Conclusion

Let us think once again about the four myths that are so common in Christian teaching—so common in fact that most believers assume they are found everywhere in the New Testament:

God sees Christ and not us.

The commandments of the Lord Jesus in the Gospels do not apply to Christians.

The warnings of the Apostle Paul do not apply to Christians

The believer at the Judgment Seat of Christ will not receive the evil he has done.

There could not be a deadlier concept, in terms of the victorious Christian life, than the idea that God does not see our behavior. All necessity for godly living is thus removed. The believer is left in a moral environment without restraints. It is easy to understand why the churches are in moral confusion, supposing that their behavior is covered by the righteousness of Christ.

The doctrine that God does not see us except through the righteousness of Christ is intended to give the believer confidence that God receives him even though he keeps falling into temptation. It is absolutely true that God stands ready to assist every struggling soul and does keep on forgiving him even though he falls many times a day. The powerful hands of God are always present to lift the saint in the time of conflict.

However, this continuing forgiveness is not intended to give aid and comfort to the believer who is not seeking to press forward in Christ but who is assuming that God is continually forgiving his conduct even though he is lazy and careless concerning the Kingdom of God. This is the great heresy of our day—that our redemption operates independently of our efforts to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Comforting and building up the weak believer is one matter. Continually overlooking the indifference of the lukewarm believer is a totally different matter. The former will be helped as long as his heart is tender toward God. The latter will be vomited from the Lord's mouth.

To hold that the commandments of the Lord Jesus found in the Gospel accounts do not apply to Christian believers is so wrong in spirit and letter that it is a marvel any sincere believer would be deceived to this extent. How it must sadden the Lord to watch His beloved saints be led away by such teaching. What spirit is it that enters otherwise intelligent, devout Christian people that they would warp God's Word until the Lord's commandments have been made invalid? It certainly is not the Holy Spirit of God?

Let us flee at once from the Christian spirit of today that would give us the feeling we are free from moral restraint, that no matter how we behave the Lord Jesus is ready to bring us to Paradise by "grace," there to fellowship with the Father, the saints of old time, and the holy angels. We believe the angel of the Christian churches is coming up before God for judgment. We believe further that the Lord Jesus has come to us and is fighting against us with the sword of His mouth because of the abominable teachings that we have allowed into our midst.

To be continued.