The Myth of Imputation
"Therefore TAKE HEED how (or in what manner) you hear. For whoever has to him more will be given and whoever does not have, even what (assuredly) he has will be taken from him!" Luke8:18
"Take HEED ‘WHO’ you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has to him more will be given, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away." Mark4:24-25
These warnings of our Lord hold little Value to the present day church. Most professed Christians will hear anyone and follow after anything. Jesus said ‘MY SHEEP HEAR My voice and they follow Me and they will by NO MEANS follow a stranger." John10:5, 27. Such is the nature of a sheep. Defenseless against all predators, these docile animals depend on their Shepherd for nourishment and protection and they follow His Voice wherever he goes. Goats on the other hand will follow anyone and eat from the hand of strangers who will feed them. They have no preference and can digest fare that would kill a Sheep.
Jesus made the use of Parables to communicate the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom to His followers. He stressed the ultimate importance of the ‘manner’ in which you are hearing something and ‘WHO’ you are hearing it from. The kind and source of the information is of the utmost significance when applying it eternal matters. Especially when your soul is hanging in the balance. Mixing truth with elements of error can have DEADLY consequences, according to our Lord. He warns that ‘even what you assuredly have will be TAKEN away!’ if you fail to apply the remedy that will cleanse you from the inside out. Thus the heaps of false teachers abound amid the itching ears masses who flock to hear them argue in favor of sin.
The Gospel of Sin!
The present day churches are much under the control of the Second Beast John beheld in Revelation Chapter13. There are few exceptions, don’t flatter yourself that you may be one of them until you examine the facts! This Beast has the appearance of a Lamb but Speaks as a Dragon, Rev13:11. And he has crafted an IMAGE that looks, walks and talks like the Real Jesus! BUT the Image is NOT the Jesus of Scripture who calls His followers to Repentance, self-denial and Obedience, he is a ‘Representation’ of Jesus who fits into man’s Carnal designs in any manner they wish Him to be!
This scandal of error is deeply rooted in our culture dating back to the early days of what history refers to as the ‘Reformation.’ (1500-1700) However it not our purpose to investigate every aspect of its development over time, only to expose the culmination of its effect on our present generation. Throughout history it has tested many extremes but has ALWAYS resulted in the same conclusions, which is LAWLESS behavior among those who embrace it as Truth.
Sound Doctrine ALWAYS leads to GODLY behavior. 1Tim1:4-5. The PURPOSE of the Commandment is love from a PURE heart, good conscience and sincere (not false) faith. Any system of doctrine that does not produce these results in the hearts of the people who receive it contains a MIXTURE of error and has NOTHING to do with the Teaching of Jesus Christ. (1Tim6:3)
The doctrine of ‘Imputed Righteousness’ as taught today in Christendom undermines the very foundations of Godliness and creates what some have termed a ‘moral dilemma’ of immense magnitude. All teaching of Obedience and obligation to the moral law of God is negated under this system because BEHAVIOR doesn’t count. The hearers draw the natural conclusion that since God doesn’t see them sin and they are Cloaked in the Righteousness of Jesus, NOTHING they do can add or detract from the ultimate outcome of their final salvation. It’s already a done deal! Signed and delivered on the Cross, PAID in advance, so to speak, and waiting for a personal acknowledgement of what has ALREADY taken place at Calvary.
Naturally words to the effect of ‘Trust, faith and love’ will be used to convey the process of ‘receiving’ this finished work, but here the Dragon is MOST pervasive with his great swelling words of emptiness! By promising LIBERTY in Christ he subtlety implies that this liberty means freedom from keeping the moral law or any obligation of obedience. (not of works!)
Thus while you remain a slave to your own corruption (inside your heart) you are Cloaked in the Righteousness of Jesus by proxy and God no longer holds anything against you, including your personal sinfulness, which will continue till you die. Only now God will ‘Pretend’ that your Righteous (as He did with Abraham!) even though in reality you remain vile. You end up no better off than the Pharisees of old who were ‘Clean’ on the outside but FILITHY within. THIS, the modern purveyors of doctrine say is, the EXCEEDING RIGHTEOUSNESS Christ offered in Matt5:20.
The Apostle Paul would call this, ‘Profane vain babbling and contradiction falsely called knowledge!’ 1Tim6:20. But the present day preachers occupying our pulpits just choose to ignore it or go about teaching it themselves. God forbid anyone REFUTE it as the doctrine of devils! Therefore the vast majority of professing Christians are being influenced either totally or to some degree by this awful distortion. With the strength of numbers on the side of the Dragon, the consensus of opinion is heavily weighted toward error. The people are getting what they want and the Focus of Truth is anything but INWARD to expose the vileness of the heart. Salvation has reached new lows and a profession of faith is seldom accompanied by repentance and godly sorrow for sin. Therefore the Fruit of the Spirit is almost non-existent among the so-called believers because their hearts were never really Transformed by faith.
They were merely convinced psychologically that Jesus is a better choice and may provide them an improved version of their present life if they ‘accept’ His package and go to church. The moral tone to the message will serve to convince them that Christianity has indeed been embraced and thus the delusion is complete! The Lamb who speaks the language of the Dragon has snared another soul into his web of lies using ‘baited words’ to lure their simple hearts into Perdition.
The Twisted Version of Imputed Righteousness teaches the following:
To various extremes this is the Gospel message MOST people are hearing today as representative of Christianity. Ignore it if you wish. Pretend it’s not influencing ‘your’ church, but don’t expect the situation to improve until SOME at the local level WAKE UP to the Danger and start Contending for the faith! We need clarion definitions of Repentance, Faith and Obedience and a Grass Roots return to the Doctrine Which is according to godliness. Not merely in theory, but in PRACTICE! People have drawn their own conclusions about what it means to follow Jesus long enough based on this twisted understanding of imputed Righteousness. The Word Sown from the pages of Scripture is being SOWN among thorns of error into the hearts of the people with NO LASTING Fruit being born within them.
Many are already defiled past the point of no return and others are becoming slowly hardened against the truth that can save them. Although they are Cloaked in a ‘form’ of godliness that is disguised as sound doctrine, they are full of duplicity, double minded and disobedient to the core. But ‘convinced’ they are SAFE in the arms of Jesus for evermore. Not knowing that the Jesus they are looking to is merely a reflection of their own design crafted into an IMAGE that condones their carnality and winks at their sin.
Can your church afford to continue down the same road for another generation? Is it enough to stage your pageants and play your games while the people who sit in the pews week after week live in lukewarm complacency toward he type of behavior that will keep them out of the Kingdom of God? WHERE are the Pure of heart, those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness and STRIVE to enter by the Narrow Gate? WHO has more than just a casual knowledge of Scripture so they can argue in favor of sin? Can ANYONE CONTEND for and DEFEND the Faith once delivered to the Saints and KEEP it Pure!?
WHERE are the church leaders who care more about TRUTH than about the latest fad sweeping the land? WHO will attempt to revive the long lost teachings of our holiness fathers and return to the Roots of Pure Doctrine that will Redeem souls from the corruption of sin NOT let them wallow because they’re covered.
Does anyone have the intestinal fortitude to mount an offensive against the Beast before it’s too late?
Would our society be in moral decay if the Pulpits were insisting that Saving Faith Must conform with Holy Conduct and the heart must be made Pure in Christ? Or is it enough that we have huge crowds flocking to our churches to enjoy the show and celebrate their covering? Given the fact that MOST of the professing church and church leadership is ALREADY deceived by the very message they preach don’t expect much in the way of improvement any time in the near future. Currently it’s the TRUTH that is looked upon with scorn and suspicion. Anyone who demands a ‘Working faith’ is immediately accused of preaching a ‘works’ salvation and automatically written off as a legalist.
The people are predisposed to accept some form of ‘imputation’ because they are constantly told that no one is perfect, everyone sins all the time and their behavior will not effect the outcome of their salvation. What possible incentive is there for holy living or whole-hearted obedience to God under such a system? If your sins are forgiven in advance you certainly won’t have any abhorrence in committing them (even willfully) in fact you will have a natural tendency to sin more blatantly than before because God has ALREADY forgiven you ahead of time.
Do the ministers realize the devastating effect this teaching has on the general public? They constantly bemoan the fact that our churches, schools and government are in moral morass. Yet this moral degradation can be directly traced to what they are proclaiming from their pulpits. Professed converts are constantly hearing about ‘unconditional love’, ‘sins forgiven in advance’, ‘not of works’, ‘Grace covers it all!’ Who is going to take their personal sins serious enough to repent and forsake them in the Name of Christ when the VERY FOUNDATION of godliness has been removed from the pages of Scripture!? The natural consequence of this message is the elimination of repentance altogether, at least the godly sorrow repentance of scripture.
People are told that they have merely to ‘admit’ they are sinners and God will pronounce them Justified by faith and Righteous in Christ. The inference is that you remain a ‘sinner’ saved by Grace and wretched within until you die and are eventually glorified. You may sin ‘less and less’ as you attempt to grow but your eternal salvation is already sealed in Christ and Nothing you do or don’t do will change your final destination. Thus Genuine repentance is null and void and therefore True Salvation IMPOSSIBLE! Here the Dragon has his decisive victory over the Church. At the very MOMENT of Birth, where True WORKING Faith can Transform the heart from shame to glory, the Serpent aborts the process and Declares you Righteous ‘in’ your sins.
As the ‘sinning religion’ takes hold of the conscience the heart is seared with the hot iron of human lust. Self-indulgence takes its natural course and the ‘form’ of godliness seals the fate. This is the reason that most professed Christians receive NOT a love of the truth. (2Thess2:10) It appears as though they enjoy hearing the Word and Worshiping the Son, but turn the focus of His Light INWARD to expose the deep recesses of their hearts and you will find them taking ‘Pleasure’ in unrighteousness instead of Truth. Press the issues of Obedience and Purity and soon the odds will be stacked against you. Converts forgiven in advance are not going to have much of a desire to Guard their hearts from temptation or resist besetting sin.
As long as the prevailing winds of Doctrine are allowed to blow unopposed in the present day church we can'’ expect to get any deeper into the Word of God than the next formula driven fad that sweeps in and creates another instant hype among the masses. The Platform belongs to the Dragon and his false prophets and the Goats flock to hear them expound. What chance does the lowly man of God have amid the clamor of sound and lights? His Message is simple, ‘Christ Crucified and the flesh subdued. Repent, deny self take up your Cross and follow Jesus!’ No hype, no colorful speech, no accolades. Just an upright and Obedient heart that will love and Serve the Lord without pretense and give HEED to His warning, "BE CAREFUL WHO your are hearing and the MANNER in which you are hearing him!"
