False Teaching #4 – Salvation can be earned through doing good works or all “good” people will go to heaven.
It’s easy for people to fall prey to this false teaching because it lowers the standard significantly. Most people consider themselves to be “good.” Many believe that all they have to do is make sure their good deeds outweigh the bad.
“Good” deeds according to the world’s standards encompass a wider range of actions than those that qualify according to scripture. We tend to think of good deeds in terms of humanitarian aid, preserving the environment, lending a helping hand to your neighbor, etc. According to scripture, the key issue is motive.
If your motive is for personal gratification, your reward is in the satisfaction of doing the deed. You have “earned” nothing with respect to eternity.
Matthew 6:1–5 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward….And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
Only if your desire is to glorify God, do your works qualify as good and accrue to heavenly reward.
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Only by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you can you perform good works.
John 15:4–5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
So many of the cults are predicated on living according to a prescribed set of laws. Sometimes they take these laws right out of scripture and clearly out of context. Some even declare that salvation is by faith plus certain works. Scripture is very clear in declaring that it is through faith alone that one can obtain salvation; no one will be justified by their works. If that were possible, the death of Jesus on the cross was in vain.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Our works prove our faith, but our works do not earn us our salvation. This the primary focus of the book of James.
James 2:14–18 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
Jesus phrased it differently, but the truth is the same.
John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
False Teaching - There is More than One Way to be Saved
False Teaching #3 – There is more than one gospel or more than one way to be saved.
This is a very popular mantra because it allows one to define the authority or process by which they can achieve eternal life. It seems that very few want to accept God’s way as the only way. Why? Because that would mean denying self and living according to the principles declared in God’s word.
What does the scripture say?
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Acts 4:10–12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
These scriptures make it very clear that Jesus is the only One who can provide for our salvation. When one of the religious leaders of the Jews came to ask Jesus this very question, He gave him the following answer.
John 3:3–7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
In other words, man must experience a spiritual rebirth in order to be saved. He then went on to relate one of the most well known verses in scripture.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This verse again emphasizes that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul goes on to emphasize that unless we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are not saved.
1 Corinthians 3:16–17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
Ephesians 1:12–14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
The question then becomes: How do you know you possess the indwelling Spirit? Because there will be evidence in your life of His presence. Consider the truth God revealed through Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 5:22–24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance [self control]: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
Paul is very clear in this letter in contrasting the fruits of the Spirit and the works of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19–21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
I thought it was helpful to look up all of these words when going through Galatians; following are notes on a few that gave me a better understanding. Uncleanness is a reference to either physical or spiritual impurity. Lasciviousness is a reference to the lusts of the flesh. Variance is a reference to quarrelings. Emulations are likened to jealousy and envy—misguided passions. Seditions make reference to causing division or dissension.
Obviously, some Christians will live so as to give evidence to the indwelling Holy Spirit to a greater or lesser degree than others. These verses are given to identify the general characteristics that evidence whether one is living according to the leading of the Holy Spirit or according to the flesh. The word "do" (v 21) comes from the Greek "prasso" which means to practice or perform repeatedly or habitually. A Christian can and will sin; but he/she will not practice sin.
This is a very popular mantra because it allows one to define the authority or process by which they can achieve eternal life. It seems that very few want to accept God’s way as the only way. Why? Because that would mean denying self and living according to the principles declared in God’s word.
What does the scripture say?
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Acts 4:10–12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
These scriptures make it very clear that Jesus is the only One who can provide for our salvation. When one of the religious leaders of the Jews came to ask Jesus this very question, He gave him the following answer.
John 3:3–7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
In other words, man must experience a spiritual rebirth in order to be saved. He then went on to relate one of the most well known verses in scripture.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This verse again emphasizes that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul goes on to emphasize that unless we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are not saved.
1 Corinthians 3:16–17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
Ephesians 1:12–14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
The question then becomes: How do you know you possess the indwelling Spirit? Because there will be evidence in your life of His presence. Consider the truth God revealed through Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 5:22–24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance [self control]: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
Paul is very clear in this letter in contrasting the fruits of the Spirit and the works of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19–21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
I thought it was helpful to look up all of these words when going through Galatians; following are notes on a few that gave me a better understanding. Uncleanness is a reference to either physical or spiritual impurity. Lasciviousness is a reference to the lusts of the flesh. Variance is a reference to quarrelings. Emulations are likened to jealousy and envy—misguided passions. Seditions make reference to causing division or dissension.
