A False Way of Salvation

Phillip’s Story

A Fictional Narrative

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Phillip was a good man with a loving family. He attended church every week, in fact, he was an usher in his local church. He had his own business and treated every customer fairly. He volunteered at the local soup kitchen regularly and donated generously to those in need. He was also a good neighbor always willing to help out any of his neighbors. He prayed to God every day for himself, his family, and those that were less fortunate. Anyone meeting this man would likely come away thinking that they had met a good God fearing man that surely was saved. They would be wrong. Although he led a good moral life, which we all should do; Phillip was not saved.

“For by Grace are you saved through faith (the right way); and that not of yourselves (the wrong way) it is the Gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

There is nothing worse than a false way of Salvation. Phillip believed that he was saved and that when he passed he would go to Heaven. He based this on the good and faithful life he lived. Many down through the years have believed that the good done in their lives would cause God to let them into Heaven when their their lives on the earth ended. Again, there is nothing worse than a false way of Salvation because eternity is a stake. The most important thing we must do in this life is get Salvation right. Our eternal home will be either Heaven, or Hell a place of torment.

“Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to desruction” (Matthew 7:13).

Phillip’s religion kept him from the truth, although he had a seeking heart toward God. Religion is man trying to please God by what he does. Phillip had never heard the true Gospel, so his works approach to God made perfect sense to him as it does to millions. That is why it is so important to get the Gospel message out as Jesus commanded us to do. Many use their religion to justify what they do. They look to the good in their lives outweighing the bad, and on that scale award themselves with God’s favor. Others are sincere in their approach to God, but do not know “the Way.” This was the case with Phillip.

Christ died on the Cross to pay the sin debt for us. We must come the way of Calvary to be forgiven and be born again  – born spiritually. We cannot live a life pleasing to the Lord without our admitting that we are going the wrong way, that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, and realizing that our hope cannot be in ourselves but in God alone. Upon admitting our need and placing our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary, the Holy Spirit will come into our hearts and we will live our lives, lives pleasing to the Lord, by the power of His Spirit within us.

“But if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you (He dwells in all believers), He who raised up Christ from the dead shall akso quicken (power to live a victorious life) your mortal bodies by His Spirit Who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

Phillip was led by the Lord to a church that preached the Gospel. Upon hearing it, he thanked the Lord for His Mercy and Grace in his life and gave his heart to the Lord. He had lived all those years not knowing the truth and believing a false way of Salvation. He shudders to think of what might have been if he had not heard and believed the Gospel. However, the Lord is gracious and merciful and it is His desire that all might be saved. He looks down on all those on the Earth to see if any seek Him. And Phillip believes that, like Cornelius (Acts Chapter 10), who was also a good God fearing man, that he was seen by the Lord, and that the Lord revealed Himself to him. For those who are sincere; the Lord will make Himself known to them through the hearing of the Gospel. There is only one way to Salvation and His Name is Jesus.

“That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto Righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation” (Romans 10:9,10).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Light to Those in Darkness

Rescued From the Shadow of Death

The Tender Mercy of Our God

Through the tender Mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high has visited us. To give light to them who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78,79).

The “Dayspring from on high” is a reference to Christ. He visited us in His incarnation and lived among us for some three and a half years. He brought the light of the Gospel, and is the Giver of life to a fallen world living in darkness.

“In Him was Life; and the Life was the Light of men. And the light shined in the darkness…” (John 1:4,5a).

The darkness is due to our fallen nature. The sin nature entered mankind at Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden. The result was spiritual and physical death for all those that came after them. This is what our introductory verse is stating concerning those in the world living in the shadow of death.

“In Whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ, Who is the Image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

We are, in ourselves, unable to rectify our lost condition. Satan is the “god of this world,” and has blinded the minds of those that choose not to come into the light. He rules this world in opposition to the light of the Gospel. Christ’s coming shed light on the evil that rules this world. He shows those who come to Him the way that will bring them out of the darkness and into the Salvation that is offered to those who would come His way.

