
“I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice”: What does this really Mean? [podcast]
“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:13
Jesus specifically instructs us to “go ye and learn what that meaneth.”
UNTIL, as an individual, you begin to realize just how wicked you really are, you will never begin to appreciate what our KING and Savior did on that cross!
Matthew 9:9-13 – Jesus calls Matthew
Mat 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Mat 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Mat 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Approaching God on the basis of His divine mercy and in holy fear:
“But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy MERCY: and in thy FEAR will I worship toward thy holy temple.” Psalms 5:7
In light of our own utter depravity and unworthiness, we must approach God on the basis of His sheer mercy.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7
With no exception, each of us is in utter need of God’s mercy – initially at salvation and ongoing.
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6
It reveals a great imbalance when someone preaches “holiness” and never mercy. There is hope in the Gospel – the only hope – and that is Christ who said “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” In this passage Jesus is revealing to us that He came to save sinners, not to destroy them (Luke 9:56; John 3:17). Yet He only saves those who are willing to admit they are sinners and repent, putting their faith in Him, following Him. Prayerfully declaring verses like Romans 7:18, 24 and Titus 3:5-7 daily defuses evil self-righteousness.
In the divine economy, does mercy triumph over judgment or does judgment triumph over mercy? – “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment“ (James 2:13).
Are we preaching AT people or TO people? Do we view our listeners are enemies OR eternal souls that Jesus loves and came to save from their sins?
Paul wrote:
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:15-17
All of our unrighteousness went on Christ so that all of His righteousness could come on us.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Adam is the father of the old man, the fallen man. Jesus is the King of the new man the new creation (Romans 5).
ALL men have sinned against God and are guilty (Romans 3). Yet, only a few are willing to honestly admit their sin before God and receive His mercy. Flanking our LORD on crosses also, one of those sinners humbled himself and is and forever will be in glory. The other chose to harden his heart and consequently is and forever will be in Hell.
God will forgive “ALL sins” except one:
“Verily I say unto you, ALL sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:” Mark 3:28-29
How about the two men who went up to pray? One was heard and the other not (Luke 18:9-14).
“Israel was bringing sacrifices and offerings to the Lord on their feast days, but their lives were corrupt, so their offerings were rejected by God. He would rather have righteousness than ritual. Even in the wilderness, when professing to worship Jehovah, they had practiced idolatry with Moloch and other idols, such as Sikkuth and Chiun.” William MacDonald
All men have sinned and God only forgives and saves those who fall upon His sheer mercy in conviction, contrition, and brokenness. All others forfeit His gift of salvation in Christ.
“Hell is full of people who think they deserve heaven. Heaven is full of people who know they deserve Hell.” Unknown
Notes on this passage from William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary
“Matthew 9:9-13
I. Jesus Calls Matthew the Tax Collector (9:9-13)
9:9 The tense atmosphere building up around the Savior is temporarily relieved by Matthew’s simple and humble account of his own call. A tax-collector or custom house officer, he and his fellow officials were hated intensely by the Jews because of their crookedness, because of the oppressive taxes they exacted, and most of all, because they served the interests of the Roman Empire, Israel’s overlord. As Jesus passed the tax office, He said to Matthew, ‘Follow Me.’ The response was instantaneous; he arose and followed; leaving a traditionally dishonest job to become an instant disciple of Jesus. As someone has said, ‘He lost a comfortable job, but he found a destiny. He lost a good income but he found honor. He lost a comfortable security, but he found an adventure the like of which he had never dreamed.’ Not the least among his rewards were that he became one of the twelve and was honored to write the Gospel which bears his name.
9:10 The meal described here was arranged by Matthew in honor of Jesus (Luke 5:29). It was his way of confessing Christ publicly and of introducing his associates to the Savior. Necessarily, therefore, the guests were tax-collectors and others generally known to be sinners!
9:11 It was the practice in those days to eat reclining on couches and facing the table. When the Pharisees saw Jesus associating in this way with the social riff-raff, they went to His disciples and charged Him with “guilt by association”; surely no true prophet would eat with sinners!
