The Missing Cross to Purity


The Eight Deadly Lies of Christendom

Text in Light Blue or bold Light Blue can be "clicked" for backup in scripture or detail in writings.

How could lies be a part of Christendom?

Jesus said the false prophets in sheep's clothing would come. John said the antichrists and false apostles had come and had gone out from among them. Peter saw the false teachers had come. Paul saw the false apostles had come, and warned the brothers night and day for three years of more coming. And in Revelation, John saw where the whole world was to go after the false prophets and the false church, which occurred shortly afterwards. The false church is Revelation's whore of Babylon, riding the beast of many names [30,000 sects in Christendom], with horns like a lamb [resembles the true church], but who speaks like a dragon [men speaking from their carnal minds, which is enmity with God, and their vain opinions from their evil imaginations] instead of speaking words supplied by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus and the Apostles did.

Lie Number 1. What Jesus Offers is to Escape Hell

That is like saying, Jesus offers you a way to not be punished. Doesn't that sound more like a threat than a gift? Well, it is a threat, and it is a lie.

Jesus offers a gift to everyone far, far more than man can even imagine; but Christendom has made the gospel and hope hollow, replacing it with lies. What Jesus is offering us in this life is to be rid of our sinful nature: to no longer be subject to rage, anger, lust, greed, pride, depression, drunkenness, immoral sexual desires, habitual bondages, lying, cheating, hating, etc.; and when we get rid of our selfish nature, God offers to replace it with his nature and spirit of: love, peace, joy, faith, kindness, gentleness, goodness, humility, patience, self-control, and righteousness.

He offers himself to us, (to become a part of him, and he to join with us), in exchange for us giving him ourselves. We give him everything we have; he gives us everything he has in return. Here are a few of the promises, that he wishes to become your hope of attaining because such hope releases the heart-and-soul-purifying grace through our faith in God's promises: (click on the light blue text to see the scripture proof)

And how do we realize our hope? To sit at Jesus' feet and listen to his word is the one thing needed by any who wish to experience the promises of the Bible:

Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.
Now Martha was distracted with much serving, and came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her that she should help me."
But Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.
There is only one thing needed. Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:38-42
.

Jesus was not reading scriptures to Mary, he was speaking to her; we must hear him speak to us too: for the words I speak to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:63; his words spoken are spirit and impart the life of God to us, if we hear and obey them. We must go to him. We must wait on him - listen silently, with the humility of a sinner in need of his changing power - grace. We must listen - hear - and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21. Daily we must seek, listen, obey..seek, listen, obey.....seek, listen, obey. We must endure to the end, when we see Christ bring our salvation.

To sit quietly, struggling with your mind to listen, is a cross to your will; to obey is a cross to your will — denying your will, and yielding to thy will be donethis is the inward cross of self-denial. Do this, and you are carrying your cross, following Jesus.

Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words. Deu 33:3

For more on the true hope, see the Chapters of John 14 and John 17, including reading the commentary at the bottom of each chapter.

Lie Number 2. To be saved is to be saved from going to Hell.

By grace you are saved; but saved from what? Not Hell, but rather saved from your sins: he shall save his people from their sins. Mat 1:21. Christendom would have you believe that Christ excuses you from all sin, so you can sin guilt-free. If Christ saves us from guilt, then he makes sin easier. If Christ makes sin easier, then he promotes sin. If he promotes sin, then Christ is evil. If he is evil, he is not Christ; therefore he does not save people from their guilt of sin; only the devil impersonating Christ saves people from the guilt of their sins.

One who thinks Christ's blood allows him to continue in his sins, without the fury of God coming down on him, has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has acted with spite [contempt] to the Spirit of grace? Heb 10:29. See, the false church makes his blood count as an excuse for evil, making his blood an unholy thing, and so trample on Jesus and show contempt for grace.

Christendom's doctrine is the doctrine of the devil who told Adam and Eve: you can be like God, knowing good and evil; and they ate expecting to become wise, to be able to decide what was good and what was bad, to be able to make their own decisions, to be able to live their lives like they chose, including sin. So any doctrine that tells you God will accept you into heaven while you are still a slave to sin, (I tell you truly; anyone who sins is a slave to sin. John 8:34), is the doctrine of the old devil in disguise. To go to heaven, we must be restored to being continually guided and led by the Spirit of God; to walk by your carnal mind, which is enmity with God, and by the imagination of your heart is worse that worshipping stone or wooden idols. Jer 16:11-12. Jesus expelled Satan from heaven because of his sin. Jesus expelled Adam and Eve from paradise because of their sin. Jesus has not changed and does not change; he did not allow sin or sinners in heaven then, and he will not allow sin or sinners in heaven now, or in the future. Sin has to go before you can enter heaven; nothing that is unclean or defiles will enter heaven.

Christ forgives sins of the past, and forgives the sins while someone is actively seeking his heart-and-soul-purifying grace; but seeking must be with his whole heart, as the first priority of his life. If a believer is not seeking to be freed from sin, if that believer does not feel guilt for his sins, which motivates him to seek the purifying grace of God, then that believer is condemned; and if such a believer dies in his sins, he will be banned from heaven, as the following scriptures severely warn:

Jesus said: Repent or perish. Sin no more. If your hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin, cut them off; for it is better to enter the kingdom without a body part, than to enter Hell with them. I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity [sin, lawlessness or wickedness].

Jesus said, .. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.
All these evil things come from within and defile a man. Mark 7:21-23

Notice, until your heart has been cleansed, you are defiled - a ravenous beast who serves yourself, rather than others.

Paul said: The acts of the sinful nature include adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, etc.
...those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21

All with sexual immorality, pride, hatred, lying, envy, wanting more, partying, foolishness,etc., will be banned from heaven.

Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor oppressive cheaters; these will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:9-10. They will be banned from heaven.

You can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person..has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Eph 5:5-6
Anyone who is impure, immoral, or greedy will be banned from heaven.
Regarding the above warning (Eph 5:5-6), the Word of the Lord within said: "This is the void of the earth, made absolutely clear."

