SALVATION, defining the terms that refer to it

WHAT IS SALVATION ?

Sin grips with a hold that is unbreakable by most. It can become habitual and increase its grip. Sin is never satisfied. It will take more and more control. Sin will begin as a thought, and soon become an action. The action will develop into a habit. The habits will form one's character. The character will end in one reaping a destiny.

Sin will kill. It is a moral cancer to the soul.

James 1:15
"When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and when sin is finished, it brings forth death."

What is the answer? Only Jesus is the answer!

John 1:12
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God."

John 8:36
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

We have a Savior that is able to wash our sins away, We may confess our sins to Him, and He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

This process of receiving salvation has had many terms used to refer to it. It can sometimes seem so complicated, yet it is one of the simplest things in the universe. We have developed many misconceptions because of the terminology and jargon used. Let's examine the words, and the Greek words which are the original form of the term. Let's thereby clear up our misconceptions.

Some terms that we will examine are 'grace, mercy, atonement, propitiation, salvation, repentance, forgiveness, redeem, redemption, justification, faith, righteousness, adoption, inheritance, and born again.

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1. GRACE


Grace comes from the Greek word "charis". It means "a freeness, a spontaneous redemptive mercy, liberality, unmerited favor..."

Romans 5:2
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace (unmerited favor)..."

II Peter 3:18
"But grow in grace (unmerited favor), and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."

This grace (unmerited favor) is offered freely to all who want to be saved. We do not deserve salvation. The idea that we have to have certain good works to deserve salvation is strong in some Christian circles. It is a false doctrine. The truth is that the nature of salvation is that it is GRACE. It is totally unmerited, it is freely given, it is spontaneous.


I Thessalonians 3:5
“For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means, the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.”

Paul was concerned about the ‘faith’ of the Thessalonians. He had ‘labored’ and worked in his teaching and evangelical work on them, and feared the tempter had led them away from the faith. Had the grace of God been irresistible, and the efforts of Paul and the ‘tempter’ been uneffective in the possibility of changing the choice of God to save or not save these people, then the concern of Paul would have been totally unnecessary.

God saves mankind through His grace. Grace is the unmerited favor that God offers sinful mankind, resulting in salvation. Why would Paul’s labor ‘be in vain’ if there were no possibility of Satan tempting Christians and causing them to fall and be lost?

Paul understood grace and its limitations to those who refuse the gospel. Of the 156 times the word ‘charis’ (Greek word for ‘grace’) is found in the New Testament, it is used 110 times by Paul. Certainly, he marveled in the grace of God and sought to teach this ‘grace’ to all.

Satan has many means to use to try to get us to leave our faith.

James 4:7
“Submit yourselves unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Why should we resist, if we could not help but to overcome him. There is action to take, a will to exercise.

I Peter 5:8-9
“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same affliction are accomplished in your brethren, that are in the world.”

Why should we be ‘sober’ and ‘vigilant’, if satan could not devour us?

II Corinthians 2:11
“Lest satan should get an advantage of us. For we are not ignorant of his devices.”

So, grace, being something we can lose, we are told to be ‘sober’, ‘vigilant’, ‘resist’! If one commits sin after being born again, he must repent, turn from sin, lest, he/she should reject Jesus as a result of the devil’s devices, and again occur the death penalty of sin.

I John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I John 2:1-2
“My little children... if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

No person who lives in sin, dies in such sin, will be saved. For the grace of God has been rejected by his choice of sinfulness over grace.

Matthew 7:19-21
“For every tree hat bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire... Not everyone that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom.”

After a list of the works of the flesh, we are reminded that ‘they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God...” (Galatians 5:19-21)

Christians, those already saved by grace, can sin, err... leave the truth. And if one does, he can be re-saved, re-converted. And if he does get saved again, he is kept from the death to which his sins had re-condemned him.

James 5:19-20
“Brethren (those in the family of God), if any of you do err (planaoma, to wander) from the truth, and one convert (epistrepho, meaning ‘to turn about’) him, let him know that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”

Grace is not withheld from mankind, due to sins. For it is the reality of those sins that brings a necessity of this grace.

Grace cannot be lessened by the sins of mankind, for God’s abundance of it is beyond exhaustion.

Grace cannot be mixed with the works of the law to provide something better than the ‘grace’ alone. In fact, to attempt to increase the benefits of grace with works of the law, weakens the magnificence of God’s grace.


‘Grace’ and its abundant magnificence, does not mean there are no conditions that men must meet in order to realize the benefits of grace. Not one Scripture in the Bible teaches ‘unconditional grace’, or a grace that is given to all regardless of acceptance.

Nor is there any Scripture that teaches that God gives ‘grace’ to those who are choosing to rebel against the gospel. If that were possible, then God would owe grace and salvation to all of mankind, for ‘there is no respect of persons with God’ (Romans 2:11). God is under obligation to give grace, when mankind chooses of his own will, to walk in the light.


I John 1:7
“For IF we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, cleanseth us us from all sin.”

Grace is freely given, but given with the purpose of teaching mankind to deny ungodliness and to then come to the full obedience of the gospel.

Titus 2:11-12
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.”

If men do not accept grace and enter this process of learning the righteous living, then the abundant and magnificent grace of God can go no further

THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT VARIOUS THINGS CAN HAPPEN REGARDING THIS GRACE WE ARE OFFERED...

WE CAN RECEIVE GRACE IN VAIN...

II Corinthians 6:1
“We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”

WE CAN FRUSTRATE GRACE IN THIS LIFE...

Galatians 2:21
“I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

The word ‘frustrate’ is ‘atheto’ meaning to ‘set aside’. Itis the same word as ‘cast off’ in I Timothy 5:12 “having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.”.

WE CAN FALL FROM GRACE...

Galatians 1:6-8
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

Galatians 5:4-7
“Christ is of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh by love. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth.”

Jude 12-13
“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear; clouds they are without water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth without fruit, TWICE DEAD, plucked up by the roods... to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever..”

To be ‘twice dead’ refers to the fact one can be alive in the faith, and again return to the deadness of sinfulness. This is the ‘fallen’ from ‘grace’ to which the Bible refers.


WE CAN FAIL THE GRACE OF GOD...

Hebrews 12:15
“Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God;...”

WE CAN TURN GRACE INTO LASCIVIOUSNESS...

Jude 4
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ...”

“Lasciviousness” is the Greek word “aselgia”, meaning “lustfulness, lewdness”. It refers to the promoting or partaking of that which tends to produce lewd emotions. The thing itself may not be sinful, but it leads to sin in that person, producing emotions that weaken one’s will toward that which is of itself sinful.

WE CAN SIN IN SPITE OF GRACE...

Romans 6:1
“What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”

Some sin, after receiving grace, and then seek more grace. The putting the grace of God to a test, to see how much sin can be done and test the limits of grace before God gives us over to the reaping of what we have sown, is wrong.

WE CAN MINISTER GRACE TO OTHERS...

I Peter 4:10
“And as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Grace is abundant and given for all. After we have shared of its magnificence, we are to alert others to its availability.

WE CAN GROW IN GRACE, OR NOT GROW IN IT...

II Peter 3:17-18
“...beware, lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace...”

WE CAN RECEIVE GRACE, OR REJECT IT...

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER...”

Revelation 22:17
“And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely...”

more to come on 'grace'

THE ONLY PURCHASE PRICE FOR THIS GRACE
IS THE BLOOD OF JESUS


Hebrews 9:13-14
"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, How much more shall the blood of Jesus Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"


The whole plan of redemption, by this grace, rests on the blood of Jesus.


Blood is the only tissue of the body that is unlimited in its movement within the body. Bones, muscles, nerves, fat, skin, are all fixed and remain where they are. Blood can reach every cell in the body. Therefore it unites the body, and any cell, placed outside the reach of the blood will die. It is because of the blood of Jesus, and our reception of it into our own selves, that we are alive in Jesus, we are saints of God, united with God.

The Bible proclaims that:

Lev. 17:14
"The life of the flesh is in the blood..."

The blood of Jesus is the ‘life’ of the soul. The blood of Jesus can purge, can work a cleansing, on the inner ruination of the inner person.



The contents of blood are:

liquid = plasma
[a colorless liquid in which are suspended all the solid parts]

solid parts =
platelets
[thin transparent cells whose duty is to obscure]

red cells
(erythrocytes) [5 million per cubic millimeter, they carry fuel to
the tissues, combined with oxygen, they give blood its red color]

white cells
(leucocytes)[defend the body from infections]

other elements
[some provide for clotting when exposed to air, some are antibodies to prevent disease, some various salts and other elements]



The red cells travel through the lungs and pick up oxygen. The oxygen is delivered to the tissues, and then the blood picks up the CO2 (carbon dioxide) and cell garbage, and carries that all away. The whole trip takes about 23 seconds.

The food is brought to the cells, and garbage is taken away from them in the same trip. Yet there is no contamination. How would you like the same truck taking your garbage away to deliver your food? The Lord Jesus shed His blood for us, and that same blood delivers salvation, delivers righteousness, and at the same time cleanses away our sins, our guilt, our shames, our hurts.

As our natural blood is vitally necessary to the body, so is the blood of Jesus vital to the catharsis of the inner man. Each one of us need the blood to flow in our person, daily, to keep us cleansed, to keep us purged from the pollution of a cursed world.

1 John 1:7 (KJV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

This cleansing of the blood takes place, if we ‘walk in the light’ and
if we ‘have fellowship one with another.’ The walking with Jesus, Who is the light, keeps us receiving the blood cleansings. The fellowship and conversations with this wonderful cleansing One, also keeps His blood flowing through our beings. This cleansing of the blood upon our being, starts at salvation, and continues to cleanse.

We need to be washed in the Blood of Jesus. When we are, we can become 'whiter than snow' in Him. Christ's sinless blood does what no other's blood can do. We need to overcome sin, to subdue guilt, shame, and to conquer the hurts of a life in a cursed world, with the blood of Jesus.


Revelation 12:10-11
"for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death."

Satan accuses us night and day. The devil uses many cohorts here on earth, human and spirit, who ignorantly do his bidding to falsely accuse us. The devil wants us to doubt our salvation. The demons want to make us feel our sins are too great. The torments of the hearts are destructive, and there is only one cleansing agent able to cleanse the heart, the mind, the soul of mankind. It is the blood of Jesus. We need to overcome the devils with the blood of Jesus. We cannot have confidence in the flesh. Trying to do better will not help. When the infection of attack is already present, we need the blood of Jesus. We can go to calvary, to the blood of Jesus, and bathe in the blood of Jesus.

I John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Mankind, since the time of Adam and Eve, has tried denial of sin, false relgions that purport that sin was not truly sin, and drugs that make one insensitive to the guilt of sin. None of these truly work.

