“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Cor. 11:4.

The Apostle Paul makes no hesitation in rebuking the Corinthians for tolerating false apostles who had come in preaching another gospel.  The false teachers ,then and now, are the religious parasites whose doctrines do not lead one to Salvation but will immediately after Salvation lead the new converts away from where their victory over their sin nature is found, through faith in the Cross of Jesus.  These baby Christians are suddenly taught how to “gain” victory through “good works”.  They are given a curriculum of sorts to choose the class that best suits their particular lifestyle; singles, marrieds, recovery, professionals, etc….all of these given to show the new convert how to live the Christian life.  Doesn’t this sound fun?   Suddenly, the liberty that is felt upon Salvation becomes starved and one bondage is replaced for another.  Only this time it is this very shallow joy, the kind that is literally only surface deep.  From the outside looking in at the particular situation, it  hasn’t changed much but they are convinced “that’s okay”.  The victory once sought has now become the survival lived.  The victory we were told of at Salvation was never “gained” but it now has a nice shade of lipstick, a little sugar coating a lots of  new friends from our core curriculum to comfort one another.

The problem with the religious parasites is they fail to mention it is not a matter of gaining victory but it is a matter of maintaining victory.  Notice I say victory, as in victory over our sin nature, not Salvation.  The only way we can maintain victory is by maintaining our faith in Jesus and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross. The parasites will quickly deliver a gospel about who you are and what you must do, instead of who Jesus is and what He has done.  This is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified but indeed another gospel resulting in another Jesus.  When we know what Jesus has done to give us eternal life and dominion over our sin nature and reckon it to be true, we also reckon ourselves to be dead to sin as well.  When we reckon we don’t have to “gain” that victory because of what Jesus has done, the Holy Spirit will isolate or dethrone the reigning monarch, our sin nature, which will in turn enable us to live unto God and “maintain” the victory Jesus has already given us.  We don’t fight for the victory, we fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12) – faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified and HE will give us the victory.

“For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:10-11.

Are you tolerating false teachers?  If so, Paul says you might well bear with them.  Worse yet, are you paying your tithes and offerings to these false teachers?  The Word of God says to give to the work of the Lord.  Are these false teachers who direct God’s children away from Him and His finished work and point them to schemes of man to “gain” victory over their bondage, working for the Lord?  A parasite benefits at the expense of it’s host.

There is a joy unspeakable; there is a peace which surpasses all understanding and it all comes through Jesus Christ.  He will give you all of these things and more but you have to believe; you have to settle it in your heart and reckon it to be so…Jesus Christ has already gained the victory.  Don’t be scared to have faith in Jesus to break the bondages and maintain victory over our sin nature, that is the only way you will have the deliverance in which you seek…faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.   – Donna Clark Warren