Article #28 - Sacraments

Sacraments

The following comes from the Catholic Catechism about sacraments. It tells us: "1113 The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. 1114 'Adhering to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, to the apostolic traditions, and to the consensus . . . of the Fathers,' we profess that 'the sacraments of the new law were . . . all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord.' 1115 ....The mysteries of Christ's life are the foundations of what he would henceforth dispense in the sacraments, through the ministers of his Church... 1116 Sacraments are 'powers that comes forth' from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church. They are 'the masterworks of God' in the new and everlasting covenant. 1127 Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies 1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation."

Sacraments? I've been studying the Holy Word of God for a few years now, and I can boldly say that Jesus never saved anyone through sacramental means! When Jesus was asked by the crowd in John 6:28, 29, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Jesus never mentioned that we had to go to receive sacraments in order to gain salvation. Furthermore, His Word, the Bible says the opposite. This is quite a different gospel message in the Bible. First of all, Jesus came to Earth to save sinners with His Blood shed at Calvary. Isaiah 53:5 tells us, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." And elsewhere, we see more of this. For instance, we see the Bible says, "being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:9), "...we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1:7), "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself...." (Colossians 1:20), "... and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7). The Bible is careful enough to say, "And from Jesus Christ... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," (Revelation 1:5), after, "... he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," (2 Corinthians 5:21) we can now, "... therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) This promise is for, "...whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

So you say that you believe this? What part is the same? On the top paragraph, we are told that, "The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments." Whereas in the bottom paragraph we are told that we are cleaned by the Blood of Christ! You assume that we therefore receive salvation by sacraments, "empowered" by the blood of Jesus for this purpose? That we receive His graces through sacraments? But if that was the case, we would be meriting graces by how often we did them. And the Bible tells us that, "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:27,28) And this meriting grace is an oxymoron because no one can merit grace by anything that we can do. If we merit something, it no longer grace, but a wage, as seen in Romans 4:4,5, "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," as well as Romans 11:6 telling us that, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work," and even Ephesians 2:8,9 tells us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

The point is that Jesus' works were done at Calvary. He took our sins upon Himself so that whosoever would believe in what He accomplished on that cross when He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30) will be saved. His way saves you, but if you believe in the sacramental method, with a priest performing, then you aren't. It's that simple.

Article #27 - Ministry of Reconciliation

Ministry of Reconciliation

What exactly is this "ministry of reconciliation" that Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 5:18 where he writes, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation?" There seems to be a different opinion about what he meant by this in some circles. Just how we are suppose to "Be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20)?

There are many that look upon the word "reconciliation" and automatically seem to think that it refers to the sacrament of confession as the means to get reconciled with God. This is reflected in the following quote - Archbishop Fulton Sheen expressed this sentiment when he said, "Whenever you see the hand of absolution of the priest, the priest raises his hand for absolution, picture Christ. He is the priest behind the priest, and his hand is dripping with the blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins, and it washes us pure and clean." This denomination teaches that the power to forgive sins was given to the apostles by Christ Jesus himself: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23).

However, the Bible clearly tells us of a different meaning to the word "reconciliation." First, we see that Nelson's Bible dictionary is in agreement with the need for reconciliation, as expressed above when it says that reconciliation is "The process by which God and man are brought together again." The need is there, no doubt about that. The problem is about how someone gets reconciled to God. Here lies the deception from that particular denomination as they view works as an essential part of the salvation process, as if one can merit their salvation. The Bible tells us that works is a big part, but not about our works. It is the finished work of Jesus Christ crucified that reconciles people. And we are to believe in that alone for our sins to be forgiven. For our salvation is dependent upon God's grace, not our deeds. And when a person depends upon a priest, they are not depending upon Christ, but upon a sacrament (a work) that they can do. The Bible clearly denies this in Romans 11:6, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Furthermore, the Bible is clear about not meriting grace by what we do when it says "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9) In other words, it says, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:28)

How does the Bible tell us to be reconciled and what is the ministry? It's the Gospel!!! God so loved the world that He did it all at Calvary, no need for a priest. The verse taken to be evidence above (John 20:23) isn't giving the apostles any power to forgive sins, but rather they can share the gospel of grace. If you believe in the Blood shed at Calvary for your sins to be wiped clean, the apostles would inform you that you're saved. It's that simple!!! "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself." (Colossians 1:20) Praise God.

Article #26 - Purgatory

Purgatory

Purgatory! Is there such a place, and if so, what is its purpose? Does the Bible tell us about a place such as Purgatory? The best place to start checking out about Purgatory would be the Catholic catechism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven," which is experienced by those "who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified" (CCC 1030). There are many that never heard about this place, but consider this statement found on the web. "If sin still clings to Christians (Heb 12:1), but there is no sin in heaven (Rev. 21:27), there must be a purification that takes place after one's death and before one enters heaven. Therefore, common sense tells us that our sanctification is usually not complete when we die, though we know we will be perfectly sanctified in heaven. Thus between death and glory must come a purification." (www.Catholic.com )

A few years ago, one of my uncles told me that at least seven areas in Scriptures proved that there is a place called Purgatory, and he invited me over to his house so that he could show me them. Needless to say, I accepted his invitation, mentioning that I knew that the Bible doesn't in any such way teach about Purgatory even once. Oh, there are serious attempts to quote Scriptures that seemingly prove of a Purgatory, but this is done without the Gospel facts by which Scriptures prove that there can be NO such thing as a place called Purgatory. Over and over again we find that Jesus "redeemed us" (1 Peter 1:19,20), "purchased us" (Acts 20:28), and "washed us from our sins in his own blood." (Revelation 1:5) The fact is that when Jesus shouted from the cross, "It is Finished" (John 19:30) He was professing that sins had been wiped away from all believers as Isaiah said, "and with His stripes we are healed!" (Isaiah 53:5) Believers can know that there is no purgatory simply because the Bible tells us that "... he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Cor. 5:21) It's the great exchange by which we can lose our sins and gain His righteousness, and if we have His righteousness, we are cleansed of sin. We need no further purification.

