The Offense of the Gospel

By Dr. Ken Matto

(Gal 5:11 KJV) And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

If there is one person in Scripture who suffered much for bringing the Gospel it was the Apostle Paul. When one reads his list of sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11, we know that he was not bringing an ear tickling message. Wherever the Apostle Paul went, he faced strong opposition and persecution. Why did he face this persecution? It was because he brought a non-compromising Gospel to the people he ministered to. Did you ever wonder why so many pastors and theologians are loved by the world? It is because they have completely discarded the true teachings of Scripture and replaced it with a man-centered gospel.

 

Billy Graham has probably been of the biggest sellouts and compromisers. He has accepted the Pope as being Christian and has rubbed shoulders with the Globalists. He is not the only one but he represents an ever increasing group of anti-Christs within the Christian community. It irks me to no end when men like Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, Paul Crouch, Jim Dobson et al are referred to as “Christian Leaders.” There is no way that any sellout of the true gospel will ever be a Christian leader. These men are all frauds as they amalgamate the true Gospel with worldly teachings, thus removing the offense of the Gospel. Why doesn’t Jim Dobson tell his followers to grow up and stop crying in their soup and follow Christ. (1 Cor 16:13 KJV) Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. The Bible even admonishes Christians to grow up. The problem is that too many of these self-proclaimed Christian gurus use their positions as power holds over their adherents.

 

The modern Christian has left the cross of Christ and headed for the greener worldly pastures. The problem is that green pastures of the world lies over the cesspool. Do you want to know why other religions, and secular governments are pounding the churches into the ground? It is because we have discarded the offense of the Gospel and exchanged it for a palatable swill that offends no one. We have been sold a bill of goods that if we try to “proselytize” the lost then we are not showing love. What kind of love is it to happily watch people burn in hell for eternity? The reason we have such teachings being given to the church is because the pulpit whores are pumping a lot of tommyrot into the people and calling it gospel. Many who preach about love, have no idea what biblical love teaches. (2 John 1:6 KJV) And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. The true definition of biblical love is that we walk according to the Commandments of God, which means a person cannot truly love God unless they are saved.

 

Many people look at the following verse and immediately think that when we speak the Gospel to someone, we must do it with some type of shaky voice and wimpy approach. (Eph 4:15 KJV) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: This verse is teaching us that when we speak to someone about the Gospel, it is to be done in Christian love, which is according to the truths of Scripture as we saw in 2 John 6.

 

Nowhere in the Bible do we find that for the sake of some phony love, are we to compromise the Gospel so we will not offend the listening party by bringing truth. That is one of the worst lies that Satan has ever gotten the believer to believe. There must be a zero tolerance of compromise when bringing the true Gospel to someone. The true uncompromising Gospel is what sent many early Christians to the Coliseum. In the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Institution murdered millions who brought the true Gospel. Yet, in our day, these so-called, self-proclaimed Christian leaders are loved by the Vatican. Why? Plainly, they have betrayed Christ under the guise of “love” which is really from Hell. (Luke 6:26 KJV) Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. Let us look at some reasons why the true Gospel is an offense and you will know why many Christians of previous days died for their faith, they didn’t become rich like the many in the limelight have done today.

 

What is the offence of the Gospel? 11 Tenets…

 

1) The offence tells people their life is a lie and unless they come to know Christ as Savior they will burn in hell. (Mat 16:26 KJV) For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Many people today are trying to live good moral lives in hopes that God will welcome them into Heaven. The problem is that no one does any good and neither do those who think they are doing good works. (Rom 3:12 KJV) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. One of the biggest offences of the cross is that a person cannot do anything to add to the effects of the cross. Either they are saved through the cross, or they are unsaved with their own works. There is no back door to Heaven. This type of teaching is reprehensible to false religions and false churches. Works are touted as a way to be saved in many religious systems. When someone comes along and states that it is only by Grace through the cross of Christ that salvation is effected, then you know why those in false religious systems become offended. Their salvation is in their works.

