Contending For The Faith
My Watershed Event
By William Handschumacher
Rock of Offence Commentary
[Note: Names are left out of this commentary for legal reasons]
During the turbulent 1970’s and 80’s, I was involved (not as a leader or teacher) in what I continue to call “an amazing revival”, which had the potential to shake the city of Washington, D.C. for Jesus Christ. It was a sovereign and miraculous move of God as far as many of us were concerned. It started with a group of 20 or so Christian teenagers that met in a home Bible study in Maryland and grew to over 2200 members some 7 years later. It grew so large that people were turned away because of city fire code regulations. A gracious pastor and his congregation opened their church building to us, which seated over 1800 people. It was filled to overflowing within a year by our group and was strategically located in N.W. Washington D.C. near what’s called “Embassy Row”. My wife and I were married in this same church. Within a short period of time, other area churches were bussing their members to this meeting, some coming from more than 200 miles away in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Everyone, including the leadership, called it a “teaching ministry”. Yet, it had all the makings of a God-ordained evangelistic revival that was beginning to affect Washington and the surrounding area. Many were saved at these events. Even some members of Congress and the nearby foreign embassies became aware of our meetings - and a few attended. We’ll never know the long-term international fruit that was born there. Churches and evangelistic ministries were birthed from their participation in this event. This all occurred between 1972 and 1979 (dates are approximate).
A Quiet Takeover
Starting somewhere around 1978-79, a group of “influential Christian ministers” scheduled some private strategy meetings with our leadership. In a short period of time, we all noticed a “change” in the preaching. The doctrine began to be less evangelistic and more legalistic and domineering. Rather than staying with the Christ-centered evangelistic focus God originally gave to the ministry, the necessity of “sheep” being properly “submitted” to shepherds became the overwhelming dominant theme. We now know that the influence came from these ministers, who visited our leadership months earlier. Within 8 weeks or so, the revival was subsiding and attendance dropped by over 50 per cent. Then came the bombshell announcement. The leaders decided to convert the teaching ministry to an “official” church organization. Local pastors in the area, including the one hosting the meetings, strongly opposed this decision. Some area pastors felt betrayed because the leaders of our group gave their word that they would never do such a thing. A trust that existed for over 7 years was broken. Accusations of “sheep stealing” began. The faith of some people was shipwrecked and the whole “revival” that had so much promise for the city of Washington fragmented into a hundred different pieces. An almost unheard of trust within the Christian Community of Washington that took years to build was destroyed almost overnight. Some Christian radio programs went on the air criticizing the decision. This began our group’s involvement in the worldwide “Shepherding and Discipleship Movement”, which “appeared”, at the time, to be based on the teachings of Scripture. What many of us couldn’t discern was that the leadership improperly used the Scriptures out-of-context to justify their new doctrine and practices. This “out of context” Biblical foundation is what fooled so many well-meaning Christian believers - including me. I repeat this warning in numerous other articles on the website, and will say it again here:
The Holy Scriptures (God’s Word) always has two components. The first component is the Scripture verse itself. The second component is the original context where God placed it. The context of a Scripture is something that defines the way God wants it to be used. If anyone lifts a Scripture from its original Divine context and reinserts it into a context of their own design, what originally was God’s Word subtly becomes a man-made false doctrine that continues to sound like God’s Word. Using Scripture out of context is one of the basic building blocks for all expressions of aberrant forms of Christianity, abusive church governments and false religious cults (2 Peter 2:1-3, Gal. 5:4-8, Gal. 1:6-8, Rom. 16:17-18, Matt. 23:13-15, Col. 2:8).
At Rock of Offence, we interpret the Bible literally, unless a specific section of Scripture tells us that it is to be viewed figuratively (allegorically). When the Bible teaches something in a certain context, WE BELIEVE IT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS WHEN INTERPRETED WITHIN THAT CONTEXT.
My wife and I left the group and severed some close relationships around 1982. This painful ordeal forever changed my Christian worldview and nearly destroyed my faith. I could no longer justify the things I witnessed because ... on closer study and examination, Scripture didn’t support the practices.
