FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
August 4
THE GOSPEL OF CHRISTIANITY’S CHRIST Vs THE ‘GOSPEL’ OF ROME’S ANTICHRIST – (Part 13)
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him [not “her”] that called you into the grace of Christ [not of any human being or church] unto ANOTHER GOSPEL: WHICH IS NOT ANOTHER; [there is only one gospel] but there be some that TROUBLE YOU AND WOULD PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
But though WE [any of the true apostles] or an ANGEL from heaven, preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you THAN that which we have preached unto you, let him be ACCURSED. As we said BEFORE, so say I now AGAIN, If ANY MAN [particularly the ‘man of sin’ and ‘son of perdition’ Paul warned the early church of in 2 Thess. 2: 1-12] preach any other gospel unto to you, than ye have received, let him be ACCURSED. . .
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Gal. 1: 9, 11, 12, KJV.
While yet Saul, the unconverted Paul, he boldly and clearly declared that it was, as his personal experience reveals, and still very much is the religion and traditions of man and their man-made, church-made “gospels,” that counterfeit the gospel of Christ and produces a deadly “zeal not based in knowledge” of God’s will and true plan of redemption!
This has ever been the driver of religious intolerance and persecutions from ages past, the present, and in the culmination of the great controversy between truth and error, righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, spiritual purity and spiritualistic imposture. Paul continues:
“For ye have heard of my conversation in time past [former life] in the JEWS’ RELIGION [Judaism], how that BEYOND MEASURE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD, and wasted it. And profited in the JEWS’ RELIGION ABOVE many equals in mine own nation [the Jewish nation], being more exceedingly zealous in the TRADITIONS of my fathers.
But when it pleases God, who separated me from my mother’s womb [cf. Jer. 1: 4-9, etc.] and called me to his GRACE. [for what purpose is this grace?]. To reveal His Son in [not merely to] me, that I may preach Him to the heathen [‘Gentiles’]; immediately I conferred NOT with flesh and blood [not any mortal]:
Neither went I to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before [ahead] of me [he did not go even to the headquarters of their religion and faith to seek counsel or further instructions]; but I went to Arabia [the deserts], and returned again to Damascus [in Syria].” Gal. 1: 13-17, read verses 18-23; 2: 1-7).
There is only one gospel, even as “there is only one body, and one (Holy) Spirit, even as ye are called to one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is ABOVE ALL, and through all, and in you all. But unto everyone of us is given GRACE ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF CHRIST.” Eph. 4: 4-7.
It is Christ—God Creator incarnated into our flesh and blood human nature without ceasing to be the “Word from the beginning” (John 1:1-3) who alone determines the amount of divine empowering grace to impart daily, hourly, from moment to moment to the penitent sinner’s importunate petition to overcome his personal and individual sins, weaknesses, and struggles.
Christ, the Son of man, is every sinner’s personal and personalized Savior and “Friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Who will have all men to be SAVED, and to come unto the KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH [of the one and only true gospel of Christ].
For there is one God, and ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the MAN [not any woman] CHRISTJESUS; who gave Himself a RANSOM for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the TRUTH in Christ, and LIE NOT;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.” 1 Tim. 2: 3-7, KJV.
Hence, ultimate and eternal salvation is individual, not corporate. As Jesus clearly declared to the world in language even a child can understand: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father, BUT BY ME.” John 14: 6, KJV.
Any other “way,” “truth,” “gospel,” or “mediator or mediatrix,” whether introduced by any of the true apostles or even an angel descended from heaven, is ACCURSED according to the Holy Scriptures.
I am pretty sure no rational mind would prefer a curse over a blessing or to be cursed instead of blessed by Jesus Christ the Creator, Savior, and only Mediator between God and man!
(To be continued) Bless all, NMF