"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness." Titus 1:1 NIV
Chapter 2: Yielding the Fruit of Righteousness
If you hold to the fundamental principles of Christian Doctrine that Faith in Christ is the only way and truth into the Kingdom of God, but negate godly repentance and a faith that Works to cleanse the heart of sin, have you not essentially Denied the very faith you teach? Isn’t THIS EXACTLY what Peter and Jude were speaking of when they described the false teachers who had crept in among the brethren and Attacked the Grace Message? (Jude3-4, 2Pet2:1-3)
In the Name of Christian kindness can we stand by and allow the Truth that saves to be blasphemed by teachers who turn the Grace of God into License for immorality? What else can we conclude from the imputed righteousness teachers than the VERY truths Peter and Jude penned as New Testament Scripture so long ago. Do they NOT have ‘eyes FULL of adultery that cannot cease from sin!’ (by their own admissions!) Are they NOT ‘Walking according to the lust of their flesh and despising authority!" AND WHO can deny that they are NOT the ones speaking the ‘Great swelling words of emptiness that promise people Liberty in Christ while they remain slaves to their own corruption!’ (2Pet2:10, 14, 18-19)
Are we BLIND as well as deaf that we cannot hear what they are saying from the pulpits and SEE the disastrous results in our churches? LOVE DOES NOT rejoice in iniquity, but ONLY when Truth and Righteousness prevail! (1Cor13:6) Christian kindness cannot silence our tongues against this assault. We are CONSTRAINED by love to speak the Truth, we DARE NOT hold our piece any longer! Can you afford to spare the sensibilities of some whiles multitudes of others perish in their sins? Is it sufficient to ‘soften’ the crowd with a few little quips on Sunday morning to make them feel comfortable before the sermonette? How many people who have attended your church over a period of years haven’t got the slightest idea what it means to ‘Repent’ of their sins and ‘OBEY’ from the heart?
Up standing members of the church couldn’t tell you the first thing about the fundamentals of Saving Faith and imputed Righteousness. They are hardly aware that the GRACE of God MUST produce GODLY Behavior or be RECECEIVED in Vain! (2Cor6:1, Titus2:11-14) They are still confused about the basics of following Christ, testing the spirits and adding to their faith. How Secure are they? BLOWN by every wind of doctrine that comes down the Pike they hardly have a chance of being grounded, steadfast and immovable in the faith. Can a ‘simple trusting’ faith be enough to assure their eternal salvation? (many are willing to believe that it is so, regardless what the Bible has to say.)
Certainly I can ‘Trust’ that my car will start up when I turn the key in the ignition, but that won’t change the FACT that ‘someday’ it will experience a mechanically failure that requires service. Where’s is trust now? If I was not prepared to face the inevitable failure I may be left hanging out to dry, so to speak. The ‘destination’ I had intended will NOT be arrived at my the ‘means’ I ‘thought’ were available. While this is not a perfect illustration of the Narrow Way into the Kingdom, it serves the purpose. UNPREPARD I can be EASILY sidetracked from my intended destination! How is it with MOST professing Christians in these churches who are NOT warned about the possibility of Deception or how to avoid the ‘spirit of error’? (or even tell the difference!) They are Prime candidates for the ‘imputed righteousness’ teachers who will assure them that entrance into the Kingdom does not depend on anything they can DO, but ONLY what they ‘believe’ in.
But Believing without wholehearted Obedience to truth is NOT the Faith that will
Save! Neither is a ‘Trust’ that springs from some psychological persuasion that
appeals to the emotions. ONLY that which originates from a Broken-hearted
REPENTANCE can be called ‘Trusting’ Faith that saves. The imputed righteousness
teachers have removed WORKING faith from their vocabulary and thereby made
salvation of no effect on the soul. You can ‘Believe’ that Jesus is Lord, the
True Son of God, who died for the sins of mankind and Rose from the dead and
REMAIN in your sins! "The Devils Believe!" (James2:19) But if you DENY
HIS Doctrine which is according to godliness, you have DENIED Him.
Thus the present day teachers lift up His IMAGE before the people and praise His Sovereign Name, while they proclaim a Doctrine that forgives the people in advance and lets them sin with impunity in the face of a Holy God. They put a moral tone on their message for appearances, but at the CORE it undeniably produces LAWLESS Behavior. The impression is inescapable.
If a person is ‘Declared’ Righteous while he ‘remains’ sinful, where’s the incentive for Holiness? From love, they will say. The person is so grateful to God for this wonderful package of salvation he will strive to conform himself to Christ by ‘sinning’ less and worshiping more! But it’s ‘not of works’ that he is saved, only motivated by love to serve God and live Right. Sound enough, however what’s good in theory is not always what happens in ‘Practice’.
WHERE are these people? The professed Christians today who come to Christ under this premise are NOT conformed to Christ or Striving to OBEY His Word! They may indeed have ‘Works’ there is no denying that MOST of the apostate churches described in the first three chapters of Revelation had ‘Works, love and Service’ abounding in them. The MOST Corrupt had the finest works, Rev2:19, but had ‘known’ the depths of Satan in Doctrine. Much like the modern church they were awash in sexual immorality and vile hypocrisy. Strange and sensual doctrines were rampant among them and false teachers were leading many astray. Therefore ‘Works’ of themselves are no Proof of a Genuine Saving Faith.
The Majority will come in the Day of Judgement claiming MIGHTY WORKS done in His Name! (Matt7:21-23) But Christ will send them away UNAPROVED. Just as in many of the Parables. The ‘works’ were not always the ‘acceptable sacrifice’ done from an upright heart, circumcised by REAL Faith. God is NOT looking merely for ‘works’ done in faith as evidence of human devotion. You can give your body to be burned and profit Nothing by missing this important Truth of Redemptive Love! For your Righteousness to EXCEED that of the scribes and Pharisees, Matt5:20, it MUST Do MORE than merely Cloak your sins. How would that be Better than what the Law already provided? Clean you on the outside and left you vile within?
Saving Faith must have a WORKING Principle behind it. ‘The law of faith’ Rom3:27, Scripture calls it. When brought to Birth into the human soul it Must WORK to CLEASE the heart of sin and Crucify the flesh to the world! (not merely produce works of piety in the name of religion) This is the Dynamic that will SAVE the Soul from death and can ONLY be born out of a heart broken in godly sorrow for sin. Remove any of these vital elements of Faith and it Produces NO effect on the human soul.
Counted As Righteousness!
Faith that is imputed as Righteousness must turn on an Obedient and Upright heart brought to birth through genuine repentance. God CANNOT pronounce anyone Righteous in Christ who has NOT been first made PURE by Faith working by Love. (Acts15:9, Gal5:6) Abraham’s faith was credited to him as Righteousness, Rom4:3, because it contained these WOKRING Principles within.
"You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[
e] and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Jame2:22-23 NIVThus he became the father of circumcision (heart circumcision!) to ANYONE who would WALK in the STEPS of FAITH as he did. (Rom4:12) His faith sprang from a WHOLEHEARTED Obedience to the Mode of Doctrine that delivered him from sin. This is well beyond the common definition of ‘Trust’ loosely used by the imputed righteousness teachers.
"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Rom6:16-17
Abraham was not ‘Weak’ in Faith, nor did he waver or doubt through ‘unfaithfulness’. He was FULLY CONVINCED in what God had promised and OBEYED from that foundation. (Rom4:19-21, Heb11:8)
THEREFORE his Faith was Credited (imputed) to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS!! (Rom4:22) God did not have to ‘Pretend’ that he was Righteous because now his heart was Upright and Obedient in Faith.
"After he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise!" Heb6:15
The New Covenant turns the focus of God’s Word INWARD. It’s the heart that needs Fixed! (Matt15:16-20) People can learn to live a better, improved version of life, through applying religious principles, but still MISS the Kingdom. Because it’s the heart that needs CLEANSED by faith, not the intellect convinced that Jesus will pronounce them Righteous if they ‘trust’ Him. It’s a spiritual impossibility to become Holy WITHOUT BEING Holy! The Flesh must be subdued, not Cloaked. This requires WHOLEHEARTED Obedience to Truth and a Faith that WORKS!
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:8-9 NIV
Receiving the Implanted Word!
The heart is Cleansed by Obedience to the Truth, 1Pet1:22. To imply that this Obedience is ‘imputed’ to you from Christ (as though He obeyed for you) is WITHOUT Foundation in Scripture. EVERYWHERE YOU are Commanded to OBEY Him from your heart!
"If you LOVE ME, KEEP My Commandments!" John14:15
"He is the Author of eternal life to all those who OBEY Him!" Heb5:9
"Through whom we have received Grace and apostleship for OBEDIENCE to the faith!" Rom1:5
"To make the Gentiles Obedient." Rom15:18
Faith and Obedience are one in the same in Scripture, inseparable. Remove an Obedient Heart and you are forced to ‘impute’ a system by which the person is declared Obedient before God while he has no intention to Obey. Hence all the Double mindedness among professed Christians. They are trying to serve two maters and Justify it with Doctrine. The evil eye of the flesh remains in them, lusting after the things of world, but they have the excuse that ‘no one’ is perfect and they are forgiven in advance.
Receiving the Implanted Word requires Obedience. It CANNOT be done passively. You MUST become a DOER of the Word, not merely a hearer, or be SELF DECEIVED! (James1:21-23) Satan has rendered the saving power of the Gospel message to no effect by nixing Obedient Faith. Rather you are pronounced Righteousness in Christ when you ‘trust’ Him as your personal Savior. This generally DOES NOT spring from any sort of repentance other than an apology for ‘being sinful’ and the expectation that your ‘sinfulness’ is now covered in the Righteousness of Christ. Therefore it is not likely to result in genuine salvation because the fallow ground of the heart was never broken up in godly sorrow for sin and circumcised by faith.
"In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made WITHOUT hands, by putting off the body of sins or the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ." Col2:11
Here is where TRUE FAITH is born and the Implanted Word received to the saving of the soul. Repentance and godly sorrow for sin give birth to an Obedient heart through the Gift of GRACE. (Eph2:8-9) The soul can then TAKE HOLD of the exceeding great and precious promises of God and escape the corruption that is the world through lust! (2Pet1:3-4) This ‘Deep Felt’ desire should be present within IF you have truly experienced godly sorrow and a broken heart for sin. You can now PUT ON Christ by laying aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the IMPLANTED Word that is able to SAVE your soul! (James1:21) From here you now become a DOER of the Word and are RENEWED daily by the Divine Nature of Christ, infused into your soul by a FAITH ‘Working together’ with Him to Mold you into an IMAGE that will adorn the Gospel message in love.
The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith, the Just (Justified) shall live by faith! (Rom1:17) God can NOW Pronounce you Righteous in Christ, not because He has Cloaked you and hidden your unrighteousness from His sight, but because your Heart has become UPRIGHT by Faith thereby fulfilling the Righteous requirements of His law in the Spirit. (Rom8:1-4)
Chapter 3: A More Acceptable Sacrifice!
God is looking to restore man to an Obedient and Upright heart that will KEEP His Commandments out of Love. The Saints of Scripture all possessed this important quality in their Faith and were WALKING worthy of their high calling in Christ Jesus. Scripture says that Able offered a more Excellent sacrifice to God than Cain, Heb11:4, because his heart was UPRIGHT before Him and thereby DID what He was Commanded to do out of Obedient love. It wasn’t the sacrifice that saved him or that it was ‘imputed’ to him as Righteousness. But it was a Heart Yielded up to God in Obedient Faith without pretense.
