Jude said he needed to exhort us to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, since there had crept in ungodly men who twisted God’s grace into lasciviousness and denied Jesus by denying His Word. (Jude 1:3-4). That same need is here today, and we will do so in this article. We have posted Simon Yap’s article in it’s entirety to refute it with scripture, for it perverts the word of the Living God. Yap’s article will be in white; my comments are in blue; scripture is in yellow. I added the bold to his article, and red to the most glaring heresy.
God renovated heaven to keep you in!
April 27, 2012 by Simon Yap
http://hischarisisenough.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/god-renovated-heaven-to-keep-you-in/
We must understand that the idea of repenting from our sins, and asking for forgiveness from God to be forgiven, is not a Christian concept but a Jewish concept. We must note that there is a difference between John the Baptist’s ministry and what God did for you on the cross, when He baptized into Jesus’ death.
Note Mark records for us that “4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” Mark 1. See also Luke 3: 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, <b>preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
See also Matthew 3: 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. If you read the NIRV, the meaning becomes clearer. Here is how the verse in Mark is translated: “4 And so John came. He baptized people in the desert. He also preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them.”
If you look at John’s ministry, forgiveness of sins is a conditional affair. You need to repent (continually) from sins and ask for forgiveness (continually) before you are forgiven. Note, it is recorded for us that “Then (only) God would forgive them….” It is conditional on our repentance of sins! That is what, a lot of mainstream is preaching. That however, is not the Gospel.
We are not called into John’s baptism.
See Luke 16:16 “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in.” We must realized that confession and repentance from sins is a ministry, that has come to an end. It was not the Good News of the Kingdom!
John was Christ’s messenger, the Elijah that was prophesied to come prepare the way of the Lord, that people would make straight their ways beforehand. I find it incredible that Christ would choose a person to come preaching Moses’ law to prepare for the New Covenant! (Jer 31:29-34) John preached the baptism of repentance just as Jesus and all the apostles did. So the law was preached up until John, but John preached the gospel and pointed people to Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The only difference was that John didn’t administer the Holy Spirit like Jesus and the apostles did. But John knew that being a physical descendant of Abraham was nothing in God’s eyes, that God is no respecter of persons. He knew that God is looking for GOOD FRUIT from both Jews and Gentiles. Every tree that doesn‘t bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Jesus said the same thing. He never cut the Jews any slack, or said they need not repent. He told them repent or perish. Repent, be baptized, deny yourself, take up your cross daily and FOLLOW Jesus as the Savior, the perfect example who we should walk in the steps of, lay aside every weight of sin, be not deceived by another gospel or another jesus, bring forth good fruit by faith that what Jesus teaches is the truth, live by it continually, or be cast into the lake of fire. Same gospel. It has never come to an end. OSAS (once saved always saved” has NEVER been the teaching of scripture. It is the lie of Satan from the beginning: “Ye shall not surely die (if you disobey God)”
We are called into the baptism into Jesus.
See Romans 6:
To keep from being deceived, read the whole chapter. Yap takes a few verses out of context and fails to show the conditions one must meet to be made free from sin and to truly be dead in Christ. Merely getting dunked doesn’t save anyone or make anyone free from sin. It is a condition of the heart when one obeys the command to be baptized that matters. And what is in one’s heart is manifested by what he does or fails to do. Obedience is belief; disobedience is unbelief. (compare Romans 10:10 with Romans 6:16 ~ “believeth unto righteousness” and “obedience unto righteousness” both mean the same thing.)
5 By being baptized, we have been joined with him in his death. We will certainly also be joined with him in his resurrection. 6 We know that what we used to be was nailed to the cross with him. That happened so our sinful bodies would lose their power. We are no longer slaves of sin. 7 Those who have died have been set free from sin.
8 We died with Christ. So we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ was raised from the dead and will never die again. Death doesn’t control him anymore. 10 When he died, he died once and for all time as far as sin is concerned. Now that he lives, he lives as far as God is concerned.”