9:12 Jesus overheard and answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’ The Pharisees considered themselves healthy and were unwilling to confess their need for Jesus. (Actually they were extremely ill spiritually and desperately needed healing.) The tax collectors and sinners, by contrast, were more willing to acknowledge their true condition and to seek Christ’s saving grace. So the charge was true! Jesus did eat with sinners. If He had eaten with the Pharisees, the charge would still have been true—perhaps even more so! If Jesus hadn’t eaten with sinners in a world like ours, He would always have eaten alone. But it is important to remember that when He ate with sinners, He never indulged in their evil ways or compromised His testimony. He used the occasion to call men to truth and holiness.
9:13 The Pharisees’ trouble was that although they followed the rituals of Judaism with great precision, their hearts were hard, cold, and merciless. So Jesus dismissed them with a challenge to learn the meaning of Jehovah’s words, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’ (quoted from Hos_6:6). Although God had instituted the sacrificial system, He did not want the rituals to become a substitute for inward righteousness. God is not a ritualist, and He is not pleased with rituals divorced from personal godliness—precisely what the Pharisees had done. They observed the letter of the law but had no compassion for those who needed spiritual help. They associated only with self-righteous people like themselves.
In contrast, the Lord Jesus pointedly told them, ‘I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ He perfectly fulfilled God’s desire for mercy as well as sacrifice. In one sense, there are no righteous people in the world, so He came to call all men to repentance. But here the thought is that His call is only effective for those who acknowledge themselves to be sinners. He can dispense no healing to those who are proud, self-righteous, and unrepentant—like the Pharisees.”
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Articles
Word Faith Detox

DETOX THE DEVIL OUT OF YOUR LIFE!
Your money doesn’t make you!
Your Mercedes doesn’t make you!
Your House doesn’t make you!
Only your Maker makes you!
— 2 EXPLOSIVE books that have ministered to many. included is a personal testimony about being delivered from the heretical cult of the word of faith. Listen and pass this on by hitting share please.
Any preacher who is tickling your ears with the old recycled, worn out word of faith heresies is merely regurgitating what he’s learned from his wolf handlers, puppet masters. He has no life in God’s Word for himself and never has. He’s a counterfeit doing “ministry” for his own self-serving purposes as he leads others to attempt to use God to get what THEY want. There is no cross in this greed-driven, self-worshipping false gospel. These are “enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:18-19)
My Personal Testimony of Being Delivered from being a False Teacher
FEEDBACK:
“Man this guy is good! He hit the nail on the head on every point!” Mike C.
“Thanks. I have not followed their ministries for many years since we became wise to their wrong ways but I was slack in getting rid of the tapes etc. Really gives one a wakeup call though.” Gloria G.
Question Received:
“Don’t you think it takes money to preach the gospel and take the gospel to all nations? I am seriously wanting to know, I am not being funny. I am having questions since you are calling preachers I listen to wolves. Please explain, I am interested in your take on it.” Tammy
Reply:
Hi Tammy. Yes, it sure does take money to publish the original Gospel, namely on certain platforms, that is, communication mediums. Yet, we are often warned of “false prophets” who “make merchandise” of people for their own self-serving purposes (2 Peter 2:1-3; Philippians 3:18-19; Isaiah 56:10-12, etc.). The word of faith wolves are NOT preaching the original Gospel as given us in the New Testament Scriptures and so they are raising money under false pretense and to make themselves rich on that money – not to spread the original Gospel of Jesus which begins with the repent to “repent.” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Acts 2:38; 3:19, etc.). We are actually mandated to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints” in the original Gospel and so, we are to “contend” against these wolves, not fund them! To fund these deceivers is to bid them God speed and become the enemy of the LORD (2 John 2:7-11; 2 Chronicles 19:2).
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Articles
Hypocrites or Disciples?

Is There a Difference Between a Disciple and a Hypocrite?
God-fearing people have integrity. They love the truth and are like Jesus, the table-flipping Son of God – they fearlessly call out and expose hypocrisy and hypocrites (Matt. 10:26-28). Read Matthew 23.
QUESTION RECEIVED:
“If someone loves God, prays, reads the Bible, wants nothing to do with worldly entertainment, loves the truth even when it hurts, but still struggles with a sin, is that person a hypocrite and a liar? I have a few people that say things like that. They say that if someone is struggling with a sin that they really aren’t saved, being saved, born again. However you want to say it. Or they say that if you struggle with sin you don’t love God. I don’t get that at all, because isn’t the spirit at war with the flesh? I don’t know… It’s confusing!” Misty L.
