689 lines
115 KiB
HTML
689 lines
115 KiB
HTML
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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
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<meta name="title" content="The Pleasure Trap of Paulinism" />
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<title>The Pleasure Trap of Paulinism</title>
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<table class="contentpaneopen">
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<tr>
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<td valign="top" >"The apostle (Paul)<strong> lied </strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">[about Peter not] walking</span> uprightly...." (Jerome, quoted by Augustine 397 A.D.)</td>
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<h1><a href="https://jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h1>
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<ul class="menu"><li><a href="https://jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/books.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li><a href="/books/jesuswordsonly.html"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/jesuswordssalvation.html"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/books/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/books/didcalvinmurderservetus/background-material-did-calvin-murder-servetus.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/books/hownottosudythebible.html"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/jesusorpaul.html"><span>Jesus or Paul</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/unintended-disservice.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/original-gospel-of-matthew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/commands-of-jesus.html"><span>Commands of Jesus</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/gospel-of-john.html"><span>Gospel of John</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/media.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/reviews.html" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/reviews/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/reviews/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/topicindex/753-bookstore.html"><span>Bookstore</span></a></li><li><a href="/topicindex.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li><li><a href="/aboutauthor.html"><span>About Author</span></a></li><li><a href="/newsletters.html"><span>Newsletters</span></a></li></ul>
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<h3>Search</h3>
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<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
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<div>
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<div>
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<h3>Questions?</h3>
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<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
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<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
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<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
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<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
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<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
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<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
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// <![CDATA[
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function s5_qc_clearbody() {
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document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
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document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
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}
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if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
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function s5_qc_clearname() {
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document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
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document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
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document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
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document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
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document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
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if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
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}
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if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
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}
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if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
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function s5_qc_clearspam() {
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if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
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document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
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if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
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}
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if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
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}
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if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
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}
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if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
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document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
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}
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}
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function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
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if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
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alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
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document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
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}
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else {
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alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
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}
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}
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function s5_qc_submit() {
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if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
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alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
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return false;
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}
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if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "5165") {
