Jesus said: (John 6:40) For this is my Father’s will, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him to life on the last day.” Certainly there lots of people who saw Jesus by reading the gospels but still don’t really love the Son with all their heart, because the cost of following him is too high and some of the teachings sound very difficult to obey. However, the conscience told us clearly this is the Son of God and we all want to follow Jesus to heaven.
But then comes Satan, who will use many wolfs in sheep’s clothing and false brothers to destroy. For it is written: (Acts 20:29-30 NSAB) I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. One of their technique is to create various “seeker friendly” version of false gospels.
They divide the scriptures into two groups, “positive” and “negative”. By rejecting all “negative” scriptures, they re-created different virtual “jesus” to fool God’s children. Under the guises of “saving more people” for the kingdom, they chary-picking some “positive” scriptures always. Therefor, those who followed their teaching become “partial believers”. Below are just few examples they considered as negative;
(Matthew 5:29-30) If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.
(Matthew 7:12) In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.
(Matthew 19:24) And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
(Matthew 21:21-22) Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you be able to do what has been done to the fig tree, but you will also say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.”
(Luke 6:24-25) But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
(Luke 12:32-34) Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Luke 14:26,27) If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. … (33) So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
(John 14:23-24) Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching, my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home within him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me
(I Peter 1:15) but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
(James 1:27) Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
(James 2:20) But are you willing to understand, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? …… (24) You see, then, that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. …… (26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, in the same way also, faith without works is dead.
(Revelation of John 3:1-3) “And to the angel of the church in Sardis, write: These things says He Who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works, and that you have a name as if you are alive, but are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die. For I have not found your works complete before God. Therefore, remember what you have received and heard, and hold on to this, and repent. Now then, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you shall by no means know what hour I will come upon you.
(I John 2:4) The man who says, I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
If someone who truly believed these verses, he or she would have to go into prayer seeking the Lord for further instruction and conformation. In fact, most people may not like to hear these scriptures. They prefer free salvation with minimum cost, preferably, much lower than the cost of being his disciples. In their heart, they love an ideal “jesus” who speak only “positive” things from the bible, for these words are easy to obey. Below are some of the scriptures they really wanted to believe;
(Matthew 5:13) “You are the salt of the earth; but ……
(Matthew 5:14) “You are the light of the world. A city ……
(Matthew 7:7-8) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life.
(Romans 10:9) That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(II Corinthians 1:21-22) But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.
(Galatians 4:6) And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls ” Abba! Father!”
The whole counsel/plan of God
If someone believed a large part of the bible but still ignored some, will it be acceptable to God? Let’s look at what was written: (Acts 20:26-27) I therefore declare to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God. It is not difficult to see from Paul’s statement, if God’s children are unaware the whole counsel/plan of God they may die. For those who knowingly reject some of the counsel/plan of God, they will surely die.
God’s people wake up and study the whole Bible, because the whole counsel of God is inside. No one can hide from you. Though the blind and wicked will not see it, we can always ask the Holy Spirit, remember Jesus said: (Luke 11:13) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? So pray like never before!!! It will be too late if you wait for others to find the whole counsel of God for you.
Let’s pray;
To you lift I up my eyes, O you that dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait on the LORD our God, until that he have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.
To you, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in you: let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.
Yes, let none that wait on you be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me: for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, your tender mercies and your loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to your mercy remember you me for your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.
What man is he that fears the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn you to me, and have mercy on me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring you me out of my distresses.
Look on my affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
Consider my enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in you.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on you.
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
Amen