Joel Osteen - False Teacher

The Apostle Paul, speaking to Ephesian Elders said: 

26I  therefore declare to you today that I’m not responsible for the blood of any of you,27because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God. 28Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God’s church, which he acquired with his own blood. 29I know that when I’m gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. 30Indeed, some of your own men will arise and distort the truth in order to lure the disciples into following them. 31So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you. Acts 20  ISV

Where are the watchmen? What happened to the Elders who are to be shepherds of God's church?  I am horrified at the number of professing believers who have not seen and have not been warned Joel Osteen is a false teacher and a wolf in sheep's clothing. These men and women are so deceitful that you will miss what they are really saying unless their words are broken down.The words spoken by Joel may be the most evil and deceitful  words I have ever heard. 

"By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting."  Romans 16:18 ISV

When Joel was asked by Oprah "are there many paths to the one God?" Joel replied:

• (1)'I believe that Jesus is the way to the one God, True.
• (2)but I believe there are many paths to Jesus. Twisted, groundless heresy from hell! Jesus is God!! When someone trusts in Jesus they are trusting in God. When you find Jesus, you have found God and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said "if you have seen me you have seen the Father". Don't be deceived here. When Joel says there are many paths to Jesus he is saying there are many paths to God, as Jesus is God! 

• In the first place, there is no path to the Father or the Son. The scriptures do not tell of any paths to them. The Gospel has no paths to Jesus. Mankind is born spiritually dead. When someone trusts in Christ, they were spiritually "dead in trespasses and sin". They were not on a path to God, they were spiritually dead on a path to Hell. God intervened with the gospel, giving them faith and opened their blind eyes. They pass from darkness to light, from one kingdom to the other. They are born again spiritually and all things become new. No Joel Osteen fictional path has anything to do with the new birth. Prior to the new birth a person is dead to God and rebels against him.

• Joel Osteen's teachings came from hell and the wicked one. To think that Joel sent this out to the whole world, deceiving mankind is heart breaking. Joel has power to deceive with "smooth talk", and most listeners are "unsuspecting" and do not have time to think about what he said and it appeared to make sense. To keep you from thinking about his demonic statement, he then quickly says 

• (3)so I'm not into excluding people Who cares what Joel's into? This is about God!! God excludes everyone who does not repent and rejects his son Jesus’ offer of salvation. Joel is perverting God's Gospel. Joel's words are "smooth talk" and "flattering words" for the "unsuspecting". 

• (4)Jesus can reveal himself to any body. What an empty, worthless statement. Simply more deceitful "smooth talk" and "flattering words" for the "unsuspecting". 

Children of God please listen! You must judge a teachers words. If they are wolves in sheep's clothing they are crafty and gifted by there father the devil, Satan himself. We have just looked at Joel's words. Their origin is the devil.  

Joel does not want to represent the true God of the bible and what the Word of God says. Joel is ashamed of God. 

A Tension In The Scriptures And Their Hidden Treasures

As I go through the scriptures looking at the warnings from God in both the Old and New Testaments, I see an ongoing tension. Over and over God gives blessings and promises to those who obey, which is then  followed by warnings shortly thereafter.

As I have sought the Lord I believe he has heightened my awareness of a very critical problem. The churches in the West who have had the Gospel, have for the most part abandoned the warnings and are tickling people's ears. To tickle someone's ears is not necessarily an evil thing. Most believers and church goers seem oblivious to the fact that the "tickling of ears" by teachers can simply be the teachers choosing pleasant teachings and no warnings. They are failing to be watchmen and have blood on their hands.

Over the next few weeks I plan to periodically shine the light on some of the wolves in sheep's clothing who do not just simply tickle ears, but also bring in damnable heresy to the churches. We are in the period of time the scriptures warned us would come in the last days. We must be on guard for false teachers and wolves in sheep's clothing. We must study the scriptures and seek out the warnings and their hidden treasures.

Keith Green 

Oh Lord You're Beautiful

Come Let Us Reason Together

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

Part 2. Sodom And Gomorrah. & America's Future.

A Watchman's Role Is Primarily About 

Souls Coming To Christ And 

Being Saved From The Wrath To Come!

