SPELLING EDITED E-19. FAITH VERSUS OUR OWN GOOD WORKS!
ABEL versus CAIN
Let us begin this study in God's word by reading Hebrews 11:4.
“By FAITH Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it, he being DEAD yet speaks.”
Now some Christians who teach GRACE ALONE and FAITH ALONE have taken this verse and have tried to make it say that RIGHTEOUSNESS must come through FAITH ALONE and NOT by ANY WORKS that we may DO because the Bible clearly tells us in Ephesians 2:8,9 that we are saved by GRACE through FAITH and NOT by WORKS lest any man should BOAST. But remember that the law of FAITH had not yet come in the days of Abel and those in the Old Testament. Abel OBEYED and Cain DISOBEYED. They both had WORKS but only Abel's works were accepted by God.
Ephesians 2:8,9.
“For by GRACE are you saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. NOT of WORKS, lest any man should boast.” But what do these verses of scripture TRULY mean in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God? How do we reconcile or harmonize the Old Testament with the New Testament? Do we obtain SALVATION and our promise of ETERNAL LIFE by or through FAITH ALONE? Or must our FAITH be accompanied by works of RIGHTEOUSNESS in order to receive the END of our salvation which is our receiving ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come? These are very important questions that MUST be answered based upon the WHOLE word of TRUTH and must NOT be answered based upon a few verses taken out of context and viewed ALONE and APART from the WHOLE word of God, because there are some Christians being DECEIVED into THINKING that they are SAVED and are offering a sacrifice that is ACCEPTABLE to God, when in reality they are like CAIN whose sacrifice was REJECTED by God. Already I can hear the arguments going through some of your minds saying things like, “Wait a minute, Brother Mark, we are NOT saved by any SACRIFICES that WE ourselves offer because Jesus was our SACRIFICE. The sacrifices that Cain and Abel offered was the SACRIFICING that was done in the Old Testament.”, and in part that is true. Yes, I fully realize that the WORKS of the LAW that pertained to the ceremonial offering of SACRIFICES has been nailed to the cross by our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, but the New Testament still REQUIRES us to OFFER the SACRIFICE of our BODIES by LIVING a Holy and BLAMELESS life before God in LOVE.
Please read Romans 12:1,2 which says.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that YOU present your bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy, ACCEPTABLE unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2. And be NOT conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and ACCEPTABLE, and perfect, WILL of God.”
The bottom line here is that we are talking about being ACCEPTED by Almighty God in the END when we shall have nothing but the WORD of God to JUDGE us on the last day. What IS God's WILL for us in order to be accepted and NOT REJECTED on the Day of Judgment? What is the entire baseline theme of the entire Bible? What I mean by this is WHAT does Almighty God REQUIRE of his creation in order to be ACCEPTED and NOT REJECTED that is the same all through the Bible?
THE ANSWER IS OBEDIENCE!
Micah 6:8 teaches us that God has shown us what is REQUIRED of us to DO!
Micah 6:8.
