"Judas was a preacher: nay, he was a foremost preacher. 'He obtained part of this ministry,' said the Apostle Peter. He was not simply one of the seventy; he had been selected by the Lord Himself as one of the twelve, an honorable member of the college of the apostles. Doubtless, he had preached the gospel so that many had been gladdened by his voice, and miraculous powers had been healed, deaf ears had been opened, and the blind had been made to see. Nay, there is no doubt that he, who could not kep the devil out of himself, had cast devils out of others. Yet how are you fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! He that was as a prophet in the midst of the people, and spake with the tongue of the learned, whose word and wonders proved that he had been with Jesus and had learned from him - he betrays his Master. Understand, my brethern, that no gifts can ensure grace, and that no position of honour or usefulness in the Church will necessarily prove our being true to our Lord and master. Doubtless, there are bishops in hell, and crowds of those who once occupied the pulpit are now condemned forever to bewail their hypocrisy. You that are church - officers do not conclude that because you enjoy the confidence of the Church, therefore there is an absolute certainty the grace of God in you. Perhaps it is the most dangerous of all positions for a man to become well known and much respected by the religious world, and yet to be rotten at the core. To be where others can observe our faults is a healthy thing, though painful; but to live with beloved friends who would not believe it possible for us to do wrong, and who, if they saw us err, would make excuses for us - this is to be where it is next to impossible for us ever to be arroused if our hearts be not right with God. To have a fair reputation and a false heart is to stand upon the brink of Hell." Charles H. Spurgeon
As I stated in the introduction there are things wrong with the modern gospel, I know that there are things that I will write about in this chapter and other chapters that will anger and upset a lot of believers and church leaders, but I cannot hold back what I believe the Lord wants me to share. I pray that you have a heart that is teachable and open to correction.
The modern gospel talks mostly about the love of God, but, they forget to talk about Gods wrath upon the unbelieving world. "For it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God." The main reason why pastors, teachers and evangelists don't want to talk about the wrath of God is so that they don't want to "offend" anyone, just tell them that God is Love. Yes, God is love, but, He is also Holy, Just and Righteous and all sin must be dealt with. I would rather offend people to heaven rather than as the modern gospel does tickle their ears into hell thinking that they are saved and never once being confronted with their sin. That is what the law of God is for, to show sinners that they cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven by their own works, for the law exposes mans sinful nature.
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Galatians 3:24. The law is what brings us to Christ, the law shows us that we have broken Gods Holy Law. One preacher once said that the "Law can only bring us to the cross and no further."
What is the Law? Exodus 20:3-17 lists them.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord Thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor they daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's"
These are the commandments that we must use to convict sinners of their sin. To open their eyes that they are sinners that have broken Gods holy law. The thing that boggles the mind is if Jesus and the apostles and other preachers through out the centuries used the law to bring sinners to God why has the modern church turned away? If we are followers of Christ then we must follow by His example. If He used the law to get sinners to repent, then so should the church.
You are probably asking show me in the bible where Jesus used the law. Lets look at Mark 10:17-22 "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not, honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
As you can see with the above passage of scripture the rich young ruler was sincere in knowing how to enter heaven and have eternal life, like some people today they are sincere in wanting to enter into eternal life, but many believe that their good works will get them their. But according to scripture no ones good works will give them eternal life. Why? Psalm 14:3 says, They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one," (underlined added) also Romans 3:9-20 "what then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE, THERE IS NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD. THEY ARE GONE OUT OF THE WAY, THEY ARE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, NO, NOT ONE. THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN SEPULCHER; WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY HAVE USED DECEIT; THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS: WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS: THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD: DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR WAYS: AND THE WAY OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN: THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES. Now we know tht what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: and every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
The law shows that all men and women and children are sinners. Jesus showed this to the rich young ruler above, he thought I have kept all those commandments, but then Jesus drops the bomb shell as they say. He showed him one commandment that he had broken, he had broken the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" Money was his idol, his god, Matt 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." The rich young ruler made the bad choice, "And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." If I may be so bold as to say that it is like the prosperity teaching today in churches they are all focused on getting from God. Are they focused on Christ or are they focused on getting money from Him? Am I against prosperity, no I believe God does want to prosper us but we must be focused on one thing and one thing only "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." Notice He said seek first Gods kingdom and righteousness and then you will get. Look at what God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all tht is written therein: for then thou shalt make they way prosperous, and then thou shalt, have good success." You notice that both times God said to seek the kingdom and righteousness and meditate on His word first then you will have success and things will be added to you. Now a days we seek God for things first.
You notice that Jesus used the law to convict the rich young ruler that he had still sinned, remember what the word of God said, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all. For he that said, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, and said also, DO NOT KILL. Now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill, thou are become a ransgressor of the law." James 2:10-11. So if we have kept all the commandments but break one of them was are still guilty of breaking them all in God's eyes.