15/10/2024
True Salvation (Part 296);
Job 15:14-16;
What is man, that he should be clean? And he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, Which drinketh iniquity like water?
Romans 3:10-12;
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Isaiah 64:6;
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
The reason why many people refuse to believe in the finished work of the cross by Jesus is because they think that they are good. They think that they can do something to earn salvation through good deeds or good works. They, therefore, keep trying hard to appear good and to be presentable before God. Because of mixing grace with works, they continually say that they are sinners whenever they feel they have done wrong. Man can only be sinful, evil, and wicked, and no matter how hard one tries, nobody can be without flaws and weaknesses. Even at our best behavior, we still have many flaws, and we still fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). When Isaiah, who was a prophet, stood before God, he could only see how unclean he was and in need of grace (Isaiah 6:1-7). If Isaiah a prophet could be unclean, if Job could be unclean even with all his good (Job 42:6), what makes you think that you can present anything good before God?
We might look good and pleasant outwardly, but in our hearts, we are only full of filthy and evil thoughts throughout (Genesis 6:5, Mark 7:21-23). There is nothing good in us (Romans 7:18). But the devil deceives us that we are good, and so we keep trying hard to portray good behavior and a good image. This is a trap by the devil, for he knows that no matter how hard we try, we will always fall short, and so he makes us to keep confessing sin and asking to be forgiven sin. God does not look at our outward appearance; He looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Even without fornicating or without committing adultery, God sees it in our hearts when we lust (Matthew 5:27-28). Even without killing anyone, God sees us as murderers when we hate or get angry with someone (1 John 3:15, Matthew 5:21-22). Who then is not a murderer or an adulterer in the heart? Did you, for instance, know that you are a perpetual murderer before God because at no point will you lack someone you hate, especially those who keep offending you? But the devil deceives a murderer like you to think you are good and to think that you can present something good before God! I am very sure that there are many religious people, especially from my former place of work who really hate me because I tell them that they are taking people to hell by telling them to keep confessing sin. We already know that those who confess sin belong to satan and God doesn't listen to sinners (1 John 3:8-9, John 9:31, Isaiah 59:2). All these who hate me are murderers before God, but satan deceives them that they are good! Imagine murderers trying to present their good works before God!
Knowing our true filthy and dirty image is very paramount because it will enable us to appreciate the need for grace and only grace without any works of man. Knowing that we can never be good or pleasant before God can make us be in need of a Messiah or a savior. Knowing that even our righteous acts are only but filthy rags before God can humble us and make us listen to the true gospel of grace alone without works and can make us believe in eternal righteousness that is based on zero effort of man (Romans 4:5-8). But when we think we are good and that we do pleasant things before God, we can not appreciate grace fully, and we will want to mix grace with our so-called 'good works'. The Pharisees stayed with Jesus for three years, but they never received salvation, for they thought they were good, and they relied on their ability to keep the law as the way to God instead of grace (Jesus). They ended up missing on true salvation, and this is why Jesus told them that they would die in their sins (John 8:24, Galatians 5:4). They thought that their good behavior and keeping the law would save them, and so they had no need for Jesus or grace.
I have worked in many religious organizations, and for sure I can attest to the fact that in those so called Church corridors, we have many weak men struggling with sexual sin, men stealing Church funds, men struggling with anger, men struggling with jealousy, men struggling with selfishness, men struggling with backbiting and gossips, men struggling with ma********on and po*******hy, men struggling with repaying debts, men struggling with greed, men struggling with lust, men struggling with titles and positions, etc. All these are bishops, apostles, pastors, and church leaders. I have caught famous pastors in compromising positions with women, I have witnessed pastors and bishops stealing Church funds, I have many testimoies of pastors involved in all forms of evil and wickedness. But when they stand before men, you would think they are angels. I am not saying that I am any better than them, not at all; I am actually even worse. But I thank God that by His grace, I got to know my true filthy image and realized the need for grace and grace alone to save a wretched man like me (Romans 7:24-25). Before meeting with the true gospel, I used to think that I could present my 'good works' before God and yet I lived such a hypocritical life trying to show a good image outwardly and yet I was so rotten in my heart. Like many false believers, I had perfected the art of hiding my dark lifestyle and doing many evils secretly. How I pray that these religious pastors and their followers can get to know their true filthy and dirty image, which might not even be visible outwardly but is in the heart. Only then can they appreciate the fact that salvation is only by grace and no effort of man counts (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 6:28-29). Only then can they receive eternal righteousness that is not dependent on human effort and which can not be lost (Ecclesiastes 3:14, Hebrews10:10, Hebrews10:14, Hebrews10:17-19). Such weak people need grace more, but the devil deceives them that they can make it to heaven through good deeds, and yet in their hearts, they know how dirty and filthy they are!
Romans 11:6;
And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Amen.
Mtakatifu.