The Bible does say that, "... the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) If your sins are forgiven, they are also forgotten, so after death we are judged. Certainly any temporal punishment that our sins bring us has already occurred on Earth, as seen by the example of David losing his son after his adulterous fling with Bathsheba. These temporary trials, or punishments are simply for our learning as God does indeed chastise His children, and "afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11)

So what are some of the evidence verses in which those that believe in Purgatory use to support and convince others that there is a Purgatory? My uncle showed me 1 Corinthians 3:15, which is one of their favorite verses. It says, "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." But this is really the Bema-seat Judgment, in which the WORKS go through a examination, not the person. Their motives for why people did things are exposed as good or selfish by Jesus, not the people themselves. That certainly isn't Purgatory. Neither are the rest of the evidence verses, such as 1 Peter 3:10 where Peter tells us that Jesus, "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison." Certainly that gives us proof of another place besides Heaven or Hell. This place, called "Limbo of the fathers" by some, was temporary, having served its purpose and was emptied AFTER Jesus resurrected. Jesus needed to be the first to resurrect in His glorified body and now there is no need for this place.

What about Judas Maccabees in which their Bible shows him praying for the dead and making atonement for them? (2 Macc. 12:43-45). First, let me mention that these verses are taken from the Apocrypha - not recognized as Scripture. However since it has been brought up by Purgatory proponents, we'll examine it as well. This is simply an historical example of someone doing it, not the establishing of doctrine just as David committing an adulterous affair doesn't provide opportunities for us to do likewise.

We could continue, but I think you see the foolishness of this belief system already. The problem arises out of the fact that those who defend Purgatory simply have the wrong idea of how (or who) gets to Heaven. What seemed to be logical about a place called Purgatory, since no sin enters Heaven, isn't always the way God sees things. And how we feel about something isn't important. What does His Word, the Bible, say? That is what really matters. Thus, we should remember that Jesus took care of the sins at Calvary with His blood, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22) God loves us so much that He gave us His Son to take care of sins, thus there is no possibility for a place called Purgatory, "and with His stripes we are healed!" (Isaiah 53:5) Believers, just as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:8, know that "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

Article #25 - Mortal or Venial Sins?

Mortal or Venial Sins?

What is the difference between mortal sins and venial sins? Surely there must be a difference? Or is God looking at someone hogging down a bag of candy in the same manner as someone that is a serial murder/rapist? Let's take a quick look at what the Catholic Catechism can tell us about mortal and venial sins.

"Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him. Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us - that is, charity - necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent. Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it. One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent. Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God's grace it is humanly reparable. Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness."

That is what the Catholic Catechism tells us! Now what does His Holy Word have to tell us on this subject? Well, I'm not a Bible genius, but from the following verses, I can see that sin, and it matters not to God what sin a person commits, sin keeps an individual out of Heaven.
James 2:9,10 says, "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Further Scriptures tell us, also, that, "And there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27) Thus, I see no reason to think of any sin being what some call a venial sin, especially since it doesn't allow anyone to enter Heaven. Romans 6:23 doesn't distinguish sins, but rather tells us simply, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Even in the Old testament Book of Ezekiel 18:4 tells us, "...the soul that sinneth, it shall die." God takes sin very serious. Just look at a few examples found in scripture. Adam and Eve just ate from the tree and all of mankind got cursed. (Genesis 3). In Numbers 15:32-36, they stoned a man for picking up wood for a fire on the Sabbath Day. These are just two sins that wouldn't hardly be considered "mortal" in today's world!

But what does the Bible refer to in 1 John 5:16,17 when it clearly refers to, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death?" That obviously refers to some sin as worse than others! The danger is that this verse is not saying that some sins aren't worse, but rather that a person would think of "little sins" as venial. That facts show that all sin keeps you out of Heaven and damns a person to Hell for eternity. This verse actually refers to, not the spiritual classifying of sins, but rather that sometimes God causes a physical death to occur as a result of sin, such as can be seen in Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira) or 1 Corinthians 11:29, 30 (For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.) Another example of this could be that as a result of a illicit sexual encounter, one might be infected with the AIDS virus. The point is that this verse is not classifying some sins to be "mortal" sins and others to be venial sins simply because of the already mentioned verses above from Genesis, Numbers, James and Revelation.

The real danger of thinking that some sins are venial sins is that a person that leads a pretty good life then doesn't see the need for a "born-again" solution and they die lost in their sins. The Bible tells us that, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) And if the wages of sin is death, then the only solution is for someone to accept that "Gift of eternal life" is by "getting born again" (John 3:3). They must trust in Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. Nothing else, whether masses or sacraments, or good deeds or penances, nothing but the Blood of Jesus will save you. Lets keep our eyes on Jesus and His finished work, done once and for all, nearly 2000 years ago. Thank you, Jesus.

Article #24 - The Gospel

The Gospel

Finishing my second year of writing in the Wisconsin Christian News, I thought that I would simply write the Gospel message to you. Many say that they believe in Jesus Christ but by their actions, words and religious affiliation, we come up with an overwhelming handful of evidence that tells us a different story.

The Bible tells us that "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Yet it gives us a stern warning too in Mathew 7:21, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." It also tells us that the way to salvation is narrow and few will find it! Therefore, for the benefit of anyone that may be wondering how someone might get saved, here is the Gospel that saves.

