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 In my book, I also go over encounters that I had with some true Christians outside of the “Church of Christ” who I then perceived to be over-zealous fanatics. Because they would seem so full of joy and enthusiasm when they would talk about Jesus and what He did on the cross.  And, for the life of me, as a CoC member, I could not figure out why in the world anyone would be so joyful about Jesus merely making a way for us to save ourselves through works of obedience. Because, for me, it had always been horrible news (and rightly so), because I just knew I was going to fail on “my part” and end up in Hell.  Any honest person would!

     As a former, fourth generation member of the CoC, my testimony reveals that there is no true possession of the gospel in the CoC. There is just possession of a system that Jesus supposedly left us with. But the true gospel is that Jesus actually accomplished redemption on the cross for His people, rather than just making a system available, where one can redeem themselves.  Jesus never made a way for God to lower His perfect standard of righteousness!  On the contrary, Jesus fulfilled God’s perfect standard of righteousness on behalf of His people.  He died for their sins so that they can have His perfect righteousness credited to their account, and so they can serve God out of a loving and reverent fear, rather than a legalistic fear.

     In the CoC we were theologically conditioned to believe a different gospel and “hope for the best,” thinking our good would somehow outweigh the bad.  But reality constantly testified to the fact that it was impossible! Although I believed in God with all my heart, I had a hard time believing in a Savior that supposedly died for everyone but allowed many that He supposedly died for to perish in Hell.  Our false doctrines made me think that whatever He did for sinners, it must not have been enough to save us from ourselves, let alone save us from Hell.  So although I thought that I had come to Jesus to be saved, I still lived in constant fear that He would allow me to perish in Hell if I didn’t do everything “just right.”

     But I didn’t realize then that I had come to another Jesus, one not represented in Holy Scriptures.  It was a different Jesus and a different spirit that I had received; a Jesus who was unloving and untrustworthy unless I “did my part;” a Savior who couldn’t really save, unless I saved myself; a taskmaster who would meet me in the waters of baptism, but leave me as soon as I rose out of the water and sinned again.  So I began to feel as if I would have had more hope if I had drowned in the waters of baptism.

     Yet, while going through the physical process, there was this grand illusion of resurrection to new life, because that’s what we were led to believe baptism literally did. While under such suggestive, baptismal regeneration conditioning, one couldn’t help but to imagine that one’s sins were literally being washed away in the water, due to the trick terminology used.  But in practical reality… it never played out that way.     

Inwardly, I had become even worse, for to my former guilt I had added the sin of self-righteousness. But even though I was told that I was now a Christian, my conscience was still far from being purged from guilt, no matter how hard I tried to believe that I had actually come to Christ in baptism.  I was told that I had peace where there was no peace (Jer. 6:14).

     Instead of carrying God’s pardon sealed in my heart by the Holy Spirit, through faith in Jesus, I then had to carry the added burden of trying to earn God’s pardon by throwing myself into the CoC’s “second laws of pardon.”  For although we were taught that baptism was supposed to initially put one into Christ, and initially put one into right standing with God, we were also taught that one could fall from grace out of Christ as soon as one sins.

    This was a classic example of tap water theology, where one turns the grace of God on or off at will.  One minute I would be repenting for a certain sin that would immediately be replaced by another….and then another.  And yet, this was the vicious cycle that I had to learn to live with, as one who was still dead in sins and trespasses, for I had not been truly changed and born again by the sanctifying power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

     Instead, I was deceived by a false support system that could only support me as long as I supported myself, by fulfilling the “second laws of pardon” that allowed me to “grow in Christ,” which meant gaining more salvation brownie-points.  So, like many, I became extremely “religious,” but still lived just as worldly as any other lost sinner.  Because, in the CoC anything went, as long as it was socially sanctioned and/or popularized on television.

     Since we didn’t have formal, doctrinal positions to safeguard any kind of true, biblical structure in our lives, we could believe or do anything outside the church that we wanted, as long as we just kept a misguided trust in the CoC’s outward codes of behavior and its unique interpretations of Scripture.

     I thoroughly go over how the CoC’s conditioning process produced a type of religious schizophrenia, for we had to disassociate our legalistic and perfectionist theology from our worldly lifestyles and our lust for worldly entertainment.  This was the only way we could still claim to be Christian, and yet still fit in with the world.  So, predictably, we ended up blending in perfectly with the world. 

     Instead of being separate from the world as “salt and light,” our selective perceptions allowed us to choose those things which were of the devil, disassociate them from our theology, and still maintain our social status as a “Christian.” After all, it was still fashionable to be considered a Christian.  But in instances where it wasn’t, we kept silent and made sure to never “rock the boat.”  

