Studies in Scripture

𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

The meme below is built on another false dichotomy that Christians often engage with respect to salvation. It presents salvation as a gift and therefore not a reward. The assumption is that a thing cannot be a gift and a reward at the same time. This is based on the notion that a reward is directly equal to payment. This is not true.

A gift is something you give at your own cost without obligation. A reward is something you give to recognise or appreciate someone for who they are or for something they did. This can be from obligation or as payment. But it can also be apart from the lack of it. A reward can therefore refer to a payment as well as a gift. It is not directly equal to payment.

That salvation is a gift is not in dispute. What most Christians have been inadvertently indoctrinated not to see is that it is a gift given after doing things, which makes it a reward.

When Peter confronted Jesus with the fact that they had left everything and followed him, and so asked what was in this for them, Jesus said:

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲, 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.
‭𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟭𝟵:𝟮𝟴-𝟮𝟵 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕

Jesus here presents eternal life, which is the end of salvation, as reward for a life of forsaking things and following him.

While encouraging believers who were on the verge of abandoning faith, the writer of Hebrews said:

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.
𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟱 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕

What he refers to as their confidence, which he asks them not to cast away, is their faith. He says faith has great REWARD. The reward he was referring to here is salvation at the coming of Christ. This is why he goes on to say:

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲, 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵; 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗠𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗺.
𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟲-𝟯𝟴 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕‬

In other words, in order to inherit the promise of salvation, they needed to endure in doing the will of God. It is only if and after they endure that they will receive the reward of faith, which is salvation. Anyone who draws back from enduring in the faith would become displeasing to God and so not be rewarded with eternal life.

The writer would later go on to extrapolate from the faith of Enoch what faith that pleases God entails, saying:

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗺, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝗺.
𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝟭𝟭:𝟲 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕

Note the part about God being the One who REWARDS those who seek him. This shows how reward is very connected to faith, contrary to what we have generally been taught to think.

The idea that salvation is by faith apart from doing anything, while reward is by works or by doing something, is based on an imperfect understanding of the word "reward." It assumes a reward is always something earned whereas a reward can also be something unearned but just given by the giver to appreciate the recipient for doing something pleasing to the giver.

The truth is that the church has failed Christians in teaching them the whole counsel of God about salvation. The reason is because many teachers are shortchanged by the lack of breadth of understanding of the English language.

Salvation is a gift because God bears the cost and owes it to no one as an obligation. It is however a reward because he does not give it for doing nothing. He gives it to those who believe and endure till the end. These truths of God about salvation are not contradictory. They are also very plainly and richly testified to across Scripture.

𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦

It is becoming popular these days for people to make posts or memes such as the one below supposedly comparing and contrasting what the Gospel teaches with something supposedly taught by another system that contradicts it.

The sad reality is that many such posts and memes are engaging in false dichotomies that are undermining the truth of the Gospel. More and more they are taking things that the Gospel teaches but which they either do not properly understand, or which they just don't like, and casting them as things belonging to a system opposed to the Gospel.

By so doing, they are creating divisions that do not exist within the Gospel and which causes saints to reject the Gospel thinking they are rejecting something opposed to the Gospel. We have to rise and contend with the subtle but destructive trend.

The meme below characterises the teaching that a believer must abstain from sin so as not to forfeit inheriting heaven as legalism and not the Gospel. It presents the Gospel as teaching instead that heaven is already the home of the believer because of what Christ did, saying it is this confidence that empowers the believer to walk away from sin out of love and not out of fear. Thus it presents the first teaching as like the enemy of the second. This is nothing but a false dichotomy.

The Gospel is the one that teaches both. And the Gospel is not divided against itself.

The Gospel presents heaven as the eternal home of the believer. But this is as a hope set before him that is supposed to motivate him to act to reject the sinful pleasures of this world and give him the confidence and courage to endure whatever pain or suffering may come his way by reason of his faith. It is assured to be fulfilled to him so long as he keeps himself worthy as required to inherit it.

However, should the believer become distracted from this hope and confidence, which is a real possibility, and so lets himself succumb to the practice of sin, the same Gospel teaches that he would forfeit this hope without fail. That he would fall short of it.

