What's the difference between those who do and teach God's commandments and those who don't?

What's the difference between those who do and teach God's commandments and those who don't?
Many radical grace preachers will say, "Of course, many differences! But the main difference is: those who do and teach are not the grace preachers; they are law preachers. They are critical, demanding, inconsiderate, law-conscious, sin-conscious, cold, hypocritical, legalistic, ... and they will behave like the Pharisees who would always go around judging others. They are the 'fire and brimstones' or 'dooms and glooms' preachers. They can only preach repentance, repentance, repentance, and nothing else .. But do you know that Jesus is different? Whenever He met the sinners, He would look them into the eyes and said, "God has forgiven you all your sins, past, present, and future sins.". He said to the thief on the cross, "Today you are with me in paradise..". He said to Zacchaeus, "Today is salvation come to this house". He said to the adulterous woman, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more". He said to the prodigal son, "Say no more. You are already forgiven whether you confess your sins or not .." He said to Samaritan woman, "You said well, 'I have no husbands..' in that saidst thou truly". What would Jesus say to the sinners or us today? He would say that He would never condemn us even if we sin. He loves all the sinners and us who still sin, lie, steal, murder, commit adulteries, and break all the commandments of God. In contrast, Jesus would hate the Pharisees or the self-righteous who still keep the commandments of God, boast about how well they can keep, do, and teach the laws of God.. Jesus never rebuked the sinners. In fact, Jesus said good things about the Samaritan woman. He complimented her for saying the truth. He said to her, You said well, 'I have no husband'. In another words, Jesus said to her, You've said it beautifully .. you are cool .. "
I will ask them, Are you sure, Jesus never rebuked the sinners? Please read your Bible again. If you think that you are a believer and therefore you can still sin, you would be the first one to be rebuked. You may think that you are under grace, but your behaviour or thinking is no difference from those who sinned under the law or who sinned like the Pharisees. Hence, Jesus would rebuke all the sinners whether they will still sin under the law (like the Pharisees) or sin under grace (like the false prophets). Jesus would not rebuke the sinners only if they will repent. The sinners who have been forgiven by Jesus in your illustration above are all the sinners who would repent or who had repented, even though the word 'repent' or 'repentance' was not mentioned there. It did not matter if repentance came first or forgiveness of sins came first. It did not matter if Jesus forgive their sins first or if they repented first. It did not matter if Jesus preached repentance to them first or if Jesus forgave them first. The important thing is: there must be both repentance and forgiveness of sins for any sinner who come to God. It means that there must still be the preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins when we preach the gospel today - repentance and remissions of sins must be preached together in His name:    

• Luk 24:45-48 KJV  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  (48)  And ye are witnesses of these things.

Jesus did not always preach compliments (or say the nice things) to all the sinners
I will tell them, You said that Jesus did not rebuke the Samaritan woman because she sinned and she said it matter-of-factly that she had no husband; but He complimented her. Do you use that example to conclude that Jesus will complement the false prophets too because they can say it matter-of-factly and say it well too? No, Jesus does not complement all sinners. There are many sinners who do not deserve His compliments if they do not know repentance or if they fake their repentance, like the Pharisees:

• Luk 13:2-10 KJV  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?  (3)  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  (4)  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  (5)  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  (6)  He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  (7)  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  (8)  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  (9)  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.  (10)  And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

Many radical grace preachers argue that the Bible passage was a rebuke or warning only for the Pharisees or the Jews who were hypocrites. But I will tell them, Yes, Jesus might have rebuked and warned the Pharisees or the hypocrites who were there when He preached it to the congregation in the synagogue; but His rebuke and warning is still the same to all the sinners who are outside the synagogue today too.


Jesus would always convict the sinners (or believers who sin) to repent

• Joh 16:7-13 KJV  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  (8)  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  (9)  Of sin, because they believe not on me;  (10)  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;  (11)  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.  (12)  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  (13)  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

I will ask the radical grace preachers, What is the meaning of  'reprove'? Is it to judge, condemn, or eliminate? No, it is to rebuke, correct, convict, or teach. Of course, it will use harsh words or hard sayings; not  smooth words or vain words, to teach.  Hence, when Jesus or the Holy Spirit reproves the world or convicts the world of sin, they do it to bring sinners (or believers who sin in the world) to repentance. Hence, most sinners who repent will see it as the conviction unto righteousness; but those who cannot repent will see it as the conviction unto judgement.   

• Rev 3:17-20 KJV  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  (18)  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  (19)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.  (20)  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
• 2Ti 4:2 KJV  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
• 2Ti 3:16-17 KJV  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
• Tit 1:11-13 KJV  Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.  (12)  One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.  (13)  This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; (This Bible verse is still a great warning against some preachers if one of themselves confessed that they themselves are always liars - he said it well and this witness could be true.)
• Heb 12:6-14 KJV  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  (7)  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  (8)  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  (9)  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  (10)  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  (11)  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. .. (14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord

The attitude of a believer still matters a lot when it comes to God's rebuke, reproof, or commandment
So, if we have been rebuked, reproved, or chastened, what should we do? Do we vehemently argue, always justify ourselves with the thinking of grace, accuse all others who bring rebuke as the devils, listen only to those who brainwash us or bring the false inner peace to our souls, or simply shut our ears to any teaching of reproof, warning, or commandment of God? No, if we have been convicted, we simply open ourselves to all the words of God and understand that we still need more grace; we don't become provoked against any word of rebuke or commandment from God:

• Heb 3:7-16 KJV  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,  (8)  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:  (9)  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.  (10)  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.  (11)  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)  (12)  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  (13)  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  (14)  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;  (15)  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.  (16)  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

Those who do not do and teach His commandments are the least in the kingdom of God