 

2) The offence tells people their financial gifts are an abomination unto the Lord unless they are saved, which means the unregenerate big givers in the church are headed for Hell, no matter what the preacher says over their caskets. (Prov 21:27 KJV) The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? Some people think that because they fill up their envelope every Sunday that somehow God will look upon them with favor. The rich people need to know that giving big chunks of money to a church or ministry does not give them a place in Heaven. Trying to attain salvation through giving money is like trying to attain it by works, it will never happen because giving is a work. So those who think their wallet is the gate of Heaven will be surprised on Judgment Day.

 

3) The offence states that every other religion is wrong and you cannot go to Heaven by worshipping Mary or serving Allah. (John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus didn’t say that He was “A Way.” He is “THE” way which means that there is no other way. (John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. This means the Jews can wail at the wall all they want, but if they do not have the Son, they do not have the Father. (1 John 2:22-23 KJV) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. {23} Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.  All the religions that reject Christ as the only way to Heaven and all those Christian leaders who prostitute themselves before false religions will not be in Heaven. Either you belong to Christ or you don’t! There is no in between. John 14:6 is a verse which is hated by every false religion because it teaches exclusivity. That is exactly what the Scriptures teach in total, that Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven, and one cannot do an end around run and think they can go directly to the Father. (1 John 2:23 KJV) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. (John 5:23 KJV) That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. This is why Rome hates the true Bible because they place Mary in that equation and the Bible refutes that heresy 100%.

 

4) The offence states that there is only one Gospel message and that is Christ crucified. (1 Cor 1:23 KJV) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; There is no good works sending anyone to heaven. Good works prior to salvation are an evidence of despising the cross of Christ by believing that heaven is obtainable without the cross. The entire Bible testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. The true Gospel message does not add anything to it nor does it take anything away. Many have widened the Gospel message with their theological systems but the problem remains, anyone can add to the Gospel and create a new theology, but that never establishes truth nor does it change the narrow way of Scripture. Remember, John 14:6?

 

5) The offence states that there is only one word from God found in the King James Bible, the preserved Word of God. There are no new revelations being given, no tongues, no prophecies, or words of faith. The words we live by are found in the Bible which is sufficient for every true Christian. The unbeliever is the one who looks for signs and wonders. (1 Cor 14:22 KJV) Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. (Mat 12:39 KJV) But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: If a person claims to be a Christian and seeks signs, then they are giving visible evidence that they are unsaved. Yet, the true teachings of Scripture on this subject have been skewed toward the charismatic Gospel. The Charismatics claim that these prophecies and tongues are from God, but if they are, then there must be a Revelation 23. The problem is I have personally heard many of these “prophecies” and they are no more specific than the horoscopes in the newspaper, simply because they both have the same source. To seek extra-biblical revelation is to be disobedient to the Word of God, thus disobeying the Lord Himself. Let me pose a question? Have you obeyed and understood everything in your Bible? If not, then why would you want more from God?

 

6) The offence states that we are to follow Christ and not men. (Mat 16:24 KJV) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. We live in a day when Christianity has become more polarized than ever before. Christians become saved and almost instantly begin to follow men. We might as well set up a website called www.pickapreacher.com. Preachers like Ken Copeland, Jesse DuPlantis, Harold Camping and others are all garnering people into their camp. They set themselves up as final authorities and instead of people checking them out according to and against the Scriptures, they blindly accept what these men teach and elevate their teachings to gospel status. The Scriptures teach that we are to follow Christ and we will get our leading and ministry from Him. It is not wrong to have Godly teachers and preachers, but they are never to be set up as little gods which come between us and Christ. The most dangerous place for any Christian to be is a Christian bookstore with all of its religious gurus planting their ideas into people. When men, or the works of men are set up as the standard, then we have replaced the Gospel of Christ with the teachings of men. This is how Christians get confused. Instead of judging the works of men by the Bible, they judge Bible passages by the commentaries of men. A very dangerous, unbiblical, and idolatrous practice. Idolatrous? Yes, because we have set up the idol of man which comes between us and Christ.

