastor is infallible which of course is not true.

No man or woman that is continually teaching false doctrine is being led by the Spirit of God. God is never the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Living the Christian life the right way is a Truth War. It’s a good fight (2 Timothy 4:7). Why do we have to fight? Because we have enemies of the truth – the arch enemy being the devil himself. Jesus said that whoever is not for Me is against Me (Matthew 12:30). Whoever is an enemy of Christ is an enemy of mine. Despite that truth, we have to love our enemies and persuade them to come to the knowledge of the truth.

So the solution for those in chronic doctrinal error is not prayer alone, its loving correction with the truth of scripture. Sadly, pragmatism in lieu of the Bible is what pervades many churches. If it’s working, then do it is what these false teachers are promoting. The Bible is an afterthought; meaning they will sprinkle eisegetically Bible verses to convince their unsuspecting parishioners that what they are doing is a move of the Holy Spirit.

Once again, to rebuke these false teachers is good and commanded of scripture when its done with love and truth with meekness and fear. We realize those who warn others of false teachers aren’t better than them but fear the Lord enough to challenge their falsehood and lovingly appeal to them to repent of their heresy because if they don’t, they are going to drag countless souls to hell with them.

 

Are We Supposed to Fight for Biblical Truth? A preview

 Why should we be so passionate about God’s word? Simple, it is the Truth! The world has no problem championing their lies. We have to counter their lies with the Truth. If we keep silent, we are in sin and the following will be the result. This is what Paul commanded Timothy to do:

2 Timothy 4:2-5 - preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound (or healthy) doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears from hearing the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

If you’re a Pastor and you’re not up to the task of doing what Paul commands above, do yourself and your congregation a favor and step down from the pulpit.

Teaching and preaching God’s word is a labor of love and patience. It is also every Christian’s responsibility. This is NOT an option! Paul gave Timothy the command, and by extension us as well. Remember, Paul told Timothy that God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Jude 3 commands that we are to contend (or fight) for the Faith once for all delivered to the saints.

1 Peter 3:15 says this: Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.