“³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

⁴ For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:4

The bane of modern “Christianity” is the simplicity that is in Christ.  Many professing Believers do not believe the reconciling work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrificial Lamb of God is enough for God to provide all of our needs according to His riches in glory.  Due to this corruption in their belief, these unbelieving Believers are continually attempting (in vain) to do “their part”.  Some may believe water baptism completes our reconciliation to God. While others believe joining a particular church and completing the necessary steps (sacraments, church membership classes, etc.) finishes our reconciliation to God finally resulting in our eternal Salvation.  To put it plain and simply, that is a lie from hell.

Still others believe 40 days of purpose or celebrating recovery will complete this process of being totally and completely reconciled to God.  What these unbelieving Believers fail to understand is they are vainly attempting to “stay” reconciled to God through their participation in these unprofitable works.  In their mind, these professing Believers believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for Salvation but these various methods and philosophies have so corrupted the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus that they are following another Jesus.

This Jesus most modern Christians now follow has rendered Jesus Christ and Him crucified insufficient for continued reconciliation and therefore our Christian “growth” is deemed stunted if we do not progress forward to learn the philosophies presented by the religious zealouts.  Such corruption has resulted in the professing Believer being swept to and fro with every wind of doctrine as their self will vainly attempts to commandeer the ministry of the Holy Spirit to break the power of sin in their life according to the methods presented by the modern Church.  Satan’s “ministers of righteousness” have craftily seduced many Believers and corrupted the simplicity that is found in Christ Jesus, Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe.

“⁶ I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: ⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. ⁸ But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-8

The bane of modern Christianity is the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus for reconciliation to God.  Jesus Christ is the Source and His Cross the means by which we receive anything and everything from God.  No one comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ (John 14:6) and no one comes to Jesus except by way of the Cross (Colossians 1:20).  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and give the Believer dominion over sin (Romans 6:14) when we are following another Jesus or another gospel.

Beware of a Jesus without His Cross or a Jesus Whose Cross was insufficient for reconciliation unto God.

“¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved.

¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

-Donna Clark Warren