“He has SHOWN you, O man, what is good; and WHAT does the LORD REQUIRE of you, but to DO justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
If we do NOT believe and DO God's WILL, then the QUESTION remains, will we, in the END, be ACCEPTED by God? OR
Will we be REJECTED like CAIN, who offered his OWN sacrifice in his OWN WAY that he THOUGHT would be ACCEPTED, but instead Cain's DISOBEDIENT act was REJECTED by God, BECAUSE he did NOT TRUST and BELIEVE the WORDS of God and DO what God REQUIRED of him as his brother Abel DID DO and therefore was ACCEPTED. You see the SACRIFICE that Abel did he did by FAITH TRUSTING and BELIEVING God's WORDS and INSTRUCTIONS on HOW to offer a SACRIFICE and BECAUSE Abel's SACRIFICE was a sacrifice of OBEDIENCE it was PLEASING and ACCEPTABLE to God? Even in the New Testament if a Christian obeys God's instruction unwilling and out of OBLIGATION, then their work of righteousness has no reward. You see my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, BOTH brothers Cain and Abel were required by God to offer SACRIFICES and it should be clear from the word of God that Almighty God INSTRUCTED them BOTH on HOW these SACRIFICES should be offered even though we are not specifically told straight out how and what type of sacrifice God required of them. And yet Abel made the CHOICE to BELIEVE and TRUST in God's WORDS and INSTRUCTIONS and offered his sacrifice God's WAY. And, therefore, Abel was ACCEPTED by God, while the other brother Cain made the CHOICE to do things his OWN WAY thinking perhaps to himself what is the difference a sacrifice is a sacrifice. Who knows what was going on in Cain's mind when he DISOBEYED God and offered a sacrifice that Cain obviously KNEW would NOT be ACCEPTED by God. Some may be thinking HOW did Cain KNOW what to do and what not to do because WE are not specifically told in the Bible what God instructed Cain and Abel to do? God assures us in his word that he has SHOWN us what is required of us to DO in order to be accepted by him on the Day of Judgment. Now you may be thinking, “Why would Cain disobey God when he KNEW that what he was doing would NOT please God and would be REJECTED by God. Why would Cain KNOWINGLY DISOBEY God KNOWING that his sacrifice would be REJECTED. How dumb is that?” Well then, how dumb is it for US, as Christians, who KNOW that it is NOT God's WILL for us to give in to the temptation of the devil and SIN, and yet some of us STILL go right ahead and offer this UNACCEPTABLE sacrifice, so to speak, unto Almighty God who has PLAINLY told us in his WORD that the wages of SIN are DEATH and the soul that SINS it shall DIE? You see, Christians KNOW what is ACCEPTABLE to God and they KNOW that WORKS of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS will be REJECTED by God, and yet some Christians keep on making excuses and go right on doing things their OWN WAY just like Cain did. Can you not see that the reason Cain was REJECTED was that he did NOT OBEY God to DO what God desired him to DO? So I am simply putting out this WARNING to you my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ just as Almighty God himself WARNED Cain that if he did not MASTER this evil one, this tempter, this SIN that sought to devour him, then he would be OVERCOME by the enemy and would be cast out and ultimately destroyed in the END. Let us go back to Genesis and read where Almighty God WARNED Cain to get control OVER this evil INFLUENCE in his life lest or for fear that this evil INFLUENCE of TEMPTATION destroyed him in the END. Please read Genesis 4:7 from several different translations in order for you to see that YOU YOURSELF must MASTER, SUBDUE, GET CONTROL OF, and RULE OVER the SIN that wants to DESTROY your life.
Here is Genesis 4:7 from the New Living Translation.
“You will be ACCEPTED IF you RESPOND in the right way. But if you REFUSE to respond CORRECTLY, then watch out! SIN is waiting to attack and destroy you, and YOU must SUBDUE it.”
Or YOU yourself MUST, without fail, SUBDUE the temptation to SIN, because SIN is waiting and seeking whom it may devour. Sin wants to attack and DESTROY you, and if YOU do not SUBDUE IT, then IT will SUBDUE you. SO don't keep REFUSING to respond CORRECTLY by TRUSTING and OBEYING what I told you to DO, for IF you respond in the RIGHT way by walking in OBEDIENCE to DO what I told you to DO, then you will be ACCEPTED. Almighty God is WARNING Cain and US that if WE OURSELVES do NOT MASTER and RULE OVER these temptations that the evil one brings to us to try and devour us, then we will be overcome by the enemy and separated from God for eternity, IF SO BE that we do not REPENT and get back into right relationship with God before the END, which is before we DIE or before Jesus returns. Here is this same verse again Genesis 4:7 from the God's Word Translation.
