Truth About Christian Zionists. Response To False Accusations

I was asked to read a report of a typical reformist/replacementist who was giving scathing accusations against Christian Zionists for their beliefs/practices and comment on it.

Here are my observations, my rebuttals and full scriptural explanation/evidence (in defence) for our support of Israel.





I noticed that everything the report said was a clear example of the dominionists, kingdom now arguments. The dominionists tend to exaggerate and interpret scripture in a biassed way, even lying to make their point. They say they are not anti Israel, but actually they are. 

They say that they support Palestinians also, but actually (generally) ONLY support Palestinians and keep attacking Israel as a state. The report in question was from a reformed theological approach.  Anyway,  I will now show what this author said publicly on his website report and then give my reply to each false accusation in blue. I will tackle only the most salient sections of his report,  which are in serious error and do not represent the truth accurately.

(Note: This blog also contains other articles which can be used as a response to the Dominionists objection against Israel.  You can find these articles at the bottom of THIS article.)

He said:  Much of our Christian emphasis on foreign policy in the Middle East today is based on the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."  The first half of this verse is a promise that God made to just one person, Abraham. The original Hebrew is in the second person singular, meaning that God is speaking only to Abraham. 

My Reply:  He deliberately ignores the subsequent promises given later in scripture specifically to Isaac and then to Jacob which shows the promise to Abraham was carried on through Isaac (not Ishmael) and then through Jacob. God then gave special promises to Jacob and renamed Him Israel which means 

Calvinist Teachers/Followers (Reformed Theologians) Are They Unsaved?

The purpose of this article is to clarify my standpoint re my last article entitled: “New Calvinism. Explaining And Exposing This Latest Ecumenical and Apostate Movement Which Is Taking The Church By Storm”   Please Click Here  (to read that article).

Calvin: unsaved?

Whitfield: unsaved?

Spurgeon: unsaved?

 

Piper: unsaved?

It has come to my attention that readers may think I am suggesting that followers of Calvinism cannot be saved because of  Calvinists pagan Catholic/Augustinian influences and its superimposing gnostic teaching TO the Bible (i.e, twisting the scriptures, effectively adding to and taking away from what the Bible says and therefore removing the true and pure simplicity of the Word of God).

I AM  NOT suggesting that a Calvinist is not saved. I will now address the reasons why I believe that (possibly) MOST Calvinists ARE saved!

In dealing with this question, we need to be careful to always remember HOW one is saved.  I do not know of anyone who becomes a Calvinist, Arminian or of any other belief system BEFORE they receive Jesus as their Saviour.  Usually a believer becomes a Calvinist etc AFTER they come to faith (depending upon what Christian group influence them, at that time).

So……  Before we dare state that Calvinists etc are unsaved, we need to remind ourselves on

Has God Finished With The Jews And The Nation Of Israel?

Edited 6th October 2011 and 8th April 2012 (see edited sections below in bold)

Edited 8th April 2012
Just added a new article which can be used in conjunction with this article. Please click on: Truth About Christian Zionists. Response To Accusations


There are a growing number of evangelical Christians who TODAY are claiming that God finished with the Jews and Israel (as a Nation) almost 2000 years ago after Jesus (the Jewish Messiah) was crucified. In fact, most of European Christians believe this now. It seems that support for Israel has diminished throughout the World, with most support only coming from American believers. In fact, even hatred for Israel has infiltrated most European churches.

The claim is that Israel has been completely replaced by the church and that all Old Testament promises for Israel are ONLY applicable to the church.  Some even question whether the Jews of today really are Jews and claim that they are of the synagogue od satan. This article will address these issues and go on to prove that the Jews of today ARE Jews and that the OT promises for Israel ARE for the Jews and that God has NOT finished with Israel (the Jewish nation) as a Nation and that the Israel of today is TRULY the fulfilment of prophecy.

Who is the Jew?

Some  claim that all the Jewish women were raped by gentile Roman men in AD70 so no-one knows whether the children born were Jewish or gentile?  They suggest that the records were lost so no-one can be certain, anymore who the true natural Jews are.

