When Satan tempted Christ, he did not use the writings of Plato or Aristotle or Socrates or any other famous philosopher of the day, instead he used the Bible itself.
Be aware of the dangers of "Systematic Theologies" that are designed to trap the student of the Word into rigid structures. It is fascinating to watch proponents of opposing structures "duke it out" in defense... not of the Word of God but of their particular doctrinal box.
There is a group in our region of Wisconsin that has captured the minds of so many otherwise "conservative" Christians. Their doctrine is so opposed to Christ that it bewilders me how any believer can fall for it.
They have taken the term "dispensation" and have weaved a new theology that places the Apostle Paul as the dispenser of Grace, robbing Christ Jesus of what he alone is worthy of.
Through this vain deceit they have accomplished what I would think to be an impossible task which is to convince professed believer's of the following:
Water Baptism was done away with
Repentance is works and not a requirement for salvation
It is wrong to pray the Lord's Prayer
The church did not exist until Acts chapter 9
The Gospels were written for Israel and not for the Church
The Law and Grace are opposite and Israel is under the law
God will end the age of Grace seven years before Christ returns
Those who accept these premises must do so simply on the word of these teachers who abolish Christ's teachings simply by declaring "that was for Israel, not the church"
In so doing they turn the Great Commission into the Great Omission. Christ's command to his Disciples just before he ascended into heaven becomes "the law" rather than "grace" therefore water baptism is tantamount to circumcision and becomes a work of the flesh.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" Matthew 28:19
They claim that water baptism was done away with under Paul so the words of Christ are of none effect. Baptism now, they claim, is the baptism of the Holy Ghost.... but Christ's command is not simply a baptism of the Holy Ghost but a baptism performed by the evangelists of Christ and is a baptism not simply in the name of the Holy Ghost but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Not only was Jesus clearly commanding water baptism but even when new converts were first "baptized in the Holy Ghost" they were still baptized with water afterwards.
Acts 10:45-48
And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Notice that Acts chapter 10 comes after Acts chapter 9. Notice that it is Gentiles that are baptized in water. Also notice that they had already been baptized by the Holy Ghost.
REPENTANCE:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
They do away with the command to repent as well claiming that repentance is a form of works so to repent or turn from sin is a work of the flesh so it is not of grace. They say that water baptism is the baptism of repentance which is the baptism of John. What they get wrong about water baptism is that while John's baptism was a baptism of repentance, so is Christ's baptism and that is clearly displayed in Acts chapter 19 when a group that had been baptized by John the Baptist were told to be baptized again but in the name of Jesus.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied
Not only did Jesus command repentance during his ministry, Matt 4:17 ¶From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
But long after Acts chapter 9 Jesus calls the churches to repentance in the book of Revelation - Repentance is a work of the Holy Ghost. He convicts the conscience and grace brings about the fruit of repentance.
The Apostle Paul at the very close of the Book of Acts not only demands repentance but also "works meet (worthy) of repentance." What? Paul preaching works? What came over him?
Acts 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
3. THE LORD'S PRAYER
7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
8 "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."
9 "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
10 "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
11 "Give us this day our daily bread."
12 "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
13 "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
ALSO IN LUKE
Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."
Luke 11:3 "Give us day by day our daily bread."
Luke 11:4 "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."
Jesus warned against repetitive and vain repetitions that the heathen speak. He did not condemn the traditional prayers of the Jewish people. It would be hypocritical of the Savior to say don't use vain repetition and then tell his followers "When ye pray, say, "Our Father which art in heaven."
What Jesus was condemning was the pagan practice of mantras the very thing that has crept into many evangelicals prayer lives today. The constant repeating of a syllable or syllables calling it a prayer language. The repeating of certain magical phrases and other such nonsense thinking that if you name it enough you will be heard turning prayer into a battle of one's own will rather than a right provided by the merits of Christ Jesus.
While it is possible to turn the Lord's prayer into vain repetition by carelessness this is true of anything in the Christian life. We can't just be going through the motions we must mean what we do, say and believe.
I personally think that praying scripture... especially memorized scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to mind is the highest form of prayer. Just because a prayer is supposedly "spontaneous" it doesn't become sanctified. I have heard hundreds of Christians pray and many many pastors and may I say there is a lot of repetition in their "spontaneous prayers".
Also our praying spontaneously might be more vain and empty than carelessly praying the Lord's prayer. It is, I believe, rather prideful to think that our "original prayers" are somehow better than one that came from the lips of the Savior. Praying the Lord's prayer together as congregations is a wonderful expression of unity in Christ.
