growandknow: Gospel Causes Division

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Gospel Causes Division

GOSPEL CAUSES DIVISION

"And I will put a division between my people and thy people (Exodus 8:23)." Even from the very early pages of the Bible we find that there is a division between the people of God and the unsaved.

Abraham, who trusted in the Lord as his Saviour, was asked to separate himself from his family and nation (Genesis 12:1-3). Believers, by virtue of the fact that they are saved and are going to heaven, are separated from those unbelievers who are lost and going to hell. Also, believers, in their Christian walk and life style, are to separate themselves from the unsaved. II Corinthians 6:17 says, "Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate."

Amazing as it may sound, Jesus tells us in the Bible that the message that He brought to the earth would cause division. We should not be surprised, therefore, because the Lord Jesus Christ has told us so. Let us look at what Jesus said in Luke 12:51-52, "Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law (Luke 12:51-53)."

Wherever Jesus went, his message caused division and persecution. In John 7:40-43 we read, "Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him." Also we read in John 9:16, "And there was a division among them." And again in John 10:19 we read, "There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?"

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven as He plainly stated in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The message of the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Paul tells us in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." The gospel is like a two-edged sword. For those who believe the gospel, they will be saved. For those who reject the gospel, they will be lost. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." For those who believe, they will have everlasting life. For those who reject Christ, they will perish. So as we have seen the message divides. It divides between the saved and the lost; those that are going to heaven, from those that are going to hell; those who have life, from those who do not have life.

I John 5:12 says, "He that hath the Son hath life, and He that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

Jesus told His disciples, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! (Luke 6:26)." We should not be surprised at the mixed reactions to the message of life and death. The Apostle Paul says, "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things (II Corinthians 2:15-16)?

The Gospel message not only separates the lost from the saved, but also, sometimes, the saved from the unsaved:
1) The gospel divides the world into two groups: the saved and the lost.
2) The gospel also divides the Christians into two groups: those who will be faithful in the command to evangelize and those who oppose evangelization.

As believers, we are told that we "shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the Word of Life (Philippians 2:15-16)."

After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, a picture of the redemption or salvation of the nation, Moses had to ask this redeemed nation, "Who is on the LORD'S side? Let him come unto me (Exodus 32:36)." I believe the question still must be asked today of those who know the Lord as their Saviour. Jesus Christ has commanded us to carry His message to a lost and dying world. The Great Commission is "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15)." Many believers want the benefits of the cross, but not the offence of the cross.

"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God (Philippians 1:27-28)."

There is a division between those that preach the true gospel and those that preach a perverted or distorted gospel. The subtlety in this is that it often times sounds like the true gospel but is not. The test of the true gospel is grace. If the message excludes grace or mingles works with grace as the means either of justification or sanctification, it is "another" gospel, and the preacher of it is under the anathema (curse) of God. The Scriptures clearly say in Galatians 1:8-9, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I again. If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Therefore, the message that is perverted or distorted is accursed of God, and the one preaching that message is accursed of God. Usually, those who have been taught a false gospel will persecute those that teach the pure gospel. The Apostle Paul explained this in Galatians 5:11, "And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the cross ceased." Paul says that the true message of the gospel of salvation apart from human works will bring about persecution, but to mingle works with the true gospel takes away the offense of the cross. Therefore, we are urged in Scripture to stand on the Lord's side and separate ourselves from those that distort His word and change His message.

Are you a believer? If not, then trust Christ as your Saviour now, and He will give you eternal life. As a believer, are you on the Lord's side? If not, then align yourself with the precious message of the Lord Jesus Christ. God will bless you for it.

biblelineministries.org

1 comment:

