Ephesians 4:1-3, False teachers cloud the issue of election.

No reward from God can possibly be used selfishly for self. God’s rewards or blessings (unconditional and conditional) are all linked to Himself.

I have been deemphasizing conditional rewards out of my desire to get us to see that we walk in a manner worthy because of the fact that we are called. Perhaps that has been in error. The plain teaching of the scripture is that God rewards those who follow Him, but the rewards essentially are receiving more of God Himself.

There are unconditional and conditional blessings. Believers can easily get distracted with rewards when they view them incorrectly.

We must be careful not to become competitive with one another. Rewards are more of God, which we share with one another.

1Pe 3:8-14

To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For [Psa 34:12-16 – David narrowly escapes the Philistines],

"Let him who means to love life and see good days

Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile [David has many enemies including the king of Israel].

11 "And let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.

12 "For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.

Blessing is tied to righteousness, thinking and doing that which is right by divine standards. If a believer endures in that righteousness, even when doing so brings suffering, it is the clearest indication of his love for it.

If righteousness is life and blessing, then loving righteousness is the deepest experience of life and blessing.

If you look at every passage that has the words reward, rewards, blessing, blessings, you will find them stated in general terms, without specifics, as God graciously giving something good.

Psa 24:3-6

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?

And who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,

And has not sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of those who seek Him,

Who seek Thy face — even Jacob.

1Pe 3:8-14

"Let him who means to love life and see good days

Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile [David has many enemies including the king of Israel].

11 "And let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.

12 "For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.

We instinctively love life and dread death. Life itself is a great blessing when it is looked upon through the right lens.

Because of life, we are able to study the works and way of God and explore His wonders on earth. We must be assured of our position in Christ if we are going to know God and His works, for all believers are a part of them, not separate from them.

False doctrines have clouded the issue of God’s election. Who is elected and how do they know? False teachers, ignorant of truth and bent on pride, wanting followers, wanting to be the great spiritual leader that everyone needs, confused and clouded by pride, distort the scripture to their own opinion and their own ends.

2Pe 2:1-3

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

False doctrines have clouded the issue of God’s election.

Golden Rule of Interpretation:

When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, literal, usual meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.

False teachers come in different clothing. Some teach outright sensuality, some teach a form of asceticism, but what is common among them is that the gospel is tainted in some way. All false teachers have lust, either for power, wealth, or recognition and so naturally they entice their listeners with lust.

Eph 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.