Is Man Not Required to Live Right if the Gospel is About Jesus?
Many acknowledge that the Gospel of Christ is not man-centered. Yet many of the same claim that people are not required to repent of their sins and live as God commands by twisting the truth that the Gospel is not man-centered. They are essentially claiming that you do not need to faithfully live under Jesus’ authority and do what He says because the Gospel is all about Him. Is this really a valid claim?
2 Peter 2:1-6: “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. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 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. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;”
Jude 3-7: “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation (i.e. appointed to condemnation already in the Old Testament), ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Jesus died to win people back under His authority. He only forgives people in that context.
Colossians 1:12-14: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
Those who tell people that they can believe in Jesus and obtain His grace without turning from their sins and living under the authority of the Bible are His enemies. They might honor Him with sanctimonious phrases like “The Gospel is all about Jesus”, yet they are really just making satanic claims and betraying Him with a kiss like Judas did.
The real Jesus didn’t die and resurrect to let anyone off the hook for living under His authority and keeping His commandments. He has purposes related to establishing a kingdom consisting of people which actually choose His righteous ways and prove steadfast in adhering to them; and who are actually delivered from sin’s power and defilement as well as its guilt.
Look how this is made obvious even in the midst of the Bible giving counsel on the subject of marriage.
Ephesians 5:23-27: “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
The only authentic people of Christ are those who are walking in line with the goal described in Ephesians 5:23-27. There is no alternative people of God nor alternative body of Christ.
Hebrews 2:5-12: “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”
Those who use sophistry to claim that the Bible does not require people to live in subjection to Jesus are mockers. The Bible teaches that He tasted death for every man by the grace of God for the very purpose of obtaining sanctified brethren who live under His authority.
Philippians 2:8-16: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.”
If the Gospel being all about Jesus means that His grace does not require continued obedience to Him from man, then Paul would not have regarded his labor to be in vain in relation to those in the churches he established who failed to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling in the manner which he described in the preceding verses. How can so many deny that the Philippian Christians, whom Paul acknowledged to have already been truly converted to Christ, were told to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling? It is also implied in Philippians 2:13, and said directly in many other places in the Bible, that a born-again Christian can resist God’s work in them to their own damnation.
Romans 11:22: “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”
The requirement for man to render unto God the things that are God’s remains as much as the requirement to render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.
Matthew 22:15-21: “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
Acceptable faith in Christ is demonstrated by works that render unto the true God what rightfully belongs to Him. One must do this in order to be a partaker of Jesus’ grace. He alone made the only acceptable atonement for sin. We must walk in the light of His Word to receive cleansing by His blood (see 1 John 1:7).
Now reading Revelation 4:11: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
It is seen in Acts 5:1-11 how God went out of His way to take away the lives of Ananias and Sapphira for lying as they were among His people. There would be no sound logic in this if the Gospel did not require righteous deeds of man.
2 Timothy 2:19: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity (i.e. from unrighteousness).”
To claim that “It is not about us” in the context of permitting rebellion against the Lord is actually great hypocrisy. To use Jesus to permit the pursuit of sin is actually treating the Gospel as if it is about man.
What do those who promote a Gospel which does not leave man bound to God’s commandments, and which does not insist upon subjection to His law, really mean when they say the Gospel is all about Jesus? They actually mean that their false gospel is all about a golden calf which they’ve named “Jesus” that emboldens people to serve Satan by violating God’s law. Don’t fall for their deceit.
Aaron’s email is: gospeltruth768@yahoo.com