Everyone that was ever born has sinned in their life, except for Jesus Christ. Regardless of how nice of a person is, they have sinned. The Bible tells us, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) and in reality that, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Maybe you've never realized this, but in God's eyes everyone is a sinner! Even the most innocent of us have sinned and therefore, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10) Yes, read it again if you must, but the reality of our standing with the Almighty God is that because we have sinned, we are doomed to an eternity in Hell, unless we do something about it.

This is where Jesus Christ comes in. When He was asked, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said unto them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:28+29) That's right, we are to believe in HIS work, not ours. It goes 100% against man's inclination for pride. It is called the "Born again" experience and is required by all for salvation as the Bible tells us, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) It's the point in which a person realizes that if they want salvation, they must trust in what Jesus did at Calvary nearly 2000 years ago as the only solution for sin when Jesus proclaimed from the cross, "It is finished." If one is sincere and decides to accept this gift, they will be saved. Of course, if someone makes this decision, their lives will change as a reflection of their beliefs. "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace....Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:14,18) Our lives will not be perfect, but we will be saved and as we grow in Christ, our life will reflect more of Him and less of our sinful human nature.

There are two points in which I wish to emphasize upon here. The first is GRACE. It is not something earned. The Bible is clear that if you earn it, then it is a wage. Romans 4:4,5 tells us, "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." Now when you add to this Romans 11:6, you'll see the difference. "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." In other words, if you can do something to merit grace, then you could boast about what you did, but that is not the Gospel of Grace found in Scriptures.
Secondly, I wish to show you about RIGHTEOUSNESS. The perfect righteousness required to get to Heaven is not ours but Christ's. It is the great exchange found in 2 Corinthians 5:21, which says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." When you place your faith in what He did at Calvary to remove your sins, you are then imputed His righteousness. This is the free gift of grace, described as the "... Blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." (Romans 4:6)

In closing, ask yourself if you are really saved? The Bible tells us, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." (1 John 1:6) If you trust in the Finished work of Jesus Christ to remove your sins, then you can be sure that you are saved. But if you think that you need a priest to confess you sins to, to say a mass, or by your partaking in sacraments, that you can merit grace, to have graces infused to your account, then you are not trusting in what Jesus did, but rather what you can do. The Bible clearly teaches that you thus are still in need of Salvation. If you still have questions about this article or your salvation, contact Gospel_light_Min@msn.com or write to Gospel Light Ministries, P.O. Box 503, Kaukauna WI. 54130.

Article #23 - What About "The Church Fathers?"

What About "The Church Fathers?"
Church History is a definite controversial subject indeed. But Just how important is it for us to know it? There are those that strive to defend their belief system based primarily upon knowing just what the "church" history provides. But is that way accurate? And how can anyone be sure who actually said what or exactly what their beliefs were? Interestingly, I've had some that challenge my belief system because I could not name three people that had the same beliefs as I do, from the 1st century. Yet, all I have is Scripture. To this I do have peace, knowing the Bible's promises to God's children. Especially well liked are verses like John 8:31+32 which tell me: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Notice that Jesus was speaking to those "which believed on him?"

The doubters, however, claim the same thing and are more than willing to back their claims with quotes of church fathers as well as their patented historical answers. But do these answers bother you? They shouldn't. The Bible tells us (in Galatians 1:8-9), "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Not only does the Bible tell us not to listen to those people, but it also gives us a clear warning that there would be those that would attempt to deceive you in the later times, just as there were those trying to do so back then. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (1 Timothy 4:1) and, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13)

Of course, the "deceptions" do not come with warning signs pasted upon the outside of the wrapper. And it is truly much harder to discern which interpretation is correct when someone is trying to learn about the Bible. The best suggestion that I can make is to have you learn the Bible for yourself. Study it to see what it says for there are many, many places in which we are promised, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) The New Testament continues with this promise saying, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

To the "rationalization" that your church is nothing because it hasn't been around as long as the mainstream church, we do have Jesus' promise about His church not failing. Perhaps you cannot give a family tree story about how your church started, but if you are saved, you're in His church. The numbers of your church aren't important for two reasons. The Bible tells us (in Matthew 7:13+14) that "... broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat ... and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." And furthermore, just as we saw that Elias was mistaken thinking that "and I am left alone." God on the other hand, had a remnant of 7000 others that Elijah wasn't aware of. Although that is a different dispensation, it does provide an example of how God could be preserving His church from death, even when we don't understand everything that is taking place.

In closing, Gospel Light Ministries simply states that all of the Churches in the Bible were not perfect, but rather they were made up of humans that needed ministering too. Sure they were made up of many believers, but the spiritual battle continued then as it does now, to get it right. Christianity is not built on "Thus saith the Fathers." Christianity is founded on "Thus saith the Lord!" Yet we believe for no reason other than that it is written and taught in the Holy Scriptures, the pure and infallible Word of God. And as Jesus said in John 8:31, "... If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed."

Article #11 - Righteousness on Judgment Day

Righteousness on Judgment Day

When people are asked, "When you die, are you going to Heaven and why?" The answers usually go anywhere from "I try to be good," or "I haven't killed anyone," to "I obey the commandments," and to "I believe in God." All these answers reflect the opinion, that on judgment day, God will judge us on how good we are, how holy we lived or upon our righteousness. That is reflected in many people's lives by how they live. Some, for example, attend daily mass and receive sacraments often, doing so for this very reason, as their church teaches, "The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation." Of course, the idea behind this is simply that the more one participates in these, the more often they merit grace. It should be noted that Biblically speaking, Jesus did institute the sacraments, both of them, but they were NOT to dispense divine life for us, for that was accomplished at Calvary by His shed blood. While others may believe in different religions, the reasoning behind most religions are reflected by the same types of replies as expressed above, including when they say, "I believe in God," in which ultimately reflects the idea that their God will see how well, or how righteous they are. Often, too, this can be seen in people's attitudes when attempting to describe someone by identifying them as "he was (or is) good person." But what does the Bible say about righteousness and how we are judged on Judgment Day?