Notice the baptism of Jesus does not make reference to you repenting from sins.
Notice he doesn’t have you read the chapter.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
See how when you read the entire context you get a better understanding of what Paul is communicating? Omitting all these verses in an attempt to prove a false point is to use the Word of God deceitfully. That’s a fearful thing to do. God sees and judges it.
It says you actually died with Him. Paul then, in Romans 7 tells us that once a person is dead, his relationship with the law ends. “ 1 Brothers and sisters, I am speaking to you who know the law. Don’t you know that the law has authority over us only as long as we are alive?”
That is why we are NOT under law but grace. Because we died. With Christ. That is how sin loses its dominion over us.
We must understand there is a difference between John’s ministry and Jesus’ ministry. When Jesus died, the sins of the world are forgiven. Yes forgiven. His Father heard Jesus cry “Father forgive them!” As such no one goes to hell (After Jesus’ death) because of sin anymore. They go there because they reject Jesus and the forgiveness that sacrifice provides.
Well, friends, if the sins of the world are forgiven, then why isn’t unbelief already forgiven? It’s a sin, isn’t it? Yap is saying that the sins of the whole world were forgiven at the cross… but when you really think about what he’s saying, he means <i>EXCEPT for the sin of unbelief</i>. But unbelief is the reason for every sin! Unbelief is manifested by many sins. Yap’s teaching contradicts itself, for if all sin was forgiven at the cross, then that would INCLUDE unbelief, and the entire world would be saved IN SIN, without ever having repented of it. If Yap is correct, the world would be forgiven…and all their future sins would be. Yap says he believes all future sins are already forgiven…what he fails to remind you is …except for unbelief. So it’s clear that he really DOESN’T believe all your future sins are forgiven. So Yap really doesn‘t believe his own doctrine! What Yap’s faith really amounts to is the mistaken idea that God doesn’t SEE OR JUDGE any sin …except for unbelief…so God only went PARTIALLY blind. The irony is Yap’s definition of unbelief = <i>not believing that all your sins are forgiven! </i>
With this teaching, you can sin to your heart’s content, believe any gospel you please, so long as you “accept Jesus” (and it doesn’t matter how or WHICH Jesus, either); and you’re forgiven since Jesus died. But what about before Christ died? Was no one ever forgiven? See Jer 7:22-23; Ps 51:16-17; Hos 6:6; Heb 10:4-10.
Jude referred to such teaching as Yap’s article teaches in this verse:
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jud 1:4
See John 3: 17 ”God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. He has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
The NIV puts it this way: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
As such after the Cross people go to hell because they refuse God’s forgiveness through His Son. Michael Card puts it this way “Before the cross, the opposite of sin is righteousness through works of the Law, after the Cross, the opposite of sin is faith in Jesus Christ”. As such, forgiveness is not condition on repentance from sins but upon your belief that God offered Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. In fact the book of Hebrews tells us our sins has been taken away once and for all. See Hebrews 10: “11 (onwards) Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process”.
This is how it is worded in TNIV “11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God”.
Notice 2 things. No. 1. Your sins are not ONLY forgiven. Your sins are not ONLY covered. They are taken away. How many times? The answer is once. Why? No. 2 Because He sat down. If the sacrifice worked, you need only do it once!
Notice Jesus sat down not because He was God’s son. He sat down because Jesus earned his place before the Father. He is the only person who merited his way to heaven.
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps
See Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
He sat down because God said “he earned it!” He sat down because <b>God was pleased with his obedience (Romans 5).
…but God doesn’t demand, and He isn’t pleased with our obedience?
1Th 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
Col 1:10 (ESV) so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Pro 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
He sat down because he provided purification for sins. The question is this “who did he purify?”
See the Amplified Bible: “When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,” Ours. This means God honoured Jesus for his work in cleansing us of our sins and get rid of guilt. Did he do a complete job? Well he surely did. Sitting at the right hand of God is a very honoured place.
