Part 7: Faith in Jesus, or is it Faith in Something else?

Dan A. Rodriguez Articles, Books, and Podcasts

A denial of the eternal importance of living righteously is running rampant in many churches, but don’t be fooled! In these podcasts, we look at these truths with the Scripture. We give you many verses so you will not be deceived and drink the false “grace” Kool-Aid!

Paul taught the exact opposite of what is heard in the hyper and pseudo grace books and by the ministers that promote it, and there are a smorgasbord of them! Many deny the words of Jesus, and some reject the doctrine of repentance from dead works as a foundational teaching of the church (Hebrews 6:1. 2) Some deny eternal judgment, and others reject the book of Revelation. Others think they are strictly living by Paul’s epistles, but they are not. They actually read only selected verses that appear to support their crazy and unsubstantiated doctrines, but worse than that, they reinterpret them in the light of their wrong ideas about grace. Repentance, confession of sins, and walking in holiness and righteousness are NEW TESTAMENT teachings, and never considered “works of the law” or as being “in the flesh” as many in the hyper-grace movement consider them.

Should we go on sinning because we are under grace?

What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow? … What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we are not under Law, but under [God’s] grace? Certainly not! (Romans 6:1, 15 Amplified Bible)

How should we live under grace? Again, Paul taught us exactly how we should live under grace.

That is the way we should live, because [For] God’s grace that can save everyone has ·come [appeared; been revealed]. It ·teaches [trains; disciplines] us to ·turn away from [reject; deny] ungodly living and ·the evil things the world wants to do [or worldly desires; sinful pleasures]. Instead, that grace teaches us to live in the present age in a ·wise [self-controlled] and ·right [upright; just] way and in a ·way that shows we serve God [godly manner](Titus 2:11, 12 Expanded Bible).

Many deny the significance of godly and righteous living, and some churches reject it vehemently even with verses like the above. Yet, they have no answer for the numerous Scriptures in the NEW Testament that command godliness, holiness, and living in righteousness. They have no answer for the numerous verses in Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and John that insist Christians MUST live in godly and righteous behavior.

Here is one good example out of many verses that teach that responsibility of the believer to live holy and righteous before God:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:13-19 NASB).

Some have embraced the sinful ways of the world and downplayed the sins of homosexuality and lesbianism, and some churches have accepted same-sex marriage. They are like Sodom and Gomorrah. Some refer to a Christian man and woman sharing the same bed (living together without marriage) as a “problem” or something unimportant instead of calling it what it is: sin, sexual immorality, or fornication! The “s” word (sin) is almost forbidden in some churches. The same can be said about living in self-control and any teaching about eternal judgment of the wicked in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15, 21:7). Many will not address these issues.

It's time to check up on ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). We should judge ourselves so that we are not judged (1 Corinthians 11:31). This message goes down a path less traveled by modern churchianity. This is the path of the Lord, though unconventional, and we are doing our part to make His paths straight.

Be blessed with Part 7!

Get A Call to Return: Restoring The Roots of Our Relationship With Jesus as an ebook, softcover, or hardcover book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook, Westbow Press, or order it through your favorite bookstore.

From the Back Cover:

A Call to Return—Restoring the Roots of Our Relationship with Jesus explores the depths of the Scriptures to excavate, refine, and lift up its words of power, revealing deep truths that will radically change the lives of believers. By tapping into this rich vein of biblical insight, Dan Alan Rodriguez offers Christians the insights to enable them to set out upon paths of discipleship that follow Jesus closely and that lead to profound experiences of His presence and power.

Drawing upon the author’s study of first-century Judaism and Christianity and resting upon a diverse array of sources steeped in the foundational texts of these traditions, the twelve chapters of A Call to Return address a series of interlocking topics: a prophetic call to return; the revival of lawlessness; the revival, purpose, and preexistence of God’s commandments; the church’s commandments and their connections to faith, grace, and good works; the association of works of the law to Jewish tradition and ceremony; holiness; the fear of the Lord; each believer as a temple of the holy; and the meaning of loving the Lord Jesus.

If you have a sense that Jesus’s message and ministry are calling you to embark upon a walk with Him that might take you away from all in Christianity that requires no accountability or responsibility before God, then A Call to Return—Restoring the Roots of Our Relationship with Jesus is the right book for you to read. It will give you the keys for understanding and responding to the Lord’s call to return to Him and to follow where He leads.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:29 NASB).

The PDF of the entire book is free of charge! Use this link to go to the page and download it. Be mightily blessed!

Documento portátil (PDF) es completamente gratis.

More books have been published and they will become available again in the process of time.