To be saved, means to be saved from your sins, which then results in you entering the kingdom of heaven, and escaping Hell. But you cannot escape Hell if you die without having been delivered, or freed, from your sins while still on earth. Christendom will tell you that no man can be free from sin while on earth, but that is just the devil ignoring the scriptures:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach release to the captives [of sin], and recovery of sight to the blind, to deliver [free] those who are oppressed [in slavery to sin], Luke 4:18

He who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God has been revealed [in us], that he might destroy [in us] the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

Paul's commission from Jesus: 'Delivering you from the [Jewish] people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, release from sin's slavery, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified and purified by faith in me.' Acts 26:17-18

But now being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have the reward of holiness, and at the end, everlasting life. Rom 6:22

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you are truly free. John 8:32,36

So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Rom 8:8

For if you live after the flesh [the sinful nature], you will die; but if through the Spirit you mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, you will live. Rom 8:13

Therefore mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body which are of the earthly life; fornication, impurity, inordinate affections, evil lusts of the flesh, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Col 3:5

Strip yourselves of your former nature that controlled your conduct, which corrupts itself through lusts and desires that spring from delusion. Eph 4:22

Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh [the sinful nature] with its passions and desires [lusts and affections]. Gal 5:24

To preach being saved from Hell, vs. being saved from your sins, is a subtle but horrible lie. It started with the apostasy of the church adulterating with the kings of the earth, the emperors of Rome, becoming a state sponsored religion, under the control and dictates Constantine, Justinian the despot and Theodosius I, who enacted a law in 380 AD establishing Roman Catholic Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. The crushing boot of the Empire's sponsored Roman religion was used to persecute and kill the true church.

Then the false church began to frighten the masses into becoming their paying customers, threatening Hell, and ignoring any requirement to be rid of sin. Why? Because the leaders of Christendom's false church were still locked into sin themselves and could not even believe it was possible; which if they had admitted the possibility, they would have been forced to resign, admitting they were blind guides. If any Christian leader at that time had suggested that sinners would never go to heaven, the sinning emperors would have immediately executed them and replaced them with those who supported the false gospel of the adulterated church, now the whore of Babylon.

The Lord's prayer, of "deliver us from evil," means to be delivered from the evil in our hearts, delivered from the sins in our hearts. The evil this prayer references is the evil in every man's heart, his own selfishness, pride, covetousness, profane thoughts and words, lusts, sexual immorality, anger, greed, lying, cheating, drunkenness, stealing, etc. Jesus is the savior, the deliverer, the redeemer - who destroys the sin and evil in your heart, which has defiled us. Jesus, with your persistence to the end, will deliver you from the power of darkness, and will translate you into his kingdom while you are still on earth, Col 1:13, John 14:3,17:24, Eph 2:5-6.

How is one freed from sin? By repentance through the inward cross of self-denial: that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47. How does one repent? First, by John the Baptist's simple message of beginning repentance:

     Repent: think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct. Matt 3:2
     Share from your excess with those who are without the necessities of life.
     Be honest in all your dealings, never exaggerating or overreaching anyone.
     Don't oppress people or frighten anyone, don't lie, don't want more, don't complain. Luke 3:10-14

If you comply with the above, you show you commitment to following the way of the Lord. Then you must go to the Lord, to wait on him, to listen, in silence, with humility, to hear his spoken words to you, and then obey; in this way He will show you what else to repent from. For the Lord has to show us the secret sins of our heart:

But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Cor 2:10

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the minds and the hearts; and I will give to everyone of you according to your works. Revelation 2:23

And he who searches the hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

But all things that are reproved are made manifest [revealed] by the light. For whatever reveals is light. Ephesians 5:13

I the LORD search the heart, I try the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jer 17:10

For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind and shows a man what are his thoughts, who makes the morning darkness and treads upon the high places of the earth - The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. Amos 4:13

the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intents of the thoughts. 1 Chron 28:9

As you listen to the Lord on a daily habit, and obey him, he removes the sins that he shows you in your heart, one at a time; until you are pure and free from all sin.

But because to be born again and be free from sin requires one to lose their selfish life on the inward cross of self-denial, people rush to believe the false teachers describing the broad, easy way, that seems right, but leads to destruction.


Lie Number 3. By believing in Jesus, you receive God's grace instantly.

Grace does not instantly save anyone. The real operation of grace is a teaching process of repentance from lusts, to being purified from sin, to godly living in purity, which leads to seeing Jesus bring your salvation at the end of the process of repentance and teaching. Here is the definition of grace by Paul from Titus 2:11-14:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world,
looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed ,
and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14

(Whoever commits sin practices lawlessness; for sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4)

Christendom started teaching the lie of instant salvation, excusing sin by grace 2000 years ago, and the itching ears of the world embraced it with heaps of teachers and preachers, just like Paul predicted. By grace we are saved, but only after we have listened to and obeyed the Lord over time. Below is a close examination of the definition of grace above:

Grace has appeared to all men. Grace is the Spirit of Jesus, which has appeared to all men:

Peter... said , 'But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, said God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy'
Acts 2:14-18

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for the benefit of all. 1 Cor 12:7

In him was life; and the life was the light of men, which was the true Light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. John 1:1-5,9

The grace of God, (Jesus Christ) appears to bring salvation, (but not to all men):

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and he will appear the second time, not to bear sin, but to bring full salvation to those who are waiting for and expecting him. Heb 9:28

Keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring eternal life. Jude 1:21

Therefore be resolute of mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of (you seeing) Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:13

Grace teaches to us deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, so that we can live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world:

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.
He will guide the meek in what is right and he will teach the humble his way. Psalm 25:8-9


However when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but he shall only speak what he hears; and he will show you things to come. John 16:13

This is what the Lord, your protector, the Holy One of Israel says:
I am the LORD your God, who teaches you how to succeed, who leads you by the way that you should go. Isa 48:17


But the anointing that you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need any man to teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it has taught you, abide in him. 1 John 2:27

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go: I will guide you with my eye. Psalm 32:8

Cease trusting in any man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what value is he? ‘but look unto me all you ends of the earth, and be saved, said, the Lord.’ Isa 2:22, 45:22

It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every man therefore who has heard, and has learned from the Father, comes to me. John 6:45

You must not walk as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.
Who being past feeling [pangs of conscience], have given themselves over to fleshly indulgences,
to work all impurities with greediness.
But you have learned differently from Christ;
Assuming you have actually heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus. Eph 4:17-21