Dwacon said...: Amen!; February 14, 2008 at 5:11 PM

The Appearing In Heaven

.........The timing of the realization of our BLESSED HOPE......After Israel were put to one side at the end of the book of Acts, Paul was inspired to write Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 1@Timothy, Titus and Philemon. In Ephesians we read of the wonderful new hope set before us believers today; Eph 2:1 And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins, Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), Eph 2:6 and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, Eph 2:7 so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. God has declared that we have been quickened (made alive) in Christ, we have been raised together, and seated together in the heavenlies in Christ, exactly the same place where Christ has been raised and seated at the Father’s right hand, see Ephesians 1:19-21. There, where Christ is seated above all of the heavenly rulers and authorities, is our glorious inheritance in front of God’s face. There our blessings are located and there we are the heirs of God. Is it any wonder Paul brings this wonderful section to a close with these verses; Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, Eph 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Many Christians love these verses thinking they only refer to Christ dying for our sin and sins, but the salvation provided by grace through faith in Ephesians 2 goes way past these foundational truths to include our glorious inheritance in the heavenlies and the unique blessings we have there. We have been raised and seated together in the heavenlies that is the context of “FOR by grace you are saved through faith”. Praise the Lord, what a wonderful salvation by grace! This salvation is not an earthly one. We, the Church which is His Body, are not destined for the earth. We are not to be blessed with faithful Abraham; nor is the Jerusalem above the mother of us all today. These things were put aside with Israel at Acts 28. Galatians, 1@2Corinthians, 1@2 Thessalonians, Hebrews and Romans which were written before Acts 28, speak of Christ dying for our sins, but they know nothing of the wonderful hope we have today by grace through faith as found in Ephesians and Colossians written after Acts 28. After Israel was put aside then the Lord gave to Paul this wonderful salvation concerning heavenly places. This hope is an element of the Mystery, the present dispensation of the grace of God which was hidden away from ages and generations and it was also hidden away from Paul during the Acts period. We now begin to address a very important question. Since God’s Word says we, in Christ, have been raised and seated in the heavenlies where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, exactly when will we literally be seated there in the heavenlies or heavenly places? In other words, when will our hope become sight? When will our faith be realized? When will God’s Word regarding us come to pass? When will we be seated there in our wonderful new bodies “fashioned like His glorious body”? What is the timing of our hope? The answer to this is found in Colossians 3:1-4 which flows wonderfully onwards from Ephesians 2; Col 3:1 If then (or since, if does not always mean doubt) you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Be mindful of things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:3 For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ our Life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Here we are clearly told that “WHEN” our Lord, The Head is revealed, “THEN” we, the Church which is His Body, will also be revealed “WITH HIM”. That is the timing of our hope; the revealing of our Lord. Here are one or two other versions: Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (KJV) And Col 3:1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. Col 3:3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. (RV) These three versions use “revealed”, “appear” and “manifested” to translate the Greek word “phaneroo”. Here are some helpful definitions of “phaneroo”: Strong’s. phaneroo; from G5318; to render apparent (literally or figuratively): - appear, manifestly declare, (make) manifest (forth), shew (self). Word Study (E-Sword). phaneroo; manifest, visible, conspicuous. To make apparent, manifest, known, show openly. Dr Strong says that the word “phaneroo” comes from another word, G5318 which is “phaneros”. Phaneros means “shining” and itself comes from a word which means “light, to give light”. When our Lord appears it is a moment of revelation involving great light, a shining forth. Where is this shining forth; this appearing of our Lord? The location is very clearly identified; it is “where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God”. Our Lord will be seated at God’s right hand when He is manifested. We shall look more closely at this in a later lesson but for now we recognize this is not in the air of 1 Thess.4, where the clouds are located. We can see a contrast in this Colossians passage. Notice, our life is “hidden with Christ in God” and while these things are hidden now, there is a time coming when they will be manifested or revealed. This moment will be a very bright one, a blazing forth as some have described it. It will be a glorious moment when our Lord and Head is manifested, but you and me and the rest of the Church which is His Body will be manifested there, in the heavenly places with Him. What will this appearing be like? Imagine you are sitting on a chair on top of a hill which, if there was light, would be clearly visible to the city below. The hill and the city are in darkness but there comes a time when the top of the hill is illuminated with a bright light. Then you, sitting on top of the hill, will be clearly visible to all those in the city below. You on your chair have been “manifested”, you have been “revealed”, you have “appeared” to all. In a similar but far more extensive way the Lord will appear to all in a blazing forth of light. He will be seen by those in the heavenly places, and by those on the earth beneath. Please consider the following verses as an anticipation of future lessons; Mat 24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. Mat 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Mat 24:30 And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear (phaino-the same family of words giving phaneroo of Colossians 3) in the heavens. Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious (epiphanes- the same family of words giving phaneroo of Colossians 3) Day of the Lord. And Mat 26:64 Jesus said to him, You said it. I tell you more. From this time you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of the heavens. Act 7:56 And he (Stephen) said, Behold, I see Heaven opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. And this passage; Rev 6:12 And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind. Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed like a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. Rev 6:16 And they said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; When the Lord is manifested in the heavenly places, the world will be morally, spiritually and physically dark and in that darkened day a light will blaze forth, our Lord shall be visible and “every eye shall see Him”. The heavens will be peeled back and they will see Him sitting on the right hand of God. This “appearing” of our Lord and Head is far above the clouds, and the air of 1 Thess.4. This is before He begins His descent to the earth. In the day; in the moment our Lord is manifested on the right hand of God, we shall be there in our seats manifested with Him. What an honor, what a moment of unimaginable joy. Let each one of us set our affection “where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God”, for there, in front of God’s face, we have been raised and seated to “appear with Him”. That moment of His appearing is when our hope will be realized. .....

