Num. 16:1-3 π Num. 16:33 π Dt. 5:27 π Prov. 16:2 π Mt. 5:16 π Mt. 6:34 π Mt. 7:20; 2nd π Mt. 7:21-23 π Mt. 24:4 π Mt. 24:10 π Mt. 24:13 π Jn. 6:29 π Jn. 10:27 π Jn. 13:34-35 π Jn. 16:13; 2nd π Acts 28:22 π Rom. 8:9 π 1 Cor. 1:29 π 1 Cor. 2:11 π 1 Cor. 3:2-4 π 1 Cor. 5:11 π 1 Cor. 10:21 π 1 Cor. 11:18-20; 2nd; 3rd π 1 Cor. 11:21 π 1 Cor. 11:34 π 1 Cor. 12:24-25 π 2 Cor. 5:16 π 2 Cor. 6:17 π 2 Cor. 13:5; 2nd; 3rd π Gal. 5:19-21 π Gal. 5:22-23 π Eph. 1:6; 2nd π Eph. 2:10 π Eph. 4:14 π Eph. 5:21 π 2 Ths. 2:3 π 2 Ths. 2:9-12 π 2 Tim. 2:15 π 2 Tim. 2:24 π Tit. 3:8 π Heb. 3:12-15 π Heb. 4:11 π Heb. 5:12-14 π Heb. 8:10 π Heb. 10:16 π Heb. 10:20 π Heb. 12:16 π Heb. 12:24 π Heb. 12:25 π Jas. 3:15 π Jas. 3:17; 2nd π 2 Pet. 2:1 π 1 Jn. 2:21 π 1 Jn. 2:27; 2nd π Jude 11-12 π Jude 21 π Jude 24 π Rev. 5:10 π Rev. 17:5 π Rev. 18:4Greek Words Mentioned in This Article
Heresies, sects – hairesis – [139]; 2nd ; 3rd π Think, Seem – dokeo – [1380] π Acceptable – dokimos – [1384]; 2nd π Division, Schism – schisma – [4978]; 2nd; 3rd π Grace – charis – [5485] π Grace, Honor – charitoo – [5487]
When Jesus was asked what would be the sign of His imminent return, the first words out of His mouth were, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” ( Mt. 24:4 ) Today’s world of rampant division, misguided “leadership,” false teachings and counterfeit “church” practices is in clear fulfillment of that warning. When we jettison all the cunning craftinesses of men who lie in wait to deceive with their every wind of teaching (see Eph. 4:14; top ), the question then becomes just what does God approve of? What constitutes God’s approval?
Paul wrote, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” ( 2 Tim. 2:15 ) Whatever else might be said, let us first notice that diligence is required on our part. Laziness and neglect are not going to produce the desired approval of God. Whatever it is that we are to do to gain God’s approval as one of His workers in these last days, it requires diligence, even endurance. (see also Mt. 24:13 ) The one who looks only (and incorrectly) to the “finished work of the cross” and expects Jesus to do it all for him, has not rightly read nor fully understood the instructions of Christ and the writers of the New Testament. Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified.” ( 2 Cor. 13:5 - emphasis added) It is not Jesus’ responsibility alone to keep us from being deceived and to keep us in the faith – it is our own responsibility as well. This dual requirement – of keeping oneself in the faith while at the same time relying on Christ to keep us - is clearly seen in Jude’s letter. (compare Jude 21 and 24; top ) If we will allow ourselves to be deceived and ultimately disqualified, He will not violate our choices. Christ and God have yet to save anyone against their will. The true gospel still rings out, “Whosoever will, let him come and believe and partake of the Good News of God.”
