Red Sky at Morning
Superstar
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2017
- Messages
- 13,998
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“The capital 'T' Tribulation is yet to come, but believers already persist in their faith in the midst of much trial and tribulation. Whether it be persecution amidst the world's demonic morality or sickness, loss, doubt, and death—we keep going. But the greatest struggle is not with sin outside, but sin still within, in our flesh, and the wolves among us who lurk within our ranks. There are two kinds of wolves in sheep's clothing in our midst: the legalists and the lawless. These are typified in the gospels by Pharisees and Sadducees.
The Pharisees were the proud and self-righteous condemners who worshiped the Law rather than Christ. They thought doing the right things made them right with God and when Jesus showed up and told them that the only way they could find life was by believing in Him and His message, they condemned Him and had Him put to death.
The Sadducees denied the truth of Scripture and twisted it to fit their contemporary, Hellenized lifestyles—just like many of the Christians today who justify whatever beliefs and behaviors they want by twisting Scripture. They didn't believe God's words.
"Narrow is the way" doesn't mean "hard to make it is the way." Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light and in Him we find rest for our weary souls (Mt. 11:28–30, Heb. 4:9–11). The Christian life has its hardships and difficulties, but salvation itself isn't one of them. Jesus paid the entire price for our salvation. He died not just for some of our sins, but for all of them (Rm. 4:25; 1 Pt. 2:24; 3:18; Col. 2:13; Heb. 10:11–12). We are justified before God by faith alone in Christ alone. "Narrow is the way" means that the way is exclusive and focused. Jesus Himself is the Way (Jn. 14:6). The way is narrow because the doctrine of salvation through Christ alone is narrow. Few there are that find it. The only way to Heaven and eternal life is through faith in Christ and the sufficiency of His propitiation and resurrection.
In a nutshell, the history of the Church is the story of believers keeping the hope of the gospel alive while continually fighting against the deceiving spirits that have infiltrated its ranks. These deceiving spirits teach either law without grace (legalism) or grace without faith (lawlessness).
The legalists (epitomized by the Pharisees) pay lip service to the gospel, but effectively deny the Atonement. They ridicule Believers who preach the simple gospel message and pressure Christians to abandon grace and go back to the Law (Gal. 5:3–4). They lay burdens on their brothers that no one can bear and hold them to standards that they themselves violate. And as far as unbelievers are concerned, legalists shut the door of salvation in their faces.
The lawless (epitomized by the Sadducees) pay lip service to Christ, but they twist the gospel in many ways because they don't really believe it. Often they deny the literal resurrection of Christ, which must be believed for salvation (Rm. 10:9). They run after the world and the lusts of the flesh and twist Scripture to justify themselves. They don't consider sin to be a real trespass against God and therefore don't recognize their personal and desperate need for forgiveness and reconciliation. Often times they even believe that Jesus is just one of many ways to Heaven.
What I believe God has shown me over the years is that the legalists hate the gospel because of the excesses of the lawless, which they perceive to be evidence against grace. The lawless hate the gospel because of the hatred, vitriol, and condemnation coming from the legalists. They both err and miss the truth because they associate the truth with the other side.
What both sides have in common is that they have a form of godliness, but deny its power. They believe parts, but not all of Scripture, and they both deny the truth and power of the gospel.
You see, there are two sides of the unbelieving coin. Two lanes on the broad road to Gehenna. One side is populated by legalists who trust in themselves. They are thieves and robbers who try to sneak into Heaven rather than going through the gate, which is Christ (Jn. 10:1). The other side is filled with atheists and the grace-twisting lawless, alike. Unbelievers from the lawless side of the road reject the truth of the resurrection, but many from both sides of the road, who claim to be religious and even "Christian," reject the gospel by rejecting the atoning aspect of it. They claim to believe Jesus died and rose again, but they don't understand or believe that His death is their only propitiation.
We live in a darkened, cloak-covered world and it can be exceedingly difficult to tell truth from fiction, and reality from lies, but Christians must endure these attacks and learn to discern these wolves and the traps they set.”
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