“If you do WELL (Or if you DO that which is GOOD and RIGHTEOUS), won't you be ACCEPTED? But if you don't do well, SIN is lying outside your door ready to attack. It (Or SIN) wants to control you, BUT YOU must MASTER it.” In other words. God is saying to us, YOU must MASTER sin I am not going to do it FOR you. I have told you what YOU must DO so TRUST me when I tell you that SIN shall NOT have DOMINION OVER YOU, but YOU shall have DOMINION OVER SIN, therefore get CONTROL of these LUSTS in your life that desire to control you before they destroy you. DO that which is RIGHT, GOOD, and WELL in my sight and you will be ACCEPTED, but is you REFUSE to OBEY my WORDS and DO that which is WRONG, NOT GOOD, and EVIL, then you will be REJECTED, therefore I Almighty God IMPLORE you to MASTER the SIN that desires to control and DESTROY you. Can you not see my dear brothers and sisters in our Jesus Christ, that Almighty God is WARNING us to OVERCOME SIN in our lives. The Bible teaches us that we are to PRESENT our BODIES as a LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY and ACCEPTABLE to God which is our reasonable service. Let us read this verse in Romans 12:1,2 again and take a CLOSER look at WHY it is our REASONABLE SERVICE to LIVE a HOLY LIFE WITHOUT SIN before Almighty God in LOVE.
Romans 12:1,2.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy, ACCEPTABLE unto God, which is your REASONABLE service. 2. And be NOT conformed to this world: but be you TRANSFORMED BY the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that GOOD, and ACCEPTABLE, and perfect, WILL of God.”
The word “REASONABLE” is translated from the Greek word “logikos”, which means spiritual, logical and reasonable. Now the word “REASONABLE” means capable of reasoning or able to understand. In other words, something that makes sense or is logical. Something reasonable is governed by sound thinking. This word “reasonable” also means NOT EXTREME, or NOT EXCESSIVE, but rather MODERATE, easy to bear, and NOT BURDENSOME or too heavy. So then, does it not sound LOGICAL and REASONABLE to you that Almighty God would offer to mankind a FREE GIFT of canceling ALL the past debt of each and every man? And doe it not sound reasonable that all we must to do, in order to accept this FREE GIFT of having ALL our past SINS forgiven us so that they are never to be remembered against us ever again, is to REPENT of our SINS and ask for God to HELP us LIVE a LIFE that is PLEASING to him? Does it not seem REASONABLE to you that OBEYING God's REQUIREMENT to DO his COMMANDMENTS, which the word of God plainly teaches us are NOT GRIEVOUS or too BURDENSOME to bear, is not such a bad deal or covenant to make with God to have all our past SINS wiped clean away forever? Even the very verse of Scripture used by those who INCORRECTLY teach FAITH ALONE and GRACE ALONE, when it is left in the CONTEXT of where it is found, clearly teaches us that the REASON we are saved is to DO GOOD WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Let us read Ephesians 2:8,9 again along with the CONTEXT in order to better understand the entire THEME of the ENTIRE word of God. Here is verse 8 and 9 being left in their CONTEXT. Please read Ephesians 2:8-13, which clearly teaches us that we are saved to DO GOOD WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Ephesians 2:8-13.
“For by GRACE are you saved through FAITH; and that (Speaking of all three things, the GRACE of God, the FAITH that God has given to EVERY human being and the GIFT of salvation of being forgiven of all our past sins and placed in a right relationship with God are all) NOT of yourselves: it (Speaking of SALVATION that comes only by the GRACE of God THROUGH the FAITH that God has dealt to every man the same measure) is the gift of God: 9. NOT of WORKS, lest any man should BOAST. 10. For (Or the reason that we are saved by grace through faith is to become God's workmanship so the boasting is forever eliminated) we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God has BEFORE ORDAINED that we should WALK in them. 11. Wherefore (Or for this reason or this purpose) remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12. That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the COVENANTS of promise, having NO hope, and WITHOUT God in the world: 13. But NOW in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
