Friday, January 22, 2010

SAVED BY GRACE NOT BY WORKS???

Saved By Grace And Not By works?

Many “Christian” religious sects have being teaching that all we need to do is give our heart to JESUS CHRIST and accept/confess HIM as our personal savior, and that is the sum and total of conversion. Some of these self proclaimed experts theologians went so far as to even judge the very Word of the Christian Holy Scriptures (James 4:11) and condemning the Epistle of James (who was the Bishop Pastor of the Jerusalem congregation of that time), as an epistle of straw (2 Peter 1:21) because James the half brother of JESUS taught that Christians must bear (i.e. bring forth or produce) the fruits of (i.e. characteristic indicative or definitive as) good works.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
James 2:14 - 18

All these disciples and masters of the Christmas religion, whether they teach of a grace that is without works, that is without a need to obey GOD keeping HIS commandments, or a system of penance instead of repentance has one major problem. They should stop making a pretense that they are Christians, and that the basis of their religion is the Christian Holy Scriptures. Read the New Testament including the Gospel accounts and the Book of Revelation. Did it look like JESUS CHRIST (John 15:10) and HIS Apostles (1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6) actually taught a grace without the need to walk in faith, and a need to keep the commandments of GOD? Is the Christian Bible openly and explicitly teaching one thing, and then secretly advocating something else all together? The Christmas religion would want you to believe so.


The Holy Christian Scriptures have been consistent throughout its records from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation. But today we see a worldwide “Christianity” that totally bears no resemblance to the faith taught and practiced by the original Apostles handpicked by JESUS CHRIST. Read how a great counterfeit has been teaching lies and blaspheming GOD since its very foundation in The Consistency Of The Holy Scriptures.

The Gospel (which is the good news) that JESUS CHRIST, the SON of GOD, preached taught nothing about penance (works according to the doctrines of the Mother Church of the Mystery Babylonian religion) nor a grace without the walk of faith (work of faith expressed in obedience to GOD). This is a faith of obeying GOD and keeping the commandments of GOD. Read the four Gospel accounts to confirm this, the whole of the Bible is about men of faith who obeyed GOD and carried out HIS directions (obeyed HIS voice). I did not make it up.

Those who teach of a grace without work never fail to quote the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, especially Romans 11 verse 6:
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

Sound so much like what they are teaching is true doesn't it, that Paul actually said that? Only problem is Paul also wrote,
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

And he also wrote,
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,

But how about in Galatians 5 verse 4 when Paul wrote,
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

And, also,
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

But then he also wrote,
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

And also in Romans 2 verses 12 and 13
For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;

So was the Apostle Paul contradicting himself? If he was, then he shouldn't be believed. Truth of the matter is, he was not. His writings are confusing to those who lack understanding of the concepts and contexts on what he wrote about.

The context of Paul's writing whenever it came to the subject of grace were focused on and discussing circumcision particularly, and generally the ritualistic laws as well as those pertaining to the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament. These involved eating and drinking, washing and various sacrificial rituals. For the full discussion on what are the differences between the New Covenant made in the BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST and the Old Covenant of the Ten Commandments, please read the post on ‘The New Covenant’ in this work.

The Apostle Peter (who was appointed by LORD JESUS to be the head over the other eleven Apostles), wrote that many were twisting the writings of Paul to their own agenda as they did with the rest of the Scriptures:

and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

What Peter was saying clearly and unmistakably was that self-proclaimed, untaught and unstable (Psalm 71:17; John 6:45; 1 Thessalonians 4:9), theologians and religious experts were twisting the writings of Paul as well as all the Scriptures earning for themselves destruction in the day of GOD's judgment.

Did Paul say that the walk of faith was no longer required (2 Corinthians 5:7)? And what does the walk of faith involves if not that of fully, completely without wavering andor doubt obeying GOD and keeping HIS commandments, even under extreme duress to the point of a horrible death (Hebrews 11:35 – 38)? Did Paul not mention the requirement for obedience (2 Corinthians 10:6)? What is obedience if it does not involve obeying and performing the commandments of GOD? How do grace and obedience translate into, translate as breaking, disobeying and transgressing the Royal Laws and Holy Commandments of GOD (i.e. done through claiming that they have been abolished)? Isn't that twisting things so much so as to turn them completely around, to say the exact opposite of they actually say?


In 2 Corinthians 6 verse 1 Paul wrote:

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.


How would grace possibly be in vain if we no longer need to do anything? And why ‘workers together with HIM’ if works are no longer required?

