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If you have two glasses of water, one pure and one polluted with toxins and dirt, and you take those two glasses and mix them together, what are you going to have? You’re going to have polluted water.
I have come to recognize that almost every Christian I meet has some of the truth of the greatness of the glorified Christ living in their being; but very few have the pure truth of the gospel of the glorified Christ only. Rather, virtually every single Christian I meet – and I mean Christians with a heart for God and a hunger to know Jesus Christ – has aspects of a polluted gospel mixed in with the good stuff, thereby resulting in a watered down faith that lacks too much of the power and purity of God.
The apostle Paul was very concerned that the believers not have a polluted gospel.
Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some who trouble you, and would pervert (to change a thing into the direct opposite of what was intended) the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than the one which we have already preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any preach any other gospel unto you than the one you have already received from us, let him be accursed.
Doesn’t it sound like he’s concerned?
The gospel of the grace of Christ indicates that everything is received from God due to His generosity (grace), and that our behavior or performance or deeds do absolutely nothing to enhance or facilitate that generosity. We are on a journey to discover and explore this gift of the Christ in us, and to learn how to walk in it; not how to earn it.
Did you pray enough this last week? Did you speak in tongues enough? Did you read your Bible enough? Did you think thoughts of God enough? Did you witness to enough people? Were you nice enough to the people around you? Did you do enough good deeds?
These kinds of thoughts are contradictory to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
God has made us His children. Already! Now, learn to walk as such. What power do we have? What abilities? What authority? What gifts? What energy? What discernment? What understanding? What vision? What light? What hope? What tools? We who have “arrived” have but arrived on a magnificent voyage of discovery! To arrive is to know you are on the everlasting journey of a lifetime. Guilt has no place. Shame does not belong. Condemnation is not a part of the package of Christ. Dread, fear, worry, anxiety, pride, anger, depression, a need to argue, righteous anger, defense-mode, hardness of heart, hellfire and brimstone – none of these things are a part of the package of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
Anybody can allow the truth of the gospel to get polluted.
Galatians 2:14a But when I saw that they (Peter and other believers whom James sent from Jerusalem and even Barnabas, Paul’s partner in his ministry) walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all….
Grow rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ and nothing else!
God will give you as much as you are willing to receive. He will fill you with the spirit of His Son Jesus Christ, in your heart and in your understanding and in your daily experience!
II Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God; but as of sincerity (in the clarification of true light), but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
The word corrupt is literally “to retail.” This comes from the practice of retailers, sellers in the marketplace, to water down their wine. So we can understand this admonition to mean both – don’t use the Word of God as a marketable item, and/or don’t water down or dilute the pure Word of God.
I’ve seen this happen in congregations. In order to appeal to the greatest number of people (so that revenue will grow), a watered-down version of the gospel is presented as the Word of God. A “nice” gospel. Why, some preachers could be very good motivational speakers!!! Yet they speak little of Jesus Christ, or of how to freely receive the things of the grace of God. They just want to motivate you, getting you to think that self-betterment is the true pursuit of the gospel of Christ.
What? God is the motivator!T The spirit of the living Christ within you will motivate you! God doesn’t need or want man to do His job. He wants men to make Christ known; to preach the pure gospel of His grace, which is fully manifested forth in Christ Jesus our Lord. Preachers, get busy making known Jesus Christ! Lead the members of your congregation to Jesus Christ, and let Christ deliver them, improve them, motivate them, change them from within. You just keep making known Christ.
II Corinthians 4:1-5 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are perishing; In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
Let’s take a look at some of these words.
- Renounce – to talk yourself completely out of something
- Hidden things – things covered over in order to conceal them. Some ministers can cover over this dishonest handling of God’s Word very slickly
- Dishonesty – shame. I’ve heard ministers minimize the evil of adultery… because they were in adultery!
- Craftiness (panourgia) – willing to do or say anything to get your way, unscrupulous conduct.
- Handle deceitfully – to use bait to trick, falsify or corrupt. For example, “Buy my book and your life will change!” “Send in money and you’ll be healed.”
Many ministers in the church do not proclaim Jesus Christ. They resort to trickery, sensationalism, entertainment, motivational techniques and the like, in order to gain influence and prestige. This is to their shame, for they are nothing more than self-promoters, using the word of God for their own gain. Their teaching is not to make Christ known, but to make men dependent on them. Turn away from these charlatans!!!
You have been given the pure Word of God regarding the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ. Stay there! Don’t be moved away from the truth.
Colossians 1:23a,27b … you shall continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and not be moved away from the hope of the gospel, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
As a minister, it is important that you discover what is the true gospel of Jesus Christ and learn to recognize and resist the polluted counterfeits.
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The book, Give Me Christ … Revelations of the Glorified Christ is now available on Amazon.
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Other related studies on this blog are:
What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and How to Preach It.
How to be Saved ….. X 3
IN CHRIST – what does it mean?
How to Be Born Again
The Mystery of Christ
Freedom in Christ
The Glorified Christ
Fruitfulness in Christ – Colossians 1:1-15
