Question: ARE YOU A NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIAN?
Question: What is a New Testament Christian?
Answer: A New Testament Christian is a christian who endeavors to live exclusively by the teachings and precedents outlined in the New Testament.
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Question: Don’t all christians live by New Testament standards?
Answer: Most christians obey a combination of New Testament decrees, Old Testament decrees, and “commandments of men”. (Mat.15:9)
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Question: What advantage is the Old Testament to the New Testament christian?
Answer: A great advantage! The Old Testament reveals the awesomeness of our God. The Old Testament has many promises that can be claimed by every christian. The Old Testament has much to say about the Messiah and the salvation He has provided. The Old Testament has inspirational accounts of faithful believers such as Abraham, Joshua, and David.
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Question: Why do many christians live by Old Testament standards?
Answer: Pastors have been coerced by their respective seminaries to stray from New Testament teachings. One example: tithing. Many (most?) are guilty of imposing this Old Testament law – or more correctly, a perversion of this Old Testament law – on their congregations.
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Question: But isn’t the tithe used to pay the pastor for his service?
Answer: Yes (and also for an elaborate accommodation for the congregation). The pastor’s salary is not Biblical. The pastor replaces “one another” ministry, which IS quite Biblical. The salary makes the pastor a hireling (who wouldn’t be there if he were not being paid).
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Question: Why do pastors dare to impose an Old Testament concept (tithing) on their people?
Answer: It is difficult to conclude any other motive than “the love of money” (1Tim.6:10) and the power that accumulated money provides.
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Question: Don’t some pastors, perhaps most, do so because of ignorance?
Answer: Undoubtedly. And yet we all have been given “the Spirit of truth” who “will guide [us] into all truth.” (Jn.16:13) To remain in untruth extensively, one must refuse the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
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Question: Are pastors New Testament christians?
Answer: It is difficult to consider pastors New Testament christians because much of what they teach are “commandments of men”. The pastor is the most religious person in the congregation.
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Question: What is religion?
Answer: A religion is a particular set of “commandments of men”; there are many religions within the scope of evangelicalism. As it is “commandments of men” that make the catholic a catholic and the mormon a mormon, they also make the evangelical an evangelical.
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Question: What is a religionist?
Answer: A religionist is one who defends and propagates religion.
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Question: Are there many religionists within evangelicalism?
Answer: Multitudes. Every local pastor of every evangelical assembly is a religionist. (Most certainly, they also teach Bible truths.)
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Question: What is the difference between a NEW COVENANT christian and a NEW TESTAMENT christian?
Answer: We received the benefits of the NEW COVENANT when we received Christ. Through this covenant (paid for by “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”) we are justified, sanctified, made righteous. (2Cor.5:21: “That we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”) It is “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph.2:9), but a free gift. A NEW TESTAMENT christian is one who is determined to live by the instructions and precedents of the New Testament. Every NEW COVENANT christian should be a NEW TESTAMENT christian, but few are.
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Question: Will every NEW TESTAMENT christian be rewarded?
Answer: Every NEW TESTAMENT christian is continually earning, by his (her) obedience, “treasures in heaven”. The extent of our eternal rewards will be revealed at the “judgement seat of Christ”.
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Question: What will the judgement seat of Christ be like?
Answer: “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s works, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work…. endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss.” (1Cor.3:13-15)
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Question: Why is the judgement seat of Christ rarely mentioned by pastors?
Answer: Religionists (pulpit-people) don’t talk about what they don’t like to talk about. They must sense that Jesus is not pleased with them imposing so many “commandments of men” (that they learned in seminary) onto their congregations.
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Question: Can’t pastors plead ignorance?
Answer: If they plead ignorance the Lord Jesus could respond, “You didn’t know because you refused to be taught. You refused to be taught because you didn’t want to know. You didn’t want to know because you loved another more than Me.”
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Question: Will misled pew-people be held responsible?
Answer: Lord Jesus (Judge Jesus) could say the same thing to everyone who occupied a pew: “You didn’t know because you refused to be taught. You refused to be taught because you didn’t want to know. You didn’t want to know because you loved another more than Me.”
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Question: What is the answer?
Answer: Repentance is the answer to most problems. To be able to give a satisfactory account to Lord Jesus, every individual must place himself (herself) under the governance of the most Holy Spirit.
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Question: What is a healthy relationship between a NEW TESTAMENT believer and the Holy Spirit?
Answer: Since Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us, the one committed to the New Testament must also be committed to Him. Such a christian is not a follower of christians. Such a christian bears much fruit. Such a christian is a ‘fisher of men’. Such a christian will not be embarrassed at the judgement seat of Christ.
So….. back to the original question….. “ARE YOU A NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIAN? (comment?)
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NOTE: I am one of very few that believes YOU have a preaching ministry! Male or female, rich or poor, the Lord Jesus has called YOU to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” to His church and to the world He died for. To strengthen any resolve you have to preach, I invite you to visit my library of books, articles and videos at www.larryjones.ca