• Mat 5:16-19 KJV  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  (17)  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  (18)  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  (19)  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
• Rev 22:13-15 KJV  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  (14)  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.  (15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Now, we are ready to talk about the difference between those who do and teach God's commandments and those who don't. Of course, the attitude is different. Those who still do and teach God's commandments can only keep doing it if they have the attitude or conviction to keep doing it. But those who cannot do it will argue and find all kinds of excuses not to do it. They may just say that they are more righteous than those who still do and teach the laws of God, and hence, they don't have to do it anymore.  They will boast, "We are not like the Pharisees or the law preachers who are the hypocrites. We do not commit adultery, do not lie, do not steal, do not practise sorceries, illusion, delusion, or deception to impress others, do not say vain things in the pulpits, do not joke about our sex, do not horn impatiently at other drivers who cut into our lane, do not say vulgarities when angry, do not deal dishonestly with others, do not visit pornography websites, do not ignore those who come to our churches with needs, do not kick the dogs, do not falsely accuse others who preach the laws, do not speak hypocritically against others .."  However, God knows.
I will tell them, It is better for you to do and teach nothing than to preach many things arrogantly against His words and commandments and later find that you are an enemy of The Word of God.
Of course, it is a known fact that all of us are not perfect and we can never keep all the laws of God perfectly well. But can this give you or your fellow preachers the justification to preach against God's will for us to keep His words and commandments? No, God forbid.

** Those who do not do and teach God's commandments will try to twist His words
Hence, those who do not do and teach His words and commandments are not only different from God's preachers; they could be worst than the sinners or the non-believers who do not know God. It's because:

• They could be the false prophets or the enemies of The Word of God. And they will find all kinds of justification to falsely accuse those, who will still do and teach The Word of God. They will accuse all others who do not preach like them. They will influence other to think of them or condemn them as the hypocrites, Pharisees, legalistic, ungracious, or angry preachers who sin more than the false prophets. Rev 19:13-19 KJV  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God .. (19) And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
• They could be the thieves of the words of God. I will tell them, You have said well,"We do not commit adultery, we do not steal, we do not lie (or bear false witnesses), do not practise sorcery (or worship other Gods) .... ". You have said it beautifully in your marriage seminars or youth seminars when you taught beautifully about your love for your spouse and your obedience to your parents too. Obviously you knew God's commandments very well after studying the Old Testament more than those who never read their Bible. Although you preached against sins and lawlessness using your own words and did not quote the Ten Commandments as the do's and don't in the Old Testament, you can't deny that you have plagiarized from there. Hence, how can you say that you have better teaching than the words or commandments of God? How can you claim the credit and boast that your teaching about loving your wives and obedience to your parents is your own teaching and it is better than the Ten Commandments of God, after the people have listened to your plagiarized commandments and do not sin, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie .. etc.  Obviously, you have sinned against God not because you have told the people not to sin, not to dishonour their parents, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to lie .., but because you have lied or become a lie yourselves !
• They could be 'hybrid twisters' of God's commandments (See "If we find that he is a 'hybrid twister" in my previous post here). Obviously, people who twist the words of God has motives. It does not matter whether their motives are genuinely good or evil. But in the sight of God, if they twist His words to help the sinners (to sin or not to sin), they would always be considered as false prophets. Many may think that they should never be condemned because they twisted the words of God for a very noble course - ie. to help the sinners to live better lives, more successful lives, or more prosperous lives, with more inner peace and comfort; but less conviction of sins and condemnation; and therefore, they should have all the justification to preach anything they like,  stop preaching any negative word (eg. 'commandments, laws, doctrine, warnings, or repentance'), and replace it with better word (eg. 'grace, words, love, peace, right believing', .. etc). Many have argued that 'Grace can teach, Grace supplies'; but 'God's laws or God's doctrine cannot teach; it demands, or if it can teach, it would not teach better than grace'. I will ask them, Does it make sense to create such a stupid argument and draw people into it? It is like creating a stupid scenario by asking, "Which one can teach? God can teach, or God's words can teach?" I will tell them, What's the difference? I am not bothered whether you insist that 'grace can teach, Jesus can teach, Holy Spirit can teach, the Ark of Covenant can teach, the laws of God can teach, or The Word of God can teach' based on which of the following Bible verses:

• Col 3:16-17 KJV  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  (17)  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
• Tit 2:1-4 KJV  But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine .. (4)  That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
• Tit 2:11-12 KJV  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  (12)  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
• Joh 16:7-11 KJV  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  (8)  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ..
• 2Ti 3:16-17 KJV  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
• Heb 8:10-11 KJV  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:  (11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 
• Psa 1:1-2 KJV  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  (2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
• Mat 3:8-9 KJV  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  (9)  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  

Of course, God can cause many things to teach. God do not rely only on grace to teach. However, if you insist that only the stones can teach, only your foot, your shoes, your doctrine, or your 'grace' can teach better and because of this you can always teach better than God's doctrine, God's commandments, God's warnings, God's principles, God's laws, God's words, or the Bible, something is wrong. If you still insist, I can say that my birds, my dogs, and my fishes at home can teach too. Amen. 

The true doers of God's words are those who do and teach God's commandments
Many will still argue, "For your info, we are still God's preachers. We still preach many good things or positive things from the Bible. We do not commit adultery, do not lie, do not steal, do not practise sorceries, illusion, delusion, or deception to impress others, do not say vain things in the pulpits, do not joke about our sex, do not horn impatiently at other drivers who cut into our lane, do not say vulgarities when angry, do not deal dishonestly with others, do not visit pornography websites, do not ignore those who come to our churches with needs, do not kick the dogs, do not falsely accuse others who preach the laws, do not speak hypocritically against others ..  So, how can you say that we don't do and teach the words of God. We are still the doers of God's words. We still do the commandments of God, err .. .. although we don't always teach the commandments of God like the Pharisees do (or like you do) ..  "
I will tell them, You said well, "We don't commit adultery, don't kick the dogs, don't get angry, .." in that saidst thou truly. You said beautifully and graciously, like the Samaria woman:

• Joh 4:17-19 KJV  The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:  (18)  For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.   

