In his epistle to those who were “sanctified (set aside for holy use) by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus,” the Apostle Jude expresses his concern for them and urges them to “contend earnestly for THE (ONE AND ONLY) FAITH that had been delivered to them. Nothing has changed. Jude is warning God’s true saints today that “certain men have crept into the church unawares, men who had been condemned from the beginning.” These are “ungodly men who TURN THE GRACE OF OUR GOD INTO LASCIVIOUSNESS (A LICENSE TO SIN) AND THEREBY DENY (DISOWN, REPUTIATE) THE ONLY GOD AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,” THEREBY DENYING HIM LORDSHIP OVER THEIR LIVES (VS 4). Always keep in mind that God’s dealings with our spiritual ancestors were recorded and preserved to be used to teach us today (1 Cor. 10:11).

By these and other statements made by other apostles, we know that the seeds of church apostasy (fall away from God) were being sown by Satan in the early years of the church. The Apostle Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia about their having already turned away from God’s Gospel and to a perverted version of His Truth (Word–Jn. 17:17). The apostles’ letters to the converts of their day tell us that Satan’s messengers were already working to destroy what God had created on the Day of Pentecost 31 A.D. They have been incredibly successful. Proof of this fact is that counterfeit Christianity consists of hundreds of conflicting, contending, Bible-contradicting cults (denominations, faiths, etc.), each with its own god, its own savior, its own doctrines and its own plan of salvation. These groups constitute “the many” Jesus said would enter His church (sheepfold) through Satan’s wide gate and would follow his broad way which leads to death. Only a minutely few would enter Christ’s strait (difficult) gate and walk His narrow (one choice only) path that leads to eternal life (Mat. 7:13,14; 22:14). Read Who are God’s People? and “My People Who are Called by My Name.” Key words–People and Called respectively. With the exception of God’s tiny “remnant church,” all have one thing in common: THEY ALL BELIEVE THAT SIN IS PART OF THEIR HERITAGE FROM ADAM–THEIR SPIRITUAL “NATURE.” Read Sin is a Choice. Key word–Choice.

In their attempt to legitimize sin, church leaders have selected certain Biblical passages that, in their eyes, “prove” that Jesus died so that they and those who follow them can defy His commands and, like Adam and Eve, determine their own versions of good and evil. The wages of their sin? Eternal life (Gen. 3:1-5). Reading that passage with a “fine print” view, one will notice that by eating of the forbidden fruit they would “…BECOME AS GODS, ABLE TO DEFINE GOOD AND EVIL.” And not only that, they would “… NOT SURELY DIE.” Sound familiar? It should, for end-time church leaders, having received their talking points from the same Serpent, preach that same message to their congregations every sun god day. Admittedly, in the past I was guilty of looking eastward on Easter Sunday and praying while the sun rose into the morning sky. Like Easter observers today, I did not realize that, by observing Easter Sunday, I was, in God’s eyes, paying homage to a heathen god (Tammuz–Eze. 8), thereby committing idolatry by breaking the first commandment in His Law.

This series is about one of the favorite Scriptural passages used to legitimize the church’s claim that Jesus died so that her people could sin and get away with it. Come, let us reason together. This theory states that Jesus suffered incredible pain and agony, then died a most horrific death on a cross so that churchman could be JUSTIFIED–have all of his PAST sins forgiven (Rom. 3:25). According to church lore, Jesus, having cleansed believers of their PAST sins, afterwards allows them to commit those same sins as often as they wish. Their only responsibility is to repent after doing so. Does this make sense? The church says “YES.” And Satan smiles.

The passage of Scripture that is most popular with the “I-sin-and-grin-for-in-the-end-I-win” churchites is found in the Book of Romans, chapters 7 and 8. As Jude warns, if we are not careful, we will find ourselves in a condition known as licentiousness, having given ourselves a license to sin. Over the centuries, billions of salvation seekers have fallen into that Satanic trap. Approximately 2.4 billion are unknowingly part of that global enclave now because they have not obeyed God’s command found in Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1. If you are in Satan’s tender trap (his Catholic/Protestant Religious System,) read that passage and heed God’s command to “come out of her and be ye separate, touch not that UNCLEAN THING.”

The primary Scriptural passage used by the church in her sin-and-win version of the Christian walk is Romans 7:14-8:2. A casual reading of that passage does make it seem that, having been delivered from the Law of sin and death (8:2), the believer is now free to sin with absolutely NO CONDEMNATION from on high. However, like everything else relative to God’s Word, we must apply His Scripture Study Method to our search for His Truth in order to receive its Truth. This is how God separates sheep from goats, wheat from tares within His church. Turn to Isaiah 28:9-13 for a quick look as the Lord’s study guide.

Knowing the heart (mind) of all people, the Lord, through Isaiah, acknowledges that His STUDY method will only be embraced by those who SEEK WISDOM and wish to UNDERSTAND DOCTRINE. These are those who have matured past the breast milk (baby) phase of the Christian walk. Read Hebrews 5:12-6:3. I must assume that you have matured and want even more maturity, otherwise you would not read this website in which God’s “fine print” (“strong meat”) is highlighted. In verse 10 Isaiah notes that God’s study rule is to look at all “precepts” and all “lines” concerning a Biblical subject, then look “here a little, there a little.” Notice that the Lord, through the apostle, repeats His study law (vs 13), noting that He had given it to His chosen people in the past, “and yet they would not hear” (vs 12). Nothing has changed. Those professing Him today have hardened their hearts, stopped up their ears and closed their eyes to His Truths (Mat. 13:15).

Mankind makes time to do what he wants to do. What we do with our free time reflects where our heart (mind) is focused. If we spend more of our free time doing something other than communing with God– studying His Word, praying to Him, or a combination of thereof–we are not being led by His Holy Spirit because we do not have His Spirit. The Holy Scriptures tell us that those who do not have God’s Holy Spirit and are not led by that Spirit are not His people (Rom. 8:9,14). In order to be a child of God in this life one must be justified (have all past sins forgiven) and converted (receive the Holy Spirit and manifest a total reversal of life by its power) before he/she is eligible to receive the promises of God, including salvation. L.J.