In my book I unfold how compulsive conformity was the name of the game in the CoC. Far from promoting spiritual growth in the midst of life’s problems, the CoC’s system of theology served to promote neurotic and psychotic tendencies that affected how we viewed ourselves and God. Although we sincerely thought we were “doing right,” we were actually being led further and further away from the true God and Savior of Scripture.  Sincerity is no guarantee of Heaven.  As it has often been said, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” And there are many ways to Hell, but only one Way to Heaven….the true Jesus of the Bible.

Copyright ©2019 by Lee Anne Ferguson

   

    

 

    

Sadly, the “Church of Christ” embraces a false gospel and a false Christ that cannot save. As a fatal consequence, the CoC system collapses and falls under the same condemnation as Romanism and the Israel of Apostle Paul’s day, which embraced God but rejected His message (Rom. 10:1-3).

     This is not a matter of splitting hairs, for there is nothing more important than knowing the way of salvation through Jesus Christ.  And the issue is not whether doctrine or Christ saves, which is just a false dichotomy.  The issue is what the gospel really is, Who Christ really is, and how He really saves.  We are commanded to believe the gospel (Mk. 1:15), not a false version of it, which God places under a divine curse (Gal. 1:6-9). The CoC’s baptismal regeneration gospel is a fatally false gospel that leads to eternal damnation.

      When a system claims to be Christian but doesn’t have the doctrine of Christ, (the truth about the work and Person of Jesus Christ), it doesn’t have the true God and Savior, but falls under the condemnation of 2 John 7-11 as being a deceiver and an anti-Christ.  That’s what makes this so serious.

Over fifteen years ago, I began to realize that the Christ of the “Church of Christ” was not matching up with Scripture, for God was leading me to seek, to know and to trust in the true Christ.  But, before then, I had been a self-righteous “Pharisee of Pharisees,” a devout follower of the CoC my entire life, heavily involved in its advance, and knowing it’s doctrines inside and out.  I unfortunately raised my children in it for many years, and even taught its Sunday school for well over a decade.  After all, I was trained very well.

      My grandmother would have had it no other way.  She had already set the precedent for all of us to become strict adherents of the CoC.  But God, in His great mercy, kept me from becoming another carbon copy, and He kept me too spiritually inquisitive to continue to conform to CoC obscurity.

     No wonder grandma was never too enthused when I’d come running into her kitchen as a child, with new discoveries about God’s creation; like the beautiful designs I’d find on a butterfly or the design of His perfectly formed snail and periwinkle shells I’d collect from the nearby branch that inspired my artwork.  She always made it clear that it was forbidden to talk about God on an intimately personal level, because it made her so uncomfortable.

     Grandma would even shy away when I’d refer to the field next to the branch as “God’s Meadow,” a special place I’d go to pray as a child, for God always seemed to be revealing Himself there in the light of creation, as Creator of all things (Rom. 1:20).  So it was very confusing to my quiet little spirit when grandma’s air of condescension always relayed the message that it was a waste of my time to write about it, or to express it artistically. 

     Because, as my Sunday school teacher, she would religiously teach me gospel hymns and Bible stories.  Even so, the emphasis was strictly on good, moral behavior, to the exclusion of genuine faith in Christ, along with the mundane challenge of surface-level questions at the end of class…as if Jesus was just an impersonal, imaginary, storybook character with good morals.  

     So it would always throw grandma for a loop when I would ask her much deeper questions, like whether she looked forward to being with Jesus (sadly she never could answer in the affirmative), or about all the Scriptures concerning the link between predestination and salvation, for our church always seemed to skip (or stumble) over those parts.

     When pressed for clarification, obscure answers were always backed with the same escape clause, “Well, we just can’t be sure what that means; we just have to try to do the best we can and hope for the best.” Yet I knew deep down that God must have revealed them in His Word for a reason, for “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever” (Deut. 29:29).

     Looking back, it has become increasingly clear, that our minds were blinded by the CoC’s theoretical theories, which would cast such doubt, obscurity and confusion upon Scripture.  However, God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). That is what deception does. It dismantles the capacity to think God’s Word through, according to the language in which it was written, its historical context, the identity and purpose of each author, and who it was originally being addressed to in each situation. True, biblical exegesis interprets what the original text actually conveys and means in context, whereas the CoC’s unbiblical eisegesis inserts foreign meanings into the text, which creates a pretext to hide the true meaning.

     Without the standard rules of interpretation, people are led to believe truth and error are just differences in opinion.  This began in the Garden of Eden when the serpent tempted Eve to doubt what God had actually said (Gen. 3:1).  Those who are unstable and unlearned are still taking portions of Scripture that are hard to understand, and are twisting them to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16).  “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4).

     So even if one acquired a Ph.D. in theology, it would still never be a cure for spiritual blindness.  Because, when it comes to spiritually understanding God’s Word, and loving Who He really is, we must first be born from above and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.  For “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).   