But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit and whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, John 14:26

looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Mat 5:8

He will appear the second time, not to bear sin, but to bring full salvation to those who are waiting for and expecting him. Heb 9:28

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.
He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and will show myself to him," John 14:20-23


When he appears, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
Everyone with this hope purifies himself, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:2-3

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Cor 4:6

The world will no longer see me; but you will see me. John 14:19

Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a time, if necessary, you may have to suffer griefs through many trials, So that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried with fire, might result in praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:5-7

who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed,

Whoever commits sin practices lawlessness; for sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4

But now being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have the reward of holiness, and at the end, everlasting life. Rom 6:22

He who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God has been revealed [in us], that he might destroy [in us] the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

Whoever is born of God does not commit sin, for his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but He [the Spirit of Christ within your heart] who is fathered by God protects him [the man], and the wicked one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18

and purify for himself his own special people

And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Acts 15:9

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, release from sin's slavery, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified and purified by faith in me. Acts 26:18

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. James 4:8

Since you have purified your souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit to unfeigned love5 of the brothers, see that you love one another fervently with a pure heart. 1 Pet 1:22

And every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He [Jesus] is pure. 1 John 3:3

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly [sin]. And none of the wicked [those still sinning] shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Dan 12:10

Call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Tim 2:22

The same spirit of grace that shows a man his sins, then removes the sins from his heart. Rom 8:13, Col 2:11, Deu 30:6

his own special people, zealous for good works.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has ordained before that we should walk in [doing good works]. Eph 2:10

But glory, honor, and peace, are to every man who works good, Rom 2:10

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Mat 5:16

Believing in Jesus does not result in instant salvation, as Paul nine times emphasizes addressing believers in the churches:

  1. now is our salvation nearer than when we believed, Rom 13:11,
  2. continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, Phil 2:12,
  3. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 1 Thes 5:8,
  4. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18, (While in the inward cross of self-denial, you will see the sin slowly disappear from your life until you are free of sin.)
  5. godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation, 2 Cor 7:10,
  6. do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption [future happening]. Eph 4:30,
    (Paul is speaking to believers in the church who have not yet been redeemed.)
  7. For we are the sweet aroma of Christ unto God, to those who are being saved. 2 Cor 2:15,
  8. we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold firm the beginning of our confidence to the end. Heb 3:14,
  9. we desire that every one of you show the same diligence in realizing the full assurance of hope to the end.
    So that you are not slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb 6:11-12
    .

And Peter echoes the same message that salvation is not just believing or faith, rather salvation is the end of faith's obedient journey:

Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a time, if necessary, you may have to suffer griefs through many trials,
So that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried with fire, might result in praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Though you have not seen him, you love him; though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you rejoice with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory,
Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Pet 1:5-9
.

Simon the magician believed and was baptized. He tried to buy the power of laying on of hands. Acts 8:13-23.
Peter said to him, "Repent therefore of your wickedness, and pray to God that perhaps you may be forgiven the thought of your heart.
For I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity."Acts 8:22-23
.
Is it not obvious that Simon had not been "saved" by believing and baptism?

Ananias and his wife Sapphira were members of the Church in Jerusalem. Great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them who needed anything for many who possessed lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, to lay them down at the apostles' feet; and then distribution was made to every man according to his need. Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price; pretending they were donating the entire amount. Both Anianias and Sapphira were immediately slain by the Holy Spirit; in effect they were lying to God. Their death was an example that brought great fear on all the church. Acts 4:33-35, 5:1-11.
Now few would argue that these believers with great grace on them had been "saved" if they were slain by the Holy Spirit for lying.

Jesus told five out of seven churches of believers in Revelation that they were lost, on the way to destruction. The Smyrna believers were about to enter tribulation, whom he encouraged. Only the church of Philadelphia was doing well because they had kept [obeyed] his word [from within their hearts] with patient endurance. Notice again! Jesus said that five out seven Christian churches of believers were on their way to Hell. Massive error had already taken hold 2000 years ago, until today the false church is pervasive with grace supposedly being a license to continue to sin.

Salvation is to be delivered from sin, and it occurs when you experience the grace of God (Christ) bring it to you, when Christ destroys the selfish spirit in you by the spirit in his mouth and by the brightness of his coming, when he crushes the head of Satan under your feet, Rom 16:20. To believe is to obey; if you are not obedient, your belief is only the hypocrites' lip service. Obedience leads to receiving the Holy Spirit. Obedience leads to righteousness. Obedience leads to salvation.

Christendom's false instant salvation from an altar call and/or water baptism is a colossal lie to fool you.
Read the fine print of God's contract: the warnings of exclusion, the requirements, and qualifying conditions.

For more on what is grace, see True Grace vs. False Grace.

Lie Number 4. The word of God is the scriptures

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
(Scriptures cannot be the word, because God is the Word, Jesus is the Word)

And the Word was made flesh [human, incarnate], and dwelt among us; and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only One to come from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
(Scriptures cannot be made into flesh, but Jesus was made into flesh and dwelt among men).

And he was clothed with a garment dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God.
And he has on his garment and on his thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Rev 19:13-16


But what did it say? "The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart [so you may obey it];" that is, the word of faith, which we preach. Rom 10:8.  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17.
(Christ speaking to you from within your heart; The words I speak to you are Spirit and they are life. John 6:63.
)

For the word of God is quick [living], and powerful [active], and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner and judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12.

For the word of God is quick [living] and powerful [active].
The Bible is not living and active, but words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
So the Word of God is the Living Word, the spirit of Christ, the word of God that lives and endures forever. 1 John 1:23
Sharper than any two edged sword, it penetrates dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
A book is not a two edged sword, but Jesus had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength. Rev 1:16.
A book, or words read from a book, cannot divide soul and spirit, but Christ, the Living Word of God does.
It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
The Bible cannot judge your heart; but Christ, the Word of God, can and does! I am He who searches the minds and the hearts. Rev 2:23, Jer 17:10.
The Bible is not the Word of God. It is not living or active. It cannot judge your heart, penetrate you, or change you.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word was made flesh and he dwelt among us.
This is Jesus. He was clothed in a garment dipped in blood; and his name is called the Word of God. Rev. 19:13
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:17
And a sword will pierce through your own soul also--that the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts may be brought out and disclosed. Luke 2:35. Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength. Rev 1:16.
So, the sword of the spirit is not the Bible, it is the spoken words from the mouth by the Spirit of Christ, the Word of God.