Scripture then testifies that his murder at the hand of his own brother, Cain, was the result of his ‘WORKS’ being Righteous and his brother’s wicked. (1John3:12) NOTHING was imputed to him from the types and shadows except a ‘Believing’ and ‘Obedient’ heart made UPRIGHT by Faith. It was the SAME with all the Saints of old. Noah moved forth in FAITH, OBEYED from his heart, preached Righteousness to his lawless generation and constructed the Ark. Thereby condemning the world and becoming the heir of Righteousness which is according to Faith! (Heb11:7) Was he ‘imputed’ by a type or made Righteous in Heart by OBEYING God?
Abraham, the father of the faithful, OBEYED God when called, Heb11:8, and journeyed forth not knowing where he was going. He followed the STEPS of Faith and offered the son of promise, Isaac, NEVER doubting that God could fulfill what He had promised even if it meant raising him from the dead! (Heb11:17-19) Where is Abraham’s ‘imputation’ but in a Faithful Obedient heart made pure. Moses too stepped forth in Obedience and freely choose to suffer the afflictions of God’s people rather than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin in Egypt. (Heb11:25-26) He faced the wrath of a King and the perils of war looking to HIM who is invisible and is Pronounced among the Righteous who WALKED in Faith, enduring to the end.
Under the type of Faith preached by the imputed righteousness teachers NONE of these Saints of old would have endured long in Steadfast obedience. God would have been forced to choose someone else to fulfil His Promises while they set back and waited for HIM to OBEY for them! Could you hear Abraham or Moses crying to God, ‘It’s not of works, it’s not of works!’ and expect to be counted Righteous nonetheless? They hadn’t yet received the Promises, but viewed them from afar, (Heb11:13) and STILL OBEYED from the heart, assured of their fulfillment. The imputed righteousness teachers must know something about God these old Saints did not. For they PRESUME that HE will count them Righteous if they ‘trust’ Him but NEVER take One Step of OBEDIENT Faith to serve Him.
(Such is the Way of Cain, greedy and wicked, focused on self. Jude11)
Justified by Faith.
Justification comes by Faith in Christ. On this it would appear that everyone agrees. But DO THEY in reality? With the essence of saving faith reduced to mere ‘trusting’ in something God is going to do to pronounce you righteous, the heart can NEVER experience Redemption from sin. The Pharisees had this kind of Faith that their rituals and sacrifices would save them, but they failed to see that it was merely a ‘shadow’ of what was supposed to be taking place INSIDE their hearts.
They offered the blood of bulls and goats in the prescribed manner to purge away their sins, but it failed to purge their conscience from the dead works to serve the living God. (Heb9:13-14) The imputed righteous teachers are no different. They claim Justification by faith ‘alone’ in Christ, but leave the conscience full of duplicity. Thus their version of ‘saving faith’ for Justification is, as James says, "Dead being alone." Js2:24. Because True Saving Faith is NOT alone, but WORKS to produce an OBEDIENT heart of Love.
Nothing was ‘imputed’ through the types and shadows. They served ONLY to ‘pass over’ sins previously committed to extend the mercy of God, Rom3:25-26, that He might reveal His Righteousness through FAITH to those who would Follow Christ. The Perfect Sacrifice of Christ Serves as our Justification and inheritance into the Kingdom. But in NO WAY did Christ OBEY God for us or fulfill any of our obligations to live in strict compliance to His Holy Commands, BY FAITH WORKING BY LOVE!
"You have NEED of Stead fast Endurance, so that AFTER you have DONE the will of God you MAY receive the promise!" Heb 10:36
God’s purpose was to PUT His Laws into their minds and hearts, Heb8:10-12, WRITE it into their very being so they could WALK upright in OBEDIENCE by the Spirit, not the flesh. (Rom8:1-4) He DID NOT Abolish the law or admit that it was a mistake. The Law had to be Satisfied and Fulfilled in CHRIST. Not so the Redeemed violate it everyday in thought, word and deed, but WALK in its Righteous requirements BY FAITH.
"Do we then make Void the law through faith? God forbid! On the contrary, we ESTABLISH the law!" Rom3:31
"DO NOT think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." Matt5:17
This should be enough to settle any argument over the Law itself being abolished in Christ. The Law is UPHELD, ESTABLISHED in Christ, By Faith that WORKS to cleanse the heart of sin and Walk upright in its righteous requirements. (no imputation required but Faith!) However the imputed righteousness teachers still insist that the Law no longer applies to the Believer or in any way will effect the outcome of his eternal salvation. But they are missing ONE GRAND Point! By shifting the Focus of the Law INWARD, to the spirit not the letter, Rom7:6, God is able to Satisfy His Justice and His Mercy. The Penalty of the Law is satisfied in Christ and the RIGHTEOUS Requirements are UPHELD in FAITH!
Justification is then IMPUTED by faith through the Righteousness of Christ. (2Cor5:21, Rom3:26, 5:1) But an Obedient and Upright Heart is the WORK of this Faith in the individual. Not by a ‘Transfer’ of anything from Christ to you. God could NOT possibly Transfer the essence of a Righteous Character from one being to another .(or He would say so in the Scriptures!) That would negate FREE WILL and Perseverance as CONDITIONAL to final Salvation. Instead He puts within you a HEART (strong, striving desire) that will SEEK after His the Righteousness of His Kingdom by FAITH.
"Therefore we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have Grace, by which we may SERVE God acceptably with reverence and godly fear!" Heb12:28
THIS is the ‘Kingdom’ Jesus said we could Find by seeking it FIRST and His Righteousness, Matt6:33, on the Narrow Way. The ‘Righteousness’ need not be imputed, but SOUGHT After in Faith and godly fear, which is the ACCEPABLE manner He has prescribed. As you ‘Hunger and Thirst’ for this Righteousness, Matt5:5, it is added unto you through Christ and makes you WORTHY of His Kingdom. (By Faith!)
"That you would have a walk WORTHY of God who calls you into His own Kingdom and glory." 1Thess2:12
"Which is the manifest evidence of the righteous Judgement of God, that you may be counted WORTHY of the Kingdom of God for which you suffer." 2Thess1:5
The ‘imputed Righteous’ doctrine renders any ‘seeking after’ null and void, because it’s Already been done for you! Therefore Justification can never really take place since the heart has NOT changed and has no intention of Obeying God. What then ‘appears’ to be evangelical in nature of saving faith, is really a DENIAL of the faith and a doctrine that causes the way of Truth to be blasphemed. (2Pet2:2)
If you already have all the Righteousness required to enter into the Kingdom, WHY are you told to SEEK After it? (Matt5:5, 6:33) If God has indeed Transferred the finished Work of Christ to your account WHY does Scripture Constantly WARN you to ‘STRIVE’, ‘WORK OUT’, ‘RUN With Endurance’, ‘Flee Wickedness’ and ‘Lay Hold of eternal life?’ The ONLY Reasonable conclusion we can determine from Scripture is BECAUSE it’s in FAITH WORKING BY LOVE that we seek after these things, IF we are to be SAVED and enter the Kingdom! Thus not everyone who cries ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom, but ONLY he who DOES the will of the Father by seeking after His Righteousness! (Matt7:21-23)
Chapter 4: Preaching the Works of Faith!
WHY is the Word of God Always at odds with the Designs of men? Simply because it assaults his ‘Kingdom’ and exposes his selfish desires. Men can tolerate a system of religion that fits into there propose and accommodates their deceitfulness. But the instant you shine the Light of Truth into the secrets of their hearts you encounter opposition. They are happy to oblige a Meek and lowly Savior who makes no demands and imposes no rules of behavior. That’s why the ‘not of works’ message fits so well with imputed Righteousness. The teachers go to great lengths to explain away the necessity of an obedient heart while at the same time keep a moral tone to their message to match the ‘form’. (2Tim3:5)
(it is truly said of these teachers and the people who follow after them, ‘Ever learning but NEVER able to come to a knowledge of the Truth!’)
The Genuine Gospel message is an indictment against the lusts of the flesh, eye and world. (1John2:16-17) Jesus demands that you PLUCK out the lustful eye of the flesh and CAST it from you, if you are to enter into the Kingdom with Him! (Matt5:29) Men teach that the lustful eye remains but God no longer holds you accountable for it. Only in Singleness of Purpose and Devotion to God can a soul be redeemed from the bondage of sin, Matt6:22-24, and made free in Christ. The heart that steadfastly refuses to yield itself in love can NEVER be made Righteous, no matter how ‘religious’ it may be.
Preachers today are malleable. In their attempt to become ‘all things to all men’ they win NONE through compromise. Their message is socially acceptable and threatens no one. Churches exhibit a user-friendly environment that is designed to keep the people comfortable and coming back for more. In Vivid contrast to this stand the evidence of Scripture and the testimony of history. ANYONE who preached the Message of Christ in its Purest form has met with severe persecution, there are no exceptions.
John the Baptist was beheaded by the ruling authorities of his day. Paul, James, Peter and others were tortured and killed for their testimony. Do you REALLY believe that these faithful Saints of God would go to the chopping block or into the arena for ‘imputed righteousness!’ That they would sacrifice their live blood for a message that declared men Righteous while they remained in bondage to their sins! What of the Saints who faced perils and hardships beyond measure to reach the lost in their generations and brought to them a rebirth of Heart Purity and Scriptural holiness that reformed towns and transformed societies.
Did they use gimmicks and formulas designed to appeal to the emotions and persuade men to ‘accept’ a package rather than a Savior who would deliver them FROM sin? Why do the modern preachers Suppose they have a ‘Better’ way to win the lost than reasoning with them about Righteousness, self-control and the Judgement to come! (Acts24:25) This is the reason the churches are overrun with self-centered, carnally minded people who will not Obey God or Walk worthy of His Kingdom. They have drawn their own conclusions about serving God from a Doctrine that winks at their sin and declares them righteous.
Much like the Pharisees in Jesus time they are ‘sons’ in name only because they remain the ‘servants’ of sin. ‘And the servant of sin does not abide in the house forever.’ John8:35. (he is cast out as a goat!) They serve in a ‘Different Kingdom,’ one of lies and deceit. (John8:44) The kingdom of darkness, not light, whose father is Satan not God. Jesus said that if the Pharisees were really the spiritual sons of Abraham, that they would do the WORKS of Abraham! (John8:39) Not the ‘deed’s of their father the devil. (which are murder and lies, John8:44) As Satan’s emissaries they were KILLING ‘spiritually’ those who would ‘enter’ or attempt to enter into the Kingdom!
"For you shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men, for you neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are entering to go in!" Matt23:13
The Imputed Righteousness teachers are doing the SAME thing. By convincing people that they are declared Righteous WITHOUT the ‘WORKS’ of Righteousness, they keep them from SEEKING after the REAL Righteousness of the Kingdom that will save their souls! Thus the message remains inconsequential on their behavior and garners no opposition from society at large because it fails to THREATEN the status quo. Why do you suppose Paul and others in early times were persecuted and jailed for what they said?
