I just attended the funeral of a very special person that I had the privilege of knowing. She was taken from the earth much too early. God did not take her, like most Christians would say, actually cancer did. God did not give her cancer, the evil world around us did. The false teaching of Calvinism robs Christians of so much. Sadly, this system is part of every corner of Christianity. It blames God for things he had nothing to do with. It causes people to hate God for things he did not do. There is peace in this horrible time because she knew the gospel that saves. Not the vague and hard to understand gospel you most likely hear every Sunday, but the clear, concise, and easy to understand gospel as Paul teaches. Today I heard an announcer on the radio say that “there is nothing more important than your life.” This is a patently false statement. There is something much more important than your life. What is this? Your eternal life. The book of James describes our life as a vapor that appears for a “little time” and vanishes away. During this little time here on earth you have the responsibility to make the decisions that will affect your eternity. Jesus told those around him in Matthew chapter 10 not to fear those that can kill the body but to fear him who can destroy both the body and soul in Hell. It is a Biblical FACT that there is more than one gospel in the Bible. Peter made a monumental and utterly important statement in Acts 15:11 after the Jerusalem council that everyone is now saved under Paul’s gospel. Why did he do this? Because the gospel of the Kingdom that Peter had been preaching was now being suspended and Paul’s gospel of grace alone was now the only gospel to be preached. Why is Christianity in such disagreement over the doctrine of salvation? Because your church and your pastor probably preaches these separate and distinct gospels as being the same thing. NOTHING could be further from the truth. I can have peace because I know my friend knew the gospel that saves TODAY clearly and completely. Putting your faith and trust in Paul’s gospel of grace alone is the ONLY way a soul is saved today. Mixing Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom to Israel and Paul’s gospel of grace to ALL is the reason why all the denominations don’t believe the same way. Paul’s gospel is the Biblical FACT that we must put our faith and trust (Eph 1:13-14) is Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient atonement for our sins. Jesus DID NOT preach about his death, burial and resurrection while he walked this earth!! Jesus preached that a kingdom is available to ISRAEL if they would repent and be baptized. Friend please ignore the covenant tradition your church teaches and know FOR SURE you have salvation. Choose to trust THE BIBLE not your church or anyone in it. Your eternal future hangs in the balance. Jesus never had a ministry to gentiles while he walked on the earth. Jesus sent Paul to you! Paul is your apostle. Salvation is only clear and understandable when you rightly divide your Bible. If you doubt this for one second, I dare you to read everything Jesus said about salvation! Do you have the integrity to do this? Read EVERYTHING Jesus said about salvation and list all the requirements. Then read everything the disciples said about salvation and list the requirements. Read Peter, James, John and list the REQUIREMENTS for salvation. Then read PAUL!!! I can tell you that you will find ONE requirement when your read Paul, BELIEF! Belief alone. Belief in Christ’s death and resurrection. (I Cor 15:1-4) Right division gives us so much I could not convey it all in 1000 blogs. But what matters the most? Right division of the Bible conveys the simple plan of salvation required today in the age of grace, free from church tradition and man-made systems. Trust your apostle, whom Jesus called and sent TO YOU! Or follow your pastor’s tradition and I pray you weave through the maze to somehow find the truth.