Let's look at Ezekiel 33 KJV

The Role Of A Watchman wm

1Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, 

When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 

6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

The Gospel According to Ezekiel wm

7So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel;

• Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 
• 11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (We are to turn from our evil ways)

God Warns Of Trusting In Our Own Righteousness wm

12Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 14Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. 20Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

There has always been only one way to God. The shed blood of his son Jesus who is God. As Abraham we are to believe God who promised a Messiah in the Garden, who in the last days has been revealed as Jesus the Messiah. He would pay for sin. Our own righteousness cannot save us. We must have the righteousness of Christ. Those who trust in God are commanded to turn from evil. This is required by God in his offer of salvation in Verse 11. Today's ear tickling preachers have departed from this truth. Jesus told believers "stop sinning". Paul said "Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid!"

Please note the warning in verse 20, "I will judge you every one after his ways". I believe this is the same message given to the 7 Churches in Revelation, chapters 2 & 3.  .   

Confess and turn from sin quickly. Sin brings forth death. True children of God should not want any part with death.  

Part 1. Sodom And Gomorrah. & America's Future.

Jacob Prasch gives an eyeopening message that every believer should listen to. This is not just about Sodom and Gomorrah. Jacob shows clearly what is coming on our nation, if not the whole world, and what we can expect for ourselves and our offspring. You will profit much from this video.

If you are a Christian, you are a watchman. Please fulfill your role and warn those you love. Multitudes are caught up in the cares of this world. One of the cares is simply financial survival which is not necessarily sinful. They need a loving watchful eye, our love and compassion. True Love Warns.

God told the watchmen that if they saw the enemy coming which represents all types of evil, and did not warn the people, the watchman would be held responsible for their blood. Do we condemn those who support abortion and then not fulfill our role as watchmen and warn those who are perishing or falling away from faith? Multitudes do not see what is coming or what is happening. The mature believer should be ministering.

Please continue to let me know if something is a blessing to you. Just as important, please let me know if you disagree with something I wrote or if you see mistakes in my writing. "I'm a little child and my Father made the universe". I need your feedback and will respond.

Please share anything on my blog site that you feel led to do.

www.wmcgrew.blogspot.com 

Those Who Drift

3rd Blog Post for today 12-29-12

This is such a wonderful video. I am confident of the Lord's intervention into my life in specific stages. In one stage I believe he showed me that the different denominations were greatly impacted with error and that I was to read the bible and believe what was written. I love God's children, no matter what their denomination. I am sure there are true believers in all denominations that preach Christ crucified. I love to encourage much more than I do to warn, but I believe I am to warn this generation of believers.

In the following video, Jacob Prasch addresses the question if it is possible to drift away. As I read the scriptures, I see evidence both for both yes and no. I believe this video shows why I do see both. You will enjoy this video!

Those Who Drift

Jacob Prasch

The Good News!

2nd Blog Post today 12-29-12

The Gospel 

Romans 5:

12Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death resulted from sin, therefore everyone dies, because everyone has sinned. 13Certainly sin was in the world before the Law was given, but no record of sin is kept when there is no Law. 14Nevertheless, death ruled from the time of Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. He is a foreshadowing of the one who would come.

15But God’s free gift is not like Adam’s offense. For if many people died as the result of one man’s offense, how much more have God’s grace and the free gift given through the kindness of one man, Jesus the Messiah, been showered on many people! 16Nor can the free gift be compared to what came through the man who sinned. For the sentence that followed one man’s offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift brought justification, even after many offenses. 17For if, through one man, death ruled because of that man’s offense, how much more will those who receive such overflowing grace and the gift of righteousness rule in life because of one man, Jesus the Messiah!

18Consequently, just as one offense resulted in condemnation for everyone, so one act of righteousness results in justification and life for everyone. 19For just as through one man’s disobedience many people were made sinners, so also through one man’s obedience many people will be made righteous. 20Now the Law crept in so that the offense would increase. But where sin increased, grace increased even more, 21so that, just as sin ruled by bringing death, so also grace might rule by bringing justification that results in eternal life through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

Sowing And Reaping. Asleep In The Light?

Galatians 6: 

1Brothers, if a person is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should restore that person gently. Watch out for yourself so that you are not tempted as well. 2Practice carrying each other’s burdens. In this way you will fulfill the law of the Messiah. 

3For if anyone thinks he is something when he is really nothing, he is only fooling himself. 4Each person must examine his own actions, and then he can boast about his own accomplishments and not about someone else. 5For everyone must carry his own load. 6The person who is taught the word should share all his goods with his teacher.

