Ephesians 2:4-10 (KJV) 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
These are some basic scriptures that should quicken your spirit when you hear the teachings of false prophets and teachers. The one above is a wonderful one and is truly a measuring stick of “works”. Whether it is the Word of Faith movement, Government of 12, the Purpose Driven movement, New Age or Dominionism (and trust me there are vestiges of New Age in everyone of these movements, as I spent (wasted) six years of my life in the New Age movement) , they ALL practice “works”. Works of the flesh. Works of man. They all have “small groups” to “work out” problems that stand in ones ability to grow in your church and serve “it” more effectively. There are seminars on “personal growth”. There are classes on how to get God to “work” in your life through “meditation and deep breathing prayer.” How to reach your “inner man and God” though “maze walking and meditation, and long fasting.” Just to mention a few of the more popular ones.
Why, when on the Cross our precious Jesus said with his last breaths, “It is finished”, do we want to beat a now and forever dead horse to death again and again? I guess it is so simple that men that consider themselves “brilliant in matters of things religious” can not see the simple miraculous beauty of it. Christ paid it all. All we have to do is follow His amazing example, go into the lost and dying world and preach THE true gospel as given to us primarily by the Apostle Paul, and show love and concern for their eternal souls and it is FINISHED. We carry the Holy Spirit and we must trust Him to give us the right words to say when we go out into this world. But some say things like, “I just had the most brilliant thought!” and run with it almost feeling a need to copyright it so everyone will know just how clever they were. YOU had no thought. If you are a true Christian and follower of our Lord and Savior, you know that the thought was placed their by the comforter, sent by God the Father after Christ’s resurrection, and He is the Holy Spirit. If we give any credit to ourselves, it easily becomes a work of the flesh. Our enemy is so cunning and the easiest way to play us like puppets is to attack through human pride. Pride is behind every work of the flesh. Pride in its simple and healthy form is a wonderful emotion, but the one most easily corrupted by Satan. There is the pride of keeping oneself clean and presentable. We take pride in our service to our Lord. (As long as we remember we are but servants in this world) We feel a sense of pride when we buy someone a birthday gift for example and it is a hit. We let pride become fleshly when being presentable means always boasting about the label on your drawers, or fleshy pride in a position we hold in church, or when we condemn all other gifts given to someone as inferior because of our great taste and awareness makes our gifts the best always, we have turned good pride into a work of the flesh and therefore a work of the devil. And it will lead to our destruction. John 10:10 (KJV) 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
All of these different “movements” that we speak of have men of pride and arrogance at the helm. THEY have the answer for humanity not God or His written Word which they twist, misquote, and use out of context as it fits THEIR needs. It is not the finished work of the Cross, but a scheme of WORKS that can do the Cross one better. They know some things that God didn’t think of. They can make the world such an amazing place that Jesus will want to come back to it as soon as they give Him permission to leave Heaven! All that these men of “works” have done is to reopen for them, and whoever follows them, the “Law of Sin and Death” once again. Once you walk away from the finished work of the Cross, and Jesus and Him crucified, and you follow false prophets and depart from the infallible Word of God, you have made yourself subject to the law once again. Romans 8:1-9 (KJV) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And you force God’s hand to bring destruction to the church, just as His hand was forced to allow destruction of Israel in A.D. 70. Proverbs 16:17-19 (KJV) 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And you force God’s hand to bring destruction to the church, just as His hand was forced to allow destruction of Israel in A.D. 70. Proverbs 16:17-19 (KJV) 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Would it not be easier to just accept and allow the untarnished and untwisted Word of God to prevail in your life? Is it not easier and wiser to look to the Cross where MERCY met RIGHTESOUSNESS? Why when you know that the Cross of Christ bought your forever freedom from hell, death and the grave, would you turn from that incomparable free gift and follow the works of foolish and treacherous men? (Again we stress that we are aware that evil and seducing spirits encamp about these lost men and we pray daily that they will return to Christ and Him crucified and depart from seducing spirits and the teachings of devils.)
Pray, seek the Lord and open your spiritual ears. The Holy Spirit will let you know when something is not right. We know that you have made friends where you attend church and you don’t want them to think ill of you if you leave. Do friends let friends lose their salvation? Light always overcomes darkness. Return to Christ Who is the Light. John 8:12 (KJV) 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. And maybe, just maybe you will allow His light in you to shine a path for your friends to follow the way out of a church of false prophets and teachers and one that leads back to the Cross. What do you have to lose….just your soul!
Love and blessings…Dave and Patti
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