Was it not the same Paul who wrote:

It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
Hebrews 9:9 - 10

And also:

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Hebrews 10:1 - 4

He explicitly, clearly and plainly stated:
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
1 Corinthians 7:19


The Apostle Paul was not advancing a doctrine of grace without the need to obey GOD and keep HIS commandments at all, contrary to the evil lies, doctrines and teachings of the mainstream “Christian” religion of today. Paul plainly and clearly taught, that keeping the commandments of GOD is essential and crucial because ‘what matters’ means exactly that.

And what are these commandments that Paul said the keeping of which is ‘what matters’?

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Ten Commandments, yes there are ten of them (with the Sabbath commandment the fourth commandment not the fifth), if you have not read them before they are in Exodus 20 verses 1 to 17 and also in Deuteronomy 5 verses 6 to 21.


These can be summed up (i.e. summarized) as:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.


The agents and servants of the Adversary of GOD, the Churches of the evil Antichrists, had twisted the writings of the Apostle Paul in order to do away with the commandments of GOD (Mark 7:9) and the requirement of faith towards GOD which have always been proven by obedience to the voice of GOD and keeping HIS commandments.

Read the chapters on ‘GOD IS’ and ‘Self Righteousness And The Righteousness Of GOD’ for the full disclosure of what are the commandments of GOD and what exactly is the new commandment of love.

Read fully, thoroughly and completely the whole Christian Bible and see where Adam and Eve had failed, where the Antediluvian world had failed, where the ancient nation kingdoms of Israel and Judah had failed. And in the Gospel accounts read where the religious authorities (who held themselves as the epitome of religious righteousness: Luke 18:11 – 12), and the masses during and after JESUS's ministry had failed. All these failed because of disobedience. Short sighted self-deceiving self-expediency leading to the breaking of GOD's commandment of love, making the grace from GOD of no effect, trampling on the BLOOD and body of JESUS CHRIST (Hebrew 13:20), breaking the Everlasting Covenant (Isaiah 24:5).

The very same reason nearly all professed “Christianity” and mankind today are failing, because of the doctrines (Revelation 18:3) and celebrations (Revelation 18:7) of the Christmas religion (Revelation 17:5 – 6) which are contrary to GOD's commandments and ordained celebrations which were the doctrines that JESUS CHRIST taught.

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
2 John 1:9

To get a more complete understanding on the writings of the Apostle Paul who they appeared to be so confusingly self contradicting in all his Epistles, please read the chapters ‘Grace, Sin and The Commandments of GOD’ and ‘The Elect’.


The Old Testament Ten Commandments Are No Longer Valid And Need Not Be Obeyed, Especially The Fourth Commandment.

Many followers of the Christmas religion believe that JESUS CHRIST came to fulfill the requirement of the law and thus they are done away with. “There is no longer a need to obey and keep the commandments of GOD since JESUS CHRIST had already ‘fulfilled’ them”. As long as we do what we believe to be right we should all go to heaven when we die. They may not say so in as many words, but in essence that is what exactly they believe.

Do not be deceived, there is only one personage who does not want mankind (and angels too) to obey GOD and keep HIS commandments. That personage is none other than Satan the Devil. Anyone who advocates the doing away with the need to obey GOD and keep HIS commandments, all of HIS commandments (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4) can only be the  agents and disciples of the Satan the Devil (John 8:44).

Read where it all started in Genesis 2 verses 15 to 17:
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

And Satan the Devil said (through his proxy) in Genesis 3 verses 4 to 5:
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Today Satan the Devil is saying the same thing, 'what commandments of GOD, it is by grace you are saved not of works, you can discern for yourself what is good and evil there is not need to keep some rules that cannot make you righteous.'

As what was in the Garden of Eden so it is today, Satan the Devil twisting the very words of GOD to lead man to disobey GOD. Satan the Devil hates all those who would obey GOD and seeks to destroy them, as has been the testimonies of the record of the Holy Christian Scriptures.
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17

Here's what GOD said after Adam had eaten the fruit that GOD commanded him not to eat:
Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: ..........

Did it sound like GOD was saying, “It is OK, those commandments bring death and cannot make you righteous, just go on and live your life as it seems right to you?

What GOD actually said because Adam had disobeyed and did not keep the commandment of HIS MAKER:
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.

And in Genesis 5 verse 5 it was recorded:
So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.

So who was the liar here? Unfortunately mankind had persisted to believe Satan the Devil's lies from the Garden of Eden until today. The modern day Babylonian mystery religion in her current and contemporary (beginning from the era of the Apostles to day) guise as the claimed main original and authentic “Christian” religion teaches that when they (Matthew 19:7) or someone who has accepted JESUS (depending on which sect of the modern day guise of the Babylonian mystery religion you have believed in) dies, they do not really die, they go to heaven. But if they are wicked or had not accepted JESUS CHRIST, they go to a hell of eternal tormenting torture.  Of course that are variations to this ‘good go to heaven and bad go to hell’ doctrine but conceptually and essentially it is something along those lines.