Why is it important to know the Word of God is the Spirit of God, not a book? Let me illustrate the problem, with just four of the many verses that will be totally misapplied, if you think the Word is the Bible.

Jesus said: Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it! Luk 11:28
Jesus said: My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice. Luk 8:21.
Jesus said: "There is only one thing needed.
Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" —
to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear his word. Luke 10:39-42
.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63.

If you think this means hearing someone read the Bible, you have missed the possibility of seeking to hear from God yourself. You will have missed the blessing. You will have missed salvation. You must seek - listen - and obey to find any blessing from God.

Paul is not talking about Christ sanctifying his Church with the Bible, when he says: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. You must go to him, listen, hear and obey continually, to be cleansed or ever be sanctified.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. John 14:26. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. John 16:13. You will know all things by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and need no man to teach you. 1 John 2:20,27. He desires to teach you individual, personal things about yourself, and how he wants you to live, how he wants you to improve, what he wants you to deny - as well as encourage you, tell you of his love for you, and open up the scriptures to you, including the mysteries. If you limit yourself to reading the Bible, you will only get crumbs beneath the table - and you will not see your salvation.

If you think the Holy Spirit teaches you when you read the Bible, ask yourself this:

1) How can you learn all things and all truth by reading the Bible? All things and all truth are not in the Bible; the Bible clearly tells us that: And there are also many other things that Jesus did; so many that if they were all written, I suppose that not even the world itself would be able to contain the books that would be written. Amen. John 21:25

2) If you can learn from the Holy Spirit by reading the Bible, why, with millions of people reading the Bible every day, are there 30,000 different sects in Christendom today, each with a different opinion as to what the Bible means; when the purpose of the Holy Spirit is one faith, all to be in the unity of the Spirit?

The word in the heart is the Spirit of God. The word in the heart discloses all the mysteries of God, none of which are explained in scripture; the word in the heart will eventually show you the events described in the scriptures; the Spirit in your heart speaks to you about the particular details of your life, teaching you what to deny in your life, giving your incremental steps in some denials, encouraging your successes, reminding you of your slips, telling you that God loves you, telling you of your salvation to come; the scripture can do none of this. The word from the Spirit, the word within your heart, speaks in words that it knows you will totally understand, so there is no ambiguity in the mind of the listener; the word within speaks with reminders of your life's experiences helping you understand each message. However, when man reads a scripture, he is using his carnal mind, which is enmity with God, to interpret what he has read. This carnal mind is the same mind that speaks, beyond yes and no, from the evil one. The evil mind reading scripture has created 30,000 sects of Christendom, each with differing opinions of what the scriptures really mean. Clearly the word of God, who is the spirit of Christ in your heart, is not scriptures.

When the Spirit communicates to a man, the Spirit has access to every experience, every sight, every sound, every word, every thought, every feeling that man has had in his life; and the Spirit uses those experiences to illustrate its teachings. Plus the Spirit is aware of every man's language, dialect, and understanding of vocabulary; so the Spirit speaks to a man in precisely understandable language tailored exactly for that man. And the Spirit speaks with inflections of love, kindness, firmness, etc. There is no comparison between reading the Bible, however wonderful it is, and hearing the infinite wisdom of God expressed to you in language, often accompanied by visions, that communicate precisely and instantly a message, teaching, or command.

The Spirit of God teaches us how to live soberly, godly, and righteously in this present world. Realize the world changes, and changes quickly. The Bible does not keep up with those changes, but the Spirit of God does, recognizing all the changes man's environment and teaching him what to deny and how to live.


Remember Paul? The New Testament didn't even exist; but Christ, who had been crucified and risen to heaven, taught him everything, by his voice from his mouth and a message from his lips. Christ wants to teach you everything too, but in his own order. When you are quiet, and waiting, while listening and watching for the teacher, the Spirit of Christ will speak to you. We continually get reports from those who hear, many from those who have read the way to hear him from this web site. It is only common sense, which we have forgotten: to listen to anyone, we have to be quiet; add the power of his name to think on, and we are on the narrow way that few will find.

And don’t presume you are being taught when reading the Bible, for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. When you are taught by the Spirit of God, you hear the Voice of the Lord speaking to you, in your own language, about your personal, specific, and unique defects in your heart, which are exposed, shown, and then removed, providing you acknowledge the Voice as truth and coming from God. You must hear and obey the spoken word from the Spirit of God: The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63. The letter kills, but the spirit gives life. 2 Cor 3:6

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the visible things were not made by anything we can see. Heb 11:3. To think the Bible framed the worlds is ridiculous, and so it is ridiculous to call the Bible the word; and that leads you to study the Bible instead of listening to the Holy Spirit, who will eventually teach you all the scriptures as well as many subjects and mysteries not in the Bible.

For more on this subject, read My Sheep Hear My Voice.

Lie Number 5. Scripture proves I am born again because I believe Jesus is the Christ.

This is based on: Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God .. 1 John 5:1.

But look at the verses immediately after this partial verse taken out of context: 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commands. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome. 4 For whoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

So John is saying: if you have been born of God: 1) you love God, 2) you love your fellow believers, 3) you keep God's commands [are obedient], and 4) you have overcome the world. John tells us who really believes that Jesus in the Son of God: he who has overcome the world, by fighting the good fight of faith, to victory over sin. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself ... He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life, John5:10,12. To have the Son, is to possess the Son and Father in your heart, in sufficient measure to be your true Lord in control of your thoughts, words, and deeds. If you have been born again, you know Him to be in total control of you; you don't have to search the scriptures to think that you have eternal life.

Another huge error is to assume a spiritual experience is to be born again - when it is only your wake up call - only God's visitation to you, giving you a hunger for more of him, and motivating you to seek him with your whole heart - to seek to see his face and be in his presence continually.

