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DO NOT FORSAKE THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

by linzy bruno
3/23/2023 / Bible Studies

God is our Creator. He made us to dwell in His Kingdom with Him:

“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.” (Genesis 5:1-2)

God didn’t make Adam to live independently of Him. He made Adam and all of mankind for fellowship:

^“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1Corinthians 1:9)

^“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1John 1:6)

Jesus painstakingly (not that it was hard for Him) explained the seriousness of salvation in many Parables, Sayings and Sermons. When we consider His Foreknowledge of everything man will do, think, believe and feel, it’s not hard to figure out why He would speak in these terms. So clearly did He express the critical difference between just knowing about Him, praying once in a blue moon or when something goes wrong and desperation takes hold, and those souls who truly love Him and exalt Him and honor Him as Lord over their lives:

He taught that believers need to be grounded and rooted in Him through the Parable of the House Built on Sand in Luke 6:46-49 and Matthew 7:24-27:

²⁴“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

He illustrated what can happen to believers when they first come to Him, in the form of warning, through the Parable of the Sower or the Parable of the Four Soils in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20 & Luke 8:4-15. Theses teachings help ensure that believers not be led astray into a lukewarm doctrine, which carries the danger of merely thinking one is saved. Any sort of lukewarm doctrine, (also referred to as a watered-down gospel,) does not align with the Truth of God’s Word:

^{16 ”}So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—” (Revelation 3:16-17)

Jesus also illustrated the importance of potential believers keeping a check over themselves to make sure that following Him is the true desire of their hearts, as He Proclaimed: “Pick up your cross,” in Matthew 16:24-25 (Verse 25 being especially ominous) and echoed this command in Mark 8:34.

^24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)

Moreover, Jesus commanded His Disciples in yet another ominous warning, to “Do the Will of My Father in Heaven:”

²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

In fact, all of Matthew 7 revolves around Jesus’ Desire that we would serve Him in loving obedience and utmost devotion. As for those whom He foreknew would not have that right heart for Him, He provided many warnings, as per this discussion, and others like in Matthew 25.

He told the carnal 5 Virgins “I do not know you:”

¹¹“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹²But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” (Matthew 25:11-12)

Moreover, He even taught that believers are to hate mother, brother, father, anyone who exalts himself above God and/or teaches that others should also. He must come first, even if we have to lose friends and/or family in order to follow Him in all Truth:

²⁶“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

Additionally, Jesus taught that we need to “count the cost” in Luke 14:28; not that we pay for our salvation, but if we fail to love Him above all else, we will fail to follow Him; those who are not true to Him are not worthy. Through His Boundless Wisdom, His Purpose in this is to prevent people from ending up only thinking they are saved, when in all actuality, their only true purpose is to get as much out of Him as they can; they are not worthy even to ask for His Salvation.

Moreover, the first Commandment depicts this life-affirming Statute in Mark 12:30:

^“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.”

Notwithstanding, the doctrine of salvation is NOT burdensome! Mercifully and perfectly, Jesus makes us able to love Him with every fiber of our being. It isn’t work and it isn’t hard. It comes as naturally as breathing for anyone truly born again of the Spirit of GOD:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Further to this end, Paul picked up where Jesus left off by instilling that we ought to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling:”

^12”Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” (Philippians 2:12)

And by teaching his church to be “a living sacrifice:”

12 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

Moreover, Peter taught his church the importance of taking salvation seriously through his epistle:

^“Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1Peter 4:18)

And James introduced this Precept through his teaching that without works, faith is dead; meaning that when we believe there WILL be evidence of our faith, thanks to the Holy Spirit Who indwells us; for He motivates and enables us to do God’s Work and His Good Pleasure:

^14”What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (James 2:14-16)

Furthermore, the Bible says that even demons know of God’s Existence, therefore, they believe, but inasmuch as they do not accept His Authority they are not worthy of Heaven:

“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19)

These teachings carry the same message of what true salvation involves, not that we need to do anything to earn it, just that if we really believe in Christ Jesus, our Lord, we will willingly surrender our will for His, out of unfeigned love and a hunger to please Him, much like a child desires to please his or her parents….For He is our Father in Heaven:

^“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)

And we who truly love Him choose His Will over our own:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Therefore let us embrace and proclaim the True Gospel Message!

NKJV

Linzy is a certified Bible Counsellor, with countless republications on her viewers blogs, Bible Studies, Ezines and the like. Her portfolio includes, non-fiction articles, short stories for all ages, and Christian poetry.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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