God's word tells a completely different story. We are not judged upon how good we lived, nor how righteous we are. For the Bible says "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.... For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:10,23) And it also says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." (James 2:10,11) Furthermore, the Bible adds concerning our righteousness, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6) Elsewhere, concerning anyone's attempts to achieve righteousness and using Israel as an example, it says, "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law....For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. " (Romans 9:31,32 and 10:2,3) Paul also adds in several other places, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: " 10:2 (Philippians 3:9) "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...." (Titus 3:5).

Do you see the difference? In the first paragraph, the people expressed that they would be judged upon their righteousness. The second paragraph, we see that the Bible tells a different story, "... that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:28) "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

The difference explained - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) When Jesus died at Calvary, nearly two thousand years ago, He said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) He did what was needed to atone for sin. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21). As Paul explains, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." (Romans 4:5,6) Whose righteousness? Not ours, but rather Jesus' righteousness imputed to whosoever believes. (See also 1 Corinthians 1:30 and Romans 4:20 to 5:1)

The Choice: Referred to as "The Gospel of Grace" in Acts 20:24, it is clear that we can trust in what Jesus did, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9) accept His Gift, and stand before the Father on judgment day clothed in Christ's righteousness, or we can stand before God based upon our righteousness and efforts, supposedly attained by mass and sacraments? But Scripture doesn't allow both as by definition, the Biblical definition of grace means - "Favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves." And as so clearly stated in the Bible - "... if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:6) Any attempt to rationalize that God, by grace, gave us a system of works is purely a teaching of man's efforts to justify himself and a contradiction by definition.

In closing, Gospel-Light Ministries asks you upon who's righteousness are you counting upon? Christ's imputed righteousness attained by faith in what Jesus accomplished at Calvary, or your righteousness and the righteousness that you've been able to merit in your lifetime by what you accomplished or did? For those that feel we are judged upon our righteousness, the Bible gives us a sobering example in Matthew 7:21-23. Check it out!

Article #8 - Traditions

Traditions

The Bible says that we should, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-- unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5) Paul thought highly of the Bereans in Acts 17:11, as he wrote, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." The Bible warns us, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.... they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth..." (2 Timothy 4:3+4) With so many different Churches, how can anyone know what or who to believe?

Jesus once referred to Satan as "the Father of Lies." A favorite tactic of his would be to take Scripture and give it a new and false meaning, such as we see in Genesis 3:3-5, when he deceived Eve. She said, "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

Today we continue to see Satan doing the same type of tactic when referring to Traditions and Church Fathers as "proof" of a teaching or activity that would, otherwise, be clearly in direct opposition to the Bible. Often these "Churches" state a very Biblical verse and just as Satan did in Genesis 3, they'll appeal to man's logic. Case in point - whenever a Church declares that their particular denomination is the "one true Church." They then take a verse such as Matthew 16:18, where Jesus said, "I will build my Church" as proof. The flaw is that Jesus never said that He would build that denomination, but just as in Genesis 3, the power of suggestion implies to that point, thus deceiving many. If that particular denomination was correct, then salvation would come through enrollment, not faith. Furthermore, the Biblical Church that Jesus refers to is anyone who believes in Him, as can be seen in Ephesians 5:22 and 1 Corinthians 3:9 - "In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord..... And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit...For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

The deception only gets more intense as these churches continue build their case by adding more Scriptures, again with "their interpretation" of what it means instead of what it says. The key is to remember that all of Scripture is inspired and we should remember to discern the difference between what Scripture says and what someone is claiming it says. Note the following is an example where a church states the facts, and are Biblically correct in saying this. While we must guard against merely human tradition, the Bible contains numerous references to the necessity of clinging to apostolic tradition. Thus Paul tells the Corinthians, "I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:2), and he commands the Thessalonians, "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15). He even goes so far as to order, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us" (2 Thess. 3:6). To make sure that the apostolic tradition would be passed down after the deaths of the apostles, Paul told Timothy, "What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2).

Everything in the above quote is Biblically sound. The deception begins where a Church then implies that their traditions, which have developed over the years, are the same traditions that were practiced by the Apostles. All the traditions that Paul referred to were mentioned of as already in place and referred to as in the past tense. The traditions that were added by a church after the Apostles, but are now falsely implied to be part of the same traditions as those practice by the Apostles, quite often fall into the category of which Jesus declared, "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." (Mark 7:7,8,13) Paul also gives us a warning to guard against bad traditions in Colossians 2:8, when he said, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." So clearly not all traditions are acceptable.

In closing, we should protect ourselves from deception by taking the Bible's advice to safeguard against deceptions in this manner, "that in us ye might learn not (to go) beyond the things which are written;" (1 Corinthians 4:6). Yes, John did say that "not everything that Jesus did was written," to which He adds, "But these are written, that ye might believe." and as he said in his epistle, "These things have I written.that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13) Why Scriptures only? For this reason, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16,17) If Scripture can make us, "perfect, thoroughly furnished," why go elsewhere?

As Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galations 1:8)

Article #7 - What about Mary?

What about Mary?

In Matthew 22:29, Jesus made the remark to the Sadducees that they were wrong about a religious view because they were guilty of "not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, this standard applies to us as well. And I think of this as I travel around noticing that in many of our neighbor's yards, they have statues of Mary, the mother of Jesus, often placed in a bathtub as some sort of shrine to her, and it makes me want to check God's word to see how this "tradition" compares to God's wishes.