4. The Church of Jesus Christ began in the garden of Eden not Acts chapter 9
I refer you to last weeks study for an in depth study into this matter. Suffice it to say that "Spiritual Israel" is as much a part of the Church as are gentile believers. In fact, gentile believers are "grafted into the vine" of the Lord's church of Israel.
No Jew or Israelite has ever or will ever go to heaven because they were descended from Abraham or belonged to "national Israel". No one is saved outside of Jesus Christ. This was the message of Peter and John to the Jewish leadership saying...Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Adam and Eve are saved through Christ Jesus and are as much a part of the body of Christ as Moses, King David or Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham. Yes God does deal with national Israel but that has nothing to do with their eternal salvation or presence in the Church of Christ. Jesus is the Messiah and the Jews that have rejected their promised Messiah are no longer of "spiritual Israel" or Christ's church but are apostate.
The Gospels are written for the Church.
Matthew 24 was not given to the religious rulers but to Christ's followers...His Disciples... the Church. (Church is ekklesia t
5. LAW AND GRACE
Jesus taught that he did not come to destroy the law. (period) He came to fulfill it.
Matt 5:17 "¶Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
Jesus also taught: John 14:15 "¶If ye love me, keep my commandments." The Ten commandments are Christ's commandments unless you do not believe that Christ is eternally existing as God. (John 1:1) David broke the law even Moses broke the law (it is significant that as soon as he was given the commandments on stone that he broke the tablets) The message of Grace is not that it is now ok to have other gods and use the Lord's name in vain or steal and kill and commit adultery. The message of grace is that while the law is perfect converting the soul the law does not save the soul, all it can do is point out our sin and condemn us. If a thief is forgiven for stealing 100 dollars it does not mean that it is now ok to steal 1000.
.
Paul himself said of the law:
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Because the law condemns us pointing out the truth that all have sinned, Christ took the PENALTY of the law upon himself for our sake. He atoned for our sin as the perfect, sinless Lamb of God. He redeemed us, that is bought us with His own blood.
3 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Galatians 3
Faith opens the floodgate of grace on our souls.
Did the apostle Paul somehow preach that because of salvation through faith in Christ that we can live sinful lawless lives?
No. In fact Paul was very clear that if you live in the lust of the flesh you are not saved!
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
So I ask these false teachers of grace and law that teach that the commandments are abolished "which ones?"
"So I can now steal and Kill and commit adultery?"
I can worship other gods because I am under grace? No, they will play the hypocrite and speak with a forked tongue... if you keep the law you are not under grace? That is just plain weird.
Grace is not the opposite of Law... Lawlessness and licentiousness is.
Not only will they say the law is gone they put their own laws around your neck and despise you if you do not keep their commandments like:
Thou shalt not pray the Lord's prayer for it is vain repetition
Thou shalt not obey the commandments of God for that is works
Thou shalt not be baptized in water because we say so
Thou shalt not believe that Christ's Church is the only way of salvation whether Israelite or gentile
Thou shalt not believe that Jesus was speaking to His church in Matthew 24 but the elect are Jews not gentiles because again, "we say so"
Thou shalt not "repent" because then you are attempting to be saved by your works
Thou shalt not do "good works" for there is no such thing
They are so legalistic on these laws of their own making they will separate fellowship. One of these told someone I had baptized that their baptism was spitting in the face of Christ. How is that for man made legalism? Jesus said do it but they say no. Who should we believe? The commandments of Christ who we love or the teachings of men?
IN MATTHEW 24 THEY CLAIM THAT JESUS WAS SPEAKING TO ISRAEL AND NOT THE CHURCH (because the church did not exist yet they say)
9 "¶Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"
30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
31 "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
They insert the word "Jewish" before the "elect". That is really bad hermeneutics.
The elect are only those of the Church of Jesus Christ whether Jew or Gentile! These are HIS ELECT. Christ's!
As I pointed out earlier Jesus was not speaking to the religious leaders or even to Jews in general but to his DISCIPLES (his followers.. believers..called out ones..HIS CHURCH)
One of the reasons for all of these false teachings is because of a systematic theology based on what is called dispensationalism. While many dispensationalists do not go beyond the point of trying to change Matthew 24 (to protect their pre-tribulational views) the dispensationalist doctrinal road leads to all of this nonsense.
Jesus brought us grace not Paul.
1Cor 1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
Peter opened the door to the gentiles not Paul. Acts 11:1-18
Peter was given the leadership of the Church on earth by Christ not Paul.
Matthew 16
18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
While Paul was sent to bring the Gospel to Gentiles the "Church" is not made up only of Gentiles but is made of believer's both Jew and gentile
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Gospels are to everyone not just national Israel. Not just Gentile believers. The Jewish Messiah is become our Messiah as well.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
For more on the subject of dispensationalism it was posted on our church telegram site last Wednesday.
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