I love the apostle Paul, although  sometimes I would like to strangle him. It’s a good thing he was Hebrew. There is no way he would have made it out of Mrs. Hansen’s English Class.  His complex sentences and deep thoughts about God may make him difficult to read, but the passion with which he lived inspires me. If I were going to use one sentence to describe the man it would be this.

He gave his life for the sake of the Gospel.

Every ounce of energy he had he used to promote and defend the true Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. Even after winning some to faith in Christ in each city, teaching them how God was working in human history, then organizing the churches, he constantly had to defend the Gospel from those who would co-opt it.

Although there were many False teachers with varying brands of so-called “Christianity” the most common assaults were from those still trying to make new believers adhere to conditions of  Judaism. Laws intended to reveal to us our desperate need for mercy. Laws no human has ever kept. Today there are those who still try as they did to add to the price of my Redemption.

Christ + Right Sabbath Day

Christ + Certain foods

Christ + Certain drink

Christ + Religious festivals

Christ + Circumcision

In Modern Times it looks like this…

Christ + Baptism

Christ + Walking an aisle

Christ + Church Structure

Christ + Rosary’s

The list could go on

One prominent preacher in my denomination once stated a person could not be saved unless he walked an aisle. I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do. Surely this man understands the Gospel?!  Should I stand up and walk out? Should I stand up and call Him a Liar?

No sir! 2010 Years ago a great exchange was made on my behalf.  I had not been nor would I ever be able do anything to affect my standing with God. With His death on the cross, Jesus exchanged His inherent goodness, righteousness and perfection for my sin, sin nature, and inherent evilness. HE is my wrath bearer,  my sin bearer, my purchaser.  To add anything to the work that Jesus did as a means of Salvation is to spit in the face of God and scream, “THE BLOOD OF YOUR SON IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” To make it any more difficult for someone to approach Christ for salvation than Paul or Jesus Himself is to scream in the face of the broken “GO TO HELL!”

Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Rest does not come after baptism, rest does not come after walking an aisle, rest does not come after rosary prayer.  Rest comes by looking to Jesus! The real live, historical, crucified, alive forever Jesus!

In His letter to the church in the city of Colosse, Paul  makes it clear.  Our evil(sin) nature which seperates us from God was dealt with through Christ. Adding to the work of Christ with the expectation of receiving salvation is hollow and deceptive philosophy.

Colossians 2:6-17

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as LORD, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.* 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.*

*Emphasis Mine

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