This letter to the Ephesians was written to the Gentile Christians in a mostly all GENTILE church. Christian Gentiles were once without God, without God's COVENANTS and, therefore, they were WITHOUT HOPE. God made COVENANTS with Gentiles all throughout the time from when mankind was first created in order to maintain a relationship with mankind. To just briefly state a few of these covenants. there was the covenant when Adam sinned and God CLOTHED his nakedness. When Cain sinned God WARNED him to get control OVER and MASTER the evil influence that was TEMPTING Cain to MURDER his brother Abel. God eventually chose a nation of PEOPLE unto himself through Abraham. And that was the first time that God SEPARATED out a nation of people unto himself. Then came what is known as the Old Covenant or the first covenant that God made with the children of Israel through his mediator Moses to establish the law as a covering for sin. And presently God chooses once again ALL of mankind THROUGH the shed blood of his Son Jesus to FREELY wipe away all the past sins of WHOSOEVER will BELIEVE that Jesus is the Son of God who died for their sins. For you see, whosoever of anyone in the entire world who REPENTS of their sins and accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior are making a COVENANT with God to DO his will. And this covenant is called the NEW COVENANT for a reason. And that reason is that the END GOAL of God's plan of salvation is for people to be saved by grace through faith in God's Son and not of works lest there should be BOASTING. God desires us to be HIS workmanship to eliminate pride. So then, do you think this is TOO MUCH for God to require of you for you to PROVE to God that you LOVE him by simply OBEYING what he REQUIRES of you to DO? You say you BELIEVE and yet you continue to SIN when the Bible teaches us that the JUST shall LIVE by FAITH. So why then do you NOT BELIEVE and TRUST in God's WORD that plainly and clearly teaches us that Almighty God will NOT ALLOW us to be tempted ABOVE that which we are ABLE to bear. Why do you REFUSE to DO that which is RIGHT in order to be ACCEPTED of God and accounted worthy to have the RIGHT to partake of the tree of life in the world to come? The word of TRUTH teaches us that it is our REASONABLE SERVICE. A SERVICE or DUTY, which is NOT too excessive or burdensome to bear. So why then do some Christians try to reason away their REASONABLE SERVICE by saying and teaching that they are reprobate sinners saved by GRACE ALONE and that they have INHERITED a SIN NATURE, which CAUSES them to SIN? Therefore, they say they SIN because it is their human SINFUL NATURE that they were BORN with and it is their NATURE to do so. The TRUTH of the matter is that the word of God teaches us that we are a NEW CREATURE created IN Christ Jesus for the very PURPOSE of DOING GOOD WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS and that the OLD MAN, that OLD NATURE is PAST AWAY and behold, or look and see, all things have become NEW. Where is your FAITH my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, ARISE SHINE for the light is come, start being a DOER of the word, instead of a hearer only whereby you are DECEIVING your OWN self? We are commanded to walk in the light even as Jesus is in the light and THEN the blood of Jesus will continually cleanse us from all our sin. What I mean by the blood of Jesus continually cleansing us who walk even as Jesus walked is that the very moment we are saved God gives us His free GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS. And that gift of righteousness was bought and paid for by the shed blood of Jesus on the CROSS. Jesus said for us to take up our cross and follow him and if we SUFFER as Jesus suffered by RESISTING the temptation to sin, then we will also REIGN with Jesus. So to ME, walking in the light even as He is in the light means that we have picked up or RECEIVED God’s gift of the CROSS that we must CARRY. And when we sin we are LAYING DOWN our gift of righteousness. And the only way to be able to pick back up our gift or the cross is to REPENT and confess that sins that we commit AFTER we are first saved. In other words, the only way to remain IN Jesus Christ to be washed in the shed blood of Jesus is to ALWAYS be CARRYING our GIFT of the CROSS with us by never sinning again. And IF we sin we are essentially laying down our cross, And WITHOUT our carrying the GIFT of the shed blood of Jesus there is nothing to CLEANSE us of our sin. and that is why we must pick back UP our GIFT of the shed blood of Jesus on the cross so the blood of Jesus will CLEANSE us of the sins that we commit after we are first saved. Now the PERFECT will of God is to stop sinning altogether. So start BELIEVING that the GREATER one lives WITHIN you and that he is GREATER than your enemy that is the god of this world. Satan is NOT your god anymore. Sin has NO more DOMINION OVER YOU. You have been set FREE from the bondage of sin in order to WALK in RIGHTEOUSNESS, which is your REASONABLE SERVICE. However, YOU yourself must MASTER and SUBDUE that which tempts you to sin, and IF you do NOT and you SIN, then you will NOT be ACCEPTED of God while you are living in sin. When one is living in sin, then they are NOT DOING that which PLEASES Almighty God. And that is WHY we MUST repent and confess our sin QUICKLY so that the blood of Jesus will continue to keep us cleansed. So then, let us talk about SERVICE and DUTY. Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 says this about what our DUTY is to Almighty God.
