Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
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In Paul’s revolutionary message of simple repentance and faith toward God are “some things”, Peter said, “which are hard to be understood.” And men now, as then, distort Paul’s message, “as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2Pet. 3:16). But the truth revealed to Paul is destined to override the strongest opposition. And if Paul’s gospel is hard for some men to understand, it is hard for them to understand because they prefer a gospel other than God’s.
Today, we witness one distortion of Paul’s gospel when ministers declare that being set free from the works of the Law (as Paul said) means that we are not required to work (as Paul never said). My friend, we must do good deeds if we hope to be saved from the coming wrath (Jn. 5:28-29; Rom. 2:5-11; Heb. 5:9). Christ liberated us from the necessity of works of the Law, not from the necessity of doing the will of God. Only those children of God who do the will of God will see the face of God, and Jesus warned his followers plainly that this is true (Mt. 7:21).
Why would that simple truth be hard to understand, except that men prefer word-only gospels that excuse sin rather than a gospel with power to make one sinless?