As stated in the previous posting, every “Christian” organization (denomination, faith, etc.) is the result of someone with an improved version of God’s Truth looking for a following.  The overall result of this heresy is called Catholicism/Protestantism and her hundreds of conflicting, contadicting versions of “truth” commonly known as “church doctrines.”  This two-headed, multi-bodied religious monster is the handiwork of Satan–the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 2:4).  This series will highlight a number of religious lies the Serpent of Eden has deceived Adam and Eve’s religious descendants into believing.  As he did to them, the devil twists God’s Words just enough to change their meaning and gives them to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear his perverted version of God’s Truth (Gal. 1:6-9).  As a result, billions of salvation seekers have embraced “another Jesus,” just as the Apostle Paul warned the church at Corinth (2 Cor. 11:4) would happen.  As a result, the Jesus of the Bible and the Jesus of the church are two totally different beings with two  totally different messages.  This ministry is tasked with identifying the life and death differences between the two sources of truth and their respective gods.

One of those differences involves the exact purpose of Christ’s death, specifically, for whom did He die?  John 3:16,17 is professing Christendom’s most often quoted passage.  Christ’s statement of this Truth (a “headline”) reveals that God loves the entire world (every human ever born), and that Jesus died so that any and all who believe in Him “SHOULD” receive eternal life, and that they “MIGHT” be saved.  Note that faith does not automatically equate to salvation.   Without the accompanying “fine print,” John 3:16,17 would make it appear that all one needs to do in order to be saved is to “believe in Him.”  Before proceeding I will remind the reader that Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were staunch Catholics, and that in his early days Josef Stalin planned to enter the seminary in preparation for the ministry.  Also,  “GOD IS WITH US” was engraved on the belt buckles of Hitler’s murderous SS troops.  And let us not forget that Judas Iscariot preached the Gospel, healed the sick and cast out demons.  He divided the fish and loaves for the masses as did the other disciples.  He was an equal disciple who “had the same ministry” as the others and who, having returned from a season of ministry, proclaimed to Jesus: “Even the devils are subject to us through Your name” (Lk. 10:17/ Acts 1:16,17).  While he was preaching, healing, delivering, multiplying food, etc. he was also stealing from the group’s purse and arranging to betray Christ to the Jewish priests.  Note also that all but 12 of Jesus’ disciples left Him at one point and went back into the world (Jn. 6:60,66).  They all believed in Jesus.  However, their faith did not save them.  And as the Apostle James tells us, neither will our faith save us (2:10,14,17,18,20,24,26).  Note that James uses that most hated of Biblical Words–“WORKS”–no less than 6 times in those 7 verses.  In verse 5 he ties God’s command for WORKS to one’s LOVE FOR HIM.  Love for God is expressed in our obedience to (works of) His Law/Word/Truth/Light/Gospel (Jn. 8:31; 14:23,25; 15:10).  Sin is the transgression of the Law (1 Jn. 3:4).  Faith combined with sin is dead faith.  Faith combined with obedience to God’s Law is life.  So says the Lord.  Adam and Eve had faith in God.  Unbeknownst to them, however, they had already sinned in their hearts before leaving in search of the forbidden tree, still filled with faith.  Sin is a mental deed.  Man will be judged by his DEEDS (Jn. 3:19-21/ Rom. 2:6).  The actual partaking of the fruit was the aftermath of a sin already committed in their hearts.  The two acts amounts to a double sin (deed).  God had told them not to eat of the tree.  If they did, they would die.  Case closed.  However, they did not like the doctrines of the Church of Eden.  They created their own denomination based on their own version of truth supplied by their new god–Satan–who persuaded them that they could sin and “not surely die.”  Until they bit into the fruit, they “knew” they could defy God and get away with it because, in their Satan-twisted minds, He (God), having seen the error of His ways, agreed with them.

Recall that King David believed that he had gotten away with his sins.  Because things had continued as usual following Bathsheba’s pregnancy and her husband’s murder, David “knew” that God agreed with him concerning Bathsheba, her husband, etc.  This euphoria continued until the child was born.  Then, at the height of David’s success, he was paid a visit by the Prophet Nathan who spoke God’s Words to him.  Like Adam and Eve, David’s world fell apart at that moment.  His son died after he had laid on his face in agony for seven days.  All sinners have had, are having or will have “that moment.”  David repented deeply of his sins and lived the rest of his life in obedience to His God.  Read 2 Samuel 11,12.  David knew how to repent, and equally important, how to live a life of holiness afterward.  May we follow his example and become people “after God’s own heart” as was David.  No interpretation is needed relative to David’s deeds.  God’s Words need no interpretation.   Nor do the Words of His Son as spoken to His disciples in John 15:13,14: “Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.  You (disciples–including Judas) are My friends IF YOU DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU.”  No interpretation needed. 

The question we must ask ourselves is: “Am I doing everything the Lord commands me to do?”  As was the case with Jesus Christ, we must live in accordance to God’s written will in order to receive the rewards He has promised us.  There are no exceptions, not even for the carpenter from Nazareth.

THOUGH GOD LOVES EVERYONE IN THE WORLD, HIS SON DIED ONLY FOR THOSE WHO “DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU TO DO.”  Jesus did not die for all of the people of the world whom He loved.  He died for “whosoever will” believe and obey Him until the end of life or His Second Coming.  L.J.