A Great Awakening
Why do I share this painful story from my life? It provides an excellent example of the insidious way our enemy works within the Church. My Heavenly Father allowed me to experience these things because there is no other way to learn what I needed to know. He wanted to teach me (and a few others), first hand, the painful lessons of a watchman. This is not a path I chose for myself. I held a position where I could watch the whole thing play out like a horror movie. I grieve about it to this day while watching Washington DC sink, deeper and deeper, into a black hole of lies and corruption.
When I remember what was going
on over 30 years ago, I often
think ...
“What If?”
Suddenly and without warning, Dr. Derek Prince, one of the four original leaders of the worldwide discipleship movement publicly denounced its doctrine in 1983, labeling it “the Galatian error” ... and resigned in disgrace. Then, another did the same thing a few months later. Everyone was shocked. The public statements of these popular men gained the respect of many of us, who had already identified the problem - which operated under many other different names. We respected them for their statements because we knew the price they would pay. It takes a very mature person to publicly admit their teaching and doctrine was wrong. But, the damage to the Body of Christ was already done.
In our commentaries we continue to refer to this problem as “The Galatian Error” because it’s currently the most dominant influence in the modern Christian Church and is expressed in countless different ways. It is not something found only in the discipleship and shepherding movement. It is known by other names such as, legalism, Old Testament conditional salvation, the Jesus-plus-works gospel ... and Lordship Salvation. These doctrines, which are all expressions of the Galatian Error are embraced by many as authentic Christianity. Various Bible scholars gave it the name “Galatian Error” (or Galatian religion) because it successfully infiltrated and corrupted an entire church fellowship established by Saint Paul in the first century (Gal. 1:6-8, Gal. 5:4-8). Paul wrote his “epistle to the Galatians” to expose this deceptive theology (hence the name “Galatian Error”). From there it continued to spread, like a spiritual virus, throughout all of the Christian Church despite Paul’s best efforts to stop it. Today, it is virtually unopposed, protected by the popular call for “Christian Unity”. It does not yield to a literal interpretation of Scripture and tirelessly resists all challenges to its legitimacy by allegorizing (also known as “spiritualizing) Scripture. This is a dishonest and almost impossible Bible interpretation method to defend against - because it can 'twist Scripture' to say almost anything (2 Cor. 4:1-2). Some Christians and their leaders dismiss Paul’s warning as something directed at the popular religious cults that occasionally show up at our doorstep. While his words can also apply to these groups - they were not the focus of his writings. Paul was warning about a dangerous covert influence that operates inside the Christian Church (Matt. 7:15, 2 Peter 2:1-3).
The Galatian error is presented to inexperienced Christians as “foundational Bible doctrine”. You also might hear it referred to as “preaching the whole Word of God”, Holiness and Reformed Theology, various expressions of Christian Fundamentalism ... and even the newer and more deceptive name of “Biblical Christianity” - often used in the teachings of Calvinism. Strangely, it operates from within both Catholicism and Protestantism - two religious sectors of the church that have been in fierce opposition to each other for more than 400 years. Yet, the Galatian error is really nothing more than the ancient misguided practice of mixing the tenants and principles of Old Testament Judaism (or the Law of Moses) into the New Covenant Gospel of Christ ... then presenting this new modified gospel as “God’s original theology of the Bible”. It is the “theology of choice” for all wolves in sheep’s clothing that both Jesus and Paul constantly warned about.
The Aftermath
After the dust settled, the spiritual landscape in Washington now looked like a nuclear bomb exploded ... or so it seemed to those of us who were still watching and grieving at ground zero. Yet, the original leadership of our group never publicly repented of their theology and practices. They were in too deep and had too much to lose. Instead, they changed the name of the church fellowship and continued teaching the same theology that some of the original leaders of the movement (including the apostle Paul in the first century) now condemned. Today, they’ve effectively become another denomination, with “sister” churches existing in other cities. Over the years, as the leadership slowly shifted to a newer and younger generation, they toned down their rhetoric and adopted various “family friendly” themes in order to attract more people. Yet, their basic discipleship and shepherding theology remain the same beneath the surface and behind closed doors.
Another Sobering Wakeup Call
Several months after we left the movement in 1982, a nationwide “cult-watch” organization contacted me with some questions. They were watching our group because it’s profile matched other abusive Christian groups that had similar “cult-like” congregational structures and doctrine. Needless to say, I was shocked at what I learned.