It is the blood of Jesus, appropriated due to grace, that works this cleansing, this work in us. Grace is via the blood of Jesus. No work, no offering, no holy act will ever earn it for us. We appropriate the salvation grace work, via faith.

2. MERCY​

“Mercy” is a distinctive word characterizing God as revealed to men. Mercy is lovingkindness, “to be inclined to,” “to be gracious,” “kindness,” “beneficence,” “to show kindness,” “pitiful,” “kind,” “compassionate,” “forgiving.”

Mercy is an essential quality of God.
God would not be the God we come to know when we are saved into the family due to the blood of Jesus cleansing our sins. We find God to be the essence and definition of complete mercy.

Psalm 62:12 (KJV)
12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
Exodus 34:6-7 (KJV)
6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Mercy is God’s delight.
God loves to show mercy, and He has spent millennia making a way for us to be given mercy. It is His joy to bestow mercy, and He sent Jesus to provide a way for us to receive it.

Micah 7:18-20 (KJV)
18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

God’s mercy works with His forgiveness.
His mercy extends to us the ‘forgiveness of sins’. His mercy is not like the mercy of this world, where it is short lived, or dangling on a thread. He forgives and chooses to not think about the sins that required His mercy.

Numbers 14:18-19 (KJV)
18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

God’s mercy works with His forbearance.
Even before we repent, His justice is slow to condemn and punish, due to His already extending mercy. Mercy keeps God from quickly bringing judgment for sins.

Psalm 145:8-9 (KJV)
8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

God’s mercy works with His justice.
God is always a just God, and will punish sin. His mercy works now with His justice to bring us to a place where He can choose mercy over His justice. What we deserve is delayed to give us time to avoid the penalty of sin.

Psalm 101:1 (KJV)
1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.


God’s mercy works with His faithfulness.
God was merciful with David, remembering His servant, even through the sin that brought David to despair. God’s mercy availed, David was convicted with the words of a prophet, and mercy of God heard the repentant prayer of Psalms 51.

Psalm 89:20-24 (KJV)
20 I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him:
21 With whom My hand shall be established: Mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24 But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him: and in My name shall his horn be exalted.

God’s mercy works with His truth.
God’s mercy does not ignore truth, we cannot lie nor deceive to receive His mercy. Mercy is given in truth, and if there is deception and cunning seeking to avail mercy, the truth of God will be revealed so that mercy has opportunity to be accepted.

Psalm 108:4 (KJV)
4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
Psalm 85:10-13 (KJV)
10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

God’s mercy is demonstrated in Christ’s saving atonement for us.
There is no greater example of God’s mercy than the gift of Jesus for our salvation.

Ephesians 2:4-9 (KJV)
4 But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God expects us to behold His mercy, and emulate it into our nature.
With the gift of mercy follows the expectation of us being so changed in nature by the merciful salvation, that we naturally become more and more like unto our merciful God.

Luke 6:36 (KJV)
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘MERCY’ AND ‘GRACE’.​

In the New Testament “mercy” (eleos) is associated with “grace” (cháris).

The difference between them is that the freeness of God’s love is the central point of charis.

Yet, the ‘mercy’, i.e. eleos, has in view misery and it’s the relieving of it via the grace.

“Charis’ is God’s free gift of salvation displayed in forgiveness of sin, —extended to mankind that are guilty of sin.

‘Eleos’ is extended to them as they are miserable. Sometimes saving grace has not been accepted yet, but mercy is still being poured out, giving more time for mankind to choose or reject the grace.




More to come on mercy ... see part 2

part 2
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The mercy in God is not merely His pardon of offenders, but His attitude to man, and to the world generally, from which His pardoning mercy proceeds.

GOD EXTENDS MERCY TO SAVE US, AND EXPECTS MERCY FROM US TOWARD OTHERS.
THEN GOD TESTS OUR MERCY IN THESE LAST DAYS


II Samuel 11:2-5
"And it came to pass in an evening tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite?
And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house.
And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child."


David was in bed, in the early evening. He was inactive, and the devil can take an inactive mind and get his lusts and temptations within. David walks about on his roof looking down upon the lower roofs of others. There, he sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. This black woman was bathing herself, and was close enough for David to behold and admire her beauty.

He should have turned away, avoided this temptation, and yet, he lingers amidst the devils' temptations. Too often, we think that we are so spiritual that we are beyond temptation, and the devils have abandoned their efforts to stumble us. This is stupid hope, not faith. The devils look for every opportunity. We need to constantly clean our lives from the defilings about us.

Television scenes that once would have brought embarrassment, and shame... are now commonplace. Too many think this is normal for this age, and do nothing but stare. We need to repent, turn from such perversions.

Radio programming includes words, stories, and inferences that are disgusting. Once upon a time, the plug would have been pulled on such sexual conversations... but now they are allowed.

Schools teach our primary grade children about sex, condoms, perversions they call "alternate life styles"... and show films that once would have been X-rated movies.

Too many have condoned, tolerated, and permitted such temptations to flood their minds and their children's minds... We need to cleanse ourselves from such sins. They will draw and tempt. The sins they lead to, will lead to more and more sins.

David did not know to what sin his moments of lust and desire would lead him. He likely thought his thoughts were normal, controlled, and typical of mankind... but they were destructive, far-reaching, and catastrophic to his life. His greatest regret, his life's greatest heartache, and his most dangerous to his salvation were these moments of what the world would call "normal".

The moments of lustful watching of Bathsheba by David led to greater sin.

II Samuel 11:15
"...Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die."

David became guilty of sin, horrible sin. It began with lust, which led to adultery... and then the evil grew to murder. The king of Israel became guilty of pre-meditated murder. How shocked the saints of Israel must have been. They had admired the killer of Goliath, the Godly shepherd boy who had written great psalms of worship.

God tested the people of that day, and the people of every age since, with this story of David's failure. The people of our day seem to have no trouble with forgiveness of David. We have forgiven, for it is obvious that God has forgiven. For David will someday be the king of Israel again during the millennium. So we, acknowledge the forgiveness of God, and also forgive.

However, how did the people of that day forgive David? Did they condone his sins, or did they hate the sins so much that they denied the ability of David to be forgiven? Seemingly, the people were very quiet about the sin, for it was two years later that Nathan came to David, and confronted him about his sin. With that confrontation, David finally repented.

Did the people, learning of that repentance then forgive David?... or did they still think that David could not be trusted? ...did they think that he would kill again? Could they quit their gossiping? could they praise God for such mercy that He could forgive such great sins as David had committed?

The people then... had a very difficult time forgiving... as well as God forgave.

Paul had aided, even encouraged the stoning of Stephen... and even after his salvation, the Christian friends of Stephen could not forgive Paul... He faced opposition of the saints in Jerusalem, every time he went to Jerusalem.


We today can forgive Paul such sin. We today find it so much easier to forgive Paul than the people of his own day. They could not forget the sweet, godly, and personable Stephen... and the cruel death that he faced. To be faced in their church with the presence of the murderer of their friend was more than they could bear.

The people faced tests by the Lord, and the people of the last days face some tests also.

Karla Fay Tucker was executed at 7:45 p.m. on February 3, 1998. Many fought to have her spared. She had used a pick axe to kill a woman. She was a horrible sinner, who twelve years before her execution, had found Jesus. She changed, and put many unforgiving Christians to shame with her extreme change of personality.

IF THE CHILDREN OF GOD CANNOT EXCEED THE MERCY AND FORGIVENESS NECESSARY TO FORGIVE SOMEONE LIKE KARLA FAYE TUCKER, THEY WILL NEVER SEE THE GLORY OF GOD.

When Karla passed from this world to the arms of Jesus, she heard the rejoicing of the angels, the rejoicing of other saints who had preceded her to heaven... They rejoiced at her homecoming... Jesus embraced her, and began to show her about paradise... and explain many things to her... Unfortunately, the unforgiveness, the anger of some saints (like the unforgiveness of the saints in Jerusalem against Paul for the death of Stephen), and the cruel jokes of lukewarm, hypocritical members of congregations of this earth.


Her life could have been spared with an order of clemency, and God could have used her witness in prison for years to win many souls to Jesus... Or she could have written letters of instruction to saints of this world from prison as did Paul from his prison cells... But the Lord took her home, and tested the saints of this day on how they would face her repentance, her change from an enemy of Jesus to a child of God...

The contrast of the reaction of those in heaven to her homecoming... to the reaction of the saints on earth to her death. There should not be such a contrast... for why do we pray in the Lord's prayer, "THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN."

The Lord tests His saints of every age... and usually many in the congregations fail... Why can we not all pass such tests of love, forgiveness, of Christ-likeness???? Unity and having most if not all, Christians to pass such tests are desirable, and the Lord asked us to endeavor to achieve some kind of unity.

How do we find and maintain a unity of love and of Christ-likeness in the Spirit? Jesus prayed in His High Priestly prayer for the disciples to find the same kind of unity as the Trinity has. This is a unity beyond the unity that man has even dared to think possible.

John 17:21
"...that they may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee."

There is so much friction among Christians, and this disunity has hindered congregations for centuries. Even amidst the members of a congregation, of the same denomination, of the same dogmas, and sometimes even of the same family, the church has had debates and disagreements on forgiving, or accepting some repentant sinners. If these cannot agree, how can different denominations, different dogmas, different forms of worship, and different backgrounds ever hope to achieve any degree of measurable unity? True unity can be achieved, or the Lord (John 17:21) would not have asked the Father in heaven for it.

Paul (Eph. 4:3) would not have told us to endeavor to maintain something that was impossible to achieve. This unity cannot be found until we first comprehend what it is, and then follow God's blueprint for finding it.

First, we must realize that the church is ONE BODY of believers. The human began as one cell. It grew, multiplied, and matures until all cells share the original life. The Originator of that life is the Spirit. Despite our different backgrounds, different genders, different nationalities, etc. we, as Christians, all share life by ONE SPIRIT. It is shocking how many Christians today have not comprehended this truth.

A repentant Jimmy Swaggart, a repentant Jim Bakker, a repentant Karla Faye Tucker, and you are all part of the same BODY. When we finally realize that we all have spiritual life, because we are all given it by the same Spirit, we realize that we have already, via the Spirit, the necessary beginnings of the unity, and of passing the tests that God desires.

The strength of the church congregations is not in the number of members, nor in the organizational unity, nor in the number of programs and committees, nor in the wisdom and wealth of its members, nor in the size and magnificence of its buildings. No, but rather the strength and power of the church is totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the life of the church, and He is the power of the church. Until we come into unity with Him, and have the same kind of forgiveness that He has, we cannot have life, power, or unity.

Zechariah 4:6
"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts."

