Difference between revisions of "Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed . . ., 4"

Revision as of 13:42, 4 May 2022

Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed . . . 5

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:21)

Whereas the Apostle Paul presented Divine grace as an alternative to the Law of Moses, we of today are viewing Divine grace as an alternative to righteous behavior. In so doing we have totally misunderstood the Apostle Paul and have created moral shipwreck.

Constructed on this unscriptural foundation has been the excessive emphasis on the love of God, the pre-tribulation "rapture" of the believers, the "faith" and "prosperity" messages, and now the doctrine of "reconstructionism"—the notion that Christians are to establish the Kingdom of God on earth before the Lord returns (but the world will not be changed to righteous behavior until the Christians are changed to righteous behavior!).

The current error, that the Christian salvation is a set of beliefs and confessions that provide release from Hell and entrance into Paradise after one's death has one objective, as seen from the standpoint of Satan: to prevent the believers from understanding that when we truly are abiding in Christ we will bear the fruit of righteous behavior. Also, that if we do not bear the fruit of righteous behavior we will be cut out of Christ, out of the Vine of God.

Salvation is our change from the old man to the new man, a new creature. The old man was Adam. The new man is the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from this transformation there is no salvation. In fact, salvation is the change from unrighteousness to righteousness.

To question whether we can keep on sinning and still "go to Heaven by grace" is to reveal that the one asking the question is ignorant of the goal and program of salvation.

The issue is not whether or not we will go to Paradise when we die. The issue is whether we will or will not be a part of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not abide in Christ now, in this life, and bring forth the righteous fruit of the new creation, we will be removed from the Vine by the Father.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:2)

John 15:2 alone destroys the basis of the current teaching of grace. For this reason some teachers of today are insisting we are not bound by the Words of the Lord in the four Gospels because they were spoken before His crucifixion and resurrection, and that the teachings of the Apostle Paul supersede the teachings of the Son of God.

It could never be true that the words of a human apostle would supersede the words of the Lord Jesus. The truth is, Paul's teaching and the teaching of the Lord Jesus are identical. There is no difference between them. How could there be when the Lord Jesus was living in Paul? It is just that we have misunderstood Paul.

Notice also:

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14)

The issue is not Paradise, it is being made a partaker of Christ. Being made a partaker of Christ depends on whether we place our trust in the Lord Jesus and then walk every day in Him until the end of our discipleship on earth.

How could anything be clearer? Yet today's teaching is presenting a legal state of ascribed righteousness that makes salvation primarily a mental adherence to doctrinal principles instead of a transformation of the human being from unrighteous behavior to righteous behavior.

To be continued. Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed . . . 6

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-====Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed . . . 4====
+====Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed . . . 5====
-Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
+I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!  (Galatians 2:21)
-The clearest testimony a Christian can give concerning His Lord is righteous behavior. It seems no true Christian would argue with this.
+Whereas the Apostle Paul presented Divine grace as an alternative to the Law of Moses, we of today are viewing Divine grace as an alternative to righteous behavior. In so doing we have totally misunderstood the Apostle Paul and have created moral shipwreck.
-The tree that does not bear the fruit of righteous conduct will be cut down eventually.
+Constructed on this unscriptural foundation has been the excessive emphasis on the love of God, the pre-tribulation "rapture" of the believers, the "faith" and "prosperity" messages, and now the doctrine of "reconstructionism"—the notion that Christians are to establish the Kingdom of God on earth before the Lord returns (but the world will not be changed to righteous behavior until the Christians are changed to righteous behavior!).
-Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. (Luke 13:7-9)
+The current error, that the Christian salvation is a set of beliefs and confessions that provide release from Hell and entrance into Paradise after one's death has one objective, as seen from the standpoint of Satan: to prevent the believers from understanding that when we truly are abiding in Christ we will bear the fruit of righteous behavior. Also, that if we do not bear the fruit of righteous behavior we will be cut out of Christ, out of the Vine of God.
-The Lord Jesus warned us clearly that if we do not bear the fruit of righteous character we will be cut out of the Vine—out of Christ.
+Salvation is our change from the old man to the new man, a new creature. The old man was Adam. The new man is the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from this transformation there is no salvation. In fact, salvation is the change from unrighteousness to righteousness.
-Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:2)
+To question whether we can keep on sinning and still "go to Heaven by grace" is to reveal that the one asking the question is ignorant of the goal and program of salvation.
-If an experienced Christian does not begin to live righteously he is facing Divine judgment.
+The issue is not whether or not we will go to Paradise when we die. The issue is whether we will or will not be a part of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not abide in Christ now, in this life, and bring forth the righteous fruit of the new creation, we will be removed from the Vine by the Father.
-For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:7,8)
+Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:2)
-The purpose of the old covenant was that human beings live uprightly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. In many cases the Israelites did not mix faith with the Law of Moses. They strained over the letter of the Law and ignored justice, mercy, and faith.
-The purpose of the new covenant is that human beings live uprightly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. In many instances Christians do not mix faith with the grace of God. They present the "four steps of salvation" as an escape from Hell and a ticket to Heaven and ignore the importance God always places on justice, mercy, and faith. The believers of today often view righteous behavior as "works" that must not be "added to God's grace."
-Divine grace is being presented as an alternative to righteous behavior instead of what it is in actuality—an alternative to the Law of Moses.
+John 15:2 alone destroys the basis of the current teaching of grace. For this reason some teachers of today are insisting we are not bound by the Words of the Lord in the four Gospels because they were spoken before His crucifixion and resurrection, and that the teachings of the Apostle Paul supersede the teachings of the Son of God.
-The hand of Satan is evident in this frustrating of God's desire to produce righteous people.
+It could never be true that the words of a human apostle would supersede the words of the Lord Jesus. The truth is, Paul's teaching and the teaching of the Lord Jesus are identical. There is no difference between them. How could there be when the Lord Jesus was living in Paul? It is just that we have misunderstood Paul.
-We all understand that the Pharisees strained over the tithing of herbs, vaunted themselves, robbed widows, and performed other acts of wickedness culminating in the crucifixion of Christ.
+Notice also:
-We exclaim, "How terrible!"
+For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14)
-But we of the new covenant are doing the same thing, with some differences. We have made the Divine salvation a release from Hell and entrance into Paradise by means of "grace" instead of what God means it to be—the instrument to create righteous people.
+The issue is not Paradise, it is being made a partaker of Christ. Being made a partaker of Christ depends on whether we place our trust in the Lord Jesus and then walk every day in Him until the end of our discipleship on earth.
-In many instances (perhaps the majority of cases) the Christian people of today are ignorant of the relationship of God's salvation to righteous behavior. While all sincere believers in the Lord Jesus would claim that Christians ought to behave righteously, the concept is emphasized again and again that basically we are saved by "grace" and not by our righteous behavior.
+How could anything be clearer? Yet today's teaching is presenting a legal state of ascribed righteousness that makes salvation primarily a mental adherence to doctrinal principles instead of a transformation of the human being from unrighteous behavior to righteous behavior.
-To be continued. [[Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed . . . 5]]
+To be continued. [[Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed . . . 6]]