What a question. What an important question. A question most Christians probably answer to quickly. Ask these same people how a person gets saved today in the age of grace and you will in some cases get a blank stare for a good many seconds until they can gather their thoughts. Ask these same people detailed questions about the doctrine of salvation and you might just get them either mad or embarrassed, and maybe both. So how is it that many Christians will answer the question of “are you ready to die” and then struggle to give a detailed description of how a soul is saved? More disturbing is the FACT that you can go to different denominations and get very different opinions on HOW person is saved, what you must do/say to be saved, and weather a person can lose their salvation. You SHOULD ask yourself why God made it so confusing. Did God make it this confusing OR PERHAPS are you confused? Did God make it plain and clear and are YOU the one confusing it? I understand that you don’t think you’re wrong because you believe your church is the one that has it figured out and all those other churches are confused. I hope you realize ALL THOSE OTHER CHURCHES think they are right and you are wrong. So who is wright? Scripture is of course. But then why all the confusion? That’s the easy part…. Why does your pastor stand in front of a congregation week after week and tell people they need to “Ask Jesus into your heart” when there is NO evidence that this is required for salvation? Why does another church show you verses that CLEARLY seem to say water baptism is a required part of salvation today? Why does another church show you verses to insist that eating Christ’s body and drinking his blood is required for salvation? WHY THE CONFUSION???????? Did God make it this hard for me to figure out if I AM READY? Given the confusion in Christianity about salvation, this IS a reasonable question is it not?? The stubborn, arrogant demeanor of so many Christians is the reason this confusion continues. We fight anyone that dare question our denomination and our church’s position but we can’t accurately explain the details of how a soul is saved today. We defiantly hold up our own position as right when there are thousands and maybe millions of people with differing opinions. I ask you again why did God make it so confusing?? My friend HE DIDN’T! He actually left VERY CLEAR instructions for us. He left these instruction to ONE MAN. He gave this ONE MAN the truth for us today in the age of Grace. This man is Paul. The Bible teaches that Jesus NEVER had a ministry to Gentiles during his earthly ministry. The Bible teaches that today we DO NOT get our doctrine from what Jesus said while he walked this earth. When Christians TODAY try to teach salvation from Jesus’ earthly ministry only confusion results. Jesus taught Paul how a soul is saved today in the age of grace. Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles with the message of Grace (Acts 20:24) Salvation is CLEAR when we get our information from the ONE MAN Jesus sent to us. Salvation is confusing when we try to mix what Jesus taught to the Jews and what Jesus revealed to Paul. You will NEVER be able to accurately answer the question “are you ready” until you rightly divide the Bible the way the Bible tells you. Christianity will never be of “one mind” until it gives up its pride of position and allows the bible ALONE to instruct us. No, Christianity DOES NOT use the Bible alone! Christianity uses the Bible to prove their position right. Christianity uses verses plucked from anywhere they like to prove their position right. When you teach salvation the way YOUR apostle taught it, salvation is clear, concise, and easy to understand. When you mix what Jesus and Paul both said, salvation becomes muddy, and hard to understand. Do you know for a fact you are ready? If not, read what Paul said about salvation today. It’s the ONLY hope you have for clarity. Salvation by grace alone through what Jesus accomplished on the cross is only taught by Paul. Jesus never told people he was going to die till the END of his ministry. His disciples DID NOT believe he rose from the dead. Based on these two FACTS, how then could he have been teaching is death, burial, and resurrection for salvation? HE COULD NOT HAVE. This ministry of Grace was revealed by Paul. Please DO NOT rely on what your pastor or your denomination says if it does not line up PERFECTLY with what Paul says. It could cost you eternity.
As far back as I can remember the church services I attended were always quiet and solemn times where you didn’t move or get up unless it was an emergency and no one ever stopped the preacher to ask a question or request further explanation. It was quite rare to ever see anyone come up to the pastor after the service to get a question answered. I’m sure it happened on occasion but not enough for me to notice. Why is this? I can think of a few reasons why this is the norm in most churches I have attended in my lifetime and maybe yours too. We wouldn’t want to put the pastor on the spot. This might be a reason but not a very good one in my opinion. No one expects the pastor to be able to answer every possible question off the cuff. Questions supply opportunities for both the person asking and the teacher to better understand scripture. Maybe we don’t want to show our own ignorance to others by asking questions? This is very possibly one of the more common dilemmas. Having taught service technicians for many years I can tell you we are NOT willing to ask questions for this reason more often than not. God hates pride for a reason. Pride