 7Stop being deceived; God is not to be ridiculed. A person harvests whatever he plants: 

8The person who sows through human means will harvest decay from human means,
but the person who sows in the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. 

9Let’s not get tired of doing what is good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest—if we do not give up. 10So then, whenever we have the opportunity, let’s practice doing good to everyone, especially to the family of faith. ISV

Many biblical commentators say the two types of harvest are from two different types of sowers, the converted and the unconverted, neither sharing with the other. I do not see that being the case. In verse 1, Paul would appear to be addressing both groups and telling those who are spiritual to restore the one doing wrong, carrying each other's burdens.  

 I see three possible positions here. 

1. A believer can only sow to the flesh, or only sow in the Spirit. If we consider the Old Testament saints, look at David, Solomon, Samson, etc. If we look at the New Testament saints, look at the man in Corinth who married his father's wife and Peter who separated himself from the gentiles to sit with the Jews. I personally do not see this in the scriptures. I was shocked to see many commentators do. 

2. A believer can sow to both. Again look at the Old and New Testament saints. This would appear to me to be clearly true as all believers give in to their fallen nature at times. 

3. A believer can fall away, not finishing the race. Many scriptures clearly appear to say that is possibile.

Verse 9 clearly warns us "Let’s not get tired of doing what is good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest—if we do not give up"

I am not trying to explain away verses. I spent much of my early years in churches which do. 

Over the last several years I have sought the Lord to deliver me from false teachings, perverted doctrine, and the teachings of men. I had discovered I did not believe what God said, but I believed what the teachers had taught me God meant. 

I do appreciate the many scholars who have found treasures in the scriptures, but I do not trust any teacher enough to let them explain away what the scriptures say. I believe the bible was written to children. I am not surprised when verses I have seriously looked at in light of the scriptures appear to disagree in my feeble mind, but cannot as the Holy Spirit inspired them. I do know his word is true. I am nothing apart from him. He is the Almighty, All Knowing God. Today he is crying out to the "wicked to forsake his way" "and he will have mercy on him" and "abundantly pardon" him. 

• Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him. 9 O fear the LORD, you his saints: for there is no lack to them that fear him. KJV 

• Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth.... KJV

• Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
  8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. KJV

Asleep In The Light

The Parable Of The Wedding

This is my second blog for the day.

This is a priceless video. Jacob is an evangelist who does not hold back and tickle ears. You will see how the Parable of the Wedding applies to this generation in a way you likely have never seen before. Every couple considering marriage should watch this for sure!!

Falling Away From Grace Or Simply Never Saved?

I recommend you follow along with your bible as I have only quoted highlights of chapters 3 and 4. Many of the Galatians were going back to obeying the law (rituals) and Paul is very upset and addressing this.

Galatians 3: 
Paul addresses the churches of Galatia as "the sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus". 

26For all of you are God’s children through faith in the Messiah Jesus. 27Indeed, all of you who were baptized into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah. 28Because all of you are one in the Messiah Jesus, a person is no longer a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a male or a female. 29And if you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham’s descendants indeed, and heirs according to the promise. ISV

Galatians 4
Paul is upset that they are turning back to worthless rituals and risking enslavement again.

8However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all.e 9But now that you know God, or rather have been known by God, how can you turn back again to those powerless and bankrupt basic principles? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? 10You are observing days, months, seasons, and years. 11I am afraid for you! I don’t want my work for you to have been wasted! ISV

Galatians 5:
Paul warns some they have fallen away from grace. Chapter 5 is one of Paul's most powerful warnings. It is critical to understand what he is saying. People can argue all day as to whether it is possible to fall away or lose your salvation, or if those who fall away were simply never saved. I see both in the scriptures and wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to explain them clearly one day. In the meantime I want to obey him and have no part with those "who have fallen away from grace". I do however want to rescue them and warn others of the danger of continuing in sin. 

1The Messiah has set us free so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. So keep on standing firm in it, and stop putting yourselves under the yoke of slavery again. 2Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, the Messiah will be of no benefit to you. 3Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised is obligated to obey the entire Law.4Those of you who are trying to be justified by the Law have been cut off from the Messiah. You have fallen away from grace.

5Through the Spirit by faith we confidently await the fulfillment of our righteous hope, 6for in union with the Messiah Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. What matters is faith expressed through love.