Obviously, some Christians will live so as to give evidence to the indwelling Holy Spirit to a greater or lesser degree than others. These verses are given to identify the general characteristics that evidence whether one is living according to the leading of the Holy Spirit or according to the flesh. The word "do" (v 21) comes from the Greek "prasso" which means to practice or perform repeatedly or habitually. A Christian can and will sin; but he/she will not practice sin.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
False Teaching - Truth is Relative
False Teaching #2 – There is no absolute truth or truth is relative; what’s true for you is not necessarily true for me.
This teaching goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. Absolute truth by definition is a constant; something that you can depend on without regard to outside influences. It is true for all people at all times. It is also void of deception or error of any type. Truth can only be determined in reference to a solid foundation and can only be derived from a divine source. Francis Schaeffer stated it this way in support of Christianity in his essay “The Abolition of Truth and Morality”: “When I say Christianity is true I mean it is true to total reality—the total of what is, beginning with the central reality, the objective existence of the personal-infinite God. Christianity is not just a series of truths but Truth — Truth about all of reality.”
What does scripture say?
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Psalms 119:160 “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
Man’s understanding of the truth may change, but the truth never changes. Truth will always conform to the character of Jesus according to His word as recorded by the Apostle John in the reference above.
Truth and righteousness are often paired in the scripture. To act according to truth and righteousness implies the existence of a standard from which to make that determination. As the Creator, only God qualifies as the source for this standard.
Isaiah 40:28 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”
Ephesians 5:9–10 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”
Not only must the source of truth be Divine, He must be unique to establish a unique standard for that truth.
Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
This teaching goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. Absolute truth by definition is a constant; something that you can depend on without regard to outside influences. It is true for all people at all times. It is also void of deception or error of any type. Truth can only be determined in reference to a solid foundation and can only be derived from a divine source. Francis Schaeffer stated it this way in support of Christianity in his essay “The Abolition of Truth and Morality”: “When I say Christianity is true I mean it is true to total reality—the total of what is, beginning with the central reality, the objective existence of the personal-infinite God. Christianity is not just a series of truths but Truth — Truth about all of reality.”
What does scripture say?
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Psalms 119:160 “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
Man’s understanding of the truth may change, but the truth never changes. Truth will always conform to the character of Jesus according to His word as recorded by the Apostle John in the reference above.
Truth and righteousness are often paired in the scripture. To act according to truth and righteousness implies the existence of a standard from which to make that determination. As the Creator, only God qualifies as the source for this standard.
Isaiah 40:28 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”
Ephesians 5:9–10 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”
Not only must the source of truth be Divine, He must be unique to establish a unique standard for that truth.
Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
Thursday, January 6, 2011
False Teaching - The Bible is Unreliable
False Teaching #1 – The Bible is unreliable and full of contradictions.
This seemed to be a good beginning point since God’s word is the foundation upon which all truth is based. When the enemy is able to get someone to doubt that God’s word is the truth and without contradiction, it lays the foundation for many other false teachings. Either God is Who He says He is as revealed to us in His word, or our faith is worth nothing.
Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
Psalms 33:4 “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.”
Psalms 119:89 “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not….”
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
If God has lied to us about anything, there is no solid foundation for our faith. Though Paul was talking about the resurrection, this is basically what Paul was saying in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:13–19 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
It is true that there are “apparent” contradictions in scripture, but that is not due to the original inspiration and revelation of that truth to man through the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
These “seeming” contradictions are a result of many different factors—translations produced by men, differences in the meanings of words from language to language, an understanding of the culture of the time in which it was written, taking passages out of context, etc.
If you choose to believe that scripture is unreliable and contains contradictions, it makes no sense for you to believe any part of it. Your belief is either predicated on truth or it is not. If not, why choose to believe any part of it? I do believe that God is Who He says He is and that scripture is the only valid authority for determining truth.