It doesn't take much time in Scriptures to see that Mary was, indeed, a very special person as Luke writes that "... the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.....And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God." (Luke 1:26-30) The Bible tells us, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (2 Chronicles 16:9). Mary found favor with God because she most certainly had a heart like David's, whom God saw as having "an integrity of heart and uprightness." (1 Kings 9:4) We can see by her words, first to the angel (Luke 1:38) and then when she was with Elisabeth (Luke 1:46-49), that she had such a heart attitude as to both please and praise God. To the angel, Mary's words were, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And then, as Mary was with Elisabeth, her heart is revealed further when she says so beautifully, " ....My soul doth magnify the Lord,.... And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed..." Scripture tells us that our words reveal what lies in our heart, (Matthew 12:34-37) thus, it's obvious that Mary had heart that magnified and rejoiced in God, recognizing Him as her Saviour, and her desires to serve Him according to His Word.

Scripture doesn't reveal very much additional information about Mary, outside of a few isolated moments. This is by design, no doubt, as the purpose of Scriptures is to point everyone to Jesus (John 5:29). In fact, the Bible tells us that mankind's purpose for existing is "for the praise of His glory," (Ephesians 1:11,12) and Mary was created for this purpose as well. Mary's role as the Mother of Jesus, was part of God's plan. However, Jesus made a point that, although Mary was His mother, that wasn't significant at all, as we see in Luke 11:27-28. It says, "....as Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you. He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.' " Jesus was simply stating, what Scriptures consistently teaches, that the really important and blessed people are followers of Him. Since the Bible teaches that there is only one path and one Gospel message by which one can be saved, Mary's salvation was determined in the same way as all believers, not because she was Jesus' mother. We must be careful to keep in mind that the Bible shows God using others as well. Of John the Baptist, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11) The Bible says God used Solomon in a special manner as well, "I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be." (1 Kings 3:12). So just as God's Word speaks highly of John the Baptist, Solomon and David, Mary likewise was blessed and used by the Lord. And we, too, can be usable when our desire is to live in the same manner, as Mary had told the servants at the Cana wedding Feast, "...whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." (John 2:5) In our society, we are in a period of unprecedented religious and spiritual beliefs and activity regarding Mary that has reached far beyond simple backyard shrines of Mary in the bathtub to the extent of what Jesus warned that would happen in Matthew 24:24, "... and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." In a future article we'll look closer at many of these, but for now, we'll examine further about the shrines and how many erroneously refer to Mary as the "mother of God."

Is Mary the Mother of God? - No. This is a term that appears to be the root of much the faulty perceptions and practices concerning Mary that are common today. Yes, Mary was the mother of Jesus and Jesus is God, but similar to any marriage of mixed descendants, a mother wouldn't have her blood changed to the father's blood, a mother's origin wouldn't change to the father's origin, nor would the mother's race change to the father's race. Jesus was 100% human and 100% God, but even the Bible demonstrates a distinction. Example one - in James 1:13, it says: "....God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;" while at the same time in Hebrews 4:15, the Bible tells us: "...but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin." (Jesus was also tempted in Matthew 4 and Luke 4). Example two - Paul writes concerning Jesus, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:6,7) And example three - Consider what 1 Timothy 2:5 says: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" In all three examples there is a clear distinction that separates Jesus' physical life apart from His deity. To suggest that Mary was the "mother of God" would be an erroneous spiritualizing and twisting of the simple role given to Mary, ".... she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit." The fact that she was used by God to be the mother of the physical side of Jesus is clearly taught in the Bible, but anything beyond that is indeed what Jesus would refer to as traditions of men that go against Scriptures. (Mark 7:7-13)

Consider further these three more profound Bible passages that should put this in its proper perspective. God asked Job, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding." (Job 38:4) Isaiah wrote, "Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?" (Isaiah 40:13) And also, concerning God, Isaiah adds, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8,9) Obviously, as we can see, no human including Mary could be the answer to these verses.

And finally, about those backyard shrines, consider the following Scriptures that, in addition, gives us more insights of why Mary isn't to be considered to be, "the mother of God,." as well. The Bible says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..." (Exodus 20:4) and "Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:23-24) The Bible shows that sincerity could just make a person sincerely wrong as Jeremiah 7:18 illustrates: "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. " No doubt these people were sincere, yet they angered God.

So, in closing, we see that even today, we have many practices, just as Jesus told the Sadducees, that they were wrong about a religious view because they were guilty of "not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." It's time to get Mary out of the tub and remember that when she lived as Jesus' mother 2000 years ago, she lived, "according to thy word." We should do the same.

Article #6 - What About Good Works?

What About Good Works?

Works! This is perhaps the most misunderstood ingredient in regard to an individual's hope to gain salvation and perhaps the most controversial as well. Just what role do our "works," defined by Nelson's Bible Dictionary to be an individual's "acts or deeds," have in determining our eternal destiny?

As usual, we will examine Scriptures to see what God's word says about the "works" issue. However, as we look at Scriptures, we will see a number of "apparent" contradictory points in which we need only to remember two very important and lasting facts. These unchanging facts are (1) that God's word is truth (John 17:17) and that (2) "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful ...... so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17) The point to note is that, if God's word is truth and ALL Scriptures are useful, then we must realize that there cannot be any contradictions in the Bible. We should also remember that the apparent confusion doesn't come from God, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." (1 Corinthians 14:33) Satan, on the other hand, is revealed in Scriptures to be, "...not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) More on that later, but for now, let's look at these apparent, contrasting, views.

Some would point out, attempting to "prove" that the Bible says works help merit one's salvation and that we do merit salvation because of them, the following verses: Romans 2:6,7 - "Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:" Romans 2:13 - "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." James 2:17,20 - "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:24 - "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." Matthew 25:40,45,46 - "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me...' He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.....Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Indeed, these verses do seem rather convincing IF we would isolate these verses by themselves.

