Thursday, February 2, 2012

To Ignore God--And His Truths, Is A Deficiency And A Perversion

Beloved, while I was 
very diligent to write
to you concerning our
common salvation,
I found it necessary 
to write to you
exhorting you to contend
earnestly for the faith
which was once for all 
delivered to the saints.
Jude 3
     Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith, the Scriptures are the basis for our faith and the rule of life. Many who claim to be Christian have perverted what "was once delivered for all the saints: Jude is faithful to point out that certain ones had crept their way into the Church, called themselves Christian, spoke in Christianese, using the right terms, even pointing to the Scriptures, misleading many and if they could they would even call away the elect: "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24). Jude writes: "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 4). It is not that those men who have perverted the Gospel never say the name of Jesus Christ, they deny Him, in fact, most Churches who have succumbed to a form of ungodly teaching use and pray to the Holy Spirit, that which the Bible never teaches us to do. Yet, as unholy and ungodly they are attempting to create a new Christian era such as is taught in Bill Johnson's, the senior pastor of Bethel Church who teaches in his; "When Heaven Invades Earth" book, that to oppose him and his teaching is to make that opposer to be an antichrist: they cannot call away the elect, oh! these teachers may mislead the elect for awhile but Jesus Christ makes it very clear that He protects His elect: "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:22). 
    Is it true, can it be true, that "Christian" people are misleading the souls of men even to mislead men and women, even children in regards to salvation? Is it all as bad as I have written? Yes! Just look at those Churches, their evangelistic methods with all their folk rock music, their gimmicks. Examine their literature, their tactics and how and what they are teaching the people, especially within their schools, those school of the Supernatural. Examine them in the light of Jesus' teachings, and preaching, and you will come to agree that many Churches are far from the New Testament message. Not all are in error and not all have perverted the Gospel to the same degree. Many are not far from the truth, but to be off even a half bubble is to be off, therefore each person must examine their Church, the pastor and what he is preaching, and those teachers, what are they teaching, and then make a decision whether to stay under that teaching because you found under that examination a Church that believes and teaches that New Testament message. Many do not carefully weigh what is being taught, their habits, they have become to comfortable with the place they find themselves, but they are not in the light of Scripture. 
     The practicing Christians who are involved in the evils that have been mention in these blogs are sincerely seeking to serve Jesus Christ. Many have an experience that surpasses their understanding. Those errors that they are involved in do not necessarily negate their minds to other basic truths of God's Word. But sincerity and a couple of dollars will buy a person a cup of coffee. They may be genuinely converted but those attributes are not the only qualifications necessary for the work of any pastor, teacher, even "laypersons" for there is a necessity to know and convey Biblical Gospel. We must become intentional and dig behind these teachings finding our for ourselves whether or not they are Scriptural and focus our attention on the foundational and Scriptural doctrines. The Gospel "once delivered to the saint" is needed and there must be a demolition of this dreadful trend that has perverted the Gospel and rise above this selling of God's truth, the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Rise above those deadening teachings and traditions that are not Scriptural and "earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saint."

For God has not given
     us a spirit of fear, 
but of power and of love
     and a sound mind...
Therefore do not be ashamed
     of the testimony of our 
Lord, nor of me His prisoner,
     but share with me in the
sufferings for the gospel 
    according to the power
of God.
                          2Timothy 1:7,8


Remain Faithful


Richard L. Crumb

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