So far in our examination of this subject we have found that whatever it is that we are to do to attain to God’s approval as His workman requires diligence and personal attention so as to actually walk in or live out this approval. These are important points to keep in mind as we look at the Scriptures. One of the deceptions floating around that deceives even the elect is that Christ has done it all and we don’t need to do anything to enter into His salvation. Yet even the instruction to enter into His rest is coupled with an injunction toward diligence! ( Heb. 4:11; top )
If we delve further into Paul’s instruction to Timothy, we find that a worker who will not be ashamed when his work is evaluated and the fruit of it is judged will be one who has rightly divided the word of truth. ( 2 Tim. 2:24 ) It is the work of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. ( Jn. 16:13 ) The man who relies on his reasoning abilities and rational logic to arrive at spiritual truth and understanding has no hope of rightly dividing the truth. The spiritual things of God can only be revealed to us by the Spirit of God ( 1 Cor. 2:11 ) – if we do not receive our wisdom, insight and knowledge from Him, our “wisdom” does not come from above but is instead “earthly, sensual, demonic.” ( Jas. 3:15 ) Wisdom, insight and knowledge that does come from Him will be characterized by being “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” ( Jas. 3:17 ) It will always remain a truth that we can know the true nature of anyone professing to show us the way of Christ by the fruit their life produces – if we can just see that fruit through the eyes of Christ and not according to our own understanding! ( Mt. 7:20 , 2 Cor. 5:16; top )
The word rendered “approved” to God in Paul’s instruction to Timothy is dokimos [ 1384 ] and it means “accepted, particularly of coins and money, pleasing, acceptable.” (Strong’s) Inherent in the word is the meaning found in its root word - dokeo [ 1380 ] - which always contains the element of “judging” or “considering.” Donald Barnhouse writes,
In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into molds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honor who put only genuine, full-weighted money into circulation. Such men were called “dokimos” or “approved.”
Men who would neither shave down a coin so as to make an illegal and immoral profit for themselves nor receive any form of counterfeit money were considered acceptable. We need to hear this well. The currency God’s people are to trade in is truth – counterfeits are unacceptable as only the rightly divided word of truth is of value. And only those who “trade in” (teach, preach and live) the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth are approved by God. The man who preaches a lot of truth mixed with some error is not “the man of God for the hour.” He has only succeeded in shaving down the “coin” of truth so as to accomplish some agenda of his own. Though God will teach immature believers and speak correction through other men, God simply is not speaking through any supposed “man of God for the hour” – He is speaking through the Spirit of His Son ( Heb. 12:24 ) and His sheep hear His voice. ( Jn. 10:27 ) Hear well the writer of Hebrews’ warning to his readers: “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.” ( Heb. 12:25; top )
There is no substitute for surrendering all of our heart, soul and mind to Christ. The one who has gleaned their “theology” and “wisdom” and spiritual insights through the works of men (including his own personal study!) need to learn all over again just how much truly comes from God and how much is tainted by the leaven of men or even of demons. When we discover that we have become leavened through our “church” experience, we must set all our knowledge on “the shelf” and surrender it to God, allowing Him time and opportunity to “rewrite the dictionary” of our heart and mind, allowing Him to sort out and return to us that which is true, righteous and good, to reject that which is false or deception and to purify that which is tainted with the leaven of hypocrisy, malice or the traditions of men. Blessed is the man who refuses to take anything off of that “shelf” until God gives it to him with an understanding of how it is to be rightly handled. This is the right dividing of truth!
Paul’s letters to the Corinthians were intended to bring correction to malpractices in the Corinthian assembly. These errors are extremely relevant to us today as they form the lion’s share of the errors practiced now in the name of Christ and God. Paul wrote:
“For in the first place, when you assemble as a congregation, I hear that there are cliques (divisions and factions) among you; and I in part believe it. No doubt there have to be differences (parties) among you to show which of you have God’s approval [ 1384 ]. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.” ( 1 Cor. 11:18-20; top )
Here we see again the same word Paul used to Timothy – “approval.” But we must see the difference in how he uses that word. This time it is tinged with an element of sarcasm. How did the Corinthians exhibit their cliques, divisions and factions? By naming and following leaders whom they recognized (in their own differing opinions, of course) as having “God’s approval.” Whether these “leaders” actually had God’s approval or not was immaterial to them. So long as they perceived them to have some superior quality – experience, knowledge, spirituality, persuasiveness, eloquence, “charisma,” whatever – why, surely they must have God’s approval. And because these “leaders” had something “special,” they were blindly accepted as “God’s anointed” with all the attendant “special” privileges and responsibilities. This is the birthplace of the clergy-laity class division!