John tells us further who has been born again:

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him;
and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
1 John 3:9

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed [distinguished]:
Whoever does not live righteously is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:10

Little children, let no man deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but He [the Spirit of Christ within your heart] who is fathered by God protects him [the man], and the wicked one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18.
Whoever is born of God is freed from sin, and is prevented from sinning again by the Spirit of Christ in his heart; he cannot fall to sin again because God protects him; he is sanctified, protected from evil.

Once the Lord has purified us and united with us, we are born again to become an entirely new creature, old things pass away, and all things become new. From George Fox's, The Mystery of the Great Whore Unfolded:

The apostle said they were ‘made free from sin.’ And ‘let not sin have dominion over your mortal bodies;’ mind, ‘mortal bodies,’ which sin was not to have dominion over. And ‘old things pass away, and all things become new.’ Sin is an old thing, from the old deceiver. So while any sin is standing, all things are not made new, and sin has its dominion.

To be born of the Spirit is to first have died to the selfish nature on the inward cross of self denial. You must loose your life to save it. You must become an entirely new creature, with a new heart and new mind. This does not happen with reading scripture, saying a prayer, getting wet, or saying Jesus is Lord. If you are born again, your lust and desires have been crucified to death of your sinful nature, the old man of the flesh, on the inward cross of self denial. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9. This is the final judgment, the Day of the Lord, which occurs to individuals who have prepared the way of the Lord. The true baptism of the Holy Spirit: into the death of Christ, the circumcision of putting off the body of sins. The sharing of his death. And when your selfish spirit has died on the inward cross of self-denial, then Christ joins in the marriage of the Lamb with your soul, and you are born again; as Jesus is resurrected in you to be your true Lord. 2 Cor 4:14, Rom 8:11, Col 2:11-12, 3:1, Eph 2:6

from George Fox's Journal:

You must have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings; 1 Pet 4:12-13
if you will reign with him, you must suffer with him; 2 Tim 2:12
if you will live with him, you must die with him; 2 Tim 2:11
and if you die with him, you must be buried with him; Rom 6:4
and being buried with him in the true baptism, you also rise with him. Col 2:12

There must be "a coming into his death, a suffering with Christ;" and this is of necessity to salvation;
and not temporarily, but continually: there must be a
"dying daily."

Presumption of being born again, instead of experiential reality, is make-believe Christianity.
Such Christianity is of Babylon and the beast with horns like a lamb that the whole world follows.

If you are born again, Christ has been revealed [seen, heard, felt, experienced] in you.
Jesus is resurrected in us to be our true Lord. 2 Cor 4:14, Rom 8:11, Col 2:11-12,3:1, Eph 2:6.
Paul said: it has pleased the Father to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him. Gal 1:15-16

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Gal 5:20
If you are born again, your selfish nature no longer lives, it has been crucified on the inward cross of self-denial.

When you are born again, you are in Christ. John explains who is in Christ: whoever keeps his word [obeys the Lord's commands spoken to him], truly the love of God is perfected in him; by this we know that we are in him. 1 John 2:5. To be in Christ is also explained by Paul. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor 5:17; and those who are in Christ Jesus, walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:1.

For more on this subject, see To Be Born Again,You Must First Die to Self.

Lie Number 6. Faith is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Faith is defined by Paul, in Romans 10:17: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Hearing what word of God? Paul answers: "The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart [so you may obey it]; that is, the word of faith, which we preach. " Rom 10:8. Where is the word again?
It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?'  
Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?'
But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, so that you may obey it. Deu 30:11-14

Faith is hearing Christ speaking to you from within your heart: The words I speak to you are Spirit and they are life. John 6:63.

So we go to him and listen for His voice and watch for what He shows us about ourselves and what is in our heart.
If you love the Light and Word as Christ, you obey and repent from anything evil shown to you; and you are changed for the better.
Loving and obeying the Word that shows you your condition, you are acknowledging this Teacher within you as Christ.
When you hear, and believe He who is speaking to you to be the Christ, you have "received" Christ.
Just like when Christ asked Peter, "whom do you say I am," and Peter replied: 'You are Christ, the Son of the Living God.'
Christ then said: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Mat 16:15-8

- the rock solid understanding that he who speaks to you is the Son of God, which the gates of Hell cannot prevail against.

Now look what Jesus further says about how rock solid applies to us:
For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and does [practices, obeys] them, I will show you what he is like:
He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock;
and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it,
because it had been securely built or founded on a rock.
Luke 6:47-48
He builds his Church on a rock solid foundation. He builds himself in you on a rock solid foundation. 
If you go to Him (within you), listen to his words, and then obey them, you have identified the speaker as Christ -
just like Peter did in the physical realm, except your identification of Christ is in the spiritual realm within you.

Notice he says comes to me, (not Bible study, not Bible reading - Him), listen to his words (not listen to someone reading the Bible), and do [practice] whatever he tells you to do. This is personal teaching by the Teacher, Christ. When you really believe that, he who you hear speaking to you, is Christ, you have just accepted him; you have acknowledged and received him. And he says, this results in building the true foundation that will not be shaken or moved, nor can the gates of Hell prevail against us as we exit. And from those who have this true foundation, he builds his Body of Christ, his true Church, of true believers who recognize him within them to be the Son of God. The correct foundation is very important and key to your potential growth. Your foundation must come from Christ himself, the personal author of true faith; Christ must create your faith in him being in your heart, to love you, to teach you, to change you. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col 1:27. And after a time, you will see Christ appear in your heart: For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 cor 4:6. You will see him in ever increasing glory.

So to receive Christ and become a true believer, we must privately get quiet, think on the name of Jesus, and then listen and watch. Then we must believe the words we hear and conditions shown by the Light to be from Christ; and believing they are from Christ, we repent or obey what we are told to do; thus we have become a true believer. Until this happens, we have only believed and had faith in the historical record of Christ; whether from the Bible or the history books. Such faith is not of a true believer. When we receive instructions from the word within, (the Holy Spirit), and obey, our flesh will be mortified; and then we are led by the spirit. Those led by the Spirit are the sons of God. Rom 8:13-14.