The Father in His tender Mercy towards us, sent His Son to show us His way. That way is Calvary. The Lord’s death at Calvary, and faith in Him and the price He paid there, brought those who previously sat in darkness into the light. The Son of God came into this world to rescue us from this fallen world, our sin nature, and the wiles of the Devil. Those who come to Him become the sons of God, the Beloved, the chosen, and the redeemed of the Lord – not on any merit on our part, but by the tender Mercy of our Heavenly Father. Our righteousness (being right with God) comes totally from the Lord. We have much to be thankful for. He reached down and lifted us up into the light of His Heavenly Presence and we are secure in Him.

“Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your Name; the upright  shall dwell in Your Presence” (Psalm 140:13).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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The Betrayal

A Prearranged Kiss

“And Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went into the Chief Priests, to betray Him unto them” (Mark 14:10).

There are arguments on both sides as to whether Judas was initially saved and forfeited what could have been, or was never saved. Whether Judas was saved initially or not, the fact remains that Judas did betray the Lord. He betrayed him to the religious leadership of Israel and they crucified our Lord. This deed has to go down as the most heinous act in the history of the world. He betrayed the Lord of Glory for “30 pieces of silver.” He betrayed Him with a kiss.

“And he (Judas) who betrayed Him (Jesus) had given them a token (sign), saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He; take Him, and lead Him away safely. And as soon as he (Judas) was come, he went straightway to Him, and said, Master, Master; and kissed Him” (Mark 14:44,45).

Why did he do it? Some say he did it for the money. I believe that that did enter into his decision to betray the One he had spent the previous three years with seeing miracle after miracle and teachings that had never been heard before. Others say that he expected the coming Messiah to free Israel from the rule of Rome. I’m sure that the Lord talking about His death to the Apostles, and having the hope of the Lord freeing Israel from Rome dashed, was something that may have influenced his decision to betray the Lord. I believe that these were part of the reason that he did what he did, but I think we need to look at the base reason. I believe he took his eyes off of the Master and onto other things, worldly things, and lost his way. The final result was the betrayal of the Lord.

I believe that the foundational reason (my opinion) that he betrayed the Lord was that he did not want the spiritual promise of the Kingdom that Jesus was offering. His desires were all about the here and now. He was a thief, stealing from the purse the Lord and Apostles depended on for daily living. His desire was for this life and what he wanted it to bring him. His betrayal, I believe, was a direct result of the path he started down by seeking worldly gain in stealing the funds he was entrusted with. It cost him greatly to have his eyes on the temporal and not the eternal.

Our physical needs can cause us to miss out on all we could have had in the Lord. The Lord has promised to provide for our needs and we must trust Him to do just that. But, our eyes must be lifted up to see that the eternal is where we are headed and the temporal will pass away. If our eyes are on the physical, our conduct will reflect that and our lives will not please the Lord. Many have begun well in serving the Lord only to lose their way, and their soul. The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) addresses this very thing.

In John Chapter 15, the Lord told His Disciples that He was the “True Vine” and that they were to continue abide in Him. He goes on to say that those that do not continue to abide in “the Vine” will be cast forth. We must remember that He was addressing the Apostles who were saved and had walked with him during His earthly ministry. We must heed this warning from the Lord. Straying from the Lord can start with a small indiscretion, but if not corrected and one continues down this path, it can result in the loss of the soul. We must live out our spiritual life through faith, daily, in Christ and Him crucified through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Judas lost His way and ended up in Hell. He was called by the Lord and was one of the Twelve Apostles. He gave up all the Lord had promised the Twelve because he had his eyes on this life and not on the Master. His life and betrayal are a warning to all those that read the account. We must turn our focus away from the temporal and fix our eyes on Jesus and the eternal truths we find in God’s Word.

“Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2 ESV).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Trusting in Your Mercy

Rejoicing in Your Salvation

“But I have trusted in Your Mercy, my heart shall rejoice in Your Salvation” (Psalm 13:5).