Many people are not aware where we really are. May of us still think we are on earth. No! The minute you believe in Jesus you are in Christ and you are in the heavenly realms.
So we’re not on earth any more! This is really “spaced out” doctrine. Some call it “lah-lah land”. I don’t suggest you go try jumping out of any airplane to see if you remain in heavenly places, because when the reality sets in that you’re still on (and I do mean ON) earth, you’ll be dead. The truth is, Mr. Yap’s doctrine is “of the earth”, and only the worldly, carnal, unregenerate minds hear it.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
Joh 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
Yap’s teaching is the “come just as you are; no need to repent, deny yourself, or take up your cross daily. Feel good about yourself IN your sins” gospel of Satan. Satan encouraged no fear of God, no doing what is right to remain in Eden. He assured Eve: “Ye shall not surely die!” Do what thou wilt! Just trust me, Eve. I know how God is. He‘s lying to you, and only trying to scare you about dying if you disobey Him. ~ Satan hisses this same false hope today, and many fall for it.
See Ephesians 2:
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1 tells us that: 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians tells us that we are seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. We are told Christ is seated at the right hand of the father. There is a teaching that says “as our Father, God actually withdraws His presence from us if we do not continually ask for forgiveness.” Here’s a thought, we are seated in Christ in the heavenly realms at His right hand, Agree? If that is so (and I believe the Bible for having said so), and if the Father has to withdraw His presence from us when we don’t confess our sins or repent from our sins ….., it would really mean, He has to abdicate His throne in the universe does it? Dear friends, you can never be separated from His presence, you are seated in Christ because you are already forgiven once and for all. Christ is seated because He has purged you of all sins. As surely as, God cannot be abdicated from His throne, you cannot never be dethroned from Jesus. In fact, we are called to repent from dead works and not sins. Why? Because the Christian is already set free from sin. See Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. You cannot repent from what you have been set free from. What is this “repentance from dead works” then? See Hebrews 6:1-3 - Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. Note dead works is in contrast to “faith toward God”.
This is so obviously false! There’s no contrast there at all! Paul is simply saying that we shouldn‘t keep going back to the starting line, but to FINISH THE RACE and LAY ASIDE every weight of sin that so easily besets us (Heb 12:1-8). As a builder doesn’t remain always building on the foundation, but goes on to build the remainder of the house (the walls, the floor, the roof, etc), so should we! Like Paul said “Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have” (2Cor 8:11)
Repentance is just as relevant as faith is, and as baptism is, and as laying on of hands, and the resurrection, and eternal judgment are! NONE of those things are done away.
“Dead works” is trying to be righteous by having confidence in achieving righteousness through the law of Moses. Paul speaks about this in Philippians 3. Paul begins by stating his stupidity when boasting about his creditworthiness under the law of Moses: “You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.” This is dead works to Paul. Then he says this is rubbish compare to the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. See: “The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.”
How can we ignore the “list of rules JESUS and his apostles (including Paul) gave us, and brazenly teach such blasphemy? Which version (or should we ask which “perversion”) is Yap quoting from, anyway?
See also Paul’s comments in Galatians 2: 15-16We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over “non-Jewish sinners.” We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping
This is NOT what scripture says!
but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ
This word “personal” is OFTEN added to faith. It opens the door wide to any dead faith one chooses. If we can please God with our own “personal” faith, we can make up our own religion as we go, and God will have to accept us! The POPES have a “personal” faith…in a made up Jesus! So does Sun Yung Moon, Benny Hinn, John Piper, John MacArthur and Charles Stanley, and hundreds of other highly esteemed church leaders today, for all teach falsely in Christ’s name, just as He said many would! They’ve all added to and taken away from scripture, and have their own “personal” faith…which scripture calls “another gospel”! Everyone having a “personal” faith believes in another Jesus. When people ask “Is Jesus your PERSONAL savior?”, [a question you‘ll never find asked by anyone in the bible], this popular ecumenical spirit is really only asking, “Do you have your own personal faith in one of the hundreds of alleged Jesus that are exalted in today’s apostate denominations?”).