RESPONSE:
The Bible speaks of us “striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4) and that “the flesh lusteth (strives) against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh (Galatians 5:17-18) and so we know that is a war going on in our members. The daily cross is to crucify that old man and his sinful deeds and as we do we are raised up by the Holy Ghost in His victory (Romans 6; 8:12-14, etc.) … we are to “fight the good fight of faith”and yet at times we fail but that doesn’t mean we are hypocrites (1 Timothy 6:12) In fact, as long as we are fighting – learning to live the crucified life – we manifest that we are Christ’s. Peter sinned against Christ in the worst way and Jesus did tell him to “get thee behind me Satan” but didn’t call him a hypocrite as He often called the religious posers, actors, the pharisees (Matthew 23). That’s actually the definition of a hypocrite – a poser or actor. When Jesus foretold Peter that he would deny Christ three times, the Son of God then told him that He would pray for him to be restored (Luke 22:31-32). Again, Jesus never called His disciples hypocrites though He had much opportunity to do so. Furthermore, Paul speaks of those believers who are “weak” in Romans 14-15.
We certainly are commanded to “Be ye holy as I am holy” and to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” and to perfect “holiness in the fear of God.” (1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 7:1) This is accomplished by our submission to the LORD daily – presenting our bodies a living sacrifice – and the power of the Holy Spirit, raising us up in His holiness to bear fruit to the LORD glory (Romans 1:4; 6:1-23; 8:1-14; 12:1, etc.).
On this topic Theodore W. writes:
“It depends on personal attitude toward that sin. If one is struggling, and is humble repenting and praying to God for help, they are in the process of growth in their spiritual life. If they care nothing about sin and God, doing what they please, having NO remorse, then there is a good chance they are in eternal trouble.” Theodore W.
Hit SHARE | Hypocrites Defined
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FEEDBACK:
“Misty asked a very good question. It is sad that so many self professing Christians don’t know the truth to her question. Looking to the Scriptural truth of God’s Word we find all the answers. Thank you brother Todd for all the Scriptures to back up your answer~! PRAISE GOD!” Darlene T.
“We have to keep our eyes on Jesus, and have faith that He will guide us in all things, and that He will give us strength to say no to the devil and his temptations. Thank you, brother, for answering me with gentleness and in truth. God bless you, and all others on this post!” Misty L.
“Amen, it’s such a joy to know that when we accepted the finished work of the cross, we’re no longer slaves to sin, that means we can say no!! and by the power of the holy spirit, he’s provided a way of escape, when we’re being tamped or struggling.” Paula W.
“1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. ( I have met people who tell me they don’t sin, and they go to church and never have been born again, and you can discern that when you talk to them, there is no renewing of their minds, no spiritual words coming from spiritual thoughts.” Diane V.
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Abiding
The Cross Imperative [podcast]

The cross is not about self effort but rather self denial.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Dear LORD Jesus, please take all of me. Have Your way in this life.
“not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42
The cross, the blood of Christ’s cross is what He commanded we take up daily in order to follow Him (Colossians 1:20; Luke 9:23-24). The divine economy is a cross economy and that is the only way one can truly walk with the LORD, pleasing Him in all things. Pouring over the words of 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 is an imperative. Also reading Romans 6 each morning this week, prayerfully. Memorize Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14. John 3:30 and Colossians 3:3.
You have to die if Jesus is going to reign in your life (Romans 6).
Most men pretending to represent Christ are so busy telling people how wonderful they are that they don’t have time to preach that Jesus is the only “Wonderful” One and that we are “desperately wicked” without Christ (Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 9:17; John 15:5; Romans 3; 7:17, 24, etc.). The few true servants of Christ are known in that they preach the original Gospel of Christ which begins with us repenting, believing upon Christ, and then abiding, remaining in Him by denying self, taking up the cross daily and following the King (Luke 9:23-24; 13:3; John 15, etc).