If it is true that true natural Jews do not exist, why did God make so many prophecies regarding the Jews (in the Bible) regarding  the end times?  Zechariah refers to a natural Jew in chapter 8 verse 23, 

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: “In those days 

Explaining The Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns and The Woman Riding The Beast

Edited 27 Aug 2011 and 31st Aug 2011
See the very bottom of this article for the edited section (in bold). It is entitled "Further Scriptural Evidence with its self explained interpretations"



Original Article of 26 July 2011
I have given much prayer, study and thought into “the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns” in Revelation 17.

In verse 9 it says “this calls for a mind with wisdom”. James says “if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God”. Therefore, I have asked of God.

This is what I believe the Lord has given me. Please don’t reject it before you have read the whole article (to get it in its complete picture) and then please consider carefully what I have written, before you reply. So here it is:

Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns 

In Revelation 13 it says "I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads ....", "One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed"

The Beast contained ALL 7 heads. It was just one head of his heads that received a fatal wound, not all 7. I don't believe it is talking about the antichrist being wounded when we consider the context.

Revelation 17:10 explains that the 7 kings are 7 empires that have arisen in history. Note the Bible always discusses prophecy foremost in light of its affect on Israel. Five have fallen, one is (at that time Rome was still an empire) and one is to come.

Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece all fell. Rome was the power presently in existence. Later the Roman Empire fell, but (in a sense) continued on through the Babylonic Roman Catholic church. The head that received a fatal wound and yet lived could be referring to the Roman empire which is now being revived (through the EU) or original Babylon. The EU of today could be

Christians Wake Up. A Rallying Cry

Edited 29 Oct 2011 (see edited section below in bold)

Before I get criticised for being judgemental. I will first say that I am being GENERAL and all inclusive (includes me) in what I am about to write.

As you know, this blog is concentrated on watchman issues and teachings. There are a growing number of believers who are realising the apostasy and deceptions that surround us and want to do something about it. However, although there are many who are being enlightened, WE are still very much indifferent to what is going on and still sleep soundly in our beds, just letting it happen, doing very little about it. In fact most believers are DOING NOTHING because their priority is not Jesus but is SELF. This is why the 21st Century church is attractive to many because it feeds the ego. Today, many churches no longer preach that Jesus is the ONLY way. Or at least they do not demonstrate it in action.

That may sound harsh. I address it to myself too!  I am loathe to be harsh but I sense a conviction within that I need to write these words in an attempt to wake us all up.

Let me ask some questions:
How much do you love Jesus?
Is He your reason for living?
Do you live 100% for Him?
Do you have your own private life agendas?
Where does your priority for living lie?
Do you go through the motions of Christian worship and meetings?
Is there a vibrancy and determination within your soul to know Him?
Do these words offend you, making you angry?

If the above questions offend you, it indicates you still have  pride. It indicates that you are full of self importance and need to be humbled before God.

Many of us have "lost our first love". The challenge cries out through the Centuries "RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE".  Are you lukewarm in your faith? What did Jesus say "because you are neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth".  God hates indifference. Jesus in many of His parables taught how serious it was to play luke warm with our faith. In fact the inference is that luke warm believers were NEVER born-again. When a person is baptised with the Holy Spirit, he/she is baptised with a fire that burns within. If you do not have a passion for Christ and His work on Earth, it indicates that you are not filled with the Holy Spirit.

Edited 29 Oct 2011
Obviously, there is a difference between being FILLED with the Holy Spirit compared to having a deposit of the Holy Spirit. Paul said that those who do not have a deposit of the Holy Spirit, within, do not belong to God.
However, it is imperative (if we are to serve God with passion) that we allow the Holy Spirit to have full sway in us.


Paul told the Ephesians that they needed to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit. The Greek carries a past, present and future tense. As I understand it, Paul was saying "be filled and continue to be filled" . In Acts 4:31 it says that the believers (who had already been baptized in the Holy Spirit in Acts 2) were "all filled with the Holy Spirit" Why?  We read of Peter "being full of the Holy Spirit". Throughout the NT we get the impression that we need to be continuously refilled with the Holy Spirit. Why? Well ..... we tend to sin from time to time and "walk in the flesh" therefore, we need to regularly be cleansed from sin and refreshed by the Holy Spirit.