However, we can't ignore the rest of Scriptures, and when you include the following verses, you begin to see a different, more complete perspective. Romans 3:20,28 - "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight....Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Galations 2:16 - "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Philippians 3:9 - "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Titus 3:5 - "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us..."Ephesians 2:8,9 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Again, as we began above, we wonder, "So what part do works play?" Thankfully, the Bible does provide the answers in a fine, well orchestrated manner that puts it all together. Thus, it is essential that we include what the words gift and grace mean in order to get a better understanding of how one's "works" fit in from God's view. A gift, according to Nelson's Biblical Dictionary, is "bestowing an item on another person without expecting anything in return." Grace, likewise, is defined as "favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves." The Gospel message abounds with grace and that it's a free gift.

The Bible tells us that there is only one Gospel that saves. This Gospel is presented in several ways throughout the New Testament as the "Gospel of God," the "Gospel of Christ" and as Paul says as "our Gospel," even once referring to it as "my Gospel." But in regard to our topic, the Gospel references known as "the Gospel of the glory of Christ," (found in 2 Corinthians 4:4) and called so fittingly as "the Gospel of grace" (Acts 20:24,) reflects unmistakably, that the message of the Gospel is about grace. There are so many additional verses that mention the Gospel, using the terms "grace" and as a "free gift," so as to make clear this saving message of the Gospel, most notably in Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord," and Romans 5:17 - "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

So as we can see, works cannot be a part of our salvation, even partially, because as the Bible so clearly explains in the following passages, "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.... God credits righteousness apart from works." (Romans 4:4-6) Furthermore, the Gospel can't be of works because in Romans 11:6 we find that works and grace are opposites, "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." So where do the works come in? Do we now ignore the opening verses that seemed so convincing at the beginning? Of course not, because, as stated earlier, there are no contradictions. The controversy about the "works" issue, is a result of just another scheme of Satan. A believer does many good "works," but they never do things in an attempt to be purified of, or to remove, sin. The "works" that believers do are many, but the controversy usually stems from the faulty idea that, as a result of your works, somehow you help merit salvation, remove sins or/and help merit salvation for others. In the Gospel of John, we see the only works that a "believer" trusts are those of Christ's, not his own. (John 6:28,29) "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." And everything needed to purify one from sin was done at Calvary when Jesus said, "It is finished." It was at that point that all of the work was accomplished for the atoning of sins.

The many "works" that people, mistakenly, think merit them righteousness are actually worthless, as the Bible points out in Colossians 2:8 and 23 - "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ....Such regulations (works) indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value...." Paul, similarly shows us, in Romans 9:31-32 and Romans 10:3, that these "works" accomplish nothing, "... after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.... For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."

Works do fit in, just as God intended, but as a characteristic of a believer, not as a means for salvation. The complete, harmonious, Biblical picture is best demonstrated for us so wonderfully by looking at Ephesians 2:8 and 9, which is then followed by verse 10, "(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." Another good example is found in Titus 2:14, "Who gave himself (Jesus Christ) for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

So in closing, again in review, what the Bible teaches is clear. We are saved by faith alone, in the works of Christ alone, through grace alone, but never by our works. A believer (in what Jesus did) will do many good deeds, for indeed, as James said, "Faith without works is dead," and these acts simply reflect a believer's desire follow Christ in their life.

Thus, the glory goes to God, through Jesus Christ, who is "the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2)

Article #5 - Isolating Scriptures - Another of Satan's Schemes

Isolating Scriptures - Another of Satan's Schemes

Aaaahhh! Freedom! We are so fortunate to live in the United States where we can follow the religious faith of our choice. A quick look at today's society and you could say that "everyone lives according to what is right in their own eyes." On the surface, such religious freedom may sound so good, but according to God's word, the Bible, it is a recipe for the disaster of countless souls. Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." (Matt. 7:13) This "One way to get to Heaven" path is so very different then the popular theories of today where most people would say, "I'm glad that you believe as you do, but I'm happy with my beliefs"

There are many reasons why people have false beliefs. Paul often wrote in his letters about the spiritual dangers and deceptions that Satan can drum up against us. He tells us that Satan can masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:4). In Ephesians 6:11-17, Paul explains "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.... And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." So the disciple of Jesus, tries to warn us about Satan, but he also describes our walk as a genuine spiritual warfare and how to combat it - through the knowledge of Scriptures. Unfortunately, Satan seems to go one step further, as we see Matthew and Luke's Gospels, by the fact that Satan knew and used Scriptures too, for indeed as Peter puts it, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Three times Satan attempted to mislead Jesus by misquoting Scriptures. Shouldn't we also expect Satan to use the same "schemes" against us? Let us look at just two examples in which a deceptive or incomplete usage of Scripture has many people following a false path today:

1) - John 20:23 - "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Based upon this statement, along with the "binding and loosing" given in Matthew 18, we see the misconception among those who claim their priest or pastor is able to forgive those that come to him. However, using the complete Bible to let Scripture interpret itself, we find that only God can forgive sins, as even the Pharisees knew this (Mark 2:7). And our sins are or aren't forgiven based upon John 3:36 - "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." So the disciples, having spent three years learning from Jesus, they knew His ways, could now preach and teach to others. As other people heard and believed, they were saved (Ephesians 1:13,14). The disciples could tell if anyone was or wasn't a follower based upon what that individual beliefs were by what they did and said, "... for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ..... For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:34-37). Thus, the disciples could inform others of whether or not their sins were forgiven based upon whether or not they were believers. One more point here to realize God is in control, not man. For man to have the power to forgive sins, then God would be under man's control.
2) - 1 John 5:16, 17 - "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.? All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. " There are many that would point to this verse as the "proof" to back up the classifying of sins into two different categories, some called "venial" (less serious) and some called "mortal" sins, which are the grave or serious sins. Again, one can only come up with this erroneous conclusion by ignoring the rest of Scriptures, preferring rather to listen to the "logic" of men. However, God's Word clearly says that, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and that "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10). Also, "... there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) any thing that defileth...." (Revelation 21:27).