It is also here that the body of Christ has been pushed to the edge of a precipice. Below them lies the rebellion of Korah. Korah, a Levite, found himself some supporters and challenged Moses’ authority by saying,
“[Moses and Aaron], you take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and theLORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of theLORD ?” ( Num. 16:1-3; top )
Those who recognize the truth of the priesthood of all believers ( Rev. 5:10 , etc.) – those who now recognize that we all have an anointing from the Holy One so that we all know the truth ( 1 Jn. 2:21 ) and that we do not need any man to teach us the ways of God ( 1 Jn. 2:27 ) because His laws and ways are written in our hearts ( Heb. 8:10 , 10:16 ) and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to lead us all into all truth ( Jn. 16:13 ) – these must take special care not to rebel against God’s true leaders. In this day of misleading titles and positions, this can be a complicated undertaking. The man with a title (“pastor,” “apostle,” “prophet,” “elder,” whatever) is not necessarily a leader – most often (in the very taking of that title and position) he already has or is in the process of disqualifying himself from any leadership role and responsibility he may have once had in the body of Christ. The only safeguard for the true followers of Christ is to first submit to the Spirit of Christ and then submit one to another in the fear of God. ( Eph. 5:21; top ) If we are careful to obey God in all things, we will not come into any deep conflict with those who are truly God’s leaders though we will almost certainly come into ever-growing conflict with those who have merely usurped some office, authority or title unto themselves.
But we must also recognize that God dealt severely with Korah – in the end, the earth opened up and swallowed Korah and his followers. ( Num. 16:33 ) Korah had indeed recognized the truth that each member stood as an equal before God but he used that truth to gain a position for himself. Woe to the man who sees the unity and equality offered in Christ as a means to make himself higher than his brothers! This is more relevant than many might assume as Jude warns us that men such as Korah will be among us, men who are “spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.” ( Jude 11-12; top ) Anyone who rejects the “pastor’s” false “delegated” (in truth usurped) authority so that he can gain for himself a similar (though perhaps more subtle) form of the same authority is partaking of the rebellion of Korah. This is not to say that we should submit to the “pastor” or the abominational “church” authority structure – rather it is to say that we should examine our hearts to be sure that in leaving the harlot “church,” our own “robes” truly are clean, righteous and unstained before God. Why we have left is perhaps even more important than that we have left the harlot “church” especially if, in truth, we have only brought something of it out with us!
There are some other words used by Paul here that we need to notice. He wrote,
“For first of all, when you come together as an ekklesia, I hear that there are divisions [ 4978 ] among you, and in part I believe it. Yes, indeed, there must be parties [ 139 ] among you, in order that people of approved fitness may come to the front among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.” ( 1 Cor. 11:18-20; top )
We truly need to follow Paul’s thinking here. First, the Corinthians were coming together for their assemblies. There was food, fun and fellowship. But certain gluttons were feasting while the poor went hungry and some were getting drunk (evidence that something more than grape juice was being served in vessels larger than a thimble!) and the whole mess was completely out of God’s order. (see 1 Cor. 11:21 , 34; top )
But underlying the visible disorder was a deeper disorder – that of men wanting other men to lead the group rather than relying on the unseen Spirit to lead and guide them. The Corinthians wanted men they could see with the eyes of their flesh and, as a result, they were still mere infants unable to chew for themselves the meat of righteousness and truth. ( 1 Cor. 3:2-4 also see Heb. 5:12-14 ) This is the birthplace too of the Nicolaitan overlords called “bishops” which have over the centuries devolved into the office of “pastor.” Men turning to other men and allowing them to lord over them in the name of Christ. There could be no “number one man” if it weren’t for all the “number two men” willing to send “Moses” up the mountain to get “the word of the Lord” and then vowing in vain to obey all that God says. (see Dt. 5:27 ) Christ’s sheep hear Christ’s voice for themselves and do not need that any man should continually teach them. ( 1 Jn. 2:27; top ) All other “sheep” (again excluding the truly immature and errant sheep who still or temporarily need some instruction or correction) need the voice of a man to lead them in the way that they should go because they have – and desire – no direct connection with God themselves.