God’s mercy in our lives results in our not receiving the punishment we deserve. He extends His mercy to all those who realize their true condition. He offers it freely and lovingly to a world fallen in sin. He shows us through His Word that we cannot, in ourselves, live a life pleasing to the Lord. Our condition is one of total moral corruption. Once we see God’s mercy towards us and trust in it, we will realize His Grace that will empower us to walk out this life by faith in His provision of Salvation.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God’s grace in our lives is the benefit of receiving what we don’t deserve. It’s God’s kindness and compassion towards us. He loves us and that love was displayed for all to see at Calvary. His Grace is extended to everyone, even those who hate Him. Our need has been met by His love towards us. For those that acknowledge God’s incredible kindness towards us, He offers forgiveness and Salvation by faith in the sacrificial death of His Son at Calvary. We have been redeemed by the Blood shed for us by the Lord at the Cross.

“In Him we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance of the riches of God’s Grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Our redemption comes from God settling our debt and buying us back through the Blood Christ shed at Calvary. Our debt was the sins we committed against a Holy God. We were bought back to our rightful owner from the bondage of sin and death. His Grace enables us to live a transformed life through faith in Christ crucified and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

As we trust in God’s Mercy that He has extended to us, we are humbled by His love towards us, and realize our great need of the Salvation He has provided. Jesus walked the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary, for us.  That one act on the stage of history was the greatest show of God’s love, His Mercy, and His Grace that this world has ever seen. It stands apart from any other historical event as the greatest happening in all the history of mankind. We trust in His Mercy, and we rejoice in His Salvation.

“For our heart will rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His Holy Name” (Psalm 33:21).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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A Mystery Revealed

We Shall Not All Die

“Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51)

The Apostle Paul is speaking about the Rapture of the church in this verse and the following. The Lord, prior to His crucifixion, promised to return for those who love Him and are watching for His soon return. The church has longed for His return since the Lord’s first Advent. The Lord said the following to His Apostles at their last gathering prior to the crucifixion:

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3).

The Lord will actually come twice. The first time will be the Rapture, or catching away, of the church. He will not actually touch down on the Earth, but we will be “caught up” to join Him in the air. And we will “ever be with the Lord.” This first coming is to take the church out prior to the judgment that will come on the world. The final coming, or Second Coming, is for judgment on a rebellious world that has rejected Him and the Salvation He graciously offers. Paul continues to reveal the mystery of the promise that those in the Body of Christ living at the time of the Rapture will not die.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trump will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

The Trump of God (1 Thessalonians 4:17) will sound and all those that have died in the Lord previously will rise to meet the Lord in the air. Those of us that are alive at the time of the Rapture will join them in the air and we will all be with the Lord. We are also told here that we will be raised incorruptible. This speaks of our Glorified Body. The Apostle Paul goes on to explain this in the following verse.

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53).

We are saved by the Precious Blood of Jesus, but we still have a sin nature as we seek to walk out our life. This verse speaks of receiving our Glorified Body which will have no sin nature. As well, we are mortal now meaning we are subject to death. When we receive our Glorified Body, we will never die.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in Victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Those who love the Lord have a great future. No more sin nature. No more death. We are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye ” and we will be with the Lord forever. The Lord showed us this mystery to give us encouragement and to let us know what awaits us when He returns for us. Whether we pass this life before the Rapture or are alive at the time, we know the Lord will fulfill all He has promised. There is total victory coming for those who have come by faith to the Lord. His death on the Cross ensures our victory over the world, the flesh and the Devil. Isaiah foretold of this mystery some 700 years prior to the Lord’s first Advent. The Apostle Paul opened it up showing us exactly what is coming. We’ll close with what Isaiah gave us regarding this mystery and what the Lord promised those that love Him.

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah  25:8).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Free Indeed!

The Rescue Mission

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Free from what? Free from our fallen nature. Free from the penalty of sin. Free to walk in “Newness of life” in fellowship with God. Adam and Eve walked with God prior to their fall in the Garden. The Lord seeks to restore that relationship with His creation through the door He has opened. That door is Christ and Him crucified.

We are born with a fallen nature due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Prior to their fall they walked in total God-consciousness. After the fall they fell to the much lower state of self-consciousness. All those born after them have been born in this fallen state with a sin nature. The penalty of sin is death. We are, in ourselves, unable to lift ourselves up from our fallen condition. God’s Word tells us that all have sinned and have gone our own way.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none who understands, there is none who seek after God. They have all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12).

