The Law condemns the best of us. Grace saves the worst of us.

We often forget that the Pharisees and teachers of religious law who rejected Christ were not people who could not wait for their synagogue service to end so that they could rush out to fornicate or murder somebody. These religious people prided themselves in their ability to keep the Law. Like many in the church today, they respected the Law and wanted to do good. No one alive today knows or kept the Law of Moses as well as they did (for starters, no temple for sacrifices;) yet none of them could cast the first stone at the woman that was caught in adultery. They were all just as deserving of death as the woman. The Law that the Pharisees tried to keep in order to be godly condemned them. Christ called them "white-washed tombs" and "brood of vipers." They had a form of godliness but denied Christ - the power that could make them godly. 

If you look closely, the doctrine that is taught by leaders in many places of worship today is no different from that of the Pharisees aka - "Keep the Law and be godly  so that God can bless you; God will punish you and you will perish and not have everlasting life if you don't." 

This false doctrine contradicts John 3:16 which tells of God's unconditional love for the world and salvation for the sinner through his belief in Jesus Christ. Believer, God's word counsels us to have nothing to do with such people who deny the power that could make them godly. See 2 Timothy 3:1-5: 

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."

At first, one would think vs:1-5 is just about people who are sinning openly and leading outwardly vulgar lifestyles but consider verse 5 which they all have in common: "having a form of godliness but denying its power...." The NLT version says:

"They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.”

These people that Paul wrote to Timothy about here aren’t thugs and such. Paul said they have a form of godliness. People think of them as “holy.” Such preachers have a form of godliness (righteousness.) On the outside, they preach, look and act all religious, moral, holy and righteous but on the inside, they are all the evil things that Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1-4. Such reject the power of God in making the sinner godly (righteous.) Unless the Lord exposes their evil deeds, you will think that they are really godly and do not commit sin at all! Paul spoke of such preachers that "reject the power that could make them godly" in 2 Corinthians 11:15-

"And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

These ministers of Satan that have "a form of godliness" are pastoring churches and preaching their brand of righteousness (righteousness from keeping the Law) straight from the pulpit. They sound and act extremely moral and righteous and preach strongly against sin. They always act like they just finished having lunch with Jesus. They are well-respected because they preach a lot about righteousness and living a godly life, just like the Pharisees, but herein lies what exposes them as agents of Satan: their own method of attaining righteousness (being godly) in the sight of God and overcoming sin is never through what Christ has done to make us righteous and enjoy God's blessings but on what we must do by ourselves, by human effort. They “reject the power that could make them godly.”

Believer, God Himself made the Way for us to be godly like Himself and it has got nothing to do with human striving at obeying the Law in order to get into God's good books as these seemingly godly preachers teach. Isaiah prophesied of Christ's suffering for us in Isaiah 53. See the result of His decease which He accomplished at Jerusalem in Isaiah 53:11-

"After He has suffered, He will see the light of life. And He will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what He will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins."

Believer, the spirit of the antichrist is not anti-God. In fact, it preaches very strongly on morality and striving to live a godly life. But its own way of attaining godliness is through human striving at keeping the Ten Commandments and doing good deeds in order to be godly aka be like God. It rejects or gives little recognition to the finished work of Christ in making the sinner who believes godly (be like God.)This is the same strategy that Satan used to deceive Eve in the garden of Eden when he told her she would be godly (be like God) by human effort at doing something. See Genesis 1:

26 Then God said, “Now let’s make humans who will be like us.[g] They will rule over all the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. They will rule over all the large animals and all the little things that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created humans in His own image. He created them to be like Himself. He created them male and female."

God made Adam and Eve to be like Himself but they were deceived into believing that they needed to do more in order to be godly (be like God.) The result of following this deceit is the same today as it was in the garden: being cut off from Jesus Christ the Tree of Life:

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." Galatians 5:4.

Also consider Romans 5:9- "And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

Christ died to make us godly/righteous but this antichrist spirit focuses on telling churchgoers that the way to be godly and righteous in God's sight  aka “be like God" is through human effort at keeping the Law  and not through the blood of Jesus. 

Believer, Christ is not in the business of saving anyone who thinks: 

"I have done my best to be good/godly/like God. Jesus will see that I have tried my best to keep the Law and consider me."  

This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ spoke of in Revelation 3. Such feel that they have some good in them. This is the height of self-righteousness and hypocrisy. There is something about the arm of flesh (dependence on human effort at obedience) that wants to be relevant in the story of our salvation. That something is Pride. God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot — Romans 7:18 —

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort) that will fail says: 

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law and overcome sin by my will-power."

Satan’s strategy has not changed since the garden of Eden where he deceived Eve into believing that she could be godly by human effort at doing something. Satan appeals to the non-existent “good" in man. His tricks can only work on those who believe that they have the power to be godly by their own human effort and thus reject God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ. Just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the letter (law) kills.

The earlier a believer understands that of ourselves, there is no good in anybody, the better. Like Peter who boasted in his own strength and ended up breaking the Law, many wrongly believe that they have the will-power to do what is right and keep the law. Peter's example shows us that good intentions will get one nowhere when one is tempted beyond what he can bear. He denied Christ thrice after boasting in himself and knowing 100% that he wouldn't. 

The reason why we are not committing particular sins is because God did not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them or that they can obey the Law and overcome sin by their will-power. Believer, let's not be found here. The arm of flesh (dependence on human effort for whatever) will fail. 

God's everlasting gift of righteousness to us in Christ is not to make us free to go on sinning sprees as many who do not yet understand and feel that everyone except them is just itching to commit sin believe. Christ saves from sin, sins that we are powerless to overcome by will-power. Titus 2:14 says of Christ-

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Believer, we get do things that please God and get to live lives of moral excellence because we are saved - it's automatic for true believers. Christ says so. In union with Christ the True Vine, we get to bear much fruit. He said so in John 15:5-

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Jesus said in Matt 16:6 - "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." 

A little yeast leavens the whole lump! Many are pretending to be of Christ but watch out for the word they preach. Is it the word of Christ- Righteousness by faith- or is it that "neither cold nor hot" message that says: 

"Yes you are saved by Grace but you still have to obey the law as a guiding principle for morality and do good things in order to be godly and maintain your salvation"?

This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ speaks of in Revelation 3.

All you need to do to be saved is believe! It's in the most popular bible verse in the world- JOHN 3:16. The arm of flesh (dependence on human effort for whatever) will fail. Jesus never fails. He came to save us from our sins. Matthew 1:21 says of Him:

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Believer, whatever preaching leaves you (believers only) feeling that demons are going to jump you if you don't by yourself have and use a particular set of skills that only this one pastor can give you; whatever sermon tells you that what Jesus did at the cross has not already broken all generational curses; whatever sermon tells you that as a believer in Christ, you have to stand in your own righteousness from obeying the law and not that of Another - Jesus; beware of such. They are not of Faith. They will only keep one locked down under sin's dominion: 

"For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14.

Only by receiving God's abundance of Grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we GET TO live in triumph over sin and death, including every symptom of death such as stress, stupid mistakes, sickness, lack, depression and all earthly ills:

""And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:16-17.

This is the message of Christ. Right believing always produces right living.