Do some Christian ministries, movements and churches actually use cult-like practices and influences? Unfortunately - yes they do ... and their congregations are tricked into believing that these practices are a natural part of Christ’s Kingdom. It’s astonishing what you can justify when you lift Scripture from the context where God originally placed it.
I was still an inexperienced believer at the time and was drawn toward the popular “Christian Unity and church growth” agenda. I liked the idea of joining and getting along with all expressions of 'Christian faith' - since we all believe and love the same Jesus Christ ... just in different ways. However, I didn't know that all of this was about to change.
Since those painfully informative days - I’ve discovered the unpopular world of the watchman few believers will ever experience. I was awakened to the fact that religious error often masquerades as foundational Christian doctrine that is supposedly derived from the Bible.
I learned the shocking and unpopular
truth behind the words of Saint Paul
that we don’t all worship the same
Jesus; regardless of what other
well-meaning church-going people say.
Paul warned (remember--this is the
same Paul who wrote nearly half of
the New Testament canon) - that
there is another “counterfeit Jesus"
taught within the Church.
Paul used terms such as “another Jesus” along with “different gospel” - to describe this dangerous covert influence (Gal. 1;6-9, 2 Cor. 11:1-4). This is the “Jesus of the Galatian error" that many Christian churches, denominations and evangelistic ministries embrace today ... and includes the original “Shepherding and Discipleship Movement” and its newer variants with different names. They are convinced their “Jesus” is the correct one.
Suddenly, the New Testament came alive, when I understood why Paul was so upset and passionately begged all believers to 'test themselves'. He wanted them to make absolutely certain they were walking in the “authentic faith of Christ”, and not the deceptive “counterfeit faith” that comes from believing in “another Jesus” (2 Cor. 13:5-6). Today, I’m motivated to give the same warning ... and it’s an unpopular and lonely place. Sometimes you have to get hurt by something before you pay attention to Biblical warnings, which are placed in the Bible for our benefit.
The following article discusses the problem of abusive authority in "cult-like" Christian movements and churches. Lawrence Pile writes as a professional counselor from Wellspring Retreat And Resource Center. Several years ago, he wrote this comprehensive analysis of the abuses of the Discipleship and Shepherding movement and counsels people who were emotionally devastated by these practices. Since I have a similar background in the same movement, I can affirm that what he describes is factual and accurate. His commentary provides the reader with more insight into the insidious way this influence operates within some denominations, churches, ministries and movements as a false expression of "God's authority".
The Other Side Of Discipleship
By Lawrence Pile
Why do we include this information in our commentary? Nearly all churches and ministries that misuse Spiritual authority or exhibit certain levels of cultic behavior - all use similar methods of Bible interpretation and practice. This involves lifting Scripture references from their divinely intended context in order to exercise control over the congregation. Church members are told that their unswerving loyalty and obedience to leadership demonstrates a "submission to God's authority and the Lordship of Jesus Christ". Disobedience or disloyalty toward leadership - even when they go dangerously astray from Scripture - is often considered a sign that Jesus might not truly be their Lord ... which also suggests that the individual may not be saved. This popular type of theology is designed to generate unimaginable levels of fear and anxiety that does not come from God. Lawrence Pile exposes common characteristics and should not be viewed as something unique to the movement. There are countless other church groups and even whole denominations that embrace the same beliefs. When you study Discipleship/Shepherding theology, you discover the way they improperly use God's authority for their own purposes. The misuse of spiritual authority is currently at an epidemic stage within Christendom. Many different churches and ministries throughout America and the world that seek to control their members - commit this serious sin in the name of Christ. Yet, Jesus warned His disciples about the improper use of His authority when He said, "It shall not be so among you." (Mark 10:41-45)
Note: Including offsite links in
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The Offensive Terminology
Of Saint Paul
"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches ANOTHER JESUS whom we have not preached, or if you receive A DIFFERENT SPIRIT which you have not received, or a DIFFERENT GOSPEL which you have not accepted -- you may well put up with it!" (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
Why did Paul choose such divisive and upsetting words in his warning? Didn’t he understand that this would offend and even anger many of those who attend various churches and congregations? Before his conversion to Christ, Paul was an experienced and highly trained Pharisee within Judaism. He understood human behavior and was familiar with all the religious language tricks, slick excuses and clever explanations religious people use when they are confronted with a truth that contradicts their most cherished beliefs and traditions. He knew that many of us tend to hold on to our most coveted traditions rather than choose the truth and the painful path of change. However, Paul’s previous training didn’t just disappear after making the decision to follow Christ. His knowledge of human psychology continued to serve him for the rest of his life. He clearly understood the dangerous and deceptive practice of taking a Scriptural truth, mixing it with various corrupted and distorted ideologies, and then repackaging this religious concoction under the same name.
