Jesus our Lord and Saviour willingly underwent a horrific, agonising and humiliating death at Calvary for our sake. He wants to be remembered and honoured for His loving sacrifice, and justly so. There is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved. Jesus Christ paid for our sins in full with His precious literal blood.
Jesus has clearly warned that He will not ignore those who teach a different gospel, such as salvation by good works or that we can become gods ourselves - make no mistake He will punish those who distort the truth.
2 Timothy 4: 3-4
'For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths'.
Romans 16:17
'I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them'.
Jesus died, He was buried, and He rose again three days later. A cross-less gospel is a false gospel.
Any gospel which talks about our good works being sufficient is a false gospel. The work of the Cross is key to salvation.
Any gospel which worships Mary as co-redeemer is a false gospel. Mary was a woman, she is not God. Worshiping her is idolatry.
Any gospel that refers to Jesus as simply a god is a false gospel. Jesus is God, there is no other interpretation of that fact.
Any gospel that refers to Jesus as simply a prophet is a false gospel. Jesus is God, He has always existed and always will. He is eternal.
Any new age teaching that says that there are many paths to God and Jesus is only one such way is a false teaching. Jesus is the only way, there is no other.
1 John 4:1
'Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world'.
Let me spell it out very clearly. The distorted doctrines of for example; Mormons, Jehovah's Witness, Catholics, Muslims and New Age followers is heresy and not of God. This is not my opinion. God is the judge. His Holy Bible spells out over and over again that there are many false gospels, many false teachers and that deceptive teaching will abound in the last days.
Jesus said you can not enter the kingdom of heaven unless you are born of the Spirit. The new birth from the Holy Spirit occurs when a person truly believes that Jesus is the Son of God and trusts in the finished work of Jesus on the cross to atone for their own sins and to justify them before God. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation.
If any so called faith adds or takes away from that truth then it is a doctrine of the devil.
The Bible very clearly states that not all professing believers will be welcomed into Heaven.
Matthew 7:22-23
'Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Am I being harsh with this post? Is it challenging or hard-hitting? Does it cause offence? Well take it up with God. Jesus is the only way, without Him there is no salvation, no forgiveness of sin and no Heaven. This is the simple truth, either you accept it or you don't. But your very soul depends on that decision.
A strong and powerful blog right enough, backed up by scripture too. But what about those people who genuinely work their faith within the light they know. Not only in our nation, but in those places the gospel has not reached? Just asking...
ReplyDeleteHi David - thanks for your comments. Good point you raise concerning those places in the world that the good news has not yet reached. I believe Jesus answers this in the following verse.
DeleteMatthew 24:14
'And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come'.
This is Jesus stating that one day the gospel of the good news of Christ crucified will reach every corner of the globe. That day is near maybe 80% or 90% of the entire population world has heard the Word of God. With the recent advent of Internet, missionary translations into tribal languages of scripture and satellite TV this is being fulfilled. It won't be long until every single nation will know the truth. We are close to that day. Then Jesus will return in all His power and glory.
Thanks for your answer, which tries to cover those as yet unreached nations, but what about here in the 'churched' nation of Scotland/UK? Is it acceptable for some to live by the light they have, and still make it to heaven? Even if not from a reformed church position? James 4:17 says "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." So then, what about those who claim to be 'christian' but don't know the way, or have not been shown it? In other words, living by the only light they know, and have been given?
ReplyDeleteHi David
DeleteLet me answer you from a personal perspective.
For over 40 years I had no light at all. I knew virtually nothing of God. I was unsaved and ignorant. Oblivious and lost. Last year I was supernaturally transformed by The Lord. He shines the light in your heart. He gives us the Holy Spirit to convict, comfort and instruct.
The Holy Spirit lives within you, God is in your heart and your soul. You can then more easily stay on the Christian, righteous path throughout life.
We have his Holy Word to educate and show us how to live as Christians.
God also guides us if we are sincere and ask His council in prayer.
Yes as Christians God gives us all the light that we will ever need. It's how we respond to that truth in our hearts that matters. We are without excuse. We can never say 'I didn't know, nobody showed or told me what to do!
Thanks for your comments.
Hi Andrew, what a great and person reply to my 'questions' which were just thrown out there. I appreciate your openness and honesty and cannot fault the truth of your experience. I would say it speaks for itself, and fully answers the questions sometimes posed by others!
ReplyDeleteThanks and God Bless you, and your future blogging!
David.
Thanks for your kind words and encouragement David. Means a lot. Andrew.
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