KEEPING OUR FOCUS- THE FALSE TEACHING OF “THE FALL”- Gen.3:22 and Rom.5:13

Keeping our eyes on Jesus can be difficult for some today. Given what many believe is prophetic fulfillment that is happening all around us. But, focus we must. Because the most important thing a man must do is preach the message of God's grace. A grace that has nothing to do with works regardless of who we believe has done or is doing them.

We believers are here because there are people who need to hear about God's grace. So let's keep ministering reconciliation to the world so they too can hear and believe and be saved. And to people in the churches so that they can be free from the captivity of satan they are in because of the strong delusion created by their belief in the original sin and sin nature doctrine.

The message that I am going to share with you today comes from discerning a devotional from a man that I used to listen to pretty much every weekend. And it is a very good illustration of how people come to believe things that simply are not true. Things that are crucial to our understanding of who God is and why Jesus had to come.

Now I want to make it clear that I am not picking on him. He is only one among many who teach these doctrines that emphasize works rather than grace in a very subtle way. Leading people to at least oppose themselves. And may even blind them from the truth about who God is. Who Jesus is. And what the atonement was for.

He wrote, "Years ago, one of my granddaughters looked at me with a sad expression and said, “Papa, why do we have to die? Why can’t we just float up to Heaven?”

That’s a great question", he said.

Now this was a perfect opportunity to share the truth from the word of God with his granddaughter. But, he missed it. Because he does not know the truth. Rather, he subscribes to the Augustinian view taught in seminaries. Schools used to promote Roman Catholicism's original sin and sin nature doctrine.

So he naturally continued saying, "The answer is that in the Garden of Eden, it never was God’s intention for people to die." But, we must ask the question. Does the Bible teach what Greg told his granddaughter? And has subsequently told millions of people? The short answer is no. The Bible never says this.

This is the first of several mistakes in this message from him. There is no place in scripture that says God never intended for man to die. In fact, from everything the scriptures do say, the only conclusion that can be drawn from them, is that it was of course God's plan that men would experience their own mortality.

He continued saying, "There was no death, no pain, and no tears. But because our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned, sin then entered the human race.

They rebelled against God because they had a will of their own, and that rebellion is called sin. And because of that sin, we now have death. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, we never would die, get sick, or even age."

In another of his messages he said that the reason Adam and Eve sinned was because "Satan came to Eve and essentially appealed to her selfish nature, telling her to disobey God (see Genesis 3:1–5)." So he, and all who teach original sin and sin nature, believe that Adam and Eve were both of a selfish nature when God made them. And again I must ask. Does the Bible teach any such thing? Or are these people coming to these conclusions based on other than Biblical sources?

He continues to explain to his granddaughter why people have to die. And why they can not just float up to heaven saying, "But they did sin. And sin, like a disease, entered the human race. We were all born with it. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. It comes naturally to us. The Bible says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT)."

Again, we must ask, is this Biblical? And again, the answer is a resounding No. Because the Bible says in Rom.5:12,13 that before the law came to Israel the sin people from Adam till Moses committed was not imputed to them. This means that whatever happened to Adam and Eve after they ate the fruit could not have been a punishment from God for their sin.

But, because these teachers and evangelists derive their foundational beliefs from the original sin and sin nature doctrine, they read those beliefs formed by this foundation into everything they see in the Bible and their in life experiences.

Even so far as to see the behavior of babies as sinful by their very nature. So even when they cry because they have messy pants. Their foundational beliefs tell them that the baby is showing it's sinful nature.

How sad that the most innocent among men. Small ones about whom Jesus said, "of such is the kingdom of God." To these teachers of false doctrines are by their very nature sinful and deserving of the flames of hell. While what the Bible says about them is not only what Jesus said. But, also in Deut.1:39 that when they are very young children they have no knowledge of good and evil. So that they can not make a decision for good or for evil. But, only that which is by the nature that God gives to all men. One that has no knowledge of good and evil.

In spite of a mountain of Biblical evidence to the contrary, he continues by saying to his granddaughter, "If we want to go to Heaven, then we must be forgiven of our sins. We can’t come up with our own idea of how to get to Heaven. In fact, we wouldn’t know anything about Heaven if we didn’t read about it in the Bible.

There is only one way to get to Heaven, and that is through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us.

For Christians, death is not the end. The Bible says, “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” (1 John 2:17 NLT)."

First, I am of the opinion that he, and anyone else that uses the living or NIV books for Bible teaching and understanding, does so because they have given themselves over to the strong delusion of original sin and sin nature. The evidence for this is in all of their teaching that emphasizes works, rather than faith, when talking about pleasing God.