For this reason, Paul refused to allow church fellowships, evangelists, apostles, teachers and their followers--to do the same thing with the name of Jesus Christ. This is why he constantly warned the Church that there is both a true and a counterfeit (or imitation) Christ (Gal. 1:6-9, 2 Cor. 11:1-4). He wouldn’t allow them to assign the precious name of Jesus Christ to their counterfeit “Christ” without first warning about the differences between the two. It was an effective way to expose this rabid covert theology that was threatening the Church. When the followers of the counterfeit Christ discover their religious beliefs are threatened, they tend to get angry and upset.
Discerning The Differences
And Conducting A Serious
Self-Examination
How can we tell the difference between the real Christ of the New Covenant and the counterfeit? First of all, we must respect the fact that the Bible is divided into two parts called “covenants”. God divided His Word for an important reason. The first part is Old Covenant Law given exclusively to Israel, which is documented in the early pages of Genesis - and runs into the middle of the New Testament book of Acts. Old Covenant Law, also known as the Law of Moses and Judaism (which is also referred to as Old Testament Law), is the ancient religion of the Jewish people.
The second part of the Bible is the New Covenant of God’s Grace that came through Jesus Christ and was given, after Christ's crucifixion, to all races of the world ... a group that the New Testament refers to as "the Gentiles”. The New Covenant is expressed in a mystery that was revealed in the epistles of Saint Paul written to the Church (See 1 Cor. 2:6-12, Ephesians 3:1-7). When Paul instructed his disciple Timothy to “rightly divide the Word" - he was giving a warning to respect the different context found in these two sections of the Holy Scriptures ... and not make the disastrous mistake of mixing them together.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH." (2 Timothy 2:15)
The authentic Jesus adheres to the principles of God’s Grace found only in the New Covenant, which began to govern after the cross.
"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)
However, the counterfeit Jesus is actually a creation of false religion - THAT USES THE SAME NAME. This is why - when you hear someone say they believe in Jesus ... you need to discover which Jesus they believe in. The counterfeit Jesus is derived from illegally mixing together the tenants of Old Covenant (or Old Testament) Law and New Covenant Grace. As a result, the teachings of the counterfeit Jesus are based on a mixture of both ... which is why it fools so many professing Christians. This popular 'mixed theology' exists at the core of the Galatian error that Paul continually worked to expose during his ministry. Concerning this error, Paul wrote ...
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, TO A DIFFERENT GOSPEL, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, IF ANYONE PREACHES ANY OTHER GOSPEL TO YOU THAN WHAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED." (Galatians 1:6-9)
The Old Covenant of the Law and the New Covenant of Grace are radically different programs, which God warns us not to mix or intermingle. This is why Paul gave strict instructions to “rightly (or correctly) divide God’s Word” if your goal is to teach truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
Under the Old Covenant Law of Moses, salvation (including righteousness) was “conditional” and only obtained through obedience to 613 commandments found in the Old Testament Scriptures. Under New Covenant Grace, Jesus Christ as; “The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” - paid the entire price for our redemption and salvation by using His own perfect and holy blood as payment.
Since Jesus paid the entire price for these blessings Himself, He could then offer them as “the gift of God” without any merit or religious behavioral requirements. This is why God calls it “GRACE”. It’s giving something of great value - that we don’t deserve and haven’t earned. Our Heavenly Father still wants his redeemed people to live holy lives and demonstrate Christ-like character. Yet, these works, that all of us should be doing to honor Christ, are not a requirement to receive His gift of eternal life, which comes entirely through God’s unmerited favor called Grace.