When we come into the harmony with the Spirit of God, we will then find that we are working harmoniously with the Spirit as ONE BODY. If we get out of harmony with the Spirit, from Whom all spiritual life comes, we cannot ever function as ONE BODY. The unity and the forgiveness of others who repent and enter into this BODY with us... that God desires of us is to function as ONE BODY, and do a work for the Lord in this world. This functioning as ONE BODY requires that we find harmony and direction from the ONE SPIRIT of God.

God still wants to transform the spiritual abusers as Paul, the demonically possessed as Simon the sorcerer, the uneducated as the Ethiopian eunuch, and the cruel and hardened sinners as the Philippian jailer, murderers like David and Karla Faye Tucker. God can take such people as these in the latter rain revival, and make them to be the pure, holy, spotless church that He will soon rapture.

God wants a pure church, a transformed people during this latter rain revival.

Ephesians 5:27
"That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkly, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish..."

The imminence of the rapture of the church should make us want to purify ourselves, and it also demands that we desire God to transform more lives before it is too late.

I John 3:3
"Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."

God is able to transform the wicked sinners of the last days, to transform the hypocrites of the church, to transform the sin-hardened ones of which every one has given up hope. God is able to completely change their sin-corrupted minds, their wicked and hateful attitudes, and their sinful desires. God has the hardest time transforming the self-righteous and unforgiving hypocrites who think they are the righteous saints...

To get them to repent of their unforgiveness is more rare than getting the wicked murderers on death row to repent of their murders.

I Thessalonians 5:23-24
"I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord. Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it."

God even wants to change the lukewarm, unforgiving Christians of the last days to be on fire for Him. He spoke to the church of Laodicea, an offer of transforming power. He said:
Revelation 3:15-18
"I would that thou wert cold or hot... I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed."

Lukewarmness and an unforgiving spirit are no longer acceptable in this last time. The God of this latter rain revival will not tolerate and soon will not allow an un-transformed life. He offers transformation, and now He demands it... the rapture is for those who are pure, holy, and spotless. The revival is to transform lives that are ready for this rapture.

see part 3 of MERCY

God transformed lives in the former rain revival, and God can do it now again. There are revivals taking place now in the prisons, in many foreign countries, in the entertainment industry, in the government leaders, and in any church gathering where people will humbly yield to His transforming power. During a revival, the manifest presence of God is strong. The former and latter rain revivals had - and will have - a very strong, close, and powerful presence of the Lord.

Whenever God's presence is near, He will judge the rebellious and abundantly bless those yielded. If sin is present, He must judge it. Yet, His mercy often extends much more time than we would. His mercy is abundant. His judgments are often delayed and delayed.

As the High Priest stepping into the Holy of Holies on the day of Atonement, would fall dead if there was unrepented sin in the camp... God extended mercy throughout the year, to allow time for them to come to repentance and atonement. Yet, the day came, when an accounting by God came, and mercy ceased to extend past that point.

Today, we live in an age of mercy, extended mercy for God is 'not wanting any to perish.' Some have taken advantage of that mercy, and sin and sin, testing and testing the mercy of God. God's mercy is very great, and has allowed sinners, hypocrites, carnal and heretics to abuse the mercy of God.


Likewise, if the priests were doing temple service (as lighting the golden lampstand or offering sacrifices), and they noticed that their hands or feet were dirty, they would need to immediately wash at the laver. If they neglected to do so, they were smitten dead by the Lord. Now, God's mercy is allowing much sin to be unjudged.

We see Christians in Churches who defile the ministry, corrupt the services, and usually go unjudged by God, due to His mercy.


The Holy Spirit does come and convict, and even those who have sinned so much that their conscience is seared from feeling the conviction still are convicted, still are led to places where God forces decision, but still not struck dead for sin. The mercy of God is unexplainable in human terms. God wants to save mankind, and extends mercy so for those who do repent, He can give 'grace.'

The man who reached out to steady the ark of the covenant, fell dead when he touched it.

In the same way, God's Presence will bring blessing or judgment, depending upon our own standing with Him. If we are in sin, and God's Presence visits us, we are judged. If we are justified of our sins, and in right standing with God, His manifest Presence will cause revival and blessing. In His mercy, God will not give us His Presence today, until we have come in repentance to Him.

Thereby, we may feel the lack of revival blessing, but if we humbly repent of our unforgiving spirits, the Presence - and blessing - of God will come. If He simply chose to visit our services next Lord's Day, there would perhaps be many who would be stricken dead at such a visitation. So God withholds His Presence, patiently (or impatiently) awaiting our repentant reconciliation to Him.

During the early days of any great revival, God is trying therefore to purify His people. He can thereby bring more and more revival to them as they are purified.

Ananias and Sapphira were judged for the lie they spoke in the presence of God during the former rain revival. They were not judged for not giving all of the money from the sale of the land, for this was not of necessity they were giving. But, they lied in God's Presence.

Attempting to emulate Barnabas' gift of chapter 4, Ananias gave but did not have the faith or the generosity of Barnabas. He was being hypocritical. God does not tolerate hypocrites during the former or the latter rain revival. This is why many congregations do not have much revival yet, in this latter rain revival. If God's Presence did come down in manifest revival, He would need to strike many hypocrites dead.

This may seem strange that this 'God of love', 'God of mercy', and 'God of tolerance' that many of us have grown so accustomed... would strike someone dead. The God we see in the revival periods (for instance, at the tabernacle in the wilderness, or at the time of recovery of the Ark in the days of King David, or during the former rain revival...) was adamant in His insistence upon purity. Likewise, during the latter rain revival, this same God of love will again insist upon purity... holiness... and will judge those who are not.

Sin is present during the latter rain revival. This has been predicted for thousands of years, and we who now live in that age, can attest to the presence of sin in the midst of those that God wants to revive.

I Timothy 4:1-2
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, ...speaking lies in hypocrisy."

We have seen God judge sin in some high places of Christianity in the last number of years. A number of people in high positions of the Christian world have been judged. There has been sin in congregations, in ministers, in evangelists, in denominations, in deacons, etc. Not in all... but in "some". God has only done so far, as He has done in all ages... purifying His people. Yet, in the latter rain, there will be a special purification... that surpasses all that He has ever done in any age. Jesus is soon to return for His church, and He therefore is seeking a purity above any ever demanded by the Lord.

Ephesians 5:27
"That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish."

God is working during this latter rain revival to purify His church. He wants the "glory of God" in us, and the purity to be so great, that He can revive and bless us as never before.

There is therefore coming a judgment upon the church. The people of Noah's day were shocked by the judgment that came upon the earth in those days. The five foolish virgins were shocked at being shut out of the wedding chamber in the story of the ten virgins. Ananias and Sapphira did not expect judgment either.

Jeremiah 8:7
"Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane, and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord."

"Tares" will be removed from the "wheat" first (before the harvest of the "wheat", which is the rapture of the church). These tares will be severed by a miraculous judgment of God in the time of the latter rain revival.

Matthew 13:36-42
"Then Jesus sent the multitudes away (this message was not for all - even in that day), and went into the house, and His disciples came and said, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field... He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man, the field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. But the tares are the children of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world (age). The reapers are the angels. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things (or persons) that offend, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be weeping and wailing of teeth."

Matthew 13:49-50
"So shall it be at the end of the world (age), the angels shall come forth and sever (Greek = aphorizo = to separate from) the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire..."

The judgment is pre-rapture, for the wicked are severed from amidst the believers. After the rapture, this would be unnecessary, for the believers will already be removed from this world. The Bible has often warned us of a judgment of the church.

I Peter 4:17-18
"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of those that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

Jesus wants a pure church when He comes to rapture it. He finds it far from that purity at the moment. The revival cannot even get progressing as He would like to see it progress, until a new purity is found. We need revival, but we need a purifying purge of the church to remove the "tares" sown there by the devil.

In Ezekiel is recorded a frightening passage. Ezekiel is being shown a vision that describes this last day purging of the church. He sees angelic beings who come. One angel marks those who are pure, and the others go forth with a slaughter weapon to slay all who are not so marked. The judgment begins at the "sanctuary."

Ezekiel 9:1-6
"...six men... slaughter weapon in his hand... go through the midst... set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof... to the others... smite... slay utterly... come not near any man upon whom is the mark, and begin at My sanctuary."

This prophetic vision has not yet been fulfilled. Many scholar's believe that Peter was referring tho this prophecy when he spoke I Peter 4:17-18. The sinful state of the church in the last days, requires a purification that this passage in Ezekiel describes. It will be a miraculous, unprecedented judgment that will enable the latter rain revival to be have the Presence of God that God wants us to have. It will get the church ready for the soon coming rapture.

II Timothy 3:1-14
"in the last days perilous times shall come..."

These "times" referred to by Paul, are times when people shall have a "form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." These "perilous times" are times when a judgment comes from the Lord upon the church. Many have hopefully assumed that the "perilous times" mentioned, are times for the world, and not for the church. This is not in keeping with the context of the passage.

There are hypocrites, troublemakers in most every church. The word "hypocrisy" comes from the Greek word - "hypokrinomai". This word means "to play a part in a play." God will not tolerate those in the congregations of the latter rain revival that simply are play-acting. The hypocrites in every age are in trouble with God, but the ones in the latter rain revival are in grave, perilous danger.

God has made it plain in Scripture, but mankind tries to ignore it, and look for the revival, the mercy. We will have revival, but the kind of revival that God wants us to have will not come until God removes those who play-act their faith. Ananias and Sapphira coveted and lied to cover their covetousness. Whenever the presence of the Lord is near, as in that revival, God will judge sin as surely as He will fill the hungry.

At the former rain revival, God's presence filled the upper room when they were all in one place, and in one accord. The Spirit descended, they were filled, and 3000 were saved. When God's presence filled the place where Ananias and Sapphira came to present their offering, and a lie was told... judgment caused two to die immediately.

Like the Jewish people in vain hoped concerning their judgment, many of the congregations of today cannot imagine a judgment time on the church. They have blinded their own eyes to the need of such a judgment, and they have ignored, perverted, and misapplied many passages of the Word of God that describe and predict this judgment. What do we do? We must be ready, prepared, and the best way to be ready is to often "examine" ourselves. This is the purpose of the communion we share. We are to be sure that we are ready "till He come". This demands a purity, and oft-cleansing of our souls.

Luke 21:34-36
"...take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (over-indulgence) and drunkenness (intoxication) and the cares of this life, so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare, shall it come upon all them that dwell upon the earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray, always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these thing that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

3. ATONEMENT

The word atonement comes from the Greek word "kattallage." It means "reconciliation." When we become saved, a reconciliation has taken place between us and God. As sinners, we are estranged from God. As saved beings, we are reconciled and restored to relationship with God.

Romans 5:11
"...we joy in god through our Lord Jesus Christ by Whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation)..."