However, please think, Can you say that everyone who do not commit adultery, do not kick the dogs, do not get angy .. is the doer of God's words too? If this is true, are all the monks, gurus, priests, and believers, from other religions doers of God's words too? Do you know that there are many non-believers who live more righteously than us but the Lord would never say that they are the doer of His words? Hence, we are not a doer of God's words by just obeying or doing the commandments of God; we must do and teach the commandments of God based on the words that proceed out of the mouth of God; not from the mouth of the false prophets. That's why Jesus said that we must live by the written words of God; not by the words of the 'ding dong bell' preachers who keep confusing the people or the words of those who will tempt us to depart from the commandments or the written words of God:

• Mat 4:4 KJV  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
• Mat 7:15-24 KJV  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. .. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  (21)  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
• Rev 22:13-15 KJV  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  (14)  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.  (15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
• Jas 1:22-25 KJV  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  (23)  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  (24)  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  (25)  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
• Mat 13:23 KJV  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
• Mar 4:20 KJV  And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
• Luk 8:15 KJV  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.
• Mat 5:16-19 KJV  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  (17)  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  (18)  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  (19)  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Many preachers think that if they preach and tell the people not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to lie, and not to sin without saying that they are preaching God's commandments, the people would obey  God's commandments better. I will tell them, Please don't deceive the people. If you say that grace will teach them not to commit adultery and then tell them that they do not have to keep the commandment, do you think they will truly obey God? You may think that all of them will obey your 'words of grace teaching' not to commit adultery, but not all of them will obey it when they know that it is no longer a God's commandment which they must keep. Yes, you may have successfully and creatively (deceitfully) taken away their fear of being judged by a God's commandment, but at the same time you have also made His commandment of none effect with your own doctrine:

• Mat 15:5-11 KJV  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;  (6)  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.  (7)  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,  (8)  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  (9)  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  (10)  And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:  (11)  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

When you twist the commandments of God, make them of none effect, and spew out false doctrine from your mouth, you do not defile yourselves only; you defile all those who hear from you also.    

• Rev 12:15-17 KJV  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  (16)  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.  (17)  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
• Rev 16:12-15 KJV ..  (13)  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  (14)  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  (15)  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

::
   
 

We all have our own 'Lazarus'

We all have our own 'Lazarus'

• Luk 16:15-31 KJV  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.  (16)  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.  (17)  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail... (19)  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  (20)  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,  (21)  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  (22)  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; .. (27)  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  (28)  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. .. (30)  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  (31)  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Many would think that there is no more 'Lazarus' in our world, churches, or lives, but only plenty of rich believers, CEOs, tycoons, millionaires, and prosperity preachers.


But does it mean that the poor won't see any 'Lazarus' because they themselves are the 'Lazarus'?
Many believers, who think that they are poor or they are too poor to help others, would conclude that the teaching of the Lord on the rich man and Lazarus is no longer practical for them. Hence, they love the teaching of the radical grace preachers who conclude that all the teachings of Jesus, before His crucification, are Old Testament teachings for the Jews or for those who were under the law. They feel that radical grace is the New Testament message which has set them free from the teaching of the Lord on God's laws and commandments to love and help those who are in needs. Hence, they would justify that as long as they confess the name of the Lord and criticise those who pray or believe like the Pharisees, they would be the grace or New Testament believers who can never be condemned or judged, even if they do not keep any God's commandments to help the poor.
I will tell them, The parable of the rich man and Lazarus was not only a real case in which a beggar named Lazarus had died; it was also a parable of the parables for everyone in the world, including the sinners, Jews, and the believers. Why? It is from law and the prophets (see v16 above) which will not pass away until everything is fulfilled at the judgement day when the Lord will judge both the 'sheep' and the 'goats':

• Mat 25:31-46 KJV  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:  (32)  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:  (33)  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.  (34)  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  (35)  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  (36)  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  (37)  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  (38)  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?  (39)  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  (40)  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.  (41)  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  (42)  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:  (43)  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.  (44)  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?  (45)  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.  (46)  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.   

Does it mean that the preachers are more righteous because they have believed God?
Many preachers would say, "Oh, those 'goats' can never be us because we are the believers. Believers, according to the Bible, can never be 'goats'. If we have been set free and given the power of grace to be the children of God, to be sheep, or to be the light of the world, how can we be in the darkness or become 'goats' again? No, it is impossible. Once we are saved, we are forever saved. Once we are justified by faith, we can never be condemned again. We can never be condemned just because we have sinned a few sins. No, all our sins have been forgiven - past, present, and future sins.. Don't let any false prophets rob you of the assurance of God's salvation .."
I will tell them, Of course, the true believers who do the words of God can never be the 'goats'. However, if you sin and twist the words of God, you can be the 'goats' even if you do not sin like the Gentiles. How can you give a false promise to the believers when the Lord did not say that we can sin and still be righteous. Yes, the Lord did say that all our sins are forgiven because we have repented; but He did not say that all our sins are forgiven even if we do not repent and do His words. Please think, If all our future sins are forgiven without us doing anything, why did Jesus tell the disciples to pray like this:

• Luk 11:1-4 KJV  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.  (2)  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.  (3)  Give us day by day our daily bread.  (4)  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

However, many radical grace preachers deceive us and say, "If we will sin a few sins in the future, those sins will be all forgiven too .. It's ok to keep thinking about this, so that should you sin again, you will know that you are always forgiven .. and this will make you love the Lord even more .. " I will tell them, No, this will only make people love you more .. because the Lord did not make such a false promise. No, if you confess, make plan, or think of sinning any sins in the future without any repentance, how can all your future sins be forgiven based on your self-confessed, past, or obsolete repentance which you have made many years ago when you first repented or believed (10, 20, or 50 years ago)? No, you can't deceive God even if you boast and argue that you did it from a genuine heart of belief or repentance many years ago.
Hence, I don't think that the preachers today are exempted from seeing any 'Lazarus' in their lives too. If they are honest themselves, they would not only teach others; but also themselves. They would not just keep criticising against the scribes and Pharisees who could not see any 'Lazarus' in their lives; they would also reflect and ask themselves, "Have I 'walked by the other way' to avoid seeing any 'Lazarus' in my life too?" :

Luk 10:23-37 KJV  And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:  (24)  For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  (25)  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  (26)  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?  (27)  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.  (28)  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.  (29)  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?  (30)  And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  (31)  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  (32)  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.  (33)  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,  (34)  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  (35)  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.  (36)  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?  (37)  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.       