 

7) The offence states that God chooses who will be saved and man has no part in salvation except receiving it. The free will of man in the area of salvation does not exist. (Rom 9:15 KJV) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (John 1:12-13 KJV) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: {13} Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. This Bible truth is reprehensible to the pride of man. The popular teaching is that God did His part and now it is up to us to do ours. This makes God the beggar and man sovereign in salvation. This is a pride filled teaching that man can do something for his salvation. God has already written the names of those He planned to save in the Lamb’s book of Life from the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:8 KJV) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This teaching is even considered reprehensible in the majority of churches, yet is taught so plainly in Scripture. Man is very comfortable in his pride believing that he has the ability to understand his need of a Savior. The problem with that, is the Bible teaches that man is spiritually dead and incapable of raising himself. Do dead people ever come to life on their own? Have you ever been to a funeral where the dead person got up and walked away? Of course not, and dead is the spiritual condition of man which means they must be spiritually raised from the outside and only God can raise the spiritually dead to newness of life. (Rom 6:4 KJV) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 

8) The offence states that a day of Judgment is coming and all who are unsaved will stand for judgment of their sins. (Acts 17:31 KJV) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Today’s pabulum gospel has expunged the teachings of a final judgment day. In fact, one of the most egregious false teachings in the church is that there will be a physical 1,000 year reign, pushing Judgment Day back at least one thousand years. The problem with that false peace, is that if a person dies today and they are unsaved, they will be awakened at the last day and be judged for their sins. Preachers and Christians who do not warn others of an impending Judgment Day are doing Satan’s work by eliminating one of the greatest teachings of the Bible, the culpability of man to God. (Rev 20:12 KJV) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Judgment Day may be closer than we think and we better start removing the idea that if we get raptured, those left behind will have time to get saved. Stop allowing deceitful presentations like “Left Behind” to do your thinking for you. These are novels written for entertainment and that is it. The Bible calls for a single Judgment Day and every unbeliever will be judged on that day. (John 5:28-29 KJV) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, {29} And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 

9) The offence states that there is a burning Hell which every unsaved person will be assigned to forever. (Rev 20:14 KJV) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. I wrote the skeleton of this article on Super Bowl Sunday of 2004, and I wonder how many churches entertained their people with a Super Bowl party that night and I wonder how big of a chunk that party took from the sermon that morning. The problem is that in many churches, one or two of those people who heard all about the Super Bowl on that Sunday, will not be back in church next Sunday because they will have been called to their eternal destiny. If they were saved, then Praise to God but if they were not, woe unto that preacher who preached the Super Bowl party instead of Christ. Churches and Christians in general need to refocus their understanding on the horror of Judgment Day and Hell. Many liberal churches have rejected the reality of Hell and turned it into a theological concept or parable. Again, their rejection of truth does not negate the fact that Judgment Day is coming and that many will be cast into Hell to pay for their sins.

 

People think that Christianity is one big party at church with all the frivolities all the time. There is nothing in Scripture which forbids having a nice time of fellowship but we must also remember we are soldiers in a spiritual war. In the Battle Of Trenton in December 1776, General Washington crossed the Delaware and marched south to Trenton. He was able to take Trenton without losing a single soldier because the Hessians and British were hung over and were unable to scramble in time. They misunderstood their enemy and that resulted in them becoming captured and raising the morale for the Revolutionary Soldiers. We must never be caught as the Hessians and British were. We must recognize our responsibility and realize that our enemy will do what they can to supplant as much truth as they can, especially in the area of the Final Judgment of man and his penalty of eternal damnation. Don’t be caught sleeping or hung over from a party atmosphere. The call of the soldier is one of vigilance. (2 Tim 2:3-4 KJV) Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. {4} No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. The call of vigilance is also loathed by many churches.

