Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguild Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, 2 Corinthians 11:3.
The serpent told Eve that if they ate of the tree in the midst of the Garden they would become as God's knowing good from evil, Genesis 3:5. They didn't become as God's, they became cursed sinners.
The Gospel is a very simple message. It is so simple that many miss it or can't understand it, while religion like the serpents message is complex and confusing.
Here is the Gospel in a nutshell.
"Therefore as by one man's disobedience (Adam) many were MADE sinners, so by the obedience of one (Christ) many shall be MADE righteous" Romans 5:18.
That's it! Do you believe it? All that Jesus Christ was and all that he did was for our justification, Romans 3:26. As God's new Adam and our representative he has justified, sanctified and redeemed us, 1 Corinthians 1:30. This salvation that God has provided for us in Jesus Christ becomes ours by simple child like faith in Christ, Romans 5:1.
This simple, truthful message has been corrupted by Satan. Calvinism. I have yet to hear a Calvinist explain how Jesus only made a limited atonement and not a full atonement for all of the sins of the whole world. How did God and Jesus work that out with the devil? If Jesus did not make a full atonement for all of the sins of the world, then that means that Satan was not destroyed. This is some very complex doctrine. The scripture plainly says that Jesus atoned for the sins of the whole world.
"And he is a propitiation for our sins: and not ours only, but also for THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD" 1 John 2:2.
When a Calvinist reads this he goes deaf, dumb and blind. It is though this scripture is not even in the Bible. And then there is 1 John 4:14 that basically says the same thing. Their minds have been corrupted by the simplicity that is in Christ. If Jesus did not atone for the sins of the whole world then Jesus is not Lord. He is a fraud and should be removed from his position at the right hand of God. Calvinism is very complex and confusing religion.
Catholicism is about the same. It is so full of do's and dont's that you have to take a course to become a member of the Catholic church. "The Council of Trent" has composed about 35 canons that tell you what and how you should believe. At the end of each one of these canons they tell you that if you don't believe these canons, you are "Anathema" which means you are kicked out of the Catholic church. To be kicked out of the Catholic church is to be assigned to hell. It is all very complex and confusing. If you are going to become a Catholic be prepared to believe and do many, many things, many of which are not in the Bible. It is the religion of you must, you must, you must and if you don't, you are anathema.
In religion the burden of salvation is on the believer. In Christianity the burden of salvation is on Christ. In religion you must become good enough. In Christianity Christ is good enough for us. In religion salvation is all about you. In Christianity salvation is all about Jesus Christ. His life, His death, His resurrection, His position at the right hand of God. Jesus was not only God with us, Jesus was also God for us.
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguild Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, 2 Corinthians 11:3.
The serpent told Eve that if they ate of the tree in the midst of the Garden they would become as God's knowing good from evil, Genesis 3:5. They didn't become as God's, they became cursed sinners.
The Gospel is a very simple message. It is so simple that many miss it or can't understand it, while religion like the serpents message is complex and confusing.
Here is the Gospel in a nutshell.
"Therefore as by one man's disobedience (Adam) many were MADE sinners, so by the obedience of one (Christ) many shall be MADE righteous" Romans 5:18.
That's it! Do you believe it? All that Jesus Christ was and all that he did was for our justification, Romans 3:26. As God's new Adam and our representative he has justified, sanctified and redeemed us, 1 Corinthians 1:30. This salvation that God has provided for us in Jesus Christ becomes ours by simple child like faith in Christ, Romans 5:1.
This simple, truthful message has been corrupted by Satan. Calvinism. I have yet to hear a Calvinist explain how Jesus only made a limited atonement and not a full atonement for all of the sins of the whole world. How did God and Jesus work that out with the devil? If Jesus did not make a full atonement for all of the sins of the world, then that means that Satan was not destroyed. This is some very complex doctrine. The scripture plainly says that Jesus atoned for the sins of the whole world.
"And he is a propitiation for our sins: and not ours only, but also for THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD" 1 John 2:2.
When a Calvinist reads this he goes deaf, dumb and blind. It is though this scripture is not even in the Bible. And then there is 1 John 4:14 that basically says the same thing. Their minds have been corrupted by the simplicity that is in Christ. If Jesus did not atone for the sins of the whole world then Jesus is not Lord. He is a fraud and should be removed from his position at the right hand of God. Calvinism is very complex and confusing religion.
Catholicism is about the same. It is so full of do's and dont's that you have to take a course to become a member of the Catholic church. "The Council of Trent" has composed about 35 canons that tell you what and how you should believe. At the end of each one of these canons they tell you that if you don't believe these canons, you are "Anathema" which means you are kicked out of the Catholic church. To be kicked out of the Catholic church is to be assigned to hell. It is all very complex and confusing. If you are going to become a Catholic be prepared to believe and do many, many things, many of which are not in the Bible. It is the religion of you must, you must, you must and if you don't, you are anathema.
In religion the burden of salvation is on the believer. In Christianity the burden of salvation is on Christ. In religion you must become good enough. In Christianity Christ is good enough for us. In religion salvation is all about you. In Christianity salvation is all about Jesus Christ. His life, His death, His resurrection, His position at the right hand of God. Jesus was not only God with us, Jesus was also God for us.
