The Woes of Christ

Dear God-seekers,

I'd like to share with you the woes of Christ. We rarely hear about these, as most preachers prefer to preach positive messages that please the crowds. One mega church pastor says that he does not preach about hell or against sin, because people hear enough negative things already, rather, he prefers to give them something positive and uplifting. He says, "I'm for people," and "I'm not against anything." It's no wonder his church draws tens of thousands of people every Sunday.

But the Lord did not neglect to preach against sin and warn people about hell, as I have already pointed out in my article, The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught. Since He loves us and does not want us to perish, He did not fail to issue dire warnings of God to people, but freely gave them whenever they were necessary. Therefore, we would be remiss if we did not do the same. His woes are still just as important today as they were then, and they deserve our attention, in case any of them might apply to our own lives.

The word "woe" is a primary exclamation of grief, sorrow, or distress. It is still in use today, and can even be used as a slang word to express shock, amazement, or surprise, although most people misspell it as "whoa!" As John Wesley put it, the woes of Christ were "solemn, compassionate declarations of the misery, which these stubborn sinners were bringing upon themselves."

Eight Woes of Hypocrites 
In Matthew 23, we find the eight woes that Jesus delivered to hypocrites, in which He repeatedly used the phrase, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” They are woes to these particular people for the following:

1. For making salvation hard for other people.

He said, "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Mat 23:13).

In Luke's gospel, it says, "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering." (Luk 11:52)

There are still those who do this today, adding to the Word of God man-made rules and traditions of men that God does not require, which make it impossible for people to ever be saved. Neither they nor their followers will enter heaven. One of the things they do is to call things "sin" which are not sins according to God. They do not preach the fear of God, which is the beginning of knowledge, and they do not tell people the true way to be saved. Woe to them!

2. For devouring widows' homes and pretending to pray long.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation." (Mat 23:14).

There are still those who devour widows' houses in various ways, primarily through pleading for their money in the name of God. And the same goes for those today who make long prayers for a show, who are merely pretenders. Their condemnation is greater.

3. For corrupting converts.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." (Mat 23:15)

Every preacher, religious teacher, priest, evangelist, missionary, and so-called holy man of any religion ought to take heed to this woe. Some travel over land and sea to win a convert, and then when they get one, they make him twice as much a son of hell as they are. One way is through their teaching, and another way is through their life example. Let's be sure that any converts we make are actually converts to Christ, and become true disciples of His that are qualified for heaven -- not sons of hell! For more on this, see my article, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian.

4. For trivializing religion.

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.' You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.' You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it." (Mat 23:16-22)

Notice how these blind guides said, "That is nothing," when they spoke of things that were of great significance to God. Blind guides still abound today, so be careful you are not one of them and that you are not following one of them. They teach many things that diminish, minimize, or downplay the importance of that which is very important to God. They also call things that are sinful in God's sight, "Not sin." Woe to them!

5. For neglecting the more important matters of the law.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Mat 23:23-24)

In Luke's gospel, it says, "But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." (Luk 11:42)

As I pointed out in my article, Is Tithing Required for Christians, the Lord here did not condemn tithing or nullify that requirement. In fact, He affirmed it's importance by saying, "...these are the things you should have done." But He warned those who tithe meticulously while neglecting the much more important commandments of God. While they work so hard to ensure that they tithe on every increase they receive, they neglect justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the love of God, which are even greater matters. These things are as much weightier than tithing as a camel is heavier than a gnat. 

6. For self-indulgence and robbery and greed.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also." (Mat 23:25-26; cf. Lk 11:39-41)

We still have those who take great care to ensure that they and their belongings are clean on the outside, but they are full of greed and self-indulgence within. Woe to them! The Lord taught us to first clean out that which is inside of us, in order that the outside may also become clean.

7. For hypocrisy and lawlessness within.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Mat 23:27-28)

Much like the previous woe, the Lord here warned those who appear beautiful and righteous to men, but are full of uncleanness, hypocrisy, and lawlessness within. The Lord pronounced a woe over such people.