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and KEEP his commandments: for THIS is the whole DUTY of man. (WHY?) 14. For God shall bring every WORK into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
If you THINK that our WORKS play absolutely no part in our RECEIVING or OBTAINING ETERNAL LIFE in the world to COME, then you must not be reading and studying the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, because the message of WORKS is found from cover to cover. The false gospel of easy believe-ism that is being taught in some of the mainstream churches today is leading some Christians to FALSELY believe that all they have to do in order to be saved AND receive ETERNAL LIFE is to confess that they are sinners and accept Jesus as their personal savior and then they are SAVED, home free, totally secure and they can never ever lose their salvation no matter what! These Christians are being DECEIVED into FALSELY believing that they may lose a few REWARDS, but that they can NEVER EVER LOSE their SALVATION no matter what. And they base this easy believe-ism gospel on the FALSE reasoning that because salvation is a FREE GIFT from God that CANNOT be EARNED by our OWN GOOD WORKS, then, therefore, God would never take away this FREE GIFT that he desires and wills for all of his ELECT to receive. Then they go on to REASON and say, why that would be just stupid to even think that God would GIVE you a FREE GIFT that you did NOT earn in any way shape or form by any GOOD WORKS that you have done and then for God to turn around and TAKE AWAY that FREE GIFT that you did NOT EARN, just because you are NOT doing GOOD WORKS after you have been SAVED in order to MAINTAIN or KEEP your FREE gift of salvation. Then they claim that GOOD WORKS are simply fruit that comes from or follow being SAVED, which is true in part. Then they FALSELY maintain, yes we should try and do good works, but our SALVATION is NOT dependent upon our DOING GOOD WORKS. But what does the WHOLE word of God have to say on this matter of our doing GOOD WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS is a CONDITION that MUST, WITHOUT FAIL, be MET in order to OBTAIN eternal life in the world to COME?
Are we saved the moment we confess our sins and can NEVER EVER lose our salvation no matter what?
OR
Are we saved the moment we confess our sins and then enter into a covenant relationship with Almighty God whereby we MUST WITHOUT FAIL DO GOOD WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS in order to OBTAIN the PROMISE of ETERNAL LIFE in the world to COME as our REWARD for our OBEDIENCE to DO all God REQUIRES of us to DO?
One side says that salvation is a finished work the moment we believed and therefore, to them, we are eternally saved as soon as we accept Jesus as our savior. The other side says that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, then Almighty God forgives us of all our past sins and thus saves us, as in, placing us back into a right relationship with him so that his Holy Spirit can now DWELL IN us to EMPOWER us to overcome sin. And thus, according to this interpretation, we are saved to SERVE God in righteousness as a TRYING of our FAITH. And if we endure unto the END, then we shall receive the END of our salvation which is eternal life in the world to come. But if we STOP our walk of faith EITHER by disobeying the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ by living in sin OR BY disobeying the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ by ADDING works of the Law of Moses contained in ordinances then how can go against his own word to count those worthy to receive eternal life when they are DISOBEYING the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians can ALSO ADD works that are NOT taught in the Bible such as a church denomination making their OWN LAWS that MUST be kept in order to be saved. For example, the Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Roman Catholic church denominations have ADDED their OWN works that are REQUIRED to be done in order to be saved. So those church denominations are NOT obeying the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please read the study “WHAT IS THE TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST?”
But, for now, let us see what the WHOLE word of TRUTH has to say on this matter concerning the teaching that a Christians can never lose their salvation no matter what they do or they do not do, Now in this study, I will only be dealing with ONE side of this issue and not really go into an in-depth manner of study on all the verses used by those who teach the once saved always saved or eternal security doctrines. If you desire to hear ALL the evidence from BOTH sides of this highly controversial subject, then please read the study entitled “IS ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL?” But for now, I would like you to read Hebrews 12:24-29, which says.
“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. 25. See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven: 26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have GRACE, whereby we may SERVE God ACCEPTABLY with reverence and godly fear: 29. For our God is a consuming fire.”
Keep in mind that these words are spoken to true born-again believers in Jesus. Now ask yourself the question what is the PURPOSE of Almighty God giving or extending his GRACE to mankind?
