Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
I read a quote on Twitter today by Pastor Dwight L. Moody that didn't set right with me...
“If a man has true faith in Christ, he cannot help working for Christ. You cannot have fire without heat; no more can you have faith without works.” —Pastor Dwight L. MoodyI do not find anywhere in the Bible where it says that a saved person cannot help but work for Christ. I can think of umpteen examples of Christian who don't. The Bible itself gives us many examples. Lot didn't work for Christ. Demas didn't work for Christ. King Saul regularly worked against the work of Christ, overstepping his authority oftentimes and disregarding sacred things, which eventually led to his premature death. Now, I agree that when a person has the Holy Spirit of God living inside them that something will definitely change, but it may not by works. When I got saved at age 13, the first thing I remember is that God started dealing with me about the sins in my life. I felt a hunger to start reading and studying my King James Bible. Something has definitely changed inside of me. But I wasn't serving God!
I dislike Mr. Moody's comment because it can easily impress the wrong idea upon someone that if they aren't working for God, then maybe they aren't really saved. The Bible teaches that as God's redeemed children we SHOULD live godly in Christ Jesus (Titus 2:11-13). But this is not always the case. There's a big difference between SHOULD and WILL. I can name numerous Christians who are serving lengthy prison sentences behind bars, some even for life, which is heartbreaking. They are not serving God. Respectfully said, the inspired Holy Bible disagrees with Mr. Moody. I agree that where there is fire there is heat, but we may not be able to see that heat emanating from another believer. What saith the Scripture? ...
Matthew 5:14-16, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Now, if being a child of God automatically meant that our light would shine, then Jesus wouldn't have made this statement to “Let your light so shine...” Obviously we have a choice. Clearly God desires and commands for every redeemed saint to LET OUR LIGHT SO SHINE for the world to see our works and glorify God in Heaven. But this is not required or allowed to receive God's free gift of eternal life, which is by faith alone. Nor does the Bible teach that just because we are saved, that we won't be able to hide our light. Pastor Moody, in his earlier quite, is saying that if you are saved you won't be able to hide your light. But dear friend, you most certainly CAN hide your light for Jesus from the world, as do many believers.
1st Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
I believe the preceding Scripture is talking about being rendered useless for serving God. Satan wants to kill, steal and destroy the testimony, effectiveness and happiness of every child of God (John 10:10). As we just read, the Devil SEEKS whom he may devour!!! All it takes is a weak-minded spouse in a troubled marriage and Satan has found a way in to destroy it!
Interestingly, the parable of The Sower And The Seeds in Luke 8:11-15 relates to hiding one's candle (light) from the world...
Luke 8:13-16, “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”
I had never noticed Verse 16 before today. I have often cited this Scripture passage from Luke 8:11-15, not including verse 16. When a Christian stops maturing in God's grace because of persecution, or stops maturing because they've become choked by the desire to make money, enjoy pleasures and the hassles of life that clamour for our attention, we become useless for God. We don't share the Gospel with anyone and our light is hidden from those who need it the most, the lost! So here we see plainly that it is indeed POSSIBLE for a believer to fail to work for Christ. Here is Pastor Dwight L. Moody's comment again...
“If a man has true faith in Christ, he cannot help working for Christ. You cannot have fire without heat; no more can you have faith without works.” —Pastor Dwight L. Moody
Dear reader, you sure CAN have faith without works. The Bible says that faith without works is dead, but dead faith is STILL FAITH. There is no such thing as a faith that does not bring salvation. Jesus said that faith even as small as a grain of mustard seed is enough. James 2:17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Carefully notice that faith without works is ALONE. But it is still faith nonetheless, although it is alone. Faith alone is still faith!!!
The Devil has subtly deceived many religious people into falsely thinking that you must have works to prove that your faith is genuine, otherwise they claim you're not saved. False prophets like Bob Jones University and company spread this heresy today. Some of these dangerous false prophets include Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, Gary Walton, Chuck Phelps, Sam Horn, John MacArthur, Paul Washer, Ray Comfort, Billy Graham, Adrian Rogers, William Lane Craig, Chip Ingram, Beth Moore, John Hagee, Charles Stanley, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Franklin Graham. Bob Jones III, Jeff Redlin, Timothy Zacharias and other infidels of the faith today who pervert the Gospel of free grace.
Salvation is by faith alone, and you don't have to prove the validity of your faith to God with works. You do need to prove your faith in the eyes of MEN by good works, which is exactly what Matthew 5:16 teaches... so let your good works shine BEFORE MEN!!! That is what the Apostle James is teaching about in his epistle. In the Epistle of Romans, Paul is teaching about justification in the sight of God by faith alone (Romans 4:4-7). But in the Epistle of James, the apostle is speaking about being justified by works in the sight of men, not God.
I love, support and admire Pastor Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899), but we must always remember that men are flawed, imperfect and prone to error. That certainly includes me dear friend. Please never take what I say as Gospel, go SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES to verify everything that I teach you (John 5:39). If I ever contradict the Holy Bible, God is right and I am wrong!!! I do not know of even one preacher that I doctrinally agree with on everything, nor anyone who agrees with everything I teach.
Only the inspired Word of God is without error, not just in the original autographs, but also today in our beloved King James Bible. The Lord solemnly promised in Psalms 12:6-7 to preserve and keep His inspired PURE WORDS from that generation forever!!! That means somewhere in the world today we must have those same PURE WORDS which God inspired in Heaven (Psalms 119:89). Sadly, and this reveals the level of corruption in the Bible translation community, EVERY modern Bible revisions totally removes God's promise in Psalms 12:7 to preserve and keep His PURE WORDS. Instead, they've changed it to say that God protects the saints. Oh boy! What liars!
Jesus exclaimed in Matthew 4:4 that man shall not live be bread (food) alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (cf., Deuteronomy 8:3). That means we need an EVERY WORD Bible. I believe we have those incorruptible Words of God in the inspired King James Bible (and not the New King James Bible, which is corrupt). I was saddened to learn that even Pastor Curtis Hutson was on the advisory board of the NKJB, showing that even great soulwinning preachers have weaknesses, and are susceptible to Satanic deception. Folks, we don't need to RE-WRITE the Bible, we need to RE-READ it! There's nothing wrong with the tried, proven and timeless King James Bible.
I am not saying that Dwight Moody is an infidel or wrong on the Gospel. I am however saying that this particular quote that I shared with you is bad theology. Preachers say the darndest things! I have learned over the years to be OBJECTIVE when I read, hear or see anything. 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
I am not saying that Dwight Moody is an infidel or wrong on the Gospel. I am however saying that this particular quote that I shared with you is bad theology. Preachers say the darndest things! I have learned over the years to be OBJECTIVE when I read, hear or see anything. 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
We see in the Word of God that even the Apostle Peter got messed up in his thinking sometimes. When Jesus foretold that He would be arrested, tried and crucified on a cross, Peter said he'd fight to prevent it from happening. Jesus called Peter, Satan, telling Peter to get out of His way (Matthew 16:23). Peter meant well, sincerely loving the Lord, even willing to die for Him. Yet, in this intriguing Scripture passage we learn that even the best Christians can still be deceived by the Devil if we stray from the inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures.
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