The Gospel is not an Invitation

"And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ..."

1 John 3.23 NKJV

Grace Baptist of Fairborn

The Modern Evangelical Remake of Jude 3-4

A modern evangelical "translation" of Jude 3-4:

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common love, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the unity that was once for all delivered to the community. For certain people have remained divisive who long ago were designated for this hypocrisy, arrogant people, who pervert the mystery of our God into clear truth and dishonor our only Friend and Lover, Jesus Christ. (Evangelical Sensible Version)*

The true Word of God:

"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:3-4 ESV)

*The Evangelical Sensible Version is protected by copyright: Patrick Dudenhofer, 2014

A "Lost Scene" from The Pilgrim's Progress

Supporting Scripture for the “Lost Scene” from The Pilgrim’s Progress

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things [the day of the Lord], be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3.14-18 NASB)

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. (Prov. 14.12 NASB)

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered. (Prov. 28.26 NASB)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17.9 KJV)

Every word of God is tested[pure]; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. (Prov. 30.5-6 NASB)

I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 4-11 NASB)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7.24-27 NASB)

A "Lost Scene" from The Pilgrim’s Progress
by Patrick Dudenhofer

Then did Interpreter bring Christian outside to view the valley that lay just beyond the house in which was located the town of Solid Rock a place where the Lord of the pilgrims bid men construct their homes on the firm foundation. Christian inquired of Interpreter what sort of men had settled in the town.
INTER: Mr. Wiseman has indeed been the longest to live in this fair town having build his home on the solid rock of God’s Word and acting according to its dictates (for indeed Scripture is the Word of the Spirit).  Nearby, Mr. Foolishman had erected his house upon the sandy soil having eschewed the fear of the Lord.
CHR: Alas, cried Christian, does not that poor fool know into what danger he has placed himself and his family?!
INTER: Interpreter demurred, that man did hear the Word of God but yet neglected all its counsel (Prov. 1.25) and was content to build only within sight of the stream of truth. I would provide thee another warning. Look yonder at the two houses just down stream of the homes of Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Foolishman.
CHR: Aye said Christian, the first house appears to be firmly fixed upon the true foundation and yet at closer glance something is amiss.
INTER: Indeed replied his host that man did not accept the foundation as he found it but did crush and stamp the rock beneath his house to conform the ground beneath to his own liking and to his own destruction. This fellow is called Scripture-Twister (2 Peter 3:16) and is brother to Misinterpreter, Speculator, Feet-Firmly-Planted-in-Midair, Eisegesis, Cannot-Know and Out-of-Context. What havoc have these miscreants caused to those pilgrims seeking the Celestial City by their false examples and teachings! But now turn your attention toward the other house good Christian.
CHR: Why cried Christian in astonishment a full half of that house lies suspended in midair above the stream while the remainder seems to sit upon the solid foundation!
INTER: The builder of that home did reject in practice the authority of the Word of God and made an authority of himself. He trusted his own heart (Prov. 28.26, Jer. 17.9) with its thoughts, imaginations and inclinations and did attribute to the Lord of this town that which he himself did devise (Prov. 30.5-6). With such a flawed foundation the house will be buffeted about by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4.14) and cannot hope to stand the coming storm. The man’s name is Self-Revelation and he has close relatives of the same mind dwelling in the nearby towns of Popery, Tongues and Mysticism.
CHR: Has no one warned them of the coming consequences of spurning the solid foundation that the Lord did provide?

INTER: It is a surety that several men did make obvious to them their folly (2 Tim. 3:9) including Steadfast and Valiant-for-the-Truth. But certain other men by the names of False-Unity, Tolerance, and Pragmatic did rebuff and mock the efforts of those pleading for their neighbors to build the foundations aright. False-Unity did even go so far as to tell those good men to leave the town if they could not accept the minor foibles of their neighbors. And afterward False-Unity and his friends did greet Scripture-Twister and Self-Revelation most warmly (2 John 10-11).
CHR: Is there any question as to their end? inquired Christian.
INTER: “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7.27) Their end is sure, being marked out long beforehand (Jude 4) though their error will spread like gangrene (2 Tim. 2.17) in these last days (2 Tim. 3:1). “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.” (2 Tim. 2:19) Good Christian, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard…, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in [you].” (2 Tim. 1.13-14)

"The Bible and the Christ are inseparable.
To minimize the written Word is to dishonor the living Word."
- W.A. Criswell

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

- John Rippon

How Should We Interpret the Bible? (Selected Scriptures) John MacArthur

"Misinterpreting the Bible is essentially no better than not believing the Bible." - John MacArthur

::choose joy::

How Firm a Foundation

How Firm a Foundation

by John Rippon, 1787

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said,

You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;

In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;

At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,

As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove

My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,

Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

::choose joy::

Is God Still Revealing Truth? (Selected Scriptures) John MacArthur

You and I prefer the creation to the Creator, sending us into a cycle of pointless pursuit of things that can’t possibly satisfy us. Alienation begins when we buy into a lie: having more of what already does not satisfy us is somehow going to bring us joy and happiness. When you believe that lie, you’ve entered the cul-de-sac of stupidity. “I have this, and it doesn’t work. More of what doesn’t work might work.” [link]
::choose joy::

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::choose joy::