In fact, there are many 'ways' which we use to avoid seeing any 'Lazarus' in our lives. We may not walk by the other way, like the priest or the Levi in the 'parable of the good Samaritan' above. We may not follow many Old Testament laws, circumcision rules, and temple rituals, to avoid seeing any 'Lazarus', like the priest or the Levi in the parable. However, today when we come before the Lord, do we still use 'our ways' to avoid seeing any 'Lazarus' in our lives? We may have sung many beautiful songs and praises, prayed fervently and enthusiastically, worshipped with many fantastic sounds and musical instruments, and heard very anointing messages from the pulpits. However, have we used all these to blind our minds from seeing any 'Lazarus' in our lives? If we do, we do not know the Lord and His words.
   
 
Does it mean that the rich men today won't see any 'Lazarus' because they don't see any beggars at their doorsteps?
No, neither do I need to help the rich men to see it. I do not want to talk too much about it. If they are the non-believers and they do not know the Bible, God can still speak to them in many other ways. If they are self-deceiving, they may still argue with God and say, "No, where, where is 'Lazarus'? I don't see any beggar at my doorsteps. In fact, I don't even see my neighbours; let alone beggars. However,  I do see more and more security guards for our pastors and churches. I know of some pastors who would preach with two big 'black angels' beside them.. oh, yes, I mean, 'two strong security guards in black uniform' sitting or standing at both sides of their pulpits below. Today we are all living in well protected home and  churches, including the pastors who are setting an example for us. Few people or neighbours can come near to us because of our affluent and modern lifestyle. Therefore, it is normal for us to hardly see any neighbour or 'Lazarus' like it was during the time of 'the good Samaritan'. If you still want to find any 'Lazarus' as your neighbour today, please go to the third world countries. But, as far as good work is concerned, we have done enough for everyone around us here. So, don't bother us, please .."  But one day, the Lord will make them reflect. He will ask them, "Have you 'walked by the other way' to avoid seeing any 'Lazarus' in your life too? Have you understood, Who is my neighbour?"
But I will now tell the radical grace preachers, If the parable of the rich man and Lazarus was only for the Jews who were rich or only for those who had beggars at their doorsteps, then the teaching of the Lord would be too miserably limited or lacking for the whole world. It would not have any great impact to the world. No, if the words of the Lord is powerful enough, it should be preached as the light and salt to the world, and even as the sword of the Spirit too. It should bring a shaking conviction and shock to those who are still 'sleeping'. 

• Mat 7:15-29 KJV  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  (16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits ...  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity ... (28)  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:  (29)  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
• Mat 22:33-46 KJV  And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.  (34)  But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.  (35)  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,  (36)  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  (37)  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  (40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  (41)  While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ..  (46)  And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
• Mar 1:15-22 KJV  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel ... (22)  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
• Mar 4:2-9 KJV  And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,  (3)  Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: .. (9)  And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
• Mar 11:17-18 KJV  And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.  (18)  And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
• Joh 7:15-17 KJV  And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?  (16)  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.  (17)  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
• Rom 6:16-18 KJV  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  (17)  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  (18)  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
• Rom 16:17-19 KJV  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  (18)  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.  (19)  For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
• Tit 2:7 KJV  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
• 2Jn 1:9-10 KJV  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  (10)  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

The 'Lazarus' message is still relevant for many of us, especially the believers 
Many may still wonder, Why do I talk about the 'Lazarus' message; not about the grace message? Apart from the reason that it is the Lord's message, I want to talk about it now because it has been greatly distorted or ignored by many preachers. The 'Lazarus' message is the Lord's teaching which will reveal that radical grace and 'prosperity gospel' have no place or very little place in the heart of a true follower of Jesus Christ:

1. Radical grace teaching gives the hidden message to everyone, including the millionaires and the rich, that everyone is a 'Lazarus'. Hence, everyone thinks that he or she is still the 'Lazarus' who still needs more grace, more favour, more success, more blessing, and more prosperity. In another words, everyone would be influenced to think that God's grace is not sufficient and, therefore, they need radical grace and confess it radically as taught by the radical grace preachers. They need to hear more radical grace, confess for more radical grace, pray for more radical grace, and prosper more with radical grace. That's why this will also, sooner or later, lead them to believe and accept the 'prosperity gospel'.
2. But the 'Prosperity gospel' is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. It gives the same hidden message to everyone, including the millionaires and the rich, that they are not rich enough, successful enough, healthy enough, or spiritual enough, to help anyone. Hence, many may still think that they are too poor to do anything for the 'Lazarus', except for praying, thinking, or confessing for more and more prosperity, even though they have already prospered enough. Hence, if they are the millionaires or billionaires, they would still keep confessing for more and more and more and more .. But, when will they stop confessing (or thinking) and start doing something for the 'Lazarus' ?  God knows ..