These verses speak of our total depravity in our fallen nature. It also shows us that in our fallen nature, and left on our own, we will not even seek God. They tell us we have gone our own “way” and not God’s way. We are lost and servants to the bondage of sin. We are lost and undone. Dead in sins. But God!

“But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, ( by Grace you are saved;) And has raised us up together, and made us sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6).

God had mercy on us and sent a Savior to free us from our fallen nature and the total depravity that is our true condition. He has quickened all those that will come to Him realizing there great need and made us “sit together in Heavenly places.” All this is made possible by Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross. We have “Newness of life” by Jesus shedding His Blood at Calvary to pay the sin debt owed to God and to lift us up from our fallen condition and save us. This was all of God. It was through His mercy and Grace.

“For by Grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8).

Notice that we are saved totally through Grace by faith. It is not earned, but is a gift of God. We are free from the bondage and guilt of the sin nature and given new life in Christ. We live in “Newness of Life” and are free to live a life of fellowship with the Lord. All made possible by the Father sending His Son in a rescue mission. All made possible by the Lord Jesus giving His life for us that we might be free to worship and praise our great  God for all He has done for us. Yes, we have much to be grateful for. For we are free indeed!

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His Mercy endures forever” (Psalm 118:1).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Test the Spirits

Believe Not Every Spirit

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The Apostle John is warning us about false teaching, and false teachers, in the church. Doctrine is important. We must test what we hear by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will guide us as we study and know God’s Word. If we are lax in our study and knowledge of the Word, we open ourselves up to evil spirits through false doctrine brought into the church. There are many false doctrines in the church today that do not line up with the Word of God. We cannot rely on any teacher, or pastor, to know the truth. Hopefully, we are in a church that is teaching sound teaching. But in the end, we will be held responsible before God for what we believed and how it lined up with His Word. So, how can we be sure that what we are hearing is proper doctrine. If we know God’s Word then we will judge all we hear by the following:

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus is come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:2).

I’ve heard it said that if we get Jesus wrong then we will get everything wrong. The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS points us to the Cross, that is, Christ and Him crucified. Any teaching contrary to that is not of God. Any teaching that draws our faith to other things is not of God. Any teaching that does not exalt Jesus and His redemptive work at the Cross is not of God. The Holy Spirit will “guide us into all truth” as we anchor our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary. Jesus came to rescue us from our fallen nature and we obtain forgiveness and our Salvation through faith in His great work. All our blessings come through Jesus and His sacrificial death on the Cross. If we go some other way we open ourselves up to the following:

“And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God : and this is the spirit of Antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world” (1 John 4:3).

God has provided one way of Salvation. There is no other way. We know that we are currently in the end times and that the Antichrist will come which will lead to the Great Tribulation. Satan knows his time is short and is doing everything he can to keep those alive today from the truth of God’s Word. False doctrine and false teachers abound.  The antichrist spirit is here today as it was in John’s time. The term antichrist means exactly what it sounds like. It is that which is against Christ and the Salvation He affords through the Cross. We cannot call ourselves a Christian and believe any doctrines that do not line up with this truth. John goes on to offer encouragement to all true believers in the following verse:

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He Who is in you, than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

There you have it. The Holy Spirit is greater and will guide us, help us, and change us, as we trust in Christ and Him crucified. We are to become like little children completely trusting the work of God in our lives. At the risk of sounding repetitive, it is of utmost importance that our faith be anchored in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary. 

The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful Salvation and has given us everything we need for “Life and Godliness.” We have the guide book He has given us – the Bible. We need to stay in the love of God which can only be done by going His way. We must remember, and be forewarned; the Apostle John wrote these words to Christians that where tempted to believe false doctrine that had been introduced into the church by false teachers.

“But you Beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Keep yourself in the Love of God, looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life” (Jude 20,21).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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The Book of Life

Is Your Name Written in the Book?