hinders our growth, our spiritual life, and keeps us from learning the material the way God EXPECTS us to. The Bible clearly tells us we need to study and that we need teachers. If we are expected to study and learn from teachers then it goes to say that you MUST be WILLING to ask question when needed. Many times I think we don’t ask questions because we don’t have an opportunity to. The preaching service is a perfectly executed series of sections meant to build to the invitation. We all know when the invitation is coming because the pastor slows down and changes tactics. Most times a perfectly timed illustration or story sets up the crowd for the invitation and questions are not part of the program. Many Sunday school classes are plagued by the same “rules”. The questions we have typically are never asked much less answered. If you’re like me you spent too much time looking through commentaries only to find the writers avoid the hard verses and tough questions just like the preachers do. It’s funny how the commentators can give a “spiritual” application or a devotional comment but steer clear of the obvious doctrinal questions about these verses. Truth be told the writers are steering clear of the doctrinal statements many times so they can sell their books to a wider audience. My feeling is we have become accustomed to reading past the questions, and hard to understand sections of scripture without a second thought. Many Christians don’t question anything they hear. I think you should question EVERYTHING you hear! I think you should stop when you hit that hard to understand section of scripture and search till you have an answer. If you did this you would be in the minority for sure. Christians don’t seem to ask questions or test the doctrine being taught all too often. Here, every hour we spend teaching is completely open to questions, comments, critique and further explanation. In fact I encourage question every Sunday. On more than a few occasions we have chased a rabbit or two to clarify what the Bible is teaching us. This is EXACTLY what right division is; letting the Bible teach US. When the Bible is approached from a Bible believer’s position, you can just believe the verses exactly as written. No need for cute stories, analogies, and illustrations. The Bible can be understood just as it reads. If you don’t think so, maybe you should start asking some questions. Start with this one: Why does my church grab verses from all over the Bible that are clearly written to someone else and apply them to me today….. If you don’t know the answer, right division does.
I recently starting reading another book. Many people consider reading a book or maybe a commentary Bible study. Although our apostle Paul does teach that there is a need for teachers today, reading books is not Bible study. Reading commentaries is not Bible study. Bible study is reading the Bible and using scripture itself to instruct you. To many this is a foreign idea. Many Christians struggle to learn from scripture due to the lack of understanding of the flow of programs in scripture. The covenant theology in all denominations today makes it hard to see the big picture of scripture. Why? Because there is actually two “motion pictures” in scripture. One you could call the major feature and the other a short film. Without separating the big picture from the short film no clear understanding of God’s programs is possible. Sure seminaries teach what they think based on their tradition, but most Christians wonder how preachers can extrapolate so much material from so few verses. This is easy when you just read a few verses and then just ramble on for 45 minutes. If you were to understand that 90% of your Bible is for your understanding but NOT your doctrine for today the Bible would become clear and understandable in a short period of time. If you were to understand that the 10% of the Bible written by the apostle Paul was in fact written directly to you other than a few sections where Paul is addressing Jews, the Bible would come alive and a new and understandable book. Separating the major motion picture of Israel and their Messiah from the short film of Paul and the Gentiles is the key to understanding your Bible WITHOUT the need for commentaries and shelves of books. Sadly today, the shift of ALL the major denominations away from a literal interpretation of scripture has left Christians shocked at the idea of rightly dividing the Bible by the audience SPOKEN TO. You would think a concept so simple as paying attention to WHO is being spoken to in the Bible would be required learning in 1st grade discipleship? Actually Christians have been indoctrinated with the opposite of the common sense approach to scripture. We have been taught how to defend our current position and curse any attempt to challenge what we believe. Oddly Christians can’t even seem to open their eyes enough to see the confusion in Christianity around them that they are right in the middle of. The Bible is a closed book to most Christians because of the arrogance found in Christianity today. I am willing to challenge any position I currently hold, are you? I am willing to allow scripture to change my beliefs, are you? This is what people say, but by and large they are not willing to challenge anything they believe. So Christianity will stay fractured and confused. Separate God’s two programs found in scripture and learn what the Bible actually teaches for yourself. Or, continue to mix the two features God asked you to keep divided and keep Christianity divided. Yes, understanding the Bible actually is this simple.