• Luk 12:15-22 KJV  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  (16)  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:  (17)  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  (18)  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  (20)  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  (21)  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.  (22)  And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

He who has eyes to see, let him see
I believe that the Lord want all of us to see beyond our mental desires and the natural. I have explained why the Lord want us to hear beyond our hearing or think beyond our thinking too. I have explained why the Lord would never tell those, who have ears to hear, to hear only; or have eyes to see, to see only; or have brain to think, to think only; or have faith to believe, to believe only (see "Jesus did not say, Hear only; He said, Hear , Receive, & Do" in my previous post here.). Obviously, the rich man who created barns after barns of commodities in the parable above had seen only bigger barns or more barns in his mind; he could not see greater suffering or more suffering of the people as a result of his 'hogging' - a selfish act which is used to block the regular supply of the basic goods in the market and then sell it later to the needy with an inflated price. 
Similarly, many religious preachers or false prophets today could have blinded themselves and others from seeing the true spiritual situation around them too. They may not do religious businesses or practices to sell pigeons, oxen, sheep, utensils, holy water, circumcision service, or sacrifices in the temples, like the Pharisees; however, they create and sell 'barns after barns' of deception / false doctrine in CDs, DVDs, books, and TV broadcasts, to blind the people from seeing the needs of other people. They just want to see bigger, better, and greater blessings for themselves or for the 'old man' (or 'rich man') inside them. They see 'barns' for themselves; and not 'people' who are like 'Lazarus'. If they were rich, they want to be the 'prince'; if they were the 'prince', they want to be the 'king'; if they were 'king', they want to be 'gods'..., and this will keep them going .. They preach and boast that this is the only type of pursuit which may require much effort, which is better than the effort of keeping the commandments of God, and which they consider as a justified course of action. They boast that it will always lead them to a greater inner peace within their souls, and this will also lead them to greater grace, greater favour, greater prosperity, greater maturity, greater anointing, greater wisdom, greater holiness, and greater righteousness. Is this a spiritual truth or hypocritical lie? God knows.  


We do not teach 'Lazarus' vs another 'Lazarus' (or 'law' vs 'grace'); we teach both 'Lazarus'
Many will still argue, "What you see is not what we see.. Obviously, what you see is the 'Lazarus' which is 'the Law' (or the beggar) that produce lacks, poverty, failure, sins, judgement, demands, cynicism, negative reports, and death. But what we see is the other 'Lazarus' which is the 'Lawless' solution to the problem of 'law' in our world today. It is also the revolution, rest, resurrection, righteousness, and life.. As far as I and my household are concerned, we will only think of the second 'Lazarus'.. Haha.. we are the blessed ones because we always see ourselves as the righteousness of God .. Amen."
I will ask them, Is that another fantastic contrast of your 'grace' vs 'law' (or 'grace' against the 'law') arguments? Yes, of course, you can brainwash your thoughts or the thoughts of others to think only of the second 'Lazarus' and to have more inner peace without seeing the 'poor Lazarus', but it is not the will of God. You can't tell people to read only the gospel of John and reject the gospel of Luke just because you do not want to think about the poor 'Lazarus'. Do you know that we can still learn many important teachings and commandments from both the Old and New Testaments too?

1. Of course, we can still learn much about the will of God from both the Old and New Testaments; or else why do you still flip to the Old Testament for references?
2. Of course, we can also learn many important lessons from the records of both the 'poor Lazarus' (in Luk 16:15-31) and the 'resurrected Lazarus' (Joh 11:39-45); or else we would not find the gospel of Luke in the New Testament too
3. Of course, we can also learn many important lessons from both the laws of God and the grace of God; or else Jesus would not do and teach from the laws and commandments of God when He taught His disciples

It is ridiculous to use the gospel or any teaching of Jesus to preach against the law of God
Many will now change their preaching. They will say, "Ok, you are right. We must still preach about the 'poor Lazarus'. We do preach about the 'poor Lazarus' now. But he is a type of 'grace', whilst the rich man is a type of the 'law'. You will find that 'law' and 'grace' can never mix because the rich man (who represents the 'law') was below and Lazarus ('grace') was above after both of them died. They could not cross over to each other. The rich man was a type of the law because he died without Christ. He was a hypocrite. He was a believer of the law. He did everything by self-effort. He was under the law .."
I will tell them, Please stop preaching like the 'old broken record' again.
Firstly, do you know that you have quoted everything out of context whenever you preach against the 'law' or the law of God? Obviously you do not know the difference between the law of Moses (or the 'law' which is the old covenant) and the laws of God. You are totally confused and you become a total confusion which brings misunderstanding to everyone in the churches.
Secondly, have you really read your Bible carefully? How did you know that the rich man was under the law when the Lord did not say that he was a Jew or a Gentile? Yes, of course, you could make assumption and claim that your assumption is biblical and spiritual. So could we. We can agree with you that the rich man was a Jew and that he was under the law. But can you please use your anointed brain to think also, If everyone or every Jew under the law was hypocrite, why did Jesus say that only the rich man was found in hell? Where were all the other Jews or those who were under the law? Did Jesus say that all of them were in hell too? No, Lazarus could also be a Jew and he could be under the law too. He was obviously not in hell. Please stop using any Bible examples or typology to preach lawless doctrine or teach against the law of God if you are not familiar with the law of God, please.   

::

Who are the deceivers or the thieves in the last days?

Who are the 'deceivers' or the 'thieves' in the last days?
Are they those whom the world will label as the latest or greatest defrauders of the banks in the last centuries? Or are they the preachers who stole money or misappropriated the churches' funds? Certainly not. When the Lord said that they are the 'thieves', they are not normal thieves who steal the gold and silver; but the treasures in our hearts:

• Mat 6:19-24 KJV  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  (20)  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  (21)  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  (22)  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  (23)  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!  (24)  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
• Mat 13:18-19 KJV  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.  (19)  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side ... (24) Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:  (25)  But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  (26)  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. (The 'thieves' do not just steal; they infiltrate and stay with the people, so that they can steal more..  Jesus showed us that, in the last days, there are many types of hearers; but only one type of hearers will be saved; they are those who do not just hear only. Please search and read "Please be careful of how you hear and what you hear, not just who you hear" in my previous post here.) 
• Mat 21:8-13 KJV  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.  (9)  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  (10)  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?  (11)  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.  (12)  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,  (13)  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
• Joh 10:8-10 KJV  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them .. (10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  

