I had a conversation once with a young man that was quite offended when I said I was not worried about being called orthodox. The young man was quite offended at the notion. Maybe the young man someday will understand that orthodoxy in religious circles today is a moving target. Bring orthodox today is relative. This fact is quite easy to prove. Ask 10 men from 10 different denominations to write down their theological positions on 10 different topics. Do you know what you will get? I don’t even need to ask you because you already know that you will get MANY differing opinions on each topic. The kicker is all these men would consider themselves orthodox. Websters 1828 gives this definition for “Orthodoxy” Soundness of faith; a belief in the genuine doctrines taught in the scriptures. So, if you have 10 different men stating their opinion on a doctrine, and the opinions are different, where does that leave orthodoxy? You can easily prove the same thing with the word Fundamental. Do this same exercise with 10 men that consider themselves fundamental. You will get the same outcome. The only way you can get 10 men to give you a similar answer is to ask 10 men from the exact same group within their given denomination. This PROVES my point. The word Fundamental that I grew up hearing quite often means very little today. Nor does the word Orthodox. I do not care if people think I am fundamental or orthodox, because I am scriptural! Most times orthodoxy and fundamentalism are based on popular opinions and scripture seen through the lens of denomination. Here is just one topic to prove my point. If I told your preacher that the church today IS NOT the bride of Christ I would be called names. The Bible DOES NOT teach that the church is the bride of Christ. This is EASILY PROVEN in scripture if you had a heart for truth. Israel is the bride. We are part of the groom! We can’t be the bride. So, your “orthodox” and “fundamental” position is wrong. I believe what the Bible actually teaches that God marries Israel and his Beulah land just like Revelation says. People consider you orthodox or fundamental when you believe LIKE THEY DO. This renders the words practically speaking, useless. These two words are not found in my King James Bible. Funny thing is when I use the word dispensation, which is found in my Bible four times people want to call me names. When I teach the mystery which is mentioned over a dozen times people tell me they don’t know what I’m talking about. Read Paul. Read the information Jesus revealed ONLY TO PAUL and you will clearly see exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t have any use for the words fundamental or orthodox. I prefer the words literal, Biblical, scriptural, dispensational, and mystery. These can be studied and proven in my Bible. The Bible speaks of the simplicity that is in Christ. Wouldn’t you like to see it?
The failure to rightly divide the Bible robs Christians of many things. The comfort and peace that comes from a clear understanding of Bible doctrine can never be realized without following this simple instruction. I grew up in churches that taught me I must confess my sins to get forgiveness for them. I have heard I John 1:9 quoted probably hundreds of times. You are most likely being taught right now that this verse applies to you and that you must confess your sins. This verse is taught that to get forgiveness a confession is required. Let me ask you a simple question then. What if you don’t confess one? What if you forget one? What if you have forgotten one? Then the verse would clearly teach that you would not be forgiven. If you are not forgiven for one sin, then you are on your way to hell. You cannot say the verse teaches forgiveness based on confession then also say that the lack of confession would not send you to hell. This leaves many Christians asking God to forgive them for any sins they might have forgotten. This also leaves Christians confused because some are taught salvation can’t be lost, but this verse says you must confess EVERY sin. Confused yet? I hope so. Why would I say this? Because rightly dividing the Bible clears it ALL up. Friend, I John 1:9 DOES NOT apply to you today in the age of grace. Jesus told John during his earthly ministry NOT to go to Gentiles. I John says works are required for salvation and requires you to DO many things to be saved. This is NOT our information today. I believe EVERY WORD of I John. I also know it is NOT written to me today. Friend let me explain to you where your sins were taken care of. They were imputed TO JESUS on the cross. Every one of them! You cannot get forgiveness by confession today because if you’re saved your sins are already paid for. ALL OF THEM. Please take the time to read II Cor 5:17-21. Verse 19 tells you your sins ARE NOT being imputed to you. How can this be? Because they were imputed to Christ on the cross. II Cor 5:21 CLEARLY answers the false teaching you hear requiring constant confession of sin. Jesus was “MADE SIN” for US and we are “MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.” This is how your sins were taken care of. This happened 2000 years ago. Paul is your example and Paul would NOT tell you to confess, he tells you that you are “COMPLETE IN HIM” Colossians 2:10. Your confession today does NOTHING to take away sins. If it did then you are claiming that something YOU DO can forgive sin. If you have trusted in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for your sin, then you are complete! This is exactly the reason Paul tells you not to use your LIBERTY as a cloak of maliciousness. Confession WAS REQUIRED under the gospel of the kingdom and was required under Israel’s program. You are not in this program, and you are NOT Israel. Right division of the Bible gives peace, understanding, and freedom from religious bondage. Don’t let religion rob you of the liberty Jesus died for. Bask in the blessedness of the imputed righteousness of Jesus!!
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AuthorSteve Schoenberger is a student of the Bible and the minister at Abundant Grace Bible Fellowship, A Mid-Acts Dispensational Bible church teaching the Bible rightly divided according the revelation of the mystery delivered to the Apostle Paul Archives
October 2024
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