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alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
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return false;
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var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
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var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
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var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
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var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
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if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
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return false;
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if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
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return false;
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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}
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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return false;
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if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
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<h3>Recommendations</h3>
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<p><a href="/recommendedreading/401-music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
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<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20?node=1&page=2">What Did Jesus Say?</a> (2012) - 7 topics </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p><span style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 24pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The Pleasure Trap of Paulinism </span></strong></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">God's Mercy In the Ten Commandments.</span></strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A6&version=NKJV">Exodus 20:6</a>, you will see that God gave us a principle that our conscience would normally and readily recognize as true. This verse tells us how to be saved eternally with God. It simply says God's mercy is given to those who love God and obey His commandments. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">However, we are deliberately taught by Pauline teachers that this principle on mercy / grace is false. We suffer a modern constant Pauline drubbing upon the claim that we "shall be saved" by "holding in memory" a belief in three facts about Jesus, citing <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gal.+2%3A11&version=KJV">1 Cor. 15:1-4</a>. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">What are these three facts which Paul says by believing them alone we will be saved eternally? </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Paul says you must simply believe Jesus died for your sins, he was buried, and then rose from the dead, and you "shall" be saved. No other conditions. This is a mercy with supposedly no requirement either to love God or obey His commandments. Paul is at total odds with Exodus 20:6.</span></p>
|
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">On top of this, we are brainwashed to reject Exodus 20:6 if we ever read it. This conditioning is done by scaremongering. </span></p>
|
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">We are told that "adding" anything else to the supposed faith-alone gospel of 1 Cor. 15:1-4 will cause our <strong>damnation</strong>. Thus, not only is it supposedly wrong to think repenting and turning to obey God to obtain His mercy for your sins is necessary, but also you are told that <strong>merely</strong> believing it is <strong>true</strong> and then attempting to fulfill this condition of obeying God will <strong>sever</strong> <strong>you</strong> <strong>from</strong> <strong>Christ</strong>. Again, this is based upon Paul's teachings, particularly in Galatians 5, as discussed below.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
|
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Hence, we are now almost universally taught that obeying God with such a mental expectation of mercy from God will cause your damnation -- the <strong>very</strong> <strong>opposite</strong> of what God promised you in Exodus 20:6 for such mental attitude and behavior. </span></p>
|
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<p> </p>
|
||
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">For Paul tells us that obeying God for salvation will "sever" a Christian from Christ. Such an effort to obey God's principles to be right with God will supposedly cause a curse, Paul says, to fall upon you that will send a Christian believer to hell. And Paul adds that Christ will profit a Christian nothing, and you will fall from grace, by taking the path of obeying God, including obeying the sabbath day of rest, if you have the mental belief that this is a means of staying justified in God's eyes. See <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+1%3A6-12&version=DLNT" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Gal. 1:6-12</a><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">; </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+2%3A14-16&version=DLNT" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Gal. 2:14-16</a><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;"> (cursed if not continue in all points of law); </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+3%3A9-12&version=DLNT" style="color: #517291; outline: none; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Gal. 3:9-12</a>; <a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/5-4.htm" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Gal. 5:4 NASB</a> (severed from Christ); <a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/5-2.htm" style="color: #517291; outline: none; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Gal. 5:2 KJV</a> (Christ "profit you nothing").</span></p>
|
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<p> </p>
|
||
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">The icing on top to cement this startling view is the Pauline villification of God's principle in Exodus 20:6 as unnecessarily exposing us to the risk of boasting. Paul again is cited for this ridiculous proposition. See <span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians+2%3A8-9&version=KJV" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #517291; outline: none; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Eph. 2:8-9</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">. </span></span></p>
|
||
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">When these out-of-context verses are combined with pastors flattering us falsely every week that we can be assured salvation for faith-alone (no obedience / works necessary), we end up ensnared by the <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">pleasure trap of Paulinism</span></strong>. It will take a lot of spiritual studies to escape its snare. Hopefully, this article will help you begin to restore your spiritual-recognition that Exodus 20:6 is true. And it is something Jesus teaches and refers to many times, especially in Matthew 19. <br /><br /> </span></p>
|
||
|
|
<p><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #0000ff;">Does Exodus 20:6 Startle You?</span></strong></p>
|
||
|
|
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Here is Exodus 20:6 -- God clearly stating His grounds for mercy to obtain salvation -- a verse right inside His delivering the Ten Commandments — sandwiched right between the first and second commandments: </span></p>