8. For the murder of God's prophets.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." (Mat 23:29-36)

This was the climax and the most serious accusation, since God detests the shedding of innocent blood. Today there are still those who murder God's true prophets. Some do so literally, and others do so with their words. Such people will not escape the sentence of hell. Woe to them.

Woe to Those Who Do Not Repent
The apostle Matthew tells us that the Lord also used the word "woe" to denounce the citizens of certain cities (Mat 11:20). In other words, He spoke this word to solemnly declare the impending threat of destruction over their lives.

"Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.'" (Mat 11:20-21; cf., Luk 10:13)

As I pointed out in my article, Was Jesus Seeker Friendly?, the Lord did not cater to the crowds or try to sweet talk them into following Him. He told it like it is. He warned people of their need to repent, and this was a critical part of his message. He did not tolerate the unrepentant or accept a mere "Sinner's Prayer" from such people.

You may be surprised to know that many people who get healed by the Lord, or receive a miracle, do not continue on to follow the Lord. They do not repent, but continue on in their sins. The same is true of others who have seen healing and miracles take place in meetings where the gospel is preached, and yet they do not repent. Woe to them!

Woe to Those Who Become Stumbling Blocks
Jesus said, "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! (Mat 18:7)

In Luke's gospel, He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!" (Luk 17:1)

May the Lord help us not to be someone that makes others stumble into sin. This is a serious sin in God's sight. As the apostle Paul said, let us determine "not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way." (Rom 14:13)

Woe to the Rich
Jesus said, "But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full." (Luk 6:24)

That same mega church pastor that I referred to previously has become very wealthy through his best selling books, and his church brings in 90 million dollars a year. As I have explained in my article, What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?, Scripture warns against the deceitfulness of riches. And as I said in my article, Wisdom for Wealthy Preachers and Prosperity Teachers, it is going to be extremely difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Woe to them.

In light of all the prosperity teaching these days, it's high time we adopt A Biblical View of the Poor.

Woe to the Well-Fed
Jesus said, "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry." (Luk 6:25a)

Some people eat well in this life. They enjoy the best of food and plenty of it. Paul said, " Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things." (Phil 3:19, NIV). Their god is their appetite. Perhaps they even neglect fasting. But in the end, they will go hungry. It will not go well for them. Woe to them!

Woe to Those Who Laugh Now
Jesus said, "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep." (Luk 6:25b).

In heaven there will be much laughing, and in this life, we as followers of Christ have great joy. But we also must be sober, serious. It is not becoming of a disciple of Christ to be always cracking jokes and making fun of things, laughing. As John Wesley said, they "are of a light trifling spirit." Matthew Henry said they "have always a disposition to be merry, and always something to make merry with... and are always entertaining themselves with the laughter of the fool." Sadly there are even preachers like this. Woe to them! For they shall mourn and weep eternally, wailing endlessly with a regretful sorrow that is without ease or remedy.

Woe to You When All Speak Well of You
Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way." (Luk 6:26)

As I wrote in my articles Popularity of the Gospel and Persecuted or Popular?, it is not considered a blessing when everyone speaks well of you. The true gospel is not going to be popular with the majority of the people in the world. And neither are those who preach the true gospel. Therefore, woe to you when all men speak well of you. That's how they treated the false prophets!

Woe to Those Who Love Prominence and Respect
Jesus said, "Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places." (Luk 11:43)

This woe is still relevant today. There are still those, even among ministers, who love having a place of prominence and receiving respectful greetings in public. They love the chief seat, the reserved parking spot, and the place of honor. They love to have people greet them respectfully as "Reverend," "Bishop," "Pastor," "Apostle," or "Prophet." Woe to them. As I said in my article, Clergy-Laity Distinction Unbiblical, we shouldn’t let anyone address us with such titles and we should not address anyone with titles. Rather, we must walk in humility.

