I heard a message from the CBC website this week. The message was about saying no to vain imagination (??). Here are the highlights:
Main points: 1) Know that God knows, 2) Deny self, 3) Tear down wrong thinking, and 4) You finish the race so God can finish the work.
Key thoughts: Put your humanity to death for the will of God in your life; The Cross was only good to kill the flesh; Unless you deny yourself the cross means nothing.
Notice a theme here? This is the problem with churches like CBC. They constantly preach works, implying that God's grace means very little to our salvation. It may be subtle but its all about what WE do for Christ instead of what HE has already done for us. The harm from messages like these is that they put all the pressure on us to live "holy", and when we can't measure up they and we eventually give up. I don't know about anyone else but all I want is the real Jesus, not one that asks me to work my way into heaven.
I have been resisting writing about this whole series that CBC has going on right now…The titles alone make me cringe:
I listened to Frank’s opening sermon “Taking the NO position” and it was more of the same. I really don’t understand how they get away with calling themselves “City Bible Church”. I haven’t heard a Bible based sermon from them in years. Everything they speak on is “Frank Based” with Scripture sprinkled in to support Frank’s sermon.
It’s sad that so many people sit there and eat this stuff up.
Anyway,
this pretty much sums up CBC’s thinking on their relationship with God. It’s all contractually based…you do ________ and God will reward you with ________ (fill in the blanks…hint the first blank is always TITHE)…if you don’t do _______ then God will NOT do ________.
I do believe that our relationship with God is contractually based as well…but it doesn’t take a genius to read the Bible and find out that JESUS PAID THE PRICE. He filled our side of the agreement…because we COULD NOT do it on our own (despite what CBC may tell you).
Damn it, Reformer, I’m all worked up now.
I agree that too much emphasis is put on works, cuz that’s just like any other religion. However, I do think there is biblical basis for trying to be holy. We are commanded to live holy as He was holy, over and over again. So for someone to preach a message on challenging the church to live holy lives, to me seems like it should be the norm, not the exception. Now can our works make us holy, no! Only by Jesus’ sacrifice and shedding of His blood our we made holy in His sight. However, I do think we have some personal responsibility to walk in a holy and pure relationship with God.
I don’t know, I find it oddly funny. It’s ironic. It’s such a blatant contradiction; they sing about how great and awesome God is, then listen to a sermon about how they can control this “force” that they call God and use it to get what they want.
Don’t they have Galatians in their bibles?
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you………..Gal. 3:1
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Gal. 3:3
Paul is asking: If the Holy Spirit is the One who converted you, brought you to Christ , and now you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are you going to turn back to the law? (which was given to control the flesh)
P.S.
Run, run and do the law commands.
But gives me neither feet nor hands.
Better news the gospel brings
It bids me fly
It gives me wings!
I know right… these mfi churches, all they ever do is talk about works, works, works…
Then i remembered Judah’s 5 Part series on Grace just a couple month’s ago. It didn’t stop there, I checked their website, and the current podcast is titled Graceland. Taking one message and going on about how it didn’t cover one area doesn’t accurately reflect a ministry.
Isaiah 55:1-3; “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.
Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.
John 4:10- “Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink’, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” :14, “but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 7:37-39, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
Revelation 22:17, “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”
Christianity isn’t about tithing and meetings and building projects.
It is about JESUS. You can come to Him for free!
Yeah, good for them, but remember grace is not about what one preaches, its about how one lives. You see, you just pointed out the biggest mistake that Christians make when understanding grace…Grace is not just “one” area, grace is the only area, and any church that preaches works can accuratley be reflected as a works based ministry.