7You were running the race beautifully. Who cut in on you and stopped you from obeying the truth? 8Such influence does not come from the one who calls you. 9A little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough. 10I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view of this. However, the one who is troubling you will suffer God’s judgment, whoever he is. 11As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching the necessity of circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12I wish that those who are upsetting you would castrate themselves!

13For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another. 14For the whole Law is summarized in a single statement: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” 

15But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not destroyed by each other. 16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never fulfill the desires of the flesh. 17For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do. 18But if you are being led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

19Now the actions of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity, 20idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealously, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions, 21envy, murder,drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24Now those who belong to the Messiah Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also be guided. 26Let’s stop being arrogant, provoking one another and envying one another. ISV

.  I Wish We'd All Been Ready

To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:22  KJV  And Samuel said, has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken that the fat of rams. 

Growing up I was greatly impacted by Baptist and Calvinist (Sovereign Grace) teachings. I learned a lot of  what the scriptures say. Later in life around 1990, I would meet my best friend in life, Billy Grate. God is merciful as he chose Billy who was a Pentecostal at the time and I a Calvinist! The first day we spent any time together we were talking about doctrines and I began to talk to him about Calvinism. I am thinking I have the truth and I am talking to a Pentecostal who I believe is in darkness and probably even speaks in tongues! So I began to explain to him the doctrines of grace (5 points of Calvinism) and all the while confident he is in a false religion that preaches another gospel!

Little did I know the Lord was about to shake my world! As I was talking to him I looked into his face and for the first time in my life I saw overwhelming compassion, and it was coming from Billy's eyes! This made no sense to me. Why is he having compassion on me when I have the truth and he is in a false religion? I had been trained on meat! I knew the bible very well and had spent much time studying Calvinism! I knew the truth! Well, actually just a little. Later I would realize I had seen God's compassion for me, in Billy's eyes.

Much happened in the meantime, but about ten years later the Holy Spirit told a man who saw my business ad in the Shepherd's Guide, to go see the owner. He showed up, told me his story and said he did not know why God told him to drive such a long distance to see me. So we talked. He was a Baptist and I by this time did not want to affiliate with any denomination. After several minutes I asked him about his marriage. He immediately said "maybe that is why I am here", then calmly told me he was thinking about divorcing his wife and he thought he had found a woman to take her place. I told him of my personal failure, but then boldly and fervently warned him not to put confidence in the Baptist line that you cannot fall away. I warned him that if he divorced his wife he may never return to God, die in his sin and split hell wide open. As I was warning him very sternly he looked at me and said "there is such compassion coming from your eyes". I was shocked as I was being very stern in my warnings. After I finished talking to him, I could not wait to tell Billy that God's compassion had shown up in my eyes too!!!

Well the rest of the story would take months to tell, but Billy had been sent by the Lord to hold me up. I have cried and he has cried with me. Often we discover we have just read the same passages, spoken the same words, called each other at the exact same time, etc, etc, etc. Very often the Holy Spirit shows up and we are filled with joy in his presence as he gives us revelation. In early 2010, I received the gift of tongues of which Paul told the Corinthians he spoke in  more than all of them! How ironic! I used to teach against tongues!  I am not ashamed of Jesus and I am not ashamed of The Holy Spirit's gift of tongues. Neither was Paul!

Why did I write all this? Because we all need to be delivered from "religion", as we are all in some way impacted by religion and false teachings. We simply are taught a system of teachings and explain away the verses in the scriptures which disagree with our beliefs. As a Calvinist I had John Gill's book "The Cause of God and Truth". It was very thick and explained away every verse that challenged Calvinism and their understanding of what they call "The Doctrines of Grace". Each denomination does somewhat the same thing. Each believe "they have the truth in a special way" and believe the way they see doctrines is the truth and "meat of the word", not milk.

As I listened to Keith Green sing in the video below, "to obey is better than sacrifice", I saw how obedience is the best doctrine we can build on, Jesus the Rock. It prompted my writing. I ask this - If we have been born again and obey what Jesus and the Apostles told us to do and not to do, would we not please God? Jesus and the Holy Spirit tell us: 

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. KJV

John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. KJV

1 Samuel 15:22 "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice"  KJV

In Revelation: Jesus addresses the seven churches and tells most of them "I know what you have done" and praises or warns them based upon what they have done, not their belief system. This is not meant in any way to  challenge the importance of scripture, the very Word of God. Understanding the Word of God is critical as many churches have departed from the truth.

