Spiritual death follows anyone who takes the Word of God lightly. Regrettably, the modern church takes the Word of God lightly as they preach, teach and believe in another Jesus; a Jesus who Saves the unbelieving sinner in their sin because they recited a prayer and joined their church. They will quickly recognize the heresy of the Roman Catholic’s idols but the mote in their eyes blinds them to their unseen idol of humanistic psychology because it’s cloaked in Scripture and presented as truth. In reality it is commandments of man being presented as Scriptural doctrine.
“8 This people draw nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.
9 But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9
The Jesus who is taught in the modern church does not create a new creature but in vain attempts to rehabilitate the old. It seems “good” to the carnal mind as it attempts to do that which is right, yet it leads to death…spiritual death. Sin’s dominion reigns in the heart of the people because they have been learning and practicing the precepts of the world and not God.
“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.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:8-10
The Cross of Christ Jesus is the only answer given to man to break the power of sin. The only fight the Believer is commissioned to fight is the fight of faith..faith in the finished work of Jesus. The Cross was either sufficient or it was not sufficient to break the power of sin in our hearts and lives. If we believe in our hearts and profess with our mouths that Jesus Christ and Him crucified was sufficient to Save the sinner and Sanctify the Saint, than it is indeed sufficient and we fight daily to maintain our faith in Who Jesus is and what HE did for whosoever will believe.
On the other hand, if we do not believe the Cross of Christ is sufficient to Save the believing sinner nor Sanctify the Saint, that does not mean the Cross of Christ is insufficient. No, not at all. It means that we have made the Cross of Christ of no effect in our lives. We have gone the way of Baal and follow after idols just as the Israelites of old. The mote in our eye blinds us from the faith we have placed in our creeds and declarations. The witchcraft is another gospel yet because it is trying to manipulate the righteous spirit world, we deem it good. Not so.
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” 1 Corinthians 1:23
At Salvation, when our faith is placed in the Cross of Christ, we are buried with Jesus, baptized into His Death and dead to the sin nature which has ruled and reigned in our heart (Romans 6:3-5). We are now a new creature in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit Who quickened Jesus from the dead, quickens our mortal soul unto holiness and righteousness…not worldliness. As we look unto Jesus, He authors our faith and HE gives the increase. The seed planted in our hearts begins to flourish as the branches are pruned. This “creature” in which we have become understands that we are just passing through this pilgrim land. We know that we know that we know that our Lord has gone before us…He has prepared a place for us.
As the world waxes worse, we know in Whom we have believed. Another gospel and another Jesus will not satisfy the thirst in our souls. We have tasted and we have seen the sufficiency of the Cross of Christ and we are determined to know nothing else among you. Where He goes, we will go because we know His voice. We are His and He is ours. He does not love us because we were first cleansed. No. He cleansed us because He loves us. We are not perfect but He is and His perfect love drives away all fear.
“1 Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me (Jesus).
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” John 14:1-3
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 