Biblical IGNORANCE is the hallmark of our times!
Millions of professing Christians know virtually NOTHING about the Bible.
Millions understand LITTLE of the "spiritual" sounding phrases they hear from pulpits.
Here, in SIMPLE language at last, are the Bible answers to some of the most puzzling and important questions to your life!
Here is the TRUTH about YOU and the LAW of God.
YOU'RE living in a lawless world! As never before, you see violence, lawbreaking, flouting of authority — the world over! There is no more obvious feeling gripping the hearts of men today than that of rebellion against the LAW!
Why? —
What is it in human nature that makes us resent order and authority? Why do all humans have inner compulsions to break the law? Why is it vast percentages of people cheerfully admit they have, at one time or another in their lives, broken laws of sufficient importance to have landed them in jail?
Flouting of the law is like a game, a holiday atmosphere of fun and frolic to whole segments of our populations today.
No wonder, then, people are eager to believe God is "dead" — that His law is done away. Millions of professing Christians literally RESENT the laws of God. Millions believe they need pay no attention whatever to the Ten Commandments — that there are no ORDERS to be followed, no OBEDIENCE required of Christians, no WORKS involved in their Christian lives!
The Fatal MISTAKE Millions Are Making!
It's time you saw, with your own eyes, from the pages of your own Bible the plain TRUTH about God's laws — and YOUR relationship to them!
First — why is it "religious" terms always seem to sound CONFUSING to people? You've probably heard me mention, on The WORLD TOMORROW program, how it seems many people are not truly "satisfied" with their religion unless it sounds so vague and meaningless, so "mysterious" and so couched in "pseudo-sanctimonious" and "spiritual" terms that it loses candid MEANING to them.
The very MOMENT the terms "law" or "grace" are mentioned to MANY professing Christians they are almost AUTOMATICALLY confused.
But WHY?
Simply because they have been FED — yes, SPOON-fed a great deal of CONFUSION on the subject! But let's not be confused! Let's come to understand!
What do you mean, GRACE? Let's decide, at the outset of this discussion, to KNOW WHAT WE MEAN by different terms. Grace, as it is clearly set forth in your dictionary, and in your Bible, has a FAR DIFFERENT MEANING than that which is deliberately PUT upon it by many false ministers in this world.
Just What Is Grace?
What does the word "grace" mean to you?
Does it imply PERMISSION TO SIN?
"Certainly not!" you might answer! Well, then — does it mean you do NOT HAVE TO KEEP GOD'S LAWS? "OF COURSE!" many would immediately reply!
But wait a minute! What IS sin? "Sin Is," the Bible answers, "THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW" (I John 3:4). Well, then — if that's what sin IS — if sin IS the BREAKING OF GOD'S LAWS, SIN is, then, FAILING TO KEEP GOD'S LAWS!
Well, then — IF THAT IS TRUE — and your Bible SAYS it is — and IF "grace" means you DO NOT HAVE TO OBEY God's LAW — then does not "grace" mean to many of you that you may SIN?
"OF COURSE NOT!" you might answer — but then — isn't it all a little CONFUSING?
It certainly is! Satan and his ministers (II Cor. 11:13) have CONFUSED the meaning of grace in most men's minds! This whole world, according to your Bible, has been DECEIVED (Rev. 12:9; 20:3).
Just what, then, Is grace?
Grace Is, according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, "Favor, kindness, MERCY, etc.," and, the ecclesiastical usage, "DIVINE MERCY OR FORGIVENESS"!
Yes — that's just it! Grace is FORGIVENESS! Grace is MERCY! Grace is PARDON!
But forgiveness of what? Why, what Is a Christian, but one who has, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, obtained MERCY and PARDON from his past sins? It is through the blood of Jesus Christ we must obtain GRACE! Christ died, then, to show GRACE toward us — didn't He?
"Of course," you would answer. Well, if this is true, and the Bible certainly SAYS it is — then may we go on sinning after Christ has shown us GRACE?
Let's let the BIBLE answer — NOT the ideas of men!
Paul was inspired to write, "What then? Shall we SIN [that is, shall we BREAK ANY ONE OF GOD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS] because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!" (Rom. 6:15) There is the BIBLE answer! Paul plainly reveals that we must not think we may SIN, that we can ignore, or live contrary to God's Ten Commandments, just because God has shown us some of His great MERCY! WHY did God have to show us His MERCY? Why did we NEED "GRACE"?
God answers, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned!" (Rom. 5:12)
Yes — every human being has BROKEN God's HOLY LAWS, the Ten Commandments! Remember, it is the breaking of these laws, as they are applied in principle, and as they are magnified by Christ in His teachings, that IS SIN (I John 3:4).
Every human being has, because of his very nature of basic hostility toward God's laws (Rom. 8:7) been convicted of God's law as guilty of SIN! The penalty of sin IS DEATH (Rom. 6:23). Christ DIED In order to ERASE OUR PAST SINS! (Rom. 5:8)
THAT IS WHAT GRACE IS! It is the unlimited mercy of our God — the unearned, unmerited PARDON of our God, when we totally repent of our past sins!
Notice it! "In whom [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His GRACE!" (Eph. 1:7)
Grace, then, is God's loving willingness to forgive us of our past sins!
The Modern Deception
Even before the close of the New Testament canon, Almighty God inspired Jude to write, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 3, 4). The actual HISTORY of what happened from that time to this is now available! Remarkable, almost unbelievable discoveries are rapidly being made which amply PROVE that, true to the prophecies of your Bible, certain men DID creep in "unawares" — men who DELIBERATELY, with planned forethought, attempted to undermine the pure truth of God which was once delivered to the saints.
This, remember, was a prophecy of many centuries ago! Jude went on to describe these men as those who . had a basic resentment and hostility toward all government, and the symbols of government, those in authority! "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, DESPISE DOMINION, and speak evil of dignities!" (Jude 8)
What is in the minds of most professing Christians concerning their relationship to God today?
Basically, it is simply this: they have become convinced that a person should live a "righteous life!" They have become convinced that they have been "sinners" — which usually means persons who have lived "unrighteous lives." To most, an "unrighteous life" merely means having various "worldly" habits and interests, perhaps attending motion picture theatres, dancing, drinking, or playing cards. It may even involve the various modes and styles of apparel. There are dozens of different categories in the minds of men as to what actually constitutes SIN! But whether it involves various of these habits, indulgences, or "worldly acts" — most professing Christians would say that conversion, to them, means "living for God." It means living a "good" life, rather than an "evil" life. It means to think "good" thoughts, rather than thinking "evil" thoughts. In a sort of vague, nebulous way, most professing Christians realize there must be a certain change in their lives when they "repent" or receive, or accept Christ.
To most — GRACE is the STATE of a Christian who is "living for God!" GRACE has come to falsely mean, to most professing Christians, a CONDITION of the INDIVIDUAL, rather than a QUALITY of God!
In other words, instead of understanding the true meaning of the word grace as revealed in your Bible, MANY of you have come to feel that GRACE is merely a Biblical term which vaguely means the Christian is in a "saved" condition! It means that God has smiled on the individual, "chosen" him, put him "under grace" and made him a "Christian."
How have YOU thought about it?
Have you ever really been clear on the subject? Have you ever been able to really track down, in your own Bible, your beliefs regarding your present state? Have you ever really proved, in your own Bible, the true meaning — that is, the BIBLE meaning — of SIN?
Let's clear the air! Let's not be confused! Let's come to understand!