This seemed to be a good beginning point since God’s word is the foundation upon which all truth is based. When the enemy is able to get someone to doubt that God’s word is the truth and without contradiction, it lays the foundation for many other false teachings. Either God is Who He says He is as revealed to us in His word, or our faith is worth nothing.
Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
Psalms 33:4 “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.”
Psalms 119:89 “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not….”
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
If God has lied to us about anything, there is no solid foundation for our faith. Though Paul was talking about the resurrection, this is basically what Paul was saying in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:13–19 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
It is true that there are “apparent” contradictions in scripture, but that is not due to the original inspiration and revelation of that truth to man through the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
These “seeming” contradictions are a result of many different factors—translations produced by men, differences in the meanings of words from language to language, an understanding of the culture of the time in which it was written, taking passages out of context, etc.
If you choose to believe that scripture is unreliable and contains contradictions, it makes no sense for you to believe any part of it. Your belief is either predicated on truth or it is not. If not, why choose to believe any part of it? I do believe that God is Who He says He is and that scripture is the only valid authority for determining truth.
Monday, January 3, 2011
WHAT IS SALVATION?
The next few blog posts will focus on what it means to be saved. A study of prophecy is meaningless to one who has no hope for the future. It is heavy on my heart that the scripture is clear in declaring that relatively few people will come to possess saving faith.
Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
One can’t help but wonder why so few since God has so freely, lovingly and sacrificially provided the gift of salvation for any and all who will accept it.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
There are, of course, many who just refuse to acknowledge that there is a God, a Creator, a Supreme Authority that is sovereign over the universe as we know it. Scripture also tells us that these people are not being honest with themselves. The Lord has planted the seed of truth in the being of every person.
Romans 1:19–21 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
In context with the passage in Matthew 7, however, we know that false teachers are responsible for leading many into deception. It seems that a principal common factor in such teachings is an emphasis on “works.”
Matthew 7:21–23 “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. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
I think this is such a popular tactic of the enemy for many reasons. It takes advantage of man’s independent spirit and his desire to owe no one anything. It thrives in cultures that position man as a lowly creation that must earn the privilege to attain the highest level. It feeds off the sinner’s guilt and his/her desire to atone for their own sin. It sidesteps yielding to the authority of God; we want to think that we are in control.
As noted in the previous series of blogs, Satan loves to deceive using partial truths. It is true that works and salvation go hand-in-hand; works evidence one’s salvation, but they do not provide salvation. My purpose is to take a look at what the scripture says about salvation so that you can be assured of your eternal future and equipped to identify false teaching.
It is not my intention to consider every verse in scripture regarding salvation. I will focus on those that, in my opinion, are effective in identifying false teaching. Again, I am writing from the heart with no specific outline in place, so please bear with me as I prayerfully seek to present the truth clearly.
Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
One can’t help but wonder why so few since God has so freely, lovingly and sacrificially provided the gift of salvation for any and all who will accept it.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
There are, of course, many who just refuse to acknowledge that there is a God, a Creator, a Supreme Authority that is sovereign over the universe as we know it. Scripture also tells us that these people are not being honest with themselves. The Lord has planted the seed of truth in the being of every person.
Romans 1:19–21 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
In context with the passage in Matthew 7, however, we know that false teachers are responsible for leading many into deception. It seems that a principal common factor in such teachings is an emphasis on “works.”
Matthew 7:21–23 “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. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
I think this is such a popular tactic of the enemy for many reasons. It takes advantage of man’s independent spirit and his desire to owe no one anything. It thrives in cultures that position man as a lowly creation that must earn the privilege to attain the highest level. It feeds off the sinner’s guilt and his/her desire to atone for their own sin. It sidesteps yielding to the authority of God; we want to think that we are in control.
As noted in the previous series of blogs, Satan loves to deceive using partial truths. It is true that works and salvation go hand-in-hand; works evidence one’s salvation, but they do not provide salvation. My purpose is to take a look at what the scripture says about salvation so that you can be assured of your eternal future and equipped to identify false teaching.
It is not my intention to consider every verse in scripture regarding salvation. I will focus on those that, in my opinion, are effective in identifying false teaching. Again, I am writing from the heart with no specific outline in place, so please bear with me as I prayerfully seek to present the truth clearly.
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