Putting it All Together

I hope this has helped to see that our Lord did not neglect to warn us with very serious woes, which we still need to hear today. They have not become any less important or relevant today than they were then. Let's allow the Holy Spirit to bring the conviction to our hearts and repent wherever applicable. And those who preach the gospel should include these woes in their messages just as the Lord did. Live your life today as if there is no tomorrow. With these things the Lord will be pleased.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You are invited to read Was Jesus Seeker Friendly?, The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Wisdom for Wealthy Preachers and Prosperity Teachers, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, Popularity of the Gospel, Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus, Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, A Warning for Married Christian Couples, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part I, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Separation from the World, Life Transformation Groups, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols	Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies	Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven
Baptized by Blazing Fire	Taken to Hell	Angelica Zambrano Second Visit to Hell
Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

If -- A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Dear God-seekers, greetings once again in Jesus Name!

If a picture paints a thousand words, then we should picture the word "if" in golden letters. You see, God has spoken this simple, two-letter word in the Scriptures with regard to our great and glorious salvation, yet so many seem to have missed it.

The popular view of the New Covenant of grace is that reaching heaven is automatic for all Christians. It is assumed that once a person gives his life to Jesus, he is going to make it into the kingdom of heaven no matter what. However, the Bible teaches that there are specific conditions of the New Covenant, just as there were also conditions of the Old Covenant. Let's look at some of those conditions in God's Word, as well as some warnings, which are negative conditions.

I will not include all the conditions, but primarily the ones that contain the golden word "if", which is a primary particle of conditionality. That may be a little word, but it has significant implications for each one of us, when used in the context of the conditions of the covenant in Christ's blood. Therefore, in this article, I will capitalize the word "IF" for emphasis.

Positive Conditions
We begin with the positive conditions.

Enter Through Christ Alone
Jesus said, "I am the door; IF anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (Joh 10:9)

Hear the Lord's Voice and Open the Door of Your Heart
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; IF anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20)

Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
“And He was saying to them all, ‘IF anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” (Luk 9:23)

Become United with Christ in His Death
“For IF we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection…” (Rom 6:5)

“Now IF we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…” (Rom 6:8; cf., 2Ti 2:11)

“But IF by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom 8:13b)

Suffer with Christ
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, IF indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:16-17)

Keep His Commandments and Keep His Word
“And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but IF you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’" (Mat 19:17)

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘IF you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’" (Joh 8:31-32)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, IF anyone keeps My word he will never see death." (Joh 8:51)

"IF you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Joh 14:15)

Jesus answered and said to him, "IF anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (Joh 14:23)

“"You are My friends IF you do what I command you.” (Joh 15:14)

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, IF we keep His commandments.” (1Jn 2:3)

“As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. IF what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” (1Jn 2:24)

Hold Fast the Word
"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, IF you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." (1 Cor 15:1-2)

Love One Another
“No one has seen God at any time; IF we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (1Jn 4:12)

Walk in the Light as He is in the Light
“But IF we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7)

Judge Ourselves Honestly
“But IF we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.” (1Co 11:31)

Eat of Christ, the Living Bread
"I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven; IF anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."  (Joh 6:51)

Be Freed by the Son
"So IF the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (Joh 8:36)

Become a Son
“Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and IF a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal 4:7)

Be in Christ and Belong to Him
“Therefore IF anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2Co 5:17)

“And IF you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:29)

Do the Deeds of Abraham
“Jesus said to them, ‘IF you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.’” (Joh 8:39b)

Forgive Others For Their Transgressions
"For IF you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Mat 6:14; cf., Mk 11:25)

Your Eyes Must Be Clear
"The eye is the lamp of the body; so then IF your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” (Mat 6:22)

Confess with Your Mouth Jesus as Lord, and Believe in Your Heart That God Raised Him from the Dead
“…IF you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved: for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10)

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:32)

Hold Fast Our Confidence and the Boast of Our Hope Firm Until The End
“But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, IF we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” (Heb 3:6)

“For we have become partakers of Christ, IF we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,” (Heb 3:14)

Continue in the Faith Firmly Established and Steadfast, and Not Moved Away from the Hope of the Gospel
"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- IF indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister." (Col 1:21-23).

Endure to the End
“IF we endure, we will also reign with Him… IF we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2Ti 2:12a,13).