The current state of Bible translations available is quite frankly insane! Every new Bible version coming out always claims to be easier to read and in “modern” or “updated” English. People sitting around in Sunday school classes comparing what each version says or preachers saying foolish things like “I like the way this version says it” WHAT? SERIOUSLY? Who gave you the option of picking and choosing the way YOU want it to sound? Are you kidding me? But that’s it, isn’t it? Were back to picking and choosing. Christians that don’t know their Bible sit and listen while people teach them how to pick and choose only the verses that prop up their agenda. This is NO different than turning on CNN and watching the news for an hour. You will hear ONE SIDE of the story. Let me fill you in on the truth of the matter. It’s NOT A TRANSLATION ISSUE. What the new versions have done is to continually water down the doctrinal passages to the point that we can “all get along.” So called translators continue to create versions that come closer to the general “idea” of where most Christian theology falls. The problem IS NOT the translation! The problem is BELIEF. Christians have a BELIEVING issue. Please read this next sentence very intently. If you can’t believe EVERY verse in the Bible EXACTLY AS WRITTEN, then you should find a way in which you can. And trust me, you WILL NOT find this in ANY denomination today. Why? They ALL have an agenda they need to keep in place. I attended a denomination for about 40 years of my life. Sunday after Sunday of we are right and the others are wrong teaching. I had to get rid of decades of this denominational proof texting to properly understand the bible AS WRITEN. I understand you think you are a Bible believer because the preacher tells you that you are. I’m asking you about all the verses that don’t get read at your church. I’m asking you about the fact that so many verses you read you don’t understand, and they don’t seem to fit into your denominations position very well. I’m asking you about the fact that churches have so many different opinions on healing, tongues, baptism, works, the Holy Spirit, miracles, dreams, doctrine, and the list goes on. That new version WILL NOT help you come to terms with all the questions you have. Modern Christianity’s answer? Spend 45 minutes to an hour singing praise and worship songs. Then spend 30 minutes on a shallow lesson that keeps the masses happy and of course avoid doctrine at all costs. I remember one of the very few times we did a doctrinal series where the focus was doctrine. The name of the series was called “Baptist Distinctives.” Tell me, how can you take a real look at what you believe and determine if you are standing it the truth by studying the distinctives of YOUR OWN position? YOU CAN’T! It was around this time I was studying the positions of all the other denominations. I challenge people to study the doctrinal position of other denominations all the time. What will you find? That they ALSO have Bible verses to prove their doctrines, and they teach DIFFERENT things than you do. How is this possible? That’s the point of this whole blog. YOU MUST find a way that EVERY verse in the Bible makes sense and fits perfectly with every other verse in scripture. Most would say this is impossible. This is the sad state of Christianity today, as it has been for 2000 years. I leave you with one verse.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. I Corinthians 1:10 This is IMPOSSIBLE in denominational Christianity. This is possible by becoming a Bible believer. This means learning to rightly divide God’s programs in scripture as God separates them himself. You can only learn this by following the only Apostle Jesus sent to you, your Apostle Paul. To bring honor and glory to Jesus today requires us to follow the plan Jesus revealed to Paul. There is NO other way. The other night I was flipping channels on the TV and ran across a program about cults. I decided to watch for a while and found out about a so-called cult down in Tennessee called the “Twelve Tribes.” A young lady that had escaped the cult was the focus of the show. She described her life within this strange group of Christians. They lived in a commune and were led by a charismatic man who taught they were bringing in the kingdom. The so called “expert” the show used to describe cults described them as “taking the Bible literally.” Wow. Don’t I tell you all the time I take the Bible literally? YES I DO. So what gives? Doesn’t pretty much every church tell you they take the Bible literally? YES. There is a fine line between this group that has a TV program about them calling them a cult and every major denomination found in the US today. And a fine line it is indeed. Let’s read a few verses together.