|
||
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">"[I extend] mercy to those who <strong>love me</strong> and <strong>obey my commandments</strong>." (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A6&version=NKJV">Exodus 20:6 NKJV</a>.)</span></p>
|
||
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">This has both a loving and conditional aspect. The loving aspect is a promise of mercy and the conditional aspect is that we must turn to love God and obey His commandments. The Ten Commandments in context. That includes taking the day off on Sabbath. </span></p>
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||
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<p> </p>
|
||
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<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Paul's Salvation On Holding in Memory Just 3 Facts as True.</span></strong></span></p>
|
||
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">What is the opposite message we hear today? God has supposedly made a way that there is no love and obedience condition to have a right to God's mercy, but instead we must simply keep only in <strong>memory</strong> just three facts about Jesus. We thereby</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"> supposedly become saved forever. Thus, when </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">we sin again, we allegedly need only remind ourselves about these three factual-beliefs to restore our joy of salvation. As Paul puts it in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+cor.+15%3A1-4&version=NKJV">1 Cor. 15:1-4</a>: </span></p>
|
||
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<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; padding-left: 30px;">Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you<strong> the gospel which I preached unto you</strong>, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;</p>
|
||
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<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; padding-left: 30px;">2 <strong>By which also ye are saved</strong>, if ye <strong>keep in memory</strong> what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.</p>
|
||
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<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; padding-left: 30px;">3 For I delivered unto you <strong>first</strong> of all that which I also received, how that <strong>Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures</strong>;</p>
|
||
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<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; padding-left: 30px;">4 And that he was <strong>buried</strong>, and that <strong>he rose again the third day according to the scriptures</strong>: <span style="font-size: 18pt;">(<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15%3A1-4&version=KJV">1 Cor. 15:1-4 KJV</a>.) </span></p>
|
||
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<p> </p>
|
||
|
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Please note that Paul cites himself as his only authority -- it is a gospel "I preached to you." For this significant erasure of Exodus 20:6 -- part of the Ten Commandments, Paul does not cite God nor Jesus nor the Bible for this supposed new truth. Paul just directly does away with both elements -- as if neither need ever be mentioned again -- on his exclusive authority to say so by his own preaching. </span></p>
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||
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<p> </p>
|
||
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
|
||
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Instead of what Exodus 20:6 requires, Paul clearly teaches elsewhere that faith alone saves. For you are "saved by</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> faith, not works</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">, lest any man should </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">boast</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">." (</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians+2%3A8-9&version=KJV" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Eph. 2:8-9</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">.) So "keep in memory" -- as Paul clearly says in 1 Cor. 15:2 -- just the facts that Jesus "died for your sins," was buried, and "rose the third day" and you supposedly "are saved."</span></p>
|
||
|
|
<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p>
|
||
|
|
<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Such an </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">attractive </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">principle</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> — if you latch onto it — necessarily <strong>drives from your mind any necessity to obey or love God as a condition to receive his mercy</strong>. In fact, Paul says such a belief -- ordained in Exodus 20:6 in the Ten Commandments no less -- necessarily leads to the sin of boasting. Hence, Paul warns you will become damned necessarily if you believe works of obedience form any condition of God's mercy -- His grace. You will always supposedly fall into boasting, and hence a lost condition.</span></p>
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</div>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="background: white;">Damnation Supposedly Follows For Compliance with Exodus 20:6. </span></strong></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="background: white; color: #000000;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;">Paul goes even farther than just this. Paul emphasizes that you are cursed, and severed from Christ, and Christ will profit you nothing if you try to obey God's law as a condition of salvation. Yet as we review Paul's contentions next, please remember Paul's principles are at total odds with Exodus 20:6.</span></span></span></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">In Galatians, Paul bemoans Galatian Christians who wish to keep sabbath as provided in the Ten Commandments -- a command specifically applicable to all Gentiles in community with Israel. <span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">See </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deut%205:12-15&version=YLT" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Deut. 5:12-15</a><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;"> ("sojourner within thy gates"); </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2025:6&version=YLT" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Lev. 25:6</a> <span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">("sojourner settling with thee"); </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2023:12&version=YLT" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Exo 23:12</a><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;"> (sojourner).</span></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Paul then says "anathema" -- cursed -- are those who wish to be just / justified by keeping such parts of the Law, <em>i.e.