The Journey: Part 6 - Get out the map book and confirm the course

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 6 - Get out the map book and confirm the course

Taking a long road trip means that you get onto roads you have not travelled before. Every now and then you meet people on the way and in conversation you might ask for directions to confirm your course.  Though the intentions of that person, in some cases, might be good, there is always a risk in blindly following bad directions without referring to the map book.

This short analogy is true, even more so, in your spiritual journey. Getting instructions from others, without referring to the Bible for your spiritual heading, can have consequences far worse than just a wrong turn on an actual road.

False Teachers and Bad Directions

As mentioned in part 5 of this series, justification is a highly contentious topic, and one that can be ripped apart with false advice by people who are carnal, who have no understanding of the pure work of God in this matter, and who think that they have the ability to help God in their own justification. People like these have subjected themselves to fables and have believed the lies of the enemy. They have made themselves instruments of unrighteousness, hurting the faith of young believers, steering them on a course riddled with potholes and ditches. People like these, have themselves not experienced God's love in Christ, nor have they understood the simplicity of freedom from sin in the cross of Christ. They do not want to accept that this is a work of God, so they close themselves off from the truth, either due to self-righteousness, or unbelief, or due to an unregenerated spirit.

So, what do these people teach? What instructions do they give, regarding justification, that can hurt the newness of the faith in a believer?

First, let's look at what the inspired Word of God says about God's love and His justification offered to us in Christ,

Rom.6:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. ... 17 For if by one man's [Adam's] offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

There is no denying the clarity and simplicity of the passage above, that God, through Christ, has utterly JUSTIFIED OUR REGENERATED, (SAVED), SPIRIT by the blood of Christ. God reconciled us to Himself by the cross, so that we, in our justified state, can have JOY (that comes from peace) in God's grace, having now, at this time, while in a flesh body, received ATONEMENT, (reconciliation, reparation for an offense), a GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS by the imputation of the life of Christ. 

In contrast to these truths, (emphasized by caps), these dime a dozen teachers of deceit would twist the Word and say that we are not justified by faith alone, but that we need to repent of sins regularly, obey the law, go to church, do good, give up things, change our habits, and on, and on, and on. The point is that they are preaching a message about achieving justification in the flesh! They are oblivious of the spiritual work that God has done. The regenerated spirit, quickened by the gospel, is the part of that person that is utterly justified. This is the part of that person that is sealed into Christ, and which stands perfected before God.

Going on towards Maturity

Romans chapter 5, the "map book" which teaches the truth about justification, also provides us with direction and instruction on sanctification in chapter 6. This is a subject we will get into in detail soon, but for now, it will be of great value to stop the car and enjoy the truth before you. Meditate on the free gift of God through Christ, understand that it is a work of God in your spirit, rejoice in the peace it provides, and most of all, keep your eyes upon the Word of God, the map book that will keep you heading in the true direction of maturity in Christ. Avoid the alleys and the unscheduled detours as we head towards understanding the truths of sanctification in the next leg of the journey.

God bless.