The Bible Becomes Clear When You Keep Reading

 John 14:15-17

[15]  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, [17] even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

‭1 John 1:8-10

[8] If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

‭John 3:3-6

[3] Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

If reading scripture in context is important how come so many ignore it?

What are the consequences of taking scriptures in isolation?

Resources:

Keeping His Commandments:

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/keeping_his_commandments.htm

The History and Purpose of Baptism:

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/baptism.htm

Understanding Forgiveness:

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/forgiveness.htm

Adding to the Gospel

In Revelation 22:18, it says, "I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book." It reminds me of a quote I heard. It went, "Whatever somebody adds to the Gospel is what they emphasize." This has always stayed with me in my experiences talking with Christians about the Bible. I believe that many Christians do not understand the fullness of the Gospel. In my opinion, this leads to many of the beliefs that divide Christians. 

Water Baptism

Water baptism is generally accepted by most Christians as an "outward expression of an inward reality." However, some say the "Bible teaches that the person who has believed in Christ, repented of one’s sins, and confessed one’s faith in Christ must then be baptized by the authority of Christ to obtain the remission of sins. There is no other way but Christ’s way." If you want to believe that, fine. I am not attempting to persuade anybody. But, I do not believe that water baptism is required at any level of a Christian's walk with the Lord. Most Christians do not realize that water baptism didn't begin with John the Baptist, but about 100 years beforehand during the aftermath of the Maccabean War. Therefore, Jesus Christ used it as an example of the baptism that does save; that being the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel is sin, death, forgiveness, and the restoration of the life of God. Adam sinned (Genesis 3:5) and lost the life of God (Genesis 2:17) breathed into him at creation (Genesis 2:7). All humanity is born in the image of Adam (Genesis 5:3); spiritually dead to God in our sins and in need of His life. Before God could restore His life to us, He had to deal with the sin that caused Him to remove His life. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died for the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:19).

Therefore, when He was raised from the dead, He could offer the life of God as a gift to anybody who would believe in Him (Romans 5:10). In John 3:5-6, Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." Born of water refers to our physical birth (flesh gives birth to flesh) and born of Spirit refers to the restoration of the Holy Spirit which occurs as a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Spirit gives birth to spirit). When you understand what the problem is between man and God, spiritual death, and what God's provision is for that problem, spiritual life through the giving of the Holy Spirit, you realize that water baptism is not a part of the Gospel. When you don't understand the Gospel then you add things like water baptism. This is understandable when you see many in the early church not having a grasp of the full Gospel; going to the synagogue, believing Gentiles had to become Jews before being saved, living in subjection to the Mosaic Law, selling all their possessions, etc.

Free Will

Similar to the subject of water baptism is the topic of the free will of humanity. Do we have free will to choose or not? This is a complicated subject. But, as one pastor said, "It is only complicated because we make it complicated." The idea that free will does not exist is summed up in the belief that "a future eternity will be spent either in heaven or hell by every human being and that if someone is brought to heaven (or hell) that is entirely God's doing." In other words, God decides which individuals go to heaven and which go to hell. Again, this comes from a misunderstanding of the Gospel. For example, many Christians believe the Gospel to be, "Jesus died for my sins so that I can go to heaven when I die." This is not wrong, but it is not complete. When you believe forgiveness is salvation you end up having to confront heretical beliefs like universal salvation that teach everyone will be saved. Since the Bible doesn't teach universal salvation and if you believe that salvation is the forgiveness, of sins, you have to get around verses like 1 Timothy 2:3-4. There it says, "This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 

Uh oh. If you believe people do not have the free will to choose to accept or reject Jesus Christ, then how do you explain God's desire for "everyone" to be saved when not everyone is saved? You cannot. The only option is to accept the truth that we do have free will. When I confessed my belief in free will to a Christian who does not believe in it, their response to me was, "You believe you are greater than God!" They have to say that because if I have free will and God doesn't allow me to have it, then I must have divine abilities to be "greater" than Him. If I, specifically, and humanity, in general, do not have the free will to choose then why does John 3:16 say we do? "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus Christ said, "whoever believes." This means whoever accepts as true what God is offering them will be saved. You cannot accept something unless you have the choice not to accept it. When you don't understand that the Gospel is offered to everybody then you must add something like the lack of free will to it to make it work. And in doing so you destroy the Gospel and the love of God in the process. 

