The pink, red, and soft-soap gospel is very popular. Just believe in Jesus Christ and everything will be fine. You’re saved. Everything else is unimportant. A fatal miscalculation, because it takes a whole lot more. And time is slowly running out for that.
Inhalt / Content
Fabric Detergent Gospel
Get baptized, go to church or congregation, say, “I believe in Jesus,” and you’re saved. After all, Jesus took all my sins upon Himself through His sacrifice on the cross, paying for them—past, present, and future. The “clear” statement on this can be found in John 6:47:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.“
That’s why Jesus abolished the law, no longer necessary, living only under grace, and that’s it, all done and dusted. What could possibly go wrong, and whoever continues to believe in Jesus can no longer be lost.
Such a cozy gospel has become the widespread norm, as it is unfortunately regularly preached from the pulpits. “Love” is sufficient, after all, Jesus also formulated the “new” laws of love.
Apparent contradictions are excluded
Clear statements like those in 1 John 2:4, on the other hand, are simply ignored, let alone considered whether it represents a contradiction in the Bible or whether one’s own view of things might need to be corrected.
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.“
“For my salvation, I only need to believe in Jesus, says John 6:47. 1 John 2:4 does say something about commandments to be kept, but that doesn’t matter. The first is better, and my gut feeling tells me I’m right.” This, or something similar, is the usual approach when only individual, pleasant-sounding fragments of verses are picked up, but without any effort to understand the context, let alone to create an overall picture.
People who adhere to such a rosy gospel don’t even notice the obvious contradiction between the laws proclaimed to be abolished and the sins that will continue to be forgiven in the future. Sin is defined by the law, and without a law, there can be no sin at all. Abolishing God’s laws (the Ten Commandments) would create a true paradox to the entire gospel.
Accordingly, the person continues on his current path in life, unconcerned, with rose-tinted glasses. He believes himself to be saved because he has finally believed in Jesus. However, he fails to realize that faith in Jesus Christ concerns not only His existence and His healing work as a human being in this world, but the “whole package.” Anyone who therefore believes they can simply continue on their current path will inevitably suffer shipwreck.
Jesus Christ set shining examples
Jesus Christ came into this world not only “in sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3) to take upon Himself our sins, to pay our punishment vicariously, and to purchase at a high price the right to pardon, but also to set a shining example in his way of life.
The term “sinful flesh” doesn’t mean that Jesus Christ was a sinner, for He was and is without any sin, but rather that He came into this world as a completely normal human being who could have fallen. Ultimately, knowing this, the adversary tried to tempt Jesus Christ to sin (after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness). In doing so, Jesus Christ proved that it is entirely possible for people to overcome sin through their true, firm faith. Therefore, faith IN Jesus is better understood as having faith “LIKE” Jesus.
By the way:
The Catholic concept of the “Immaculate Mary,” that is, her liberation from “original sin,” strictly excludes the possibility of “sinful flesh.” According to this Catholic tradition, Mary would have been liberated from the “sinful flesh,” and Jesus Christ would therefore not have come into this world in the “sinful flesh.”
The Church of Rome thus denies Romans 8:3. John gives an important hint on this in 2 John 1:7:
“DFor many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (Info)
The unconditional overcoming
As Jesus Christ emphasized through John on Patmos, especially in the Book of Revelation, the goal is to “overcome.” Overcome what? The world, worldly standards, sinful living, and, as a rule, the previous way of life (Info). This completely precludes the continuation of the previous way of life.
Looking to Jesus means not only contemplating His self-sacrifice on the cross, but also striving to take on His nature. This is primarily expressed by following the Lamb wherever He goes (Rev. 14:4-5). This is also expressed in Matthew 10:38:
“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.“
Obvious discrepancy
Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:9) for disobedience, that is, for disregarding or breaking the law. Given this perspective, who would think that God would fill His kingdom of heaven with (“saved”) people who still delight in sin? Probably very few. But this is precisely the result of “theology”; one only needs faith and a great deal of love (in what, and toward whom, exactly?), and the “rest” would take care of itself.
Just as there will be no second chance, for “once we die, then the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27), there will also be no subsequent change of character. Either one has already been purified in character, resembling Jesus, by the time of Jesus’ return, or one falls by the wayside. Period. 1 John 3:2-3:
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.“
Before “finished” and not after
When Jesus Christ returns, “we,” that is, the true believers among God’s people, will already be like Jesus in character. It is already complete. This hope for His return motivates the true believer to cleanse themselves from sin and impurity. This applies to the entire environment of life, including what ends up on the dinner plate. 1 Corinthians 10:31:
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.“
Those who, despite the greatest opposition that will surely arise, still hold fast to the written Word of God, do not deviate from it at all costs, have come very close to the character of Jesus and therefore naturally want to keep the commandments, will also become the final and exclusive target of persecution (Revelation 12:17)..
The Necessary Process of Sanctification
Forgiveness of sins is promised by God after confession (1 John 1:9), and God guarantees it. But this is only half the process. One’s own purification (cleansing) through God’s power is the other half. This is the process of sanctification and takes time. It’s a process that accompanies one’s entire life.
Strictly speaking, the process must be completed long before the return of Jesus Christ, for the day will come when, like the gate of Noah’s Ark, the final hatches will be closed for good. The judgments have been pronounced, the seal of God has been distributed (Revelation 7), and the others have received the mark of the beast. Nothing can be done now. Revelation 22:11:
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.“
Externally visible transformation
Loving the truth, purifying oneself from impurity, emulating the character of Jesus Christ, and thereby also wanting to keep God’s commandments. These are the essential, even outwardly visible, characteristics of a believer according to the gospel.
1 Peter 1:22:
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:”
Acts 5:32:
“And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.“
Even for this, it was Jesus Christ himself who set the shining example, Ephesians 5:25-27:
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.“
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Offenbarung 22,14-15
Bible verses from King James Version (1611)
