“I am astonished that you are
so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of
Christ and are turning
to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who
trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an
angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached
to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If
anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him
be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9 ESV)
The true Gospel is all that
pertains to Jesus Christ and in particular His salvation offered by grace
through faith in Him. Paul made this clear in the following verses.
“Now I would remind you,
brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you
stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I
preached to you—unless you believed in vain. “For I delivered to you as of
first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance
with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the
twelve.
Then he appeared to more than
five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some
have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last
of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8
ESV)
Satan’s world tried to crush
the Gospel in the 1st century just as it is trying today in the 21st
century, but millions have come to the cross and rejoiced at an open grave.
Almighty God said of His
Word, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there
but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower
and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it
shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and
shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV)
Our world is rife in its
attempts at trying to pervert the Gospel, but even though a dark cloud is
encompassing not just this country but worldwide, God’s Word still prevails.
I believe, as God said
through James and Paul that God is calling out Gentiles unto Himself. They are
the Church. When the last person is called out the Church will be complete and
immediately called out of this world. After that, the Lord will return His
attention to Israel to draw them back to Himself and will unleash His justice
upon a fallen world. This period of time is known as the Tribulation.
“Simeon has related how God
first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.” (Acts
15:14 ESV)
“Lest you be wise in your own
sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial
hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
(Romans 11:25 ESV)
Today, it seems nearly
everyone wants to redefine what God said in the Bible. The Bible contains the
Holy Spirit inspired word of God that He wants us to hear. Sadly, most refuse
and want only to twist His words into something that will accommodate their
sinful lifestyles.
I often hear people quoting
the Bible, incorrectly and out of context, trying to make it fit into their way
of thinking, but God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV) In other words, it doesn’t
matter what we think. It only matters what God says, and He is quite serious
about what He says.
“You shall not add to the
word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments
of the LORD your God that I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2 ESV)
“I warn everyone who hears
the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to
him the plagues described in this book, and
if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take
away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in
this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19 ESV)
Sooner or later in our lives
we have to make a decision concerning the Gospel. Is it true or not? Is it from
God or not? Many have accepted it as the very word from God directed to each of
us and have rested their faith upon its Author. Many others reject it, while
still yet others ignore it. However, to ignore it is to reject it.
Without the Gospel living in
our hearts we are nothing more than “dead men walking.” To reject it is to be
spiritually dead and condemned to eternal death in the Lake of Fire. Only when
it lives within us are we truly alive, spiritually and eternally.
As I look upon the spiritual
condition of our country, I am struck with the fact that if the true Church
were removed today, the United States of America would be a thoroughly pagan
nation. We’re almost there now, except for the influence of the Holy Spirit in
the true Church of Jesus Christ.
As of now, the Gospel is free
to all who will listen. “He who has an ear, let him hear.” As of now in this
country, one can come to Christ as a true believer and be adopted into the
family of God, but once the Church is removed by Jesus at the Rapture there
will be a very heavy weight of repercussion for any who would dare make such a
decision.
There are so many false gospels
floating around I can understand why it is difficult for some to question what
to believe. So far Bibles have not been outlawed in this country. Get one. Open
it up and read it. There is the one place you will receive the TRUE GOSPEL.
“Ask and it will be given to
you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For
everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks,
the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 NIV)
“All those the Father gives
me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John
6:37 NIV)
Read for yourself what God
says. Seek Him honestly and He will draw you to Him.
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
