Part 3 – Highlighting the Differences

If you’ve read my writings for long you likely note that stark contrast between what I am sharing from the Bible “rightly divided” versus… the established ‘doctrine’ and ‘tradition’ of organized and denominational religion.

‘Tradition’ is mainly entrenched, long-held, non-Biblical error, and the passage of time does not turn that error into truth.  It is manufactured by the fallen mind of man under Satan’s influence.

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world (in accord with the fallen ‘world system’), and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

A Christian friend recently said this to me,

“Why not just share the good things from the Bible, without pointing out things that differ from what the churches teach? They love God too, you know.”

To this I replied… just note how Paul taught repeatedly highlighting the ‘differences,’ essentially saying… ‘it was this way, “but now” it’s this way.’ E.g., “…  for ye (Gentiles) are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14b).

The fact is that most all dominations and sects of Christendom hold to many of the elements of Israel’s “Law” program, but… what was true for Israel is Biblically different from that which applies to the Gentile “church, which is the body of Christ.” Obviously, Law and Grace two entirely different kinds of relationships? The truth is that …

Our Faith Must Rest In an Intelligent Understanding of Bible Truth for today’s age of the Pure “Grace of God” ... if we are to become securely “established in the faith” as Paul taught it.

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my (Paul’s) gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the Revelation of the Mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,” (Romans 16:25)

“Rooted and built up in him (Christ), and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught (Paul’s gospel), abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7)

Paul consistently explained the “things that differ” (Phil. 1:9-10). We should not be rude, crude, nasty, or belligerent. Still, no matter how polite we are, how soft-spoken we are, how gentle we are, how loving we are, how tactful we are, how meek we are in dealing with a religionist, the real Message of the Cross is OFFENSIVE to most. The cross “Offensive”? Yes, to the religionist.  Paul wrote: “I (Paul), brethren, if (as some say) I yet (still) preach circumcision, (then) why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the ‘OFFENCE of the cross’ ceased.” (Galatians 5:11) The fact is that every blessing that we believers have received in Christ, such as we teach, … FLOWS FROM HIS CROSS-WORK.

The Cross of Christ is the source of our justification, reconciliation, redemption, the forgiveness of sins, our co-death with Christ and our co-resurrection with and in Christ… as the new us.

But why would the Cross be so Offensive to the Religionist?

It’s mainly because “salvation… by Grace through Faith” Alone, as “Gift of God,” flowing to us via the Cross… Cancels Out Religion’s… “Performance Based Acceptance System that requires Works!

No doubt, if Paul had preached religious works to His Gentile converts, such as a need for Israel’s “circumcision in the flesh,” the Jewish Messianic believers in Jerusalem would have been pleased with him. But, Paul would then have been preaching a false doctrine that man needed to do something to please God… rituals and rite appeal to the prideful, boastful flesh of those ensconced in religion. Only Christ and His Cross ‘please’ Father God.

When Paul preached the total sufficiency of Christ’s Crosswork, this meant that man’s good works would never be enough to gain right standing before God. God’s pure grace is “Offensive” even today, because it takes away cause for religious boasting in what man can do through self-effort.

If there’s any bragging, the Bible says it will be in the finished work of Christ and His Cross alone; and man’s flesh (sin-nature) hates that! Believers are “complete [lacking nothing] in Christ” (Col. 2:10)

“Being Justified Freely By His Grace through the redemption that is ‘In Christ Jesus:’ ²⁵Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (sin-debt payment) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ²⁷Where is Boasting then? It is Excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. ²⁸Therefore we conclude that a Man Is Justified By Faith WITHOUT The Deeds Of The Law. ²⁹Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: ³⁰Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision (Israel) by faith, and uncircumcision (Gentiles) through faith. ³¹Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law (by faith).” (Rom. 3:24-31)

The fact is that if you go to or visit an organized or institutional church or denomination and have an opportunity to clearly share an element of “the Gospel of the (pure) grace of God” in their Bible Study or Sunday School… there’s a 99 percent chance that you will be shown the door OUT!

Consider how in John 10:9, Jesus spoke of Israel in its “sheepfold” of Judaism, He said “I am the door in and OUT, and you shall find pasture.” Jesus “little flock” (Luke 12:32) of Israel’s genuine believers who would Leave Apostate Religious Israel’s “sheepfold” would then enjoy the liberty of living and feeding in the “pasture,” far exceeding life in Israel’s “religious sheepfold,” being fed the meager ‘straw’ of their manmade ‘traditions’ that the Jews religion offered.

Another good friend of mine was told by the organization leaders of a church where he was an Elder; “you can believe what you want Bill, so long as you agree with us,” so you can hold your view but you can’t speak it. I’ve personally experienced the left foot of disfellowship more than once. Not that long ago I had been attending a church for several weeks and had occasion to briefly mention a clarifying grace truth in the church’s adult Sunday school. The pastor later phoned inviting me to meet with him at a coffee shop. That meeting was to say I can still attend his church but … only if I say nothing – again the ‘no talk’ rule was implemented.