It certainly wasn’t because they were preaching a socially acceptable message in the cities and towns of Asia and the Roman Empire. They were confronting evil and exposing sin. The ‘Kingdom’ of darkness was under assault and Satan had his ire up. His Strongholds were in jeopardy. Arguments were being cast down and everything that exalted itself over the knowledge of God was brought into the obedience of the Spirit! Disobedient souls were becoming OBEDIENT! (2Cor10:4-5)
The early Christians were locked into a pitch battle with the powers of darkness, the Prince and Power of the air! They understood that Satan, although stripped of his advantage by the Cross, was still the ‘god of this age and that the whole world was under his subjection. (2Cor4:4, 1John5:19) The Roaring Lion could still Devour souls.,(1Pet5:8) and this required VIGILANCE by the Saints. They didn’t run around telling people that their future sins were already forgiven and that NOTHING could effect the outcome of their salvation. They didn’t preach a message that allowed the people to draw their own conclusions about sin, Righteousness and Judgement to come. And they didn’t BLEND themselves into the world system with church driven fun and games to make the Gospel more acceptable among men!
Would pastors in America wind up in prison today for preaching such a message in their local community? Probably not, given our present system of laws and government. (with the exception of the so-called Christian radicals who seem to invite this kind of persecution by their behavior, that is anything BUT Christian.) However there would be price to pay for raising the standards of truth in our local churches. But it would likely come first in the form of displeasure and eventually the loss of employment. 2Tim4:3-4 still holds the same prophetic truth as when Paul declared it. The ‘HEAPS’ of ear tickling preachers CONTORL the platforms today more than ever! Expose them and their lies and except the worse. People will call you unloving, critical, narrow-minded and down right mean. Former colleagues will abandon you and even close friends will begin to wonder if you gone off your rocker.
Standing against the prevailing winds of false doctrine has never been popular. The religious systems of men are deeply entrenched and terribly abusive against the truth. The Pharisees of ancient Israel stand as the prototype of dispensing this kind of religious persecution. They could not bare the revealing light of truth shinning INWARDLY to expose their hypocrisy. Anything that challenged their authority or exposed their duplicity had to be silenced and brought to extinction. As their modern counterparts in the pulpits today, they HATE the Jesus of Scripture and what He preached. And they do everything within their power to TWIST and PERVERT His Words to Craft a Gospel that will fit into their carnal designs.
As obvious as the Pharisees seem to be in retrospect, go back in time and you will find amazing similarities among today’s preachers in their behavior. They searched the Scriptures. (John5:39) They set in Moses seat, (Matt23:1-3) and spoke with great authority from the law and prophets. The religious system of the day relied on them for light and understanding and honored them as teachers and scribes. The things that they said carried great weight with the people and MANY followed their external rituals as the means of Righteousness. How do the imputed righteousness teachers of present day differ?
They speak from the Scriptures, occupy positions of great authority and carry much influence with the people under them. Yet they teach a Doctrine that produces the EXACT same results as the Pharisees. In claiming the Righteousness of Christ by ‘proxy’ (substitute) they have created a system of hypocrisy among the ‘religious’ equal to that of the people who murdered Christ! Converts are Pronounced Righteous in Christ by virtue of His perfect Obedience and sacrifice. His own ‘Personal’ Righteousness is then TRANSFERRED to them, by faith, (because they have none of their own) and now God sees them as Righteous, Perfect and blameless in His sight even though they remain sinful, vile and faithless in reality.
(the Pharisees would be proud! It’s the perfect setup for double-minded hypocrites!)
How could a Holy and Righteous God be glorified and His marvelous Grace Praised by men if all it accomplished is a CLOAK for sin, NOT a remedy? If God in His infinite Power pronounced that He could send His only Son to die on a cross for the sins of the world, offer them merciful pardon and declare them NOT Guilty, but leave them in bondage to their own selfish nature until they die. The ‘MANNER’ in which they teach ‘imputed righteousness’ today brings no glory to God whatsoever. For it declares that man must remain a ‘sinner’ in his heart and God can do nothing more about it than ‘Pretend’ that he is righteous by default because he ‘believes’ in Jesus!
Observe how they TWIST the Scriptures to fit their Mold:
QUOTE: God demands that humankind must obey His righteous statutes perfectly and conform to His holy law in all of their thoughts, words, and deeds (Matt. 5:48). Furthermore, God's absolute wrath is promised on those who do not keep His law (Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10). Due to humanity's inherent sinful condition, we are unable to perfectly fulfill God's law, nor obtain eternal life by obeying His ordinances (Romans 3:20).
Therefore, God Himself took on human nature (John 1:1, 1:14), keeping the law perfectly in our place (Gal. 4:4-5). However, He paid the price for us having broken the law, though He was sinless (Heb. 4:15). Christ's active obedience (His life) and passive obedience (His suffering and death) effectively satisfied the demands of God’s divine justice (1 Pet. 3:18) and won for us the Father’s favor (Rom. 5:10; 18-19).
However, some have argued that while Christ's death reconciles us to the Father, His life is to be ascribed no redeeming value. This view misses the scriptural truth that God not only demands that those who break the law be punished, but that He also demands that His law be kept perfectly.
The apostle Paul teaches that Christ undertook the penalty due to us because of our transgressions in addition to keeping the law perfectly in our place: "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Rom. 5:10). By this way, God is truly reconciled to sinful humanity since our representative, Jesus, bore God's unabated wrath in addition to keeping His righteous commands and statutes.
Christ won, through His perfect obedience, life and forgiveness for sinful humanity; "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Rom. 5:19). Viewed in this context, the righteousness of Christ literally is the possession of the believer, imputed through faith. "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth" (John 17:19). (Taken from Hank Hanegraaff’s web site)
Special Note to the reader: You will find it difficult to nearly impossible that any two of these teachers will agree in their assessments of Christ’s imputed righteousness. Their opinions vary like the wind. Some bluntly proclaim that NOTHING you do as a believer will effect the outcome of your salvation because you are perfectly holy in Christ even though you wallow in sins of the flesh. Others are not so blunt with the license to sin and try to stress right living and devotion. But the final product is ALWAYS the same. Embrace a doctrine that removes human responsibility from the equation and lawlessness will follow. If the teachers refuse to live above their creed, what can you expect from their pupils? (a student is not above his mater!)
Notice the implications in the quoted statement above. He includes Scriptures but fails to explain WHY they support his notions. In the first paragraph he says that God demands ‘perfection’ Matt5:48. In that he is correct, but then he goes on to say that due to our ‘
inherent sinful’ condition we are unable to keep His perfect will or obey His ordinances. Here he quotes Rom3:20,"Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
WHERE does this passage say that due to ANYTHING we are unable to keep the law? It merely states that ‘by the deeds of the law’ no one will be Justified. It ‘implies’ NOTHING about an ‘
inherent sinful’ condition that’s renders obedience to God impossible! In fact Rom8:1-4 state the VERY OPPOSITE!"That the Righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who WALK not after the flesh but after the Spirit!" (fulfilled in us not CHRIST doing it for us!)
In the next paragraph he really BAITS his word. Here Christ Kept the law, for us, and paid the price in our place and satisfied God’s demand for Justice. As a proof text he uses Gal4:4-5:
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."
Again, WHERE does it say that HE KEPT the law for us? Even his referral to 1Pet3:18 is irrelevant to the argument. That text goes on to say that since Christ suffered for us, we are to arm OURSELVES with the SAME MIND and CEASE from sin! (1Pet3:18-22, 4:1-3) Read it for yourself. Here the responsibility for Right living rests solely on the BELIEVER, not Christ doing it for the believer. As 1Pet1:15 states so clearly at the outset of this epistle, "Be HOLY in ALL your CONDUCT!" NOT, ‘Christ was holy for you so don’t worry about it!
Of course the Law demands Obedience. That’s why it was ESTABLISED by FAITH, not Abolished! Rom3:31, "Do we then make VOID the law through faith? God forbid! On the contrary we Establish the law!" Through the Exceeding Great and Precious Promises of God we can DO what it demands in our HEARTS, 2Pet1:3-11, and be PURIFED by Obedience to the faith! (1Pet1:22)
Again, our ‘
inherent sinfulness’ is the issue in Christ’s reconciliation to God, NOT our Redemption from the Power and Corruption of sin, but merely a ‘Covering’ of our ‘Condition’ so God could see us as Righteous even though we are unrighteous. They teach that Christ appeased God’s wraith for sin and took our ‘punishment’, but NOWHERE does it state that Christ was ‘Punished’ for our sins, only that He SUFFERED for them and that by the MERIT of His sufferings God can now reconcile man to Himself."For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit. " 1Pet3:18
"Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves…" 1Pet4:1
"Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, Suffered outside the gate." Heb13:12
"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should FOLLOW His Steps!" 1Pet2:21
The Merit of His Death and Suffering Stand as OUR EXAMPLE to FOLLOW, it does NOT excuse us from Obedience to His Commands because of our sinfulness! Such passages as Rom5:19 and John17:19 are not proof of imputation. Christ says in the John Passage that you may be SANTIFIED by the TRUTH, not by a Transfer!
"Sanctify them by Your TRUTH, Your WORD is Truth!" John17:17
It’s through the Washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (Titus3:5, Eph5:26) not imputation of Christ’s nature. Character cannot be imputed, but it CAN be Transformed! 2Cor5:17,
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION, old things have passed away, behold all things become New!" Through Grace by Faith the heart can be renewed into Righteousness and true holiness, Eph4:24. But this happens ONLY by a Wholehearted Obedience to that FORM of Doctrine to which you are delivered, Rom6:16, by which you are then MOLDED into His Image from within. (not imputed)
As mentioned above, you would be hard pressed to find any two of these imputed righteousness teachers who agree with one another. Their doctrine is so full of contradictions and half-truths that it’s difficult to know what they believe. Volumes could be written refuting them, but it would only serve to take the focus off Scriptural holiness and an obedient heart. Instead we will include a few examples of the extremes to which they are willing to go to prove the impossible. It’s hard to imagine how these men so easily get away with the outrageous statements they make about sin, faith and salvation. The fact that no one calls them to task on any of it is equally alarming. Deception breeds insensitivity toward Truth and the present condition of most professing Christians is a testimony to what a Lawless doctrine can do.
Read the following quotes carefully and consider the ‘manner’ in which it is said. This is exactly what Jesus warned us about in the Luke8:18 passage. ‘Take heed’ and Guard your heart!
Example One:
"It guarantees because it’s God’s Work and not our work that God’s free gift of salvation is eternal and cannot be lost, terminated, abrogated, nullified or reversed by any thought, act or change of belief in the person saved. Now I say any thought because that would cover any mental attitude sin, any act that is any overt sin, or any change of belief. Ten minutes after you put your faith alone in Christ alone, theoretically, you can say what a fool I am I don’t believe that any more. Well, it’s too late. All you need to do is put your faith alone in Christ alone at one instant in time and you are saved." (quote taken directly off Robert L Dean’s web site,
http://deanbible.org/bio.php)This is the ultimate extreme to which the imputed righteousness doctrine can be taken and often is in the present day church. To say that NOTHING can nullify or reverse salvation (without quoting a single scripture to back it up!) is the height of arrogance. Dozens of passages could be quoted to show the type of behavior that will disqualify you from the Kingdom, including ‘lusting’ in your heart, Matt5:28, and departing from (apostasy) the faith! 2Thess2:3. To imply that a single act of faith ‘alone’ saves forevermore is not only misleading, but a LIE of grand proportion. NO WHERE does the Bible say that ‘Faith alone’ is all that’s required for eternal salvation. In fact it says the VERY OPPOSITE!