Teaching the Galatians from what he fondly calls "the Gospel I preach among the Gentiles" or "my Gospel," Apostle Paul says:
‭‭
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲: 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿, 𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁, 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆, 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝘆, 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲, 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱.
𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟱:𝟭𝟵-𝟮𝟭 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕

Note the part where the Apostle says he forewarns them now just as he forewarned them before. This underscores the importance of this teaching in the Gospel. Why would he be repeating a warning to believers to abstain from practicing sin if abstaining from the practice of sin has no bearing on their hope of inheriting the kingdom of God?

Similarly, to the Ephesians he says:

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀; 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸, 𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀.
𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟱:𝟯-𝟰 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬‬

But why does he give them to this charge? Why are they to abstain from sexual immorality, any impurity, greed and such like?

The Apostle gives the reason in the verse that follows, saying:

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱.
𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟱:𝟱 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬‬

In others words, he takes it for granted that they know it as settled fact that those who practice such will not inherit the kingdom of God. Since they want to inherit the kingdom, they must not practice such things.

Then he adds:

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺;
𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟱:𝟲-𝟳 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗕𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬‬

This suggests that even in his days, there were those going about teaching believers that practicing sin has no bearing on their hope of inheriting the kingdom. Paul describes this as deception with empty words. In other words, the words have no truth behind them and only deceive.

Paul's logic is that since God's intent for planning to pour his wrath on the sons of disobedience, that is, unbelievers, is because they are practicing these things, why then would a believer think he can practice the same things and not face wrath? That clearly is nothing but self deception.

The truth from the foregoing is clearly that the believer should abstain from sin so as not to forfeit heaven. This is the Gospel that Paul preached and not legalism as the meme misrepresents it.

The truth about heaven having been prepared for the believer and serving as a source of confidence for walking away from sin is not at odds with the truth about the believer needing to abstain from sin so as not to forfeit his hope of inheriting it.

Let God be true and every man a liar.

𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗨𝗡𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗙?

Because this subject has again generated much interest in recent days, it is necessary to once again address it as I have in years past.

Like Paul said:

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲.
𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟯:𝟭 𝗡𝗞𝗝𝗩

Saying people will perish for unbelief and not for sin is making a distinction without a difference. It is like saying God pronounced death on Adam and Eve for disobedience and not sin. Or like saying the children of Israel were barred from entering the promised land because of unbelief and not because they disobeyed God.

The Lord himself was the One who said:
..𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱.

But as soon as he said this, He went further to give us clarifications as to why unbelief results in condemnation. Accordingly He said:

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱.

In other words, the reason why unbelief condemns is because it is loving darkness, that is, evil deed, rather than light - righteousness. Unbelief is powered by love for evil deeds. It is the way God reckons evil.

The Lord said the light has come into the world, but everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light. This connects the practice of evil with unbelief.

Unbelief is the result of loving darkness, that is, evil deeds. It cannot be separated from it.

Those who practice evil are those who do not believe. Those who do not believe are those who do not want to forsake sin. This is Jesus' view of unbelief.

To be unbelieving in the Son is not merely to not accept the facts concerning Him as true. It is to not forsake the life of sin and bring it to judgment.

When Israel refused to go up and take Canaan on the excuse that there were giants there who were stronger than them. God's charge against them was unbelief. Their disobedience was reckoned as unbelief.

When Moses and Aaron disobeyed God by striking the rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it, what God accused of was unbelief in Him.

When the people of Nineveh turned from evil at the preaching of Jonah, what Scripture credited them with doing was believing God.

People perish for unbelief, not as something separate from sin, but as what loving sin produces in them towards God. Those who love sin do not take God serious or true.

𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿.

𝗡𝗢 𝗦𝗜𝗥! 𝗜𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗢 𝗧𝗢 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟

The passages of Scripture that falsify the statement made by the respected minister are too many to miss. Hence it would be superfluous to waste too much time refuting it with Scriptures.
I have been guilty of teaching the same before. As a young and highly impressionable minister of the Gospel, I was deceived by the simplicity of its point. I felt it summarizes the Gospel.

But it is absolutely false. It is hollow rhetoric presumed to magnify the work of Christ, but which in reality diminishes it.
Being catchy and fanciful, it is important to shut it down. This is because it is capable of misleading weak souls to not take sin seriously and so perish.

Paul plainly says:

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵: 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗿𝘆. 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.
𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟯:𝟱-𝟲 𝗡𝗞𝗝𝗩

Notice that he says it is because of "𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦," referring to the sins of 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲, and 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 that he mentioned before, that the wrath of God - eternal damnation - is coming.

Let God be true and all men liars.