Jesus Christ settled this issue in His sermon on the mount. He stated, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20) The only population of Heaven and the future kingdom of God on earth will be “saints of God.” The “Big Lie” that you can be saved and live in sin at the same time is effectively damning a multitude of religious people. The church world has bought into the horrible doctrine of a “sinning religion” and is furious at anyone that preaches the truth. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse you from sin and enable you to live holy, then the blood was a failure. That’s impossible!

The Gift of Righteousness
Before we try to draw a comparison between “saints of God” and “religious people”, let’s understand “the gift of righteousness.” I would agree with you that teach the idea of “saved sinners” if it was up to the sinner to quit sinning on his own. No human being on earth can produce a righteousness that is pure and saintly on his own merits. We are shaped in sin and horribly deformed by a wicked nature. Lying, cursing, and every foul wickedness is wrought in our very character. We are hopelessly lost and destined for eternal destruction. But that is not the end of the story. The Father saw us in the depth of our helplessness and had a plan from the foundation of the world. It would cost Him the eternal treasure right out of His own bosom, His only begotten Son. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) This gift is immeasurable and sufficient.

As was the offense of sin all encompassing of all humankind, so was the gift. As the offense made every man a sinner, so is the gift sufficient to make every man a saint. The offense so cruelly broke the souls of the human family that every man is lost and helplessly bound by sin. Even so, the gift is sufficient to break sin’s power and make every man a saint of God. To consider anything even less than this is to accuse the Father of failure. To say that Adam could make all men sinners and refuse to say that the God-man, the second Adam, could make all men saints is blasphemy. The Word of God says it plainly, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Romans 5:15-20)

I would not want to be in the man’s shoes who teaches anything less than this. Our great Savior has come to impute his righteousness as a “gift” into our very lives. This plan is not some high and lofty religious scheme that men can claim while still living the low road of sinfulness and cheap failure. This is a supernatural reality that takes the darkest sinner, bound with his dark deeds, and transforms him into the sainted family of the King. This is a “gift” that you cannot earn or accomplish by religious deeds. It is the “gift of righteousness”, and it is “a liberal supply of righteousness” that He infuses into your old sinful nature by the cleansing of His blood.

A drug addict that would go through hell trying to break his habit will be cleansed in seconds and never want another fix unless he gives room to devils to reclaim their lost home. Name the sin that is your downfall and surrender your soul to His “gift of righteousness” and He will transfer His “righteous account” onto your “wicked account” and you will be free of that sin that destroys. Men bound by alcohol or immorality, women bound by jealousy, or the guilt of past wickedness, are offered this “gift” without money and without price. Isaiah spoke of this redemption by Christ. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)

This “gift of righteousness” is the heart of the Gospel. To “impute His righteousness” to us means that He actually transferred His “Calvary accomplishment” onto the record and soul of the repentant sinner. We become righteous like Him in the moment of His grace. It is so supernatural that the man or woman who moments ago could not help but sin, could not change one spot, is miraculously rendered just as free from sin as they were previously free from righteousness. They are still babes in the faith and in the grace; but the New Birth has rendered them capable, even dedicated, to the Biblical lifestyle of righteousness. The alcoholic will not ever desire another drink, the drug addict will renounce all his drug habits, and the fornicator will not go back to the bed of ill repute. Until the sinner quits sinning, he is lost and on the road to hell, and we will answer for telling a sinner anything less.

Look at the Romans road to Heaven. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:1-7) This is not a Christianity of perception and imagination. It is a faith of reality and transformation.

To continue in sin after receiving an imputation of His gift of righteousness is to disgrace the very grace of our salvation. This idea of a sinning religion is the recipe of empty religion instead of becoming “saints of God.” I have studied the great Revival movement of church history and not one time were men taught that they were “saved sinners.” This is uniquely the religion of apostasy being taught by apostate leaders preparing the church world for a one-world religion.

The saints of God are going to inherit the future Kingdom; in fact, they are the present Kingdom of God in exile. The real saints are separated from the uncleanness that saturates our world. Their temples are holy vessels, and they refuse the immoral attire. Sacred things as the Lord’s Day, the Holy Bible, the House of God, and His wonderful names are kept in fear and reverence. The beauty of the saints is beyond description. Their beauty is not from the dime store but from the storehouse, and it is beyond comparison to the world’s design. Religious people hate anything that is plain and set apart, but “saints of God” glory in the cross and its excellent glory.

Let’s try to focus on the distinction between “religious people” and the “saints of God.”

1. Religious people are deeply dependent on church creeds and religious ideas that they can rally around but unwilling to search Scripture for the deep matters of righteousness and holiness. Many religious people find their peace in the idea that all Christians sin, more or less, and are convinced that they should not worry about it. Believing in “once saved, always saved,” there is very little encouragement to grow spiritually and to be a victorious Christian. Rather than an infallible Bible to study and search, the religious world has their own light interpretation of pat Scriptures and very often their own theological systems that act like a wall around the Bible.

