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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman Just
Human Effort Jesus made it clear.
Sin, adultery being one example, originates in our hearts (Matthew
5:27 - 28). So it is our inner selves, our hearts that need to change, something obeying a law
can't do. It was why Paul called
the Galatian Christians fools for believing their Christian lives were
just a matter of obeying the Law of Moses apart from God's Spirit who
lived within their hearts (Galatians 3:1 - 4).
If God's Law can't change a heart, neither can any ecclesiastical
law, judicial law, or national legislation change a heart.
Such attempts are just human effort that can't save us or keep us
saved. Paul was adamant.
Anyone who preached a gospel based on law or good
works alone, preached a wrong gospel and should be cursed (Galatians 1:8)
because without
God's Spirit no one belongs to God (Romans 8:9).
One must be born again (John 3:3).
One must become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This is why Jesus had issues with the church at Laodicea
(Revelation 3:17 - 21). The Laodicean church was wealthy and self-sufficient, but Jesus viewed it as being wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. For that reason He would spit it out of His mouth, which He eventually did. Paul would have told this church that it was living a different gospel and should be cursed.
Nothing has changed.
Much of what we call church in the West is wealthy,
self-sufficient, and humanistic in nature.
It looks more like a Dow Jones Corporation than the Body of Christ
it is to be. When human effort
replaces the Holy Spirit there is no valid church.
It's why Jesus told the Ephesian church that it would cease being a
valid church if it did not repent (Revelation 2:8).
It may exist organizationally, but that's not a valid church.
In many respects, church
is now viewed by the non-churched as a social/political movement when it
should be viewed as a Jesus movement.
When we attempt to Christianize people by law, legislation,
social/political activism, hyper-emotional altar calls, scare tactics, or
by any humanistic means, we promote a wrong gospel.
Worse still, we lead people to believe they are Christians when in fact they
are not because apart from the Holy Spirit's involvement in the process,
there is no valid salvation.
As I've said over the
years, Mark 16:20 tells us that the disciples preached the gospel while
Jesus worked with them confirming what they preached.
In other words, the Christian life, including church life, is a
cooperative venture between us and Jesus.
We do our part and Jesus does His part.
If we leave Jesus out, it's just human effort that cannot make the
needed change to our sin-inflicted hearts.
Scripture
Reference (NIV) Matthew 5:27 - 28 "You
have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart." Galatians 3:1 - 4 "You foolish
Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was
clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from
you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing
what you heard? Are you so
foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to
finish by means of the flesh?" Galatians 1:8 "But even if we or
an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached
to you, let them be under God’s curse!" Romans 8:9 "You, however, are
not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if
indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." John 3:3 "Jesus replied, “Very
truly I tell you, no one can see the 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new
is here!" Revelation 3:14 - 21 "To
the angel of the church in Laodicea
write: These are the words of the Amen, the
faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
I know your deeds, that you are
neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to
spit you out of my mouth. You
say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But
you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can
become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful
nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and
repent. Here I am! I
stand at the door and knock. If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that
person, and they with me. "
Revelation 2:8 "Consider
how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you
do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand [church] from
its place." Mark 16:20 "Then the disciples
went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and
confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."
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