Please read Titus 2:11,12 which says.
“For the GRACE of God that BRINGS salvation has appeared to all men, (But for WHAT PURPOSE did the GRACE of God appear to all men for? For the very purpose of) 12. TEACHING US that, DENYING ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should LIVE soberly, RIGHTEOUSLY, and GODLY, IN this PRESENT world;”
WHY? Why does God desire us to LIVE a HOLY, GODLY and RIGHTEOUS life before him in LOVE? BECAUSE this is the WAY to the Father! Jesus said I am the WAY and no one comes unto the Father except by me. Jesus LIVED his LIFE WITHOUT SIN as an EXAMPLE to FOLLOW. The LIFE Jesus LIVED is the WAY to the Father. Please read the study entitled “WHAT DID JESUS MEAN I AM THE WAY” for a deeper understanding of this subject. But for now, let us read this passage of scripture again from Titus 2:9-15 from the New Living Translation, which shows that we are bought with a price and that we are no longer our own, but slaves or SERVANTS of God. This is the covenant that we made to God when we cried out to God to SAVE us. IF SO BE that we want to OBTAIN the PROMISE of ETERNAL LIFE in the end, then we have no choice but to OBEY, for to disobey would mean that we make the choice to return to the lifestyle of sin and the wages of sin is DEATH. I mean WHY would any Christian NOT want to OBEY God and live free from sin? Is this not what you cried out to God to DELIVER you from when you asked Jesus to forgive you of all your sins? Does not your HEART speaking of your inner man WANT to please God? Then why do some Christians fight so hard against accepting the truth of God's word that GOOD WORKS of righteousness is what we are saved to DO, as in, we are REQUIRED to obey all the moral laws of God lest we SIN?
Please read Titus 2:9-15 from the New Living Translation, which says.
“Slaves MUST OBEY their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back 10. Or steal, but they MUST show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. 11. For the GRACE of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12. And we are INSTRUCTED to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, 13. While we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14. He gave his life to FREE us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right. 15. You must TEACH these things and encourage your people to do them, CORRECTING them when necessary. You have the authority to do this, so don't let anyone ignore you or disregard what you say.”
Jesus tells us in John 8:31-36 that IF we CONTINUE in his word, THEN and only then are we his DISCIPLES indeed. And then Jesus goes on to say that IF we CONTINUE in his word we shall KNOW the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall MAKE us FREE from SIN.
John 8:31-36.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which BELIEVED on him, IF you CONTINUE in my word, THEN you are my disciples indeed; 32. And you shall know the TRUTH, and the truth shall MAKE you FREE. 33. They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how say you, You shall be MADE FREE? 34. Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever COMMITS SIN is the SERVANT of SIN. 35. And the servant abides not in the house forever: but the Son abides ever. 36. If the Son, therefore, shall make you FREE, you shall be FREE INDEED.”
So then, do YOU truly BELIEVE that the Son of the living God has MADE YOU FREE from SIN? Do you BELIEVE that you are a servant of God or do you believe that you are still yet a servant of SIN? Jesus made it very clear that WHOSOEVER commits sin is the SERVANT of SIN. The Bible teaches us that the just shall LIVE by FAITH! If you TRULY BELIEVE and you truly have FAITH in the WORDS of Jesus, then you will LIVE your FAITH! You will PROVE God's WORD to be TRUE in your LIFE. You will STOP sinning and MASTER or RULE OVER the temptations of the enemy of your soul that seeks to devour you.
Please read Romans 6:1-23, which clearly teaches us that we were MADE FREE from SIN in order to LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY before God and that it is NOT an OPTION because the WAGES of SIN is DEATH, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:1-23.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that GRACE may abound? 2. God forbid. How shall we, that are DEAD to sin, live any longer therein? 3. Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should WALK in newness of life. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6. KNOWING this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should NOT serve sin. 7. For he that is DEAD is FREED from sin. 8. Now if we are dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over him. 10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he lives, he lives unto God. 11. Likewise, reckon you also yourselves to be DEAD INDEED unto sin, but ALIVE unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12. LET NOT SIN therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13. Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: BUT YIELD yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of RIGHTEOUSNESS unto God. 14. For sin shall NOT have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under GRACE (That TEACHES us that we should DENY ungodliness and LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY in this PRESENT world). 15. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16. Know you not, that to whom you YIELD yourselves as servants to OBEY, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death or of OBEDIENCE unto righteousness? 17. But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18. Being then MADE FREE from sin, you BECAME the SERVANTS of RIGHTEOUSNESS. 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as you have yielded your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members as servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20. For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21. What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22. But NOW being MADE FREE from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the END everlasting life. 23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Do you BELIEVE God's WORD? Do you BELIEVE that you are FREED from SIN? Do you BELIEVE that SIN shall NOT have DOMINION OVER YOU?"