The words Paul is using that we need to recognize are “divisions” and “parties.” The first is the English rendering of the Greek word schisma [ 4978 ] which means “a rent or tear, thus metaphorically, a division or dissension” (Strong’s) and the second is the English rendering of hairesis [ 139 ] which refers to “the act of taking or capturing, as in storming a city; a choosing or choice; that which is chosen; a body of men following their own tenets (sect or party such as the Sadducees, Pharisees or Christians); or dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aims.” (Strongs)
A few paragraphs after reproving the Corinthians for selecting leaders that caused divisions (schismas), Paul wrote that “God composed the body…that there should be no schism [ 4978 ] in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” ( 1 Cor. 12:24-25; top ) The Corinthians were operating their assemblies and fellowships in a manner outside of the will and plan of God for His people and as a result, some members were being exalted over others, some received “special” attentions and favors while others were neglected, ignored and even abused. This is always the result when man comes up with a “better way.”
We need to carefully recognize that men have changed some very deep and fundamental things about the way we assemble in the name of Christ. Paul’s second word, haireses [ 139 ] (often transliterated “heresies” in English), is an excellent example. Because of the extreme persecution of “heretics” inflicted in the times such as that of the abominable and apostate “Inquisitions,” we unconsciously adopt the meaning that group (and its predecessors and followers) added to the meaning of the Greek word. In the KJV we even find the phrase “damnable heresies” ( 2 Pet. 2:1; top ) that leaves us with the false notion that those who would follow these errors would of necessity receive damnation, that is, eternity in hell. This deceptive phrasing is replaced with the more accurate “destructive” or “dangerous heresies” in all the modern English versions of merit.
But notice carefully that error is not even a major part of the original meaning but rather only a tangential element at most. Even the Christians in the New Testament were considered a “heresy” ( Acts 28:22; top ), a group of men gathered around certain precepts who separated themselves away from other groups of differing beliefs. It is true that haireses often involves error on one level or another, but it is not the central focus of the word. That focus is a centuries’ later addition to the meaning of the word – and let us take care here that we are not subtly led into adding something to God’s words which He never intended!
Why is this so important? Because Paul lists haireses in the works of the flesh that will keep us from inheriting the kingdom of God. ( Gal. 5:19-21 ) Though no one would think of arguing that we should blindly tolerate any of the other works of the flesh in this list, the practice of “heresy” (the closest modern English word that encompasses the meaning of the Greek word is “denomination”) should be left untouched and unconfronted. Those who practice their peculiar denominational distinctives (even the so-called non-denominational ones) are “heretics” in the original sense of the word and Paul says, as practicers of carnality, they cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The separation of one group of believers away from other groups is still sin and is not to be tolerated. “Heretics” (again in the original sense of the word and not the later sense) are not people whom we should persecute and force to change their views (that is never the true way of Christ – see Jas. 3:17 ) but they are people who stand in need of being brought out of the deceptions they have come to believe are truth lest they come to be like Esau and forfeit their inheritance for a mere bowl of soup. (see Heb. 12:16; top )
Why have we come to believe that everyone who claims to be a “Christian” actually is a follower of Christ? Why have we been taught to receive – without question or testing – any and all who come to our “church” (or just about any “mainstream” “church”) as if that made them a genuine believer in and follower of Christ? Because if we believed otherwise, we’d have to apply the tests to ourselves. That hits too close to home for too many because there is a very good chance that we westernized “Christians” might ourselves fail the tests the New Testament places before us so that we might indeed examine ourselves to be certain that we are in the faith. If we submitted ourselves to such tests we would too often find that we have somehow truly become disqualified. ( 2 Cor. 13:5 ) The New Testament describes the end times as that of apostasy, a “great falling away” from the faith that involves “many.” ( Mt. 24:10 , 2 Ths. 2:3 ) The “church” – the Roman Catholic “church” as the mother (the first and producer) of all abominations and all her prostitute (religion for profit) daughter denominations ( Rev. 17:5; top ) - is the primary fulfillment of those prophecies.