WHY DO WE NEED ATONEMENT, RECONCILIATION WITH GOD?

When Adam and Eve were created, mankind had no inherited sicknesses or weaknesses. He was created perfect and meant to be eternal. Mankind had daily communion with God. He had God-given knowledge, and even in his first days, named all the animals.

The extent of mankind’s revelation from God was to:
...

Mankind broke the rules given by God for this time. The judgment brought expelling from the garden, the curse upon mankind and the earth, but a promise of a ‘SEED of woman’ Who would someday come and defeat the devil.

Mankind proved to fail without God...
innocence could not keep them sinless.


Mankind lost his God-conscience at the fall in the garden. Now God would show that mankind was not only a failure at staying innocent, but would be a failure at developing one’s own conscience to guide.

Cain’s conscience without God’s connection resulted in Abel’s death. Soon the earth was filled with violence. Mankind could not guide himself to goodness, or right living with his own conscience. Fallen angels took advantage of mankind’s weakness of conscience, and co-habited with women, creating a race of giants, not totally human.

Finally, Noah and his family were the only ones left that were totally undefiled by that contamination of God’s plan. The saving of that family, and the flood of judgment on the rest of the world was the result. The promise given at the end, was that never again would God destroy the earth by water.

Conscience could not keep them righteous... Mankind needed atonement, reconciliation so they could be righteous again. Mankind’s own efforts were never able to atone.


God had man use human government to help guide his conscience. Capital punishment was instituted, to help instigate mankind to proper behavior. Evil leaders were accepted, and led mankind to failure in this dispensation. Nimrod, whose evil spirit is now known as ‘Belial’, led them in pride to an attempt to build their own way to heaven. Judgment included confusion of the language, to help separate mankind, and the division of the earth into continents also separated mankind, so that he would subdue the whole earth, not just a portion of it.

Human government failed to atone for sins.

Abraham was given promises, to inspire his, and his posterity’s adherence to the ways of God. God’s promises encouraged righteousness, and gave abundant reward for obedience. Mankind was judged with slavery to Egypt, and yet, they were given a promise of a land flowing with ‘milk and honey’... They failed even in the delivery of such promise. They danced about the golden calf, they complained and murmured despite miraculous manna for food, and a rock that followed them, flowing with water enough for the several million in the desert. The Promises, though always increasing in greatness, do not keep mankind from unrighteousness. Mankind failed again...


Promises from God failed to bring atonement.

The laws given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai showed mankind, a definite set of ‘thou shalt not’s’. Israel promised to keep them, but could not. The law saved no one. God gave a plan of the tabernacle, and its method of restoration of mankind to God’s presence. The tabernacle pointed the way, showed in type, what God wanted from mankind... and what it would require for mankind to come into God’s very presence.

Law keeping failed to obtain atonement,
for mankind was unable to keep from breaking the laws.

Throughout the age of the law, mankind failed and failed. Judgment came often... Yet, with even seeing the result of sin, and the horrible nature of judgment, mankind kept failing. The Lord came and took the final judgment for sin, by dying on the cross.

Then came the grace due to the cross of Jesus.
Only it could bring atonement.

God has provided an easy way to re-approach God. Yet, even in this, we see mankind failing to appropriate this simple way of salvation.

With such an easy way to have forgiveness, atonement, restoration and eternal life with the Lord, one would think mankind would grasp it with joy. With such an example as Jesus, with the gifts and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and with the Bible to guide, mankind has no excuse for failure. Judgment will come on the church, with the ‘harvest of tares’, and upon the world shortly following that with the tribulation.

Mankind even fails grace... fails when made so easy...

Soon another test will come... Jesus will return, rule and reign with us, and finally, after a 1000 years test mankind again. Yet, even then, mankind will fail at its end. The devil, bound for the 1000 years, will be released to once again tempt mankind.

Mankind will fail even the millennium blessings.

God will send fire from heaven to devour those final failures. The white throne judgment will then take place, where the failures of every dispensation will be placed in the lake of fire for their final eternal judgment.

So... all of this history of mankind, the whole 7000 years, beginning with the tree of knowledge of good and evil, mankind has proven that he is a failure. Without divine intervention, there is no atonement.

Mankind cannot, without Jesus, boil water. Man needs grace, forgiveness, over and over... time after time... and only with the help of Jesus can we ever have hope. We need atonement, we need Jesus stepping into our lives and doing a work we are totally unable to do ourselves.

IN THIS UN-ATONED FOR CONDITION,
THE CURSE ON SIN AND FAILURE HAS COME UPON MANKIND.

Notice the magnitude of that curse on unatoned mankind...:

a. MAN'S UNDERSTANDING IS DARKENED

I Corinthians 2:14
"the natural man receives not the things of God for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned..."

b. MAN'S MIND IS DEBASED

Jeremiah 17:9
"the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?"

c. MAN'S BODY IS DISEASED AND DEATH RIDDEN

Romans 7:24
"O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?"

d. MAN'S WILL IS WEAKENED

Romans 7:15
"For that which I do, I allow not, for what I would that do I not, but what I hate, that I do..."

e. MAN'S CONSCIENCE IS BLUNTED

I Timothy 4:2
"having their conscience seared with a hot iron..."

F. MAN'S UNREDEEMED SPIRIT IS DEAD

Ephesians 2:1
"You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins..."

g. MAN IS LOST AND UNDER A SENTENCE OF WRATH AND JUDGMENT

Ephesians 2:3
"...were by nature the children of wrath..."

Luke 19:10
"The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost..."

h. MAN IS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE DEVIL

Ephesians 2:2
"..in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air..."

i. MAN IS GUILTY AND ESTRANGED BEFORE GOD

Isaiah 53:6
"All we like sheep have gone astray..."

Isaiah 59:2
"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God..."

ADAM, THE SINNER
&
JESUS, THE ATONER,
CONTRASTED...​

Romans 5:14
"...death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who (Adam) is the figure of Him (Jesus) that was to come."


Jesus loves the church, as Adam loved Eve. Adam stooped to please Eve, as Christ "humbled Himself" to come and to save the church. The love of Adam brought sin. The love of Christ brought salvation.

Adam was the head of the old creation.
Genesis 1:26"...let him have dominion..."

Jesus is the head of the new creation.
Ephesians 2:10
"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works..."


Adam's one sin made many to be sinners...
Romans 5:12
"...by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world..."

Christ's one act (on calvary) made many to be righteous.
Romans 5:19
"...by the obedience of One (Jesus) shall many be made righteous."

Adam brought death.
Christ brought life.

I Corinthians 15:21-22
"by man (Adam) came death... as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive..."


Adam passed on a sinful nature.
Christ passes on a sinless nature.

Romans 5:12, 19
"...by one man sin entered... by the obedience of one shall many be made alive."


Adam brought condemnation.

Romans 5:18
"by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all man to condemnation..."

Christ justifies.

Romans 5:18
"... even so by the righteousness of One (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."


Adam lost grace and favor.
Romans 5:15
"...if through the offence of one (Adam) many be dead..."

Christ restores grace and favor.
Romans 5:15-17
"much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by One man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded to many.... much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ."

Death reigned through Adam.
Life reigns through Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:12, 14, 17-18, 21
"...that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

Adam caused sin to abound.
Christ causes grace to abound.

Romans 5:20
"the law entered that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did the much more abound..."


The typology of Adam shows us a choice. We can live in the results of Adam's deed, -- or we can live in the ATONEMENT of Jesus Christ.




There is only one wise choice, and that is to accept the work of the second Adam... accept what He did for us out of love... And we have a commission to continue this work...


II Corinthians 5:14-21
"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth we know Him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things become new. And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 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."

part 3 on ATONEMENT to soon come

GOD'S PLAN OF ATONEMENT FOR SIN


Acts 15:18
"Known unto God are all His works, from the beginning of the world."

God had a plan in the beginning, and has known every detail of it. He knew of mankind's fall into sin, and of mankind's wickedness through the ages. Still God provided a plan of salvation, and He has had great pleasure in the working of it. God wants to give 'atonement', i.e. reconciliation to Him.

Ephesians 1:9-10
"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ..."

I Corinthians 15:24-28.
"Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He hath put all things under His feet..."

The flesh and the soul battle the spirit. The fleshly desires can overcome one's spirit, if allowed, and lead one to a wicked life. The battle is on this side of the grave. Our lusts and sinful desires hate our spirit that wants to serve God. If we feed our flesh the lusts of the soul, it will thrive and grow strong. The things of sin and lasciviousness make our soul strong. If we feed our spirit - the things of God, the Word of God, Christian fellowship, prayer, worship, etc. - then the spirit will grow strong. The part of you who will win is the strongest side -- which side are you feeding???

Romans 7:15-20, 24-25
"For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin dwelleth in me. for I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is nor more that I do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.... O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Romans 8:1-13
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit ... that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled un us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, do mind the things of the spirit....they that are in the flesh cannot please God ...If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

Deuteronomy 30:19
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed shall live."

Man is a free moral agent. Mankind serves the devil or God -- as he freely chooses.

Revelation 22:17
"And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely."

Jesus died for all, He chose to die for even the vilest sinner. He is "not willing that any should perish." We must choose Him, and then we are saved by His grace.

Romans 8:24-39:
"For we are saved by hope, but that hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He call, He also justified; whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation? ... distress?... persecution?... famine?... nakedness? ... peril?... sword? ...we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us..."

All Christians need grace and mercy. We live by faith in the mercy of God. We all struggle with sin. Yet, we know that if we sin, we have an "advocate." Our Advocate can atone and reconcile us to God.

I John 2:1
"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous."

Because of the mediation of Jesus, we know our sins can be forgiven and we can have our sins atoned.

I John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

pt 4

FAILURES CONTINUED AFTER ADAM & EVE,
SO ATONEMENT NEEDS TO BE A CONSTANT FLOW FROM GOD...


David had wives and a palace. He had possessions aplenty. He had rulership of a powerful nation. Yet, he desired another man’s wife, fell into sin, had her husband killed to attempt to cover over the fact she was pregnant by David’s sinful act. He had totally failed.
Failure is something that is common, to all of us. There is none of us that are perfect, or even close to perfection. Without the grace and mercy of God, we are all totally depraved of ability to save ourselves... we are weak and failing.

When my son was a child, I used to kid him that he was my ‘superboy’. Having seen some of those ‘Superman’ movies, he began to trust his father’s word, and began thinking he was ‘superboy’, awaiting his ‘super powers’. Upon request one Christmas, he received a red cape, red boots, a superman outfit, which he proudly wore around the house. There came a day when I realized my error in telling him that, for he asked me about ‘flying’. He had tried and tried, and could not fly yet. He asked me if he went to the roof and jumped off, would he be able to fly then. I realized that I had been taken a bit too seriously, and had to explain the truth to him.

