MT 19:16-22 – THREE QUESTIONS OF FALSE RELIGION

INTRODUCTION:

We are living in a time of many voices, overload of information, and a generation of questions without answers. People of faith have run into the wall of doubt and have questions that are leaking in faith with quickly filling with doubt.

The Church of Jesus Christ is in transition. It is on fire and luke-warm at the same time. Some are coming and some are going. Some are being saved and some are leaving God. It is a paradox and gives rise to the questions hammered at us by false religion.

While there are many questions that false religion raises I would like to look at three of them presented in the above mentioned Scriptures.

1 – WHAT GOOD THING CAN I DO TO BE SAVED – (MORALES – ETHICS – REASON)

Isn’t it amazing that sinful man would presume there is something good enough in ourselves to justify salvation?

MT 7:21-23 – Man presents himself in false professions

ROM 2:3-4 – Man presents himself as a judge without repentance

PSM 78:32-37 – Man presents himself to God when he needs help

EZK 33:31-33 – Man presents himself as able to hear but will not do

PSM 49:6 – Man presents himself with false hope of redemption

There is nothing good that man in himself can do to be saved. It is completely and totally in the hands of God. Jesus died that all who will can come and be saved. But it is not by works, good deeds, temporal knowledge, or anything fallen man can do except hear and obey the gospel.

The Covenant is not a contract. Man cannot dictate his terms nor negotiate his place. The way, the truth, and the life is in place through Jesus Christ our Lord. All man can do is heed the drawing of the Holy Spirit and either accept or reject the Covenant of life as given.

2 – WHICH COMMANDMENT MUST I KEEP – (WORKS, SYSTEMS, TYPES, SHADOWS)

Again false religion wants us to get caught up in the question of the law. What I can do and what you can’t do and how our group is better than your group. You are not one of us because we keep this creed and you are an outsider.

LK 18:10 – The Pharisee and the Publican – Works

MK 7:1-9 – The Traditions of the Elders – Religion

MT 5:20 – The Pharisee excess – Grace exceeds excess of man’s way

Is there a law? Yes! The law will judge those outside the boundaries of grace. Those who will not hear and will not come to the door that has been opened in Jesus Christ our Lord. The law will judge the lawless and disobedient. The law will judge the religions and the religious because it did not heed the schoolmaster that brings us to Christ.

The law was weak in that it can never bring those who obey unto perfection but it can bring us to the perfect one. The Lord is the one who kept the law perfectly and did not sin. Jesus Christ is the only answer to this question and He is the only answer that was ever given.

There are no works, there are no systems, there are no types, and there are no shadows when you come to the perfect light. There is not darkness and there are no gray areas in Christ. Every man is equal and every man’s sins are atoned in the precious blood of the Lamb of God.

3 – WHAT LACK I YET – (HYPOCRISY OF THE FLESH)

How many people come so close to true salvation only to be caught up in the last question that false religion asks of us? Has God truly said is the age old question originated by false religion?

Flesh is very deceiving and man’s ways are very blinding. I have been in the Church of God / Cleveland, Tennessee for many years and I love our movement but I would be foolish to think no one but us is called or going to heaven. But men get caught up defending their distinctive doctrines and things they believe.

All movements or groups have certain things they place emphasis on more than anything else. If you don’t assert them as true you cannot be ordained or preach in their pulpits, ours is not different. Now let me be very quick to say that I am for defending the faith of the fathers but we have to be very careful about defending our movements without searching and researching the Scriptures.

Remember all protestant churches today only started from the time of the reformation or about the 1600’s and we have made many mistakes. We need grace and mercy in our journey and we must always be able to give an answer of our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

MK 9:34 – Who is the greatest among us

LK 9:54 – Call fire down from heaven on them

What lack I yet? Christ is what we all lack concerning salvation because there is no other name whereby we must be saved. It is Christ and nothing more or nothing less. You cannot add to him and you cannot take away from him. There are not other ways or dozens of ways there is only one way…….Jesus Christ our Lord!

CONCLUSION:

The only question you have to answer is what will you do with Jesus Christ as your Savior? There are not three questions only one. The stage is set, the judgment is called for, the message has come to you, now what will you do? Will you ask for another way, do you have another question, or do you want to find the answer to everlasting life.