False notions on how to follow Jesus

False notions on how to follow Jesus

COMMENT:

To follow the Lord there is more to it than just faith. It takes action to prove our compliance - to become a disciple it’s a requirement to be baptised, fully immersed with water. Think of how Jesus was baptised. Afterwards he set the standard - he said pick up your cross and follow me, meaning surrender your life to Jehovah. He spent his last 3 and a half years preaching and teaching.

He warned his disciples that false Prophets would emerges and teach false doctrine and said that we should avoid them. So, we need to be on the watch because Satan does use contaminated doctrine to delude us.

ANSWER to correct these false notions:

If you read James 1:1, you will see that James addresses his epistle to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. This is in reference to the 12-tribes of Israel who were scattered, some years earlier due to the persecution initiated by Saul (Paul). Thus, the doctrine of this epistle, and that of all the other epistles from Hebrews onwards, is NOT addressed to, or for application by the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ has its own apostle, Paul, Rom 11:13, and its own doctrine, the 13-epistles of Paul.

Thus, to stay in proper context and interpret the Bible accurately, I will evaluate your statements versus what Paul writes and addresses to us in this dispensation of grace.

You state:

There is more to it than just faith. It takes action to prove our compliance.

Works to prove faith was necessary in the Kingdom gospel. This is the reason for James writing to the Jews to encourage them to live out their faith. For us in the grace gospel, salvation is obtained by the works of Christ. We allow God to work through us, Php 2:13, in our daily lives and as a testimony and means to our commission of reconciliation, but when it comes to salvation, work is NOT a condition because the work is already done through the cross of Christ. Paul makes this absolutely clear in the following passages,

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

See also: Rom 4:4-5 and Rom 11:6.

You state:

To become a disciple, it’s a requirement to be baptised, fully immersed with water. Think of how Jesus was baptised. 

These works (conditions) you specify are required in the Kingdom gospel, not in the grace gospel. We see in Acts 2:38, that Peter preached repentance, and it was necessary for the Jews because of their disobedience to the laws of God. To have their sins forgiven, they needed to be baptised in water, confessing the name of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Messiah. Water baptism had its origin in the Mosaic law where priests had to wash themselves before they offered sacrifices to the Lord. National baptism was required for Israel in order to be that nation of priests in the Millennial Kingdom.

As for us, repentance, and water baptism, is not part of our doctrine. Paul never preached this. To be saved, we simply believe in the cross work of Jesus Christ, that his death was for the forgiveness of our sins, and his resurrection is for our justification, Rom 4:25 and 1Cor 15:1-4. One must be careful not to mix up the two gospels. The works of repentance, water baptism, and the receiving of the Holy Spirit is part of the Kingdom gospel preached to Israel. The grace gospel has no works conditions necessary, but simply to believe in the cross works of Christ, which is the ‘works’ done on behalf of us as the Body of Christ.

You state:

Afterwards Jesus set the standard. He said pick up your cross and follow me, meaning surrender your life to Jehovah. He spent his last 3 and a half years preaching and teaching.

If you read the epistles of Paul, you will find a number of times that Paul tells us to be followers of him [Paul] because through the knowledge he had of the mystery doctrine, he became the pattern of grace for all of us who would believe. 

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Paul suffered greatly for the faith and though we also suffer for our faith, our trials and persecutions, (unlike the Jews in the Kingdom gospel), are not a cross we need to bear to earn salvation. Have a look at what Paul writes regarding this,

1Co 4:16  Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

1Co 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

You state:

We also need to preach as Jesus did.

Actually, we do not preach Jesus Christ according to the flesh. The earthly ministry of Jesus was to the Jews ONLY. We do preach Jesus, yes, but we preach him according to the mysteries, or in other words, according to his heavenly ministry given to Paul. This is a scripture you do not find preachers use often, but nevertheless, when you rightly divide the Word of truth, it makes complete sense. Paul says,

2Co 5:16-17  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.  (17)  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

You state:

He warned his disciples that false Prophets would emerges and teach false doctrine and said that we should avoid them.

I agree that there will be many false prophets who will come, and there will be much apostacy in the church, but we also need to learn to discern what is true from what is false. We cannot reject Paul by comparing his ministry to that of Jesus. Many people say, “if I must choose between Jesus and Paul, that is easy,….I choose Jesus because he is the Son of God and Paul was just a man.” Well, people who say this openly show forth their ignorance and disregard for the scriptures. As much as Jesus and the 12-apostles preached the will of God for Israel, it was Paul who preached the will of God for the Gentiles. Paul was a chosen vessel of God to speak unto us, Act 9:15, and Paul told us clearly that what he writes is the commandments of the Lord,

1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

Dear commenter, the view you have and have been taught, is a Kingdom view of scripture. You are mixing up and blending together everything and thereby causing confusion and contradictions in your faith. To interpret scripture correctly, and to understand its true context, it is critically important to separate the prophetic program (for Israel) from the mystery program (for the Body of Christ). These two programs are like oil and water. They can never be merged or blended together. When you keep them apart, the scriptures will become clear and plain.

I trust that I have clarified the reasons for what I wrote in my post.