"You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." James2:24
Such notions prove that these men have DENIED the faith. When you tell people they can ‘accept’ Christ as Savior and Deny Him ten minutes later and remain saved, you have ‘
abrogated’ the process of salvation and ruined a soul! "Whoever DENIES Me before men, him I will also DENY before My Faith who is in heaven!" Matt10:33.Example Two:
"You have not drifted so far that God has given up on you. No matter what dirt you’re laying in, no matter what sin your practicing right now. No matter what evil has enraptured you. You have not drifted so far you have not sunk so low as a CHILD of GOD that God has been forced to say I give up, I abandon you, we are on a pilgrimage!"
Just a few passages will clear this up right away. Observe the following:
"Therefore God GAVE THEM UP to uncleanness, in the lust of their hearts!" Rom1:24
"For this reason GOD GAVE THEM UP to vile passions." Rom1:26
"He who sins is of the devil." 1John3:8
"In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not DO what is Right is NOT of God." 1John3:10
"If you sin willfully after receiving a knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins." Heb10:26
HOW could he say such a thing and get away with it in the face of such evidence as this? Ask yourself WHO you are going to believe. The Wolves or GOD’S WORD! Many have chosen the wolves.
Example Three:
"Since Security rests on God’s promise and His integrity it does not depend on our faithfulness. It does not depend on our feeling. It doesn’t depend on our integrity or behavior in anyway. So many people wake up and don’t feel saved, they are overwhelmed by guilt. They commit some sin that shocks them or some sin they are told that is extremely evil."
Here is what the WORD of God has to say:
"God will render to each according to his deeds. Eternal life to those who by Patient Continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor and immortality. But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath." Rom2:6-8.
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, the people who DO these things WILL NOT inherit the Kingdom of God." Eph5:5-7
The devastating influence of this teaching is far reaching in the present day church. Finding Sound material for study and devotion is next to impossible. Pastors who care (and they are FEW and far Between!) must turn to past writers and preachers to find anything not effected by the poison of cheap grace. Those of you in church leadership positions who are even ‘slightly’ aware of this mess are responsible before God to Keep His Truth at the forefront and refute the lies as you confront them. Failure to do so is nothing short of compromise and criminal neglect of the souls under you. BUT NOTHING could be more URGENT in the present hour than to Preach and Make Clear the Principles of a WORKING Faith that will save your soul from sin!
Chapter 5: The Righteousness of the Righteous man
"The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to faith, the JUST shall LIVE by Faith!" Rom1:17.
To LIVE by Faith is to WALK by Faith, in the STEPS of Righteousness with an UPRIGHT heart! According to the Scriptures. (Rom4:12, 19-22, Heb6:15, 11:8, James2:22) The Righteous man has ALWAYS been a man of FAITH. The Letter of Law cannot produce the Exceeding Righteousness God requires to enter His Kingdom. Only in the SPIRIT of Obedience can the Righteous requirements be fulfilled and the soul made free from sin. (Rom8:1-4)
The Standard of Righteousness remains eternal.
"When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his OWN righteousness and commits iniquity, NONE of his righteous works (of faith) shall be remembered, but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die." Ezk33:13
Nothing has changed among the false teachers of righteousness since the times of Ezekiel! They are trusting in a Righteousness that ‘permits’ them to commit iniquity. The Righteousness they claim is their OWN doing, like the Pharisees. It may not be derived from ritual, but it’s FALSE nonetheless and Cannot serve to cleanse the heart of sin. Thus iniquity abounds and results in spiritual death. But the responsibility does not end here, it extends WELL beyond the individual who accepts this deadly premise.
WHERE are the Watchman?
"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die, because YOU did NOT give him warning, he shall die in his sins and the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered, but his BLOOD I will require at your hand!"
Nevertheless, if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should NOT sin and does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning, also you will have delivered your soul." Ezk 3:20-21
Paul said to Timothy: "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will SAVE BOTH yourself and those who hear you!" 1Tim4:16
The imputed righteousness teachers of our time are guilty of the Worst Criminal Neglect in the history of the church! Not only have they Condemned themselves by promoting the sin Gospel, but they have effectively rendered the saving Power of the Gospel message worthless in our generation. Mere words could never describe the absolute horror that faces these men at the Judgement Bar of God. Weeping and gashing of teeth in outer darkness will pale in comparison to the punishment they will endure. As Israel cried out to God that ‘The Way of the Lord is not fair!’ Ezk18:29, so they accuse God of the grosses of evil in leaving man in bondage to his sinful heart and ‘pretending’ that he is righteous by proxy.
"O, man, is it NOT MY WAYS which are Fair and YOUR WAYS which are not fair?" Ezk18:29.
Righteousness (true and genuine heart righteousness) has been provided you abundantly by faith through the marvelous power of His Grace and the help of the Holy Spirit. God asks only that you OBEY His Word by putting to death the deeds of your body and baring the FRUIT of that Righteousness in your soul. Instead you have said that HE (Christ) Obeyed on your behalf and now His Righteousness is Transferred to you by faith and God no longer sees your sin. ‘Positionally’ you are Righteous, ‘Practically’ you still sin!
"When the righteous man turns away his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he had done that he dies." Ezk18:26
It doesn’t sound as though God overlooks the sins of the Righteous, no mater ‘HOW’ they were made right. (although faith is the only way it can work) "The soul that sins shall die!" is the eternal decree, Ezk18:20.
"If you live according to the flesh you will die." Rom8:13. They have set themselves Against God in teaching that men continue in their sins after being made righteous! The Blood of millions will be required of them at the Judgement.
The Apostles did not suppose that God had somehow changed His mind about the responsibility of warning men that sin would result in their spiritual death. They NEVER imagined a Gospel that rendered the Prophets null and void because of Grace. NOTHING had changed in the Mind of God. Continuing in sin brings spiritual death and eventually perdition. The people had to be Warned.
"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the BLOOD of all men! For I have not shunned to declare to you the WHOLE Counsel of God." Acts20:26-27
"But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." Acts18:6
According to the Scriptures WHO is preaching the WHOLE Counsel of God? Certainly NOT the imputed righteousness teachers of present day. They excuse sin in every form and argue in favor of ‘Continual’ sinning daily in thought, word and deed. They WARN no one that sin will Exclude them from the Kingdom of God. Read the following examples in case you doubt this is a Valid verdict:
Example One:
"Paul at the end of life, as he writes his final epistle, says I am the chief of sinners."
"I tell you on the death bed what could be more comforting that to know that a life time of sin that I’ve committed and a life time of Righteousness perfectly wrought by Jesus will be traded!"
"Paul is NOT telling Christians that doing those things will send them to hell. Jesus paid the penalty for all sins, for all people, for all time. That part of the equation is gone. No one goes to hell for committing sins. If they did, Jesus didn't really pay the penalty in full. People will be in hell, of course...but not because they were sexually immoral or cheated on their taxes or lied to their boss. Let me know if you don't get this part, since it's not really taught in most churches."
You see the extreme to which these men are willing to go defending sin. They impugn Paul, calling him the ‘chief of sinners’ when they KNOW that 1Tim1:15 is speaking in the PAST tense! Paul is literally saying that he ‘WAS’ the chief of sinners before rescued by Grace. But does that matter to these teachers? NEVER! Because it doesn’t fit into their MOLD. No matter how Clear the Passage is stated, they will find a way to explain it away in favor of sin. ‘
Sin doesn’t send people to hell!’ WHAT DOES???"Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will INHERIT the Kingdom of God!" 1Cor6:9-10
"LET NO ONE DECIEVE YOU with empty words, for because of these things the Wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience!" Eph5:6
These men should be banned from the pulpit. They are ‘spiritual’ serial killers! The WORST kind of false teachers. The LITERAL fulfillment of the Lamb who speaks as a Dragon! (Rev13:11) What could be worse than trampling the Blood of Christ underfoot and insulting the Spirit of Grace by teaching people to CONTINUE in WILFUL sin after being ‘CLOAKED’ in a phony Righteousness by a DEAD FAITH?
Jeremiah would weep another river of tears if he were here today. Isaiah would be covered in sack cloth and ashes carrying the ‘Burning’ embers of purifying Judgement with him as he denounced this present generation of lawless preachers. Could Ezekiel himself resurrect the DRY BONES in our churches today and see them cleansed from their idols of iniquity that defile their spirit within. WHO will stand in the GAP against this Whirlwind of false teachers? It’s time to trim your lamps or be SHUT OUT of the Kingdom!
The Righteous are told to ‘impute’ (reckon) themselves ‘Dead indeed’ to sin but alive to God, Rom6:11.
To what purpose would this Command serve if the believer is already imputed with all the righteousness he needs to enter the Kingdom? The false message of righteousness makes EVERY Command to Put Off the flesh and not serve its passions and desires, null and void. The Practically of Romans Chapter 6 is twisted into a ‘Positional’ theory and ‘explained away.’ The death to sin is merely God changing the nature of sin in respect to the believer, NOT the ‘Nature’ of the believer himself!
Here they can render ‘Newness of life’ to no effect. Since the old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, Rom6:6, we are no longer slaves to sin….although we STILL sin…..but sin does not have dominion over you because you are free in Christ! Can you see how TWISTED this is? Yet they teach it as truth, using the very words of the Apostle against him! Are you a ‘Slave’ to whom you Obey? ‘Sin to death or Obedience to Righteousness’ Rom6:16. Not according to these teachers, Christ Obeyed for you! So although you still serve sin in the flesh, in Christ you remain Righteous immune to its deadly effects.
The Righteous man, from Ezekiel to Romans, serves with an Upright and Obedient Heart, in his ‘mortal body’ (Rom8:11) He is not hoping to be made holy and blameless some day in the sweet by and by. But KNOWS that his righteous standing before God is here and now, CONDITIONED on his Steadfast and Enduring Faith!
"To present you holy and blameless and irreproachable in His sight, IF INDEED you CONTINUE in the faith, grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel!" Col1:22-23
At the Judgement it will be too late for making things Right. The Lord has spoken it;
"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still, he who is filthy let him be filthy still. He who is Righteous let him be righteous still, he who is holy, let him be holy still." Rev22:11
It appears that Ezekiel the Prophet KNEW what he was talking about. The Righteousness of the Righteous man will KEEP him, IF he KEEPS HIMSELF from sin. (1John5:18)
Chapter 6: The Righteousness of Faith
"This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness!" Rom4:22. NIV
WHY was Abraham’s faith ‘credited’ to him as Righteousness? (The exceeding righteousness required to get into the Kingdom!) Because it originated from an UPRIGHT and OBEDIENT heart! The ONLY Kind of Faith that will save the soul.
"You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."
James 2:21-24 NIV
Yet today ‘ANY’ kind of profession of faith is pronounced Righteous and subsequent behavior doesn’t count. Why is it that religious man can’t seem to agree with God as to the essence of saving Faith? This fundamental error is at the very root of the dilemma facing our present day churches and evangelistic outreach. As long as we cannot agree among ourselves on WHAT Constitutes true Repentance and Salvation, little progress will be made in the way of raising the standards in our churches.