 

10) The offence of the Gospel is that God has only one chosen people. Those people who are redeemed by the blood of Christ are the only ones who will be in Heaven. (Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (2 Th 2:13 KJV) But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: (Rev 17:14 KJV) These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. The majority of churches teach that God has two chosen people, the Jews and Christians, and that is not true. As we saw the Scriptures state, that if you deny the Son, you do not have the Father. The Jews deny the Son! There is no going around the cross for any people, no matter how glorified they are in the church or how many stories are made to connect them to God. If they do not come through Christ, they are destined for Hell as any other unbelieving group on Earth and that cannot be altered. (Acts 10:34 KJV) Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

 

11) This last one is probably the most hated and rejected Biblical teaching. The offense teaches that God does not only hate the sin but hates the sinner. (Psa 5:5 KJV) The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Every unbeliever is a worker of iniquity. Once God saves a person then the enmity between them and God is over. (Rom 5:1 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: When a person becomes saved, they have peace with God which means the war is over between them. The normal teaching today is that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. This is an emotional doctrine which sounds palatable to the sinner and easy to preach for the apostate preacher. (Psa 7:11 KJV) God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. God’s anger is always kindled against the unbeliever and they must be told that they do not stand in good with the Lord. God’s love is a qualified love. (John 13:1 KJV) Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. God loves His own and that is it!

 

This also applies to children as they are as culpable before God as any adult is. (Psa 58:3-4 KJV) The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. {4} Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; This is God’s assessment of the baby right out of the womb. They are compared to the poison of snakes as they begin to lie almost immediately. Sin is a venomous thing and God is letting us know that every human being, regardless of age, is accountable for their sins. The Bible knows nothing of an Age of Accountability for children. If a baby or child dies without being of the Elect, they will go to Hell for eternity. If a baby or child dies who is of the Elect, then they will go into the presence of the Lord immediately. We better stop lying to parents about the accountability of their children. We must also stop the lie that God loves the sinner. God loves His Elect and all the unsaved are His enemies by reason of their sin nature, which is rebellious toward God and demands justice according to His righteous Law.

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I have given eleven biblical offences of the true Gospel.  If you adapt these eleven as your primary teaching and evangelism points, you can expect to be vilified, rejected, tires on your car deflated, gossiped about, hated, and ignored by all the good Christians and the unsaved in the world and church. True Christianity is not represented by these frauds on TV and Radio who call themselves Christian leaders. The Gospel which is being taught is being taught according to the offering level coming from the unbelievers and the dumb sheep. People pump millions of dollars into churches and false ministries every week and there are people in every congregation who need help, yet the money goes into the church so the pastor can make his $100,000 or more per year. Horrible example of Christianity.

 

In the old days, when a church member needed help, the others in the church rallied around them and helped to the best extent they could. It is a shame that most members of the church are just viewed as what they can do for the church. We have lost that special attachment to each other and when times of need come, those that have real need are the ignored and bypassed.

 

We need to once again examine our commitments and see where we have placed the cut-off point. What I mean by that, is where have we placed the boundary of commitment? What line will I refuse to cross when it comes to my commitment to Christ? What doctrines do I fear to teach because it may offend someone? How many Christians have become spiritual eunuchs in the Kingdom of God? The suicide bombers are in the newspapers every day and we loathe such actions but we should applaud such commitment. Those who are willing to give their life in false religions have not set any boundaries in their religious walk. We serve the true God of this universe and yet we dare attempt to limit Him by setting boundaries in both teaching and commitments. Then we wonder why the church and our personal walk is so weak.

 

(2 Chr 15:7 KJV) Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

 

(Isa 35:3 KJV) Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

 

(Joel 3:10 KJV) Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

 

(Acts 20:35 KJV) I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

 

It is time for the Christians to wake up and repent of these evil and false Gospels that are so easily swallowed and digested. We must once again focus our Christian walk on the Bible and not the works of men, for no matter how good they are, they are sand. The Bible teaches us to be like men, which means we are to mature in the faith and no one matures in the faith by sitting at the feet of a man and elevating him to a position of authority in your life. This not only applies to your local Pastor but also to those on the radio and TV. Everything we hear must be filtered through the Scriptures and we will then be able to filter out the impurities which so easily find a nesting place in our lives. Remember, the movie War of the Worlds? The Martians invaded earth and tried to take the planet for themselves but all our might, even the Atom Bomb could not stop them. What stopped them was the impurities in our atmosphere of which they had no defense against. Well, we as Christians have a defense, it is our King James Bible. He who has ears to hear!

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