Is There Salvation in the Local Church?
I post this question because I think it is valid.
I was talking to my mother who is with my dad visiting my sister in Maryland. We somehow got on this subject. I told her that repentance and salvation is no longer preached in the local church. I told her that preachers, teachers, evangelists, pastors, and prophets—do not preach against sin, as we ought. I want to clarify prophet because I think it is misunderstood. A prophet is a Believer who declares the Word of God, for example, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Ezekiel… they are no different than we are. They were regular people who loved God.
If we examine the local church--churches in the cities in which you and I live--you will find a gospel that caters to the desires of the flesh, based on how we feel and what we feel. I’ve been guilty of this too. You also will find merchandising in the local church. I’ve also been guilty of this. Nowadays, it runs rampant because leadership allows it and does not tell the people to stop. If one thing is true, it is the Bible, which is the Word of God, has nothing to do with feelings or what we think. I believe the love of God is not in the local church; however, there might be a few Believers who have an intense desire to do the will of God and, if that is true, He will move them out of that environment. I found myself in this situation more than once, but did not realize it until a few years later.
I John 2:15-17 says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
The love of God is not the message that does not convict the soul. It is not “easy believeism” or what we think or feel or something that won’t offend. The love of God corrects an individual and causes him to turn away from sin. I have found that only, and I mean only, the Word of God will stop a person from sinning, if indeed he is preached the gospel. By the way, the gospel is not only the New Testament or books of the New Testament, but the entire Bible is the gospel. I John 5:3 says: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Recall, Josiah, King of Judah, one of the best kings that ever reigned accordingly to the Bible, made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statues with all his heart and all his soul , to perform the word and work of the covenant of the Lord. What did he do? He performed the will of God. He dealt with sin and he wasted no time eradicating idolatry, in both Judah and Jerusalem, II Kings 23 and II Chronicles 34 and 35.
Revelation 22: 7 says: Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the say of the prophecy of this book. Revelation 22:14 says: Blessed are they that do the commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, …….
So what am I saying? The person who loves God is he that doeth (continually) or performs his commandments. There are thousands of people, perhaps millions that attend churches and perhaps might not be saved, although they think they are, and are under the judgement of God.
May God Bless You!
Jimmy
I was talking to my mother who is with my dad visiting my sister in Maryland. We somehow got on this subject. I told her that repentance and salvation is no longer preached in the local church. I told her that preachers, teachers, evangelists, pastors, and prophets—do not preach against sin, as we ought. I want to clarify prophet because I think it is misunderstood. A prophet is a Believer who declares the Word of God, for example, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Ezekiel… they are no different than we are. They were regular people who loved God.
If we examine the local church--churches in the cities in which you and I live--you will find a gospel that caters to the desires of the flesh, based on how we feel and what we feel. I’ve been guilty of this too. You also will find merchandising in the local church. I’ve also been guilty of this. Nowadays, it runs rampant because leadership allows it and does not tell the people to stop. If one thing is true, it is the Bible, which is the Word of God, has nothing to do with feelings or what we think. I believe the love of God is not in the local church; however, there might be a few Believers who have an intense desire to do the will of God and, if that is true, He will move them out of that environment. I found myself in this situation more than once, but did not realize it until a few years later.
I John 2:15-17 says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
The love of God is not the message that does not convict the soul. It is not “easy believeism” or what we think or feel or something that won’t offend. The love of God corrects an individual and causes him to turn away from sin. I have found that only, and I mean only, the Word of God will stop a person from sinning, if indeed he is preached the gospel. By the way, the gospel is not only the New Testament or books of the New Testament, but the entire Bible is the gospel. I John 5:3 says: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Recall, Josiah, King of Judah, one of the best kings that ever reigned accordingly to the Bible, made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statues with all his heart and all his soul , to perform the word and work of the covenant of the Lord. What did he do? He performed the will of God. He dealt with sin and he wasted no time eradicating idolatry, in both Judah and Jerusalem, II Kings 23 and II Chronicles 34 and 35.
Revelation 22: 7 says: Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the say of the prophecy of this book. Revelation 22:14 says: Blessed are they that do the commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, …….
So what am I saying? The person who loves God is he that doeth (continually) or performs his commandments. There are thousands of people, perhaps millions that attend churches and perhaps might not be saved, although they think they are, and are under the judgement of God.
May God Bless You!
Jimmy