Some of us are like my son, and begin to feel like we are ‘superman’, ‘superwoman’. That feeling is wrong, we are just ‘human’. If we go to some roof and jump off, all we are guaranteed is a hard landing, no flying is certain, nor possible, from us.

Some of us have jumped off our ‘roof’, and tried something that proved we are not superman. In fact, if we are honest, all of us have been fooled into thinking we are far more capable than we prove to be.

1 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV)
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Mankind is weak, failing, and usually stupid. I am living proof of that!

WE ARE ALL WRETCHED FAILURES,
AND ATONEMENT IS NECESSARY
TO BE A STEADY FLOW FROM GOD TO US.

Paul testified to this, even after becoming a Christian, even after becoming an apostle, even after sanctification and infilling of the Spirit.

Romans 7:14-25 (KJV)
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.


ORIGINAL SIN VS CARNALITY

The translators of the New Testament came to the word 'sarkikos' used by Paul, and had little idea of what he was speaking... so they made up a word, never used or heard before, ... the word 'carnal'.... The meaning was confusing to those reading their version in that day, and some mis-ideas of definition still plague those who look at 21st century dictionaries to define a man-made of word of the 17th century...

I prefer going to the original Greek word, and seeing what Paul was meaning by the Word, what God was teaching us through Paul's writings....

That more modern day dictionary you used is laughable in definition of a word that was 'coined', made up, to explain the Greek word that Paul used in the New Testament... So, their 'evolved' definition is not what the Bible is saying...

The word for "carnal" is the Greek word "sarkikos" which literally translated means: "meathead." It refers to the part of man, the flesh, being in control, rather than the pneuma, i.e. the spiritual part of mankind in operation.

All of us have a 'carnal' i.e. "meathead" mentality. The meathead mentality is that polluted mind that keeps making us to do and to say stupid, damaging, hurtful things.

Romans 8:6, 10-13
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ... ... But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. ...For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live..."

The "meathead" mentality has led many to false doctrines, wrong emphasis, hurtful actions, and mistaken ideas.

In our carnal self, we are 'sold under sin', and destitute of any way in which to save ourselves. Like Adam and Eve learned, blood needed shed, to atone for their sins, and the blood of Jesus needs to redeem each of us too, from our sins.

To 'be carnally minded is death'... and if we let the human flesh be in control, and do not find salvation in the Lord, we too will die.

There are 'carnal ordinances' in contrast to spiritual ones....
Hebrews 9:10 (KJV)
10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Some were to 'minister to them in carnal things that pertained to the flesh, not to the spiritual things...

Romans 15:27 (KJV)
It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

1 Corinthians 9:11 (KJV)
If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

So the 'evolving' of the word has brought connotations that are not Biblical. we go by what the Word of God defines for the word, not what Webster's dictionary says it now means, but what the Word of God means by the word.
The devil inserts the pollution of thinking, and that leads us down a staircase of such failure. All of us have so often ignorantly fallen for the same kind of deception as Adam and Eve. We need to be more wary of the polluted sin of the devil, for it brings failure, it kills, it corrupts, and it can ultimately doom!

Because of the pollution of the mind, man’s thinking is darkened. That will lead to despicable failures.

I Corinthians 2:14
"the natural man receives not the things of God for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned."

Those who have pollution of the mind are debased in thinking, deceived by their own minds into thinking they are still pure in thought. We may think we are doing God’s will, speaking His message, working for His goals, and still be wrong on all counts. We end up in failure and wish we could give a reason for it. The answers we concoct for it are baseless, stupid, or laughable.

Jeremiah 17:9
"the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?"

Pollution of the mind makes the will to be weak, unable to choose right, unable to know we are on a path to failure, unless the pollution is eradicated by the grace of God.

Romans 7:15
"For that which I do, I allow not, for what I would that do I not, but what I hate, that I do..."
The conscience of a person, polluted in mind, will not work properly. The conscience can be seared, and not hear the warnings of the Holy Spirit, not use wise human judgment, and keep us on an unhindered path to failure.

I Timothy 4:2
"having their conscience seared with a hot iron."

The polluted mind, that took each of us to failure, needs redeemed, reborn, made totally new.

Ephesians 2:1
"You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."


FAILURE BRINGS PUNISHMENT,
JESUS BRINGS ATONEMENT, RECONCILIATION

If mankind does not get rid of pollution of the mind, there is a sentence of God’s wrath and deserved judgment on us for failure.

Ephesians 2:3
"...were by nature the children of wrath."

Luke 19:10
"The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost."

ALL OF US ARE FAILURES AT ATONEMENT!
YES, EVEN ME, ESPECIALLY ME!

Mankind is so easily seduced into allowing insertion of pollution of sinful thinking into themselves. The point of the thread is showing that not only did Adam and Eve sin the original sin, but we are all now due to sin, bent toward evil... We fail. We are not on a road becoming 'gods', we are following the One Who became man, to provide a way for us to be redeemed from our evil nature... the 'carnal' man.

Ephesians 2:2
"..in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air."

Isaiah 53:6
"All we like sheep have gone astray."

Isaiah 59:2
"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God."

All of us, me included, need grace and mercy so we can have atonement and propitiation of our sins.

We live by faith in the mercy of God. We all struggle against the pollution of the mind. Yet, we know that if we sin, we have an "Advocate." If we totally fail, have no excuse, cannot give a ‘non-laughable’ reason, we still have an Advocate.

I John 2:1
"If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous."

Because of the mediation of Jesus, we know our sins can be forgiven.

I John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We are to ask largely, and not to simply ask God for the minimum. We have a God Who can do "exceeding abundantly above" all our requests.

Ephesians 3:20
"Now unto Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think."

We can ask God "whatsoever" (John 16:23) we desire. Too often our minds are too "meat headed" with carnal, physical, and temporal things. God wants us to raise our prayers to a higher level.

We are to ask for even more than the minimum, but do it with un-polluted thinking.

Zechariah 10:1
"Ask ye of the Lord rain, in the time of the latter rain."

We can pray and ask for the heathen for our inheritance.

Psalms 2:8
"Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."

Too many saints try to make their prayers easy for God. They try to ask God for only what they can foresee Him being able to do, and they have so little faith, that they cannot see the possibility of God doing great things. They are "meat-headed", and shallow in faith. They are allowing the devil to slip in doubt of God’s promises, doubt of God’s power, to pollute their minds.

The prodigal son, when traveling home from his rebellious stay away from the father. He only had faith to ask the father for the position of a slave, but the father gave him a robe, ring, shoes, fatted calf, feast, and son-ship. The elder brother complained that the younger brother received so much. and the father told him that he only had to ask, and he could have always had it.

Many of us are like the prodigal and elder brother, and we ask little, we ask for the wrong things, or are too busy to ask at all.

Jonah prayed from sheol (Jonah 2:1-9). He had been dead, and God had to resurrect him to go do his job. Stephen prayed for the salvation and mercy on his enemies, and as a result Paul became a great apostle. (Acts 7:59-60)


Sometimes, what we post here is for ‘unknown’, to us, persons. This one is for all of us, but written with myself mostly in mind. My own failures weigh heavily upon me, for I hate to hurt anyone, hate to cause grief, to any person. I know posts about sins, about mankind's carnal nature may at times sound harsh, pointed, and un-gentle to the max. Yet, they are designed to bring people to the Answer, not to cause despair.

For myself, I am even harder. I know there is no excuse for failure of someone like myself, who knows the Word, who has studied daily for years, and has had enough experiences to make any failure to be ‘inexcusable’. I had to remind myself of the mercy of the Lord, Who, despite my undeserved nature, is given mercy, no matter how unexplainable my failure is. I hope it reminded some of you ‘other failures’ out there, that the Lord is merciful, and ‘mercy’ is UNDESERVED favor. If it is ‘undeserved’, I qualify ! How about you?

The 'carnal' man is one who is interested in fleshly things, things not spiritual. We all have that part in us, we all can get offended, get angry, feel hurt, and we can act out in sinful ways due to that anger and hurt. It is all natural to the carnal man, it is not the 'spiritual man' that is in control at that time. We are in warfare within ourselves. We are not perfect, we are not righteous naturally. Our 'righteousness is as filthy rags.' We put on the righteousness of Jesus at salvation. Our carnal man keeps trying to take off that righteousness, and wants to wear 'self righteousness', but as God has told us, those garments are 'filthy.'

The ATONEMENT of Jesus, paying the price for all our sins, RECONCILING US TO GOD, is the fact of the only means of salvation. We (mankind) have proven to be totally unable to atone for sins, and we cannot make ourselves perfect. We need the ATONEMENT from God, His work done for us, whose works are pathetically unable to atone.

PROPITIATION


The Greek word, "hilaskomai" is sometimes translated "propitiation" and sometimes translated "mercy seat." It means "to cover, to appease." When we are saved, we have our sins covered by the blood of Jesus. His atonement for us is our covering. God does not see us as sinners any longer. He sees us as covered by the blood, and our covering is an appeasement to His justice and punishment against sin.

Romans 3:25
"Whom God hath set forth to be our propitiation (covering) through faith in His blood..."

Hebrews 9:5
"...over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat (covering)..."

.

Colossians 2:17 (KJV)
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Colossians 2:17 (Wescott-Hort)
17 α εστιν σκια των μελλοντων το δε σωμα του χριστου

Here, we see the word skia = σκια = shadow.

The word has no evil connotation... it does not suggest evil or corruption...

There are times it is used to refer to a 'shadow' of something evil, as in the Septuagint for Ps 23:4
Psalm 23:4 (KJV)
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Some who are not adept at translating or doing exegesis may jump at that kind of usage for 'skia' and think it is therefore an evil thing (skia)... but actually there it is 'death' that is the evil thing that needs comforting by the presence of the Lord.

In Acts 5:15 we see 'skia' referring to the 'shadow of Peter'.
Acts 5:15-16 (KJV)
... they brought forth the sick... that at the least the shadow (skia) of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them... bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Jesus was in Peter, so Peter's shadow was likewise the shadow of Jesus, and as Peter passed by the sick and those vexed with evil spirits, they were healed and delivered...

So, was the 'skia' an evil thing there? No, of course not. A shadow is never an evil thing, it is the substance of which the shadow is conveying its nearness that is either evil or good. In the case of Peter, it was the shadow of good, in the case of Ps 23, it is the shadow of death, which is bad.
Likewise in Mark 4:32, we have the mustard seed likened to the 'kingdom of God', and it is small but grows into a huge tree that gives 'shadow' (skia) to flocks. Is the shadow (skia) bad??? No, it is the shadow (in this case) to one of the types of the Kingdom of God, which is good. So, the shadow of something good is not evil.