The underlying sin that is encouraged by simply “receiving” everyone who claims to have come into something of Christ just because they attend “church” is that of lawlessness (doing what is right in one’s own eyes, the opposite of what is right in God’s eyes). If we happen to agree with Luther’s theology, then we should be Lutherans. If we happen to agree with Calvin, then we should be Calvinists, etc., etc. ad nauseum. But when does anyone submit their knowledge and theology back to Christ to be instructed by Him? The precepts we’ve learned from men have - at the least - many chances of being contaminated with the teachings of demons and the traditions of men – both of which war against the Word of God.
A common lament is the lack of discernment in the body of Christ, particularly in the Western “churches.” Yet, the ones so lamenting often see nothing wrong with the heresy (sectarian division) as is so commonly practiced in the name of Christ! Those who lament the lack of discernment exercise little or none themselves. Discernment is an element of Christ’s spiritual kingdom – those who practice the carnality of the flesh are not entitled to operate in the things of Christ’s kingdom. They cannot inherit – now or in eternity – the kingdom of God. Either the Bible is true and we receive what the Spirit reveals it to truly say or we must conclude that after all it is only a lie. But we dare not change what it says or means just to make our flesh comfortable in its sin and hope to reap the benefits of walking in obedience to the Spirit of God. The one who refuses to step away from the false, counterfeit, apostate “church” and who fails to sound the clear clarion call to “Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues,” ( Rev. 18:4 ), to “Come out from among them [the “Christian” idolaters] and be separate,” ( 2 Cor. 6:17 , 1 Cor. 5:11; top ), so as to gain some advantage or to maintain some religious tolerance is only walking in lawlessness, practicing whatever is right in his own eyes. This is the spiritual reality of tolerating sin, any sin. While it sounds noble to “just rejoice” that the denominational “Christian” we’ve just met is a “brother” (whether or not he is a true follower of Christ we have not had time or opportunity to find out), how different can his Jesus be from my Jesus and He still be the same Guy? How much blindness and disobedience can my “brother” practice and still be a brother in Christ? These are troubling questions that cannot be answered within the context of the superficial practices of “church.”
We need to recognize also that the one who labels all denominational “Christians” as “precious saints in Christ” has made a judgment just as surely as has the one who labels all denominational “Christians” as apostate rebels against God. The first writes their names into the Lamb’s Book of Life and the second blots their name out – and neither have any business messing in His Book! By their fruits you shall know them, said Jesus ( Mt. 7:20 ), and we will have to leave their final judgment to the Lord who sees the hearts. ( Prov. 16:2; top ) But for us to make a blanket judgment either way about groups of people is to fall into the trap of judging according to our own understanding. We can only judge the fruit that we can actually touch, see, taste and feel – that is, the fruit of the individuals whose lives touch our own and who are touched by our lives.
Paul’s conclusion – after telling the Corinthians that their seeking to follow whichever men they thought had “God’s approval” was only producing cliques, factions and parties – stands. “Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.” ( 1 Cor. 11:18-20 ) If the table of which we partake is a table of division, dissension, party factions and self-centeredness, it is not the Lord’s table at which we sit but rather the table of the demonic. (see 1 Cor. 10:21; top )
Because the human nature is what it is – flawed, damaged, broken and darkened – it is necessary in closing this discussion to note the difference between the basis of our acceptance to God and our approval by God. If we fail to differentiate these two things, we will likely produce confusion into our lives. What we have been discussing is the approval of God’s workmen, the standards by which their work actually produces good results for the eternal kingdom of God. This is not the same thing as the acceptance of the believer into God’s family.
