We will end this series with a look at false repentance and the Lord’s reaction to that spiritual disease that continues to ravage the whole of Catholicism/Protestantism. The false repentant has taken himself out from under God’s governance by accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior while refusing to take Him as his Lord. This gateway sin allows the disease to take over the life of the host and, unless true repentance follows, shuts him off from eternal life. Once the disease has taken over, the sin-repent cycle is engaged in repeatedly. Eventually sin and repentance become part of the “Christian life.” But what about those crazy people who keep saying that God condemns such theology?  According to sin-repenters there is a “Biblical” explanation for their actions–Adam’s miraculous sin transfusion into man’s spiritual dna. But listen to what God says about that deadly “truth.” In Romans 2:5,6 the Almighty says to the sin-repent practitioner that, “you are treasuring (storing) up for yourself (My) wrath until the day of (My) wrath” at which time He will display His righteous judgment as He “renders to each one according to his deeds.” Note that GOD DOES NOT FORGIVE THE SINS OF THE SIN-REPENTER. Instead, He stores them up until Judgment Day. Where does “only believe and you shall be saved” fit into this scenario? “Sinners saved by grace” claim that the above does not apply to them because they are already “saved” and “born again.” I wish that they would all read and heed the following.

Let us now see what God says about the effects of the sin-accumulating infirmity that is secretly consuming the souls the church masses. We find the Lord writing about this sin in Hebrews 10:26,29. Here He states that sin-repent cyclers: “nullify Christ’s sacrifice,” “crucify Christ afresh (again and again),” “trample Him under foot,” “count the blood of the covenant by which they were (formerly) sanctified as worthless” and “insult the (Holy) Spirit of grace.”

The one and only Biblical path to salvation is spelled out by God as follows: Repentance and conversion (Mat. 13:15) place one under God’s governance/rulership (Isa. 9:6) where one obeys/emulates the Man Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 2:6) resulting in righteousness and holiness which, if maintained until the end of life, results in salvation (Mat. 10:22/Rom. 6:19,22).

There are no shortcuts to the Kingdom of God. Contrary to popular opinion, preaching and practicing the Social Gospel will not substitute for obedience to the Word of God. Nor will uber-religiosity. Everyone who has “joined the church” runs the race of life, but only he who runs according to God’s rules wins the prize (1 Cor. 9:24/1 Pet. 4:17,18). This Truth is rejected by the church masses who will stand before Jesus on Judgment Day, call Him “Lord, Lord,” remind Him of their religious activities and, like the five FOOLish virgins (Mat. 25:11), expect to enter the marriage feast simply because they believed, were baptized, joined the church, took Jesus as their Savior, ran the race, crossed the finish line, etc. Jesus declared in Matthew 7:23 that He will reject them and will ask them why they called Him “Lord” but refused to obey Him, why they professed Him with their lips but denied Him in their heart (Lk. 6:46/Mk. 7:6) and why they insisted that His Law be publicly displayed on their courthouse lawns while claiming that He nailed it to His cross? God is not mocked; what man sows, man reaps (Gal. 6:7). Therefore, let us sow the good seed of obedience to His Word and reap the reward God has promised to those who do–eternal life in His kingdom. L.J.