They are the deceivers, not because they deceive or steal from the people. They steal from God. They steal the words of God. They preach the words of God, but secretly they condemn others who preach the words.., then they twist God's words to differentiate their teaching of God's words with better 'pure' grace, better 'effortless' principle, better 'lawless' rule, better 'righteousness' confession, better 'health and wealth' prosperity, better 'supernatural' favour, better 'gospel' revolution, better 'metanoia' repentance, better faith without any work, better power to resist sins, better testimonies, better tongues, better preaching, better humility, better boasting, better pulpits, better believers, better wives, better   .. etc .. They may argue that they have preached everything better than their fellow preachers, especially the old traditional preachers who preach old, simple, and boring repentance. However, in reality, the simple message of repentance itself is already a better message. We do not need to preach repentance and make it sound better by re-defining it or by removing the mention of any sin. Neither do we need to preach the law of God by just keeping it in our heads or our minds only. We must do it. That is the simple message of repentance from the law of God and the law of Christ:


Those who 'steal' the words of God will be judged severely (immediately after the rapture or the 'first sickle')
Hence, the deceivers in the end time will bring many changes to the words of God, especially the changes in the preaching of repentance and God's commandments, but deceitfully they will still use the message of repentance, God's commandments, God's principles, and the doctrine of Christ to convince the people that they are still God's prophets with the laws of God and godly principles in their hearts. However, in God's eyes, they are deceivers who steal His words and, knowingly or unknowingly pollute the preaching of His words to promote their own wisdom, understanding, knowledge, anointing, and lies. They are the 'thieves' of the words of God, whom the Lord would deny without mercy:   

• Mat 7:5-24 KJV  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.  ..   (12)  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  (13)  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  (14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  (15)  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  (16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits. .. (21)  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 
• Rev 3:15-19 KJV  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  (16)  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  (17)  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  (18)  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  (19)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Please search and read "Why do we think that the showmanship preachers are also the lukewarm believers?" in my previous post here)
  
• Mal 2:1-17 KJV  And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.  (2)  If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart .. (8) But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. .. (17) Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? ..  Mal 3:1-15 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.  (2)  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:  (3)  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.  (4)  Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.  (5)  And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts ...  (13) Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?  (14)  Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?  (15)  And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
• Rev 14:14-19 KJV  And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.  (15)  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.  (16)  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.  (17)  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.  (18)  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.  (19)  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

::

Can you be sin conscious?

Can you be sin conscious?
Please think, If the sinners cannot be sin conscious, how can they know or confess that they are the sinners and that they need to repent? If the preachers cannot be sin conscious, how can they know that the sinners have the desperate need to repent and that they still have the great urgency to preach the gospel with repentance and remission of sins?
Please think again, Did Peter really tell the sinners that they can just repent without thinking of anything about their sins? No, it would be ridiculous if the people would just believe and go back immediately after hearing the preaching of Peter:

• Act 2:37-41 KJV  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  (38)  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  (39)  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  (40)  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.  (41)  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Although Peter knew that he was forgiven, he would never forget how he had been convicted of his sins when he met the Lord.

• Luk 5:8-11 KJV  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.  (9)  For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:  (10)  And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.  (11)  And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Peter might not have sinned hypocritically like the Pharisees, but why did he say that he was a sinful man? Why was Peter so sin conscious when he met Jesus? We may not know the real reason. But we know one thing: When a sinful man meets the true Saviour, he would be convicted to think of his sins, know that he is a sinner, or confess his sins, before Him. Hence, I don't think Peter Jonah would preach and tell people to come to God without any thinking of sins or any sin conscience. Peter had heard of the Lord's preaching about the sinner's need to repent with the thinking of their sins, with sin conscience, or with the confession that they were sinners:

• Luk 18:10-14 KJV  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  (11)  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, .. (13)  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  (14)  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
• Luk 19:7-9 KJV  And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.  (8)  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.  (9)  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
• Luk 15:11-21 KJV  And he said, A certain man had two sons: ... (21) And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
• Luk 13:2-5 KJV  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?  (3)  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  (4)  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  (5)  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
• Mat 3:5-8 KJV  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  (6)  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  (7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.
• Luk 11:2-4 KJV  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.  (3)  Give us day by day our daily bread.  (4)  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.   
• Mat 5:20 KJV  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

In fact, before Paul met the Lord at the road of Damascus, he was almost perfect in his own belief and thought of God. Paul was so confident that he could boast that he was blameless as a Pharisee of the Pharisees and that he would certainly enter the kingdom of heaven with that righteousness. But why did Paul say  that he was still the chief of all sinners after his encounter with the Lord?

• 1Ti 1:12-15 KJV  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;  (13)  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.  (14)  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  (15)  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
• Php 3:3-7 KJV  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.  (4)  Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:  (5)  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;  (6)  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.  (7)  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Obviously, he too had very strong sin consciousness of being a sinner after his encounter with the Lord. Hence, sin consciousness before God is not a curse; on the contrary, it is God's given permanent consciousness that lead all sinners (including the scribes and Pharisees who thought that they were righteous) to true repentance, to the constant thinking that we are all unworthy sinners before God. It's because only unworthy sinner can truly and constantly see grace or receive grace. Hence, sin conscience or sin consciousness in true repentance is not a curse or condemnation; it is an enlightenment to the grace of God:

• Luk 24:45-48 KJV  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  (48)  And ye are witnesses of these things.

It is impossible to preach repentance without any mention of sins
Without any mention of sins, preaching of repentance will not bring remission of sins. If the slightest mention of sins would make everyone feeling sin conscious and condemned, would Jesus be guilty of it too because He reminds us of our sins whenever we pray or take His holy communion too? No, this is absurd.

