But
many said, "Jesus did not come to make bad people good; but dead people
live. That's why Jesus came to call the sinners to repentance only to
be saved, not so much to do good and get good, but to prosper and
succeed in life effortlessly (without doing good?) .. "
I am not
bothered if this is said ignorantly. But, if this is cleverly coined by
the preachers who just want people to believe or change their minds
without any fruits of repentance, this could be a
fruitless doctrine or 'cloud without water'. They would be worst than the Pharisees.
Jud
1:10-13 KJV But these speak evil of those things which they know not:
but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they
corrupt themselves. (11) Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way
of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and
perished in the gainsaying of Core. (12) These are spots in your
feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without
fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose
fruit withereth,
without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the
roots; (13) Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame;
wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
I will ask them, If Jesus came just to save us (and full stop), why did He tell us to
repent and bear fruit?
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 .. (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.
Hence,
those who always mock at other churches as a bunch of 'do good get
good' people living under the law do not really understand the teaching
or the doctrine of Christ. They will never understand why doing good is a
fruit, not a work. It is a natural practice which flows out from a
repentant heart. It leads to salvation and it was confirmed by the Lord:
Luk
19:8-9 KJV 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.
If
Jesus did not come to make bad people good, why did He tell us to help
the poor, love our neighbours (Luk 10:36-37) and enemies, do good to our
brethren (Mat 25:45-46), sin no more (Joh 5:14, Joh 8:11), walk in His
light (Joh 8:11, 12:46), and shine as the light of the world?
Joh 8:11-12 KJV She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and
sin no more. (12) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Joh 12:46-49 KJV I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me
should not abide in darkness.
(47) And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not:
for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. (48) He that
rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:
the word that I have spoken, the same
shall judge him in the last day.
(49) For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
I
will ask them, If Jesus did not come to make bad people good, why did
He tell us to be the salt of world, sin no more, and walk in His light;
not in darkness? Do you admit humbly that we are all bad people (because
no one is good)? Do you agree that we need to change not only in our
minds and thoughts; but also in our actions? So, if we agree that bad
people need to change, why can't we say plainly that Jesus came to
make bad people good or made bad people do good? Of course, we would never say that Jesus came to
make bad people feel good only.
Doing good is a fruit; it is not the works of the law
It
is the works of the law only when men try to use it to justify
themselves and boast about themselves in a form of law, covenant, or
godliness that is practiced like a 'dead religion':
2Ti 3:5 KJV Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Jas
2:20-26 KJV But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works
is dead? .. (26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without works is dead also.
Please ask ourselves, If doing good is
considered as the works of the law or dead ministration of the law, why
did Paul still keep doing and teaching it as part of the doctrine of
Christ in most of his letters?
Hence, doing good is the work of God or a fruit which should never be taken away from the churches.
God
is good. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. So, it is not
only logical to do good but it is in His 'logos' (written words) to do
good, and this will never change in all His covenants, laws, or 'rhema
words' to men. We can never deny this as both the written words and
spoken words have testified that Jesus Christ is The Word that came in
the flesh to transform us to be like Him:
Joh 1:1-17 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2)
The same
was in the beginning with God .. (14) And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth .. (17) For the law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Col
1:6-10 KJV Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and
bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of
it, and knew the
grace of God in truth .. (10) That ye might
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good
work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
2Jn 1:2-7 KJV For the
truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. (3)
Grace
be with you .. (4) I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children
walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father ..
(6) And this is love, that we
walk after his commandments. This
is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should
walk in it. (7) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who
confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver
and an antichrist.
Hence, I would say that Jesus came to make bad
people or dead people live so that they will be transformed, and
ultimately be like Him. I don't think that there is any wrong to be
good, to be holy, and to walk in His light. Jesus came to do both: to
save and to transform the people. But the devil may just make the people
think that they are 'saved' and draw them away without transforming
them. Hence, it is time to tell ourselves that Jesus came not to make
bad people good ONLY, but make bad people righteous, do good, live like
Christ, and walk in His light. If we follow the lies of the devil, we
are surely doomed; but if we follow the words of Jesus Christ, we will
surely live !
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