Message
from the Monthly Flyer from April 2012
|
Mat 22:29-30 Jesus answered and said to them, "You
are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of
God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given
in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven."
Jesus gave the Sadducees and the Scribes a clear answer to
their religious tradition, which they had mixed with man-made
teachings. False teachings arise due to a lack of knowledge
of the Word of God. To be ignorant about what the Word of
God says is the same as if you were cut off from the power
of God. With other words, God's answer is written. Therefore,
we need to find out what the Word of God says. Just as this
text states, religious tradition can strongly stand in contradiction
to the Word of God, because it is mixed up and twisted around
with human teachings. This is the reason why there are so
many beliefs going in different directions and religions.
It is the duty of every individual to read the Bible in combination
with prayer, in order to find out the ways of God.
But when does religious tradition become a curse? Whenever
people set up their own rules! As an example, Paul writes
in (Eph 2:8) "For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." If
you believe that a person could earn the grace of God, then
this grace is not properly understood and you are living in
error. Of course, you can receive grace, there is no question
about that, but it has to made clear here that God is the
ONLY GOOD ONE; and we as human beings have deserved NOTHING
and there is NOTHING we could do to make ourselves worthy,
not even by our own works. The only work that can save us
is HIS work on the cross and our obedience to His gospel!
That is what is written.
The problem begins during childhood: "If you're a good
boy or a good girl then you will go to heaven, if you're not,
then you will go to hell". Therefore, you have to be
GOOD and do good things so that you can please God and receive
His blessing. That is the well-meant advice given to small
children. This deception can last until adult age, and will
always trouble a person because he or she does not know whether
he or she has done enough good deeds. If we could earn grace,
it would no longer be a gift of God, and therefore, it contradicts
the Bible!
Let us take a look at the cry of the Roman Catholic "church"
at that time, with its desire to free the Holy Land of the
unbelievers. Did Jesus ever give the call to kill people?
Never. In addition to that, is the act of blasphemy in which
the people were told that they could receive forgiveness of
sin as a result. How we can receive the forgiveness of sins
it written crystal clear in the Bible, in Acts 2:38. Whoever
does not obey this commandment of God will have died in vain.
Today we hear about the "Holy War", people are being
killed and others, on the other hand, are killing themselves,
in order to "gain points" with God. Why? Because
they do not understand the Bible, the written Word of God,
and substitute it with human tradition. This tradition has
a religious appearance to make it seem believable. The spiritual
blind one leads the spiritual blind. In Eph. 2:8 Paul writes:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Here he is
addressing only those who have been converted to Christ, for
we who were once sinners have received grace though our obedience
to the gospel of grace.
It is God's will that we separate ourselves from evil and
obey the gospel of Jesus. It is simple - whoever does not
do so, will not receive grace. Grace comes through Jesus Christ
and not by our works. The curse rests upon those who add their
own words to the Bible, and also to those who believe them.
rw