“And whosoever was not written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire” (Revelation 20:15).

The Book of Life contains the names of all the redeemed from the time of Adam and Eve forward. If your name is not found in the Book of Life then the Lake of Fire will be your final eternal destination away from the presence of God forever. Obviously, it is a matter of life and death for our eternal soul that we come to know the Lord in the time the Lord has given us. The Bible makes it clear that all are in need of forgiveness and the Salvation that comes to us when we place our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary.

Again, there is nothing more important for us then that we come by faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary. The Lord Jesus came on a rescue mission; for left on our own there was absolutely no hope.

There is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord ” (Romans 3;10,23 & 6:23).

The Lake of Fire is the final destination for Satan, fallen Angels, demons, and all those who have rejected God. This is the Lord’s final judgment against those who have rejected Him. It is called the “second death” which is speaking of the final end for the wicked and God’s final judgment on evil. Again, this speaks of final perpetual separation from God.

We can know that our names are written in the Book of Life by placing our faith in God’s provision of Salvation. That provision is Christ and Him crucified. We are to anchor our faith in Jesus and His sacrificial death at Calvary, daily. We are not to move our faith to other things like a works, or faith plus works, approach to sanctification. The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians about this when he challenged them to examine themselves to make sure they were walking out their lives by faith in the proper object.

“Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5a).

Walking by faith is the only way to be in the faith. We are saved by faith and our sanctification is all by faith. Our names written in the Book of Life are the result of a life given to the Lord by having our faith in what He accomplished at Calvary. As has been said, Salvation is a gift of God and does not come to us by our works (Ephesians 2:8,9). The Lord reaches out to whomsoever will come to Him in repentance and faith. The rewards are great for all those that have forsaken all for the “pearl of great price.”

“Therefore being justified (made right with God) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (by faith in His sacrificial death on the Cross)” (Romans 5:1 commentary mine).

The Lord is our “exceeding great reward.” Our reward is the Lord Himself  – to know Him and walk with Him. We have been “bought with a price” – the shed Blood of the Lord Jesus. We are the Lord’s and He watches over us, blesses us, sees us through this life, and brings us into His very presence for eternity. It doesn’t get any better than that! Is your name written in the Book of Life? If not, won’t you come by faith and gain the assurance that your name is in “the book” and that you are secure in knowing that you are the Lord’s treasured possession.

“These things have I  written unto you who believe on the Name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have Eternal Life, and that you may believe (keep believing) on the Name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:12 ESB commentary).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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False Teachers Among Us

Identify and Avoid

“Now I beseech you, Brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine you have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17).

The Apostle Paul is warning the church to watch out for false teachers. He is instructing them, and us, to mark them and avoid them. False teachers must be identified as such before they can do harm to those that are exposed to their teaching. All false doctrine comes from deceiving spirits that use these false teachers to propagate their lies. It is of upmost importance that ee identify and steer clear of these false teachers. However, we are to pray for them that they will repent of their false way (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

False teachers were a problem in the early church and they are a problem today. In the Olivet Discourse, the Lord Jesus warned about not being deceived by imposters that would come in His Name. In fact, when addressing the future, the time after His departure, it was the very first thing he mentioned which tells us of the importance He placed on it. Paul also warned of those that would depart from the faith in the latter times (the time we live in now).

“Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).

We are in those later times that Paul warned about. Our faith must remain fixed in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross. He paid the sin debt owed to God and opened the way for fellowship with the Lord. False doctrine always changes the truth of the Gospel in some way. If we do not understand who Jesus is and what He accomplished, we can be easily deceived. The Apostle John instructed us to test the spirits.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The Holy Spirit will always points us to Christ and Him crucified. If any doctrine minimizes the Lord’s sacrificial death at Calvary then you can be sure that deceiving spirits are involved. Our Lord came to die on the Cross to deliver us from “this present evil world.” Satan knows that our victory is found in the Cross, and only in the Cross, and will do all he can to either keep us from the Salvation offered there, or offer us false doctrine which us intended to move our faith from the correct object to a false way. The Apostle Peter calls them “damnable heresies.”