Keith Green died July 28, 1982

Janny Grein "Stronger Than Before"

I just found out Janny Grein died of cancer on August 4, 2011, in Ft. Worth, TX.. In my times of pain I received such encouragement from her song "Stonger Than Before". It was and is such a blessing to me. In times of pain I have cried many tears of sadness mixed with joy, as I listened to her sing. I don't know much about her life, but she really blessed me! If you are a disciple of Christ and going through times of pain, it will bless you for sure. What a great song!!

Philippians 3

12It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already become perfect. But I keep pursuing it, hoping somehow to embrace it just as I have been embraced by the Messiah Jesus.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself to have embraced it yet. But this one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I keep pursuing the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly call in the Messiah Jesus.

15Therefore, those of us who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will show you how to think. 16However, we should live up to what we have achieved so far.

Doing What God's Law Requires Will Not Save Us

Peter had spent 3 years with the Lord after being converted on the road to Damascus. He was not taught the gospel by anyone other than the Lord himself. As we look at Galatians, we find both Jews and gentiles had come to faith in Christ. False Jewish believers were trying to get the new Christians to go back to observing rituals. 

Galatians 2: ISV

1Then fourteen years later, I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. 2I went in response to a revelation, and in a private meeting with the reputed leaders, I explained to them the gospel that I’m proclaiming to the gentiles. I did this because I was afraid that I was running or had run my life’s race for nothing. 3But not even Titus, who was with me, was forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4However, false brothers were secretly brought in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in the Messiah Jesus so that they might enslave us.5But we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.

Moving forward to verse 11

11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly wrong. 12Until some men arrived from James, he was in the habit of eating with the gentiles, but after those men came, he withdrew from the gentiles and would not associate with them any longer, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. 13The other Jews also joined him in this hypocritical behavior, to the extent that even Barnabas was caught up in their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “Though you are a Jew, you have been living like a gentile and not like a Jew. So how can you insist that the gentiles must live like Jews?” Please note that Cephas (Peter) is found sinning because he was afraid. Paul boldly rebukes him in front of everyone. Jesus is not building his church on Peter as the Church in Rome teaches and claims Peter was the first Pope. The Popes have no biblical authority. Their very title of “Vicar” is blasphemous. Vicar means “in the place of” or “antichrist” or “in the place of Christ”. Jesus is building his church on himself. Pray for the believers in that church.  

15We ourselves are Jews by birth, (Paul a Jew, talking to Jews) and not gentile sinners, 16yet we know that a person is not justified by doing what the Law requires, but rather by the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah. We, too, have believed in the Messiah Jesus so that we might be justified by the faithfulness of the Messiah and not by doing what the Law requires, for no human being will be justified by doing what the Law requires. 

Following we see Paul a Jew, talking to Jews, some of which had possibly been walking in true faith in God, but now see the Messiah Jesus had come to pay for sin. The following passages also apply to gentiles who are also born spiritually dead and have broken God’s laws.

17Now if we, while trying to be justified by the Messiah, have been found to be sinners, does that mean that the Messiah is serving the interests of sin? Of course not! 18For if I rebuild something that I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a wrongdoer. 

·         19For through the Law I died to the Law so that I might live for God.

·         I have been crucified with the Messiah. 

·         20I no longer live, but the Messiah lives in me,

·         and the life that I am now living in this body I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, 

·         who loved me and gave himself for me. 

21I do not misapply God’s grace, for if righteousness comes about by doing what the Law requires, then the Messiah died for nothing.

Brothers and sisters, this is where most of the modern gospel preachers end it, if indeed they read this many verses. They do not give the whole counsel of God. They do not warn, but tickle the ears. We are not to continue in willful sin which leads to death. What if we do? If we truly believe Jesus paid for our sin by willingly taking the wrath of his Father on the cross and if we truly believe he is the very source of love and truth, how could we? How much death do we want in our lives? Do we want to find out if it is possible to fall away and go to hell? If you are in willful sin and do not repent at this moment, you may never come back to Christ, but die in your sin.

The Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul in Romans 6: “15What, then, does this mean? Should we go on sinning because we are not under Law but under grace? Of course not! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 

Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments”.