An indication of having the Holy Spirit is having a compassion, love and resilience to care after those in need.   Too many churches leaders and believers say the right things, but the evidence backing it up (in action) is not forthcoming. They say "I love you brother" but do little to help them when they are in need.

Yes I know that there are many wonderful believers who do mighty

Do Not Judge, But Watch Out For False Prophets, Matthew 7 Explanation

Edited 21st Aug 2011 (see section in bold for the edited part)


In Matthew 7 Jesus started by saying "judge not that you be not judged" "for the measure you use, it will be measured unto you". He finishes by saying "watch out for false prophets".  At first glance (without studying it properly or comparing scriptures in context) it may seem like a contradiction in terms.

I mean, how can you watch out for false prophets without judging them?

Actually, there are many words we use (in English) which give a similar meaning to judge, but judge (in its severest sense) is much more than assessing another person. it is what the Crown Court might do. We use many words similar to judge: assess, examine, test, have opinion against, analyse, weigh up etc. In fact, we are told by John to "test the spirits  to see whether they are from God" and goes on to say "for many false prophets have gone out into the World" 1 John 4:1.   Is this not a form of judging?  We see the NT church exercising discipline  regarding wrong practice in the church. How can this be done without a form of judging take place?

So we need to consider the context of what Jesus was actually saying when He said "judge not that you be not judged"

We need to

Does Bible Teach Us To Love Ourselves?

There was an "in saying" in the eighties that we need to learn how to love ourselves. The thinking behind this saying was because Jesus said "love your neighbour as yourself". The reasoning went something like this:


"how can you love others if you do not know how to love yourselves? Therefore, you need to focus on who you are in Christ and why Jesus loves you, so that you can love yourself. Once you see how valuable you are to God and love yourself, then you will treat others with the same love and respect".


Can you all see the subtlety of the serpent in that reasoning? In reality this teaching introduced many other ideas all resulting in Christians becoming more self centred.


Before, I go on to expose how this reasoning is humanistic, demonic, soulish, new age and TOTALLY unscriptural I will just say that this sort of teaching (and many other similar types) in the late 1970's and 1980's became the bedrock enabling the acceptance of all sorts of other false unscriptural teachings which have enveloped our churches in these last 3 decades, becoming part of the apostasy we now see.


I write this article because I heard a Pentecostal speaking to another saying "you need to learn how to love yourself". I challenge all my readers to show me in the Bible where it clearly states that we should learn how to love ourselves?


I will now demonstrate that the Bible DOES NOT teach such things by starting at the beginning. Remember that we can learn

Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus

I have been writing a series on the developing Apostasy within the Evangelical Church of our day and which groups and leaders are involved in this apostasy. I have already posted Part 3 and am still working on part 4. But, before I continue, I would like to step aside and remind ourselves something extremely important and critical.


As watchmen, it is so easy to get too focussed on issues of heresy, warnings, falsehood, etc. I do not believe a watchman can simply focus only on these things because one aspect of a watchman is to watch, pray, inform, warn, equip  but just as important (as part of equipping) is to encourage, motivate and point people to look to Jesus. Let's face it that without Jesus we are nothing and without Him we can achieve nothing.


So I want to step to one side, take "time-out" and remind us of how wonderful

Bible NIV 2011 Version ALERT

Edited 22 and 28 Jan 2011.  Please see addition at the bottom

Before reading this please familiarise yourselves with How The Bible Was Put Together and Proving Why It IS The Inspired Inerrant Word Of God  which shows that most of  the available Bible versions (up until 1984) were reliable and could be fully trusted.

NIV 2011 Version cannot be fully trusted
I often use BibleGateway.com as a valuable resource for searching specific scripture verses and copying/pasting the verses. I usually use NASB, KJV, NKJV and NIV in my research. Although NIV may not be the very best (although still a very good translation) I usually use it in my articles because it is easier to read or use.

What I didn't notice until now, is that the original NIV (1984 copyright) has been updated to 2011 copyright. Bible Gateway still list the version 1984 but it appears at the bottom of the list of versions, with 2011 version at the very top of the list. However, I will continue to use the 1984 version.

I checked out the 2011 version to see what the differences were because i could not understand why it needed to be updated as it was already easy enough to read and easily relevant in how we speak today. So why did they change it?