Adding numbers doesn’t seem to be too difficult for most ministries or raising funds. (although lack of both is certainly NOT evidence of doing things right either) However in the business driven world of the modern church the ‘appearance’ of success isn’t a problem. ONLY the LEVEL of Devotion among the so-called converts who profess to conversion. HOW did we get so far away from Biblical standards? WHO was it that decided that saving faith suddenly could consist of making a ‘profession’ somewhere along the line that sealed your eternal fate forever in eternity?
Was it merely out of convenience that they learned to soft peddle the Gospel as though it was nothing more than another ‘positive thinking’ seminar? Or do they REALLY believe that God has changed His mind since the first Century when the Gospel was introduced by the Apostles? They certainly faced difficulties and obstacles in the heathen world that we could never imagine. Most of them were compelled to give up their lives for the Truth to get people ‘converted’ and safely into the Kingdom of God. WHERE in the Biblical record is it shown that they EVER persuaded anyone to repeat a ‘sinner’s prayer’ or invented the ‘four spiritual laws’ or the ‘Roman’s Road’ to salvation? WHY did they insist on Repentance and a Steadfast Enduring Faith if everyone who ‘received Jesus’ was automatically pronounced Righteous and forever saved no matter what he did?
"When he came and had seen the Grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all that by PURPOSE of heart they should CONTINUE with the Lord!" Acts11:23
"Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to CONTINUE in the faith and saying that We MUST through MANY tribulations enter the Kingdom of God!" Acts14:22
It appears that they were Proclaiming an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT Gospel than what is popular today. One that Produced WORKS BEFITTING Repentance, Acts26:20, NOT one that declared a person Righteous while he Continued to sin. The Preachers today must have an advantage over Peter, James, John, Paul and Barnabas! They’ve discovered a way to announce someone SAVED Without godliness. GRACE can now magically ‘APPEAR’ unto man for salvation, but PRODUCE NOTHING inside his heart to control his passion and lust! (Titus2:11-14)
Rather than persuade men of ‘Righteous, Self-Control and the Judgement to come’ (Acts24:25) Now they can bring them into the Kingdom with smooth words and empty promises that Christ Obeyed in their place and God doesn’t see them sin! WHOSE preaching the ‘DIFFERENCE’ Gospel?? (Gal1:8)
Before you retreat to your doctrines and pass this off as the ravings of a lunatic, Consider that this CROSSES every system of belief. EVERYONE in Evangelical Christianity has been effected by it! Some have certainly brought into it deeper than others, but NO ONE is exempt. The Very essence of the Gospel message has been altered into something it is not and millions have been psychologically persuaded to accept it as truth. What facilitates the spread of this message is the willingness among Preachers to declare someone ‘converted’ who has made no apparent progress in the faith.
Now professed Christians are those who have no desire for the pure milk of the Word. DO NOT hunger and thirst for Righteousness. Are Double-minded, unstable, full of self indulgence and hypocrisy and apathetic about sin. The term ‘Christian’ is loosely used to describe ‘anyone’ who has made a confession of faith, no matter how many inconsistencies are present in their life. The result is that everyone has drawn their own conclusion as to WHAT Constitutes real faith and the Preachers remain silent as to a Standard definition. (especially a ‘biblical’ definition!)
By using the term ‘Christian’ to refer to those who have no evidence of saving faith in them, great damage has been done to the Gospel. As long as people can ‘consider’ themselves saved according to the vast majority of preachers, (regardless of their personal conduct) we can make no progress in raising the standard in our churches. Pastors constantly relate stories about ‘Christians’ who are immoral, drunkards, lairs, thieves, addicted to various forms of lust and generally loose in conduct, without the slightest suggestion that their supposed salvation ‘may’ be jeopardy.
Here again the conclusion drawn is that they will inherit the Kingdom nonetheless (although unspoken, but strongly implied!) only they will forfeit rewards, fellowship and peace within. This does untold damage to the saving power of the Gospel. Every time ‘YOU’ as a pastor tell another story about someone in your congregation who remains addicted to his anger or some nasty habit , or is just generally complacent sitting on the sidelines for many years, and you suggest (by not clarifying the issue) that he/she is a ‘Christian’ instead of a ‘Professed Christian,’ you do irreparable damage to the cause of Christ.
It doesn’t appear to matter WHICH side of the Doctrinal fence you abide on, ALL do this. Thousands of examples could be sighted to show how deadly simple subtleties in phraseology can be!
[ Christians who sit on the side lines! Christians who are spectators. Christians who smoke, drink, cuss and run around with worldly friends. Christians who commit adultery, lie, cheat and lust. Christians who are bitter, full of spite, back biters, selfish, angry, bigots. Christians who never study, witness, pray and have no desire to draw near to Christ. Christians who have given themselves to every form of self-indulgence but retain a ‘form’ of godliness! ]
The ENTIRE Landscape would change almost overnight if we could just get ‘half’ the preachers to agree on a Biblical standard of Faith and Conversion and STOP referring to the hypocrites as ‘Christians!’ If the Righteousness of Faith started producing the FRUITS of Faith at least people would begin to see a DIFFERNECE between ‘Christians’ and the World. There’s little hope for the multitudes who have fallen in love with the fairy tale message of imputed righteousness to cover their ‘sinfulness.’ But those of you who retain some simulation of sound doctrine need to WAKE UP and cease using their books and study material in your churches! You must turn your people’s ears AWAY from their subtleties and teach them to DISCERN Truth properly.
This won’t happen by ignoring the problems or pretending they don’t exist. Error doesn’t just ‘take care of itself’ because you preached what you suppose to be a ‘strong’ message this week! People are DRAWING their own CONCLUSIONS about Repentance and Saving Faith. That’s why there is NO STANDARD!
Is anyone out there telling them anything different? When’s the LAST TIME you preached a Message on Titus 2:11-14, instead of Eph2:8-9? When have you ever WARNED your people that they can RECEIVE the Grace of God in VAIN? (2Cor6:1) Have you EVER made Crystal Clear that Saving Faith MUST WORK by Love, Cleanse the heart of sin and Crucify the flesh with its passions and desires? (or it’s NOT faith at all, only speculation) (Gal5:6, 1Pet1:22, Gal5:24)
We live in a day where THESE things need to be addressed, desperately. It’s not enough to merely tell people to ‘believe’ in Jesus and be saved. They are ‘believing a lie!’ You must DEFINE, CLARIFY, REPEAT and RE-CLARIFY to combat Satan’s lies. And STILL you risk losing them to the deception.
"We Wrestle NOT against flesh and blood!!!" Eph6:12. Are you willing to let the people entertain their own opinions about repentance and saving faith and be satisfied that you’re ‘doing your job’ while MOST of them are so lukewarm in their profession it makes YOU sick to your stomach?
WORDS mean something. The WORD of GOD pierces to the division of soul and spirit! (Heb4:12) By YOUR WORDS you will be JUSTIFIED or CONDEMNED! Matt12:37. Announce someone Righteous BEFORE his heart is made Upright by a working faith and you will find out what this passage means at the Judgement! God WILL NOT be MOCKED! (Gal6:7-10)
Men may invent forms of doctrine to appease their flesh and fall in love with them because they work in this world, but on that Awful Day of Judgement EVERYTHING will be laid bare before the Lord. The Vile in heart will find themselves without excuse (no wedding garment! Matt22:12) and speechless. Those who based their salvation on the LIE will find their place with the Goats. But the PREACHERS who deceived them will be cast into the blackness of darkness forever! (Jude12)
Chapter 7: He that DOETH Righteousness!
"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who DOETH Righteousness is Righteous, just as He is Righteous." 1John3:7
All who have the HOPE of eternal life abiding in them (walking in the light, putting to death the deeds of the body, putting on Christ! 1John1:9, Rom8:13, Eph4:22-24) are PURE as He is PURE! (1John3:3) Those who Continue in sin (daily in thought, word and deed under imputed righteousness) are defiled and DOETH NOT the Truth!
"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." 1John3:10 NIV
You CANNOT possibly be ‘doing what is Right’ (in God’s eyes) if you are sinning everyday in thought, word and deed. It would COUNTRADICT the meaning of this passage! Therefore we MUST Conclude that God be True and every man a lair, and those who are sinning are ‘of the devil’ as stated.
This is where imputed righteousness breaks down against the practicality of Scripture. John is stating FACTS, in PLAIN Language. :"Le NO ONE Deceive you!" ALL who Commit sin are a SLAVE to sin! (John8:34) John was present when the Lord spoke this truth to the religious hypocrites of the day. How is it that now the modern Bible teachers can claim that everyone sins everyday without exception and somehow Grace covers it all?
The present day church has Many Works to its credit. In fact its charitable contributions are phenomenal and staggering in proportion. Our entire society is inner-woven with ministry after ministry reaching out into the communities and spreading religious influence far and wide. But with ALL THIS they have FAILED to WORK the ONE THING that would prepare the soul for Great Kingdom to come! They Work the ‘works’ of faith, but shun the WORKS of RIGHTOUSNESS! They have FAILED to WORK Righteousness into the HEARTS of the people so they could be CLEAN on the inside and FIT for the Kingdom! (Matt15:16-20)
"Blessed are the Pure in heart for they shall see God." Matt5:8
Instead of the ‘Exceeding Righteousness’ of Scripture, (Matt6:33) the present day teachers (most of them) solve the dilemma by announcing the convert Righteous by Default. In this manner he ends up WORSE than before he ‘believed’ in Jesus, (2Pet2:18-22) because now he ‘sins’ with impunity and his conscience no longer accuses him as before! (Rom2:15) He has seared his sensibilities by embracing a Doctrine that promises him Liberty in Christ, while he remains a SLAVE to his own corruption.
"You shall KNOW them by their Fruits!" Matt7:15. "For a good tree DOES NOT bare bad Fruit, nor does a BAD tree bare good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit." Luke6:43-44. It is an ABSOLUTE IMPOSSIBILITY for a person to be Righteous and Wicked at the same time. (and enter the Kingdom!) You have either been made PURE in heart by Faith working by Love, (Gal5:6, 1Pet1:22) or you remain VILE in heart and Defiled. "For OUT of the Abundance of the Heart the mouth speaks!" Lk6:45.
The psychology at work here is much the same as the analyst using ‘ink blots’ to define individual personality. You SEE what you are ‘pre-programmed’ to see! If you are obsessed by immorality, you see only suggestive images that support your fancies. It’s no different when you are pre-disposed to see a ‘Doctrine’ that supports your sin. You ‘read into’ the Scriptures what you WANT them to say!
"To the Pure ALL things are Pure, but to those who are DEFILED and Disobedient, nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled." Titus1:15-16. "They profess to Know God, but in WORKS deny Him, being abominable, disobedient and disqualified for every good work!"
DEFILED ‘good works,’ that summarizes the present day church in a nutshell. They see NOTHING PURE! Even Righteousness is defiled because it is merely a CLOAK to cover the vileness in their hearts.
Instead of speaking the things that ‘Promote godliness’ (Titus2:1) they neutralize the effect of godliness by implying that Christ Obeyed for you and God Transferred His Righteousness to your account! Thus the ‘Tree’ remains rotten within, but maintains an ‘appearance’ of life.