In Galatians, Paul says: faith should afterwards be revealed, 3:23. Paul speaks of God revealing faith; so faith comes when Jesus, the author of faith, reveals it to a man, ( by revelation) Gal 3:23, which faith then free us from the law as our schoolmaster. Gal 3:24. In Gal 5:18, he says: if (and when) you are led (prompted, ordered, commanded) by the Spirit, you are not under the law. So he has defined faith to being in obedience to the Spirit's leading. So faith comes, by hearing the word within your heart, which is revelation from Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, and then to follow the commands heard from the Spirit of God, from the Lord. This is a major clarification of the definition of faith, as Paul further tells us the he preaches the word of faith which is in our hearts and mouths, and faith comes by hearing the word; and Jesus says, Blessed are those who hear the word of God and "keep" it, such "keeping" (to practice, obey), results in the love of God being perfected in a man: But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 1 John 2:5. So faith is to hear the word within, and believe it to be the Son of God speaking to you, and then to keep it [obey it, practice it], repeatedly — which yields the blessing of the perfected love of God within you, and you to be in Christ and God.

Christendom would have you believe that hearing someone read the words of the Bible is hearing the word of God, and if you believe them, you are a "believer." But this only results in belief of a historical fact written in a book and faith in the words in a book. Yet Paul has just told us that faith comes from hearing the word, who is Jesus, which word is in our heart; so to have real faith, you must hear from within and believe whom you hear, to be the Son of God; and believe enough to completely obey him. For Jesus became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who heed and obey Him. Heb 5:9.

Faith is a journey in a series of revelations. It has a beginning and a finish; listening to, and obeying Jesus, is him being the author and finisher of your faith. When you hear him speak to you and identify him to be Jesus by his revelation , Jesus authors your faith by laying the foundation of your faith on rock;

Whoever comes to me, and listens to my words and does [practices, obeys] them, I will show you what he is like. He is like a man who built a house, and dug deep and laid the foundation securely built on a rock; and when the flood arose, the torrent beat violently upon that house, but could not shake it because it was founded on a rock. Luke 6:47-48.

And when you hear Jesus speak his words to you, and you believe it to be him, the foundation of your faith has been set in rock, a rock so solid that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it.

Jesus finishes your faith when you see him bring your salvation:

he will appear the second time, not to bear sin, but to bring full salvation to those who are waiting for and expecting him. Heb 9:28
For the grace of God that brings salvation. Tit 2:11
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring eternal life. Jude 1:21
Receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls. 1 Pet 1:9

And Peter describes the necessity of making every effort to progress in the journey of faith:

For this reason make every effort to add to your faith, virtue [excellence]; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to performance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness;and to brotherly kindness, love. Therefore, brothers, be diligent to make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things you will never fall. 2 Pet 1:5-7,10.

Your faith must stand in your experience of the power of God, not in words spoken by men or reading. The power of God is promised to deliver you [separate you] from your sins, which is salvation. You are saved through faith, and by faith your hearts are purified; but obviously in the beginning of faith, you are not purified, neither are you saved. You must contend for the faith, grow in the faith, build up your faith, increase in faith, perfect what is lacking in your faith, fight the good fight of faith, until victory, when your faith is finished by the finisher; faith is a process and a journey, the end of which is to see Christ bring your salvation, to bring your eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in [depends on, trusts, obeys] him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. This is the most popularly quoted verse in the Bible, BUT it is quoted out of context without the companion verses that qualify its meaning to be totally the opposite of how people interpret it, when looked at alone. Many call this verse "an entire Bible in itself." Unfortunately they are wrong.

Let's look further at all the verses after John 3:16, which also totally change the traditional interpretation:

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, neither does he come to the light, for fear his deeds will be exposed and reproved.  21 But he who practices truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be shown to have been produced [effected, formed, prompted, energized] through God.

Whoever continues to commit evil [sin] loves darkness, and is condemned - whatever they might believe.
He does not come to the light [the light of the Word, Jesus] , for fear his evil deeds will be exposed and reproved, (judged).
He wants to continue his selfish lifestyle, his life of evil, and so he rejects and hates the light [which is Christ].
He loves the darkness, where his deeds are not exposed as evil, so he rejects the light and hates the light, which is Christ.
Like the demons, he can think that Christ is the Son of God;
but because he loves his lifestyle, and hates the Light's conviction of it,
he withdraws from the light, into the comfort of darkness, where there is no disapproval;
and so he is condemned. Whatever he says he believes with his mouth - his actions betray his words.
If he believed in the light, he would obey the light. If he believed in Christ, he would obey Christ.
To believe is to obey. Obedience leads to receiving the Holy Spirit. Obedience leads to righteousness. Obedience leads to salvation.

James corrected this shortcut of believing in Jesus, being all that is necessary for salvation, writing to the the Jewish Christians: "You say you believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and tremble," James 2:19; realize, James was writing to Jewish believers of the Father, the Word (Son), and the Holy Spirit being one spirit, and without conflict to - Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one. Deu 6:4. So James is in effect saying, "you say you believe in Jesus, you do well, the demons do too, but they tremble at his name - do you?"

For more on the subject of faith and belief, see The Fallacy of John 3:16, Taken Out of Contex
t.

Lie Number 7. There is no need for you to carry a cross because Jesus did it all for you; bow to the cross or wear one to witness your faith.

Jesus tells us six times that we must pick up our cross and follow him. But Christendom doesn't understand how to do it, so the scriptures are ignored. The only cross in Christendom is on the wall or jewelry. Christendom either bows to a cross on the wall, which is idolatry, or wears a cross of jewelry for show; both denigrating the meaning of the cross of Christ.

And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

If any will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23

Yet, the cross is necessary to destroy the sinful nature in man for the cross unleashes the power of God to allow Jesus to destroy that sinful nature. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved the cross is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18. To Christendom, it is foolishness to think you must carry a cross to the death of your sinful nature; Christendom is therefore perishing.

Even before Jesus went to the cross himself, he told us that we must carry our cross to follow him or to be his disciple. He died a horrible death on the cross as an example to us — to show us the degree of obedience required to kill our sinful nature on the cross: so that the world may know that I love the Father, I only do exactly as the Father has instructed me to do. John 14:31.