But, in Heb.11 we are told that faith pleases God. Because we must first believe that He is. And that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And in Rom.11 that if we are saved by grace it can not be by works. Otherwise grace is not grace.

So even though when he says "There is only one way to get to Heaven, and that is through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us." His intention is that the listener knows his works will determine whether or not he is truly saved. Rather than what the Bible says about faith without works.

The transition from faith to works for many of these teachers and evangelists has been so subtle that they don't even realize they are doing this. It is their stubborn adherence to Augustine's original sin and sin nature doctrine that has captured them. And those who follow their teachings.

So when he continues saying, "Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die” (John 11:25–26 NLT)." Again from the very flawed NLT. His intent is that the listener knows and understands their works prove they are saved.

This is why he finishes this little devotional telling a story about sin and death. He says, "Awhile back we were walking on the beach, and my wife, Cathe, said, “Be careful, there are bees on the beach.” Just then, I stepped on one. The stinger went into my foot, which swelled a little.

Jesus took the sting of death when He died on the cross. That is why Bible tells us, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55 NLT).

Death died when Christ rose. And as Christians, we will live forever. That is the hope the Bible gives us."

Sadly, even though his statement is true that death has no hold over the believer. He didn't continue into the next verse that shows exactly what Paul meant by the sting of sin. Because if he had he would have left no question as to what gives sin it's power. In 1Cor.15:56 Paul explains this saying, "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."

The sting of sin is when it is imputed to men. Because when it is imputed men are accountable before God for their sin. But, Paul says it is when there is no law that sin has no sting.

This is why Paul adds, But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

Here we see that because Jesus delivered Israel from the law sin has no sting for them. Which means that works, whether good or bad, have no bearing on whether we are going to heaven or not. Because it is only our faith that determines this.

Faith then is the "work of the Lord" Paul is referring to here. Trusting in Jesus for salvation apart from works. Just as Jesus told them in John6L28,29 when they asked what work they must do to do the work of the Lord. Jesus answered, "This is the work of God. That ye believe on His Son whom He hath sent." KJV.

Because we are not under the law but under grace. We are not subject to works of "touch not, taste not, handle not". But, only to our true and saving faith in Jesus for eternal life.

The subtlety of satan in the original sin and sin nature doctrine is a marvel in the sense that people like Greg have been so easily deceived by it's works salvation message. So much so that while he teaches this he actually still believes he is teaching grace.

But, Biblical grace is not "unmerited favor" as those who believe original sin and sin nature believe. Grace has nothing to do with deserve. But, only with love. And how God expressed His love for all mankind.

By sending Jesus to join with mankind in our mortality and death. So that we could join with Jesus in immortality and eternal life. This is God's love in action. This is God's grace.

So when we think of grace as unmerited favor, as those who teach original sin and sin nature do, we have crossed over to salvation by works. Because merit speaks of works, not grace.

This is why if we are to define grace Biblically we must understand it to be God's love in action. His action of sending Jesus for us. Lest we find ourselves to be deceived like those who teach original sin and sin nature.

Those who like Paul said "oppose themselves". God's grace is why we "In meekness instruct those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." 2Tim.2:25,26.

I can't say whether these are saved or not. That is God's to deal with. I'm only saying that these have believed, and are teaching, a false doctrine. A doctrine that blinds people to the truth. And at the very least keeps them from growing in the Lord after being saved by His grace. And possibly from ever having an intimate and personal relationship with God. By making people believe that works have anything to do with how we are saved. And how we stay saved.

If you have been deceived by this false teaching and now want to be delivered from it. All you need to do is turn from it and begin to believe what the Bible plainly says. Confess that Jesus is Lord. And believe in your heart that He has raised from the dead. In Rom.10:9,10 Paul says if you will do this then you will be saved.

Here he places no emphasis on works. But, all emphasis on faith. Restating what Jesus told the Jews in Mt.12 saying that "by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Why words and not works? Because your words, not works, are the fruit that Jesus says in Mt.12:33;36 come from the tree that is your heart. And when your heart is right with God through faith in Him then your words will reflect that.

So trust in Jesus and His resurrection today and you will be saved. Do this and you will be born from above. Do this and a spirit will be birthed in you that never existed before. Do this and you will be a child of God by this spirit birth and heir to His kingdom. Do this and you will have eternal life now. Do this and you will be made immortal in the resurrection. Do this... and I will see you there or in the air!

This message can also be heard at: https://rumble.com/v3s9zbr-keeping-our-focus-the-false-teaching-of-the-fall-gen.322-and-rom.513.html