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!
Are you LIVING by FAITH? Are you BELIEVING God's WORD that teaches you that the GREATER ONE LIVES WITHIN YOU to EMPOWER you to OVERCOME the enemy? Do not think for one minute that you can do this in your OWN strength. It is by FAITH that we OVERCOME. So then, I ask you again, do YOU BELIEVE? If so, then you should be LIVING WITHOUT SIN in your LIFE, because God's word teaches us that God will NOT ALLOW us to be tempted ABOVE that which we are ABLE to BEAR. So again do you BELIEVE God's WORD of TRUTH that SIN shall NOT have DOMINION OVER YOU and that God is FAITHFUL NOT to LIE, but rather God is FAITHFUL to do that which he said he will do and NOT ALLOW us to be tempted ABOVE that which we are ABLE to BEAR? Are you LIVING by FAITH? If so, then you should be LIVING WITHOUT SIN! Please read 1 Corinthians 10:5-13 which teaches us that God will NOT suffer or ALLOW us to be tempted ABOVE that which we are ABLE to bear. We are being WARNED in this passage of scripture NOT to be like those in the Old Testament who God was NOT pleased with and therefore they were NOT allowed to ENTER into the promised land, which is a type or shadow representing heaven or our receiving ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come.
1 Corinthians 10:5-13.
“But with many of them God was NOT well pleased: (WHY?) for they were OVERTHROWN in the wilderness. 6. Now, these things were our EXAMPLES, to the intent we should NOT lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7. Neither be you, idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 8. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10. Neither murmur you, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12. Wherefore, let him that THINKS he stands, take heed lest he FALL. (Are you THINKING, oh it is not that big of a deal, everyone lies, or every one steals a little bit from time to time, God will understand that I am just human, besides I can repent later and God will forgive me. DON'T be DECEIVED by these LIES of the enemy! Do you THINK that you can NEVER LOSE your salvation no matter what? If so, I BESEECH you my dear brother or sister in the Lord to THINK AGAIN! Do not tempt Christ!) 13. There has NO temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is FAITHFUL, who will NOT suffer YOU to be tempted above that you are ABLE; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to BEAR it."
Those of you who still want to cling to what you have been TAUGHT that WORKS cannot save you THEREFORE there is no way that GOOD WORKS will be REQUIRED of us to KEEP our SALVATION, if this is you I want you to please remember what Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 teaches us, and then I want you to read the study entitled “WE ARE NOT SAVED BY OUR OWN GOOD WORKS” and “THE WORKS of the LAW VERSUS GOOD WORKS”
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14. “Let us HEAR the CONCLUSION of the WHOLE matter: Fear God, and KEEP his commandments: for THIS is the whole DUTY of man. (WHY?) 14. For God shall bring every WORK into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
Now some of you may be still trying to reason away this TRUTH because some of the verses like Ecclesiastes is in the OLD Testament and somehow you have come to believe that the WORD of God written in the OLD Testament does NOT apply to Christians. If this is you, then I ask you a simple question, “Are you LISTENING to the very WORDS of Jesus that shall JUDGE you in the last day?” If you are and you want to learn HOW to get sin out of your life and live FREE from SIN, then please read the study entitled “HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE FREE FROM SIN”. One of the last things Jesus told us is found in Revelation 22:10-15 where Jesus gives to us this final WARNING!
Revelation 22:10-15.