</em>, sabbath, etc. For otherwise, Paul argues, they will have to keep "all" of the Law, and not selected parts. (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+1%3A6-12&version=DLNT" style="color: #517291;">Gal. 1:6-12</a>; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+2%3A14-16&version=DLNT" style="color: #517291;">Gal. 2:14-16</a> (cursed if not continue in all points of law); <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+3%3A9-12&version=DLNT" style="color: #517291;">Gal. 3:9-12</a> (under a curse, misquoting Deuteronomy, as explained at this <a href="/topicindex/360-paul-misquotes-of-scripture.html" style="color: #517291;">link</a>), <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+3%3A21&version=DLNT" style="color: #517291;">Gal. 3:21</a>. </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">This is especially ironic because Paul says this in part to dissuade Sabbath observance among Gentiles when Paul claims Gentiles are the focus of Paul's ministries. However, Paul appears unaware of the following Bible promise for his target audience's entry into a new covenant: </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><br />The promise in Isaiah 56 of salvation to Gentiles ("my salvation is about to come", <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/56-1.htm" style="color: #517291;">56:1</a>) through God's suffering servant (whom was obviously Jesus) was predicated on two things: "<strong>keep the Sabbath</strong> from profaning it and <strong>keep his hand from doing evil.</strong>" (Isaiah <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/56-2.htm" style="color: #517291;">56:2</a>) or "who <strong>keep My Sabbaths</strong>, and choose things that please Me, and<strong> take hold of my covenant</strong>." (Isaiah <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/isaiah/passage.aspx?q=isaiah+56:4;isaiah+56:6" style="color: #517291;">56:4,6</a>). The word <strong>covenant</strong> there means the Ten Commandments (including Sabbath), such as that term is used in the name Ark of the Covenant, i.e., a box to hold the tablets of the Ten Commandments.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Paul's so-called 'gospel' thereby eviscerated one of the key conditions of salvation for Gentiles -- a weekly-time out on Sabbath from work -- despite Paul claiming he had the correct path of salvation for them. Oh what man cannot be led to believe! </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">In the same vein, Paul says to the Galatian Christians about those who obeyed God as Christians to stay in God's grace: "You have been <strong>severed from Christ</strong>, you who are seeking to be justified by Law; you have <strong>fallen from grace</strong>." (<a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/5-4.htm" style="color: #517291;">Gal. 5:4 NASB</a>.) </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">So Paul acknowledges he is talking about true Christians. They are severed from Christ by obeying Sabbath rest as a condition of salvation as expressed by God in Exodus 20:6. Thus Paul teaches you are saved by faith alone, but <strong>become damned by obeying one of God’s commands in the Ten Commandments if motivated to satisfy the requirement in Exodus 20:6</strong> — part of the Ten Commandments too. Paul is talking about the Sabbath command in context -- a command that was specifically extended in the Law to Gentiles aka foreigners / sojourners.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">And again on the parallel topic of circumcision (which the Law necessitated a Gentile have done <strong>only if</strong> they wished to enter the Temple at Jerusalem or participate in passover), Paul says: "Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, <strong>Christ will be of no value</strong> to you at all." (<a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/5-2.htm" style="color: #517291;">Gal. 5:2 NIV</a>.) Or as the KJV says, "Christ will <strong>profit you nothing.</strong>" (<a href="http://biblehub.com/galatians/5-2.htm" style="color: #517291;">Gal. 5:2 KJV.</a>) </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Thus, even a Christian who wanted to be circumcised solely to enter the temple to avoid being damned by defiling the Temple's holiness standard, would <strong>actually lose their salvation for such clear sin-avoidance</strong>. Hence, Paul warned a Christian would be eternally separated from Christ by that act of obedience to an optional command that the Law said a Gentile <strong>must follow if they wanted to enter the temple and pray.</strong> </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Paul's statement is clearly a ludicrous principle -- you are supposedly damned for obeying a principle the Law said you must obey so as not to be damned. How ridiculous! </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Yet, your Pauline pastors teach these lessons from Paul as if they make good sense. </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><br />What is their core reasoning? Supposedly, by avoiding obedience to God's law as of any conditional importance, you avoid the risk of 'boasting.' They cite correctly Ephesians 2:8-9 which indeed implies this. But Paul's <strong>saying it is so does not make it so</strong>. Paul has no quote of Jesus or authority of some inspired vision for this patently absurd view. </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">So why does this nonsense get swallowed without objection by almost everyone in the pew every Sunday? What's the attraction holding our minds to this silly doctrine?</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="background: white;">Because It is The Greatest News Ever</span></strong></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white;">Let's admit it -- Paul's message is <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">overwhelmingly great news</span></strong> .... </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white;"><strong>I get everything for nothing.</strong></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white;"><strong> I only have to accept three facts of history as true.</strong> </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white;">But this represents the <strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">pleasure trap of Paulinism</span></strong>. </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white;">Why? </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;">Because Paulinism uses Paul’s words to instill a belief that restored obedience as a condition of mercy (forgiveness of sin) is a </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;">frightful</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;"> requirement, leading us invariably to the sin of pride ("boast"-ing). Based upon Paul, I can then justify doing nothing for God toward obedience or love. Instead, I can supposedly insist God must grant me mercy based upon my simply keeping in “memory” these three fact-beliefs which Paul specified. I can then, Paul tells me, enjoy the notion that God has to let me into heaven because I believe just these three facts of history about Jesus.</span></span></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff; background: white;">Jude's Curious Epistle</span></strong><span style="color: #000000; background: white;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #000000; background: white;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;">What does Jude -- second Bishop of the Church and brother of Jesus -- say about this idea? Jude talks of a doctrine of grace devoid of the second of the two principles we saw in Exodus 20:6 -- "obey my commandments" -- as a condition of God's mercy.