In Part 5, I will continue with the fact that the Church in a large context have replaced the Law of Moses with a new set of church laws and rules and thereby nullify the redemptive work of Christ and the grace of God in our lives. <\/strong><\/p>\n God prophesied in the Book of Hosea (Hos 4:6) <\/em><\/strong>that His people (Israel) are destroyed for lack of knowledge and the New Testament Church has a similar problem because there is a major lack of wisdom and insight from the Word of God regarding the true essence of God\u2019s Righteousness<\/span><\/em><\/strong> and Grace<\/span><\/em><\/strong> for the Body of Christ. What exactly does the forgiveness of sins mean through the blood of Christ?<\/p>\n With the breakaway of the Protestant church from the Roman Catholic Church, it brought about the further development and introduction of different denominations.\u00a0 Splinter groups developed through the years because of differences in opinion regarding scripture, leadership style and specific procedures during services.\u00a0 Leaders from\u00a0one group would place more emphasis on a particular\u00a0subject\u00a0than the other and then each new group tried to convince its followers that they possessed the full gospel and truth of salvation.\u00a0\u00a0 This is nothing new because we also find this trend in the business world\u00a0where\u00a0a specific service provider\u00a0would try to convince current and potential customers through various marketing campaigns that they have\u00a0the best product and service money can buy.\u00a0 It is better known as the\u00a0\u201ccompetitive edge\u201d.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n It is through these processes that various new laws and practices were also introduced in the Church in order to be unique from everybody else.\u00a0 But, we were not called to be\u00a0unique in differences of doctrine.\u00a0\u00a0 We were called to be united through the Spirit of God and the Word and to let our individual uniqueness of character\u00a0minister\u00a0the same doctrines to all people.\u00a0\u00a0 The prayer of Jesus confirms this:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In fact they have isolated themselves from the Body of Christ and in the process the true meaning of Grace according to the Word got diluted or obscured behind all the church laws and regulations. \u00a0Congregations keep themselves quite busy in re-circulating members from one denomination to another, while the Good News of Christ rarely goes out to the ones\u00a0who have never heard it before.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0The main issue I would like to address through this article is the denominational laws<\/span> that were introduced ages ago in the churches of today, such as:<\/p>\n The majority of denominations across the world still have the mindset of being under a law. The same mindset that they have to perform (keeping the strict rules of their own laws) in order to find favor with God <\/span><\/em><\/strong>– o<\/em>r even worse, that their personal salvation hangs in the balance if they do not conform to these standards. \u00a0\u00a0Where is the power of redemption through the blood of Christ then?<\/p>\n Therefore from this reasoning most Christians believe God is out there to punish them for things they have done wrong, or didn\u2019t do today.\u00a0 We have set up such a high standard for people from the world to be accepted in the local church, that it is no wonder that only a small group of people give their hearts to the Lord while the converted once lose faith and hope.\u00a0 Both groups experience the same problem and that is they feel they will never be able to match up to the standards being laid down from the church leadership.\u00a0 The only standard that Christ requires from you is to be born-again through water and Spirit (John 3:5) and then allow Him to transform you to His image and glory.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n People follow such strict rules and rituals in their daily lives and God forbid if they should break or even forget any one of them.\u00a0 I know by writing this I would be opening up a can of \u201cspiritual worms\u201d <\/em>that contaminate the Grace of God and our lives on a daily basis.\u00a0 Why do you have to<\/span><\/strong> pray:<\/p>\n I am not trying to convince you not to<\/span><\/strong> pray, but I want you to examine your faith in God.\u00a0 Do you really believe in God? Do you really trust Him fully with your life in this world and hereafter or not?\u00a0 Are these types of prayers not maybe from a source of doubt or anxiety or from specific church rituals? And we all know that doubt and anxiety is not part of the seed of faith and as a matter of fact, church rules neither! <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Please feel free to pray as much as you want to, but check your motives and your heart in your prayers whether it is from:<\/p>\n Our lives should be a life of prayer and thanksgiving, but most of all one of faith and trust in the Lord – even in those times when you don\u2019t get the time to pray today.\u00a0 We are still secure in Christ through faith:<\/p>\n This is absurd to even think you can find more favor from God by abiding to some set of self applied rules, because you then nullify the complete and eternal redemption power of Jesus Christ on the cross.<\/p>\n In my experience in the ministry, I have found people who would fully accept the previous scripture that they have been saved through grace and it being a gift from God. But then they would try to \u201cmaintain”<\/strong><\/span> or even “boost\u201d<\/strong><\/span> <\/em>\u00a0this gift and salvation through various laws and rituals.\u00a0\u00a0 Philip Yancey<\/em><\/strong> writes in his book \u201cWhat\u2019s so amazing about Grace?\u201d<\/em><\/strong> that people would hear sermons on Grace nearly every Sunday, sing about the love of Jesus Christ and the joy they have received from the Gospel, but would then continue throughout the week to try and earn God\u2019s favor with their own devoutness and renunciations. He writes about people (mostly leaders in the church) in the early centuries, that\u00a0would deny themselves the ordinary comfort and pleasures in this life, such as:<\/p>\n \u00a0Paul writes for \u201ct<\/em><\/strong>hose of you who are trying to be justified by the law have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (<\/em><\/strong>Gal 5:4<\/span><\/strong>), and I know he refers to the Law of Moses, but it also applies to any other law that we might replace it with.\u00a0\u00a0Do you want to find more favor with God?\u00a0 Then follow the Word. In Luke 2:52 scripture says that Jesus kept on growing in wisdom <\/span><\/strong>and maturity<\/span><\/strong> and in favor with God and his fellow man.\u00a0 In other words;<\/p>\n \u00a0Stay connected for the next portion on this subject which will follow in due course.\u00a0 \u00a0Please give us some feedback on this topic in regard with any questions or concerns you may have in this regard.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0Eric Heath is the Senior Pastor of End Time Pentecostal Ministries in Danville, South Africa and also the President of Galilee International Ministries (SA) and he is available to minister on this subject as well as other major subjects concerning our life in Christ.\u00a0 He can be contacted through this website by completing the box as provided below.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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