Through jaded eyes they find passages that support their notions about sin and just as the Pharisees claim a positional son ship while in Practical slavery. Sin shall not have Dominion over you, Rom6:14, means merely that since you are ‘under’ Grace, not law, the imputed Righteousness of Christ shields you form its consequences. Because ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ Rom3:23. (implying that subsequent to Salvation you remain in your unregenerate state!) Their teaching on Romans Chapter7 follows naturally. The ‘Wretched man’ is the ‘Christian’ struggling with his inner nature, unable to obey God and work what is Right. There’s ‘no condemnation’ however, Rom8:1, because Jesus has made him free from the law of sin and death. (although he’s still in bondage his sin!)
It’s the PERFECT recipe for Carnality and final Perdition. Once a person has his ‘mind and conscience’ defiled by such a Doctrine, the ‘ink blot’ of Scripture becomes skewed in the favor of sin. He no longer sees the Exceeding Great and Precious Promises of Divine Nature and escape from the corruption that is the world through lust, 2Pet1:3-4. He sees only that Christ Obeyed for him and now he has been pronounced Righteous in spite of his sinfulness. ‘
Everyone sins all the time, all the preachers say so, and anyone who claims they don’t sin all the time is a lair and the truth is not in them!’John must have gotten it wrong then in his Epistle, Chapter three, according to the modern preachers. Because he INSTISTS that, "He who sins is of the devil!!" 1John3:8. AND ‘WHOEVER does not Bring forth the fruit of righteousness is NOT of God!’ 1Jh3:10. The Word he used for Practice, ‘Poieo’ means:
to make ready, to prepare
to produce, bear, shoot forth
to acquire, to provide a thing for one's self
to make a thing out of something
to (make i.e.) render one anything
to (make i.e.) constitute or appoint one anything, to appoint or ordain one that
to (make i.e.) declare one anything
to put one forth, to lead him out
to make one do something
cause one to
to be the authors of a thing (to cause, bring about)
to do
to act rightly, do well
to carry out, to execute
The Righteousness of Faith is CERTAINLY he that ‘DOETH’ what is RIGHT! Christ DID NOT DO it for you so God can’t see you sin. His Grace empowers the DOING, but it’s an OBEDIENT and Upright heart that DOES the Obeying. ‘But he who has been Born of God KEEPS himself and the wicked one does not touch him!" 1John5:18.
Here is What he KEEPS:
attend to carefully, take care of
to guard, hold fast, preserve
metaph. to keep, one in the state in which he is
to observe
to reserve: to undergo something
The Keeping and Doing are what God expects from a Renewed heart. He doesn’t wave His magic wand and pronounce you Righteous to cover your sinfulness. Righteousness comes by Faith WORKING by love out of an OBEDIENT and upright Heart.
Chapter 8: The EYES of the Lord!
"For the EYES of the Lord are on the Righteous and His ears are open to their prayers. But the FACE of the Lord is against those who do evil!" 1Pet3:12
If God cannot ‘see’ the sins of the Righteous, as the imputed righteousness
teachers imply, HOW is it that He is watching them, attentive to their prayers
and setting His face against anyone does evil? Surely they have some twisted
explanation for the passage above, but the Truth stands firm. The Lord LOOKS
upon an Obedient heart and sets Himself against the wicked. The Righteous DO
what is PLEASING in HIS SIGHT!
(1John3:22) And WALK according to His Will. They do not ask selfishly, expecting God to work out the problems they have caused by disobeying Him! They have Confidence toward God because their heart DOES NOT Condemn their actions. (1John3:19-21) For He Declares that NO CREATURE is HIDDEN from His SIGHT! (Heb4:13) All are naked and OPEN to His Eyes and to Whom they MUST give account!
The present day preachers have the Gospel so warped that Jesus is begging for people to Obey His Word but forgives them nonetheless if they don’t. They make it sound as though God felt sorry for mankind and changed His mind about sin and now is obligated to forgive them in spite of their rebellion. As reward for their continued iniquity in His ‘Sight,’ He Cloaks them with the Righteousness of His Son and pretends they are holy instead of wicked within. This they call ‘Salvation’ although they attempt to conceal it in Christian Jargon with moralistic trimmings to have an ‘appearance’ of godliness, but WITHOUT the Power of a godly life. (2Tim3:5)
Spiritual Stupor has descended over the modern day church. (Rom11:8) They have exchanged the Truth of God for a lie and God has therefore given them over to the Strong Delusion of error. (2Thess2:10) The ‘Sleep of Death’ has them in its deadly grasp. As Israel rejected their Messiah and suffered the severity of God, being CUT OFF from His goodness, Rom11:19-22, so have those who call on His Name have ‘believed’ the Lie and renounced His Lordship! The Blindness is nearly complete in our generation. Their eyes cannot see and ears cannot ear. They have hardened their hearts and been given over to their lust.
The ‘Slumber’ of Death:
insensibility or torpor of mind, such as extreme grief easily produces
The Offer of Life! "To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. That they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by FAITH IN ME!" Acts26:18.
Instead they have traded it for a half-baked version of salvation based on a ‘notion’ of Righteousness, obtained through a speculative ‘faith’ that does NOTHING to transform the heart. What stands as Sanctification or ‘Holiness’ Holy (as the term actually means) is really a continuation of Darkness and not Light. Sins are forgiven while still enjoyed and God no longer holds you accountable for your actions. This, they insist, is the BEST God could do for ‘sinful’ man, while he remains in the flesh. CLOAK him in a facade of Righteousness and make his behavior of no consequence.
If Christ ‘KNOWS’ your works, Rev2:19, He also SEES your sins! Nothing is hidden from His eyes. What purpose would a ‘Judgement Seat’ serve if there were NOTHING to Judge? How can ANYONE imagine they will escape the Righteous Judgement of God merely because they profess belief in Jesus? Were the corrupted churches of Rev 2 & 3 exempt because of ‘imputed righteousness’? Why then did they lose their lampstand or were cast into a bed of affliction and blotted out of the Book of Life! Perhaps YOU need the eye salve to anoint your eyes that you may see.
The shame of your nakedness cries out to the heavens! "Awake to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame!" 1Cor15:34. The present day church WALLOWS in their filthy rags and glories in their shame.
They have lost all sensibility to the Spirit of Conviction. Professing Righteousness by Proxy they become foolish in their hearts and Serve an Image of ‘Christ’ they have crafted after their own flesh.
In the SIGHT of God it has Always required an Upright and Obedient heart of faith to be credited as Righteousness. "But that no one is Justified by the law in the Sight of God is evident, for the Just shall LIVE by Faith!" Gal3:11. NO ONE at NO TIME was counted as righteous by Keeping the law. But does that mean we can now disregard the law, or pretend that Christ Kept it for us and we don’t have to? NEVER!!!
It meant that GOD had to Ordain a WAY that He could ESTABLISH the Law (SEE it upheld!) while at the same time RESTORE man to an OBEDIENCE that would originate in his HEART. That could NEVER happen by pronouncing him righteous and then ‘Pretending’ not to see him sin. His heart has to become circumcised by a WOKRING faith. (Col2:11) People who profess to know God but in works deny Him have been brought under the deception that their behavior doesn’t’ count against them. They can be on either side of the doctrinal fence and still hold to this deception, that’s why it’s not enough for pastors to ‘suppose’ they are preaching enough truth to keep them on track. Unless they are CONTENDING against the Deceptions that plague the church today, the job IS NOT getting done!
This means confronting the issues and NEVER becoming content with the status quo. Remaining silence is an admission of compromise. The reason the Faith remained pure in the Apostles time is because they diligently made every effort to refute error, cast down the arguments and bring every thought into the subjection to obedience to Christ! Certainly it cost them a great deal emotionally, physically and even spiritually, but the EYES of the Lord are on His Righteous ones! He says, "SEE! I have set before you an open door and one can shut it. You have LITTLE strength, but have KEPT My Word and NOT denied My Name!" Rev3:8. (The Righteous have always been few in number with little strength.)
The fearful will be shut out of the Kingdom. (Rev21:8) Those NOT dressed and ready will be left behind! (Luke12:35) Spiritual Stupor is sweeping the present day churches like a title wave. Awake before it’s too late, TRIM your LAMPS! And Prepare to MEET the Lord!
Chapter 9: Profession of Righteousness
"For they being ignorant of God’s Righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the Righteousness of God." Rom10:3
The absolute WORSE kind of religious deception is man’s attempt to establish his own version of Righteousness and teach it as sufficient to enter the Kingdom of God. Such is the nature of those ‘zealous’ for the things of God, without proper knowledge of His Terms. Yet to them (the Pharisees) the Righteousness they attained by obeying the law was NOT a façade, but the Genuine article God required to enter His Kingdom!
"Concerning the Righteousness which is in the law, Blameless!" Phil 3:6.
Of equal intensity is the proclamation of our present day imputed righteousness teachers who declare themselves Righteous in Christ by virtue of His Righteousness being transferred to them by faith! Truly it can be said of them, ‘They have a zeal for God, not according to knowledge.’ For like the Pharisees before them, they search the Scriptures to establish the impossible and come away satisfied that they have found the hidden mysteries of God through His Spirit.
Yet they have the platforms, there is no disputing their influence is far reaching and wide spread in today’s churches. They publish the books, dispense the audio and dictate the activities. The vast majority of professing Christians in our generation turn to them for counsel and spiritual insight. Everything is in their favor, the numbers, the appearance of success, and the popularity of their message. Like the religious Jews they have developed a ‘system’ that Satisfies the needs of the people and encourages them to believe that God is blessing their ‘form’ without exception in spite of their sins.
Only instead of ‘Ritual’ to cover their shame, they use Scripture (twisted just a little!) to convince the masses that God’s Eyes are hidden from their iniquity because they ‘believe’ in Christ as their Savior.
The ‘Scheme’ is the same, resulting in a false Righteousness that covers the outside of the vessel and leaves the inside wanton. By ‘Condition’ the present day professing Christians (who have accepted imputed righteousness as their savior.) are in the EXACT same FIX described of the Jews in Romans chapter 10.
They have established a Righteousness, yes. Supposedly in Christ by there own
admission. However it is NOT the ‘Exceeding’ Righteousness of FAITH that
comes from God! Therefore, like the Jews, they have NOT ‘submitted’ to the
Righteousness that will save their souls. In doing so they have placed
themselves BEYOND the redeeming Power of the Gospel Message, being stiff-necked
and uncircumcised of heart, having received the Word of God, but not KEPT it!
(Acts7:51-53)
As Stephen (in the passage sighted) seen Clear revelation of Truth from above and declared it to the religious hypocrites of his day. (as they prepared to stone him to death!) SO the imputed Righteousness teachers would join them in picking up the rocks of persecution against ANYONE who exposes their lies.
No religious deception is more tenacious that one that supposes that God is on your side. Satan has used this ploy throughout history to subdue kingdoms and destroy millions of souls in wars. If a person can identify evidence of God’s blessing in the ritual or form they choose to follow, they would march to the very gates of hell and make their stand.