They changed it because they wanted the NIV to be more relevant to the 21st Century, ie they wanted it to be politically correct! WHAT?????

How dare they meddle with the Bible to make it more Politically correct, ie change it to conform to the way we think TODAY. The Bible says "do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The Bible should change us FROM the world, not change the Bible! Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. WE MUST NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. Jesus and other scriptures warned of what would happen if we tamper with the Word of God.

So what changes have taken place? Well I noticed something immediately in the Book of James. It had this as a footnote:

Blog Written From Heart Of Love and Compassion. Tough Love? A Response To Criticisms.

Edited 26 Jan 2011 (edited section in bold)

I write this article in response to a number of criticisms I have received saying that I do not show the love of Jesus in this blog and that my focus is on the smaller doctrines of the Bible and not the most important teachings. In response to these criticisms first read these following articles of mine:

Why Jesus Is The ONLY Way To Heaven and How To Be Saved

How To Be Truly Saved and Be Certain Of Going To Heaven

What Is Repentance?

Qualities Of True Biblical Leadership Compared To the False Teachers

We Are No Longer Under Law But Under Grace! What Does That Really Mean?

How To Handle False Teaching And Strange, Different Teachings

My Rapture and End Times Stance
(Read just the introduction to this article as it explains my stance that other teachings like loving one another are more important than our end times stance)

The Importance Of Combining Discernment With Love

Are Our Experiences More Important In Our Christian Faith Than knowing Him through His Word? 

My articles listed above should prove that I am very conscious NOT to miss the BIG stuff. From these articles you will see I try to keep a good balance and to NOT get sidetracked away from the Truth.  The main reason I have this blog and write the things I write, is because I have compassion for my brothers and sisters. I want us all

How To Study The Bible and Why. Learning How To Avoid Deception

Added To and Edited 18 Dec 2010 and 18 Jan 2011

After you read this please read the following article (which will re-enforce why we should read the Bible) by clicking on this shortcut link: How The Bible Was Put Together and Proving Why It IS The Inspired Inerrant Word Of God  

The first reason we should read the Bible is because it is our spiritual food. Jesus said "no one lives by bread (physical food) alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. God, the prophets, Jesus and the Apostles all declared that the scriptures were the WORD OF GOD. They are our spiritual food. In Hebrews it states that "the Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing between soul and spirit". The Word is powerful and transforms us. It also protects us from false teachers or false prophets because we should compare what they say with what the Bible ACTUALLY says.

When I mention the Bible, of course I mean Bibles which are translated directly from the original manuscripts of the Bible. I do not mean "false" bibles which are NOT direct translations from the original manuscripts, such as paraphrases. 

These original manuscripts were recognised by all (as explained within that shortcut link above) as the inspirational writings (canon) of truth (note: the canon does not include the apocrypha). So, the "false" bibles (like the paraphrases) are simply the author's personal and biassed interpretation which cannot be considered as inspirational or THE BIBLE as they are not direct translations from the Holy Spirit inspired Manuscripts, but have been contaminated by human (not divine) interpretations.

Therefore, please do not consider "The Message", "Living Bible" "New Living Translation" or any other paraphrase or interpretations of the Bible (which were not from the original manuscripts) as your BIBLE because they actually distort the true message. Note: many use these paraphrases to support their ungodly agendas. For example "the Message" has been written by an author who is seeking to bring the occultic New Age, teaching into the Bible. Please check out my article about "the message" within this shortcut link

Showing Why The Bible Version "The Message" Is Blasphemous  

So what versions can we trust?

Those versions which can be used (reliably) as accurate translations of the WORD OF GOD are as follows: KJV,   NIV 1984 version only,  NKJV, NASB. I like to use these in combination to compare with each other so as to arrive at the correct meaning on the difficult passages.  There is actually virtually no difference (in meaning) in the translations of these apart from slightly different words being used to describe the same thing. By comparing the different versions it helps us to understand the true meaning better.  By the way, the NIV is very easy to read, so we really do not need paraphrases anyway! Please note that the NIV versions 2005 and 2010 have been changed to be more politically correct but no longer as trustworthy. 

