“ Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. “

My friend, do not forget… the things Paul is saying in these verses are to born again christians in Rome. These are people in Rome who found Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Paul would not have wasted his time writing to Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Nazarites, Scribes and Essenes or any other religious individual.

These are actual born again believers and followers of Jesus Christ!

What happened to them then?

The same that happened to Peter, Barnabbas, and other followers of Jesus!

Paul said to the Galatians;

“  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

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. “    Galatians 2:11-16

If a born again christian follower of Jesus Christ in today’s modern liberal lust for money evangelical society confronts a church leader as Paul did, today he or she would be considered a trouble maker, a person not preaching the gospel in love.    LOL!

Paul would not be popular in today's evangelical society!

This is the mentality of today’s christian. If someone preaches the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ he or she is deemed a radical, someone not preaching the truth in love.

Paul prophesied the “ apostasy” to happen before Jesus returns!

And my friend, it is for sure happening!

Way beyond weather turbulence, signs in the heavens, geographical disturbances, etc… the “apostasy” is the biggest sign of the end time because it has to do with God’s own people.

While the deception of world religions are quite obvious to the believer and follower of Jesus Christ, it is within the realm of evangelicalism, those who claim to belong to Jesus Christ that the real trickery and deception will exist.

This is why Paul had to write the books of Romans and Galatians.

Since what happened to Peter, Barnabbas and other followers of Jesus 2000 years ago, it can and is happening today…big time!

Let’s continue.

“ Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? “

Paul was again pointing out their hypocrisy.

They somehow considered Jesus is not enough for their salvation, so they went back to the Law.

They broke the Law in which they trusted for their salvation.

Paul is being a little facetious in some of what he says in these verses.

He is trying to point out the foolishness of them trying and claiming to follow the Law while breaking it at the same time.

What is amazing to me is that these followers of Jesus who were converted to salvation in Jesus Christ, were boasting and rejoicing about the Law.

Jesus fulfilled the Law and if we believe in Him we have fulfilled the Law as well… because of Him fulfilling the Law, not us!

Jesus said clearly;

“ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. “   Matthew 5:17-19

Personally, it overwhelms me that a born again christian would return to former or go to another belief after knowing Jesus Christ on a personal one on one level.

But as Peter said;

“ For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. “         2 Peter 2:20-21

This is not a mere “ hypothetical “ situation that can never really happen to a born again christian follower of Jesus… as 95% of evangelicals believe and teach is a “ hypothetical“ situation only, something that can never happen for real!   LOL

My friend, this is a clear and obvious warning from Peter, who once also went from grace back to the Law but fortunately for him did not go beyond the point of return so that  so that Paul could put some sense back into him about the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and got Peter back on the right track!

Accoriding to the Holy Bible, our remaining in “ the faith “ is only as good as our faith is still in and remains in “ the faith.”

And “ the faith “ is totally centered in and around Jesus Christ as being enough alone for our salvation and Jesus Christ being not only a way to Heaven, but literally the only way to Heaven! Praise the Lord Jesus!

As I told a friend today at work, no matter what happens in the future, always believe that Jesus Christ is not ‘ a way ‘, but “ the way “ to Heaven!

She agreed!

This is the difference in believing the gospel of Jesus Christ in its entirety and no longer believing it in its entirety and then compromising it with the world.

Here in America, the 2 largest mega church evangelical TV preachers have compromised the gospel of Jesus Christ.

According to them, Jesus is not “ the way ” but only ‘a way‘…and people flock to them by the thousands!

That is the “ apostasy” that Paul prophesied will happen before Jesus returns!

And Paul said the apostasy will be great.

“ For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. “

The hypocrisy of these born again christian followers of Jesus brought shame and humiliation to God…just as the Jews also did.

The reason Paul said;

“ as it is written. “

he was referring to Ezekiel when he said;

“ And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. “  Ezekiel 36:20-23

and when Isaiah said;

“ Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.  “  Isaiah 52: 5

and;

“ Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. “  2 Samuel 12:14

As these Romans and Galatians, even born again christian followers of Jesus today can be fickle, uncommitted and undecided as to what they believe to the point the world laughs at us and mocks us!

My friend, we need to decide what we believe.

Do we continue to take only the verses in the Holy Bible we want to believe, take only the verses we want to present to the public and form our philosophy for life on, take only the verses that we consider not offensive to anyone or do we accept and believe the Bible in its entirety??

What if God Himself had today’s modern evangelical church leader attitude that calling all people to repent from sin is offensive to the public?? 

What if Jesus Himself had today’s modern evangelical attitude that warning people of an eternal hell is offensive to the public?? 

I will continue with verse 25 in the next study.

Wayne Brown