FaithWillDo
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- Jan 5, 2021
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Thanks for sharing your view Joe but I believe your interpretation of the scriptures you post here is not biblical but allow me to explain why so it might be helpful. God's salvation according to the scriptures is conditional on us believing and following what Gods' Word says. So the scriptures you post here are not the problem it is your interpretation of them that is the problem. What you will notice is that each scripture you provided is in context to those who believe and follow what God's Word says not to those who do not believe and do not follow what Gods' Word says. James in James 2:17-26 calls a faith that does not believe and follow what God's Word says the dead faith of devils and Paul says in Romans 3:31 that faith does not abolish Gods' law it establishes God's law. According to the scriptures we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast *Ephesians 2:8-9 but Gods grace is so we can be obedient to the faith *Romans 1:5. Obedience to God's Law is not how we are saved it is the FRUIT of faith of one that is already been given Gods promise of salvation and the fruit of God's work in us *Philippians 2:13 as we believe and follow his word *John 10:26-27. If our faith has no fruit it is dead *James 2:18-20; 26 and our tree will be cast down and thrown into the fire *Matthew 3:10; 7:19-20; 13:49-50; Hebrews 10:26-27. Therefore we do not abolish God's law through faith like some people teach but God's law is established in the heart by faith that works by love *Romans 3:31; 1 John 5:3-4; Romans 13:8-10. According to the scriptures, sin (breaking God' commandments and not believing and following God's Word) is the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil *1 John 3:6-10; 1 John 2:3-4; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14. At the second coming Christs reward is with him *Revelation 22:12. The righteous receive their reward of eternal life *Revelation 22:14 and the wicked, the lake of fire. All men will not be saved.
Hope this is helpful
You said:
God's salvation according to the scriptures is conditional on us believing and following what Gods' Word says.
Yes, you are absolutely right. But what you are missing is that mankind CANNOT believe or follow God's Word (or even understand God's Word for that matter) without the gift of the Holy Spirit.
You said:
According to the scriptures we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast *Ephesians 2:8-9 but Gods grace is so we can be obedient to the faith.
Grace is God's unmerited favor. His Grace is manifested by Christ's work within us. Christ's work is to come individually to all mankind and give us the gift of the Holy Spirit (among other things). If He did not come to us with His gifts, no one would be saved. But He "is, was and will be coming" to every person who has ever lived and He comes because of Grace.
Whenever someone believes that Christ's gifts are conditional and require something from them first (like a confession of faith), they are mixing faith with "works" and will remain under Law. Christ is the one who gives us the answer of our tongue. Mankind has no ability to seek Christ or to accept Him as Lord in our created state. By a person claiming they were saved by speaking a confession of faith by their own Free Will, they are stealing from the work of Christ. If they did need to contribute anything first (even just a confession of faith), they would have something to boast about since it would differentiate them from unbelievers. But mankind cannot contribute anything - we are that lost. We are saved by Christ doing His work within us and nothing else. All our thoughts/beliefs/decisions that lead to our salvation come from Christ's work within us. He is changing us "spiritually". Mankind's old flawed spirit who hates and rejects Christ must be destroyed so that we can walk by a new spirit (the Holy Spirit). Christ made us flawed for a reason and when that reason has run its course, He will make us spiritually perfect. It is 100% His work. It always has been and always will be.
Also, God's Grace does not empower us to "be obedient". Grace is the reason why Christ will come to each of us and do His work. From His work "within" us, we are then empowered to be obedient.
You said:
According to the scriptures, sin (breaking God' commandments and not believing and following God's Word) is the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil *1 John 3:6-10; 1 John 2:3-4; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14. At the second coming Christs reward is with him *Revelation 22:12. The righteous receive their reward of eternal life *Revelation 22:14 and the wicked, the lake of fire. All men will not be saved.
Once we commit our first sin, we become a child of the devil. We will stay in that condition UNTIL Christ destroys our flawed spiritual nature and gives us the Holy Spirit. This life changing event is called "conversion". It is what happened to the apostles on the Day of Pentecost and what happened to Paul after He had been in Damascus for three days. Conversion is also called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Latter Rain of the Spirit and the second coming of Christ.
Mankind expects a visible return of Christ to the world at some future date but Christ will not return in that manner. When Christ returns, He only comes "spiritually" within each person (is, was and will be coming) and He brings salvation with Him. Christ will never be seen again with physical eyes again. To "see" Him now, we must be given spiritual "eyes".
Christ's second coming first happened to His apostles on the Day of Pentecost and then to all His chosen Elect since that time.
Here is the GREAT MYSTERY OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH:
To be saved, mankind's salvation requires TWO comings of Christ - the Early and Latter Rain.
The Early Rain is the event when Christ calls us out from the world. At the time, Christ does not "appear" to the new believer. Christ remains hidden from their understanding. In other words, the new believer is spiritually blind and cannot "see" Christ (can't receive truth from the Word of God). Paul "typed" this Early Rain event while traveling on the Damascus Road. Paul could not see who the voice was who was speaking to him. He had to be told who the voice was. Paul also became blind to "type" the spiritual blindness we all experience at the time. He then had to be led by the hand into the city (the blind leading the blind). As a result of our blindness after being "called out" (Early Rain), over 2000 different denominations/sects have been created in the world, all with their own version of the truth. They are truly places where the blind are leading the blind.
Shortly after receiving the Early Rain, Satan will come to us (Parable of the Wheat and the Tares) and deceive us into approaching Christ by faith mixed with works. When this happens, we "fall away" and commit the sin that leads to death. In other words, we lose our salvation. Since we cannot be renewed by repentance, our only hope is for Christ to "come again" (Latter Rain).
The Old Testament also teaches the Early Rain. The Old Testament Early Rain is when the Nation of Israel was "called out" and they were baptized unto Moses:
1Cor 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
The verse says they were baptized "in the cloud". The "cloud" represents their spiritual blindness upon receiving the Early Rain. God was veiled from Israel by the cloud. And just like Paul on the Damascus Road, they could hear a voice (via Moses) but could not see who was actually speaking to them.
Look at this verse:
Acts 3:20-21 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: WHOM THE HEAVEN MUST RECEIVE until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Christ remains "in heaven" until all mankind is saved. He only operates "spiritually" within mankind while He is doing His work within us. Once all mankind has been saved, it will no longer be necessary for Christ to appear to us that way.
And since Christ is going to save all mankind, "every eye" will see Him in this manner. This event of "seeing" Him happens when He appears to us at the Latter Rain (the second coming).
This verse applies:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Christ first "appeared" to mankind in the flesh when He did His work on the cross. The "second time" He appears is at the Latter Rain event when He brings salvation to us. At the time of the Early Rain, He does not appear to us. He remains veiled.
There are many more verses which teach the truth of the Early And Latter Rain but the truth is hidden in spiritual language. This is why Christ and His church are a great mystery. Only those who are given "eyes that can see" at the time of the Latter Rain can unlock this great mystery.
Joe
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