"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." (Mat 24:13)

Your Heart Must Not Condemn You
“Beloved, IF our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God…”(1Jn 3:21)

Those Who Have Strayed from the Truth Must Turn Back to God
“My brethren, IF any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas 5:19-20)

Confess Our Sins
“IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9)

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And IF anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” (1Jn 2:1)

Warnings Against Failing to Meet the Conditions
In addition to all the positive conditions listed above, we are also warned in Scripture of the following negative conditions.

Do Not Harden Your Hearts
“He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ‘Today IF you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’" (Heb 4:7)

Do Not Refuse Him Who Speaks
“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For IF those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.” (Heb 12:25)

Do Not Neglect Salvation Through Transgression and Disobedience
“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape IF we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard…” (Heb 2:1-3)

Do Not Fall Away
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but IF it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”  (Heb 6:4-8)

Do Not Fall Short of the Promise of Entering His Rest
“Therefore, let us fear IF, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.” (Heb 4:1)

Do Not Go On Sinning Willfully After Coming to Know the Truth
“For IF we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” (Heb 10:26)

Do Not Shrink Back
“But My righteous one shall live by faith; and IF he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” (Heb 10:38)

Do Not Become Weary in Doing Good
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap IF we do not grow weary.” (Gal 6:9)

Do Not Lose Heart When the Lord Rebukes You or Make Light of His Discipline
“But IF you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Heb 12:8)

Do Not Become Tasteless Salt
"You are the salt of the earth; but IF the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Mat 5:13)

Do Not Fail to Deal Radically with Sin to Remove It
"IF your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Mat 5:29)

"IF your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Mat 5:30)

Forgive Others from Your Heart
"But IF you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Mat 6:15; cf., Mk 11:26)

"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, IF each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."  (Mat 18:34-35)

Do Not Hate Your Brother
“IF someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1Jn 4:20)

Guard Your Eyes, So That You Do Not Become Filled with Darkness
"But IF your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Mat 6:23)

Do Not Become Entangled Again in the Defilements of the World
“For IF, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.” (2Pe 2:20-21)

''But IF that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mat 24:48-51)

Do Not Fail to Carry Your Cross and Follow Jesus, Even at the Expense of Family Relationships
"IF anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luk 14:26-27)

Do Not Fail to Listen to Moses and the Prophets and Believe Christ's Words
"But he said to him, 'IF they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Luk 16:31)

"For IF you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But IF you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (Joh 5:46-47)

Do Not Have Dead Faith without Works
“What use is it, my brethren, IF someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?… Even so faith, IF it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (Jas 2:14,17)

Do Not Love the World nor the Things of the World
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. IF anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1Jn 2:15)

"For what will it profit a man IF he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26; cf., Mar 8:36; Luk 9:25)

Do Not Worship the Beast and His Image or Receive a Mark on the Right Hand or Forehead
“Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘IF anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (Rev 14:9-11)

Do Not Fail to Abide in Christ
"IF anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (Joh 15:6)

Do Not Be Arrogant nor Fail to Continue in God's Kindness
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but IF you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for IF God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, IF you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Rom 11:17-22)

Do Not Live According to the Flesh
“For IF you are living according to the flesh, you must die…” (Rom 8:13a)

Do Not Walk in Darkness
“IF we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;” (1Jn 1:6)

Do Not Deny Your Own Sin
“IF we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1Jn 1:8)

“IF we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1Jn 1:10)

Keep a Tight Rein on Your Tongue
“IF anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.” (Jas 1:26)

Don't Fail to Wake Up
“'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore IF you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” (Rev 3:3)

Don't Destroy the Temple of God
“IF any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1Co 3:17)

Don't Deny Christ
“IF we deny Him, He also will deny us.” (2 Tim 2:12b)

"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:33)

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." (Luk 9:26)

Don't Fail to Love the Lord
“IF anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.” (1Co 16:22)

Putting it All Together
As we have seen in God's Word, reaching heaven is not automatic once you say a prayer to accept Christ. It is not a foregone conclusion. Nor is it assumed that you will reach heaven, simply because you sincerely gave your life to Jesus at one time and still consider yourself a true believer.