How ‘obvious’ would a system of deception be to detect? The Jews were clueless when Jesus Himself told them they were serving Satan as Father, not Abraham or God. (John8:32-34) Paul quotes Moses, the foremost authority (according to the Jewish Scribes) of Biblical knowledge. STILL they refused to relinquish their form of righteousness and submit to Gods. He appealed to them from the Prophet Isaiah, who spoke extensively of the coming Messiah and how He must be sought out. NOTHING could convince them of the Truth! Is today any Different? Are the religious experts who use the Bible as their reference any LESS UNSIGHTED than the Pharisees???
They would certainly shout a thunderous NO! It’s ‘YOU’ who are Deceived! ‘YOU’ who are trying to establish your own Righteousness and Save yourself. ‘WE’ have HIS PERFECT Righteousness and will enter the Kingdom blameless in spite of our sins.
Perhaps Paul and Moses would claim otherwise. Let’s examine what they had to say about the issue of God’s Righteousness. It certainly involves a confession or ‘profession of faith’ BUT to WHAT are you professing is the question. "For Christ is the end of the law for RIGHEOUSNESS to everyone who BELIEVES!" Rom10:4. ‘Believes’ what? That Christ’s Righteousness is now transferred to you by faith? OR that your HEART has been made UPRIGHT in Faith through godly sorrow and repentance.
The Profession of Faith that saves the soul is NOT a mystery, nor is it far off! (Deut30:11) As Moses told the people you need not ascend into the heavens to find it, or cross beyond the sea. The WORD is VERY near you, (now listen closely!) In your MOUTH and in YOUR HEART that you may DO IT!!! (Deut30:14) Thus before you is set Life and good, death and evil. (not a transfer of character)
Here is Faith that will save your soul! LOVE the Lord your God and WALK in His Ways, KEEP His Commands and LIVE Worthy of His calling! (Deut30:16) But if your HEART turns away, or is drawn away to worship other gods (serve your own interests) you shall SURELY Perish in your sins. Here Moses spoke of the RIGHEOUSNESS of Faith (not law) (Rom10:5-8) and Paul DECLARES the SAME TRUTH!
It is with the HEART that man PROFESSES to the Righteousness of God. Rom10:10. The HEART made Upright in that Faith through the Power of His Grace now ESTABISHES the righteous requirements of the law and Crucifies the flesh with its passions and desires. (Rom8:1-4, Gal5:24)
Imputing man with a Cloak of Righteousness has only served to indulge his flesh. The bigot remains a bigot. The immoral remains unclean. The heart remains unchanged. Generations of professing Christians have gone into Perdition under this counterfeit version of Righteousness. ‘Believing’ God would save them because they ‘professed’ His Name and received His Cloak. Alas, will the Son of Man find Faith on earth when He returns? (Luke18:8)
Making a Profession of Righteousness by faith requires an Obedient heart of Love. Not merely a ‘Trust’ that God will somehow declare you righteous when your not. Therefore WHAT you Profess makes all the difference in the world! Under Faith WORKING together with Love and purifying the heart of sin, the Redeeming Power of the Gospel can take hold of your life and renew you from within. Professing to the ‘system’ of imputed righteousness leaves you VOID of this power, although it may soothe your conscience for a time, it has no WORKING Principle behind it to Obey God’s Word and receive the implanted word to the saving of the soul. Thus the soul dies in infancy, never to know the Exceeding Righteousness of Christ by a Faith WORKING by Love.
The imputed righteousness version of salvation has paralyzed all effort to enter into the Kingdom. By not drawing the distinction between Faith and Works ‘working together’ to save the soul, they nullify the effect of faith in the heart. They constantly fear that ‘effort’ merits an approval from God and thereby makes salvation of ‘works’ not faith. Yet God does indeed reward effort, but not as meritorious to personal salvation! The WORK of Redemption is wrought purely by His Power and authority as God, But He DEMANDS that His effort Produces a PRODUCT! That ‘product’ is the Renewed heart of love, Obedient to His Royal law and WORTHY of His Kingdom.
Thus the convert DOES NOT bury his talent, or shun his labor, or forfeit his gift. But makes the Good Profession, from the heart that leads to godliness and Christ like behavior.
Chapter 10: The Righteousness that COMES by Faith!
"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." Heb11:7 NIV
Noah OBEYED God from his heart and became an heir of the righteousness according to faith. He did not expect God to build the Ark for him or miraculously save his family because he believed. The Content of his message condemned the ancient world in their wickedness and rebellion, pronouncing the Righteous Judgements of God.
How DIFFERENT are the present day preachers of imputed righteousness. Instead of Warning the world of the Righteous Judgements of God against their rebellion, they have committed ‘spiritual genocide’ on a Immeasurable scale. By assuring them that their sins are forgiven in advance and God ignores their iniquities, they have created a generation of lawlessness equal to the Days of Noah. The people do according to their own designs and are deaf to God’s warnings against their sin.
Nothing is condemned from the pulpits. The messages are all upbeat, inspiring and positive in nature. Therefore no Standard of Righteous behavior can be measured through a profession of faith. Doing God’s will, is merely ‘believing’ on Him who God has sent. Thus ‘speculation’ stands as saving faith and genuine repentance is unheard of. Sin is whitewashed and painted with a broad brush. NOTHING is defined as black and white, Righteous or wicked, (as the Bible defines sin) but EVERYTHING has faded into shades of Gray. No longer will adultery, drunkenness, or immorality keep you out of the Kingdom! Now you merely loose your rewards and fellowship of the Spirit.
The Ark is still waiting to take you home. You forfeit nothing eternal because the Righteousness according to faith is yours already in Christ Jesus! Committing sins of the flesh and spirit will not detract from your imputation, ‘Positionally’ you remain righteous, although ‘practically’ you’re a filthy wretch. At least that’s what the preachers are telling you. The ravings of Noah are a dim echo to present day ears. His Condemnations wouldn’t stand a chance in the modern pulpits. He and his Ark would be cast forth as a ‘works’ salvation for demanding that men OBEY God and forsake sin to be saved.
When is the last time you heard a Big Name Evangelist calling for broken hearted repentance and godly sorrow for sin? Pointing people to the Cross of self denial and casting off the wicked eye of the flesh! Why do most of the pastors ‘think’ they have to keep it light and airy on Sunday morning, telling nice little stories when the churches are FULL of people who have NEVER heard the Gospel of Faith and Repentance! What motivates these ministers to soft peddle the Word of God and never demand heart holiness as the standard of genuine faith. Why is the WHOLE system imploding on itself in a sea of immorality and rebellion? WHERE are the Noah’s of our Generation preaching the Righteousness of faith?
Is behavior inconsistent with the Righteousness of faith exposed as such in our pulpits? Rather it’s condoned by subtle referrals that ‘Christians’ are often addicted to various forms of lust and corruption, but NEVER in the frame that such things will KEEP them out of the Kingdom! How long will it take under this kind of preaching for a professing Christians to drawn the conclusion that NO form of immoral behavior will disqualify him from the Kingdom? Any intelligent observer can recognize that THIS is ‘Standard operating Procedure’ for most professed Christians. More damage has been done to the cause of the Gospel by this kind of preaching and subsequent behavior than anyone could calculate.
At least in Noah’s time the lines were clearly drawn between good and evil. No one who scoffed at the Ark was professing to ‘know’ God and be ‘credited’ with His righteousness. The thoughts of their hearts was evil ‘continually’, the Scripture says, Gen6:5. Now the ‘evil’ continues, but under the guise of Christianity. The people mock ‘Practical’ Righteousness and claim that NO ONE is righteous, all sin ‘all the time!’ Nearly every preacher proclaims this as truth. Yet Noah stands in condemnation to past and present. For Noah was a ‘Just and Perfect’ man who WALKED with God! (Gen6:9) As those who FOLLOW his steps in the Righteousness of faith are also made perfect in their hearts and SERVE God in an acceptable manner. (Heb12:28)
Has God again ‘cast away his people’ for their iniquities? WHERE are the seven thousand remnant who have not bowed their knees to Baal? (Rom11:1-5) WHY the conspiracy of Silence among the Righteous? Past generations stood the Gap and Contended for the faith. HOW much worse does it have to get before ‘SOME’ will answer the call today? Does the SPIRIT have to be COMPELETLY withdrawn? The Vast Majority of churches out there now are so VOID of spirituality and bankrupt of conviction, it’s a WONDER that the door of the Ark remains open!
Noah had no converts to the Righteousness of Faith. (other than his family) In all his despair and disappointment however he NEVER compromised the Message! He NEVER restored to formulas, gimmicks and activities to draw the people into some ‘phony’ version of righteousness. Nor did he promise them that God would forgive their sins while they continued to enjoy them. Rather he called them to Repentance and holiness and set before them God’s Mercy and His Judgement.
Was he well loved? Accepted by his generation? An upstanding minister in his community? Did the people flock to hear him preach or shun his words of piercing conviction? Most of the people probably paid him little mind and continued in their routine, eating, drinking, marrying, etc. Others may have considered it a sport to mock him and his family and tell humorous stories about the ‘Ark’ he was constructing on dry land. They may have even had their own false teachers assuring them all was well and God was pleased with their behavior. Judgement came upon them as a Thief, for they ‘knew not’ until the flood came and took them all away. (Matt24:39)
How similar it is for our present generation that professes righteousness and practices iniquity? WHO is warning them to Trim their lamps and be dressed and ready for Service? (Matt25:8, Luke12:35) Instead they are being told they are already blameless in His Sight and God doesn’t see their sin! Can the DECEPTION be ANY WORSE than in Noah’s time???
"Therefore beloved, looking forward to these things, be DILIGENT to be FOUND by HIM in peace, without Spot and Blameless!" 2Pet3:14
"You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, BEWARE lest you ALSO fall from your Secure Position in Christ, being led away with the error of the wicked!" 2Pet3:17
It’s time to quite playing church and pretending you are doing your job. Even if you end up exactly like Noah, without a SINGLE convert to the Righteousness of faith. The Message of genuine repentance, heart holiness and working faith MUST be faithfully proclaimed in the pulpits. If that means Exposing ‘most’ of the pastors in your community for preaching empty promises based on false righteousness, so be it. Precious souls are hanging in the balance. How low do the Standards have to get before you realize that ecumenicalism spells COMPROMISE?
The Apostles didn’t ‘GET ALONG’ with all the false teachers in their time. (or consider anything they taught of value.) They Refuted them at every turn and exposed their deceitfulness in handling the Word of God! It wasn’t always the popular or easy thing to do, but keeping the Message Pure and undefiled meant more to them than their personal comfort or safely. The people today have no sense of urgency for these things mainly because the Preachers are not warning them. They are considered ‘approved’ by God because they ‘believe’ and declared Righteous by faith because they have ‘trusted’ in Jesus as their personal Savior. Personal behavior is not given a second thought. Whether it’s contrary to their profession or not, matters little in light of the sermonizing.
No one challenges the reality of their faith. None examine its veracity. They merely ‘assume’ its enough to get them in because some preacher told them so. Like in the Days of Noah, they eat, drink, run to and fore through the business of there lives and ignore the Righteousness that comes by faith. As before they will ‘know not’ until the Day Comes and they are standing at the Judgement in vain hope crying, ‘Lord, Lord, we did the works!’ But He will tell them, ‘Depart from Me, ye workers of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!’