Gospel

Sin has confused man and man has confused the truth of God.

Lying, cheating, stealing, killing ...etc are all sin.

The worse sin is pride. Religious pride is the worst of all.

It crucified the Son of God.

Israel was God`s true church on earth. Acts 7:37,38 .

It began when God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees in present day Iraq. Four thousand years later we are back in Iraq where it all started.

For 2,000 years Israel looked for the Promised One.

When He came, confused by sin, they killed Him.

Has human nature greatly changed since Christ`s day ?

Christianity has been God`s true church for the past 2,000 years.

Has Christianity confused the truth of God ? Will it end as did Israel ?

At the time of the Protestant Reformation the established church taught that man was justified, made acceptable to God, by God`s work of grace on his heart, making him more kind, loving...etc. On this basis man was acceptable to God.

The Protestants said, NO ! Man is justified by God`s work of grace IN-- emphasis on IN -- Jesus Christ.

We became sinners because of what Adam did, an act in which we had no part. We become righteous before God, justified, by what Jesus did, an act in which we had no part.Romans 5:12,18,19 .

The Reformation brought about the greatest revival since Apostolic times, changed the church and the course of history.

The center of Christianity moved from Europe to the USA.

When noted theologian Paul Tillich came to this country from Germany in 1933, he said the theology of the Reformation was almost unknown at Union Theological Seminary in New York. What had happened ?

It was not the established churches which led out in the frontier revivals of the early 1800s, but rather grass roots Baptists and Methodists. The focus was on the believer`s personal experience . Later as these churches became more respectable, Nazarene, Holiness and still later Pentecostal churches began appearing on the scene under the umbrella of Protestantism but with their subjective message, still focusing on the believer and his personal experience.

In the 1970s neo-Pentecostalism burst its banks and overflowed into Catholic, Episcopal and main line churches. Most in these congregations would be surprised to learn that that their focus is more Catholic then Protestant.

The Apostle Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:1-4, that the gospel is about Christ who died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day. The gospel is about Christ and His experience. Not one word about man and man`s experience. No, not one .

In general the thrust of most of the active Christian Churches is :

Man is a sinner and to be saved he must come to Christ, believe on Him and repent of his sins. Appropriate scriptures are quoted.

However, getting below the Bible surface, we see that man cannot come to Christ on his own but must be drawn. John 6:44 . That faith and repentance are gifts of God. Ephesians 2:8; Acts 5:31.

It was Christ`s decision for man-- not my will but thine be done-- that saves man, not man`s decision for Christ. In fact the word decision is only found once in the Bible. The altar call was devised by Charles Finney [1792-1875]. There is not one in all scripture. Why not ?

Man cannot come to Christ on his own but must be drawn. Jesus said, I, If I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me.John 12:32 .

All will be drawn to Christ. Since the Bible shows that all will not be saved, then man has the ability to resist the drawing of the Holy Spirit.Resisting the Holy Spirit is the only sin that cannot be pardoned. It is what draws us to our Pardon, even Jesus the Righteous One .

Instead of what man must do to be saved, the focus of present day Christianity should be :

GOD IS 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR SALVATION

MAN IS 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING LOST

For more information see article # 5, MAN AND HIS INCLINATION TO EVIL, and article # 45, TWO VIEWS: MAN AND SALVATION at www.christianitysconfusion.com , or request a copy through the mail.