WCG’s J. Tkach and “Just As You Are”
Does the Bible Teach Repentance and Following the Ten Commandments or Just to “Come as You Are?
The Jan-Feb 2008 edition of Together: Worldwide Church of God News lists that it has:
Worldwide total 34,500 {members and} 911 {congregations}
In his latest update titled Just As You Are, WCG’s J. Tkach wrote the following:
Billy Graham has often used a phrase to encourage people to accept the redemption we have in Jesus. He says, “Come, just as you are!”…
“Come just as you are” means that God is not waiting for you to get better before you come to him. He loves you already, despite what you have done.
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Yes, God loves everyone. Yet, while the Bible says that God will call people “of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9), it never teaches “come as you are”.
Actually, the Apostle Peter in his first recorded sermon after he converted specifically taught:
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).
Peter continued that theme in his next recorded sermon:
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).
The Apostle Paul also said that he taught repentance to the Gentiles:
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (Acts 26:19-20).
And in the last book of the Bible, Jesus taught repentance:
Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight (Revelation 2:16).
Repent of what? While sin of course. And what is the Bible’s definition of sin?
Notice what the Apostle John wrote:
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin (1 John 3:4-5 KJV).
So, while Jesus will take away sins, sinners are to repent. And they are not to transgress the law of God.
Several articles of possibly related interest may include:
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a COG background.
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross? Some have said so. This article provides some biblical quotes to answer this important question.
What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments? Many say Paul taught against the ten commandments. Is this true? This article quotes Paul with his words in green.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.
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