• Mat 26:26-28 KJV  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  (27)  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;  (28)  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
• Luk 11:2-4 KJV  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.  (3)  Give us day by day our daily bread.  (4)  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
• Luk 3:3 KJV  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
• Luk 24:45-47 KJV  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
• Act 2:38 KJV  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• Act 3:19 KJV  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (This Bible verse would prove that we must repent to be forgiven and that to repent would just need to think nothing about sins) 
• Act 10:42-44 KJV  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.  (43)  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.  (44)  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (Some radical grace preachers argue that Peter did not preach repentance; but belief only and the Holy Spirit fell upon the people. I will tell them, Please read the whole Bible. Peter told the people to believe in Him. It means to believe in all the words that He preached too. It means to repent for the remission of sins!)
• Rom 3:23-25 KJV  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  (24)  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  (25)  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

Feeling of sin conscience is not always condemnation for the sinners; instead it is a blessing or grace because it could an opportunity, a privilege, a gift, or a second chance for the sinners to repent:

• Luk 13:5-9 KJV  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  (6)  He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  (7)  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  (8)  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  (9)  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

There are so many Bible verses which talk about sins or mention sins with the preaching of repentance. How can we tell people not to be sin conscious at all? However, there is a group of people who would become restless whenever they hear people preaching repentance with any mention of sins. They don't mind if people would just tell them to 'repent' or change their mind. Are there really such people around? Yes, you bet..  They were there when they heard the preaching of repentance and became very angry. They are still here today, and they will still become very angry when they hear the preaching of repentance, preaching of their sins, or preaching of the need to turn from their sins again:

• Act 5:31-33 KJV  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.  (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.  (33)  When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. 

It is ok to have sin conscience to repent; but not sin conscience to offer animal sacrifice
Of course, as believers, we know that there is no more sin consciousness to offer the animal sacrifice but we can never remove the sin consciousness to repent from the preaching of the gospel under the New Testament. Yes, we have no more sacrifice, but it does not mean that we have no more repentance! Yes, we have no more sin consciousness to sacrifice, but it does not mean that we have no more sin consciousness to repent:

• Heb 10:2 KJV  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
• Heb 10:26-29 KJV  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  (27)  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  (28)  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  (29)  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

** It is normal to have godly sorrow or conviction against sins in true repentance  
The Bible has clearly shown us that many will not truly repent although they may argue vehemently that they are better preacher of repentance. Sometimes, it is difficult to identify them when they would always preach against true repentance whilst still boast about their efforts on how well they could 'repent' or how they could do better than others who preach repentance. They may even argue that their preaching of radical grace without repentance or their preaching of believing only is true repentance; but we know that they are not true preachers of repentance. We know it because they have argued like the Pharisees. Their unrepentant thought can never be hidden forever - they 'repented' without any conviction to keep the laws of God or strong conviction against sins:

• Mal 3:13-15 KJV  Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?  (14)  Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?  (15)  And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
• 2Co 7:8-11 KJV  For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.  (9)  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.  (10)  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.  (11)  For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
• Jon 3:4-10 KJV  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.  (5)  So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. ..  (10)  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. ...  Mat 12:39-42 KJV But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: .. (41)  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.. (Jesus said that the people of Nineveh repented not because they believed only; but because they did more than that. They did much effort to turn from their evil way. The unrepentant generation today will ask for some other signs too, but Jesus will still tell them that there is no other sign, except the same sign for them: To Repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ through His resurrection) 

Many will argue, "No, we should repent by changing our minds only. There should not be any sin conscience, conviction of sins, or confession of sins. It is ridiculous to tell everyone to beat their chest, row on the floor, and cries loudly about their sins. No, this is the Old Testament way of confessing sins. Today we don't confess sins any more; we just confess righteousness. We may tell people that we are sinners, but we will never need to confess sins because all our past, present, and future sins have been forgiven .."
I will tell them,  Yes, confession of sins by beating our chest, crying loudly in the temple, or wearing sackcloth could be the Old Testament way of repentance. However, it does not mean that there is no more confession of sins in the New Testament. Under the New Testament, we may not confess our sins by beating our chest and wearing sackcloth, but there is still confession of sins when we believe the gospel:

• Mat 3:5-8 KJV  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  (6)  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  (7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Of course, when the Jews were baptised with the baptism of repentance, it did not mean that they had truly repented. It was just an outward expression of what should have been taken place in their heart. Hence, they must not only go through the water baptism in obedience to the preaching of the words of the Lord (as the Lord had set an example for us to follow Him and to be baptised) but they must also have the inner conviction against their sins, the godly sorrow about their sins, and the will to turn from their sins. Of course, we do not always need to beat against our chest to feel convicted against sins now or to whisper meaningless confession repetitively like a mad 'bird'; but we can certainly feel convicted to do recompense to those whom we have offended or to stop sinning against them. Hence, we can do many things in confession of our sins. It may not be always done according to our religious custom and tradition. However, it must be done out of a genuine conviction against sins from our hearts.
I will tell them, You said that you can confess that you are a sinner but you cannot confess your sins or that you have sins. Do you know what you are saying? It is like telling us that you can confess that you are a billionaire but you cannot confess your riches or that you have riches? Does it make sense? No, how can you confess that you are a sinner without confessing your sins ?

    
It is normal to have sin conscience to repent because everyone is a sinner
Many still argue, "Of course, we believe in repentance. Jesus told us to "repent and believe". It means "to change our minds and believe". Why? Last time, we were sinners. Hence, we need to change our minds "from thinking of unbelief to believing" or "from faithlessness to faith". Isn't this the true gospel of grace under the New Testament? Did Jesus mention any sin? Did Jesus say that we must repent from sins? No, He mentioned nothing about sins. It means repentance is just change of mind.. but today many people have changed the gospel of grace to condemnation of sins, reminders of sins, and sin consciousness.. it is not the gospel that Paul preached .. it is the another gospel of the law, another gospel which bring only law-conscious of doing, doing, and doing .. however, it is not the gospel which will truly bring changes to life.."
I will tell them, Ok, please pause for a while before you resuming playing it like the 'old broken record'.. Do you know why Jesus did not call the righteous to repentance, but only the sinners? It means that the repentance that Jesus preached is not something which 'non-sinners' can do. If you do not have sins, you cannot repent; you can believe or change your mind only. However, Jesus has shown us that no one is righteous enough to believe or change their minds only. All must repent and believe.