</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Jude equates this view with a teaching by a "wolf in sheep's" clothing who Jude says penetrated Christianity with a lawless doctrine that twists God's "grace" into "licentiousness.” This unnamed Christ-professing figure, <a href="https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jude/1-11.htm">Jude 1:11</a> says, shares the lessons of Balaam -- a figure alive in the time of Moses. </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">What was Balaam's doctrine? </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Let’s look for an answer where Jesus in Revelation references Balaam in the context of talking about a fal</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">se apostle. Jesus speaks of an unnamed false apostle, and then next condemned the doctrine of a new Balaam in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelation+2%3A14&version=NKJV" style="color: #517291;">Rev. 2:14</a> who says he prophetically can declare Christians are permitted to eat meat sacrificed to idols. </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Who can Jesus be talking about? </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Could it be Paul? </span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Absolutely.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">For Paul unquestionably taught Christians are free to eat meat sacrificed to idols, only restraining from doing so around a brother with a "weaker" conscience who thinks it is wrong. But you with a "stronger conscience" -- knowing it is supposedly not wrong to eat -- by you eating such idol meat in their presence, you may encourage the "weaker" Christian -- the one who Paul says erroneously thinks it wrong to eat such meat -- to do something the "weak minded" Christian thinks is wrong. But otherwise, you have the "stronger" conscience, and know it is perfectly acceptable to eat meat sacrificed to idols outside the presence of such "weak" minds. Paul insists your freedom to eat such meat should not be otherwise constrained by another's "weak" conscience who needlessly fears that eating such meat is wrong. See <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+10%3A28-29&version=NIV" style="color: #517291; outline: none;">1 Cor. </a><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+10%3A28-29&version=NIV" style="color: #517291;">10:28-29</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+8%3A4-12&version=NIV" style="color: #517291; outline: none;">1 Cor. 8:4-12</a>. See </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="/recommendedreading/690-paul-cavalier-attitude-eating-idol-meat-at-idol-temple.html">Paul's Cavalier Attitude About Eating Idol Meat at a Pagan Temple (apparently post-service free hand-outs).</a> See also </span><a href="/recommendedreading/728-response-to-defense-of-paul-over-eating-idol-meat.html"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Response to Critic About Paul's Idol Meat Passages.</span></a></p>
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<p><a href="/recommendedreading/728-response-to-defense-of-paul-over-eating-idol-meat.html"></a></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">George Reber, a Paul defender, in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Christ of Paul</strong> (1876) is shocked at Jude for likewise calling this obvious NT figure a new Balaam. Reber derisively said of Jude: "The Epistle of Jude is <strong>nothing but a bolt hurled at the head of Paul</strong>." (<a href="http://gutenberg.readingroo.ms/3/8/3/7/38376/38376-h/38376-h.htm" style="color: #517291;">Link.</a>) If you want to see how Jude's proofs about an unnamed "wolf in sheep's clothing" obviously were meant for Paul and his principles, see para. # 18 at <span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">this </span><a href="/component/content/article/1-jwo/727-proofs-the-12-apostles-rejected-paul.html" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">link</a><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">.</span></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"> </p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff; background: white;">Scaremongering That Obedience Damns You Is The Sugar On Top.</span></strong><span style="color: #000000; background: white;"></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">The ultimate "pleasure trap" -- which I will explain later what that means -- is to define the true doctrine of salvation -- God's mercy -- so that believing in the truth of Exodus 20:6 is depicted as </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">spiritually dangerous</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">. Accepting the truth of Exodus 20:6 will supposedly cause you to fall into pride. Into boasting. This sin will then supposedly cause loss of salvation. You can then justify to God that you will </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">never try to be obedient for salvation-sake ever again</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> because such desire will supposedly always </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">backfire</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> and cause the very thing you want to avoid. You can now allegedly tell God that you will only obey Him when you feel some need to get a </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">reward</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> in heaven. </span></p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">How pleasing that is in our own sight.</span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">It is an </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">unbelievably</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">attractive </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">gospel</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> that creates a dopamine-like effect of <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">pure pleasure</span></strong>. It drives out the voice of John the Baptist, Jesus and Yahweh who give contrary warnings. Each preached to us that works worthy of repentance were an essential component of God's grace -- His mercy. See </span><a href="/recommendedreading/628-works-worthy-of-repentance.html"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Works Worthy of Repentance.</span></a></p>
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</div>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="/recommendedreading/628-works-worthy-of-repentance.html"><span style="color: black; background: white; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></span></a></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="background: white;">Science Shows Paulinism Exploits Our Mental Proclivities</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #000000;"></span> </span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">A neuroscientist Tali Sharon in a Ted talk discussed studies that show people will negate a warning and accept a more optimistic projection over the warning even if the optimistic “truth” is untrue. See this You Tube at the six minute mark: </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><a href="https://youtu.be/xp0O2vi8DX4">https://youtu.be/xp0O2vi8DX4</a><a href="https://youtu.be/xp0O2vi8DX4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><br /></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Thus flattery combined with wishful thinking -- a pleasing “truth” -- attracts us like the porch light that attracts moths who mistake it for the light of the moon to which they are designed to fly toward. Our mind naturally seeks to be optimistic about our salvation. We gravitate toward pleasing messages that flatter us and have no cautions about what true path to take. We are thus susceptible to pleasure traps on what is the path to salvation. What are such traps? Such snares?