Paul wrote, “…by His grace [ 5485 ] He made us accepted [ 5487 ] in the Beloved.” ( Eph. 1:6 ) This is the work of God’s grace in our lives. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, the way, a new and living way, has been opened for us to enter into God’s life. ( Heb. 10:20; top ) Our acceptance into God’s family is found in Christ Himself. This work of grace is designed to produce another work of grace in us – that of bringing us into His approval of our work. But a work that does not lead others into first His acceptance and second on toward the approval of their works, is not a work that bears the stamp of God’s approval. It is merely another tradition of men or doctrine of demons – no matter how well-intentioned its leaders are or how spiritually correct the founding fathers of that movement were or how many people blindly follow the blind leaders.
The writer of Hebrews warns us clearly, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God [the essences of the apostasy, the falling away from the faith]; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin [the core element and strength of the apostasy’s methods – see 2 Ths. 2:9-12 ]. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’” ( Heb. 3:12-15 - emphasis added; top)
As we obey the Scriptural injunction to examine ourselves, evaluating whether we are in the faith or have become disqualified, by what standard or test can we know where we stand? How can we know whether we are in Christ or have allowed ourselves to become deceived to the point of neglecting our salvation and drifting away from the safety offered to us in Christ? This is indeed the most important question for those who live against the backdrop of churchianity’s apostasy!
But this question is easily answered from the Scriptures – though the answer is not welcome at many a “church” because it calls into question everything they do and teach. Paul wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” ( Gal. 5:22-23 ) When we see these things coming forth from the depths of our spirits and souls, we can know that Christ’s Spirit lives within. Paul’s question, “Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified.” ( 2 Cor. 13:5 ) remains the test question to answer. As Paul said so clearly elsewhere, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” ( Rom. 8:9; top )
Jesus also said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” ( Jn. 13:34-35; top )
We must love one another as Christ loved us or we have great reason to suspect that our “Christian experience” is just a fraud or a counterfeit! Loving one another as Christ loved us means a lot more than superficial smiles, obligatory polite questions and 30 seconds of “fellowship” before we settle into a chair or pew to listen to a religious lecture (“sermon”) while we study the back of the other person’s head. It means much more than that. It means that in our brothers’ and neighbors’ days of trouble – and every day has some form of trouble ( Mt. 6:34; top ) - we are there to share their load, giving whatever needs given and lending a hand in whatever way the Lord would have us.
Jesus still says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify God your Father in heaven.” ( Mt. 5:16 ) It still remains true that “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” ( Eph. 2:10 ) It is still necessary that the people of Christ “who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.” ( Tit. 3:8; top ) This does not mean dropping money in an offering plate or making contributions to our favorite charitable organization or “missionary outreach” so that others can go somewhere else and do good works for us. No! We are to be doing the good works that God pre-planned for us to do that would show that we truly love our brothers and neighbors with the same love that took Christ to the cross to die for our sins and to gain us reconciliation back to God. Anything else is mere religion, just another form of godliness that rejects the power of God to raise us up out of the darkness of this world and our flesh and the devil’s lies into the light, life and love of the kingdom of His Son.
If we have not attained to God’s acceptance found in the Beloved ( Eph. 1:6 ), if we have not done the first work of believing in Him who was sent ( Jn. 6:29 ), then any other work we might do – “church” attendance, “missionary” work, “outreach,” “ministry,” whatever – is merely a dead work of which we need to repent. No dead work of the flesh – contaminated with human tradition or demonic insight – can ever bear the stamp of God’s approval. It remains ever true that God has determined “that no flesh shall glory in His presence.” ( 1 Cor. 1:29 - emphasis added) No flesh – none – shall be able to come into His presence on the last day and say, “Lord, Lord, did I not do wonderful things in Your name?” and expect to remain with Him throughout eternity. Only those who actually did the will of the Father in heaven will be entitled to remain. ( Mt. 7:21-23; top )
Let he who has ears hear.
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