It is taught today that the righteous will be surprised by an "any-moment coming" of the Lord. This is not true. The righteous will not be surprised by the coming of the Lord. God will prepare them so they will be ready.

We have mentioned briefly the incorrect idea of the Day of the Lord being a picnic in which every professing Christian is caught up to Heaven so as not to suffer on the earth. Rather it shall be a day of heavy darkness, of fiery judgment. Only those who have learned to walk in the fire of God's holiness will survive that day!

We have mentioned briefly the totally unscriptural belief that Christ is returning to bring His Church to Heaven, that He is coming to "steal away His Bride," and this sort of thinking.

My opinion is that the "rapture" error and the incorrect vision of the day of the Lord have grown from the "faith alone" error, that probably emerged from the Protestant Reformation. The notion that the Christian salvation is not inseparably connected with a change in our behavior is so totally unscriptural that one wonders how it could be so widely believed by those who have read the Bible.

The grace of God in Jesus Christ is not an alternative to righteous behavior. The grace of God is not a new way in which God relates to man. The grace of God is God in Jesus Christ enabling people to escape the bondages of Satan and live righteous, holy, obedient lives. This definition is so clearly scriptural it is a marvel it is not more commonly known.

One of the doctrines that can be found in Christian churches is that we are saved only by believing in the atonement made by the Lord Jesus Christ and if we make any effort at all to live righteously we are detracting from the perfect work of God.

One easily could present twenty-five New Testament passages that flatly contradict this teaching.

For example:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, While we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14—NIV)

Now, think about the above passage. The prevailing Christian doctrine includes the idea that Divine grace is an alternative to righteous behavior, some going so far as to say if we try to live righteously we are subtracting from the perfect work of Christ.

What does God's Word say?

Grace teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions.

Does this sound as though if we try to do good we are subtracting from Christ's Glory? So the present teaching is unscriptural. It is a destructive lie.

Grace teaches us "to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."

Does this sound as though if we try to do good we are subtracting from Christ's Glory?

To be continued.