</span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff; background: white;">Pleasure Trap Defined</span></strong><span style="color: #000000; background: white;"></span> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">A </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">pleasure </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">trap</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> is anything </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">artificially </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">created</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> to appear like God’s true design which is so juiced to boost </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">attractiveness</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">unrealistically</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> that true warnings are ignored. For example, as Dr. Lisle explains in his Ted Talk </span><a href="https://youtu.be/jX2btaDOBK8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">https://youtu.be/jX2btaDOBK8</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">, one pleasure trap is where the brain turn
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">This too is the power of modern Paulinism. It is like the unrealistic sweet or salty junk foods we eat regularly. It is also like the unrealistic cocaine high that you cannot give up. We will self-destructively pursue recklessly the next fix of potato chips or the snort, ignoring our pangs to obey our conscience despite our declining physical health. </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">How is this done spiritually using Paul’s words?</span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;"><span style="color: black; background: white;"></span></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="background: white;">Stringing Together Out-of-Context Verses of Paul</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #000000;"></span></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Paulinism </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">strings</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">verses</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> together from primarily only Paul week after week at church, for a </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">powerful</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">effect. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Paul’s words, had they instead been read along with Jesus' words being given equal or greater weight, would never have been able to persuade. On top of this repetitive narrow focus on Paul, Pauline teachers juice Paul's authority by the simple uncorroborated power-claim that Paul enjoys the label “</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">apostle."</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> This label is incessantly ascribed to Paul without any proof other than Paul’s self-serving claim. See </span><a href="https://www.jesuswordsonly.com/recommendedreading/564-how-many-apostles-of-jesus-christ-are-in-the-bible.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">link</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">And this is how God’s truth of salvation — His expectation we love God and obey His commandments for forgiveness of sin — an unassailable truth from the Ten Commandments themselves — now </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">revulses</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> us. We are so satiated by sweet words of optimism that faith alone saves that the <strong>true</strong> Word of God seems like a </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">tasteless</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> and </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">unsatisfying </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">dish of unseasoned vegetables. Our pastors have fed us the equivalent of exciting Frito Lay potato chips or Hostess cupcakes. We just cannot get enough of flattery reassuring us weekly that we are saved by belief in three historical facts about Jesus: he died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. We hear the echo incessantly of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. It is part of the Nicene Creed of the 300s that we typically are asked by our pastors to affirm as true.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Thereby, Paulinism points us directly at a path of </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">self</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">-</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">destruction</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> like the moth is drawn to the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">unnaturally</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> bright light at night of a porch light. Paulinism presents an artificial pleasure trap that hooks into our natural attraction to be saved upon physical death but sadly we are not following truth. Instead, we follow some </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">artificially</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> and </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">exagerrated powerful misleading message</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">. In other words, a Pleasure Trap.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">What should we do in response? Our goal must be to break free, see the truth of the ungodly Pleasure Trap, and head back to the true light of God’s and Jesus’ unassailable words.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="background: white;">Paulinists Ignore Paul's Words That Undermine Paulinism.</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #000000;"></span></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;">Interestingly, here </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-position: left bottom; background-image: url('data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhBQAEAJECAP////8AAAAAAAAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAFAAQAAAIIlGAXCCHrTCgAOw=='); border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; background-color: inherit;">Paulinists</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;"> are so </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-position: left bottom; background-image: url('data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhBQAEAJECAP////8AAAAAAAAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAFAAQAAAIIlGAXCCHrTCgAOw=='); border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; background-color: inherit;">enamored</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: inherit;"> with faith-alone for salvation that they recklessly encourage a misidentification of Paul’s self-contradictatory statements. Paul contrarily utters obedience-conditions for salvation stated in the same 1 Corinthians epistle. He also does so three times elsewhere. Paul thus a total of <span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>four</strong> <strong>times</strong> </span>gives Christians warnings that they will not “inherit the kingdom” if they commit various sins. Paul primarily cited examples from the Ten Commandments. Paul expressed <strong>frustration</strong> that the churches he seeded understood <strong>something different from something he said</strong>. See 1 Cor. 6:9, Ephesian 5:5-7, Galatians 5:19-21, and 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8. See also full discussion at this</span></span><a href="https://www.jesuswordsonly.com/recommendedreading/698-pauls-four-inheritance-warnings.