₦airaland Forum

Many of us who grew up in Christian homes are so disenchanted with the church. Many have left the church. The opinion of the world out there about the church isn't any better. The message that they are hearing is:

"You'd better stop sinning, come to Christ and do your best to obey the law or else God will punish you."

Because of this false gospel, the world sees us as a self-righteous people who think they are better than others because of their religion. They see angry preachers who are all about God demanding righteousness from the sinner and is intent on raining down punishment on anyone that does not abide by His laws. Some Christians even see God (wrongly) as a hard Taskmaster who will not bless unless you first grovel, go hungry, obey His law, do good deeds, sow seed and pay tithe.

Notice no Christ in this false equation of salvation? It is all about what you must do in order to be righteous, escape God's wrath and get the blessing and not what Christ has done. Romans 5:9 tells us:

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

Believer, NEVER means NEVER. In Christ, we will never experience the wrath of God, not because God has gone soft on sin but because Another took our suffering and died our death.

Believer, see God as your Daddy. The love of our earthly fathers cannot hold a candle to His love for us. What would you not do to make your own child live in triumph over sin and death and inherit your wealth if you had all the power to do so? Would you first expect him to grovel and beg like an outsider before feeding him? How much more our Abba Father who has poured out His grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) on us in all "wisdom and prudence" (Ephesians 1:7- and not recklessly that it needs "balancing" by human hands who try to add law to grace and so are "neither cold nor hot."

This false gospel that is being peddled by false bible preachers says you will still face God's wrath that Christ took for us unless you deploy your own arm of flesh that will fail aka human effort to doing right and obeying the law in order to be perfect before God. This is an effort in futility, "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." Romans 3:20.

This "obey the law to get/remain right with God" doctrine is not of Christ. It is what the Pharisees and teachers of religious law believed and practiced. They demanded righteousness from others yet they could not cast the first stone...no one can.

We who are living more than 2,000 years after the Pharisees can't help but dislike them when we read about them in the Bible or watch that old movie "Jesus of Nazareth." They seem so pompous and proud, boasting in their ability to obey the law, pointing out sins, dishing out punishment for sinners and eager to give the woman caught in adultery the punishment of death that she very much deserved, even though they could not cast the first stone. Christ showed them that they were no better than the woman they were about to kill. Instead of them to remain in the Light of the world and be saved from their sins, they slunk back into their darkness of trying to obey the law to get right with God. They rejected Christ, Grace-personified.

This no different from what is going on in many places of worship today. Christ is being rejected by many of these our "big pastors" and many followers too who teach and believe that their right-standing with God and having eternal life is based on their ability to obey the law and do good works; those who, like the Pharisees, deceive themselves by believing that "God blessed me because I paid my tithe and don't wear make-up and jewellery." These things amount to "a menstrual rag" before God according to Isaiah 64:6-

"We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight."

Christ's death is meaningless in the life of anyone who thinks that his own obedience of the law amounts to anything before God: "I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." Galatians 2:21

Titus 2:14 tells us: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

But with this false gospel, the focus is on how God will punish sinners if they don't obey and not on Christ's love, how He frees us from every sin and judgment and transforms even the vilest offender to live right! It is no surprise that the world sees many Christians the same way we see the Pharisees and teachers of religious law - bigoted, pompous and self-righteous. No one wants to have anything to do with such people.

Believer, this is not the gospel of Christ!

Jesus saved the adulterous woman from the death that she deserved, free of charge, but "pastor" will tell you to go and fast and sow seed before God will deliver you from the troubles of your own making! No amount of fasting, promises to obey the law or begging could have saved the woman from the punishment that the law demanded, just as no amount of fasting, tithing and sowing seed can help anyone escape God's wrath.

Believer, we are not under law but under Grace where sin does not have dominion. Try to obey the law in order to be godly and sin will have dominion, "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14.

Anyone who depends on the law (human effort at obedience) to get right with God or receive from Him is cursed/b]- Galatians 3:10: [b]"But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” No one can.

We know these verses by heart-

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3.

