“Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord,
‘and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I am God.
Also henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?’” (Isaiah 43:8-13 ESV)
Who are the people today who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears? They are the spiritually blind and deaf who are not heeding the call of God to die with Christ to sin and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, in the power of God. They can be people in the world who do not profess faith in Jesus Christ, and they can be those who do profess faith in the Lord Jesus, but who have not been crucified with Christ in death to sin, so they have not been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin.
Many of them are weekly participants in these gatherings in buildings called “churches.” But the church is not a building. It is not a church denomination. It is not a corporation under the state in an unholy union with the world and with the government. And it is not a business to be marketed to the world in order to attract the world to their “church” gatherings. Yet that is what so much of what is called “church” has been turned into. But the biblical church is the body of believers in Christ who have died to sin and who should be walking in obedience to our Lord in serving the Lord with their daily lives.
But since so much of what is called “church” these days has turned their gatherings into businesses to be marketed to the world, and so they have incorporated (merged, joined, united, combined) with the government and with the world, both of which God forbids, many have also compromised the message of the gospel in order to attract the ungodly to their gatherings. So they are not teaching the gospel according to Christ and his New Testament apostles, taught in the correct biblical context, for they are teaching that a mere profession of faith assures you of salvation and eternal life with God.
[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]
But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).
For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
And we learn in 1 John 1-3 that if we claim that we have fellowship with God, but yet we walk in darkness (sin), we are liars. If we claim that we know God, but we do not obey his commandments, in practice, we are liars. For it is not the one who claims he is “in Christ” who is “in Christ,” but it is the one who has denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who is now walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, and no longer in sin. We have the hope and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven.
So the made-up gospel that is spreading so rapidly in today’s world, which is teaching a faith which is lip service only – no death to sin and no walks of obedience to God required – is not the biblical gospel (see the above four paragraphs for the biblical gospel message). Now there are those who use the word “repent” but not meaning a change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior, but just an acknowledgement of sin only. And there are some who teach holy living and obedience, but not as required for salvation. But the gospel of Christ teaches we must die to sin daily and follow our Lord in obedience.
So, please know and believe the truth, and not the lies, for your salvation from sin and eternal life with God are contingent upon you believing and living the truth of the gospel taught in its correct context in the Scriptures.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Arise My Love
By Eddie Carswell
..Then suddenly a melody filled the air
Riding wings of wind, it was everywhere
The words all creation had been longing to hear
The sweet sound of victory, so loud and clear
Sin, where are your shackles?
Death, where is your sting?
Hell has been defeated.
The grave could not hold the King.
Arise, My love. Arise, My love.
The grave no longer has a hold on you
No more death's sting; No more suffering
Arise....Arise....Arise
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That We May Know and Believe Him
An Original Work / October 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
