One:
One of the biggest and most debilitating errors
that actually does harm to the effectiveness of the gospel message is the
explanation and understanding of the transformation process. When Paul says, “and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind” he means something very different than most people believe and
are taught. The most common understanding, of “be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind,” is a variation on this theme and explanation. Once one
is saved, i.e. regenerated, the Holy Spirit will use our reading of scripture
to help us understand and supernaturally obey the Law of God. This is also
known as the most popular explanation of the sanctification process. In other
words, sanctification comes about by reading scripture and applying it, and the
application is made possible by the Holy Ghost in a mystical way. In fact,
people go so far as to judge that if one cannot see the sanctification process
active, i.e., the individual applying the scripture to themselves, they can
doubt that the person was really, truly regenerated and saved. This causes fear
and doubt in the minds of people who are saved, and furthermore, rather than
aiding sanctification, this thought process definitely hinders sanctification.
So how does the Spirit transform you ask? The
answer is through the gospel. Yes, you read it correctly, the Holy Spirit uses
the gospel to aid in sanctification, and provide the mechanism for “the
renewing” of the mind. When Paul says, “be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind,” he most assuredly means having one’s mind renewed to the gospel of
grace. The transforming power that the Holy Spirit uses for sanctification is
the assurance of the gospel of grace and peace. Paul explained it this way,
“therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” It is peace with
the Father that generates the genuine love for God that the Holy Spirit uses to
transform. This is the reason that Shalom (peace) is such an important concept
in Judaism. It was stressed by the Torah to prepare the understanding of the
effect of the gospel of grace. Shalom with the Father automatically produces
love for the Father. In fact, it is the only way that one can fulfill the first
and greatest commandment… “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” If you think about it, this is
impossible to keep short of believing the gospel of grace. One can desire to do
it, but one cannot perform it without the aid of the Holy Spirit in believing
the gospel of grace. That the Holy Spirit enables us to believe the gospel, is
precisely the source of the regeneration. Immediately upon hearing and
believing the gospel, one has peace with God which in turn wells up into
overwhelming love for God. One cannot hear and believe the gospel without
overwhelmingly loving God. It is impossible.
So then, as long as one’s attention is focused on
the gospel of grace, one’s affection for God is a prime driving force in all
that is said and done. I have met so many prophets, evangelists, and
self-proclaimed apostles who erroneously believe that the gospel is merely an
entry point, a portal to sanctification that is entered once, and set aside for
the greater purpose of conforming to the Law of God. For them, believing the
gospel is the measure of a baby Christian… it is not the focus of the seasoned
saint. The season saint should be focused on the sanctification process, and
become more and more Christ like by living the law more and more. Come on now!
You know I am speaking the truth here. It is so sad that people teach that one
should grow up from that infancy. They should get passed the baptism and
regeneration and should get on to the meat. This is such a grave error that it
grieves me, and I know that it grieves God, and the Holy Spirit as well. This
simply comes from misunderstanding the message, and occasion of the letter to
the Hebrews. Getting on to the meat is actually getting on to understanding the
gospel of grace in such a way that the Holy Spirit can give us confidence in
the effectiveness of the gospel. How did the writer of Hebrews put it? “Hold
fast to your confidence that has great recompense of reward. The meat is the
NEW COVENANT! The meat is the NEW AND BETTER WAY! The meat is the way that the
gospel of Christ can CLEANSE THE CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS TO SERVE THE
LIVING GOD!
Why do people follow after these teachers,
preachers and prophets? It is to sidestep the actual sanctification process
that comes from believing the gospel. The human mind demands religious
practice. The human mind cannot accept the gospel of grace. It seems too
simplistic. Surely God demands religious practice to prove and establish
worthiness. Surely it cannot be that simple. But that is error. That is
erroneous thought. Religious practice is “the way which seems right to a man.”
It is the way that leads to death. What death you ask? The death of the spirit…
death of real love for the Father. It is a symptom of the killing letter. Only
the Holy Spirit, through the gospel of grace gives life to an otherwise dead
corpse.
Now is the time… REPENT (change your mind/renew
your mind) and believe the gospel of grace!
We will look at the other two errors in subsequent
posts, and quite probably will add some insight into sanctification.
No comments:
Post a Comment