Can one false doctrine ruin a church? Part 2

Can one false doctrine ruin a church?

Part Two—Good Works: Are They Necessary?

Can one false teaching ruin a church?

You bet it can.

Does God care about you and I doing the Good Works pre-ordained by God for you and I to fulfill?

You bet he does. See for yourself.

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) 10

For we are his workmanship,

Created in Christ Jesus unto good works,

Which God hath before ordained

That we should walk in them.

As it turns out, the answer is Yes.

God has before ordained Good Works for you and I to do.

These fore-ordained Good Works are designed to bring Glory to God, and To His Son, and be empowered by His Holy Spirit. They are designed to bring healing, and blessing, and powerful restoration to you, and your whole heavenly family, and this fallen world, even as you and I, each do our part.

His Good Works are designed to become a living link between you, and all who have gone before you, and all who will come after you, to share in all the inheritance of the Saints of Old, and even unto the Saints of Today.

Where does the idea of faith alone, without works come from?
Sola Fide. Translated: faith alone. Where does it come from?
Check out this one minute video.

Let us inspect one false doctrine that has entered the church and become a blot on her life and her heavenly record.

Let us address one false doctrine that is being taught in the church today, both by its absence from the pulpit, as well as its open attack from the pulpit.

And let us examine what is happening and why.

It is personally wise to note here, that yes, you and I will be judged by our good works. Nothing in that sentence should be controversial. But if it is here is why:

For good or for evil, your works, will come into the courtroom of God. There, they will judged, in front of angels, Saints, and holy beings. You and I will stand in the presence of God. There will be no more self deception, no more selfish excuses, and no more self justifications, that are commonly used on earth to deny or negate our heavenly commission.

We will be held responsible. We will be held accountable.

There will be no shadow, nor turning about (no excuse making), in the Light of God’s Holy Presence.

In the courtroom of Almighty God, only the presence of perfect unbiased justice, shall abide.

James, the half Brother of Jesus, chimes in on this account:

James 1:16-18 (KJV-with my added notes in brackets)

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom [there] is no variableness [no shiftiness], neither shadow of turning [no half cooked promises].

18 Of his own will [he] begat [he brat his own children, born-again into His kingdom], He [supplies] us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

One day every detail of your life will come to life. It will be exposed to the light. At that time, we will be thankful, for our diligent pursuit of His Truth from His Perspective. We will be unshamed by the good works we fulfilled in his name.

Therefore, it is no small personal point of intimate wisdom, here, to put strong effort into your own good works, to make them holy, and honorable to God, and complete and just, in his kingdom, from his perspective. – – That is wisdom.

To be perfectly clear and honest, it is your works that will separate you, and your future from those who have no works in the future, or who have only deceiving works, evil works, lying works, or selfish works. You and I need His good works of righteousness to complete in our lives. By doing His Good Works, we overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.

1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

You will notice clearly that it is our works that separate us, the sheep, from the goats in Matthew 25. It is good works that separated the wise virgins from the foolish virgins. It is good works that separated, the faithful stewards, from the unfaithful ones. It is by your good works, that you will be identified as one of God’s chosen children. Your good works, are the evidence of your good faith in Christ. (As James said in James

James, the brother of Jesus, was very strong on this point. Many foolish teachers, false Bible scholars, and worldly Bible commentators, try to relagate the message of James to being, legalistic and calling it works based salvation.

For this reason many have tried to teach that the book of James does not belong in the Bible.

Here’s the reason why: it exposes many people’s false teaching on the subjects of works.

Apparently, the same lie is trying to fill the church pews today, that is being taught from the pulpit today, that was trying to fill the churches of the first and second centuries as well.

The goal of Satan was to turn to churches into false preveyors of false doctrine, and false practices, that do not reflect that message and mission of the early church in Jerusalem (predominantly Hebrew based) and the church in Antioch (predominantly Greek based).

Jesus warned his disciples before there ever was a church, that the enemy would plant tares (weeds) among the wheat: In order to infiltrate, divide, and pollute the true and living church of God.

How does the enemy do this? By filling the church with good sounding, selfishly pleasing false doctrines.

But those who give James the authority, the same authority that the early church gave him, the authority to be the chosen leader of the early church in Jerusalem, will become wise in their Faith.

They will become like wise virgins, and they will protect themselves, their families, and all those who will give ear to them. But those who reject the message of James, the brother of Jesus, the leader, of the church in Jerusalem, during the life of Paul*, the apostle, will become like foolish virgins, and they will end up harming themselves, and all those who fellowship with them.

Many false teachers disregard the warnings of James, the half brother of Jesus, the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

James was the one Paul went to, when he had difficult problems in the faith to solve, not only for himself personally, but for even for all the churches that he administered the gospel to. And it was Jesus, who raised up James, to be leader of the ship, like the Ark of Noah, guiding her through the tempestuous waters, to guide her to His heavenly shores. It is this James, Paul submitted his doctrines too, and gained the full support of James, and his message to the Gentiles, and it is this James who said:

To get this message in context, and gain the full power of its wisdom, you and I can read the whole passage of James chapter 2, (below are a couple excerpts from the chapter).

James 2:8 – 26 (KJV)

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, [a.k.a., show worldly or carnal prejudice, or preferential treatment to those who are rich and famous] ye commit sin, and are convinced of [in other words, convicted as a sinner by…] the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Above, James raises a hypothetical question. As one can see, it’s also rhetorical question, because the answer to it is so obvious the question answers itself. It’s a man have faith but no works that man save him? The answer according to James is so obvious. No. That kind of faith cannot save him. The question should answer itself for those who abide in the Scriptures and understand that faith in Christ is not just a head game, but is an entire commitment to Christ, body soul, mind, spirit, and wallet or pocketbook, as someone would say. The cost of serving Christ is everything. Christ gave everything of himself to purchase yours and my life back from the pit of hell. And to be perfectly straight, he is waiting for you and I to give everything of ourselves to the kingdom of God, so that we might enter the kingdom with grace and truth.

Giving our lives and ourselves to the cause of Christ, is the highest, most precious, most enduring, most valuable, way in which a man can live his life. But, to pursue the world, the life of the world, the respect of the world, the had adoration of the world, and to value the things of the world, as though they are higher than the things of Christ, that would be worldly idolatry or one could call that the worship of mammon. That is something that is clearly Not recommended.

In the passage below James exposes the hypocrisy of a man who says he has faith, but has no work to back up his faith.

James 2:15 – 26 (KJV)

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

There are many popular churches and even whole denominations of churches that play down, and sometimes even try to erase the importance of doing good works before the Lord. That is one modern false doctrine that one would be wise to not be seduced by…

None of the apostles taught such a doctrine. None of the early church writers lived by or wrote such doctrines. But instead, the writers of the New Testament clearly warned the church that false teachers would arise and teach these false doctrines, and lead as stray the flock away from doing good works before the father and before that kingdom of God.

2 Peter 2:1-3 (KJV)

1 But there were false prophets also among the people,

even as there shall be false teachers among you,

who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,

even denying the Lord that bought them,

and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:

whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

The truth be told: good works, and good faith go hand-in-hand.

Check this out for a personal and supplemental word study.

—From God's Perspective