Surprise!

When was the last time you learned that many things you'd believed most of your life were just not true? When was the last time you learned that the actual truth of such matters was far better than what you'd believed for a long time?

About a month ago a friend of mine loaned me a set of CDs on which the speaker challenged and radically changed my thinking on yet another subject by simply contrasting erroneous beliefs with what the Bible simply says for itself!. The subject on which he spoke touches the life of every believer in Jesus Christ and practically affects how we live our lives every single day! In fact, I don't know of any other teaching or belief which affects our behaviour more!

I have never yet seen teaching on sin and the believer set forth in any creed or doctrinal statement and yet the vast majority of Christians, regardless of their denominational affiliation generally hold the same views on these matters!

Most preachers and Bible teachers never verbalize these things in so many words in their public teaching and yet they and their hearers generally believe them, depend on them and live them out in their daily lives! (Until very recently I had believed,depended on and lived these things for most of my life since I trusted Christ as my Savior.)

Here are a few ways that these things might be expressed but none of them are taught in the Bible:
-"Sanctification (being made holy) is a life long process for a believer."
-"Sinning is inevitable for a Christian in this life."
-"The experience described in Romans 7 is a description of the average or normal Christian life."
-"I have this continual battle between my old nature and my new nature. Far too often the old nature wins out!"
-"One will have to continually fight, struggle with and experience defeat by besetting sins in their life until the Lord returns."
-"Salvation from my sins means that I was forgiven, I'm delivered from the guilt of my sins, I'll never be in hell and will go to heaven when I die."
-"Some people (usually others) have been and can be instantly delivered from certain kinds of sins, but deliverance, from the sins that I struggle with, would just be too good to be true. I've just got to learn to live with these!"
-"I don't think anybody else on the planet is tempted just like I am!"
-"My temptations are just too strong for me."
-"I've tried over and over to "beat" my besetting sin(s) and there is no way I'll ever get consistent victory over this/these!
-"I have some needs for which God has simply not made any provision."
-"I find that my greatest temptations make me aware of things that I lack and so yielding to those temptations is my way of seeking to satisfy those unmet needs."
-"One of my biggest challenges is learning to die to my self. I just don`t know how to do it!"

Are you surprised that none of these are scriptural beliefs?

For your own reference, here are those same false beliefs contrasted with the truth of scripture:

LIE: "Sanctification (being made holy) is a life long process for a believer."
THE TRUTH: Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

LIE: "Sinning is inevitable for a Christian in this life."
THE TRUTH: Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

LIE: The experience described in Romans 7 is a description of the average or normal Christian life."
THE TRUTH: Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.2 for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

LIE: "I have this continual battle between my old nature and my new nature. Far too often the old nature wins out!"
THE TRUTH: The "two natures" doctrine is a pagan one not a Biblical one! Rather scripture speaks of "the old man" and "the new man"...
Romans 6:5,6 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is (was) crucified (once for all) with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Colossians 3: 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

LIE: One will have to continually fight, struggle with and experience defeat by besetting sins in their life until the Lord returns."
THE TRUTH: Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

LIE: "Salvation from my sins means that I was forgiven, I'm delivered from the guilt of my sins, and I'll never be in hell but will rather go to heaven when I die."
THE TRUTH: Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
John 5:14 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.
John 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
I John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
By the way, no one ever went to heaven when they died and no one ever will! Rather everyone who ever went to heaven went there while their physical body was alive and well!Elijah (II Kings 2:1,11); the Lord Jesus (Acts 1:9-11); the apostle Paul (II Corinthians 12:2); every believer in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:6)

LIE: "Some people (usually others) have been and can be instantly delivered from certain kinds of sins, but deliverance, from the sins that I struggle with, would just be too good to be true. I've just got to learn to live with these!"
THE TRUTH: Luke 1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

LIE: "I don't think anybody else on the planet is tempted just like I am!"
THE TRUTH: I Cor.10:13a There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:...
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

LIE: "I've tried over and over to "beat" my besetting sin(s) and there is no way I'll ever get consistent victory over this/these!
THE TRUTH: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

LIE: "My temptations are just too strong for me."
THE TRUTH: I Cor.10:13b "...but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (help) them that are tempted.

LIE: "I have some needs for which God has simply not made any provision."
THE TRUTH: II Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

LIE: "I find that my greatest temptations make me aware of things that I lack and so yielding to those temptations is my way of seeking to satisfy those unmet needs."
THE TRUTH: Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

LIE: "One of my biggest challenges is learning to die to my self. I just don`t know how to do it!"
THE TRUTH: Scripture never speaks of "dying to self"! It rather declares that "our old man is crucified with Christ" Romans 6:6 and that "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

The scriptures tell us that, "the just shall live by faith" Romans 1:17. So how we live is determined by what we believe. For the many years that I lived believing the lies above, my life was lived consistently with the lies which I believed! But since I have recognized and acknowledged that those beliefs were lies of the enemy I have found that they no longer have any power in my life! But better yet, since I have come to acknowledge, stand upon and rest in the truths of scripture which expose those lies and declare the truth, I have been rejoicing that those truths of God have tremendous power!

I have the very same desires as I had before, I experience the very same sorts of temptation as I did before and my "will power" is no stronger than it ever was! The only difference is that I have renounced the lies and embraced the truths of scripture and I'm finding that what the Lord Jesus said is true, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Lest anyone misunderstand and think I am embracing any of the following errors, let me say the following:
-If anyone claims they have no sin they deceive themselves and the truth is not in them. I John 1:8
-If anyone says that they have not sinned, they make God a liar and his word is not in them. I John 1:10

I simply maintain that in Christ I died when He died, was buried when he was buried, was raised when he was raised and was seated in heaven when he was seated there and that sin shall not have dominion over me for I am freed from sin (delivered from its bondage).

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus and have believed any of the lies (above) you can enjoy the power of the truth by renouncing and forsaking the lies of the enemy by which he has kept you in bondage and by embracing, standing upon and resting in the truths of the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

I would really appreciate reading your comments whether you have come to enjoy the liberty that comes by believing the truth or are still troubled by embracing any of the lies above.