Too many pastors are leading us to apostasy.
They preach overcoming specific sins as if God has given us the gift of perfection; the gift of divinity. It's as if they don't believe in our innate sin at all. Most Americans don't believe in a sin nature. I have no idea why they think they die? Circle of life? Who knows.
Too many American pastors don't preach anything about the wrath of God and our total inability to do a thing about it. What is that? Do any of our 'positive' American Christians know what it is? They preach the 'peace of God' as if it were an emotional state, a state of mind, an experience. They should be put out of their misery, but fortunately for them, the church of Christ doesn't execute people. They certainly should be defrocked for stealing the children's Bread.
They have been called to herald the rescue of the human race and all creation by God Himself, Jesus Christ. Christ and Christ alone starts and finishes our salvation.
What you probably did not hear on Resurrection Day:
God's wrath at our sin is our real problem.
WRATH! Not His disappointment in us. But WRATH! "In the day you eat you DIE!"
Like they say, "What don't you understand?"
Someone MUST DIE! God was at war with us.
But God would pay the price for us. He would die Himself.
"But God...The Lord, The Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth...who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin."
"The Son of God came down from heaven for us men and for our salvation."
Christ's punishment and death pays for our sin, bringing 'peace with God'. That means the warfare of God with us is over. He pays what we owe. God no longer has anger at us. He is satisfied. This peace is delivered to us when baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. This 'peace treaty', this covenant of peace, was signed in the blood of Christ. The punishment for all sins, past and present was paid for. It's a Done Deal! "IT IS FINISHED!"
Our current sins, our actual sins, are a smoke screen. They trick us into believing God is still angry and wrathful to us. These sins stir up guilt. They tell us we are not the righteous ones God has 'declared' us to be. They cause us to doubt God's forgiveness, doubt His pardon, doubt our new life in Christ, and instead believe our feelings, our present experience. This is the real battle we now live in. NOT our sins. But believing the penalty that our sins merit has not been paid for in full.
Instead, our pastors preach a false battle against anger, and sadness, and not being happy. It's so American, so self-centered. They spend every waking hour creating pietists, sinless or at least 'improving' Christians. They refuse to teach that Christ inhabits sinners, NOT the sinless. Jesus said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick."
Beware of your ceaseless striving after a righteousness so great that you no longer appear as a sinner in your own eyes and do not want to be a sinner. For Christ dwells only with sinners. Martin Luther
These pastors follow the lie of the devil and tell the children of God, "now that Christ has finished His work, we must preform for Him or else. We must earn His blessings. We must plant seeds for God to honor."
Heresy!
We can do nothing for Christ. We are receivers, He is the giver.
Americans hate this.
When we seek credit from Him for good deeds that we think He should value, we will be woefully disappointed. But Christ is still working today as our perfect, holy Substitute, for all that is required before God. He died for us and He Lives for us!
The real war we fight is against apostasy; believing God is not God, but we are, just like Adam and Eve.
Today's pastors preach happiness, prosperity, self-esteem, purpose driven, overcoming our perceived sad life, deeds not creeds, positive thinking, your best life now, self-actualization, word of faith, etc. This sounds more like Christian Science than Christianity. It's closer to eastern religions than to Christianity. They trick us into thinking we have the power that belongs to God alone. They teach us that we must be the 'doers of the law'. They teach that God gives personality transplants when converted. They tell us God expects us to get busy now that we believe, as if Christ is not at work in us unless we have their approval. They preach as if they're God. But they're liars.
Christians still sin. We ALL know it, but deny it, rationalize it, and hide from it. This leads to apostasy.
We will 'experience' sinlessness one day. Not yet! The Resurrection of the dead will happen because Christ has risen from the dead. Until then we live in the sinless One, Jesus Christ, by faith. He has given us the gifts we need until this age is over. When sin alarms us, instead of denying it, we get to confess it and be forgiven. "Lord Jesus have mercy on me." This is the gift for our age. Not the lie of the devil, but the truth from God Himself. Because of the work of Christ, God is reconciled to us already.
We will not get God's approval by anything we do. What we do, our neighbors needs, not God. The Son of God Himself is our approval before God. This is what Resurrection Day's sermons should have proclaimed to us.
Why are American pastors trapping us in the self-centered lies of the devil?
They may be Americans, but they're not preaching Christianity.
So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: “I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also! Martin Luther
Lutheran t-shirts and sweatshirts. Because Christ forgives sinners!
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