-but somehow, many of us miss its meaning. Believers are being taught the false message that they will perish in hell and miss eternal life that God gave His own Son up for us to have as a gift if they don't obey the law in order to be godly. Why then did Christ die? Romans 6:23 says:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The wages of sin is death. We were all appointed to die once. Christ died that death. Eternal life is a gift through Christ, not something a person earns.

And the unbeliever? He hears: "Repent and come to Christ or else you will burn in hell." As if we could change ourselves. Are you a believer? This is why we believe: John 6:43-46 (MSG)

"Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End...."

It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance, not threats of God's wrath that He gave His own Son to save us from. When the love of Christ and His gift of righteousness to the sinner who believes is unveiled from the pulpit, the people will live right and love proclaiming Jesus too. It is His "Neither do I condemn you" that makes us "go and sin no more."

Check out His way with sinners who encountered Him throughout the gospels. Just imagine what would have happened if He had yelled His disgust at the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob and told her to go and "repent" before He deigned to bless her. She had had five husbands and was living in adultery with a sixth man. No word of condemnation or judgment to her from our Saviour Jesus Christ. He even complimented her for being truthful with her "coded" response about having no husband. She ended up proclaiming Jesus in her village.

Believer, this is the Good News (gospel) of Christ- Romans 1:16-17:

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

And how does God make us right in His sight? See this in Romans 3:

"26...for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

The law is not of faith. But because of wrong teaching, many depend on their own ability to obey the law to get right with God so that they can get the blessing, just like the Pharisees. This is being faithless. Believer, let's not be found here. The gospel is not "obey the law and God will bless you; do bad and God will beat you." No Jesus in the equation. The Pharisees believed and taught this and we can't stand them. But none of them could cast the first stone. They demanded from God's people what even they could not do, like many church leaders today. It is not surprising that the world sees churchgoers as a bunch of bigoted, hypocritical liars. Everyday, they see "holy" leaders who act like they are sinless making bigoted, hateful and divisive statements and doing things that Christ can never. Everyday, the world laughs when pastors and leaders that pride themselves in their own righteousness and ability to obey the law are exposed as being unable to cast the first stone. (No sin is beneath anybody. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them and that they can obey the law.)

But notorious sinners and despised tax collectors always drew near to Jesus. He never condemned anyone the way we who are supposed to His ambassadors are doing today. People have not changed since He walked the earth as a Man. Sinners will follow Jesus and get transformed when His love and "no condemnation" for even the vilest offender is unveiled from the pulpit. The vilest offender who believes can never remain the same. Only when we receive God's abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to live in triumph over sin and death, including all of its symptoms of sickness, lack, depression, etc:

"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17.

The pulpit is not a place to unveil the sins of sinners. It is not a place to unveil the good works or virtues of a pastor. It is not a place for politics. It is not a place to unveil the Ten Commandments and which person is not doing what. People are already aware of their sins and are looking for the Way out. The pulpit is a place to unveil the love of Christ for the world, His salvation from sin and death that is free for all who believe and His power to transform even the vilest offender who believes to a life of righteousness- nothing to do with what we do/did. All to do with what Christ has done.

Right believing always produces right living.


http://rightbelieving101..com/2018/08/how-do-you-see-god.html?m=1

bloodofthelamb:
Matt11:28-30. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Dear Lord Jesus thank you for the opportunity to be yoked together with you by your Spirit. What a great honour you have given us to be identified with thee forever. We are greatful!

Christianity is not about rituals and formula. It is a lively relationship with, "the God of all flesh" who loves us endlessly. There is no middle ground in life. It is either we are yoked with sin, which will result to death, or we are yoked to Christ and his righteousness which will result to abundant life.

When we truly turn to Christ with all our heart and mind. He will deliver us from the yoke of sin and death and he will now bring us under his own "yoke of love" where we are truly free.

The formal yoke leads to death, while the latter leads to life and peace.

Take up his yoke and let him be your wisdom, righteousness etc.

Excellent piece... It's all about Christ Jesus!!

solite3:
thank you Lord Jesus, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, his life flows in me. I will never die but live forever Amen.