     Sometimes the truth hurts, because it’s hard for our sinful flesh to accept God’s absolute sovereignty. We all have our weak points and blind spots. And, while it’s true that we can’t understand all of God’s ways, what He has revealed to us, we are to accept and shout from the housetops, and what He speaks to us in the dark, we are to speak in the light (Deut. 29:29, Mt. 10:27). For “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light” (LK. 11:33).

    By these truths many are strengthened in their faith, for “he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (Jn. 3:21).  But, there will be some who reject and rebel against the truth, for “every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (Jn. 3:20).

     Today, the “hive mind” stronghold in our technologically advanced era is also dumbing down minds to the point of disabling the ability to think theology through. And when false notions are called into question or exposed, many have a theologically conditioned response, where they automatically assume a false persecution complex that triggers a hostile defense mechanism.  Instead of a willingness to submit to the judgment of Scripture with a teachable spirit, many take personal affront.

     Through the subtle art of redefinition, many are being tempted to compartmentalize between the character of Christ revealed in Scripture and the character of another Christ that’s being promoted by society’s false religious systems.  Many are willingly brainwashed against deep theological studies that challenge faulty interpretations and preconceived notions. A false gospel that’s hammered home repeatedly, programs minds to shut out anything that challenges it, and blinds them to its spiritual ramifications.

     Still, we must not get discouraged, for Jesus said His people will be led by the Spirit into all truth (Jn. 16:13). They will be given the “Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive” (Jn. 14:17).  They will know the truth and the truth will set them free from the dominion of sin and false religion (Jn. 8:31-32).  They will “be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), for God teaches them by illuminating Scripture to their heart and mind (Jn. 6:45).  Those who savingly believe in the true Christ will not abide in darkness (Jn. 12:46), for God has ordained the means to rescue them.

     This is why I write and “endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10).  It is my duty as a servant of the Lord, to use the means that He provides, in order to unpack the truth, where Scripture interprets Scripture.  It speaks for itself.  What seems obscure in one place will be made clearer in another, so that it can all be taken as a whole to get the full meaning. 

     Acts 17:11-12 tells us of Apostle Paul’s encounter with noble-minded Bereans. These men and women were not only ready to receive God’s Word, but they also searched the Scriptures daily for themselves, to see if all they were being told was true.  Not only does this scenario show us that women are to be involved in theological matters too, but that we all need to apply ourselves to know the truth, even if it threatens our status quo. 

     Therefore, Theological Thoughts are prayerfully woven throughout the fabric of this work, to help readers to think their theology through, for we are commanded to commit ourselves to the Lord so that our “thoughts shall be established” (Prov. 16:3). And comparison/contrast writings are often the means that God uses to bring our thoughts into sharper focus.  Proclaiming the light of the gospel and exposing the lies hidden in darkness, helps God’s people to discern the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 Jn. 4:5-6). By evaluating the evidence, they can make informed decisions on what to believe, based on what God’s Word actually conveys.

     “Group think,” on the other hand, thrives on spiritual ignorance, and manipulates minds on the basis of gaining control and authority.  This is why many, who embrace the CoC system of thought, don’t even realize what they’re being taught to believe, or the serious implications of those beliefs.  And when false religion convinces people that absolute truth is not really knowable or obtainable, it blasphemously implies that God is not able to reveal Himself and His truth to His people.  That’s when the devil slips in.  The more people can be convinced that God has failed to preserve and reveal His truth…. the easier a replacement system can be carried out.   

     Philippians 4:8 says our thoughts are to be upon things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report, all of which are a perfect description of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Yet, mixing the gospel with worldly views, shows a low esteem for the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.  Worse yet, truth mixed with error is no longer truth at all (1 Jn. 2:21), but becomes false, dishonest, unjust, impure, ugly and a bad report. Sowing seeds of the gospel mixed with worldly philosophies and opinions of man, leads to a false Jesus, and therefore, becomes a false gospel. No wonder Scripture warns us to abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22).  For what could be more manifestly evil than a false gospel that leads to Hell?

     The idea that one can “chew up the meat and spit out the bones,” also has its limits when it comes to bad theology, because it can lead to becoming an excuse for tolerating deceptive doctrine, or for allowing it to go unchecked. Scripture warns that “alittle leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6).  It also warns that we cannot be partakers of the Lord’s Table and of the devil’s table (1 Cor. 10:21). Even common sense tells us that chewing meat that’s mixed with bones can be a choking hazard.

     When Paul identified false brethren, he was being wise, discerning and loving by warning others. Yet the world still continues to accuse faithful Christians of being unloving and judgmental when they warn of God’s judgment. But we are to never cower or shrink back from exposing serious departures from the Christian faith behind an unbiblical concept of love.

