Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. In describing the error of the
Jews, Paul says that they, being ignorant of God's righteousness
and going about to establish their own righteousness, have
not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one
that believeth. This is a fatal error in whatever
form it takes. It does not matter how similar
what a man believes may be to the actual truth. If a man is
clinging to any hope other than Christ alone, he shall surely
perish. Religion and all of its trappings
appeals to the flesh because it enables a man to indulge his
basic desire to establish a righteousness of his own with which to commend
himself to God. It matters not whether that religion
involves self-denial in service to his fellow man or some supposed
spiritual devotion which is mystical in nature, or even if it supposedly
involves a belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. The scriptures
cannot enlighten a man apart from the operation of the Spirit
to open his eyes and give him revelation. The Bible can be
an idol to those who revere its verbiage but have no love for
its contents. A man's religion is like a security
blanket, which he can pull on in times of distress and trouble
and lean upon when he is dying, But apart from leaning upon the
living Christ, all such ground is sinking sand. The really deadly
deceptions are those which are the closest to the truth, while
yet denying the very substance of the truth, by clinging to
some sort of work of the flesh which can be promoted in men
or set forth as proof of true belief. Modern evangelism is
built upon this unstable ground and continually calls upon men
to exercise faith as if such was in the power of men to do
so. Not only that, but a far more damning aspect of it is
that it presents the efficacy of the work of Christ as being
dependent on the agreement of men in order for its application
to be complete. How often have we heard men being
cajoled and pled with to let the Lord into their hearts or
to give their heart unto the Lord, as if he was limited to
merely making an attempt to save them? This is not the gospel
of the glory of the blessed God, which Paul said was committed
into his trust, nor does it vaguely resemble the truth that we are
sent into the world to proclaim, that Jesus Christ shall save
his people from their sins, nor does it proclaim him who is traveling
in the greatness of his strength, mighty to save. Counterfeit gospels
are those which give men any reason to boast in anything other
than the finished work of Christ. Those who embrace these counterfeit
gospels are quite fond of the letter of the New Testament,
but have no understanding of the spirit of it. Paul said he
was made an able minister of the New Testament, not in its
mere letter, but rather recognizing that apart from the work of the
Spirit of God to apply the truth of it to the hearts of men, it
was of no more benefit to them than the law of Moses, which
could only condemn them. Many approach the New Testament
as if it was meant to be applied in the same fashion as the old,
which could not in any wise benefit the hearers because of the weakness
of the flesh. The nature of the flesh does
not change, and it is foolish to think that the New Testament
can be applied to men as the laying on of duty or the fulfillment
of some obligation. Yet this does not stop the duty
works preachers from preaching faith as a duty rather than a
gift, and obedience as an obligation rather than a blessing from the
hand of God. The letter killeth, because it demands performance,
but cannot provide a performer. The need of the awakened sons
of God is not a rigorous list of duties which they must perform,
but rather the faithful work of a comforter which leads them
to lean upon the one who has satisfied all demands for them.
They do not need a taskmaster, but rather one who will guide
them into all truth. This is that one whom the Lord
spoke of when He said His Spirit would convince the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment. This continual work by Him and
the children of God is that which ministers life and health to
them as they see Christ alone as their all-sufficient Savior.
He is that one who gives them love for the truth and not just
a knowledge of it. The man who has letter religion
is the one who is convinced that he is saved and that he knows
the truth and he is confident of his ability to defend it and
inform others of it. That man who is told of the spirit
confesses his own weakness and his lack of true understanding
but has been given a love for the teacher and cannot be turned
aside even as Peter who confessed, thou hast the words of eternal
life. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and
not of us. Is Christ your only hope, or
do you rely upon your faith and obedience? If you would like
a free transcript of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.