Amen!!

solite3:
Goodevening bro

Evening my brother

bloodofthelamb:
Seconded! Christ is using in this forum. Don't ever loose guard for the LORD is your strength!

Thank you my bro... I am humbled....

bloodofthelamb:
Brother jiggaz thank you for this godly reminder. I love this.

You know, this guys have to make a choice. Do they want the Holy Ghost working and living out his holiness through them, or do they want to work out their own holiness by observing the law without the Spirit of holiness and righteousness?

Yes they do need to make a choice... You are welcome my bro...

solite3:
Humm I will make this a routine everyday

Yes you should my bro... Christ Jesus is the answer to everything in this world...

solite3:
Amen, I m the righteousness of God in Christ, therefore I receive every of God's riches in Christ Jesus. Amen

Amen!! I say this several times a day...

solite3:
jiggaz you have really bless souls, God bless you.

Thanx alot my brother... This really means alot to me.

solite3:
Humm, all thanks to God! God bless you jiggaz

Thank you my brother..

Yes Lord

Thank you Lord Jesus

Yes Lord

Evening

Believers, did you know that the phrase "Beware of dogs" has its origins in God's word? See it in Philippians 3:2 (New King James Version)-

"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!"

This a warning from Paul to the believers in Philippi to beware of some Jews who were insisting that the Gentile believers ought to be circumcised in order to be really saved. We see that the warning does not just cover the issue of circumcision but also the entire Law of Moses when we read the verse in its context: Philippians 3:1-9 (NLT)-

"Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith."

This a picture of life in Christ. But God does not just leave us to wallow in sins now that we who believe have His gift of everlasting righteousness in Christ. His Spirit that dwells in us is transforming us "to the image of the glory of the Lord, from glory to glory." 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Believer, in Christ, we GET TO live right and not through human effort at obedience. By grace, put no confidence in human effort at obeying the law to be saved. Philippians 3 says:

"2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,... I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith."

Our confidence is in Christ alone. Through Him, we get to live in triumph over sin and death- Romans 5:17-

"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

Right believing always produces right living.

http://rightbelieving101..com/2018/08/beware-of-dogs-and-put-no-confidence-in.html?m=1

Jesus Christ the Messiah

Good morning Lord Jesus

Yes Lord

Morning

bloodofthelamb:
No room for boosting at the cross. As it is writting, "it is the Spirit of Christ who works in us producing his fruit abundantly in us."

All credit goes to God the Master worker.

Exactly

solite3:
the righteousness of the law is filthy rag!

Exactly!! Self righteousness is the mother of all sins...

solite3:
thank God the apostle said it in philippians,



Philippians 3:2-3 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

I have a message on this titled BEWARE OF DOGS I will post it tomorrow.

solite3:
some months ago I watched a church service of one of the so called holiness movement, the pastor quoted some verses in the new testament talking about grace and righteousness through believing and the so called preacher said that was Paul's own not God, I was like, what the heck!

Can you imagine!!?? Twisting Scripture. No wonder there's no power in today's church. Since they all depend on their self righteousness and put the Finished work of Christ aside... #smh

solite3:
many what to be teachers of the law. a canal man boast of the law not on the cross.

Exactly...

Believer, see God as your Daddy. The love of our earthly fathers cannot hold a candle to His love for us. What would you not do to make your own child live in triumph over sin and death and inherit your wealth if you had all the power to do so? Would you first expect him to grovel and beg like an outsider before feeding him? How much more our Abba Father who has abundantly poured out His grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) on us in all "wisdom and prudence" and not recklessly that it needs "balancing" by human hands. Ephesians 1:7-8 says of Him:

7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,"

Many wrongly think that God's grace will cause people to start sinning anyhow and so try to put believers in check concerning the issue of sin by introducing some law. Some "church leaders" are trying to introduce the Law of Moses to the gospel which is Grace and ONLY Grace, and are calling this horrid mixture "a balanced message."