Therefore, as you can see, God hates all sin equally for He is a holy and perfect God. Satan's strategy is simply to lull a person into resting on a false sense of how righteous they are, as if they would deserve Heaven by not having committed the "grave" sins, and thus they fail to understand and glorify God for the "finished work of Calvary." What 1 John 5 was actually referring to was not meant as spiritual classifying of sins, but rather that sometimes God causes a physical death to occur as a result of sin, such as can be seen in Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira) or 1 Corinthians 11:29, 30 (For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.) Another example of this could be that as a result of a illicit sexual encounter, one might be infected with the AIDS virus. There are many, many more fallacies such as these in which people that are believing in these types of deceptions are in danger of an eternity of damnation simply because, as Jesus said in Matthew 22:29, "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. )"

In closing, Gospel Light Ministries encourages others to "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). To learn Scriptures, "...precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" (Isaiah 28:10) so that, "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

Free from deceptions and free to serve God!

Article #4 - Should We pray to Saints?

Should We pray to Saints?

Sooner or later, everyone of us loses a loved one to death. What happens after our loved ones have passed on? Can they watch over us, interceding for us as many would like to think? Can or should we attempt to communicate with them, pray to them or pray for them? With six billion people alive, one can get just about six billion different viewpoints and opinions on this subject as well. So again we turn to the Scriptures where we find that, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching....so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped." (2 Timothy 3:16-17.) Indeed, God's word answers these questions as well.

Contrary to the idea that a saint is someone who has died and is now in Heaven praying with us and for us, the Bible shows us that saints are simply believers, ordinary people that have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Paul often began his letters by addressing them "to the Saints" in whichever city that they lived, such as Rome, Ephesis, Phillipi or Colossi. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:13+14 that the moment one hears and believes the Gospel, it is at that point that the Holy Spirit seals us as Heaven bound. Believing the Gospel, that Jesus Christ saves us by what He did, not by how holy we lived or any "works of righteousness" of ours, is the underlying difference behind a Biblical saint as opposed to the view of a saint as a title given to person based upon an outstanding life of holiness and good works.

Scriptures also reveal that besides God, there is no other. He has certain characteristics as God that enable Him to hear and answer prayer. The Bible speaks of God's omnipresence, defined in Nelson's Bible Dictionary as a theological term that refers to the unlimited nature of God or His ability to be everywhere at all times. (Psalm 139:7-12) The Bible also shows His omniscience, described in the Nelson Bible Dictionary as a theological term that refers to God's superior knowledge and wisdom, His power to know all things. (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16) But these are characteristics of God, humans do not possess these capabilities to hear and answer the many prayers that are said each day.

We have a loving God, who needs to consult no one for knowledge or understanding (Isaiah 40:13-14.) He loved us so much that He provided the only solution for sin by sending Jesus to the cross and thus making Himself the answer, the only answer as Acts 2:38 states, by which men must be saved . This is what the Scripture writers meant by Jesus being the only mediator in 1 Timothy 2:5+6 -"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men....." So glorious was God's plan to provide the solution for men's sin, and now so complete was His love for us, that we now can boldly approach God (Hebrews 4:15) with our prayers.

There is a stark reality as told by Proverbs 14:12 - "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prayers to anyone else but God is not a sign of humbleness, but rather of unbelief. All of the Bible speaks of Jesus (Luke 24:27) and our Salvation is determined, not by our good deeds, nor our popularity (which may work to our advantage here on Earth, but not before God.) but rather by our belief or lack of belief in God's only solution. (John 3:16-18 and 3:36).

We must be aware of the schemes of Satan, for Satan can indeed make Himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14) Praying to others not only is pointless because of the inability for them to hear, or intercede for us, but also because it offends the one and only God in which the Bible repeatedly shows is a God, jealous for our love and desires to be our God. Jesus warned us of the great deceptions that would deceive so many (Matthew 24:24) and Paul repeatedly express his concerns about Satan's cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) and false messages (Galatians 1:7-8). Regardless of how or why one prays to another, apparitions included, when we pray to anyone, for any reason, other than to God, it is a form of worship, as John tells us in Revelation 19:10 and 22:8-9, to which the Angel reminded him (and us) that they are just fellow servants, that we should go to God alone. Surely John's "worship" wasn't a worship of the angel as God, but rather what he did is much like the faulty rational that many have today, thinking that he was simply honoring and showing the angel respect. Thankfully, in hindsight, when John wrote, the Holy Spirit correctly termed his actions as a form of worship.

In other words, in closing, I remind you of what Isaiah 8:19 says: ".....should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" Indeed then, in regards to praying to the dead, we should heed and apply the same type of sound advice as given in Acts 14:15 - "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you.... telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them."

Thus we find, that according to the Bible, we are to pray to God alone.

Article #3 - "Take This Body..."

"Take This Body..."

With Easter being so much on our minds, my thoughts turn to the Last Supper and its meaning for us. More specifically, how are we to understand what Jesus meant when "He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me,' " a Bible verse taken from Luke 22:19. It would seem obvious that since Jesus gave His body on the cross that very next day, what Jesus said can be taken as a two part statement. In the first part of His words, He was referring to His body as Peter wrote in his epistle: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." The second part of what Jesus said would pertain to what we do today at communion, in remembrance of Him. But what exactly do Scriptures tell us as the significant meaning behind Jesus' words?

