Every wrong way of applying the gospel of Jesus Christ seems to skip to the last page.
The popular Evangelical movement is stuck on the supposed moment grace is received. A solitary thought accepted just a moment before: PRAISE GOD, THANK YOU JESUS. And the Mormon notion of keeping commandments, enduring to the end, presupposes and that without merit, that they are already at that point of needing to simply hang on. I am not certain what the Catholic and Orthodox gospel is other than membership in their churches. Which would again be fait accompli without having actually obeyed what Jesus told us to do.
How does all the world not see it? Christ told us:
1. Take no thought for your life, what to eat or put on, transcend the cares of the world. Stop what you are doing and pay attention to what the Lord has said.
2. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness before you get a career, go to school, join the army, sew your wild oats, make a fortune, start a business, get married. Do none of these things before you come unto him and honor him first, showing him due respect, such that he might come in and sup with you, and open the door to the sheepfold unto you, him being impressed that you fear him and forsake all else in your obedience to honor him as your God.
3. When you are being drawn unto him, for no man can come unto Christ save the Father draws him, continue with one accord. Do not take a break. Stay on it and see it all the way to the finish. Jesus was among the Jews who believed on him for as long as forty days.....and after all that he commanded that they not depart but continue in fasting and prayer with one accord until they RECEIVE the promise of he Father......the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. Not changing what this born of God event means to suite your own pride, or knuckle under to the vanity of men, no matter how many flatter themselves so, even when it is everyone you know. A broken heart and contrite spirit repenting after convinced by faith in Christ to hunger and thirst after his righteousness, forgiveness and yes even sanctification. Walking evermore not after the conceit of men who gainsay to follow Christ but in power with God daily. Only the fearless will find it. Just as God has always been fearless to create and uphold all things by the perfect strength of his great love, he seeks in us a like mindedness, a fearless walk before him. Such is faith and such is that love that casts out all fear.
This is a sufficient understanding of the matter. Nobody needs a preacher, a church, an ordinance to repent with all their heart, might, mind and strength. The process of coalescing your whole soul to become perfectly subjected to Christ and live evermore under his name in all things takes more than a mere casual thought before a THANK YOU JESUS. No ordinance or multiplicity of ordinances will compensate for failure to come unto Christ precisely to manifest the predicted results that he commanded that we must receive to become his son or his daughter.
If there is a church of like saints you happen to find then by all means join them and be baptized unto fellowship with them and receive good ordinances in their proper time and according to the commandments set to build up and establish the Zion of our God and of his Christ. Hallelujah! Having gotten it right at last. Hallelujah!
If there is no power of God that falls upon you to reveal unto you a perfect knowledge of the Lord, having been made a partaker of his power and touching his glory, you must still keep at it with one accord. Never allow a money grubber to flatter you to praise Jesus without real salvation or warrant you temple worthy for filthy lucre and sustaining votes. Come to Zion. What else? The time is short.