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> link</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Yet, the Pauline preachers of today tell their followers that Paul means in these four 'you will not inherit the kingdom' passages that Paul only had in mind a loss of rewards. They supposedly know this is true because we know elsewhere such as from 1 Cor. 15:1-4 that Paul promises salvation for only keeping certain factual beliefs in “memory.” They read that passage to mean that no misconduct on our part can erase such salvation. They insist Paul's warning Christians elsewhere that they won't “inherit the kingdom” for sins specified in the Law means we are only at risk of losing a reward in heaven. We supposedly never can be barred from entry as it would violate Paul's promise that we will be saved by mere belief in three historical facts about Jesus' life: he died for sin, was buried, and rose from the dead. Somehow not "inheriting the kingdom" supposedly means you are still there but <strong>lack joy during your eternal life. </strong></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">These pastors equally ignore Paul's words in </span><a href="https://biblehub.com/romans/2-13.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Romans 2:13 KJV</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> that only the "doers of the Law are justified" but not those who "hear" alone. </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">What else can that mean other than that those who believe alone but do not do the Law's requirements are not justified?</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="background: white;">Pilots Who Ignore Warnings Doom Their Passengers</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #000000;"></span></span> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">But this brings to mind the 2005 tragedy of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522">Helios airline flight 522</a> as it ascended from 10,000 to 18,000 feet after departing Cyprus while heading for Athens. The 737 gave the pilots a sound warning of an in-flight problem which sounded similar to a ground configuration warning that only sounds when on the ground. The pilots did not recognize it was an inflight-warning sound about pressurization of the cabin which will become deadly as they ascend if not addressed.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">The pilots spoke via radio with the ground mechanic. It was learned later that this mechanic had mistakenly forgot to set the pressurization switch back to "auto" when he was done. Via radio, he asked the pilots questions designed to alert the pilots to the true problem -- asking about the status of the auto-manual setting on the pressurization switch. However, the pilots repeatedly brushed aside his questions.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">The main pilot pressed for an answer how to throw a circuit breaker to take offline the "erroneous" warning sound. The pilots even ignored the fact that the oxygen masks had dropped for the passengers, triggered automatically by a change in pressure in their cabin. The plane's passengers thus knew there was danger. They trusted the pilots, however, were paying attention. But the pilots were not paying attention to how the passengers were doing. The passenger's confidence was <strong>misplaced</strong>, and soon enough the pilots themselves would lose consciousness, dooming all onboard. When that happened, the plane simply flew in one direction until the plane ran out of fuel, and crashed into the side of a mountain. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">The pilots needed to heed the mechanic's questions (which implied a warning) in time to save the passengers and themselves.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">The pilots' fault was they remained resistant to listen to questions from the ground mechanic who tried to alert them to check the pressurization status. Thus, when the ground mechanic point blank asked the pilot: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522">"Can you confirm the pressurization is set to AUTO?," the pilot ignored him, responding: "Where are my equipment cooling circuit breakers?"</a> referring to wanting to know where was the location of the breakers to stop the warning signals.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Thus, the pilots did nothing right, ignoring the mechanic three-times pursuing the same issue. The pilots instead insisted the mechanic respond to their question on how to simply disrupt warning sounds to turn them off.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">However, had the pilots listened to the lowly ground mechanic - the one responsible for the error in the first place, and <strong>followed his questions</strong>, they would have learned that the auto pressurization was mistakenly turned to "off." <strong>All they needed to do is flip the switch from "manual" to “auto.”</strong> Instead, the pilots were “ignoring the question,” fixated instead on finding the breakers to turn off what they thought was the sound of a ground misconfiguration warning that should only sound while on the ground. </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">See this for youselves in this re-enactment at the 7:00 to 7:57 mark of this video: </span><a href="https://youtu.be/Go3K0UUt2Us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">https://youtu.be/Go3K0UUt2Us</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">? </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Let's give meaning to the death of all those people by treating this as a parable to teach us that we must pray self-styled pastors wake up, sound the warning, and flip the switch to Jesus from Paulinism. We need to reject skewed string-cites from Paul, refusing any longer to ignore Paul's four inheritance warnings given to believers to fly right or not make it to heaven.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Thus, in our present state, we have oxygen masks of Bible verses from Jesus to alert us. However, no pilot is telling us how to use them. We are doomed by our pastors' ridiculous misreading Paul’s four inheritance warnings as not applicable to get us to grab the oxygen masks and have a true chance at spiritual survival.</span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: black; background: white; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;"></span></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="background: white;">Let's Dig Deeper Into the Helios Crash Parabolic Analogy. </span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #000000;"></span></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">So why did Helios flight 522 eventually crash, killing all crew and passengers? </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">A single mechanic on the ground checked the pressurization of a door, and to do that he turned the pressurization system from auto to manual. He forgot to reset it back to auto. So as the plane ascended above 10,000 feet, all the pilots ever had to do was flip a <strong>single</strong> <strong>switch</strong> from manual to auto to live.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">On three separate occasions the main pilot ignored instructions to take care of this. He didn’t think that was the problem. He thought the problem was there was a mistake, and that the warning sound was for a ground configuration issue which he knew was impossible in flight. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">He just wanted to turn off the sound</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">. He didn’t want to address the truth of what the real warning was even when more reliable sources on the ground were telling the pilot what to do. The pilot <strong>did not want to even listen to the person who was most intimately involved in creating the mistake himself:</strong> the ground mechanic who should have set the pressurization back to "auto." </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">This is like the behavior of our modern pastors today. Paul is like the ground mechanic who made the mistake. Paul is "difficult to understand," Peter says in 2 Peter 3:15-18, so no wonder Paul made a mistake in stating things <strong>absolutely with no conditions</strong> in Ephesians 2:8-9, and in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Even when the four inheritance warning passages are cited as telling Christians that violating various commandments will cause us not to "inherit the kingdom of God," our pastors just know better. Paul supposedly cannot mean what this says. Our pastors contend Paul must have meant we lose rewards only. Our pastors <strong>tune</strong> <strong>out</strong> not only Paul but also anyone who says otherwise. We are supposedly ignorant lowly lay persons who are just disturbing our pastors' focus upon getting people saved on faith alone oxygen. The four-inheritance warnings of Paul and we lay-persons are snidely disregarded with impunity by our pastors. <br /><br /></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Thus, our pastors remain unaware that faith-alone oxygen will evaporate as their congregants try to reach for the heavens. It is insufficient to get us to the higher altitude above 18,000 feet in this real-world parable and thus into heaven. We lack the protective pressurization that Exodus 20:6 provides -- the path of loving God and obeying His commandments for salvation -- an unmistakable warning post because </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">it is right inside the Ten Commandments</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">. <br /></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><br />No pastor, and none of us, can ever say we never saw it there. We will have to confess instead that we just ignored words in the most read portion of the Bible: the Ten Commandments.</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">So our pilot-pastors presently refuse to take Paul’s own warnings seriously that obedience is crucial to go to heaven. Instead, they ignore even Paul's warnings. Thus, they fail to get themselves and their passengers to safety. We’re all being led to destruction for the failure of just one flip of a switch — from Paul — with his confusing, poorly articulated words — back to Jesus – our true auto pilot. And thus we never hear Jesus' answer in Matthew 19 bluntly on how to be saved when Jesus quotes Exodus 20:6 as the answer. See <a href="/recommendedreading/585-answer-of-jesus-to-direct-question-how-to-have-eternal-life.html">link</a>.</span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> <br /></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Let's therefore make the effort to insist all of us -- pastors and their passengers -- get back on track before it is too late. </span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">END</span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"> POST-SCRIPT NOTE.</span></strong></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;">Please note the absurdity of Ephesians 2:8-9 -- we are "saved by faith, <strong>lest any man should boast</strong>." There are two absurdities in this.</span></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;">First, in light of Exodus 20:6, Paul presents boasting as if the risk of that sin necessitates God eliminating Exodus 20:6 going forward. For Paul presents the consequences of boasting as far more egregious than the consequences of disobeying any or all of the other laws of God. Paul thereby implies that we should never further try to avoid blasphemy or idol worship or adultery, etc., to remain saved. It is more important to avoid boasting, and to that end, we must accept God no longer has a condition of "loving me" and "obeying my commandments" in Exodus 20:6 so as to remove the risk of boasting. </span></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;"><br />The second absurdity is that in this path, by the same principle against boasting, Paul should equally imply that rewards cannot be sought as well based upon loving and obeying God. For obviously such good works for rewards equally or more so pose a risk of boasting too. For now you justifiably can think you are "entitled" to rewards without any condition too. Any condition of obedience for rewards equally can lead to boasting. For rewards for obedience alone does not lessen the risk of boasting. <br /><br /></span></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;">At least I don't see any thing materially different as to the moral risk of boasting if obedience solely determines rewards. For whether salvation or rewards is the goal, if you do good works to achieve either, <strong>you always have the risk of boasting either way</strong>. <br /></span></span></p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;"><br />Hence, if Paul's principle were true, both salvation and rewards with God must necessarily both be by "faith, not works, lest any man should boast." Thus, to be consistent, Paul must mean you enjoy complete abundant fellowship with God, with every reward possible, and not merely obtain salvation, just by believing Jesus died for your sins,was buried, and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4.) </span></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;">Hence, Paul is apparently saying in Ephesians 2:8-9 'stop trying to repent from sin, obeying God, loving God, or otherwise in every case, whether for rewards or salvation, you will be tempted to boast’ — a <strong>supposedly horrifying sin that should negate your concern ever again to try to avoid any other sin</strong>. The upside is you allegedly get everything — salvation and rewards just for belief, for otherwise God would be guilty of tempting you to sin (Paul implies). Thus, you are apparently entitled in either case to salvation and rewards by faith alone, lest any one should boast.</span></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;">However, that is silly — rewards should not be given for faith alone in theee facts — Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. What great feat worthy of rewards does holding such three historical facts about Jesus in memory represent?</span></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<p lang="EN-GB" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: windowtext;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; line-height: 29px;" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times New Roman_MSFontService', serif; font-size: 24px;">Thus, Ephesians 2:8-9 — when you stop and think about it — is pure nonsense. This is why 2 Peter 2:15-18 calls Paul's words "sometimes DYSNOETAS" - literally destructive of good sense; nonsense, etc. See <a href="/recommendedreading/757-second-peter-does-not-commend-paul-as-an-apostle.html">Second Peter</a>.</span></span></p>
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