The word 'skia' does not taint at all what Paul is saying to the Colossians.

Colossians 2:17 (KJV)
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

So, if what the shadow prefigures is Christ, then the shadow (skia) cannot be bad... in fact, it is great.. for it is the shadow of what Christ came to do... it is His shadow.


Hebrews 8:3-5 (KJV)
3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

These shadows too were of good things, shadows of what the Lord would fulfill in type. They foreshadowed the sacrifice of the Lord.

Shadows can be scary to some, for they may prefigure a "boogey" man. As we mature in Christ, we learn that 'shadows' of our youth usually did not turn out to be 'boogey' men, but turned out to the pet dog, or mom checking on you in the night. The same with Colossians 2. Some fear galatianism so much that they hate all shadows. In the case of the types of the feasts, and of sacrifices, they were foreshadowing Jesus, and are great teaching tools for us.

Some still jump at 'shadows', and some of us look beyond the shadow, to see if it is the shadow of something 'boogey man like' or something good.


The ‘shadow’ of the mercy seat...
which typified, fore-shadowed our propitiation.


Inside the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, and later the temple, there was a rectangular golden box. This ark symbolized several things. In the Biblical days, it was a visible sign of the invisible God. By night, the fire dwelt above it, and by day, a cloud was above it.

It was Israel’s most valuable possession. Like we would have the flag, Israel had the ark. Battles were won, with this ark being carried by a choir to the battle.

This ark has been hidden away, and God will see it is returned in time for the end time events of the tribulation. Someday, the Temple will be rebuilt. The Orthodox Jews pray three times a day this prayer:
"May it be Thy will that the Temple be speedily rebuilt in our day..."

The preparation of the ritual implements (ceremonial vessels, musical instruments, vestments to be worn by the priests, etc.) are prepared and ready. The building materials are prepared, and only await the site, and assemblers.

Perhaps it will be built on the Temple mount. This original site for the Temple consists of 35 acres. On this site now sits the Al Aqsa Mosque. Islamic people consider it the holiest site in the world after Mecca and Medina.

No Jew will walk on any part of the Temple site for fear of walking on the Holy of Holies site. The Islamic world is also anxious to keep all Jewish people off this mountain site. The thought of a Temple being rebuilt there, is the dream of the Jewish world, and the nightmare of the Islamic world.

To inspire the rebuilding of the Temple, there first must be something to put into the Holy of Holies. The ARK OF THE COVENANT is the first piece of furniture originally made for the Temple. There is no reason for the Temple, other than the ARK. The ARK represented God's effort to reach mankind.

The ARK was an oblong box, 3 3/4 feet by 2 1/4 feet by 2 1/4 feet. It was made of achaia wood, overlaid with gold. This ARK represents Christ as our security. The lid upon the top was solid gold, and was called the "mercy seat." The crown around the top of the mercy seat, is a symbol of sovereignty of Jesus the King of Kings. Two golden cherubim, symbols of God's holiness, were atop the mercy seat. God's shekinah glory dwelt between these cherubim. Blood was sprinkled upon the mercy seat by the High Priest every Day of Atonement.

The ARK contained:

1. Manna
The pot of manna, from the 40 years that the Jewish people wandered the wilderness, represented Christ as our Bread of Life. He is the true food of the saints. Christ is our all-sufficient supply.

John 6:51
"I am the bread of life..."

2. Budding Rod
The rod of Aaron budded and yielded almonds. The rod symbolized the resurrection power of God that brings us the fruit of the Spirit, and soon, eternal life. Christ's resurrection guarantees ours.

3. Tables of law
God wants the law to be written on our hearts, and the tables of law symbolize that.

Where is this ark? Is it lost? hidden? destroyed? Will it ever be seen again? Will it be in the temple of the tribulation period? If not, why will they rebuild the Temple??? The Ark is to be found in the last days, according to the Bible.

Jeremiah 3:16
"And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, 'The Ark of the covenant of the Lord', neither shall it come to mind, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it, neither shall that be done anymore."

If they have to cease visiting the Ark after Christ Jesus returns to the earth, it must be "visitable" before He comes. Therefore, it must be that it will be found.


DURING THE FIRST ADVENT, JESUS WAS THE ARK

Jesus was the visible Representation of God. He represented God the Father, and to see Jesus was like unto seeing God the Father.



John 14:8-11 (KJV)
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.


PRESENTLY, WE ARE THE ARKS OF GOD

John 17:18 (KJV)
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

The priesthood of believers are the present day arks. God dwells in us, we present Him to the world.

John 14:17 (KJV)
17 Even the Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

We, the children of God, are the dwelling place of God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Where we go, God goes. He is ever with us, dwelling in us, and we represent Him to the world, as did the ark of the covenant.

The priesthood of the old covenant, carried the original ark.

1 Chronicles 15:2 (KJV)
2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

In these days, we carry the presence of God with us. It is vital to make sure we carry God’s presence with honor and with dignity. When people meet us, do they sense the presence of God with us? Do you have an answer from God’s Word for them? Do you find yourself surrounded by God’s presence? You should, for you are the ark of God. The Levites carried about the land, the ark of the old covenant.

We are the ‘arks’ of the new covenant. The covenant that God wants to make is one where sinful man can become the bearer of the very presence of God. Reconciliation of mankind with God is the new covenant. The ark contained the tables of the law, and God wants the law written upon our hearts and minds. The ark contained the bowl of manna, and God wants us to feast on the Living Bread of life. The ark contained Aaron’s rod that budded, bloomed, and bore fruit. God wants us to bear the fruit of the Spirit. The cloud led the ark about the wilderness, and God wants the Spirit to be our Guide. The ark symbolized victory, and as the ark was carried about Jericho thirteen times, we are to walk in victory with the Lord.

THE MERCY SEAT is from a Greek word meaning ‘propitiation’, which is ‘covering’. It was a covering to come between God’s shekinah glory above the ark, and the law below the mercy seat. Like the blood of Jesus that covers for the broken law, this mercy seat represents Jesus as our covering, our atonement, that makes God able to dwell upon us. Jesus is our intercessor, so when God looks into us, instead of just the broken law, He sees the blood covering for those sins. The High Priest took blood on the Day of Atonement once a year, and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat on the ark. Jesus applied His blood, once and for all, upon us, His current arks.

5. SALVATION


The word "salvation" is from the Greek word "soteria." It means "preservation."

Acts 4:12
"Neither is there salvation (preservation) in any other, for there is none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved."

Romans 10:10
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (preservation)."

When we become saved, we are preserved from the wrath of God against sin. All the forgiven sins will not be remembered against us ever again.

There are many confusing doctrines in Christianity. Some have no idea what to believe on those oft debated doctrines. Some others will debate but then think ‘I don’t know enough to decide.’

There is only one right answer. Contrary doctrines cannot all be right. Sometimes two variant doctrines can both be wrong, but if they are contrary to one another, both cannot be right. Sometimes, the truth is in the middle. In the debate between calvinism and arminianism, the truth is in the middle.

The Bible is our authority. Every doctrine needs to be tested by the Word of God. It is easy to erroneously interpret a few texts, and thereby come up with a new sect, a cult. There are even within some denominations, some contradictory doctrines. Some of the various denominations are the result of doctrinal debate.

Therefore, we must examine all Scriptures. The Scriptures, if rightly interpreted, will harmonize. If a few passages seem contrary to another passage, then the interpretation of one or more of the passages is errant. Scripture is harmonious, for God is the Author, and He is not ‘double minded’. Therefore, it must be man’s interpretation that would insert contradiction, where none truly exists.

All Scripture must be studied, and harmonized within themselves. No Scripture is of any private interpretation.

II Peter 1:20
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.

Two or three plain Scriptures are required to establish any single truth. God has constructed the Bible so that no one passage has all truth on any one subject. Every truth, especially the most vital of doctrine, is secured and substantiated by several other passages. No truth, no doctrine, no teaching that would have to be substantiated by one passage only, is valid.

Some avoid Bible study, avoid looking within the Word of God to substantiate a particular doctrine. They fear it may look like ‘doubt’ of a ‘truth’ if they would search for further confirmation, or perhaps find contrary to that doctrine within the other passages of the Word.

Isaiah 29:9-13
“... the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver unto one that is learned, saying ‘Read this, I pray thee,’ and he saith ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’ And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying ‘Read this, I pray thee,’ and he saith ‘I am not learned.” The Lord saith... Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but I have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward me, is taught by the precept of men.”

This refusal to do study, research, and verification of doctrinal truths in the Word of God is still rampant today. Throw in a few new words to a person, and they hide from any real study. In sports, the fan learns what words like ‘tight end’, ‘hail Mary’, ‘fumble’, ‘end around’, etc. mean. They have no trouble questioning, listening, learning such new terminology, for they love the sport, and want to know what is happening in the game. Yet, in the Word of God, if a ‘strange’ word appears, it seems ‘debated’ by some as to what it means, they claim to be ‘unlearned’ or seek to say that the truth must be ‘sealed’ and therefore ‘unknowable’. This soothes their conscience... and they close the Bible and reach for the television guide.

Those who have ‘swallowed’ misinterpretations or false teachings, oft will go to the Word, not seeking ‘truth’ but seeking to explain away all Scriptures that are not in harmony with their errant teachings. Usually they try to explain that all contrary Scriptures refer to some other group, not them. Some say that contrary Scriptures to their misinterpreted ones refer to a past age, not this one.


TERMINOLOGY...

It is vital to understand what certain words of the Bible, and certain words used by Christianity mean.


And when some use the words to mean one thing, and others think the word means something a bit different, the resultant debates are unavoidable.




FOREKNOWLEDGE...

Foreknowledge is the knowing beforehand of certain events that will happen. God knows and has known all of history since the beginning. He knows whether each person will make it to heaven. He has ‘omniscience’ (all knowing).

Acts 15:19
“Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.”

God’s foreknowledge is awesome, for His eyes go to and from throughout the whole earth (II Chronicles 16:9). God’s eyes are in every place beholding the evil and the good (Proverbs 15:3). Even sheol is open to God’s watching (Proverbs 15:11). God knows the mind of man, knowing man’s every thought (Psalms 7:9, 94:1, 139:2). God knows with absolute accuracy all about mankind (Job 11:11, 34:21, Psalms 33:15, Proverbs 5:21, Hosea 5:3, Jeremiah 11:20). Jesus taught that God knows the secrets of a person’s mind (Luke 16:15).

God knew beforehand that Pharaoh would harden his heart, but still sent Moses to give him the choice. God knew pharaoh’s choice, but did not predetermine it. (Genesis 15:13, Exodus 3:19, 7:4, 11:1)

Foreknowledge is not causative. Just because God knows, does not mean He cause them to happen. God foreknew what men would do in response to His offer of grace to all, but does not predetermine that one person choose Him, and another be chosen to reject Him. He foreknows their choice, but does not cause it.