For some preachers, preaching this horrid mixture has its root in the belief that God's work cannot succeed without our making it so by some forceful effort on our part. But this is akin to how "Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled." in 2 Samuel 6:6. Uzzah died from the act. Many others who preach this "neither cold nor hot" mixture are plain ministers of Satan following the example of their master who deceived Adam and Eve into believing that they could attain godliness (be like God) by human effort at doing something.

Believer, Grace is a person and His name is Jesus Christ. He does not need anybody to "balance" Him. Titus 2 says of Him:

11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. 12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave Himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people who are truly His, who are eager to do good. 15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you."

Grace is our Teacher, not you, I or the Ten Commandments. Grace teaches us to reject ungodliness. Grace purchases our freedom from every lawless deed (our sins,) no matter how vile. Grace purifies us for Himself. Grace makes us passionate to do what is beautiful in His eyes. By Grace, let's all communicate these things....Don't let anyone look down on you for this gospel of Christ.

We sometimes forget that it was religious Jews whose lives were all about obeying the Ten Commandments and doing works of the law in order to get right with God that despised and wrongly accused Paul and his companions of all sorts for this gospel (Good News) of Christ (Grace) that he preached, hence what Paul wrote in Romans 1-

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life."

The law is not of faith. Like many today, those religious people did not believe that God makes us right in His sight through faith in Christ and not by obeying the law as Paul wrote in Romans 3-

"26...for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

They could not let go of the letter that kills. Galatians 5:4 says "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace."

This was written to the believers in Galatia who were deceived into believing that they had to obey the law and do its works in order to remain in right-standing with God and be perfected. Christ was removed from their equation of salvation.

Today, many teach: "Now that you are born-again, you have to do your best to obey the law so that you can be righteous, maintain your salvation and escape God's wrath." This is a lie according to the example of those who deceived the Christians in Galatia. Romans 5:9 tells us how God permanently sees all who are in Christ: "And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

The result of this "neither cold nor hot" mixture that is being preached in many places of worship today is worse than the fate of those religious Jews that tried to silence preachers of the gospel of Christ aka Grace. The Jews had their ceremonies and blood sacrifices to escape God's wrath when they sinned but what do believers who are still trying to be godly by obeying the law and thus have been cut off from Christ have? No shed blood of Christ and "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." So their sin remains. Such face the curse of the law as the law condemns everyone who tries to obey it. See Galatians 3:10-

"But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” No one can do all.

Try to use obedience to the law or anything done by human effort to put believers in check concerning sins and sin will have dominion: "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14.

Many in the church have this verse backwards, struggling to be godly aka "be like God" by human effort and thus nullifying the finished work of Christ in making the sinner who believes righteous in their salvation equation. This is where Satan wants everyone to be- trying to be godly and striving to earn eternal life by human effort at doing the seemingly "good thing" of obeying the law. His agents behind many pulpits are pushing this agenda. Believer, let's not be found here. Adam and Eve tried it. It seemed good to Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The end is still death. See the forbidden fruit as a picture of the law that many are trying to obey in order to be godly in Paul's typology in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG) -

"Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me..."

Satan, through his agents behind many pulpits, is still seducing people to eat from this tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the law) in order to be godly (be like God.) The result is sin has dominion and death reigns.

Beware of any pastor that tells you that a believer in Christ has to do things to break generational or other curses after "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law...." (Galatians 3:13)

Believer, by grace, believe right. See Paul's typology of Hagar and Sarah as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to raise Isaac (the church- you and I in Christ.) God's Grace is sufficient for us; His strength is made perfect in weakness.

Grace is undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. It cannot be earned. It can only be received. Only when we receive God's abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to live in triumph over sin and death ( including all of death's symptoms like lack, sickness, depression, etc)-

""For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

Beware of that "balanced message." Grace is more than enough to train us in the Way of right living.

Right believing always produces right living.


http://rightbelieving101..com/2018/08/beware-of-balanced-message.html?m=1

uekejiuba:
This inspiring.....thanks for this.

You welcome bro

Thank you Lord...

Hello

Lord Jesus