Christendom ignores the scriptures about the cross being required. Paul spoke of Christians who ignored the cross:

For many walk, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you weeping, who are the enemies of the cross of Christ; 
Their end is destruction, their God is the belly, and whose glory is their shame, and they think on earthly things. Phil 3:18-19
.

Christendom has adulterated with the world. The members of Christendom serve their lusts and affections, their pleasures and passions, their pride and possessions; they think on earthly things. Therefore their end is destruction.

The cross is to follow Jesus, and you follow Jesus by listening to His word in your heart, hearing Him, and obeying Him. How else are you going to follow Jesus? You can't follow him reading the Bible. He can only lead you with instructions tailored to your individual circumstances. To be led you must humbly get quiet to listen, then you must wait to hear Him, then you must obey Him. Self-denial with obedience to the Lord's voice is the cross. Obeying his commands is doing his will, like thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Until you can hear and obey him, you must do your best to obey the moral core of the law: don't steal, don't lie, don't covet, don't commit adultery, forgive, do for others as you would have them do for you, etc. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, [and obey] and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies promised to David. Isa 55:3, Luke 6:46-49. Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Proverbs 8:34, Luke 11:28.

Belief in the true hope and the cross, to realize the promise, releases the power of God to purify you and make you one with Him. The cross of Christ, which is the power of God, crucifies your sinful nature and selfish will through repentance as follows:

Here is how the power of God destroys the sin in your heart: We go to the Lord, to wait on him, to listen, in silence, with humility, to hear his spoken words to us , and then we obey. The Lord has to show us the secret sins of our heart. Once we see the sins, if we accept his gentle convictions, and change our behavior, the Lord's spirit then removes even the desire to sin from our hearts. In this way we are purified from all sin by the Lord. The removal is God's grace; grace shows us our sins and then removes them.

This is the beginning of the cross. There is also suffering with the cross, for when you have been prepared sufficiently by his grace and teachings, you will enter tribulation, to further the death of your sinful nature. Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 1 Pet 4:1-2. The same sufferings are being experienced by all your brothers in the world. 1 Pet 5:9. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom 8:18. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col 1:27 (See: Christ in You)

And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps

1 Pet 2:21


Those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires
.
Gal 5:24

For we know that our old self was crucified
with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,
that we should no longer be slaves to sin
Rom 6:6


For if we are dead with him, we will also live with him.
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
2 Tim 2:11-12

I am the Light of the world.
Whoever follows me shall not walk in darkness,
but will have the Light of Life.
John 8:12

For more on why the cross is necessary, see The Missing Cross. For more on how to pick up your cross and follow Jesus, see How to Receive the Changing Power of God.

Lie Number 8. You will never be able to stop sinning while on the earth.

To stop on you own power is impossible. You must access the power of God, for him to destroy the sin in you: For this purpose the Son of God was revealed [in us], that he might destroy [in us] the works [sin] of the devil. 1 John 3:8. As Jesus told Paul: I am sending you to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins, release from sin's slavery, and inheritance among those who are sanctified and purified by faith in Me. Acts 26:17-18. And as the early Christians experienced: But now being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have the reward of holiness, and at the end, everlasting life. Rom 6:22

Jesus promised us to become free: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach release to the captives [of sin], and recovery of sight to the blind, to deliver [free] those who are oppressed [by sin], Luke 4:18-19. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Truly, Truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you are truly free. John 8:32-36.

And John told us of the success of the early Christians:

Whoever is born of God does not commit sin, for his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed [distinguished]: whoever does not live righteously is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:9-10
We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but He [the Spirit of Christ within your heart] who is fathered by God protects him [the man], and the wicked one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18

To believe this lie, you have to ignore scores of other scriptures that speak of the necessity of perfection, holiness, and purity. Let's start with a few:

Therefore, be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Mat 5:48

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Col 1:28

For by one offering he has forever totally cleansed and perfected those who are sanctified and made holy. Heb 10:14

And he appointed [explicitly gave gifted offices with his authority to] some as apostles; and some as prophets; and some as evangelists; and some as pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;
Until we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:11-13


But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 1 Pet 1:15-17


Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb 12:14

For of this you can be sure, that no sexually immoral, or impure, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Eph 5:5-6

Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we will be, but we know that when he appears, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He [Jesus] is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

But whoever keeps his word [obeys the Lord's commands spoken to him], truly the love of God is perfected in him; by this we know that we are in him. 1 John 2:5

Then he spoke a parable to them, "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into a ditch? Luke 3:39
     [How do we know who is blind? The next verses tells us that a blind guide is someone who has not been
     perfected; who therefore cannot see to take the spec out of his brother's eye, and evil comes from his
     mouth.]
The disciple is not above his master, but everyone who is perfect [purified, restored to the spiritual image of God, specifically authorized, and perfected] will be like his master. Luke 6:40
     [If you are following an unperfected minister, you have been led into the ditch. Unperfected ministers seek
     their own glory
and your money. Jesus told us to leave the unperfected, thus blind, guides, which blindness
     he further discusses in next verses.]
Why do you look at the spec that is in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the log that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the spec that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the spec that is in your brother's eye. Luke 6:41-42

     [Until you are perfected, to become like the master, able to speak words supplied by the Holy Spirit,
     you cannot help other people rid themselves of their sinful nature. If you think you can without having
     been taught, perfected, authorized, sent, and prompted as to what to say, you are blind.]
For a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
For every tree is known by his own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorn bushes, nor do men gather grapes from a bramble bush.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil. For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:43-45


Who is the good man? the perfected man. Who is the evil man? the unperfected disciple, who is blind, who leads into the ditch and destruction.

(Click here to see more scriptures that show holiness, purity, and perfection required.)

Full of blind guides, Christendom has lost the hope, they have lost the power to be changed, they have lost the faith, they have lost the promise, and so they don't believe. They remain hopelessly locked in their sins, in unbelief: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Dan 12:10

Be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect, Mat 5:48. Notice, Jesus has left no wiggle room for the definition of be perfect, which he has commanded us to become. He doesn't say as perfect as is humanly possible. He doesn't say almost perfect. He doesn't say kind of perfect. He says: as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect — a definitive qualification of perfect — an unarguable perfection. Now, Jesus doesn't lie; Jesus doesn't exaggerate. So, if he told us to be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect, then it must be possible, and it is possible. So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry. Col 3:5. For by mercy and love, truth and fidelity, iniquity is purged out of the heart, Pro 16:6; — with obedience leading to righteousness. Rom 6:16.