Looking closely at John, chapters four through six, we gain these significant insights. Here, Jesus made some very picturesque statements in an attempt to make us understand the importance of believing in Him. We also see that His words often are spoken in spiritual meanings, not to be taken as literal meanings. For instance, after Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, His disciples brought food to Him saying "Master eat." to which Jesus replied, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." Now if we take His words literally, we'd have to wonder if He had a hidden cheeseburger under His robe. But two verses later, we are given the meaning of His words: "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." Likewise in John chapter six, Jesus speaks in the same manner in verse 35 : "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty....' " verse 51 "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' " .... verse 54 "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" and finally verse 58. "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." These verses cannot be taken literally because Christians today get hungry and thirsty daily, and one only needs to look at the obituaries to see that Christians die. Thankfully, Jesus again doesn't leave us wondering because in verse 63, He says, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."

If we take these verses, we can benefit further if we add the insights given in Matthew 15: 11 and 17 where Jesus states that what goes into the mouth cannot defile anyone, because it passes through the body, but rather it is what comes from the heart that defiles a person. (Naturally this applies to what enters the mouth can't make one holy either.)

Fortunately, we also have in Acts 7:48 and 17:24 where we see the Bible clearly telling us that, "... the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands." If the words that Jesus spoke a the Last Supper meant that the bread was literally becoming His Body, then these verses, as well as the many verses that tell us that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father would also have to be discarded.

What is the true meaning behind the words spoken at the Last Supper and what we do at communion today? Like all of Scriptures, it isn't what we do that counts, but rather it points to the Finished work of Jesus Christ Crucified. In truth, what we celebrate today at communion is simply done totally to reflect upon what Jesus did at Calvary, to be done in remembrance of Him. And thus, we too can shout the same feelings as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. " So next Easter when we partake in communion, let's not sin by making the same mistakes that Paul referred to in Romans 1:25: "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. " But we rather should give to glory to Jesus Christ and what HE did 2000 years ago with His death and resurrection - which really is the importance of Easter Weekend.

Article #2 - The Sin Issue

The Sin Issue

The Bible says that, “whosoever believes in the Son of God shall be saved.” Yet Paul was concerned in 2 Corinthians 11:4 about those who believe in a different Jesus and a different gospel. So what is it about Jesus that we are to believe in? And since there is only one path to salvation, what are we to know to be saved?

The Bible says that Man is desperately wicked and there are none righteous, no not one. This may be hard for some to understand because it means that the sweet housewife, the religious church goer, or the loving grandmother is eternally damned as much as the serial rapist or the serial murderer that appears on death row. How can this be? Isn't God a God of love? Yes, God is a loving God. God is also a perfect God. His Word says that “if you commit one sin, you are guilty of all sin.” We must realize that even the sweet housewife and mother next door has committed the same sins in her heart as the inmates on death row. The fact that one knows about the characteristics of His Son doesn't save anyone either, for Satan knows that much about God as well. What is it then????

Looking at the Bible, we find that the key is not just knowing that God is a God of love, but to believe in what God did to show His love. Because man is separated from Him by sin, any sin, He sent Jesus to take our sins to the cross. And when Jesus declared from the cross, “It is finished,” He was declaring that everything needed to cleanse us from sin was accomplished that dark day nearly 2000 years ago. And throughout Scriptures, we see this. Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Romans 5:9 – “ being now justified by his blood…” Acts 20:28 – “… the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Ephesians 1:7 – “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Colossians 1:14 + 20 – “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” and “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

There are many more verses in which the Bible gives us this same message. So what did Paul mean by his verse in 2 Corinthians 11:4, a different Jesus and a different gospel? Simply put, if one believes as many today think, that “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us,” or that somehow “we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life,” as some churches teach, they then would be like those to which Paul referred to in 2 Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” The difference is evident in that the Bible tells us that the Lord addressed the sin issue 2000 years ago and that one can only attain the perfect righteousness by trusting in what He did at Calvary, (John 6:28-29), by faith alone, not works, lest one boasts, (Ephesians 2:8-9) and that if one is trusting in works, then it cannot be grace. (Romans 11:6)

In closing, Gospel-Light invites you to examine your life to see exactly how you think your sins are removed and then compare – Are you really believing in what Jesus did as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 2:2 – “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified,” (the gospel of grace) or are you trusting in religious rituals, activities and ways attempting to “merit” salvation, thinking you can be infused graces as so many of today’s Churches would have you believe?

The way you choose reveals much in whether you truly “believe” in Jesus Christ.

Article #1 - The Foundation

The Foundation

Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

John writes, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."

And Paul states, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

Using God’s Holy Word as our guide, in my work with Gospel Light Ministries, I hope to be able to shed light upon people’s beliefs, to help them discern for themselves just what is the truth and be equipped with the ability to compare their beliefs to Scriptures. This may sound simple enough on the surface, but today, when people say, "I believe in God," the words mean one thing in one religion and can mean another totally different in another religion. Even within one Christian denomination, often we find people’s beliefs to be one way and another person, a different way and many don’t even know just what is it that their church teaches. For example, some think that you have to be a Catholic to get to Heaven, others think that as long as a person is sincere in "whatever," then that this all that matters, as long as they are sincere. Many believe that all religions ultimately lead to God. So many views, who’s right? Even on this, many simply think, "Who can know?" But God has provided the answers to these questions with His Holy Word and since the Bible interprets itself, we will seek the answers as God has provided in the Bible. With diligent study, we can know, but in today’s world, we have a situation in which "everyone did as he saw fit" instead of what God’s word says. God’s word declares: Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; ".Lord, Lord, " and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Finally, in closing, this ministry, and this monthly column, is not about bashing anyone, but rather we simply wish to do as the Scriptures tells us to do: "...examine the Scriptures every day..." (Acts 17:11) "...Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) We at Gospel Light Ministries join Paul’s concern, when looking at today’s society - "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 one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:4)