BEWARE there are evil beasts waiting to prowl on you to put you off the Grace of God or the Gospel of Christ.
The Gospel of Christ by which you were saved or born again is the Gospel which you should live by. It has life giving effect which therefore, means that the life is contained in that Gospel which saved you.
There is no need for other additives or supplementary means.
Anything beyond the vehicle that begot you is called another gospel, heresy or inverted message meant to trouble you and throw you off rail the Gospel of Christ.
The Bible is very loud and clear on the simplicity meaning straightforwardness which is in the Gospel of Christ.
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Please never depart from the truth which begat you.
For purposes of recapping elementary and fundamental pillars of salvation, I repeat biblical evidence here.
You were saved by Grace through faith as God’s gift to fallen humanity.
You did not do anything except to receive and believe the message as it was preached.
I would like to believe that it was made clear to you that no amount of money could buy you salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9, New King James, puts it clearly: “[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9] not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
It is a divine transaction between God the Father and God the Son.
The consummation of that covenant agreement meant and means anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord gets saved.
We could not be sinless to warrant salvation.
Therefore, God in His eternal wisdom ordained our escape route.
Romans 5:8 reads: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
So we don’t try to score marks or impress God with our deeds.
We are instructed by Romans 3:20 and 28, “[20] Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. [28] Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
This is why it is called the finished/accomplished work of Christ which is unmerited, undeserved, unearned and humanly unattainable favour of God.
Apostle Paul does not mince his words to the Galatian church.
He writes in Galatians 1:6-9: “[6] I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: [7] Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
He even places his life for cursing if at any time he departs from salvation by Grace.
The use of angel there means that even if someone comes “anointed” purporting to be a messenger of God and prescribes anything beyond the elementary truth, don’t fall for it.
Some practical examples. Since you did not pay by money or “sowing/seeding” to be saved, you are still blessed without paying.
No other realms or dimensions will be opened by 30 pieces of silver.
Colossians 2:8, warns us: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
The Amplified Bible puts weight, “See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men's ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).”
Have you not read Romans 8:32, Amplified, “He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?”
So what is the place of financial and material support to the church? I will answer in the next instalment.
Hold on to Jude 1:4, Amplified, “For certain men have crept in stealthily [gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and favour) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