     While “the truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth,” Christians are still commanded to commit themselves to pulling down strongholds and “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4-5).  This extends to stern warnings to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11), for true “love rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6).  

     Therefore, exposing error and proclaiming the gospel are two aspects of the same task, which may be one reason this documentary has proven the old adage true… that “truth shines brightest against the backdrop of error.”

“For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor. 11:19).

Copyright ©2019 by Lee Anne Ferguson

Excerpt from chapter 3….Proud to be “Humble”

There was such a deep resentment in the church toward any who seemed to live holier than we did, especially if they gave credit for their godly living to the power of God’s grace, rather than the oppressive CoC doctrines that we had to follow.  Because we took pride in the fact that we believed one must live right. Yet we were hypocritical in how we actually lived, due to our false humility and self-imposed religion that had no true power against sinful indulgences.

“These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Col. 2:23, NKJV).

     No wonder there was such a vicious animosity and jealousy toward any who claimed to actually be saved.  I remember verses (e.g. Rom. 12:3) that were pulled out of context and used against them, to try to make them look like they were evil for daring to have blessed assurance in Jesus’ power to save and change them through simple faith in Him alone. ₂

     It was falsely assumed that all who claimed such assurance were abusers of grace who thought they had a license to sin.  The CoC system contained no knowledge of how a truly saved person would battle sin and serve Christ out of love, rather than legalistic fear. Therefore, it had to resort to obedience-based control in order to keep its unconverted members in line.

     So, consequently, we were theologically trained to believe that if anyone had a right to God’s favor… it had to be us….because we worked for it.  Since our doctrines nourished the belief that we were better than others, we were inevitably led to believe that God was indebted to us. So, sadly, we were not only set up for boasting, but for inevitable failure, for we were paradoxically proud to be “humble.”

     “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

     Although our doctrines indicated that we had to be absolutely perfect or end up in Hell, deep down we all knew that we couldn’t really pull off perfection.  So we excused our sins (especially the sin of self-righteousness) by constantly and legalistically performing what we thought was repentance for our sins, according to our “second laws of pardon” doctrine.₃

     This man-made idea is strikingly similar to the Roman Catholic sacrament of “penance” (the so-called “second plank” of justification), where one must try to regain the salvation one initially had in baptism, but lost again and again due to sins committed after baptism. In summary, subsequent works were necessary after baptism, as a secondary means of justification.

     So, although I was constantly performing what I thought was repentance, there was never a true removal of guilt, for the sin supposedly pardoned through repentance one minute was replaced by another sin the next!  And it had the potential to land me in Hell just as surely as the one previously pardoned!  So, without the true gospel, I had to try to stay sane by either adopting an antinomian view of sin (an abuse of God’s grace as an excuse to live in sin), or else become an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist.

     Although our “second laws of pardon” were conditioned upon our own works, the CoC claimed that these works were exempt from Paul’s condemnation of works salvation, because they were supposedly works of a different category….those that baptism had made acceptable for salvation.           

     The CoC would also elusively dodge Paul’s condemnation of works salvation by giving lip service to the fact that one couldn’t earn salvation.  But what was really meant was that one could not initially earn salvation, for one could not lay the sacramental groundwork for salvation, which Jesus supposedly did when He instituted baptism.  But after baptism, “works” of repentance, faith, etc….could be meritorious, for they were now “baptized works,” acceptable for meriting or earning salvation.  So, the gist was that one couldn’t earn salvation by works…until after baptism, which was still a salvation by works… just misleadingly worded different.

Copyright ©2019 by Lee Anne Ferguson.

 Arminianism is the belief that Jesus died and did all He could for everyone, so that the only people who would be saved by His atonement are those who would be “better than others” and cause the atonement to be effective by doing their part. But this fails to acknowledge the extent of our fallen nature and the fact that faith and repentance must now be granted by God based on Jesus’ merits (e.g. Acts15:9, 18:27, Eph.1:19, 2Tim.2:25, 1Pet.1:21, 2Pet.1:1). As a result of what God accomplished in times past, it is worked out thru people’s actions in the process of time. So although it’s not always easy for God’s people to distinguish the working out of God’s will in their coming to Christ, God was the first cause of their coming for “the preparations of the heart, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord” (Prov.16:1).

The Holy Spirit must first apply God’s enabling gifts to His peoples account before they can respond to the gospel. Repentance and faith are actually provisions of the gospel that enable God’s people to fulfill His commands. Regeneration and quickening by the Holy Spirit occurs before anyone even has the desire to respond to the gospel call (Ps.110:3, 1Cor.2:14, 4:7). Or else there’d be no need for a Savior and Jesus would have died in vain!

