HOW TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE LOVED THE TRUTH- 2Thes.2:11,12

The message of original sin and sin nature is-

By your works you are condemned

And by His works you are justified

Because original sin and sin nature is all about works

Even though those who preach it call it grace.

These disregard the fact that in Rom.11:6 Paul said if it is by works then it can not be by grace. And vis a versa. And that in Mt.7:37 Jesus said that it is by your words, not works, that you will be justified. Seeing this also in John6:28,29 that He told Israel when asked what they must do to do the work of the Father was that they must believe in Him.

So how did the church get to this place? Why all the emphasis on works? And none on a relationship with Jesus? Even denying the power of godliness by denying salvation’s power to completely and utterly deliver men from sin.

Even to the point that they have made their works the proof of their relationship with Jesus. Redefining James’ admonition in James2 so that works become a necessity to be saved. So that without them the person is not saved even though he proclaims his faith in Jesus and believes in his heart that He raised from the dead.

This was what Paul said in Rom.10:9,10 a man needed to do to be saved. So why do they add works? It’s because they do not believe Jesus or the apostles. They have been strongly deluded by the Greek philosophical and gnostic paganism of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. A view that perverted the gospel the apostles taught. Perverting the faith once delivered to the saints.

This gnostic paganism that makes works the measure by which a man is saved. Rather than the faith of Christ. By it’s myopic focus on a false dualism these gnostics taught is in every believer. Even while at the same time proclaiming that believers must and do sin daily.

Using Rom.7 and a few other passages to persuade men through their perversion of these passages that they have a conflict between 2 natures going on inside of them after they get saved. What they refer to as a godly nature and a “sin nature”. Or “necessity” as Augustine called it. And that this is why they must and do sin daily.

These are they who Paul spoke of in 2Tim.3:5-7 saying, “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof… ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Because as I said earlier, these all deny salvation’s power to deliver men from sin.

These also pervert 1John1:9 to try to force you to bend to their paganism saying that if you say you are not sinning every day, or at any time say you have no sin, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. A perversion because this passage is talking to believing Jews about those who have not yet believed. And not about believers.

John is telling them that when a Jew comes to Jesus for salvation they must confess the sins they committed while under the law. And Jesus will then forgive them of those sins. And He will also cleanse them from all their unrighteousness.

There are 2 things at play here. 1 is that they are forgiven for the sins they committed while under the law. And the 2nd is that they are cleansed from all unrighteousness. These are 2 different things.

Forgiveness of sins committed under the law takes care of their cleansing from their consciousness of those sins. And cleansing from all unrighteousness deals with their former unbelief in Jesus. Because now they do believe in Him.

So the demands of the law are dealt with and removed from their conscience. And the issue of the kind of righteousness that “exceeds that of the Pharisees” is also dealt with.

Because the forgiveness of sins under the law that they receive delivers them from the law. And the righteousness they now have joins them to Jesus by their trusting in Jesus as He trusted the Father.

This is why works have nothing to do with salvation. It is by grace through faith without works as Paul said in Eph.2:8,9. Which shows they have misunderstood what grace is and how it is acquired.

It is only after salvation is had that we begin to walk in a life that expresses God’s love toward others. Which may look like works. But, is in reality simply what loving others looks like.

A perfect example of this is found in James’ explanation in ch.2 of his letter regarding why the believer will give food and clothing to one in need of them. Rather than just saying “be warmed and filled”.

He does this because this is what love looks like. It may appear to be works to some. But, what appears to be works to them is really just God’s love that has been shed abroad in the heart of the believer being expressed.

Does this mean that we should sin to show the abundance of God’s grace? Paul answered this question in the negative. He said, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

We are dead to sin because we are alive in Christ by faith in Him and His resurrection. So the reason we do not sin is not because we are trying to get saved or stay saved. Or because it is the proof that we are saved.

We do not sin because doing so makes us slaves to it. What some refer to as bad habits can take over our lives. Even though not all bad habits are sin. And because as Paul said in 1Cor.6:12 and 10:23 even though all things are lawful for me I will not do that which will put me under the power of any other than Jesus.

This is why we do not do those things that will enslave us. Because they can cause harm to us and to those around us. Both by its witness as we see in 1Cor,5. And by its being able to enslave us.

But, one thing it can never do is show that we are not saved. Because we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. So the best way to not get caught up in the strong delusion is to avoid any thinking that causes you to focus on works.

To avoid the strong delusion we must believe what Jesus and the apostles taught. And not what the johnny come lately gnostic pagans teach. That we are justified by our words and not by our works as Jesus said. And that this justification Jesus spoke of is had by anyone who will trust in Him as He trusted the Father as Paul said in Gal.2:16.

When this happens Jesus said we are born again. This means God creates a spirit in us that was never there before that makes us His children. Adam never had a spirit. And neither did anyone else until after Jesus died. Because it was His death that gave power to the New Covenant that alone has the power to save utterly and completely from sin itself. By creating in you a spirit that makes you God’s child.

And as children we are then heirs of all that He has to give us. This means eternity with Him in heaven where there is love, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. And immortality by the new body Jesus said in John14 He went to prepare for us. And that Paul says we will receive when “mortality shall put on immortality.

If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus. And believe in your heart that He has raised from the dead. You shall be saved. If you will do this then you will be a child of God. If you will do this then heaven will be your eternal home. If you will do this… then I will see you there or in the air!