How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good. Repentance from sin is the ministry of John (the Baptist). Repentance from dead works and trusting in the works of the Law is the ministry of Paul. We, Gentiles are called to the latter not the former.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Tit 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity
Tit 3:14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (verse 25 is OFTEN quoted only partially, but this verse NEVER!)
1Pe 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Let me end with this thought. Many know when Jesus died the curtain was torn from top to bottom. Do you know why? It is not that, we can enter the earthly Holy of Holies. It is done, so the earthly Tabernacle is rendered completely useless. See Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. The reason the curtain was torn was because the Holy Spirit wanted to do away with the old tabernacle so that you can focus on the HEAVENLY TABERNACLE not made by humans hands. You see while Jesus died on the cross, something happened in heaven. See Hebrews 9:
11But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
We understand by this passage what the “dead works” referred to are… they’re not the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the law, but the TYPES AND SHADDOWS of animal sacrifices. They were LITERALLY dead works! And the idea that God respects Jews over Gentiles is worthless thinking also, since HE DOESN’T! To imagine those things “good works” is foolish ~ but it’s just as foolish to imagine that we can now be adulterers, fornicators, thieves, covetous, drunkards, harlots, whoremongers, idolaters, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, revilers, haters of God, hateful, proud, and think we’re forgiven since Jesus died, and all we need do is believe God holds none of those things against anyone now if we do them! ALL, Jew or Gentile, who do such things have NO inheritance in the kingdom of Christ or of God UNLESS they repent! Jesus said EVERY tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire and burned. For one to think repentance (that is, to turn away from doing iniquity) is a “dead work” is evidence that that person does NOT believe in Jesus, since Jesus COMMANDS repentance.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent
Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such WERE (not “ARE”) some of you…
2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Note the following:
a) Jesus’s blood was offered in a tabernacle not made by human hands;
b) It was offered in an eternal tabernacle;
c) It was offered thru the eternal Spirit. (Ever wondered why it is the Holy Spirit who is the one in the Trinity, who testify that, God does not remember your sins anymore?
A Christian’s PAST sins, that is, those he lived in before he was transformed by the renewing of his mind, before he repented of sin, are not remembered. If one have not yet repented, he is yet in his sins, and Christ is of no effect to him until he does so. If he accepted another gospel, such as the one presented by Mr. Yap’s article, the grace of God will never do him any good at all. (2Cor 6:1; Titus 2:11,12), because he will never be convicted of his sin to the point of fleeing from it, and he will die IN his sins, never having been made free from them because of deceit. There IS no second chance to repent after one dies, either.
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God
Read the singular chapter book of Jude, and also read 2Pet 2. They both describe false teachers who twist grace into a license to sin, who promise liberty from rules and who serve corruption. They warn of the doom of those who forsake the right way to go the way of Cain, who run greedily after the sin of Balaam, and who perish like Korah did when chose to gainsay the commandments of God. The ground opened up and swallowed him. If any man thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall. 1Cor 10:12. Merely starting a race does not assure finishing it. Run that you may obtain the prize. Those who bury their talant will be bound hand and foot and cast out into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Paste these verses into a verse search at Bible Gateway: Matt 25:14-30; 22:13,14; 13:30-42; John 15:6; Matt 7:19; 2Pet 2:20-22; Gen 3:2-4; Gal 1:8,9; 3:1
This is because the blood was offered through him when Jesus said “into Your hands, I commit my Spirit.” That was His work on the Cross)
d) It is done once and for all in eternity. Is the future, eternal?
e) The answer is obviously yes! Hence the writer now tells you that you now have ETERNAL REDEMPTION. Yes even your sins committed in your future is forgiven in eternity.
If “all our future sin are already forgiven” were true, then Rev 2 and 3 are not. Judge for yourself; do you believe the bible, or Mr. Yap’s teaching?
Rev 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works…
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches
Rev 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
19 I know thy works
Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children (her followers) with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (Matt 15:7-9)
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Rev 22:18-19)
Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (a list of rules!)