We should all study the Bible (eg, NASB,  NIV 1984 version only,  KJV, NKJV) direct and do not use paraphrases or versions not directly translated from the original manuscripts. I also advise that these 4 versions be compared and read together to ensure you arrive at the correct meaning of the text. It is first vital to get to know the whole Bible first: verse by verse, passage by passage, chapter by chapter, book by book.

You cannot properly  study the Bible (comparing scripture with scripture) until you have read it through first.
Therefore, I will now pass on some tips which have served many thousands of biblical Christians well (over the last century) on how to read and then study your Bible.

How To Study The Bible

When Did Jesus Drink The Fourth and Final Passover Cup? The Mystery Truth Revealed

The 4th cup:  WHEN?

When Did Jesus Drink The Fourth and Final Cup of The Passover? This is a question which the Roman Catholic Church has now answered........or has it?









They will point to Jewish Passover (Pesach) tradition to explain things. Indeed the RC will often use traditions, inspired writings of the Fathers etc to interpret the Bible. In fact, Catholics have to trust in these things because they are instructed to NEVER interpret the scriptures privately, because of one isolated verse written by Peter which says "no prophecy was given by private interpretation". This verse (incidentally) was not talking about interpreting the scriptures - it was referring to those who were given the Word by God to put into the inspired scriptures. THEY were the ones who did not write down their interpretations of  what God had given them, but wrote down exactly what God had said, so that we can study what God said first hand.

So, let us consider the above question by looking at what the Bible actually says on the subject and get it into Bible context and not be influenced too much by extra biblical material, which can confuse matters. You may be surprised to know that there is NO MYSTERY regarding the final cup if we look only to the Bible for the answers. The Bible DOES explain it very clearly.

First of all, none of the four gospels mention Jesus drinking wine at the Last Supper (it doesn’t mean He didn’t drink wine – just that it doesn’t mention it). Besides Jesus already stated He would NOT drink again until later on. More on that shortly.

Every gospel account only states that He distributed the wine to the apostles only. It only mentions 2 cups at the table. The second one was taken AFTER supper. Of course just because it only mentions two cups does not necessarily  mean that there were only 2 cups, but it probably means 2 significant cups (at that stage). However,  the point is that we cannot state (as a fact) something which the Bible does not state as fact.

Please note the following statement by Jesus in Matthew 26:29 which is the whole crux of this article and is an indication when the final cup will be drunk:

“I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

There we have it in a nutshell! Jesus declared that He will drink no more wine until He does so in His Father’s Kingdom. Let us compare this, with what Jesus also said during

Peter Was Not The First Pope! Conclusive Historical Evidence Revealed and Matthew 16:18-19 Contextual Evidence

Before I give you the conclusive historical evidence in part 2,  I would first like to first give a brief Bible study on Matthew 16:18-19. This is the passage which Catholics use to prove Peter was the first Pope and that the Catholic Church was founded upon Peter as the rock. They do not have any other scriptural verses to back up that claim apart from these verses.

Certainly they use these verses as their strongest argument. If we can demonstrate and prove that these verses are not discussing the establishment of  Peter as the Pope, but discussing the foundation of the Church, their foundation probably comes crashing down.

Part 1:  The Context Of Matthew 16:18-19  Jesus Said "Who Do Men Say That I Am"?
The context of these verses lies in the question Jesus asked the apostles. He asked "who do men say that I am". The Church cannot be built upon wrong doctrine about Jesus. Jesus cannot be just a good man or a prophet or anything other than "the Christ, the Son of the Living God". He is the rock of our salvation and those who confess Him are built upon that rock. This is exactly what Peter confessed regarding the question of who Jesus is.

Peter being the very first to confess that truth (revealed by our Father) became the first to be built upon that rock. The name Jesus gave Peter was Petros which (in Greek) means stone or small stone. "and upon this rock" (petra, meaning massive rock, which is obviously Jesus referring to himself). Literally, Jesus is saying "you are Peter (a little stone) and upon me (the massive Rock) I will build my church.

Those who are built upon the Rock (JESUS)  become the church that cannot be shaken and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Book of Revelation has a verse which says "they overcome by the word of their testimony". Our testimony is that Jesus is the Christ, the redeemer, the Son Of God, the lamb of God.  The Church is built upon Jesus with the "good" confession.