The spiritual gifts necessary for responding to the gospel (faith and repentance) were obtained for God’s people by Christ Jesus (Eph1:3, 4:8). In other words, God has provided what He commands, or else no one would be saved. Yet, false teachers convolute the whole gospel by teaching that we must first conjure up our own faith and repentance (in a degenerate, fallen state) and then Jesus’ atonement would atone.  How ridiculous!

How could anyone wholeheartedly put their trust in Christ if His atonement didn’t actually atone— unless our works are added to it —-to make Jesus die for us? How ludicrous! How can anyone be called to trust in an inefficient atonement that would allow some that He died for to slip thru the cracks? How could anyone trust in an atonement that couldn’t even save His people from themselves, let alone from hell!!?? Yet, this is the kind of blasphemy that’s being preached today!

 The true gospel and the true nature of the atonement is that it actually atoned and was actually purposed by God the Father to fulfill what it was intended to accomplish. God the Son actually purchased those it was intended for. God the Holy Spirit actually applies the merits of it to the “purchased possessions” in the process of time (Eph.1:14). Any divergence from the true nature of the atonement and eternal security would fall apart.  It is unconditional or else we could earn or lose our salvation.

Thank God for the truth, so that those who are truly concerned for the salvation of their souls thru Jesus Christ can have the blessed assurance that Jesus’ blood atonement actually secures, because it’s an unconditional atonement, based solely on God’s “election of grace,” not our works (Rom.11:5-8).

So those who end up in hell can’t blame it on an insufficient atonement and they can’t blame it on God’s election of grace. God isn’t unfair or unjust by sending people to hell due to their total corruption and rejection of Jesus Christ. They will be in hell because they are the seeds of the serpent by their own fallen “free” will to serve sin and satan, rather than the seeds of promise by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ.

God’s judgment is righteous and He divides the darkness as He sees fit and He does it sinlessly and righteously. No one will be in hell due to any unfairness on God’s part, because we all deserved hell, but He’s chosen to have mercy on some. And He’s set it up this way so that no one will have an excuse for their sin (which deserves hell) and so that the elect cannot boast that they are any “better than others”—- (like Arminianism does).

God’s eternal redemption is based solely on His grace and mercy for He has the right to “have mercy on whom He wills and to harden whom He wills (Rom9:18). Because He’s God, we should fear before Him and plead for His mercy. So, instead of the belief of just “doing our part”—-hoping Jesus “makes up the difference”—–

Scripture holds true

—-Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The error of Arminianism is not that it holds the Biblical doctrine of responsibility but that it equates this doctrine with an unbiblical doctrine of “freewill” and preaches the two things as though they were synonymous.  The truth is that man’s will is always exercised in harmony with his nature and, as his nature is at enmity to God, so is his will. Rom.8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Man being fallen, his will cannot be neutral or “free” to act contrary to his nature. Freewill has carried many souls to hell, but never a soul to heaven.

Man’s spiritual inability is due solely to his sin and therefore it in no way lessens his responsibility. That man must be able to believe and repent in order to be responsible for unbelief and impenitency is a philosophical conception nowhere found in Scripture.  In fact it is directly contrary to Scripture because, if responsibility were to be measured by ability, then it would mean that the more sinful a man becomes the less he is responsible!

When theologians speak of man’s free-agency, which is essential to moral responsibility, they mean that man’s will is “free” from any external compulsion to sin.  In this sense man has a free-will (which is obviously different from the Arminian usage of the term) and it makes our position one of terrible personal accountability for our actions.

See: Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon, (Carlisle, PA:  The Banner of Truth Trust, 1994), pp. 61, 62.

Salvation “is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who showeth mercy” (Rom.9:16).

“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn.1:13).

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph.1:11).

 

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Rom.8:7).

“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Cor.2:14).

 

^{So pray ——-}

 ^“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:

 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Eph.1:17-19).

It’s ironic to know that Arminian churches (such as Churches of Christ, Methodists, Disciples of Christ, Catholics, Freewill Baptists, etc.) sing gospel songs that were written by those whom they claim are heretics in hell. Talk about straining at a nat and swallowing a camel!! For example, “Rock of Ages” was written by Augustus Toplady, who also wrote:

“Freewill” is an Arminian idol” 

 “A man’s “freewill” cannot even cure him of a toothache, or of a sore finger, yet he madly thinks it is in its power to cure his soul”

The greatest judgment which God himself can, in the present life, inflict upon a man is to leave him in the hand of his own boasted “freewill”

John Newton the writer of “Amazing Grace” wrote:

“Of all people who engage in controversy, we, who are called Calvinists, are most expressly bound by our own principles to the exercise of gentleness and moderation.”

“This is faith: a renouncing of everything we are apt to call our own and relying wholly upon the blood, righteousness and intercession of Jesus.”

