Now wait a minute! I thought we were ‘redeemed from the curse of the law’? It tells us so right there in the Bible along with the fact that we are ‘no longer under the law but under grace!” (Gal. 3:13; Rom. 6:14)

Good point! So you want to read scripture in ‘context’? That often times means reading it alongside other passages found in other places, and not just the few verses in front and after the passage in question.

Take for example, the two passages listed above. When Paul wrote in Gal. 3 that ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law’, you should probably note that he did not infer that the ‘curse(s) had been done away with’, nor had the law for that matter. (Matt. 5:17). And even more importantly to point out- when he says Christ redeemed ‘us’...who is ‘us’ referring to? Anyone who reads that verse? Does ‘us’ include everyone who attends church somewhere? (Matt. 7:21). Or would ‘us’ pertain to those we read about in Rom. 8:14, Gal. 5:24 and 1 John 2:3-6 and 3:6?

Or how about that verse in Romans that says ‘you are not under the law but under grace’? Who is Paul addressing there? If you would like some more ‘context’, take a look at Galatians 5:18 for some clarification as to ‘who’ is actually ‘not under the law’! Do we not read there that ‘those who are led by the Spirit...are not under the law’? So IF...you are not being led by, or following the Spirit, then where does that leave you? Back ‘under the law’? And those who are walking in the Spirit no longer do what, according to Gal. 5:16? How’s that for ‘context’?

Do you see what happens when we are taught partial truths and then promised a ‘false security’ that ensures we are ‘in’ and ‘all is well with our soul’ because we prayed some prayer? (Jer. 23:16-17; Ezek.13:1-17; Matt. 7:21-23). Were you told early on that no one can ‘snatch you from the Father’s hand’? Who do you think Jesus made that promise to in John 10 :28? He was assuring those who were truly ‘His Sheep’ that no one could snatch them, and then clarifying just ‘who His sheep’ actually were – they are the ones who “hear His voice and follow Him”. (10:27). Now that...is ‘context’ for anyone who needs it.

Again, this all goes back to the multiple warnings we find in scripture about taking heed that ‘no man deceives you’....with ‘empty words’. (Matt. 24:4-5; Eph. 5:5-6). To be ‘deceived’ means someone lied to us and we believed them. And usually, in many cases...do you know what ‘believing a lie’ does to or for us? It produces a false sense of assurance or false security as we end up trusting that lie. Let me offer a few examples to explain what I am talking about here.

Does the name Bernie Madoff ring a bell? He was the big time investor who was convicted of swindling countless millions of dollars from some high profile people who had entrusted their life savings to him to manage. This was their future ‘security’ for retirement and such. When the stock market crashed in 2008, his ‘Ponzi scheme’ came to light and many people had the rude awakening that what they had trusted in proved to be false. There was no retirement ‘nest egg’ that he had promised them there would be.

If you think that was a tragic and sobering day when those folks found out they had been lied to, what do you think those folks in Matt. 7:21-23 are going to feel when they realized they too had been lied to? And this ‘eternal security’ they had been promised was not playing out the way they were taught, despite all the ‘great things they had done in God’s name’!

When we have been ‘lulled to sleep’ or deceived into believing something was set in place to save us or protect us, and then we later find out that was not the case, it can not only produce much anxiety...but it often times has led to costly lawsuits. How often do we read or hear where some company tried to ‘cut corners’ to save money and something they promised to consumers was not the case? It ends up costing them more in the long run and depending on just what that product was, the degree of suffering varies and oftentimes death can result.

So here’s a sobering thought to chew on...when it comes to our souls and eternity...do you think those folks in Matt. 7:23 are going to be able to turn around and ‘sue’ those false teachers and ‘prophets’ who fed them a lie that led to a ‘false security’?