The purpose of the ministers, (if specifically trained and appointed by Holy Spirit), is for the perfection of the saints, Eph 4:11-13 - nothing else - for the perfection of the saints. As Paul said: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Col 1:28. To deny perfection is: 1) to deny the purpose of the ministry, as well 2) to deny the scriptures as accurate, true, and divinely inspired.

Through your fleshly efforts, many of Jesus' commands are impossible to completely obey, no matter how hard you try; complete obedience to all his commands is only possible by your going to God to be changed, by the cleansing and purifying power of God - through the inward cross of self-denial. Christendom has no power because they don't understand the gospel, which is the power of God; they don't understand the cross, which is the power of God; and they don't understand the power of his name. Christendom is without power, practicing a form (hollow shell) of godliness; exactly what Paul warned about. 2 Timothy 3:5. But by the power of God, (faith in the true promises), you can be changed to be able to completely keep all of Jesus' commands, to fulfill the law, to establish the law, to become perfect, to become pure, to become holy - by believing in his true promises and going to him to silently listening - hear and obey. But until you do, you always be locked into the slavery of sin, unable to love like he has commanded us, unable to show the love of God to the world, unable to be a true disciple of Christ, with no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. To listen and obey what you hear the Lord command you, results in the Spirit mortifying the sin in your flesh; until finally the Lord appears to completely destroy the residual spirit of Satan that is in your heart, when he appears to bruise the head of Satan under your feet, (a personal experience), Rom 16:20, and destroy him with the brightness of his coming and consume him with the spirit of his mouth (the sharp, two-edged sword).

From George Fox's Cambridge Journal:

If you wait in what is pure in you, you will find and see, because God has given you a measure of his spirit, by which you can comprehend things and see the deceits. Now when the mind goes forth from that pure measure, which lets you see deceits, the simplicity is ensnared, and God is not in your thoughts any more; instead, the son of perdition in you sits in the temple of God, where he ought not to sit. With the birth of the Lord [in you], this son of perdition is discovered, and with the brightness of the Lord's coming [in you], he is consumed; that man of sin is revealed [in you], and so shall you witness the scriptures fulfilled. But you must wait in that which is pure, which will show you when your mind departs into disobedience, setting up Baal's priests (outward) before God, and that brings a distraction in the mind where there is a halting between two (you and God); for all of the troubles are without in the world, but Christ said that "in me you shall have perfect peace." Wait in Christ and mind him in yourself, (there is where you wait for his appearing). Keep focused inward, (stay seeking Christ within yourself), and do not follow the cries of lo Christ is here and lo Christ is there to distract you to outward seeking, you will have peace in a short time. You will later witness Christ, who is the substance of the prophets and apostles. The scriptures are shown to you within you (by Christ) to guide you to the Father, the Lord God of heaven and earth. By waiting for the Spirit of the Lord within you to guide your mind, you will find your strength renewed daily by the one Spirit that gave forth the scriptures. There is no confusion, but instead perfect peace. This Spirit baptizes into the one body, and this Spirit is the unity of the saints, who though absent in body, yet are present in Spirit, all being made to drink into one Spirit. This Spirit circumcises and puts off the body of sin from you, and you are sanctified through your obedience to the Spirit. You will come to witness the scriptures pure and clear, as they are without any mixture [of man's interpretations], as holy men possessed them and gave them forth. So holy men possess them and give them forth again and witness them again.

Here are several of the extensive writings on this subject available on this site:

Ambrose Rigge's: 1) On True Christianity, 2) The Spiritual Man, and 3) A Standard of Righteousness.

Stephen Crisp's, Destroying the Arguments that sin cannot be conquered in this life.

George Fox's, How the ministers of Satan teach people, that they must carry about them a body of death, and sins of the flesh, and imperfection, while on this side the grave, which never did the prophets of God, Christ, nor his apostles preach any such doctrine.

This site editor's writing on Perfection and Purity

If you search the scriptures trying to prove to yourself that you have eternal life, you can find verses taken out of context that you can use to think you have eternal life; or to prove purity or perfection is impossible (like, even Jesus said he wasn't good) ; thereby convincing yourself there is nothing you have to do to please God except say you believe Jesus is the son of God.

On the other hand, if you:

  • are unhappy still being subject to anger, lust, passions, pleasures, lying, bad habits, etc., or
  • want to have a closer relationship with God, or
  • want peace - quietness, confidence, assurance with trust forever, or
  • want to be pleasing to God, whatever the cost, or
  • want God to run your life, instead of you continue to make mistakes, or
  • want to be doing God's will, not your own,

you will search for how to obtain more of Him than what you have. And you will notice he promises peace, union, and the Kingdom; but you will also notice the many scriptures that show He requires perfection, crucifixion of the sinful nature, deadening the sinful nature, the new mind, the new heart, the entirely new creature, righteousness, purity, and holiness; and then you will start searching for how to arrive at what He requires from you: repentance, your bodies as a living sacrifice, crucified on the inward cross of self-denial, your sinful nature dead, and Christ' spirit completely replacing the sinful nature in your bodies, to live in union with He and God in the Kingdom within while on the earth, and then forever as a son of God. Therefore, leaving the elementary principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. Heb 6:1

_____________________________

Beware! Realizing the lies is not knowing the truth; do not take comfort and ease in seeing the pretenses of Christendom. The exposure of the lies only reveals the real path and journey necessary to arrive at the truth, not the truth itself. Now that you know the real path to salvation, you must travel that way, until you arrive in the kingdom, in union with Christ and God, where you no longer see the world by the light of the sun and moon, but by the brighter light of God, seeing through his eyes, seeing the spiritual dimension instead of the physical dimension.

Christendom has more lies than can be covered in this web page. To read more of their amazing and startling lies, along with the rebuttals written by George Fox, see The Great Mystery of the Great Whore Unfolded; and Antichrist’s Kingdom Revealed.

This web site's purpose is to show how to become
free from sin
by benefiting from the changing power of God through the cross,
which leads to union with God in his Kingdom.