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
If Mr Yap’s teaching is true, then these other verses in Rev are not:
Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Lastly do you know since the veil was torn in the earthly tabernacle, there is a renovation in the Eternal Tabernacle? See this:
Hebrews 10:19-20 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh.
The Message puts it this way “ 19-21So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.”
Hold on… I thought God tore down the veil because He doesn’t want us to be separated from Him… why then put a new curtain up? Relax. Remember what Paul says.
Romans 4:26 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Dear friends, God carried out renovation works when Jesus died. He tore down the old veil. The old veil had cherubs (angels of judgment) on them. It was built to keep you out from the Holy of Holies. He replaced it with a new veil. The new veil is the body of Jesus. The perfect man. Our representative, our perfect High Priest, where we are hidden.
You see we became sinners because of one man’s disobedience. But we were made righteous because of one man’s obedience. (Romans 5:15) It was based on a MAN’s obedience. This man STILL in His body now sits in heaven as your testimony and mine. He sits there as my righteousness, my High Priest and me. This is because I am crucified with Him and I am in Him. Paul tells us we are hidden in Him. See Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
You have not died unless you’ve crucified the flesh with it’s affections and lusts. Jesus doesn’t do that FOR you; YOU must do it. YOU must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all YOUR soul, with all YOUR mind, and with all YOUR strength. So don’t choose the popular whine “We can’t do it in our own strength”, because God COMMANDS we do right there in scripture. Grace has taught all men to live soberly, godly, and righteously, and if we reject grace’s teaching, we’ve rejected grace, even if mouth empty words that we’re saved by it. God isn’t looking for hypocrites who draw near Him with their lips alone. “Faith alone” is a lie; faith without loving and obeying God with all OUR heart is DEAD faith that can’t save anyone. If anything should be understood as “dead works” (like boasting Jewish ancestory or offering animal sacrifices), claiming to know Jesus and claiming to be dead in Christ while walking after the flesh and denying his every command IS JUST THAT…dead works/dead faith. FLEE it or perish in it.
Paul tells us that this Man is his body was raised for our justification. When God sees this man he sees our justification (as we are hidden in Him). As such while the old veil was to keep out of from the Most Holy Place, this new curtain is to keep us IN the Most Holy Place.
This is clearly an addition to scripture (Rev 22:18). The idea that “this new curtain is to keep us IN the Most Holy Place” is nowhere found in scripture.
When God sees Jesus as our High Priest, He sees our justification. He sees me. I love this new piece of renovation work! It keeps me IN!
Let us now down and worship!
The popular saying “God doesn’t see your sins; all He sees is Jesus” is not in the bible anywhere, yet many mouth it without sufficient scriptural backing (even Billy Graham). But Jude tells the church: “KEEP YOURSELVES in the love of God”. Paul says that by taking heed to the doctrine of scripture, continuing in it, examining yourselves to know if you’re really walking in the faith, and if not, to REPENT, for in doing this you will both save yourself and those who hear you (1Tim 4:16; 2Cor 13:5). Peter says “Save yourselves from this wicked generation” (Acts 2:40), and Jesus said “I know your works” to every church in Rev 2 and 3, but this popular lie that God doesn’t see your sins denies God’s Word of Truth.
1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Jesus IS the Truth, and if Jesus is not in a person, then the person is not in Jesus, even though he may boast he is.
Jesus told some unbelieving Jews, who CLAIMED Abraham and God were their fathers:
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was liar from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him.”
Many liars today claim to be dead in Christ, while having never repented. Consequently, they’ve never been made free from sin. Salvation is CONDITIONAL, based on faith and repentance (Acts 20:21), but most DENY every condition Jesus and the apostles commanded, by wresting a few out of context verses to their own destruction.
2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things (the melting of heaven and earth at Christ‘s coming in flaming fire) be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (as they do also the other scriptures) unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (Gal 3:1; 2Pet 2:17-19; 1Sam 15:23)
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