This truth secretly angers religious people and their leaders within Orthodox Christianity, who seek to put us back under the bondage of conditional salvation found in Old Covenant Law (Galatians 2:1-5). These well-meaning people are not some “fringe sect within the Church". They are a mainstream and dominant majority.
The New Testament Scriptures has much to say about the Grace of Christ. Here are a few examples:
"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)
“Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. BUT TO HIM WHO DOES NOT WORK BUT BELIEVES ON HIM WHO JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY, HIS FAITH IS ACCOUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man TO WHOM GOD IMPUTES RIGHTEOUSNESS APART FROM WORKS: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD SHALL NOT IMPUTE SIN." (Romans 4:4-8)
"AND IF BY GRACE, THEN IT IS NO LONGER OF WORKS; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work." (Romans 11:6)
"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7)
"...BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Rom. 3:24-26)
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. FOR "WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED."
"HOW THEN SHALL THEY CALL ON HIM IN WHOM THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. (Romans 10:8-16)
"For the wages of sin is death, but THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD." (Romans 6:23)
"FOR GOD'S GIFTS AND HIS CALL ARE IRREVOCABLE. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]" (Romans 11:29 Amplified Bible)
"....knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:18-21)
The Bible has this to say
concerning Christ’s
New Covenant:
(Looking forward hundreds of years into the future, the prophet Jeremiah describes the new covenant Jesus would initiate.)
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, WHEN I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—NOT ACCORDING TO THE COVENANT THAT I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS (THE OLD COVENANT) in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. BUT THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITY, AND THEIR SIN I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
Saint Paul, speaking to the
Church, is now contrasting
the New Covenant that
Jeremiah spoke about--with
the old Covenant.
"....FOR THESE ARE THE TWO COVENANTS: the one from Mount Sinai (the old covenant) WHICH GIVES BIRTH TO BONDAGE, which is Hagar - for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children - but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband." NOW WE, BRETHREN, AS ISAAC WAS, ARE CHILDREN OF PROMISE. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREEWOMAN." So then, brethren, WE ARE NOT THE CHILDREN OF THE BONDWOMAN (THE OLD COVENANT) BUT OF THE FREE (THE NEW COVENANT)." (Galatians 4:24-31)
"And He (Jesus) said to them, 'This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many'." (Mark 14:24 - Important: Also see Matthew 26:28, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:13)
"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as HE (JESUS CHRIST) IS ALSO MEDIATOR OF A BETTER COVENANT, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED ON BETTER PROMISES. For if that first covenant (The Covenant of the Old Testament) had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second." (Hebrews 8:6)
"IN THAT HE SAYS, "A NEW COVENANT", HE HAS MADE THE FIRST (THE OLD COVENANT) OBSOLETE. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."" (Hebrews 8:13)
"And for this reason HE (JESUS CHRIST) IS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, THAT THOSE WHO ARE CALLED MAY RECEIVE THE PROMISE OF THE ETERNAL INHERITANCE." (Hebrews 9:15)
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, TO JESUS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven...." (Hebrews 12:22-25)
"Therefore, brethren, HAVING BOLDNESS TO ENTER THE HOLIEST BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, BY A NEW AND LIVING WAY WHICH HE (JESUS) CONSECRATED FOR US (THE NEW COVENANT), through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:19-23)
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: The New Covenant was offered to Israel first, which is why the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (his words are repeated in the 8th chapter of Hebrews) seems to indicate that it is only something designed for Israel “and the house of Judah”. After Israel rejected Christ’s salvation, as Paul states in Acts 13:44-52, God “went around” their disobedience and extended the incredible spiritual benefits of the New Covenant to all Gentile races, which God now brings into the New Testament Church beginning at the house of Cornelius through the preaching of Peter in Acts chapter 10. Keep in mind that the word “Gentile” is a racial term that includes all earthly human races, which also includes any Jewish people who choose to join the Gentiles and become “one new man in Christ” (Read Ephesians 2:4-19). We should understand that bringing the Gentiles into the New Covenant is declared to be “a mystery” and was generally unknown during the Old Testament administration of the Law in Israel. The Apostle Paul tells us about this "rerouting" of the new covenant from Israel to the Gentiles ...