• Luk 5:31-32 KJV  And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  (32)  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
• Luk 15:7-32 KJV  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.  ..  (10)  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.  (11)  And he said, A certain man had two sons:  (12)  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me..  (31)  And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  (32)  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

I will tell them, You said that 'to repent and believe' is 'to change your minds and believe' with no mention of sin because Jesus never mention sin when he preached the gospel:

• Mar 1:14-15 KJV  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  (15)  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

But can you please use your anointed brain to think, Can you use one Bible verse to conclude everything? Can you say that Jesus did not mention faith or God in the Bible verse above and therefore there is no need for the preaching of faith or God? Similarly, when you quote from the following Bible verses to prove that Paul or Peter had never preached repentance, I find that it is the greatest lie to deceive the sinners and believers:

• Act 13:38 KJV  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
• Act 10:42-44 KJV  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.  (43)  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.  (44)  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
• Luk 23:42-43 KJV  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  (43)  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

** Repentance is a kind of 'effort' which we must preach and no one can say that we are wrong
They will still argue, "But if we must repent with a lot of sin conscience, feeling of unworthiness, or thinking of sins, we will do our repentance with a lot of self-effort. Sin conscience always leads to self-effort. If we still want to do a lot of self-effort, we have not truly repented; we have fallen from grace.."
I will tell them, By the way, do you know why John the Baptist told the Pharisees to repent with fruits meet for repentance Mat 3:8. It means there must be 'effort' or 'works' in true repentance. Hence, Paul would never tell the believe to repent by changing their minds only. He would still preach the same repentance that the Lord and John the Baptist preached. It is a kind of self-effort which must be preached to everyone in the world in the name of the Lord:

• Luk 24:45-48 KJV  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  (48)  And ye are witnesses of these things.
• Act 26:19-21 KJV  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:  (20)  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.  (21)  For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

I will ask them, Do you know why the Jews wanted to kill Paul? Was it because Paul told them to repent, 'metanoia', and change their mind to be more godly or to give more tithes to the churches? No, Paul told them to repent and do works (effort) which showed that they had truly repented and they couldn't.

The Bible has never told us to preach the gospel without the mention of sins or the preaching of repentance
Many of them would quote from the above Bible verses and say, "Do we see forgiveness of sin because of the grace of God? Yes, of course, certainly there is abundance of grace, radical grace. But is there any mention of sins, repentance, or turning away from sins? Where, where is repentance? No. That's why we preach only the gospel of grace.."
I will tell them,  Did you read from other Bible verses too? The following Bible verses show us clearly that Jesus forgave and there must be repentance with turning away from sins:

• Joh 8:10-11 KJV  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?  (11)  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.  
• Joh 5:12-15 KJV  Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?  (13)  And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.  (14)  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.  (15)  The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
• Luk 13:2-5 KJV  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?  (3)  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  (4)  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  (5)  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
• Luk 24:45-47 KJV  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
• Jon 3:4-10 KJV  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.  (5)  So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. ..  (10)  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. ...  Mat 12:40-42 KJV  .. (41)  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here..(Jesus said that the people of Nineveh repented not because they believed only but because they did more than that)
• Act 2:38-39 KJV  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  (39)  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
• Act 3:19-20 KJV  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;  (20)  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
• Act 8:22-23 KJV  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.  (23)  For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
• Act 17:30 KJV  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
• Act 26:19-20 KJV  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:  (20)  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
• Rev 2:5 KJV  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
• Rev 2:15-16 KJV  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.  (16)  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

I will tell them, Maybe, you can tell your blinded followers to look at how the prodigal son, Zacchaeus, the woman who committed adultery, the publican who beat his chest when praying in the temple, or the thief who was hung on the cross next to Jesus, had all repented without thinking of their sins or feeling condemned by their sins, but believing only without any reminder of sins. But I would think that it is a deliberate lie which twist the mind and thinking of the people to believe in a false gospel.


What can we say about ourselves and our sins?

• Rom 3:23 KJV  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;..

Is it true? Certainly, we have seen how Paul, Peter, and John had said that they themselves, including all, have sinned too. Will they preach that only a certain group of the people, a group of the Pharisees, a group of the believers, a group of the preachers, a group of the prophets, a group of the hypocrites, a group of agnostics, a group of gnostics, or a group of heretics, have sinned? No, they would preach, "All have sinned...", to everyone everywhere they went. Now, please think, Would they preach that the 'we' in the following Bible verse is for only a certain group of people?

• 1Jn 1:10 KJV  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

No, if anyone preaches or says that he has not sinned, he is not only a liar; he makes God a liar because he tries to make people think that God is a liar for saying that we are sinners. Now, if we know that Paul, Peter, and John would say and confess that they themselves have sinned and all have sinned, would you think that they would say that the Bible verse above is not for us; but for the agnostics or gnostics only? No, I believe that all the Apostles and the true preachers of God's words will say that, not only the Bible verse above is for us; but the whole letter of John, are for us too because God is a faithful God:

• 1Jn 1:3-10 KJV  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.  (4)  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.  (5)  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  (6)  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  (7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  (8)  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (10)  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The letter of John above was written to all those in the churches of the Apostles. Were there hypocrites, agnostics, gnostics, heretics, adulterers, thieves, lawless people, or false prophets in the churches of John or the early churches of the Apostles? Unlikely, but I don't rule out the possibility that there could be a few infiltrators who hid themselves in the churches. But when John wrote to the churches or to the believers of the churches, would he write and think of the infiltrators, agnostics, gnostics, hypocrites, or those categories of sinners who would never repent and believe; no, he wrote only to the churches, with his main focus on the children of God, young believers, or mature believers, who would repent, believe, and do the words of God.
Common sense tells us that John wrote the letter to all the believers in the churches. He won't tell the recipients of his letter to split it, and then send or read different portions of it to the different groups of people in the churches eg. the agnostics, the gnostics, the sinners, the liars, the carnal believers, the young believers, the children, the parents, the grandparents, .. etc. No, only the false prophets will split the words of God and give their own biased changing interpretation to different groups of people to please, comfort, and deceive anyone whom they like or they can associate with.


::