Arthur Owiti | Posted August 18, 2009
We are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. In it is the righteousness of God. Sadly, in the Ecumenical and Evangelical circles the gospel of Christ is not only shaming but a stumbling block to men establishing their own righteousness.
This effort is not new in this day and age. The Pharisees of Jesus' day were 'famous for being righteous' but Jesus Christ knew their hearts .He rebuked them for appearing good on the outside when the inside was filled with wickedness .The words of Jesus Christ were most offending to them as he preached about the righteousness of God which comes by faith and not the righteousness of men. They were busy working out their own righteousness.
When it came to giving to the poor the public saw it. They were the most detailed tithe-observant. They prayed in the public gallery .But when it came to repentance of sins, they did not repent-It was not 'fit' for the public image. So we see when he does good and looks good let everyone know about it, but when he does wrong and needs to repent no eye should see it .They always had to look righteous in public ! To them when men call you righteous and good, you are righteous before God. If self says that you have done good deeds then self says I am holy and without sin. Most of the tax collectors and prostitutes received the repentance message because their acknowledged their weakness and sins.
The Pharisees did not accept that they were sinners because the outward look proved not so. One of the reasons for that was that they did not want to fall short of the glory of man and self hence their rejection of the gospel of the righteousness of God.
Today many Evangelical Christian public figures want to have the limelight when they are doing well. Though they dread being exposed for wrong .Why? They will lose their reputation, the lime light and their ministries will fall. But is it not better for a ministry to close down for righteousness sake?
American worship leader, Terry Macalmon, ( associated to Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard ) closed his widely acclaimed ministry after publicly admitting adultery. It cost him his reputation and ministry money, but it was a commendable, bold and humbling step that ministers of the gospel should follow when they fall. If one gets public limelight, one will have to face public scrutiny because by you being on the public scenes makes one accountable to the public and in this case the church.
Not so for many ministers who love public limelight but hate exposure of their own corruption yet minister as they continue in corruption in the shadows. They rather run to court, to waste or make money telling blatant lies to save their wealth and mini kingdoms than stand for righteousness and repent like Zaccheus.
What is in the heart has to come out in deeds. Though dressed in flowing white robes, the covetous and hateful Pharisees incited the crowd against a guiltless Jesus before Pilate. They paid Judas to capture Jesus .They came with swords and knives against him. They mocked one who was the teacher of the ways of God.
The iniquity in their heart soon came out despite covering it with good deeds of alms giving or trying to bribe man and God. A bad tree must bring forth bad fruit even though it may look similar in form to a good tree. Man can be bribed and deceived by looking at the outward good , but not God ,the discerner of the hearts of men.
No wonder Jesus the righteous judge told them to clean the inside first for the outside to be clean. Thus our good works cannot clean our inside. We must get grace and mercy from God to deal with our inside. The good work s should be based on a pure heart which only comes from God through Jesus Christ who sanctifies us by his Holy Spirit.
During the early church's growth it is the believing Pharisees that were falling into the temptation of establishing their own righteousness through circumcision, foods, feast days and other man made regulations. The epistles deal with this contention extensively because such a move is totally at variance with the gospel of Christ and its simplicity. They were out seeking for the glory and praise of men by doing what men say instead of seeking the praise of God by doing what Jesus said .Such man is seeking for his own glory, yet as Christians we should seek the glory of God like Jesus did.
Ecumenism in Christendom has been plagued by this thanks to the host of denominations and theological viewpoints that believe in united faiths for peace. Yet you cannot have justice and peace without truth, and not just peace of the world but the peace of God and with God through Jesus Christ. To them, the good deeds of men and not what Jesus Christ did on the cross and what he said and taught, are essential for being justified before God and man .Hence Jesus Christ is forgotten and forsaken as man goes to God through his good works without Jesus. Just as the Pharisees ignored him. They do not see the need of believing in him and doing his sayings if they are in good books with men and themselves.
Thus the good works and doctrines of men are a covering or replacement of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. No desire to know Jesus Christ so as to be conformed in his image. ''So long as the people say I am holy then I do not need to know Jesus Christ or examine myself on the basis of his sayings'' ; ‘So long as I do what my denomination or church or pastor says I am righteous before God’.
This is because a personal relationship with Jesus Christ means being close to the Light which reveals the hidden works of dishonesty in the heart; showing us that without Christ we are nothing and can do nothing.
Matthew 7 shows us that not everyone that does good works like Jesus did ,will enter-only those that do the will of his heavenly Father. So our works must be based on the will of God which is to believe in Jesus Christ. Like true Christians, the Pharisees prayed. Like true Christians, the Pharisees fasted. They also gave to the poor. The difference is motive and manner -- either it is God who gets the glory or man/self that gets the glory.
Today many of the False teachers and Pastors do the same. They say that they prayed in tongues for hours before going for a crusade; some went to the forest and did a 40 day fast with water .All these please the ears of the listeners and create awe; they are justified by men to be Men of God .But a look at their lifestyle and who they are associated with tells it all, that they are not who they claim to be.
Ecumenism is out to get the glory of man and praise of man as being seen as good Christians who 'love' mankind with good deeds. However they are silent about Jesus Christ in whom only we have access to God our Father. There is no other way to the Father except Jesus Christ and this includes his sayings and teachings .The two, his person and doctrine are one.
Maybe they know that if you mention Jesus Christ and his sayings money will not flow enough for their opulent lifestyles to flourish. Lies sell well. But they will lead to HELL if one does not repent.
They compromise the truth by being tolerant with evil, hiding in good works to gain approval from men.
Abiding in the word,
Arthur Owiti