If this expression of ‘false security’ has you scratching your head, let me help you out in understanding what I am talking about. A false security tends to remove any element of ‘fear’... depending on what it is you have been promised. If you went hang gliding for example and were strapped in with a safety harness and told that you could let go of the support bar at any time during the flight and you would not be in danger of falling... only to find out at the end of the flight that you were never strapped in to begin with, imagine how differently you would have approached that flight had your instructor yelled at you as you were taking off...’no harness...no harness...hold on for dear life!”

That may not be the best example but let me go ahead and make my point here: The absence of ‘fear’ can often times be an unhealthy thing, and even prove to be fatal. (Don’t you want your 16-year old teenager who just got their driver’s license to have a ‘healthy fear’ when they get behind that wheel?) I realize the potential problem we face here with the direction this discussion is heading in, but it still needs to be said. God echoed this when He pointed out, regarding His people: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:18;Ps. 36:1)

I mentioned in a recent post regarding how we are advised ‘not to enter marriage lightly but reverently, soberly, and in the fear of God’. There is something to be said about having a ‘healthy fear’ when it comes to matters of importance. I sure would hope that bomb expert who is attempting to disarm that explosive device that was strapped to some victim by a terrorist has a healthy fear for what he is doing given their lives are on the line. (“Do I cut the red wire or the yellow wire?” ) That airline pilot who is flying my plane through a turbulent storm better be paying attention and have a healthy fear of the violent weather that could have devastating consequences for everyone if he grows careless.

So when it comes to our eternal souls, ...you just might have been sold a ‘lie’ if you are a bit puzzled when you come across verses in your Bible that talk about ‘working out our salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil. 2:12), or “having these promises let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’. (2 Cor. 7:1). Why do you suppose Paul wrote that? Could it have anything to do with the statement that ‘without holiness no one will see the Lord’? (Heb. 12:14)

And what was Peter talking about when he admonished us to be ‘holy in ALL our conduct because He is holy...” and that “we should conduct ourselves through the time of our stay here in fear’? (1 Pet. 1:15-17). Let’s not forget who Jesus encourage us to ‘fear’ in Matt. 10:28.

Friends...there are more ‘missing pieces’ in our theology that have led to much suffering and heartache for God’s people. Yes, God’s people have been ‘destroyed for a lack of knowledge’. (Hosea 4:6). And what...is the ‘beginning of knowledge’ according to Prov. 1:7? I believe we are told it is the ‘fear of the Lord’. And this is something we need to be ‘taught’. Ps. 34:11.

But if you were taught ‘another gospel’ (2 Cor. 11:3-4) then it would stand to reason that you have never truly understood or experienced this ‘fear of God’ thing, because you were taught a false doctrine and ended up believing a lie. (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Then, those ‘lies’ become strongholds in our lives because if/when someone comes to present truth from the scriptures, and you reject that truth because it does not ‘fit’ with what you believe, then you set yourself up for more deception as your heart grows harder and harder to the word of God.(Mark 7:6-16)

Here's a little test to help you discern whether you might have one of those ‘strongholds’ in you that came with believing a lie: If you have been reading here the past few days and seen some rather strong statements in scripture that just did not ‘land well’... and then you heard something inside of you say: “Well that can’t be true because if it was...then surely my preacher would be teaching this!” Or maybe you have known some dear ‘saints’ or beloved family members or friends who experienced this or that...and you ‘know they were saved believers’...etc...etc. Friends: we are not hear to question or debate who is ‘saved’ or ‘not saved’. But if you find yourself wanting to hold up different scenarios to refute or rebuff what you read in scripture, you might just have a stronghold working in you.

Maybe the seed of doubt was sown in your mind suggesting ‘this many people could not be in the dark when it comes to such topics!” Um...do you recall Jesus teaching how many people would be walking on this ‘narrow path that leads to life’ compared to those traveling that ‘wide road that leads to destruction’? (Matt. 7:13-14)

If you just now read that passage with an open heart, there’s a good chance that a sobering sense of God’s fear just washed over you. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it is the beginning of wisdom.(Prov. 9:10). And let’s not forget it was the ‘wise’ virgins who woke up and got about the business at hand in preparing to meet the bridegroom in Matt. 25.