Rom 10:9 says "if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved". 
All believers (including the apostles) first need to make confession and believe in their hearts. It is not just an intellectual acceptance of Jesus, but a revelation to the heart which produces an oratory response like Peter's. 

Loosing and Binding
Regarding the loosing and binding in verse 19.  If we compare Matthew 16:19 with Matthew 18:15-19 Jesus says the same thing about loosing and binding. In Matthew 19 Jesus is talking to all the Apostles and in relation to discipline in the church. He states

Significance Of The Scapegoat On Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Revised

Please note (for the reasons given below) I have had to revise the article
The Significance Of The Scapegoat On Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
I have now transfered it here (as a new article) and deleted the original article.

The whole section following the heading "An Explanation Before I Continue" is where you will find the difference compared to the original article. Everything (before that section) is exactly as it appeared beforehand. Anyway, this is the revised article.

This  Revised Article
I was asked to explain the significance of the scapegoat and to explain it in a way that youngsters would understand.   In the process of putting my answer together I came across some amazing historical information.

I will first show the answer I gave, then (at the bottom) give you all this amazing historical information from the Jewish Talmud which re-emphasises that Jesus IS the Messiah and completely satisfies God's requirements for our salvation. This was my answer:

Qualities Of True Biblical Leadership Compared To the False Teachers

This new article follows on from these previous articles:

Prophetic Ministry In These Last Days. How to Recognise True And False Prophecies

An Exhortation To Pastors or "Good Shepherds"

List and Details On Other False Teachers and Prophets

We are living in days where false teachers and false prophets abound. Jesus said that by their fruits you will know them. Putting these words into the whole context of the passage we will see that the fruit, Jesus was referring to, was unscriptural false teaching but He was pointing out that they were wolves. What are the fruits of a wolf in sheeps clothing? Here are some traits: arrogance, pride, greediness, lies. Maybe, instead of looking at these traits it may be better (as a counter to the false) to consider what makes for a “true” leader or a “good shepherd”

This article will look at the qualifications for leadership as defined in the Bible to help you determine whether a teacher is sound or not.

Before we look at the qualities for Biblical leadership, I need to point out that these are  very different from worldly leadership qualities or criteria. James says that friendship with the world is enmity with God.  Paul tells us that we are not to be conformed to this world (ie the way it thinks and acts) but be transformed (in our minds and hearts) by the renewing of our minds.

In fact, we are in days of being very influenced by “new-age” thinking about leadership. For instance, many books have been written by new-age gurus about leadership skills. However, this article concentrates on revealing God’s Mind on what is required in leadership.

God is looking for spiritually qualified leaders to feed His flock. He is looking for

Prophetic Ministry In These Last Days. How to Recognise True And False Prophecies

Originally Posted September 2010, Now Showing as 14 Oct 2010 But Revised and Updated 29 Oct 2010
Please checkout a newer article dated 15 Oct 2010 which is like a supplement to this article. Please click on this shortcut link to read it   Qualities Of True Biblical Leadership Compared To the False Teachers 


We are living in days where Prophecies of all sorts abound!  Many of these prophesies are weird or fanciful (wishful thinking) which are leaving people confused about prophecy - especially as most prophecies contain predictions which do not happen. They are asking WHAT IS GOING ON? It is because of the confusion and because of my many recent email correspondents that I feel it right to write an article on this.


Before I say anything please listen to this audio from Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel), first. It is an excellent exegesis (exposition) of what prophecy is:
http://blb-ra.blueletterbible.org/smith_chuck/Holy_Spirit/shs318.mp3 


I will now highlight some areas which were not covered within this audio and will also reveal the hallmarks of false prophets, false leaders and false teachers.


There is one aspect of prophecy revealed in the Scriptures (which Chuck only partially mentioned) which I feel I should elaborate on. It reveals another side of God's purpose for prophecy.

Chuck reminds us that Agabus (a NT prophet) is mentioned twice in Acts. These are the only examples recorded in the book of  Acts of predictive prophecy being given and were both distinctively directed towards the church (believers) and NOT to the outside world.