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Acts 2:44-46 Your church no doubt claims to be a “New Testament” church as pretty much every major denomination does today. Churches today take pride in calling themselves “New Testament Christians.” How can you with any integrity claim to be a new testament Christian and not sell all your possessions and live in a commune with only other Christians just like this cult does? I thought you claimed to take the Bible literally? This verse VERY clearly tell us that is exactly what they did back in the so-called New Testament times. See, this is where the rubber meets the road. Christians claim to take the Bible literally and claim to be a new testament Christian but really only take the verses literally that they choose to. Your pastor would use some slick talking to explain away the need to take this verse literally today no doubt. This is the plain, clear, and obvious difference between a right divider of the Bible and every denomination and non-denominational church today. Churches claim to take the Bible literally, but they only do when it’s convenient. The difference between a right divider of the Bible and all of Christianity today is I actually DO believe this verse literally. I do not pick and choose which ones to believe and which ones to skip. These verses were written in Acts chapter 2. Your apostle Paul, the ONLY Apostle sent to gentiles was not saved till Acts 9. I believe this verse EXACTLY as it stands because I know that this doctrine IS NOT for the body of Christ today. Most of Christianity believes their church started in Matthew 16/18 or in Acts chapter 2. These same churches pick and choose which verses they want to believe because they don’t want to be called a cult like the group in Tennessee. As a Bible believer that rightly divides my Bible according to the instructions MY apostle Paul gave me I know I can believe these verses EXACTLY as they stand because at THAT TIME the little flock of Israel were waiting for the tribulation to start, hence the reason for selling all their possessions and living communally. I believe the words exactly as they are written because I know they are not my doctrine for today. I also DO NOT claim to be a “New Testament” Christian. Why? Because according to the Bible LITERALLY, the New Testament belongs to ISRAEL and JUDAH. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Jer 31:31 I am not a New Testament Christian because the New Testament belongs to Israel. I would ask those today that claim to take the Bible literally, why do you claim to be a “New Testament” Christian when the Bible tells us plainly that it belongs to Israel. Here’s why: This cult calls itself the “Twelve Tribes” for the same reason Christians today call themselves “New Testament Christians.” Both this cult and every major denomination today has assumed things God promised to Israel. The difference is how much you assume. As a right divider of the Bible I leave to Israel EVERYTHING God promised to Israel. YES, this includes the New Testament. We live in the age of Grace that our Savior Jesus Christ revealed to Paul. Were there some strange/wrong things going on inside this cult? Yes. Rightly dividing the Bible brings clarity and harmony to the confusion being taught in so much of Christianity today. Maybe it’s time to stop picking and choosing and start believing it as written. Jesus’ earthly ministry was to Israel, Jesus called the Apostle Paul to sent him to you. It is that simple. We are NOT building a kingdom, we are building the body of Christ. Jesus will return and build HIS kingdom HIMSELF. The results of Christians ignoring the mystery revealed to Paul are devastating. The purpose for the body of Christ is to be working together in the same mind towards the same goal. The outcome of centuries of Seminaries, Bible colleges and pastors teaching men only to defend their position instead of letting the BIBLE have free course has created the fractured, bickering and prideful condition of the church today. Sure they say they are Bible believers, but they have been taught how to interpret the Bible through the filter of their tradition. The result is the ignorance of the manifold wisdom of God. The manifold wisdom of God that Christians are ignorant of was shown in the mystery revealed to Paul. This is how God used Satan himself to bring about the age of grace where everyone can be saved by grace alone. Jesus NEVER taught salvation by grace alone while he waked this earth. Jesus revealed this message after his resurrection to the apostle of the Gentiles.