The saint of God will refuse to be hedged in from any portion of the Holy Bible. Jesus said, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) We are sanctified by the truth and must live within that truth every day. The Word of God will keep us from sin or sin will keep us from the Word of God. The righteousness of Christ is written within the Word and only by a regular digesting of the Word can we remain pure and saintly in lifestyle. A person living in the “gift of righteousness” will have a conscience so electrified and sensitive that he cannot get by with any slip or carelessness. We do not keep the Word of God, but the Word of God keeps us.

2. Religious people are seldom faithful to the body of Christ where they have been planted. Most religious people are very self-sufficient and do not feel the need of a faithful relationship to the church. Even when religious people are faithful in church life, it is to be in control and dominant and not as a servant to others without thought of self. Almost every church problem is caused by the religious crowd but never by the saints of God. A saint of God that must leave a church will do so quietly and with respect.

The saints of God have been the bedrock pillars of God’s house from the day of Pentecost. Those great saints that walk humbly before the Lord will serve their pastor and the Lord and are always ready to go beyond the call of duty. Independence cannot co-exist in the saints because God’s House is their delight. The “gift of righteousness” instills a love for the place where the Gospel sounds and the saints worship. The saints that sing in the choir will be the faithful ones that know no excuses. The same will be true for every part of God’s business. Religious people talk the talk, but the saints walk the walk.

3. Religious people must get credit for every deed they perform. They love to be heard and seen and have little interest in the behind-the-scenes labor. Religious people are full of words and can talk religion all day, every day. They can hardly pray for talking, and can only worship when the atmosphere suits their fancy. Religious people are mostly show and façade.

The saints of God care not for the limelight but find pleasure in quiet service. They seldom speak, but when they do speak it is weighty. Their words are well-thought out and a great blessing. Their worship is often quiet but when they do get loud, the entire House of God seems to tremble. They can just as easily move the House with the beautiful glow on their faces as by many words. Saints need no credit here because they are stacking it up over there.

4. Within Pentecostals, the religious crowd needs the right, most often loud, music before they can begin to worship. Emotions are the driving force in the life of the religious. They have to feel the right feeling before praising the Lord can interest them. The reason this present church world is so driven by music, sight, and sound is the missing elements of sainthood. When there is no Christ-centered relationship the only factor that can drive worship is emotions.

The saints of God may well love good music and are not afraid of emotions. In fact, they may love both music and emotions, but it does not drive their worship and praise. A saint of God knows His voice, whether it is a whisper or a thunderclap, and they can worship alone or in the crowd. They do not need anything but the thought of His name to give Him glory. The saints of God live by faith not by feelings.

5. The religious crowd gives faint attention to the cross and His resurrection. The present atmosphere in much of the church is to glory in the gore of His death instead of the victory of His death. To weep over His pains of death while almost forgetting His resurrection and ascension is blasphemy. He is not on a tree, nor in a wafer; He is at the Father’s right hand in the Glorious Temple in the Heavens of that Father and His God as well as our God.

The saints of God live by the victory of that cross and also in the splendor of His resurrection. Our glory of the cross is in our taking up the cross and following Him. The real glory of the cross for the saints is in our willing death to all of our dreams and ideas and serving Him by serving others.

6. Religious people have many varying reasons for their interest in the church or in the Bible. There is a multitude that just wants to go to heaven, or even more importantly, don’t want to go to hell. Some see the church as a social event and want fellowship with others. To many, the church family is a marketing ploy or a good place to find a sex partner, a lover, or maybe even a wife or husband. Many are religious because of the programs for their kids, good music, or a church-sponsored psychologist. There are certainly many more reasons for being religious.

The saints of God love the church for one primary reason; they see it as the institution purchased by the death of the Son of God. The real saint cannot tolerate anything being a part of the church but the pure Biblical traditions found in the Word of God. When programs are introduced that show the world joining the church, they feel left out. When the church becomes a center for the psychologists they know that “truth is fallen in the street”. (Isaiah 59:14) When the music sounds like a secular radio station, their hearts break and they know the church has left them for the world.

Conclusion
The House of God has one primary purpose. It is the place of fellowship for the saints and a rescue mission for the sin-bruised of our world. Those of the world that want religion without surrender are loved and challenged but never made comfortable. Saints are still God’s greatest treasures on this earth. They do not need to be celebrated, and they certainly are not going to celebrate the wicked that want to use the House of God. Religious people and the saints are two distinctly different crowds. The saints will keep on loving the religious, but they will never join their ranks. Neither do they co-exist very easily. One or the other will eventually win the day. It usually depends on whether the pulpit is occupied by a religious pastor or a sainted pastor. Our day is a testimony to how easily the religious crowd can be welcomed in what used to be the House of God.

Which mold does your church represent and with which mold are you joined? The Rapture will soon rid the apostate church of the moldy “old saints” that still love the moldy “Old Book.” We’ll be out of here shortly.

Joseph R. Chambers