“But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring damnable heresies, even denying the Lord Who bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter  2:1).

Peter goes on to say that many will follow these false teachers. Why? They will present doctrines that itching ears want to hear and that will result in the fulfillment of evil desires and/ or causing those that follow them to ignore God’s will, or Word. Paul said the following regarding these deceivers:

“For they who are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:18).

There are only two kingdoms – the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan, and the Kingdom of Light ruled by the Lord. These false teachers are serving the kingdom of darkness to satisfy their earthly needs and fleshly desires. Those that do not know the Word of God are easy marks for these false teachers who appeal to them through flattery. There words are smooth and very tempting to those that have little knowledge of the Lord’s ways and Word.

As Paul mentioned in our introductory verse; he gave us fair warning to mark them, that is, to identify them and to avoid them. Deception is widespread in the church today. The Lord warned against this prior to His departure and we must guard against it today. Our faith must be in the provision the Lord has given us which is Christ  and Him crucified. If our faith remains in His provision, the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.

Living our lives according to God’s Word is the greatest life. Should we veer off of the truth that His Word brings us then we will pay the price. There are false teachers out there today offering doctrines of devils and tempting their followers to go their pernicious ways. We must guard against these brokers of evil. Just as their father the Devil, they are seeking whom they might devour.

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockery in the last time, who should walk are their own ungodly lusts. But you, Beloved, building up yourselves on your most Holy Faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 17,18,20).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

A Call to Repentance

The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea. And saying, Repent you for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:1,2).

John the Baptist came on the scene just prior to the coming of our Lord and His earthly ministry. He was calling Israel to repentance in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. Multitudes came to the Jordan River to see and hear what John was preaching, including the Pharisees and Sadducees. He was calling them to examine themselves to determine if they were truly following the Lord.

The Kingdom of Heaven was being offered to Israel and this call to repentance was the way of separating those that believed in a national salvation, or a works based salvation, from those who realized the need for individual repentance and true faith in the coming Redeemer. Those that came were baptized by him in the Jordan River confessing their sins.

There were two groups of people that came to John as he preached his message of repentance. There were those that realized their need for repentance and truly sought the Lord and His way, and those that were self-righteousness. The Pharisees and the Sadducees fell into the latter group. John called both groups to bring forth evidence that they understand what the Lord required, which was repentance and faith. As evidenced by our Lord’s ministry, and the opposition by the religious leadership that He experienced, the latter group never brought forth the proper repentance.

Israel, due to unbelief, was destroyed. They had the ministry of John the Baptist followed by the arrival of the Lord Jesus and His incredible ministry of some three and a half years. They had no excuse. Judgment came in AD 70 when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the Jews were dispersed throughout the known world of the time.

This is a lesson for our world of today, and a warning for the church of our day. The King is coming. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The Lord is calling all those alive today to repentance. The question is, which group will each of us fall into. Will we realize our need for repentance and come to the Lord repenting and placing our faith in the Lord’s gracious provision of Salvation, Christ and Him crucified, or will we walk out our life in self-righteousness having our faith in something other than Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross.

Faith in our own ability to be pleasing and accepted by the Lord, or faith in our religious practices, or in a belief that because we were born into a particular denomination we are in the Kingdom, will not lead to the Salvation that must be our chief desire. These practices and beliefs can only lead to self-righteousness, just like the religious leaders of John the Baptist’s time; there are both true followers of the Lord and apostates in our churches today.

At the Lord’s coming, He will separate the wheat from the tares as the Lord told us in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. In the church as a whole today, there are those that belong to the Lord (wheat), as well as those that follow a false way (tares). He asks us all to decide today whether we realize our great need and will come in repentance, or will we stand in our own righteousness awaiting the judgment that will come on all those who refuse the Lord and have gone the way of perdition. We must remember what happened to Israel in rejecting their Messiah. Our faith must be placed in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross, daily.  The reward for walking with the Lord is great; the punishment for rejecting the Lord is eternal.

“He (Jesus) came to His own (Israel), and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the Sons of God” (John 1:11,12).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026