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From the very beginning until today, Satan’s goal has been to create doubt and unbelief. He wants us to not take God, who cannot lie, at his word.
The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! Gen 3:4 NASB
All Adam and Eve had to do was to believe God.
Jesus, Paul, and others tell us in numerous verses, all one needs to do is believe IN God’s Son to be saved.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 NASB
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” Rom 10:9-13 NASB
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9
But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Rom 11:6 NASB
Read: If You Believe You Have Been Saved
Yet many Christians can be found pointing to, and preaching the letter of the law to other believers, claiming their law breaking proves they are not saved.
So, what actions must they stop and what must they start doing so they will be saved? Do we tell them to act more Christian, go to church, read the Bible daily and obey everything they read, and then they will be saved? Do we tell them to do and act more like we are acting to be saved? Do we tell them they need to obey the law of Moses including the God’s Ten Commandments or they cannot be saved?
When addressing a similar situation regarding the non-Jews appearance, actions or inactions, the top Apostles had the perfect opportunity to tell them what they needed to do in addition to believing. Yet they did not command the Gentiles to do any of the things I listed in the above paragraph. They only gave the following advice.
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” Acts 15:28-29
A similar teaching can be found in Galatians chapter three. Legalistic Jews came in and did not approve of what they observed in these lawless Gentiles. Therefore, they said, “sure you must believe in Jesus, but you must also obey the law of Moses to be saved”. Paul was amazed how the Galatians had been so easily deceived.
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Gal 1:6-7 NASB
Paul states to let those who brought this false gospel to be accursed, under the curse of the law, if that is their choice but don't you do it. Note it is not the curse of sin, it is the curse of the law, see Gal 3:13 ESV.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! Gal 1:8 NASB
Paul then points out that the Gentiles, who were never under the law of Moses in the first place, received the Holy Spirit when they believed (thus guaranteeing their salvation and inheritance immediately Eph 1:13-14), not later based on their actions. He also points out that a person cannot possibly perfect their faith by right actions, works of the flesh.
This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Gal 3 2-3 NASB
Paul then tells us that when believers like the Galatians fall from grace, they do not do so by falling into sin. A believer falls from grace when they add law keeping back in as a requirement for salvation.
You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Gal 5:4 NASB
Paul also tells us that it is God Himself who makes a believer stand.
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Rom 14:4 NASB
God Himself, has qualified the believer.
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Col 1:12
James warns: Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? James 4:11-12 NASB
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." Jesus in John 7:24 NASB
"You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. Jesus in John 8:15 NASB
Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:16-19 NASB
Paul points out that when we judge others by the law, we place ourselves back under the law instead of grace, and under the law, because of the weakness of our flesh, we are automatically transgressors of the law ourselves.
But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners (others had noticed Paul’s lax in law keeping and questioned his Apostleship), is Christ then a servant of sin? (In Christ, under grace, sin is not counted, so is Jesus instigating sin in believers?) Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down (the law),I prove myself to be a transgressor (sinner). For through the law I died to the law, (the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives Rom 7:1) so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law (Paul rejects the laws ability to make one righteous), then Christ died for no purpose. Gal 2:17-21 ESV (emphasis mine)
Jesus tells us the same thing.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 7:1-2 ESV
James tells us the same thing.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:12-13 ESV
Paul warns how the law works to all who preach the law must be kept to be saved.
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? Gal 4:21
Jesus regularly advised believers to stop doubting and just believe.
If you have read the Bible even a little bit, you know that one of Jesus main messages was to not doubt who he is and what he was saying.
Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matt 14:31 NASB
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." John 20:27 NIV
And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Luke 24:38 NASB
"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Mark 11:23 NASB
Jesus assures believers of salvation.
If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. “I and the Father are one.” John 10:24b-30 NASB
Stop working for the enemy by creating doubt in other believers.
There is only one unforgivable sin according to the Bible, it is the sin of unbelief in who Jesus is and what he has accomplished, it cannot be committed by a believer. Therefore, the sins you may notice in other believers cannot be unforgivable sins. What is the One Unforgivable Sin?
The only one who wants us to doubt Jesus identity and his words that those who simply believe will be saved is satan. It is very easy to be saved but it did not come cheap. God gave everything in his son. There is a battle raging between belief and unbelief as to who Jesus is and what he has done, you can see a sample in this article HERE, (rebuttal to that article HERE by his professor). People who do not believe Jesus is the Messiah and promote their unbelief to others can be found everywhere. If Christians foster doubt as atheists and other unbelievers do, leading others to doubt their complete salvation in the finished work of Jesus, we are doing the enemies work period. A house divided cannot stand.
It is all about and only about the perfect sacrifice of Jesus! Do you believe God or not?
Faith without works is dead
James speaks of faith without works being dead. It is often preached that James is talking about keeping the law of Moses, Ten Commandments as a requirement to be saved. Or at the least, if you do keep them you can lose your salvation. This is not correct. Thankfully, James uses Abraham and Rahab in chapter two as examples of what living faith looks like. The two examples used of living faith surprisingly involve instances of breaking the letter of the law of Moses. Abraham’s willingness to murder his son, and Rahab a prostitute, who lied to protect the life of the spies.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 22: 37-40 that all the law hangs on loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. James uses Abraham’s example which portrays loving God above everything else and Rahab who is an example of loving her neighbor as herself. Neither were keeping the letter of the law, they were keeping the spirit of the law, which is Love neighbor, love God(Gal 5:14, Rom 13:8).
If we believe something, our actions will demonstrate our belief apart from words. If we believe it is going to rain, we take an umbrella and others will know what we believe by our actions. We see that in Abraham and Rahab's action, and in the single action when a Jew offered a lamb for their sins and when Noah's family believed and got on the ark.
One single act of faith “IN” the Son whom the Father has sent is the work James is talking about.
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:29 NASB
The author is against all sin and not advocating sin.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Rom 6:15
Christians who judge believe they are being judged by the law
Christians who are judging others salvation, do not take Jesus at his word in John 3:16. They doubt, and do not believe the simplicity of the gospel. They have bought into satans lie. Read: If You Believe You Have Been Saved
In the Bible, the only people who wanted to place believers under the law of Moses were the Pharisee’s, the legalistic Jews. Those under the law feel judged and naturally want others to be under the law too. Even those who are not under the law (Christians) but sincerely believe they are under the law, deceived like the Galatians, will naturally want other believers to be under the law. When they see other believers, who look like the lawless Gentiles of Paul’s day, they will naturally judge them because they feel judged. The key to this is to let in the light of truth found in the New Covenant that Jesus shed His blood for.
For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Rom 6:14
Solution - Foster Christ consciousness and not sin and self-consciousness
Ask the person who you suspect is not saved, if they really believe Jesus is who he claims to be and the Bible is really true? On a scale of 1 - 10? Then when they say a 7 or another number, use it to find out where their doubt lies. You might be surprised to find out that they are judging themselves by their own self-righteousness, instead of the finished work of Jesus. Point them back to Jesus not to self-righteousness through the law. Read: If You Believe You Have Been Saved, Self Occupied or Christ Occupied, Sin Consciousness Grieves the Holy Spirit and How to be Transformed Into His Image.
If the problem is factual evidence, point them to a free book like Gravity.
In the New Covenant, the Old Testament law has been replaced by the Spirit of that law, which is a much higher standard than the letter. Learn what this means here: Christians Are Not Under the Law of Moses, Our Standard is Much Higher
Read: Letter Kills, Spirit Gives Life and more New Covenant studies here: NEW COVENANT ARTICLE LINKS.
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...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
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