There are clearly some conditions we are required to meet. We must do the following: Enter through Christ alone. Hear the Lord's voice and open the door of your heart. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus. Become united with Christ in His death. Suffer with Christ. Keep His commandments and keep His Word. Hold fast the Word of God. Love one another. Walk in the light as He is in the light. Judge yourself honestly. Eat of Christ, the Living Bread. Be freed by the Son. Become a Son. Be in Christ and belong to Him. Do the deeds of Abraham. Forgive others for their transgressions. Your eyes must be clear. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Endure to the end. Your heart must not condemn you. Those who have strayed from the truth must turn back to God. Confess your sins. This is not a complete list, but it gives you a good idea of the conditions God requires for those who wish to reach heaven. Examples of other conditions include the following: (Heb 12:14; Mt 19:21; Lk 9:24).

Those who meet the conditions of the New Covenant receive the following promises: We will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. We will be true disciples of Christ. We will know the truth and the truth will make us free. We will be free indeed. We are new creatures; the old things passed away; all things have become new. We will have continual communion with the Lord. We will come to share in Christ. We will be the Lord’s friends. We will have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. A multitude of sins will be covered. We will be forgiven our sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Our whole bodies will be full of light. We will have confidence before God. We will have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The Lord Jesus and the Father will love us, and will come to us and make Their abode with us. We will be God’s house. God will abide in us, and His love will be perfected in us. We will abide in the Son and in the Father. We shall be in the likeness of Christ’s resurrection. We shall also live with Him. We will enter into life. We will live forever. We will never see death. Our souls will be saved from death. We will be children of Abraham. We will be heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Jesus will confess us before His Father who is in heaven. He will present us before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach. We will also be glorified with Him. We will also reign with Him. We will have treasure in heaven.

There are also many warnings in Scripture against failing to meet the conditions. The following are some examples of these warnings or negative conditions: Do not harden your heart. Do not refuse him who speaks. Do not neglect salvation through transgression and disobedience. Do not fall away. Do not fall short of the promise of entering his rest. Do not go on sinning willfully after coming to know the truth. Do not shrink back. Do not become weary in doing good. Do not lose heart when the Lord rebukes you or make light of His discipline. Do not become tasteless salt. Do not fail to deal radically with sin to remove it. Forgive others from your heart. Do not hate your brother. Guard your eyes, so that you do not become filled with darkness. Do not become entangled again in the defilements of the world. Do not fail to carry your cross and follow Jesus, even at the expense of family relationships. Do not fail to listen to Moses and the prophets and believe Christ's words. Do not have dead faith without works. Do not love the world nor the things of the world. Do not worship the beast and his image or receive a mark in your right hand or forehead. Do not fail to abide in Christ. Do not be arrogant nor fail to continue in God's kindness. Do not live according to the flesh. Do not walk in darkness. Do not deny your own sin. Don’t open your mouth easily. Don't fail to wake up. Don't destroy the temple of God. Don't deny Christ.

Some of the negative consequences for failing to meet the conditions include the following: Being in a worse state than before you ever came to Christ. Being disqualified to be a disciple of Christ. Being illegitimate children and not sons. Being devoid of the truth. Having worthless religion that does you no good. Being useless to God. Being caught off guard by the return of Christ, as a thief in the night. Being denied by Christ before His Father who is in heaven. Being denied forgiveness by God. God’s soul would have no pleasure in you. Failing to enter the promised eternal rest. Being unable to escape eternal punishment. Losing your life. Being destroyed by God. You must die. Being handed over to the torturers. Being thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Being cut to pieces and assigned a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Your whole body would be thrown into hell. Being in darkness. Being unable to repent. Being cut off.  Being burned. Tormented with fire and brimstone. Being accursed.

Therefore, Scripture clearly teaches definite conditions that must be met by those who have entered into the New Covenant with Christ, and if we want to reach heaven, we must meet these conditions. Otherwise we will suffer an even worse punishment than the wicked.

This message is not being preached or taught in most churches, because it's not popular and it doesn't feel good. People like to preach only the positive side of the gospel or the benefits we receive, but they neglect speaking about the negative side or the warnings we must heed. Nevertheless, both the positive and negative sides are part of the gospel. All of these are conditions that must be fulfilled.

