Have Christians as a whole left behind the teachings of Christ?

Yes

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by Linda Jackson

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The Bible is made up of 66 books that harmonize with each other to give an account of God's salvation plan and judgment on His created universe. The Bible reveals the ultimate power of God as He has empowered many writers over a period of thousands of years to write every word and number with a heavenly meaning in the Hebrew and Greek transcripts of the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 (New King James Version Bible) says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, is the beginning of created time and judgment in relation to God's plan of salvation. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, is the completion of God's salvation plan relating to time and judgment in the end of the universe.

"The Parable of the Lost Sheep" in Luke 15:1-7 (NKJV) says, "Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." So He spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." When Jesus replies to the Pharisees and scribes, "What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?" Jesus is describing the Pharisees and scribes as impotent shepherds who would leave their 99 helpless and defenseless sheep in the wilderness - a wild place where predators and hunger will destroy them. From the spiritual perspective Jesus is referring to them as shepherds in the wilderness themselves unable to provide for themselves let alone those who follow their teaching. The Pharisees and scribes rejected Jesus' Gospel of salvation. Jesus is God the Messiah, the true Shepherd. Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV) says, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) says, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." So if one of the Pharisees' sheep went astray from their doctrine of faith (religion) and they brought it back to their flock in the wilderness, that one sheep is still lost and at peril. On the other hand God has appointed a time to bring that lost sheep into the Kingdom of God the Son Jesus Christ. John 10:9 (NKJV) says, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10:14 (NKJV) says, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own." John 10:27-30 (NKJV) says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one.""

God's flock is given His Spirit that His sheep may know the things of God that are freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NKJV) says, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

One of the free gifts of God is His grace of sanctification - to be set apart for eternal life by His mercy in which the work of God's Spirit is transforming our whole person into the image of God; and we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NKJV) says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NKJV) says, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."

Another gift of God's grace is faith to believe and to trust God to save us from eternal death and sanctify us completely to eternal life. Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) says, "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." 1 Peter 1:19-20 (NKJV) says, "but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." Revelation 13:8 (NKJV) says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Galatians 5:22 (NKJV) says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." Jude 1:24-25 (NKJV) says, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."

Jesus makes this statement in The Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:7 (NKJV) "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." There is no one just before God because of sin. Romans 3:23 (NKJV) says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Part of God's salvation plan is God justifies and accepts us as righteous in His sight. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Galatians 2:16 (King James Version Bible) says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

It is the work of God that leads us to true repentance. Romans 2:4 (NKJV) says, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" In Luke 15:7 there is rejoicing over the one sheep who is led to true repentance.

When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached it is God who blesses the hearer of the message of the Gospel of salvation. Matthew 13:14-17 (NKJV) says, "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." John 16:13-15 (NKJV) says, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." John 17:14-19 (NKJV) says, "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." 2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NKJV) says, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

In Luke 15:7 and Luke 15:10 heaven rejoices over the salvation of one lost sheep (one sinner). Luke 15:10 (NKJV) says, "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." However, Revelation 8:1 (NKJV) says, "When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." "If Heaven is silent we can surely understand that this joyful activity identified with the moment of salvation of any individual is not going on in Heaven," says Harold Camping of Family Radio in his book "Time Has An End" on page 376. Family Radio's website is www.familyradio.com. There was a time when no lost sheep were saved. The world is on a timetable according to God's plan. Time and judgment are coming to an end.

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