“And he says unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my REWARD is with me, to give every man ACCORDING as to his WORK shall be. 13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14. BLESSED are THEY (Speaking of ONLY THEY) that DO his commandments (WHY?), THAT (Or in order THAT) THEY (Again referring to ONLY THEY that DO or KEEP the COMMANDMENT of God, THAT or in order THAT THEY) may have RIGHT to the tree of life, and may ENTER in through the gates into the CITY (The New Jerusalem). 15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.”
The word “RIGHT” here means that ONLY THOSE BELIEVERS who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of God are GIVEN the JUST LEGAL RIGHT to have access to the tree of life. It is, therefore, by the OBEYING of the COMMANDMENTS of God that we are GIVEN the AUTHORITY and the POWER to OBTAIN ETERNAL LIFE in the world to COME.
BE YOU THEREFORE A DOER of the WORD and NOT a HEARER ONLY whereby YOU DECEIVE YOURSELF for the WHOLE word of God clearly teaches us that we are SAVED by FAITH and WORKS!
Please read James 2:1-26 which teaches us that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS is DEAD being ALONE. So then those that FALSELY teach that we are SAVED by FAITH ALONE have NOT taught you the WHOLE word of God.
James 2:1-26.
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3. And ye have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit you here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand you there, or sit here under my footstool: 4. Are you not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5. Hearken, my beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that LOVE him? 6. But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7. Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8. If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well: 9. But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12. So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14. What does it profit, my brethren, though a man SAY he has FAITH, and have NOT WORKS? Can FAITH SAVE him? 15. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, 16. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit? 17. Even so, FAITH, if it has not WORKS, is DEAD, being ALONE. 18. Yea, a man may SAY, You have FAITH, and I have WORKS: show me your FAITH without your WORKS (It cannot be done), and I will SHOW you my FAITH BY my WORKS. 19. You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20. But will you KNOW, O vain man, that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS is DEAD? 21. Was not Abraham our father justified BY WORKS, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22. See you how FAITH wrought with his WORKS, and BY WORKS was faith made perfect? 23. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24. You see then how that by WORKS a man is justified, and not by faith ONLY. 25. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified BY WORKS, when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way? 26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so FAITH WITHOUT WORKS is DEAD also.”
If you want to see what Jesus said about WORKS being the REASON that we are SAVED and GIVEN ETERNAL LIFE, then please read the study entitled “WITHOUT HOLINESS NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD”
So then, are you going to be a CAIN, which REFUSED to believe and trust in what God said and DO and therefore DISOBEYED God's instructions to DO that which was RIGHT in order to be ACCEPTED by God?
OR
Are you going to be an ABEL who OBEYED God's INSTRUCTIONS and did that which was RIGHT before God and therefore it was accounted to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS and because of this RIGHTEOUSNESS he was ACCEPTED of God?
I implore you, dear children of God, to not say any longer that you are a SINNER who is saved by GRACE. Yes, it WAS true that you WERE a SINNER who was SAVED or more precisely BROUGHT BACK into RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God by GRACE. But NOW, you are a NEW CREATION who is FREED from SIN for the PURPOSE of WALKING and SERVING God in RIGHTEOUSNESS. Go you, therefore, and SERVE God in RIGHTEOUSNESS! Jesus has set you FREE from the bondage of sin. You are a NEW creation created in Jesus Christ by Almighty God to live your life free from sin.
Thanks for reading. May God bless you richly as you CONTINUE in the word of TRUTH for these words of Jesus shall be what JUDGES you in the last day. I will close with these WORDS of Jesus from Almighty God his God and Father in John 12:46-48 where Jesus gives us this WARNING!
John 12:46-48.
“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me should NOT abide (Or continue to LIVE) in darkness. 47. And if any man HEAR my WORDS, and believes not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48. He that REJECTS me, and RECEIVES NOT MY WORDS, has one that JUDGES him: the WORD that I have spoken, the SAME shall judge him in the last day.”
Now be it understood and known to you dear child of God that you have HEARD the WORD of Jesus that he has given YOU from Almighty God HIMSELF. What you do with what you have just read is up to you. It is between you and God on the Day of Judgment. So I earnestly pray that you will take HEED and become a DOER of the WORD and NOT just a HEARER ONLY because FAITH that is WITHOUT GOOD WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS DEAD!
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOME PAGE AT
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