I hope you take it to heart and let it encourage you as well as warn you of areas where your soul is in danger. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in your life that is hidden that must go, and then when He does, repent with all your heart and cry out for forgiveness. Mercy is only available while you are on earth. God's standard for heaven is high and He's not going to lower it for anyone. It's high time we get back to the true gospel, seeking holiness and consecration to God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Obedience by the Spirit, The Obedience of Faith, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Pleasing the Lord, The Burning Ones, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Keeping a Good Conscience, Separation from the World, Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, The Ways of Life, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, The Mark of the Beast (666), and Listen to Jesus, Who Upholds Moses and the Prophets. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

The Self-Help Gospel

There is a self-help gospel preached in the world today, which is not the true gospel at all. It is a gospel of self-improvement. Just look in the bookstores and you will find them stocked with best selling books about how to do this or that to improve yourself. I’m not saying that every “how-to” book is bad. I’m just saying that much of what is written in the name of the Lord is not what the Lord would say to us. Let’s look at what the Lord says in His Word.

Hollow and Deceptive Philosophy
The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians and said: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." (Col 2:8). That's a clear warning for us today, as well. We need to make sure we don't let anyone captivate us through hollow and deceptive philosophy. It doesn't matter who they are who teach it. This kind of philosophy does not depend on Christ, but on human tradition and the basic principles of this world.

He went on to challenge those among them who had already begun to fall for these teachings. He wrote: “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” (Col 2:20-23)

Let's remember that Paul was writing to the Colossian church, not to non-believers. They had already died with Christ, and Paul is asking them a question. He asks: “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’” Essentially he is saying that they already died to the world, so why do they act as though they need to live according to basic, worldly regulations about what you can and cannot handle, taste, and touch?

We could ask the same question of the church today. Why do these self-help preachers fool the church? Why do we keep falling for their lies? These are simply the commandments of men and the teachings of men, as Paul puts it. He gives the reason why some people listen to them. He says that these things definitely have the appearance of wisdom. That’s why it’s so enticing. But he exposes it for what it really is: self-made religion, self-abasement, and severe treatment of the body. Let's explore those three things.

Self-made religion
The word in the original Greek language, which this passage was written in, connotes voluntary piety that is arbitrary and unwarranted. It also may connote sanctimony or will worship.

This brings up thoughts of many different practices we see today. For example, we see people exercising voluntary piety that is unwarranted and arbitrary. Outwardly they try to seem pious and sanctimonious. They are part of the “do not handle,” “do not taste,” “do not touch” crowd. Where the Word has given us freedom, they have chosen to forbid themselves and others.

Paul also refers to will worship. The best thing I can use to illustrate what I see as will worship is the phrase, “Believe in yourself!” Or the philosophy that “I can do whatever I set my mind to do.” People who live according to this philosophy essentially worship their own will. They exult in the power of their own will to accomplish good things for themselves. These teachings range all the way from positive thinking and positive confession to various humanistic philosophies that teach man to try and be a good person without God.

All of these are self-made religion. They are man’s attempt to worship according to a way that he in himself determines is right. But these fail to please God. They fail to save anyone or make anyone holy, because they focus on outward performance and outward appearance, rather than on a change of the heart within. They focus on what man can do, rather than on the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and what He can do.

Self-abasement
This word for self-abasement connotes false humility. This is another aspect of the worldly regulations Paul is talking about, which entice us away from the Lord. These regulations may appear to make you humble, but they really don’t do so. You can deny yourself from eating or touching anything you like, and it may appear that you are extremely humble. But we’ll find out how humble you are when someone throws up on you. Some things can be put on like a mask and you can pretend, but under the right circumstances, your pride will shine through.

Only the gospel has the power to save. Paul said he was not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). And when Jesus prayed for his disciples, He prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." (Joh 17:17). He didn't pray that we would be sanctified through the commandments and teachings of men, or through man-made regulations and traditions. Only the Word of God has the power to make you holy.

