When the Holy Spirit comes into and teaches a person, the basic knowledge of God is established. First thing I learnt was that God is God of His words. The Law and willingness to live according to God’s words come afterwards. One’s conversion may not be true if it comes from a feeling of guilt after hearing of the Law. Everyone feels a sense of guilt when struck by the Law. This is something a cult religion often uses to promote submission to their leaders. I am afraid that the reformers in the 17^th century England increased the number of the Protestants by using this method. Yet, it was God’s will that many people join the visible church by the ceremonial baptism although only the chosen remnants are saved as shown in the prophecies of the OT. These falsely converted people invaded other countries around the world and did many evil things. They thought that their country (and the kings/queens) had divine rights to conquer the world and exploit others, thinking they were chosen and privileged. While the reprobate people did evil things, the chosen saints preached the good news to others who had never heard of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

You see, there is no such thing as Christian nationalism in God’s dictionary. Those who live in so-called Christian nations were the first ones that adopted and promoted false doctrines and idolatry. In many ways, what we call the Christian culture, or the Western culture is close to pagan philosophies and culture. For example, the seven other planets are named after Greek gods. The Halloween is another example. Many non-Christian countries accepted their culture and Christianity, thinking those Christian nations were blessed by God. Those Christian nations now need missionaries who preach the good news to them. But they say they do not need missionaries because they know God.

Calvin mentioned the knowledge of God in the first chapter of his book, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. A truly pious life comes from the knowledge of God. This knowledge cannot be learnt. Although God gave the visible church the authority to feed His people, we know that the knowledge of God cannot be learnt by human efforts. It is given by God. Christians in the Reformed churches often think they are true believers because they accept TULIP. TULIP can be learnt by human efforts. Many who grow up in the Reformed denominations learn TULIP and pretend to be a guardian of TULIP, and yet later deny Sola Gratia. Even the most prominent theologians and ministers in the Reformed denominations deny Sola Gratia later in their lives. We cannot distinguish who is a true saint by what doctrine one holds onto. One may appear to be a guardian of truth for some time. But we realize that we have been deceived when the person denies God and His truth. That is another reason that we should not spend much time on reading theology books or Christian inspirational books. If I say, “Listen to me, not the Bible”, then I am a false Christian.  When the Spirit comes, the knowledge of God grows as we read the Bible. Our prayers become like those of the saints in the Bible because we have the same Spirit. We speak the same things as they did. Therefore, we do not write a new psalm or a new book of the Bible.

because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:40)

We are all connected through the words of God and His Spirit beyond time and place. We will all meet and sing praises to God together in the Kingdom. The most important feature of Christianity is self-sacrificing love. This love is proclaiming truths of God. Even though we have never met, we love those saints that appear in the Bible. Love is the foundation of the Kingdom. And Christ showed His love on the cross.

Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

It is a great sin that the Protestant churches emphasize on a moral living and say that they are saved by Christ’s perfect keeping of the Law. They disregard Christ’s ultimate love shown on the cross. Love is the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 13:10). But they say the cross and the Law are different. They also misunderstand “keep” and “fulfill”.

I do not receive glory from people; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you accept glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:41-47)

If love is what God requires us of, we know that we cannot and do not love God or His people on our own. Christ showed His love and sent His Spirit to us. Only the Holy Spirit initiates and grows this love. And God sees that we keep the Law because we are given the Holy Spirit, and thus love God and His people. On the other hand, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are called evildoers even though they try hard to keep the Law because they do not know God.

We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Matthew 15 tells us that the heart is what defiles a person. The new covenant promises that God changes the heart.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

It is God who does everything to change a person and bring him/her into His eternal Kingdom. We have no right to attack a nation because she is not a Christian nation or to convert someone by force. At an appointed time, God calls each saint. We speak truths of God according to the knowledge given to us freely by God.

After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.” Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:10-14)

Those whom the Father did not plant will be uprooted. But God allows them to be blind guides of blind people until the appointed time of God’s wrath. Our job is to proclaim, not to kill.

This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Isaiah 29:13)