The purpose of the first prophecy was so that the Antioch church would send relief to the church in Judea. It was not used for any other reason.  So I do believe (as does Chuck Smith) that predictive prophecy IS still applicable and is for the purpose of building up and protecting the church, BUT it is very rare and usually comes in extreme or dire situations to protect believers. The second predictive prophecy was also from Agabus and was directed personally to Paul.


We say that the OT teaches (and it DOES) that if a prediction does not come true then that prophet is a false prophet. Actually there are at least two examples in the OT which show that this is not always true.


Let us consider Jonah (re Ninevah) in book of Jonah and Isaiah (re Hezekiah) in 2 Kings 20:1-6. Their prophecies were not fulfilled but   

We Are No Longer Under Law But Under Grace! What Does That Really Mean?

Originally Posted 29 Jan 2010 But Revised and  Updated 27 Oct 2010.  Also Important Addition On 20th July 2012 (see bottom of this article for that  addition)


There seems to be a lot of confusion amongst most Christians regarding the verse which quotes "we are no longer under law but under grace".  These words tend to get wrongly quoted to mean that we no longer need rules within the church but should trust our experiences of the Holy Spirit within us, instead. They consider that rules and Law are the same thing and both lead to legalism, which the Christian should avoid. They, therefore say that we should be selective in what we read or how we interpret.


Clearly the scriptures DO teach us that "the letter kills (ie, legalism kills) but the Spirit gives life" (more details on this later)  but rules or instructions about how to be disciples are completely different from legalism or keeping the law. This article will explain what "we are no longer under Law, but under grace" actually means and prove it doesn't mean what a lot of Christians think it means.


The misinterpretation of those verses is the thin end of the wedge leading to a growth of apostasy within the churches because many are now ditching the Word of God in favour of their experiences. This is why I write this article to encourage us all to study the Bible, be Bereans, check these things out and so save ourselves from the slippery road into apostasy. By the way,  I don't reject experiences provided they are scriptural and measure up with the Bible. John told us to "test the spirits to see whether they be of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1)


I believe the Lord has called me (according to 2 Tim 2:15) to be a workman rightly dividing (handling) the word of truth. Therefore, I will share the real meaning of the text just as God taught me.

Let us first look at the whole context of  “we are no longer under law but under grace” found in Romans 6:14.  Paul was speaking about the condemnation and hell judgement that the law of Moses brought to us. He said that before the law was given he would not have been aware of his sinful nature and its tendency to yield to temptation, but because the law was given (since the time of Moses) it revealed to him how sinful he was. Paul goes on to say that the law of life in Christ Jesus sets us free from that law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). So, never again does the judgement, condemnation of the  law hang over us (showing us our sin leading to spiritual death),  because we are living in the grace (unmerited favour, mercy, forgiveness) of God which gives us Spiritual life, release and liberty within us. We are set free from God's judgement and the fear that that brings. Although, we now have now become transformed within, this does not mean that we do not need to follow guidelines. We still follow guidelines or commandments in the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t follow the Mosaic law of works in order to receive God’s salvation as it has been already given by GRACE. As our sins have been washed away,  the Holy Spirit now lives in us enabling us to live under the new covenant with ability to submit to God and to His laws of the new covenant. Paul is referring to what it was like before grace came - before Jesus rescued us from the consequences of the Law.  When Paul talks about the law of sin and death he is talking about the result of trying to obey the Law. The Law highlights to us how sinful we are (whenever we try to be obedient to the Law). It also results in our spiritual death when we fail. So, it is a law that brings about sin and death in us. We cannot (in our own strength) fulfil it. This is why Paul cried out "who will save me from this body of death? Thanks be to Jesus!". We talk about the laws of physics eg law of gravity. There is a principle (or condition) and a consequence. If you drop a heavy object it will fall. The condition "if you drop a heavy object" and a consequence "it will fall". So, this could also be read (but means the same thing): "the condition" of 'disobeying the Law or sinning, gives a "consequence" of death (spiritual death)". However, the "condition" of  being in Christ Jesus brings "consequence" Life (spiritual life). The law of life in Christ Jesus (because of continuous forgiveness and cleansing) through the power of the Holy Spirit, sets me free from