Severe treatment of the body
The word Paul used to describe severe treatment of the body literally connotes a kind of asceticism, austerity, and neglecting of oneself. The Christian monks of old were famous for sleeping on beds of nails or broken glass, taking vows of silence and depriving themselves the company of other people in order to achieve deeper spiritual lives. It appeals to some people, because it looks spiritual, and it seems so disciplined, orderly, and hard on the flesh. But Paul says that these regulations are of no value against fleshly indulgence. That’s the reality. It’s not that they have some or little value, but they have no value when it comes to dealing with the sinful impulses inside of man.

Again, only the gospel has the power to deal with the flesh, by putting it to death with Christ, and giving us new life in Him.

Food, Drink, and Holiday Police
Some people still teach that certain days are more special or holier than other days.

Paul wrote to the Colossians about such people, saying, “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Col 2:16-17)

If you aren’t in church or celebrating the festival or holiday on that day – whether its Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday, or All Saints Day, you’re looked at by these people as if you are less spiritual. This is what happened to the Galatians. Paul wrote to them saying, “You observe days and months and seasons and years.” (Gal 4:10) Because of this, Paul was concerned that he had labored over the Galatians in vain. There is no Scripture that says you must celebrate the birth of Jesus or His resurrection on a certain day each year. If you love Him, you will worship Him every day.

And we should certainly not let anyone judge us and make us feel less spiritual with regard to the Sabbath Day or any holiday. I have no problem if someone wants to worship the Lord and hold their church meetings on Saturday, rather than Sunday. But when they claim it is more correct, more biblical, or more spiritual to do so, that’s all part of these worldly regulations.

Neither should we let anyone judge us regarding what we eat or drink. For example, there are some who teach that certain diets are scriptural or more spiritual, like being a vegetarian. I'm not saying the Lord condones gluttony or drunkenness. And I agree that some foods and drinks are more healthy than others. But when you are partaking of food or drink in moderation with thankfulness, and someone looks down on you because of it, that’s not the heart of God. It’s all just a shadow of things to come. But reality is found in Christ. Our focus should be on Him, not on the calendar, the cup or the dish.


All these things are part of the written code that has been cancelled. As Paul wrote: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Col 2:13-14)

Paul speaks to disciples of Christ. He says, when you were in a place where you could do absolutely nothing for yourself, because you were completely dead in sin, it was then that Christ made you alive together with Him. It was then He forgave all your transgressions. It was then that He canceled out the written code that was against you with all its decrees and regulations. The Holy Spirit described it like this through the prophet Ezekiel when He said, “When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!'” (Eze 16:6) It’s a picture of you lying there in their own blood, squirming and about to die. The Lord saw you there as He passed by and said, “Live!” By His mighty power, He made you alive with Christ. His Word has power! His cross has power! It was through no effort of your own.

The true gospel
This is the true gospel – repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 2:38; 16:30). Paul says to the Romans, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." (Rom 10:9-11). This means you need to believe in your heart that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and confess Him as Lord of your life with your mouth. If you do so, you will be saved.

Putting it All Together
I think the Scripture is very clear about all this. Don’t let anyone judge your spirituality based on what you eat or drink or whether you observe certain festivals or Sabaaths. We’re not supposed to observe days and months and years on the calendar. And it’s not what you put into your body, but what comes out of your mouth that defiles it.

Don’t pay attention to those who preach the self-help gospel. They tell you not to taste, touch, or handle certain things. They are the ones who promote self-made religion, unwarranted piety, self-abasement and harsh treatment of the body. None of these things has any power to restrain the sinful nature with its self-indulgence. They deal with the outward performance, not the inward matters of the heart and character.

Instead, focus on Jesus Christ. Reality is found in Him. He alone can save you in your most depraved and helpless state. And it's only through the power of His Word and His Spirit that you can become more like Jesus.

For more on this topic, be sure and see the other posts in this blog, especially Righteousness, Peace, and Joy. There are also some other authors on this topic, including one by Mark Lauterbach, and another article by the American Presbyterian Church, with which I am not associated in any official capacity.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This "Seeking the Lord" blog has become very popular in France. The reason for this is uncertain, but I am humbled and delighted that it has generated such a great interest there. To God be all the glory! If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.