"I say then, have they (the Jews) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather THROUGH THEIR FALL SALVATION IS COME UNTO THE GENTILES, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; HOW MUCH MORE THEIR FULNESS? (Romans 11:11-12 - Emphasis Added)
Additional information is available
at the following link:
Why Did Paul Use the Phrase
'To the Jew First' in
His Epistles?
If you understand the tremendous blessings found in these Scriptures, the old church hymn “Amazing Grace” will take on a whole new meaning.
Below, we list six general characteristics that illustrates these differences. In order to keep the size of this commentary from spiraling out control, we will limit our discussion. For more additional and detailed information, you can read the articles provided in the links at the end of this series.
1. The real Christ freely saves us, providing eternal life as “the gift of God” (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8). But the counterfeit Christ provides a 'conditional' performance-based Old Testament style salvation that makes "the gift of God" nonsensical.
2. The real Christ freely imputes, apart from works and personal merit, what the Bible calls “the righteousness of God” to all believers (2 Cor. 5:21, Romans 5:15-19). But the counterfeit Christ offers an Old Testament brand of righteousness based on personal merit and religious performance - as the way to be counted “worthy” and acceptable to God.
3. The real Christ, as “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” - sets us eternally free from all sin; past, present and future (John 1:29). But the counterfeit Christ subtly places these sins back on us.
4. Because our sin debt has been "paid in full", the real Christ 'redirects' (or imputes) all sin (past, present and future) from our account ... into His account where they are paid--then cancelled. According to Scripture, everyone, including all Christians, continue to sin in varying degrees regardless of how hard we try not to. Yet, under Christ's New Covenant that started after the cross, these sins are no longer imputed (or charged) to our account. Instead, our sin is now charged to Christ's infinite account, where it is marked as “forgiven and destroyed" - never to appear against us again (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). But the counterfeit Christ not only places the sin back on us, but also suggests that these sins will cause us to lose God’s gift of eternal life.
5. The real Christ purchased our total redemption - along with God’s acceptance and favor - using His own precious blood ... then freely gave this blessing to us (1 Peter 1:18-21, Rom. 3:24-26). But the counterfeit Christ requires us to 'earn' and meet various religious performance requirements to obtain and keep these benefits - yet never tells us when we've successfully met these conditions.
6. The real Christ gives us total freedom from all sin; past, present and future - but the counterfeit Christ offers us religious bondage that masquerades as “foundational Biblical doctrine” established through the skillful use of out-of-context Scripture (Gal. 2:4-5, Gal. 4:24-31).
When various church leaders and their followers insist that they love and serve Jesus Christ - it may not necessarily be the Jesus of the New Covenant. It could be a counterfeit Jesus based on the old covenant. In the world of religion, things are rarely the way they appear on the surface.
The Frustrating and
Irreconcilable Problem:
Everyone Thinks They are
Right
Why do we say that the churches and their congregations that embrace the Galatian error 'unknowingly' preach and say wrong things? Because ... we are not aware of even one that is out to deliberately trick or deceive anyone. Most of these church leaders are good and caring people who, in their own eyes, love God. All of them, including my old group from nearly 38 years ago - are convinced they are preaching the truth of Scripture. All of them claim to love and serve Jesus. All of them claim to be sincere and committed believers in Christ. Yet, according to the warnings of Saint Paul we must ask some very hard questions: Do they believe in the real Christ of the New Covenant - or the counterfeit Christ derived from a mixture of Grace and Old Testament Law? This is the real question everyone avoids like the plague because of the uncomfortable implications.
All authentic Christian believers must honestly confront this question - and carefully examine themselves, as Saint Paul instructed. This also means that the popular practice of mixing the authentic Jesus and the counterfeit together to achieve “Christian Unity” is a well intentioned, but misguided practice. Who, in their right mind, would want to sit down to eat a delicious bowl of soup knowing that it was mixed with a slow-working poison? In a spiritual sense, that’s what the Christian unity and church growth movements are doing within the institutional church.
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? -- unless indeed you are disqualified." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
The following links are provided for
quick navigation through this series
of commentaries
The Historical Roots
of a Watchman
(Pt. 1)
A Watchman is Someone Who
"Contends for the Faith"
(Pt. 3)
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