THE OBJECT OF YOUR FAITH: JESUS, OR PURITY?

When you think about what it was at the first that drew you to trust in Jesus what comes to mind? Was it the need to be forgiven for all the bad things you may have done? To be free from the guilt of bad decisions? Or was it Jesus? There is a difference you know.

When you made your confession of faith was it for purity's sake because you were of the impression that salvation is deliverance from being bad to being made good and from naughty to nice?

Was it because you heard that being justified meant that it made you just as if you never sinned? Or was it because you realized how much Jesus loved and wanted to know you? Was it His love that drew you to Him? Or was it the opportunity to have all your guilt and shame removed?

As I was watching a video about the career of Billy Graham it struck me how his messages for salvation and his commentary throughout the video did not so much point the hearers to Jesus Himself. But, to what He had to offer. Not so much about the need to know the love of Jesus. As it was about His love being what makes guiltlessness and moral perfection possible.

By being forgiven for a life of debauchery. And brought into a life of purity. From the filthiness of all kinds of bad behavior to make you guiltless and unashamed.

And to be honest doesn't this seem to be the message of most preaching? But, is this what we get from Paul's preaching? Did the apostle focus upon a moral perfection when he spoke of our need for salvation? Or did he speak of knowing Jesus?

When I look carefully at Paul's gospel and Mr. Graham's I do not see the same focus. And when I look at most preaching in contrast with the apostles I see the same problem.

Most focus primarily on behavior and guilt and the need for it's cleansing. Of a penalty needing to be paid to accomplish this. Saying that this is how we receive eternal life.

While the apostles focused primarily on a relationship with Jesus in which one is saved simply by knowing Him. Making the difference in these two messages as that of night from day.

For when we focus on behavior we place the standard of the law on the throne where God alone should be. Aligning ourselves with that standard instead of with Jesus.

But, when our focus is on Jesus He alone is on His throne. And it is that relationship that our life becomes aligned with.

With the law on the throne it becomes the standard by which righteousness is attained. A mistake Paul addressed in Rom.7 saying that they are the "wretched man" that still needs deliverance from "the body of this death".

They mistake that being made acceptable to God is only when that standard is met. This is why so many misunderstand Rom.3:23. But, with Jesus on His throne He alone and our relationship with Him is the standard by which we attain the righteousness that joins us in relationship with God as Paul taught us in Phil.3:6-9.

Can you see the difference now? A focus on behavior or works of the law as the standard by which righteousness is attained makes being made sinlessly perfect is our way of salvation. But, if we focus on Jesus Himself and His love for us, and not His perfect law keeping, then knowing Him is salvation. 

This is the distinction made in Paul's teaching that separates his gospel from that which has been taught by so many who have claimed to be preaching his gospel since his day. The distinction is that one is a false gospel based on works. While the other is a spiritual gospel that bases it's criteria for salvation on a relationship with the one offering it. Making who we know, and not what we have done or may do, the reason we are saved. A relationship with Jesus Himself, not with His or anyone else's works.

Paul taught that we should not practice the works of darkness. So he is not saying that behavior has no importance at all. He also told us that we are saved unto good works. But, these are things that happen after we are saved. Not what needs to be done for us to be saved or stay saved.

So any behavior or works that we might consider will impute to us the purity attained from having guilt and shame removed does not bring salvation. Because God's way of salvation has nothing to do with works done by anyone at any time. But, only with the grace of God that through faith in Jesus brings salvation. The good works the believer may do after he is saved must be only a by product of a relationship the believer already has with God. And not the other way around.

Paul is telling us that our coming to faith in Jesus has nothing to do with works. Not Jesus' works nor our own. But, that salvation is literally our relationship with Him. That we know Him and love and trust Him just as He knew and loved and trusted the Father while living as a man. This is why He says to those who will not enter the kingdom of God in Mt.7 "Away from me you that work iniquity. For I never knew you". 

The work of iniquity here is that even though these preached and practiced moral perfection and had become whitewashed tombs, even claiming to have performed "miracles in your name", they did not know Jesus. And Jesus did not know them. Because our relationship with Jesus is not based on works whether good or bad. Our relationship with Him is based on knowing and trusting Him. No more and no less.

This is why Mark12:30,31 tells us Jesus said we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And in John6:28,29 that to do the work of God is to believe on the one whom He has sent. Because salvation is not an exercise that removes guilt and shame to make someone acceptable to God. It is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with the Creator of everything that has been made.

A relationship only made possible by a new birth. A spiritual birth. A birth from above that every man that has ever come into the world, from Adam till Jesus comes again, is in need of. Because Paul said in 1Cor.15:45-50 that all men when they are born are only natural flesh and blood just as Adam was when he was made. But, men need to be spiritual to be heirs of God's kingdom.

This is why Paul said in Rom.3:23 that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".

He is showing them that by focusing on works they missed Jesus and are in need of His presence. Because His presence is the only way to fill our spiritual need. A need all men have because we are only flesh and blood like Adam was when we are born.

But, when we are born again, born from above, by the Spirit of God we receive a spirit from God through this birth that we never had before. This is why Jesus said we must be born again in John3:3-8. And that only those who are born again will enter the kingdom of God.

Showing that our need for salvation has nothing to do with being bad and therefore unacceptable to God. Nor does salvation have anything to do with men being acceptable to God by being made good by having their guilt and shame removed.

Because God doesn't base entrance into His kingdom on works. Entrance into God's kingdom is based on whether one has been made part of God's family by the spirit birth.

So when someone preaches that your guilt and shame is what is keeping you from being saved don't be fooled. These are the tools satan is able to use to deceive you when you are focused on works.

So don't be fooled into believing that having Jesus' good works imputed to you or placed to your account is what makes you acceptable to Him. That kind of thinking comes from the false doctrine of original sin and sin nature. Doctrines that teach this sort of tripe can save no one. The best it can do is to make moral people out of immoral ones.

These are doctrines that also deny the very doctrine of Christ John spoke of in 2John1:7-11 that says Jesus came in the same flesh all men have. These doctrines deny the doctrine of Christ by making Jesus either a sinner by nature. Or denying His true humanity.

So if we want to get to heaven. If we want to have all that God has for us. Then we must reject any notion that we need to be saved from guilt and shame to a purity that makes us acceptable to God. Because Jesus said "This is eternal life. That you might know Him the only true God. And His Son whom He has sent". John17:3. He didn't say I will be good enough in your place so my goodness can be imputed to you if you will believe in me.

If you want heaven for your eternal home then focus on getting to know Jesus. Focus on the love that He has for you and your response of love to Him and others. Because what makes men one with each other and with God is the same thing that makes the Godhead one. Jesus said in John17:20-23 that it is love that does this. Not moral perfection or moral purity.

So don't trust in works whether done by Jesus and imputed to you by faith, or anyone else's works, for salvation. Because only by trusting in Jesus as He trusted the Father can you be joined with Him in glory.

You will be made the spiritual man that is a child of God and heir to His kingdom by righteousness that is by the faith of Christ(Gal.2:16). And as you get to know Jesus and His love all that other stuff like purity and morality will take care of itself. We don't need to focus on it. But, only on Jesus.

See you there or in the air!

This message can also be heard at: Rumbles