Even if God foreknows that one person may choose Him today, and then later choose to reject Him tomorrow, God is faithful to His word, and accepts the person on the day that God is his choice. As a shoe salesman may know that the woman buying the shoes today will change her mind and return them tomorrow, he still can sell them to her today, even with that knowledge.

God sets down laws and follows covenants. He honors His side of the covenant, even knowing that the other parties will fail theirs. If one repents, God will save them. If they sin again, decide that to them the sin is more valuable than God, still God honors His covenant promises, and saves them on the time that that is their choice. He foreknows the second, later choice, yet, He is true to His Word at the time of the other person honoring the covenant.

God does not use His foreknowledge to predetermine or remove the free will of man. In the area of man’s eternal choice, God allows mankind to determine that without any predeterminism. It would make evangelism null and void, of no practical use, if all were already predetermined by God. God offered mankind a choice, but does not pre-determine it.



FOREORDAIN, PREDESTINATE...

The word for ‘foreordain’ and for ‘predestinate’ is the Greek word ‘prooridzo’. It means ‘to determine beforehand’, ‘to foreordain’, and to ‘predetermine’. God foreknows who will chose Him, and predetermines for them blessings and salvation. His predestination is not on free will of mankind, but on the blessings on those who freely choose Him.

Romans 8:29-30
“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed... to the saints... having predestinated us unto the adoption... being predestinated...’

I Corinthians 2:7
“We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God hath ordained before the world unto our glory.”

No statement of Scripture says that God predestined the free acts of free moral agents. Those whom were ‘foreknown’ to be the ones who would choose Him, have had ‘foreordained’ blessings put in their lives to help them in their struggles. There are predestined blessings for those who choose of their own free will to have the grace of God.

John 3:16-20
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish... light came into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light.”

Revelation 2:17
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To Him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.”

Those God foreknows, He predestines...

Romans 8:29-30
“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and when He called, He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”

The word for ‘foreknow’ is proginosko’ meaning ‘to know beforehand.
This is God’s omniscient knowing of man’s eternal choice. Those foreknown to choose God are predetermined to have blessings. God knows everything, but if He predetermined everything, we would only be robots incapable of failure to do as programmed.

Those that God foreknows will choose Him, are foreordained to be conformed to Christ’s image. Those foreknown to be the acceptors of His grace, are foreordained to blessings and transformations. The foreknown are the ones foreordained.

God chooses to work in the lives of those that He foreknows will accept Him. Paul goes on in that chapter 8 of Romans, and says that, because of this ‘foreknowing, and predestinating of those He foreknows,’ that ‘all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.”

Ephesians 1:1, 5, 11, 12
“To the saints... Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will... In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all tings after the counsel of His own will. That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ...”

Therefore, as we are told in that passage, we obtained ‘inheritance’ by this predetermination. The salvation choice was not predetermined, but the blessings on those foreknown to choose were predetermined.

Foreordination or predestination, as taught by many, causes them to put the act of salvation upon God’s choice, not man’s choice. They say that mankind stays a sinner and God may choose to save them despite their sins, despite their choice. They say that God’s forgiveness is His choice, not dependent upon man’s choice. Repentance may come to those chosen to be saved, but their salvation, they say, is not based upon that choice. So, why does the Bible emphasize repentance so much? If man is chosen to be saved, and it is not dependent on their choice of repentance, they why should we bother to work at evangelization, encourage repentance, work for sanctification?

more to come on 'salvation'

CONDITIONAL SECURITY,
UNCONDITIONAL ETERNAL SECURITY...



Yes, persons can be eternally saved. Unconditional eternal security is not taught in Scripture. Several Scriptures sound almost to say, that some are predestined to be saved, but if the context is viewed, we find the message to be other than that assumption.

Romans 11:2
“God did not cast off His people He foreknew...”

The ones who choose the Lord are secure in that God will never cast them off of His choice. That does not mean that if we choose to return to sinfulness, and leave Christ, we are eternally secure anyhow, despite our choice. So, foreknowledge involves some pre-determining, b not as to pre-determine man’s free will to choose, nor to pre-determine that God would keep us saved despite a choice not to be saved.

II Peter 3:9
‘not willing that any should perish’

The word for ‘willing’ is ‘bouloumai’ speaking of the sovereign choice of God. God does not chose to have any perish. He is not pre-determining people to perish.



SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD...

God is supreme in power, and He has absolute dominion over all of creation. Some teach that means that God uses His sovereign will to predetermine every act and event in mankind’s existence. They view God treating mankind as a child does their toys, choosing freely to throw some to the garbage and to save others.

God is not like that. God does have absolute supremacy. Yet, He has chosen in that supremacy to give mankind a free will.

I Timothy 6:15
“Who in His (Christ Jesus’) time shall show Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords...”

Revelation 4:11
“For Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor, and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure, they are and were created.”

Revelation 11:15
“...the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord.”

Psalms 89:11
“The heavens are Thine, the earth is Thine...”

Augustine, in the fourth century, began this wrong concept of predestination. William Burt Pope wrote:
“Until the time of Augustine (345-430 A.D.), the Christian community know no other election and predestination than what was conditional... Augustine declared mankind was utterly bereft of capacity... therefore salvation is absolutely of grace, and without human cooperation. He taught that the divine decree determined the exact number of those to whom efficacious grace, which includes the irresistible grace for the beginning and the grace of perseverance for the close, shall be given. For these alone the Savior may be said to have died.”

The early church of the book of Acts did not teach predetermined salvation for some, and predetermined damnation for others. Even a calvinist, Lorraine Boettner, in ‘THE REFORMED DOCTRINE OF PREDETERMINISM’ said:
‘Until the fourth century, the church fathers assumed that man had full power to accept or reject the Gospel. While recognizing the sovereignty of God, yet alongside there was the teaching of the absolute freedome of the human will. They taught there was a cooperation between grace and free will.”

Therefore, it is quite evident to anyone who studies early church teachings, that the concept of Augustine, the idea of God predetermining to save some and to damn others, is not found in the pre-Augustine teachings.

The only hint of such teachings in the early church period, is that of the followers of Simon Magus. These were then called first ‘simonians’, and later called ‘gnostics’. They had many heretical beliefs, but one of their teachings, was that God had chosen some to have some ‘special knowledge’ or ‘gnosis’, and that knowledge made them able to sin and still be saved, for they were a chosen group. This group fell further and further into heresy, and later their books and writings were banned from the churches, for they would have sex orgies in the name of religion to flaunt their ‘specialness’ to God, and how those sins would not be able to damn them for they were chosen.

God does pre-determine somethings in His sovereignty. Yet, He still allows choice.

I Corinthians 2:8
‘had they (evil spirits) known(God’s plan of salvation through Jesus’ death) they would not have crucified...”

So Jesus was not crucified because God took away ‘free will’ to do otherwise, but God restricted the knowledge of His plan, so that the evil spirits could conspire and choose in their free will to have Jesus killed.

God foretold 333 details of the first coming of Jesus, showing that the prophets knew of the foreknowledge of God. The Bible (I Peter 1:20) tells us that Christ Jesus was foreordained to come and provide the sacrifice for sins. Every event was foreknown by God, and used to bring about a predetermined salvation. This salvation is offered to all of mankind. God knows, foreknows, the choices of each person. Judas was foreknown by Jesus to be the one who would betray Him. Yet, Jesus told Judas and the other disciples that their names were ‘written in heaven’. So, later when Judas chose to betray Jesus, his free will changed, and he became the ‘son of perdition’.

CALVINISM, ARMINIANISM...

Calvinism is too strong in putting salvation of man on God’s predetermined will.

Calvin said:
“God did not elect individuals to eternal life because He saw they would repent and believe; since repentance and faith themselves are the fruits of election. In Adam all had a supremely favorable chance to earn salvation, but in his fall, lost that chance. Having forfeited all claim upon God’s mercy, they may justly be left to suffer the penalty of their disobediencee (in Adam) as all the fallen angels are left... The elect are chosen to salvation and bliss, all others are simply left in their previous state of ruin, and are condemned for their sins.”

There is no Scriptural support for that doctrine. God chooses to offer all salvation. The Gospel writers tell us that ‘God so loved the world... that whosoever...’ The Bible confirms that God is ‘not willing that any should perish.”

Calvin went so far as to teach:
“Justification is therefore not dependent on regeneration, for we are declared righteous by God when we are in ourselves unrighteous and unregenerate.”

So, to the Calvinist, there could be unrepentant sinners in heaven, there not of their own choice, but despite their choice. This is a gross perversion of the truth of the indwelling Christ making the one who chooses Him to be Christ-like, and deserving of heaven due to that acceptance of Christ to dwell within.

FREE WILL...

God has given to mankind a free will, a choice to exercise.

Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that thou and thy seed shall live.”

Joshua 24:15
“Choose you this day, whom ye shall serve.”

Revelation 22:17
“And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”

We are told we have a will to exercise, we are told to make a choice. We are told that there are blessings and salvation if we choose the right way, i.e. for God. We are warned that if our choice is for sin and not for God, we shall suffer eternal damnation.

Jesus told all of His disciples:
‘Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.”

Yet, later, Judas chose to betray Jesus, and died a sinner. So God does choose to save us, but does not overrule our choice, if we choose not to be saved.

Mankind is absolutely a free moral agent, and serves either the devil or the Lord, as mankind exercises that choice.

DOCTRINE OF ELECTION...

The doctrine of election is this...

1. God chooses to save us all. We are assured that ‘Christ died for all...”

II Peter 3:8
“not willing that any should perish...”

John 3:16
“God so loved the world ...

2. The devil chooses to damn our souls. The Scriptures tells us that he is ‘seeking whom he may devour...’

3. The vote is therefore one to one, and we have the tie breaking vote.

Calvinism teaches that God allows only His own vote. Calvinism puts salvation in God’s hands alone and He alone chooses to save some, and to damn others.

The Arminian position is too strong in salvation being only in man’s hands. Salvation by works is emphasized.

The truth is in the middle.

God chooses to save all of mankind. It is man’s choice to accept that grace or to reject it. It is not works that earns man’s salvation, it is only his acceptance or rejection of grace, unmerited favor, that determines salvation. Mankind is not saved by good works, and is not saved by being predetermined to salvation by God, allowing mankind no choice.

Free will teaches:

1. The doctrine of free grace.

2. Even the worst of persons are loved of God, and He chooses to save them if they repent.

3. Jesus died for all.

4. Sin, if continued in, if chosen, will damn mankind.

5. God is no respecter of persons, and salvation is offered to all of mankind.

6. Repentance is required, then the Holy Spirit regenerates.

7. The goodness of God is not partial.

Extreme Calvinism teaches the opposite of those truths.

