THREAT OF CHRISTIANITY

 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" Acts 26:24.

Today I am going to write something that I have not written before, and that is about Festus, a Jewish leader, before whom Paul appealed to explain himself against the capital charges made against him.

Festus must have known that Paul was a highly educated man. As Paul was presenting his defense, Festus said to Paul with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" Acts 26:24.

I suspect that Festus, an educated man on legal matters, does not understand what Paul says. He thinks that too much learning makes Paul mad. When I read what Festus said to Paul, I am not surprised at all. I have always suspected that the reason why there are over 45,000 Christian denominations all over the world was because they are all confused from reading or interpreting Paul’s writing - too much reading of Paul's writings. If white is seen as white, and black is seen as black, there is no reason why we should have over 45,000 Christian denominations globally.

Confusion, as we all know, is part of Satan’s plan to distract us from going to Heaven. And so far Satan is doing very well. Do you agree? 

Instead of going up, we are all going down. 

I prefer to read the teachings of Jesus. They are simple to understand. The sentence structure is simple. The grammar is simple. Parables are my favorite. I recommend all my readers read what Jesus has to say about salvation. That to me is adequate information for my understanding. I have no urge to ask the Holy Spirit to understand Paul’s writings, not important for my salvation.

Finally, I want to say a few words about Saul and why he persecutes Christians. I believe Saul sees Christianity as a growing threat to Judaism. He doesn’t want to see Christianity replaces Judaism. He wants to keep the religion of Abraham. That makes sense.

What doesn’t make sense to me is why do some Christians feel that Christianity is a threat to them? They want to abolish all of God's laws and commandments because of Paul. Do they understand what Paul wrote? Here’s what they say,

Jesus Took Away the Old Law

—The Law posed a problem; Jesus provided the solution

We continue our study of three things that Jesus took away...

1 The Law Posed a Problem

God’s law has always been perfectly right and just and merciful. This was true of the law he gave to Adam and Eve, and it is true of every law and commandment he has ever given to anyone —including the Law of Moses. Remember, Paul claims that law was "holy, righteous, and good" (Romans 7:12).

However, when God told Adam and Eve not to eat of a certain tree, the devil took it as an opportunity to cause sin. Where there is no law, there can be no trespass (Romans 5:13). But "the law brings about wrath" (Romans 4:15). and "through the law comes the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). That's the problem with law.

There is no problem with the law. Jesus gave us the solution for sin in Luke 11:4, “And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." Are we too arrogant to ask God for forgiveness of our sins? The solution to an ugly nose is not to throw away the mirror but to do plastic surgery. The solution to sin is not to abolish the law, The solution to sin is to repent! Repentance is the ONLY solution to sin! God wants us to repent, and not to abolish His law.

2 Grace Found a Solution

When people transgress God’s law, they fall into a situation like that of the slave in the parable we mentioned in Part 1 (Matthew 18:23-27). Under law he was condemned. However his king forgave the debt out of compassion, mercy, and grace. This meant that the king himself paid the debt owed to him, for that was the only satisfactory way that the debt could be cleared. Jesus Christ has done that for us, "having forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled the certificate of debt... he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Colossians 2:14)

No one is condemned under the law unless we refuse to repent. When we refuse to repent, we are living in sin. When we are living in sin, we are condemned. Sin is incompatible with Heaven.

For more of my answer, please read GRACE IS A SCAM

Grace Reigned

We have been given here a wonderful insight into the battle between good and evil.

God makes a law that is good. The law makes an opportunity for sin. The sin makes an opportunity for grace. 

Grace, what grace? Grace is a scam! When we sin we must repent, and not abolish the law! When we sin we must repent and not ask for grace. 

If we don't repent, we will surely be condemned. Remember, grace does not replace repentance unless we are the thief on the cross. The thief on the cross has no chance to repent. But we do. Instead of repenting we ask for grace? Is that what Jesus told us to do, ask for grace instead of repenting? Are we too arrogant to ask God for forgiveness of our sins? That is the solution that Jesus gave us for sin - ask for forgiveness and repent.

"The law came in that transgression might increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:20-21). So even where sin occurs God can still win.

No brother, you got it all wrong! The law of speeding came so that we won't drive at an excessive speed and risk killing children crossing at school intersections. The law of speeding came not so that we can or will drive at an unsafe speed and hurt people. The law is intended to protect us, and not to harm people. Why do we want to abolish the law, why? The law is intended to help us avoid sin. If we sin, the solution is REPENT. If we repent, the angels in heaven will celebrate with us.

GRACE IS A SCAM! Unless we repent when we sin, we will never see grace, NEVER!

3 The Law Was Abolished

Priests under Moses's law were daily conducting sacrifices to atone for sins. However those sacrifices accomplished atonement only because they symbolized Christ's sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27, 10:1-18). The law of Moses brought about wrath and condemnation, yet left its priests impotent to solve the problem, for "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins".

So Jesus fulfilled and took away all law that preceded his death. There was "annulment of a former commandment (the Law) because of its weakness and uselessness" (Hebrews 7:18), and the establishment of a new law or covenant,"a new and living way", based on his death. He "takes away the first that he may establish the second" (Hebrews 10:9,20).

Brother, I think you are hopelessly confused because of too much learning. Quit reading Paul's writing and read what Jesus said. Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-24, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift". Do you think that Jesus' death on the cross could redeem your offense or sin against your brother? NO! You have to redeem your own sin. Please stop talking about Jesus' death on the cross to atone for your sins. You redeem your own sin. Do you know how to do that? Repent Brother, repent! We redeem our own sins through REPENTANCE!

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'