Remember how Saul served God partially, didn’t count Him important enough to meticulously do His will, exactly how the LORD instructed him? Read 1 Samuel 15. Saul is ousted and so shall every half-baked fake “Christian” who makes excuses for their sins of ommission and commission – because they have not truly repented, flattened themselves before the Almighty. As was the case with Saul, so shall the LORD declare to all rebels – “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” and Hell awaits (Matthew 25:41).
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
Anyone who is not walking the way Christ mandated, the crucified life, is in rebellion.
“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23
Saul partially obeyed God and the LORD calls this unrepentant fake offering rebellion, sin, witchcraft, stubborness, iniquity, idolatry. Like Cain, Saul and his half truth partial offering to God were rejected.
Jesus says that to follow Him….
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke 9:23-24
Christ mandates your death and His reigning life in you.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
“Until I embraced the cross, I had no lasting victory! No seed-bearing fruit, like clouds without rain, all promise but dry bones within. Christ will only indwell a vessel emptied of self and only he can give complete salvation to overcome all sin to be enjoyed at the marriage supper of the LAMB. Til then we press in abiding in Jesus, so that he may work in us his great salvation. (John 15; Rom 6; Php. 2; Col. 3; etc.) I die -> He raises me up.” Jon Crane
It seems that some among us have more faith, more confidence in themselves sinning than they do in God being able to forgive and establish them in His righteousness to overcome all sin. Jesus asks, “WHERE is your faith?” (Luke 8:25). It’s time to re-turn to the LORD, afresh, and to learn to apply the cross.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Recently I saw a clip of a pastor saying that the #1 reason God hates sin is because He loves us and sin separates us from Him. While these things are true, what is missing?
Of holiness, one writer profoundly notes:
“Holiness speaks more to nature than it does conduct. Good conduct is the spontaneous byproduct of the new nature of the new creation man through the cross and death to the old nature. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18). To preach holiness as conduct without the new nature through the cross understanding is legalism. Holiness is actually derived from ‘wholeness’ meaning the thorough transformation of the whole tripartite man (1 Thess. 5:23). So many of these ‘holiness’ preachers are preaching nothing but conduct under law. Law arouses sinful passions and causes sin to increase and was given in order to provoke transgressions (Rom. 7:5; 5:20; Gal. 3:20). They are enemies of the cross!”
#1 reason God hates sin – is not because He loves you…. it’s Because He is holy! (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; 1 Peter 1:15-16). And yes He loves His people also. It’s time to let Jesus reign in all things and cease making everything about us. HE is first.
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. … We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:9-10, 19
Does sin separate one – anyone – from God? Yes. Did God cease to be holy? No.
“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOD, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2
“Death” means separation.
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:22-23
How do we know if we or others are truly “Christ’s”?
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24
Interesting how we never hear verses, divine mandates – essentials, imperatives – such as the scriptural truth below:
“Awake to righteousness, and sin NOT…” 1 Corinthians 15:34
There are a few ministries which declare “stop all sinning,” etc.. Yet how?
How can we possibly preach holiness, something nearly no pastor does today…. and not be preaching the cross, the crucified life as the only answer?
Yes God mandates, requires, and fully expects each of His people to “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Again, how? The crucified life.
The cross and nothing else is the LORD’s solution to overcoming sin. It’s only when God Himself is raising us upward out of the state of death and burial that victory is transpiring in our lives. Saying we are sinless perfection, praying, reading the Bible, going to church, or fellowshipping with other saints, etc. is not the answer. These are all important and yet the cross is the answer to being right with our God. Nothing else is the answer, nothing is the remedy for sin but the cross of Christ and the one He commanded us to take up (Matthew 16:24-25). There is no other divine prescription for victory over sin but the cross. | Sinless Perfectionism Rebuked
Any man pretending to be a representative of Christ and not regularly preaching the crucified life, is a false teacher (Philippians 3:18-19; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14, etc.). Such a man is not teaching the original Gospel and so is teaching “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-9).
Make Romans 6 your spiritual meat each morning this week. Read it prayerfully, asking God to teach you His ways.
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 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.” Romans 6:3-4
YOUR PRAYER: Holy Father, I here and now repent of my wicked sin, my rebellion, my unbelief, not trusting You, self-idolatry, and spiritual adultery. Please wash and cleanse me now dear LORD. Fill me with Your Holy Ghost and use me Jesus in this last hour. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Cross Saturation 101 – Get Saturated Here |
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