The Grace Of God/The Free Gift

"If you are a preacher of Grace, then preach a true, not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly. For he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here we have to sin. This life in not the dwelling place of righteousness but, as Peter says, we look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. . . . Pray boldly-you too are a mighty sinner.
 If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2. Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign. It suffices that through God's glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins? Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.”

Martin Luther    From his letter to Melancthon August 1521

Romans 3:5  But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6  By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7  But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8  And why not do evil that good may come?--as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. 

Luther is not advocating licentiousness, of which Paul was also accused. He simply states the case, (as did Paul), that God's grace freely given through His Son, to the elect, is sufficient.
What sin did Christ not die for? Some say He did not die for "the sin of unbelief" ??!!
The truth is that if one never comes to belief, none of his sins are forgiven. Christ died solely for the sins of the elect, and the assurance is the elect will all come to belief. Thus the sin of unbelief is a moot point. (John 6:35-47; 17:1-3)

Christ's death is sufficient to forgive every sin of the elect,not just the sins of our past, but the sins we fall into today, and in the future. Luther is not telling us to go and commit a thousand sins. He is encouraging us to rely solely on Christ and His finished work, i.e. His obedient act, and not on any works of our own. Even if we were to commit a thousand wrongs, God's grace is eternal, sufficient and effectual, never reaching a "limit" where we can lose that which the Son has wrought for us, to us, and in us.

Those who teach the sinless perfection of the saints, as the standard of "keeping" one's salvation preach heresy, since Christ's death as propitiation is the only act of a man that the Father will accept.
He did not die so that any who "make a decision for Him" can have their slate wiped clean and start all over again in an endless cycle of breaking the law in an attempt to keep it.(Romans 7)

Galatians 5:4  You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 

Since Christ died for the forgiveness of every sin of the elect, then it is not our sins that separate us from the Father, (else His death is meaningless), but it is our efforts to justify/sanctify ourselves that cause us to fall from grace. This is the "original sin"; that man would be His own god and thus his own savior. (Genesis 3:1-8; v22)
So,sin boldly as you are a sinner,but pray more boldly rely on Christ more boldly as you are saved by grace.

Solus Christus
Sola Gratia
Soli Deo Gloria

Not A Process!!

John 17:17  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Ephesians 5:

26  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

27  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Hebrews 10: 10  And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.......

14  For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified (i.e. being called into sanctification)

It’s not a “process”! Christ has done it all, ONCE, for all. 

Luke 12;1b ……………….."Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

Matthew 16:12  Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

MATTHEW 6:19-34 (A Post-Thanksgiving Day Word)

Matthew 6:19-34

Luke 16:

13  “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

14  The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.      15  And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

2Timothy3:

1  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

2  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

1Timothy 6:

3  If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,

4  he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,

5  and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

6  Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,

7  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

8  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

9  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11  But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Genesis 14:

17  After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).

18  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

19  And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

20  and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21  And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself."

22  But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

23  that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.'

24  I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share."

Hebrews 13:

5  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

6  So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

Php 4:

10  I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

11  Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

12  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

14  Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

1Thess 5:

16  Rejoice always,

17  pray without ceasing,

18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Php 4:

6  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It is God's will that we rejoice and pray, with thanksgiving, always in all circumstances,recognizing that the circumstances of our lives find their origin in His sovereignty.

The Spirit of Antichrist

1John 4:

1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

4  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5  They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

6  We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Who are the “we” referred to by John, and how do we know the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error?  

We are the church, the body of Christ, the temple of the living God. His temple is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, who are those whom the Lord called to write and proclaim scripture.

The “command” that we must agree to disagree is patently unbiblical, i.e. it is not supported by scripture. If such an assertion is true, then the writers of scripture themselves are unscriptural. Verse 6, in the passage cited above, is one of the boldest statements in scripture.  The scriptures, when read today, mean exactly what they meant when they were originally written, received, and read by the saints. There is no “double meaning”. The Lord did not forget to include certain information which He later revealed through a few “gifted” individuals (neo-gnostics) throughout the ages. 

The spirit of antichrist originates among those who call themselves believers. They depart from the fellowship proclaiming another gospel, another Jesus, by another spirit (antichrist).

John says they were never one of us. (2Cor 11;1-15; 1 John 2: 18-19)
Unfortunately before they leave the true fellowship, they gather many to themselves who follow them into ruin. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)

Acts 20:

28  Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

29  I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30  and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

2Peter 2:

1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Jude 1:3  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4  For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:

15  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

16  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

18  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

The certainty of biblical prophecy is that they (antichrist) will come, and they will lead many astray; to this very day this is so. The fruit that they we will know them by are not the lying signs and wonders, nor deceptive good works. Their works/miraculous signs will appear to be quite genuine, and so God sends a delusion on them and those that follow them, i.e. those who do not seek the TRUTH.  (2 Thess 2:9-12)  Signs, wonders, the appearance of godliness, etc. are the mechanism of deception. 

John 17:17  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

The fruit produced by the bad tree is the speaking of another word, than the one given by God. They proclaim a Jesus that is not found in the scriptures; a gospel which He did not proclaim; a salvation that is not given through Him, all by the spirit of antichrist which rejects the only begotten Son, who came in the flesh from the Father.

Therefore, those who listen to them go into the world with them proclaiming a worldly gospel, e.g. health, wealth, “easy believism”, etc. It is a gospel that is palatable to the world, and the worldly gladly receive it.

The saints are those who are sanctified (set apart) in the Truth (His Word).                                                            

The saints go into all the world and make disciples, that is, they bring into the fellowship those whom the Lord is saving by speaking the Truth.  (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2: 41-47)

Those who listen to us are of God. Those who do not listen to us are not of God. 

John 6:45  It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me--

 John 8:47  Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

Greater is the one who is in the fellowship, than the one who is in the world.