What have you added to the Gospel? It may not be water baptism or the lack of free will. But, is it speaking in tongues. Perhaps, you believe a Christian can lose their salvation, therefore, you have added works. You might not believe in the complete forgiveness of sins, so you have added "sacrifices" for sin like altar calls, confession booths, or short accounts. Have you added to the Gospel by saying your denomination is the "true" Church? The list is endless. Everybody believes they understand the Gospel, including me. But, we can't all be correct. That is why I say to go to God in prayer and ask, "Lord, do I understand the Gospel? Have I added to it or taken away from it?" Then allow Him to add to your understanding. Grace and Peace.

A Different Gospel

"For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." 2 Corinthians 11:4

When the subject of a different Jesus Christ comes up, it is usually focused on cults and false religions. You have the Jehovah's Witnesses who claim that Jesus is not God. There are the Mormons who believe Jesus is a separate god from God the Father. Denominations like the Seventh Day Adventists believe that God the Father exalted Jesus to be His Son, provoking Lucifer's jealousy and a war in heaven! Even Judaism, although of God, only sees Jesus as either a false messiah or a good, but martyred rabbi. This doesn't even begin to touch on what religions like Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism believe about Jesus. But, what about those who seemingly believe in the true Jesus of the Bible and of history, God in the flesh who lived a sinless life, died for our sins and rose from the dead to offer salvation, teach about the Gospel? What does it mean to say that people receive a different Gospel? This can be more difficult to discern. Often times, as Christians, it is assumed that because someone mentions the Gospel that it is all the same, regardless of denominations, etc. Most everybody will agree with what I mentioned earlier, that Jesus is God, lived a sinless life, died for our sins and rose from the dead. But, after that things can get strange. What are some of the "different gospels" that have gained acceptance within Christianity? There are those that believe that mankind does not have free will, therefore, God chooses which individuals will be saved and which ones go to Hell. However, Jesus said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)." There are some who teach, albeit indirectly, that the death of Jesus was not sufficient to take away our sins, leaving us to constantly have to ask God to forgive us through various sacrifices and offerings. The book of Hebrews says, "Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary (Hebrews 10:17-18)." Many teach that things like water baptism, church attendance and tithing are necessary after you are saved in order to prove you are a Christian and receive blessings from God. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17).""These teachings, and others like them, don't necessarily mean a person isn't saved for believing them, but they do not reflect the true Gospel message and how we live as Christians. To teach that they are part of the gospel or necessary to live as Christians, leads to confusion, disunity, quarrels, a focus on the individual and not Christ, an uneven message and hindered evangelism.

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)." The gospel is simple. It is sin, death, forgiveness and the restoration of life. Adam sinned in the Garden and died spiritually; the life of God that indwelt him was lost. Therefore, all mankind is born into this world spiritually dead to God, but physically alive to the world. Before God could restore His life to man, He had to deal with the issue of sin that caused Him to remove His life from Adam. Sin is so terrible that God was the only one who could take the penalty for that sin. Therefore, in Christ, God became a man in order to die for us. Then, raised from dead, Jesus could now offer the life of God to anyone who is willing to receive Him by faith. So, when the Bible says, "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will ... (Ephesians 1:11)," it is not that God chooses which individuals to save, but that He has established the criteria by which individuals are saved; in him, or in other words, in Christ. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, you have been chosen. As for the sin issue, it is finished, as Jesus said. Going back to Hebrews, it says, "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22)." Only the shedding of blood will obtain forgiveness of sins. Only the shed blood of Jesus is acceptable to God for that forgiveness. Therefore, the sin issue is over. Our confession booths, short accounts, repetitive prayers, altar calls, or any other sacrifice, is not acceptable or required by God. Ephesians 4:5 says there is only, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism ..." The baptism that saves is the only baptism that is required; the baptism of the Holy Spirit received at the moment of salvation. Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)." Wherever two or more Christians are gathered is church; even if it just one Christian because Jesus is with them. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul writes, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Tithing is not only Old Testament law, which Christians are not subject to, but God wants us to decide what to give. Besides, giving is not a matter of mandatory percentages, but will be a direct reflection of ones heart to give and the ability to do so. And finally, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)." Jesus Christ is our blessing. Because He indwells every born again Christian, we have every spiritual blessing. Jesus Christ is the Gospel. There is nothing to add to it, nothing we have to maintain, nothing more we receive. Anything else is a different gospel from a different Jesus.