And the list goes on and on, which is no wonder why the gospel songs sung in those churches totally contradict the false, watered-down gospel that’s preached behind their pulpits. For example, “Nothing but the Blood,” “Glory to His Name,” “At the cross,” etc. —-clearly proclaim where the blood of Jesus was applied to His people and it was NOT in water baptism or any other outward ceremony or action! (e.g. Eph.2:13-16). In fact, NONE of the gospel songs EVER insinuate that it is, because it’s not.

Sadly, Arminian churches filter songs such as “Nothing but the Blood” thru the humanistic philosophy that His blood only made people “savable” depending on their “freewill” actions.  But if they had ears to hear they’d realize that Jesus Christ is our ONLY plea, not our actions.  Again, the song “Amazing Grace,” never insinuates that grace only made it “possible” for a wretch like me to do what it takes to get saved, because that’s not the Bibles version of grace.  God’s Word  makes it clear that Jesus actually “saves” and He does it to the uttermost, based on His merits, not ours (Heb.7:25, 9:12).  He’s not just a hypothetically potential Savior but an actual Savior of actual people that He has chosen.

Arminian churches filter songs such as “Amazing Grace” thru the Roman Catholic idea that grace is “necessary” to do everything it takes to be saved but not sufficient to save in and of itself without our help or cooperation. Naturally when doctrines of devils deceive people into believing their salvation is dependent upon them, they will end up having no “Blessed Assurance” (another song legalists can’t sing in sincerity).  Because naturally if one thinks they must do something to be saved, one will also feel they must do something to keep it, rather than believing we are kept by the power of God, thru His irrevocable gift of faith (Rom.11:29, Eph.2:8-10, Phil.1:29, 1Pet.1:5, etc.).

When Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith we can sing gospel songs with a sincere heart, knowing He has granted us a new heart that’s enabled to obey Him out of love and gratitude, rather than legalistic bondage, where sin has dominion. For only God can “make us perfect in every good work to do His will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb.13:21).

God’s Word reveals in the book of Galatians that a fall from grace occurs when one begins to trust their own “freewill” initiative to enter into God’s promises by works and going thru a physical process. False teachers had come in with this damnable heresy and taught that although faith is needed, more must be ADDED in order to be truly saved (Gal.5:4).

Apostle Paul stood strongly against the heresy of faith PLUS works, which was being slipped in by work-righteous heretics who were telling the Galatians that they needed to add circumcision to their faith in Christ, in order to be saved. They were subtly teaching that Jesus’ work on behalf of His people was not sufficient for salvation and that works had to be ADDED to the equation. As a result, they caused many Galatians to fall from grace into works.

Romans 11:6 clearly states that salvation is by God’s grace alone, NOT works, or else it would no longer be grace. Ephesians 2:8-1o also makes it clear that one can only be saved by God’s grace in granting the gift of faith in Christ, not of ourselves or our own works. Or else Christ died in vain (Gal.2:21).

False religions are STILL committing the Galatian heresy by adding works to faith in Christ and some even go to the extent of teaching that salvation by circumcision has been replaced with salvation by water baptism (such as the “Church of Christ” religion). In a “Church of Christ” publication, they write that “Circumcision was the covenant God made between Himself and His people. Baptism is God’s covenant for men today to become His children.” (housetohouse.com/article on the purpose of baptism).  Scripture NEVER indicates that baptism has replaced circumcision (Rom2:29, Col.2). 

Little do they realize that neither circumcision nor baptism can save anyone.  “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Gal.5:6). And without this true saving faith, all works are dead and done by those who are dead in their sins and trespasses, who’ve never had their spirits quickened from the dead by the Holy Spirit applying the gifts and merits of Jesus’ work to their account (Eph.1, 2, 4:8). Because all those Jesus died for WILL have a measure of faith that produces TRUE works of righteousness, done in love and DONE IN CHRIST (Rom.12:3, Acts 13:48, 2 Thess.3:2).

Even in the Old Testament, God’s people were saved by faith alone, in Christ alone (Rom.4). All the works of the law pointed forward to Christ, whom they were to believe. And even now, the law (which extends to all works) points back to Christ, whom we are to have faith in. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who BELIEVE” (Rom.10:4). He fulfilled all righteousness on behalf of His people so that they don’t work to be saved, but work BECAUSE they are saved and now hate their sin and love God, Who now works in them to do His will (Phil.2:13).

The tree has to first be made good by God, THEN it can produce good fruits. But false religion always puts the fruit before the tree, which convolutes the entire gospel. A bad, dead in sins tree cannot go through a physical process, such as baptism, and expect to be saved as a result. One must FIRST be born of the Spirit in the washing and renewing of Holy Spirit regeneration—-not baptismal regeneration, which is a damnable heresy.