For the discussion of what actually transpired in the Garden of Eden that would lead to GOD evicting the first family of mankind from the Garden just because they ate some fruits of a tree, please read the post ‘The Tree of Knowledge’ of the blog, ‘The Scripture of Truth’ of this work. And not it was not because Adam had sex with his wife, Eve, as has been the blasphemous lie of the Christmas religion for hundreds of years since.

Yes from the very beginning, right from the very Garden of GOD, Satan the Devil acting through his proxy had managed to convince all mankind to believe that GOD is a liar and have a secret and envious agenda against man (Genesis 3:4- 5). Today all of mankind had continued on to believe this lie that is why they commemorate, keep and celebrate Christmas and Easter, and Sunday as the day of rest and worship. That is why they have continued to believe in a harsh, unreasonable and exacting GOD who requires from man what is beyond man's limited created ability to deliver, in the teachings and doctrines of the Christmas religion (this I will convincing prove in the chapter ‘Grace, Sin and the Commandments of GOD’ as also in this work).

The real truth is Satan the Devil has been the one with the envious agenda, seeking to destroy all mankind, by leading mankind to rebel against GOD, disobeying GOD's commandments. Satan the Devil hates all mankind because mankind has been created to attain to a higher position in GOD's Kingdom than him.

Even though Spirit Angels are now still ruling over the current world of man, every man and woman who is accounted worthy to attain and enter into the Kingdom of GOD will rule over all things including all the angels.

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
1 Corinthians 6:3

And also:

And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about.
Hebrews 2:3 (NLT).

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:2



Next:  EASTER WHAT IS THAT?

THE OLD COVENANT AND THE NEW COVENANT   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11i   11ii   11iii   11iv   12   13   14i   14ii   14iii

Back To THE BEGINNING.


Comments and questions on issues of doctrines, truths and facts raised here can be directed to this author through the contact form on the right side bar of this author's main blog. Only sincere non malicious comments and questions seeking clarification and understanding will be entertained.

Note:
1. Words in italic referenced titles or proper names where this applies, otherwise these are personal notes to selected people who are familiar with them.
2. I have intentionally left out many scriptural references as anyone who wants to prove or disprove what is written here should read the Christian Bible thoroughly and extensively (from cover to cover at least three or more times).
3. The various chapters and articles discussed here are by no means exhaustive of the doctrines, prophesies, subjects and answers to questions on the Christian Holy Scriptures.
4. Scriptures quoted are from New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.
5. Please bear in mind that this stuff here is for foundation understanding and some 'deeper' verses and advanced doctrines are only introduced and discussed in the latter (2014 C.E. onward) posts as well as the later updates to the earlier post of this work.
6. The word or term 'man' is used throughout as a reference to man specifically as well as to all mankind (male and female) according to the context in the same way as the Christian Bible used the term.
7. For the complete listing of titles and discussions of this author on the Christian faith and worship (or religion) please refer to the Start or Home page of 'The Holy Bible Expounded'. Also listed in this post page are the latest published posts of all the Christian topic blogs of this author.

© Quah 2009 - 2015. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
All reference to GOD (in caps or uppercase) in this site refers to the CREATOR GOD whose original inspired Words are the basis of the Christian Bible unless otherwise denoted.
All published information on this topic is targeted at the true disciples of the faith, the Elect, not the false professed believers. Those of other religious faith who are easily offended by simple. clear and obvious truth are advised not to read any of the blogs entries posted here.
All views, statements and discussions are the personal religious belief and conviction of this author and directed at persons of exact same faith, religious belief and conviction.
Nonetheless any truly sincere seeker of the CREATOR of all things should be able to related to and understand the topic, if seeking said CREATOR in truth and humility, seeking to understand and to learn.
All those who are not interested in, or not seeking to know the truth should not read materials and articles by this author in his books or blogs as the simple, clear and obvious truth will most probably offend their sensitivity and infuriate them..
The author is neither responsible for nor does he approve or endorse any advertisement for subscriptions, products or services advertised in this blog space.
Please note that all discussions by this author are based on a general non expert assessment of information gathered from material published in the public domain (i,e, readily available to members of the general public). All of this author's discussions are presented as material for any and all persons with no special expertise. Anyone twelve years of age and older, who is not mentally incapacitated in some ways, would (or should anyway) be able to understand any and all the discussions of this author. You do not need to be an expert or a genius to understand the simple and straight forward truths discussed by this author.


Last Updated: 2015 06 09
First Posted: 2010 01 22