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TRUST JESUS CHRIST AND HIS (FINISHED WORK) PLUS NOTHING

I started this blog for the Lord in January 2008.
The first post was about the confusion of when the Rapture
will occur. Pre, Mid, Post, and other ideas. The Holy Spirit
has been teaching me all these things because The Lord has
given me a love of his TRUTH. I was saved before I started the blog because I already trusted in Jesus' FINISHED WORK
on the cross and believed in the Scriptural resurrection of
our Savior. The FIRST STEP for any person to understand
your Bible, is to TRUST ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST for his
completed saving work on the cross and believe he was resurrected to Glory as Scripture tells us......PLUS NOTHING
else ! Not works of any kind, denominational dogmas and
traditions of men that try to add works and sacraments,
good deeds, tithing, creeds, laws of men or God, baptism in
water by men in any name, and anything else men try to tell
you need to do in their particular denomination of men to add
to the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST on the cross. ONCE YOU TOTALLY TRUST CHRIST JESUS FOR YOUR SALVATION AND PLUS NOTHING ELSE, The Holy Spirit
will at that very moment...baptize you into the Body of Christ
and from then, on the Holy Spirit will teach you all things a little at a time, line upon line from the Living Word of Truth
in Scriptures. Don't trust anyone or denomination, but
search in HIS WORD to see if these things are so.

The second thing barring sincere seekers of truth from
Truth, is that most all denominations, including the first
denomination the RCC, believe in some way, they as "the church", have received Israel's blessings and have become
the new, "Spiritual Israel" This teaching found in Replacement
Theology, Amillennialism, Covenant Theology are totally
FALSE. To understand properly God's Word, one must
do what is found in II Tim 2:15. 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

All Scripture is for your knowledge and understanding, but
God has worked with men differently in times past, now,
and in the future. All Scripture is not written to you to follow
as it was to Israel in the past. Israel was under the LAW program and the Body of Christ today is under the GRACE
program. You must(rightly divide)between the two of these
churches to understand what was meant for Times past and what is meant for the Body of Christ today.

I will be talking about and posting from now on about what
the Holy Spirit has been teaching me in particular in my walk
in faith and in spirit in Christ, as part of his Body.

May God bless you richly in the wonders and DEEP RICHES
spiritually of his Grace.

Amen
Sincerely in Christ Jesus,
Your Brother Mark

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GLEAN and GROW in FAITH and KNOWLEDEGE

It is a common, but very serious MISTAKE.....
to think that just because you disagree on some points....
another brother in Christ Jesus, in the Body of Christ, has about the Rapture....that you cannot "GLEAN " MANY OTHER IMPORTANT NUGGETS OF TRUTH.......
that will aid us in growing in grace and knowledge of the
BIG PICTURE overall in what is happening and will happen
in PROPHECY...on the stage of history.

Come Brothers....let us share and learn about issues of
importants.... WITHOUT getting upset. There are many wonderful pieces of the puzzle we can glean from other brothers.
Hold fast to your truth...but don't be so dogmatic, so closed minded, so upset....not to dialog between brothers and sisters of the same
Body of Christ...even though we might disagree on some points.

God will act His way regardless of our.....
at this present time....SEEING THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY

Remember....When we are all changed we will understand
ALL.....and see Him as He Is.......Amen

God Bless,
BrotherMark

The Price To Free You Has Been Paid...Just Accept It

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Gospel Causes Division

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