All thru Scripture water refers to the Holy Spirit (Jn.3:5 original Greek translation means: “water EVEN the Spirit”). In Jn.7:38-39 Jesus even says, “He that believes upon me shall have rivers of living WATER flowing from them. And He was referring to the Spirit, which they whom believe upon Him shall receive”…….Did He leave out anything? NO! Yet, false teachers want to complicate the gospel of Christ by ADDING works to the equation (Titus 3:5).

This is why in 2 Cor.11:3-4 Paul said he feared minds would be corrupted by the subtlety of the devil, from the simplicity that is in Christ. He feared they’d fall for a different gospel and put up with those who try to complicate the true gospel of God’s grace alone, thru faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal.5:1).

The “Church of Christ” religion teaches the damnable heresy of baptismal regeneration, which perverts God’s plan of redemption by teaching that one can be saved by being baptized, whereas the Bible conveys that one can only be saved by God’s grace, thru His gift of faith in Jesus’ merits ALONE. Baptism is only a symbolic ordinance that declares one has already been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, Who alone can apply the merits of Jesus’ sacrifice to our account, so that we’re enabled to obey the gospel call to repent of sins and follow Jesus IN FAITH.

Scripture reveals that the “Church of Christ” religion commits a “negative inference fallacy” concerning Mark 16:16, because Scripture never says one can’t be saved unless they’re baptized. However, it does clearly state that one can’t be saved unless they believe (e.g. John 3:18, 36; 6:53-54, 8:24, Mark 16:16). And one can only have saving faith if they’ve been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, NOT by baptism (Titus 3:5).

Heretical “Church of Christ” creeds on baptismal regeneration stem from Roman Catholicism.

Here are just a few citations from the Roman Catholic Catechism that coincides with the creeds that the CoC says it doesn’t have:

• “the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation (#1129, p.  292).
• “Baptism is necessary for salvation…. The church does not know any other means other than baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude” (#1257 p.  320).
• “By baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.” (#1263 p.  321).
• “The Church bears within itself and “administers” the totality of the means of salvation” (#868 p.  230), …….(which coincides with the usually silent but practiced “Church of Christ” doctrine of “Divine Absolution” by means of a “Church of Christ” mediator who can “administer” the necessary requirements for salvation).

By divine providence, the silent but deadly creeds within the “Church of Christ” are finally being revealed in a “Church of Christ” publication called “House to House.” (Go to www.housetohouse.com). And you will find that in (Vol.18, No.2) they mention “Divine Absolution” on the very front page, where it’s said that the apostles offered the people “Divine Absolution” by offering to baptize them!!

“Divine Absolution” and the false “freewill” doctrine are purely Roman Catholic Doctrines with the sole purpose of exalting man over God, which reveals a spirit of antichrist. In this respect, the “Church of Christ” never completely broke away from Roman Catholicism and is gradually being led back into it thru these heresies.

God’s Word reveals that there is only one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus (1Tim.2:5). Only He can administer what’s necessary for our salvation (saving faith), for He obtained it and all other spiritual blessings that accompany salvation (repentance, obedience, etc.), so that those who are His are able to believe through grace (Acts 18:27, Rom.8:32, 2Cor.3:5, Eph.1:3, 4:8, Phil.4:19).

Anyone involved in damnable heresy cannot enter heaven (Gal.5:20-21, 2Pet.2:1). Anyone who believes a false gospel cannot be saved. The true gospel is all about what Jesus has done to save His people and enable them to obey, not what we do by our own “freewill” to merit salvation. The true gospel is a call to repentance and faith in Jesus’ merits alone. Pray that God will have mercy on you and grant you repentance and the gift of faith to believe in the merits of Jesus ALONE so that you can be saved……Do not delay, time is running out!!

 

How can anything holy be sinful? It seems contradictory doesn’t it? …… But it’s not. 

In Exodus 28:38 we’re shown that the High Priest Aaron (Moses brother and an Old Testament type, who prefigured Christ) had to offer blood atonement for God’s people even when they offered “holy things.” Because in the O.T. even their holy things (service to God) had to be purified before they could be acceptable to God. He is completely pure and holy, so that NOTHING less than perfect holiness can enter His holy presence. 

This O.T. scenario was only the shadow of what Jesus as High Priest does for His people today. He’s always in the presence of God the Father, interceding for His people and pleading His blood on their behalf. He has sprinkled His blood on the mercy seat of heaven in the “Holiest of all” (Heb.9:8). And there in the presence of God the Father, He pleads His finished work on the cross, where He took upon Himself the guilt, not only of sins actually committed but the guilt of our corrupted sin nature, which has alienated us from God. 

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa.53:6). Jesus came to earth to live the perfect life we could never live because of our fallen condition, which is why Jesus came to fulfill all righteousness on our behalf.  Because even when we’ve done all He’s commanded (including baptism), we’ve still fallen short of His glory. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23, 9-20; 7:18, 20).   

