False teachers count on us not looking up the scriptures they use in context. I have had people use scriptures out of context to prove a point, when I would look them up they actually supported my position according to the Bible.
Every passage must be read in the context of the chapter and that chapter within the entire rest of the Bible. I do not agree with teaching "verse by verse" as some teachers do. We must teach passage by passage and then support those passages by the rest of the book the passage is contained in and then the rest of the Bible.
Jeremiah 23:35-37 "…35 This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother: ‘What has the LORD answered?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36 But refer no more to the burden of the LORD, for each man’s word becomes the burden, so that you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God. 37 Then you are to say to the prophet: ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and ‘What has the LORD spoken?’…"
Galatians 1:7
"which is not even a gospel. Evidently, some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ."
Know this, in these last days many will try to make it sound as though Christ's sacrifice on the cross was not enough, we need to help Him out by doing our best. This is blasphemy and lack of faith that Christ in us can work on us to be what we should be.
These people will encourage others to work really hard to be good in their flesh rather than trusting Christ who lives in us. We need no effort on our part, we need the work of the Holy Spirit in our souls to effect change for us. When He changes us it is permanent and righteous.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new [a]creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
When Christ makes someone new and the old has passed away, then there is no possibility of getting the old back again. When someone says they are Christian and regresses to the point of no longer following Christ, then we know they have tried to be a Christian without Christ.
When we do the work ourselves it is full of self-pride and our own way of thinking based on our own desires to be superior. The very nature of the devil, was the desire to be like God, usurping God's Word through his own effort. Does this sound familiar?
Do not think for one moment you or I can be good enough to measure up to God's standard. We are as filthy rags without Christ, He does not look to us hoping we will think up good things to do and be, He looks at us to see if we submit to His work and His calling for us.
I understand how hard it can be for people to submit to Christ, seeking the Holy Spirit every day for their actions and reactions. It is human nature to want to be the one in control of our own destiny. This is the very thing God wants us to leave behind, our own will, our own thinking so that we can think with the mind of Christ.
Stop trying to figure out how to be good and begin asking Christ to clean us up, change our desired into His and develop humility through admitting we are nothing and He is everything.
Hallelujah!!!
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