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: Eph. 3:9-11 Instead of the church teaching the manifold wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heavenly places, the church is ignorant of this wisdom and how God brought it about. Our pride, arrogance, and tradition has blinded us to the CLEAR teaching of God’s word and keeps us bound by the tradition each pastor learns from the previous. You know…..They CAN’T all be right! Every denomination CAN’T be right! So who is? Well the one you are a member of, of course. Wrong! Actually the words in scripture are right. Of course you hear this all the time. The difference? We teach EVERY VERSE. Your pastor, and SS teacher teach the ones that support their tradition and ignore the ones that don’t. If you don’t think this is true you are naive indeed. I challenge you to study the doctrine of the denominations you believe to be wrong. What you will find is they have verses to prove what they believe just like you do. How do you not know this? Well, that’s the point. One of our purposes is to be educating the principalities and powers in heavenly places. What the church is doing to proving our pride and arrogance to them every day. We ignore clear verses to hold our tradition. I’m teaching a series on the Gentile exceptions. From the calling of Abraham to the calling of the apostle Paul ANY Gentile dealt with is an exception to the rule that God is dealing solely with ISRAEL. This INCLUDES Jesus’ earthly ministry. When I explain the Biblical FACT that Jesus had NO ministry to Gentiles during his earthly ministry people run as fast as they can to one of the exceptions to call Jesus a liar. Jesus said he didn’t but today Christians don’t seem to mind ignoring those clear verses to run to the woman at the well or the centurion so they can hold to their tradition. So what about God’s manifold wisdom? Christians DON’T KNOW IT. Christians are oblivious to God’s manifold wisdom by which God made Satan look like a fool. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. 2:7-8 God’s manifold wisdom (The mystery revealed to Paul) is untaught, unpreached, unheard, unsung, and any other “un” word you can make up. The manifold wisdom of God is never taught in the vast majority of churches today because of the Allegorical interpretation of scripture found in EVERY denomination today. So sad that the mystery which reveals the manifold wisdom of God is NEVER taught to make room for your tradition. Let me make this as clear as I know how. If you believe that Jesus was speaking to you in the Gospels, then you believe the allegorical interpretation of scripture. Why? Because Jesus said he wasn’t. Jesus DOES have a ministry to Gentiles. You find this ministry in Paul’s books alone. Paul DID NOT continue where Jesus and the 12 left off. Why? Because he says so. Please take your nose out of that theology book and read the words the only apostle sent to you in scripture left you, and then choose to believe them, not ANYONE else. Why? Because Jesus gave Paul his message and ministry after his earthly ministry to Israel was done. If you mix these two separate and distinct ministries you are only left with confusion. With a title like this I would imagine even the casual Christian might be interested in this blog. Sad but true that most have little interest in learning beyond a weekly visit to Sunday school. So are there aliens in the Bible? The “law of first mention” might shed some light on this subject.
Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. Lam 5:1-2 So, yes there are actually aliens in the Bible. They were living in Israel’s houses. I enjoy a good alien movie from time to time. So what planet were these aliens from? Earth! Sorry to ruin the excitement. The beginning of the book of Lamentations will help clarify. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. Lam 1:3 YOU are the aliens found in the Bible. Gentile nations are the aliens God allowed and even used to bring judgement to Israel. Read the entire book of Lamentations for background. So does Israel ever defeat the aliens? And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:32-34 YES, Israel does defeat the armies of the aliens (Gentile Nations) from time to time. Israel is under a covenant agreement with God. If they do their part God obligated himself to do his part. (Deut. 28) I would ask you a simple question: When did you stop being an alien? Most Christians would quickly point to Jesus’ earthly ministry. You will be hard pressed to find evidence of this change in the gospels. Jesus had no ministry to Gentiles during his earthly ministry. Our apostle Paul however speaks specifically to our loosing alien status. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: Col 1:20-22 The mystery of YOU, an alien, being justified by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is revealed by YOUR apostle Paul. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Eph. 2:11-14 Without Jesus himself revealing the mystery to your apostle Paul you would never have known what the cross of Christ accomplished. The plan in the Bible from Genesis 12 to Acts 8 is Gentiles would be saved through Israel’s OBEDIENCE and the acceptance of their Messiah. There was NO PLAN revealed in the Bible that brought hope to gentiles in the event of Israel’s DISOBEDIENCE. This is precisely why God had the mystery hid in himself since the word was created. (Rom 16:25-26) Without Jesus revealing a NEW and DIFFERENT GOSPEL to Paul you are still an alien and you still have NO HOPE. (Eph. 2:12) The clarity with which all these verses can be understood is lost to the vast majority of Christianity due to the failure to rightly divide God’s plan for Israel with God’s plan for the body of Christ. The failure of the vast majority of Christianity to divide the gospel of the earthly kingdom promised to Israel and a future in heavenly places promised to the body of Christ has left us floundering from scholar to scholar trying to make sense of all the verses that don’t fit together. The FACT is just that! The verses do not fit together! Yes Jesus’ teachings DO contradict many of the things Paul says. Here’s the easy answer: If you would learn to believe the Bible literally instead of denominationally you could understand all of them and believe all of them. This is letting the Bible have FREE COURSE in your life. (2 Thes 3:1) Something most will never have in their lifetime because we are too busy fighting for our tradition. What Right Have I What right have I, with human eye To gaze into the depth? Of Holy Words, no gold affords Nor diamond sets its worth This feeble mind, dares to scale The heights each page contain My sinful ears, wish the tune Of thy Holy Spirit’s refrain These hands of man, oft unclean Grip a book divine Tears once more, blur the eye As words reveal thy love Belief the key, Trust the cure To ease each doubt or chill Wisdom fails, thy creations thoughts Yet you love me still To understand, thy sacred word Is a gift few wish to jest To rightly divide, each plan contained Study reveals the rest To trust in man, Or to trust in God Our arrogance displayed We doubt your Word, to ease our minds And believe the thoughts we made Steve Schoenberger 7/21/2020 It's amazing the verses we ignore to prove ourselves right. I realize the vast majority, if not all Christians would not deliberately insult God for any reason. The sad truth is millions of Christians insult God almost every time they pray. I grew up as you probably did being told that I must “confess” my sins if I want them forgiven. Men that are ignorant of the Bible’s instructions to rightly divide taught us to insult God and cheapen the blood of Christ every time we pray by confessing our sins. I’ve heard 1 John 1:9 quoted hundreds of times in my lifetime along with the instruction to confess my sins to God. How foolish this is. Read the verse below.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 I ask you this simple question, what if you don’t? What if you do not confess your sins? The opposite would then be true that your sins WOULD NOT be forgiven. Friend, if your sins are NOT forgiven then you are on your way to hell. You can’t teach this verse as an instruction to the body of Christ but then turn around and also teach eternal security because if you miss one sin you are on your way to hell. This is why Christians are so confused. One church teaches you can lose your salvation, another teaches you can’t but then tells you that you must confess each sin to have them forgiven. This is the sad state of affairs in our churches today. Would you like the correct cross references to 1 John 1:9? And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: Lev 5:5 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. Lev 26:40-42 So, is confession of sin required in scripture? YES you can find an example of this in Daniel chapter 9. Is the body of Christ today required to confess their sin? NO! To confess your sins today in an insult to God and tells God the blood of his only Son was not good enough to pay for your sin. Your sins were imputed to Christ’s account as he hung on the cross. Jesus blood paid for your sins. Who are you to think you can perform a religious ritual of confessing your sins today when Christ paid for them 2000 years ago. Read your apostle Paul. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5:19 Why are your sins NOT being imputed to your account today? Because they were imputed to Christ’s account 2000 years ago. You kneeling down and confessing sins to God is an insult to him and his word. I ask you another simple question. Why do you allow preachers and teachers to tell you to follow words from the book of first John when Jesus himself told John NOT to go to gentiles? Why do you think the book of first John is too you today? The Covenant theology ALL of Christianity has gravitated to tells you that ISRAEL’S apostles were talking to you. Our apostle Paul NEVER tells us to “confess” our sin. Paul tells us to STOP SINNING. Paul understands imputation and knows we DO NOT need to confess our sins today, we need to stop sinning if we are. Please stop following Israel’s requirements found in the Hebrew epistles and start enjoying the liberty we have by being in Christ. Does this mean we get to sin all we want? As Paul says “God forbid” The body of Christ stands in liberty when it rightly divides the Bible. The body of Christ is held in bondage when it fails to rightly divide the Bible and insults God with millions of our sins being “confessed” to God when he never asked you to. Maybe this is why the Holy Spirit must intercede for us? God is sick and tired of hearing all your sins. Do you want to know why your prayer life is not “working”? Maybe you should study Paul’s prayer life instead of Israel’s. You would find Paul DOES NOT pray like Jesus and the 12 did. Paul understands things are different in the age of grace. Christianity has abandoned Pauline doctrine for man’s opinions. |
AuthorSteve Schoenberger is a student of the Bible and the teacher at Abundant Grace Bible Fellowship, A Mid-Acts Dispensational Bible church teaching the Bible rightly divided according the the revelation of the mystery delivered to the Apostle Paul Archives
November 2020
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