Yet, many believe we’ve not fallen so far from God that we can’t still please Him. Their motto is “we’re not that bad, so God’s not that mad.” They don’t believe God expects perfection and so doesn’t hold us to that standard. They believe that if we “just do the best we can” our good works will somehow outweigh the bad. However, Jesus said, “be perfect, for your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mt.5:48). And, “be holy for I am holy (1Pet.1:16). Again, NOTHING less than perfect holiness can enter His holy presence. 

Jesus said that even if we did all that’s commanded and required of us, we should say to ourselves, “I am an unprofitable servant” (Lk.17:10). Because nothing we “DO” could EVER possibly save us. Even good works (holy things) must be repented of, for they fall short of perfection, which is what God’s perfect holiness requires.  He hasn’t lowered His standards just because of our sin, which is why we need a Savior.  James 2:10 makes it clear that if we sin only once in a lifetime, it’s enough to earn an eternity in hell, for sin is an eternal offense with eternal consequences. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ” (Rom.6:23). 

Jesus bore the “iniquity of holy things,” by taking upon Himself the guilt of any error, mistake or wrong motive His people would ever have while offering service to God. Our holy things can only be accepted by God thru the perfect holiness and righteousness of Jesus Christ. We must be born again by the Holy Spirit, Who alone can apply the merits of Jesus’ sacrifice to our account.  We can offer God NOTHING acceptable apart from having Jesus’ righteousness imputed to us thru the gift of faith (Rom.4, Phil.3:9).

So remember friend, any attempt to appease God by works is an abomination to Him. “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa.64:6). . Instead we must put all our hope and trust in Jesus Christ, Who alone can present us holy and unblameable before God (Col.1:22). Just as the High Priest in the O.T. figuratively bore and took away the “iniquity of  holy things” by sacrifice and intercession, Jesus as High Priest does this today, as He presents His own holiness to God the Father on behalf of His people, so that they can “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1Pet.2:5).

Recently I was shown a brochure many are finding in their mailboxes these days.  The main subject of this one was why there’s suffering in the world.  I’d also just recently heard a speech on the same subject, by a well-known Christian, Joni Erickson Tada, who’s been quadriplegic most of her life.  She explained how many today push the idea that God is just a distant observer who’s not really personally involved in His creation and that evil and suffering just happens randomly. Ironically, this is also what that brochure was pushing and its called Deism.   But Joni explained what she called the “theology of suffering,” where God allows what He hates in order to accomplish what He loves.  And she said God’s sovereignty in suffering can be better understood if we look to the suffering of Jesus.

For example, in Acts2:23 and 4:28 we see that God determined beforehand what would happen to Jesus.  We also see here how God ordains for His purposes to be brought about by “wicked hands.”  He sovereignly directed their wickedness to fulfill His purposes, even though they didn’t realize it (Prov.20:24, Jer.10:23).  And although the wicked do it from evil motives, God does it sinlessly, for He cannot do evil (Job 34:10-12). 

Even as far back as Genesis 45:5-8 we see God directing the evil actions of the wicked in order to bring about His purposes.  Joseph’s brothers meant evil against him, but Gen. 50:20 says God meant it for good, because He is good and all that He does is good.  In fact, He works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom.8:28).  So we can be comforted in knowing that we can have hope in God, for there is no random, purposeless evil or suffering in this world.

So are the wicked excused because God directs their wickedness to fulfill His purposes?  Absolutely not, because God didn’t cause them to be wicked, He only directed the evil that was already in their heart.  We are all responsible to God no matter what (Rom. 9:20).  And even when God works good from our evil, we cannot take any credit for it.  Yet, if God hadn’t set up everything this way, we’d think we could control everything and even take credit for our own salvation.  But God has set everything up so perfectly, that we might get a glimpse of how beautiful and miraculous His grace and mercy really is.

But personally, even after writing about the sovereignty of God for over 2 years now, I still can’t completely wrap my feeble mind around it.  And it seems that along with every article I’ve written, God in His mercy has often disciplined me thru some very painful depths of suffering to bring me to the end of myself.  Perhaps to save me from the prideful pitfalls that often happen when one tries to proclaim the beauty of God’s sovereignty and salvation.  All I know is that it’s been only in my weaknesses that I’ve truly been able to realize the strength of God’s grace.

And so when it comes to God’s sovereignty, in puddles of tears and pleas for mercy, I have to confess, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it” (Psa. 139:6).  “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out” (Rom.11:33).  So along with Paul I have to say, I am determined to know nothing among you, except Christ and Him crucified (1Cor.2:2).                                                                                                                                                                   Sis. Lee Anne—-much needed prayer and humbling rebukes from God’s people are welcome at gospel4life@live.com