Our FREE WILL is not enough. Divine grace is required. God’s grace is not an irresistible force that requires us to be saved. God gave to mankind an intelligence.

Mankind is warned of sin and its consequences, is encouraged to accept God and His atonement through Jesus.

II Corinthians 5:11
“knowing therefore the terror of the Lord...”

Mankind is given consciences. The conscience is to alert us to the wrong choice of sin, and make us uncomfortable not choosing God.

II Corinthians 5:11
‘made manifest in your consciences...’
II Corinthians 4:2
“by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves by every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

The gospel message appeals to the free will given mankind with this conscience.

Romans 8:24
“...we are saved by hope...’

II Corinthians 7:10
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.”

In salvation, God takes the initiative. He begins the process.

John 6:44
“No man can come to Me, except the Father Who has sent Me, draw Him.”

John 16:7-11
“the Comforter... when He is come, will reprove the world of sin...”

The great commission of the Lord to disciples of all ages, is to take this gospel to ‘all nations’ and to ‘every creature’. (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16)

God foreknows what man will do with this message of salvation by grace that is brought to them. Some will receive it via their free will, some will reject it. If one rejects it after having receiving it, the grace of God is made vain.

II Corinthians 6:1-2
“...beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain... in the day of salvation have I succored thee...”

Romans 8:29
“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate (prooridzo, meaning to ordain, to determine) to be conformed to the image of His Son...”

I Peter 1:1-2
“...elect (eklektus, meaning selected ones, chosen ones) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father...”

God’s will can be resisted.

John 5:40
“And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life’

Matthew 23:37
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not.”

The Spirit strives with mankind.

Genesis 6:3
“And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man...”

But, mankind must receive, and yield to the strivings of the Spirit.

I Thessalonians 1:6
‘Ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.”

I Thessalonians 2:13
“when ye received the Word of God... ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the Word of God.”

Colossians 1:5-6
“ye heard before in the Word of truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world.”

6. REPENTANCE


TRUE REPENTANCE VS FALSE REPENTANCE

The word ‘repentance’ has such a negative connotation to some people. They flee the word like it was a ‘cancer’, they object to hearing it preached as though it were a poison being fed to them. Some have felt compelled to say words of ‘repentance’ for things they did not feel guilty of. They may lie totally when told to repent, or change the wording a bit to things like “I am sorry you think I did wrong’. Guilt for such half hearted, at best, repentance makes them see ‘repentance’ as a sham, a needless and worthless ritual. In that kind of case, it is.

False repentance is like the person speeding and is pulled over by the policeman. He says he is sorry, and repents, hoping to not get a ticket. Yet, his mind about speeding is not changed, he still will, without regret, speed again, with only a more watchful eye to be sure the policeman is not looking. That kind of repentance is sham.

The man caught with inappropriate contentographic material may repent to his wife, and find a new hiding place for his inappropriate contentography. That is false repentance.

The gossip may be caught in a lie, and apologize to the victim, but while doing so, share some other gossip with the person. That was only sorrow for being ‘caught’ in that one gossip tale. There was no change of attitude, no transformation of mind concerning gossip occurring. That was false repentance.

Sorrow when one is ‘caught’ in sin, is not true repentance. Repentance when one is shamed, evidently guilty, and yet there is no desire or willingness to make drastic change to one’s thinking on the sinful practice, is false repentance.

Remorse of conscience, remorse for shameful behavior, is not true repentance unless there is ‘godly’ sorrow, wherein in the privacy of one’s heart, one faces a holy God and confesses and asks for transformation from what God identifies as sin.

Until one ‘abhors’ the sin, hates what the sin did to one’s person, and one’s relationship with a holy God, it is false repentance, that makes a mockery of what true repentance is.

False repentance leaves feelings unchanged. False repentance seeks to replace true repentance with hypocritical concealment. False repentance is companion with excuses for sin, and justifying of the need of one to have done so due to supposed circumstances. False repentance produces only a slight adjustment in one’s behavior. False repentance only sees the need of the adjustment of one’s sin in which they were caught, and do not see it as a need to have the whole person enter a transformation process that will last until we get our new heavenly bodies.

True repentance results in the person taking those besetting sins that totally dominated one before repentance, and making them the most resisted, the most conquered, the now dominated aspect of their lives. They now see those ‘besetting’ sins as enemies to be shunned, hated, and revenged if they ever seek to gain control once again.

True repentance glories in the new burden of the Lord Jesus to be a light burden, an easy thing to bear.

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Some call ‘repentance’ to be spurious, burdensome, repugnant, and a blight on Christianity, that person is not ‘repentant’ in the true sense of the word. Some have experienced only false repentance, and are experiencing the worthlessness of the false. Some are hypocrites pretending salvation, and do not want repentance of change of mind of their thinking toward their sins. Some others are backslidden and do not want to be convicted again, and need to give up and change their mind toward their beloved sins.

When real ‘repentance’ takes place, the angels in heaven rejoice.

JOY IN HEAVEN WHEN WE REPENT

Luke 15:7 (KJV)
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.



REPENTANCE IS COMMANDED, NOT SUGGESTED

Jesus commanded ‘repentance’. After John was imprisoned, Jesus took the message of repentance, and the first words of His sermons were to repent.

Matthew 4:17 (KJV)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.


GODLY SORROW PRECEDES REPENTANCE
,
GODLY SORROW MAKES US ENTER INTO THE PROCESS OF REPENTANCE

Repentance must start with ‘godly sorrow.’ If one is not truly sorry for their sins, they cannot truly repent. Repentance without ‘godly sorrow’ brings more guilt, shame, confusion, and deceit. Therefore, those who have tried to imitate true repentance, have soured on the fake, see it as sickening, and fight all who do then preach for true repentance. They have tasted the poison of false repentance, and are sickened and angered by anyone mentioning true repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (KJV)
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

If ‘repentance’ is true repentance, it brings sorrow for sin, a new carefulness to avoid those sins repented of, a feeling of a weight being removed from your person, an indignation against the damage the sin has done to you, a fear of ever being bound again by the sin, a vehement desire to serve the Lord without sin, a zeal to serve Jesus, and a willingness to revenge upon yourself any slip or fall back into that sin.

Repentance brings a knowledge of approval from God, that repentance has done a work in you, and grace from God now abides upon you.

Those are radical changes of mind, changes of attitude, that the godly sorrow for sin has wrought through repentance.

Repentance is a ‘change of mind’, a turn from following or being bound within sin, to a new direction, a new way of thinking, a transformation of the sinful mind, to one that seeks the righteousness of Jesus.

Ezekiel 14:6 (KJV)
6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.


SIN HAS CORRUPTED OUR PERSON,
AND TRANSFORMATION IS REQUIRED,
REPENTANCE BEGINS THE TRANSFORMATION

We are commanded to let God transform our mind. Our minds are normally carnal, self centered, ill-informed, easily misled. Sin has corrupted the thinking of our minds. Yet, we are more than a body. We have a soul and a spirit. God Who made our body so fantastic, also made our soul and spirit fantastic. We are made in the likeness of God.

Genesis 1:27
‘And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him.’

Adam’s and Eve’s sin brought evil upon others. Mankind had changed from being innocent to being a failure. The ‘eyes were opened’ and man immediately sensed and saw the change. God’s desire to re-clothe man, and man’s attempt to re-clothe themselves, shows the recognition of the change.
Mankind had become totally depraved of any goodness that would replace the innocence and righteousness that they once had. The original righteousness was corrupted and instead of an inclination to do right and good, mankind has since has the inclination toward evil. Total depravity refers to man’s total inability to restore the Creator/creature relationship without God’s help.

Every tear, every drop of sweat, every pain, every sorrow, every death, every heartache, all trace back their origin to the first sin of mankind.


Mere untried virtue does not deserve the name of ‘virtue’ for it is untested, unproven to be any more than lack of sin. It does not denote any effort or desire to stay that way, to avoid sin, or to choose righteousness. Goodness is not a passive quality, but it is a deliberate choice of right over wrong, resistance to evil.

We live amidst choice. We are certainly not infallible but now are ‘depraved’, if we are in sin. Mankind is ‘dead in trespasses and in sins.’ (Ephesians 2:1) Physical death of this body, and eventual ‘second death’ (Rev. 20:14) is the one choice. That choice results in lack of communion with God.

God offers, as He did to Adam and Eve a new garment that covered their sin, a new garment of righteousness of Jesus that totally removes our confessed sins. The garment is the righteousness of Jesus, and repentance is the means to appropriating this garment. Mankind was once clothed with that sinlessness, but sin ruined that original clothing. Yet, God has provided a garment for us, and we are to put it on our person. We are offered a great garment to wear. All Christians also have a garment of righteousness to put on.

I Corinthians 15:39-58
(53, 54) “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying, that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.’

Death came upon all at the fall. When mankind comes to Jesus the body is still, temporarily, bound for death, Yet, immediately, the soul that was also in ‘death’, is given life. The soul therefore takes on righteousness, and soon the new body we shall receive will have eternal glory of righteousness.

Our thinking has been so distressed, corrupted, or at least, tainted by the world in which we live. The ill manners, the immorality, the sinfully inspired ethics of the world affect the minds and beliefs of many.

What can we do to heal faulty thinking? We are told in the Bible to ‘let this same mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus’. That means that we are not to let the world’s thinking be ours. We are to think in a healthy way, as Jesus did.

We enter a process of transformation, when we repent.

Philippians 2:1-12 (KJV)
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.


Verse 1
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies

This passage is saying that if there is any ‘consolation’, i.e. encouragement, in Jesus, and any comfort of love from Jesus, any fellowship of the Spirit, and any bowels of mercy from the Lord, then we should have the ability to do what Paul is about to instruct us. As Christians, we should have experienced encouragement from Jesus, love from Jesus, fellowship with the Spirit, and mercies often from God. So, what excuse would we have, to not know that the thinking of God is far, far greater than our thinking. We must realize that a ‘change in our thinking’, i.e. repentance, is vital, necessary, and unquestionably needed. The people of God need to allow God’s love and care to affect our thinking. We need this loving, encouraging, fellow shipping and merciful God change our thinking.

Verses 2-4
Fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Paul instructs that we need to make his joy complete by doing some specific things. If we do these things, the ‘mind of Christ’ will be manifest through our lives, through our words, through our thinking.

Becoming like minded is done by having the ‘same love’, getting into ‘one accord’ on doctrines, and having one mind on decisions of how to serve the Lord. One should not therefore be seeking self notice, or be striving for superiority. Rather we should humbly esteem others as better than themselves. We should not be seeking our own good, but seeking good things for others. This is how God thinks, and we must repent and change from any other kind of thinking.

Verses 5-6
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God

The saints are to allow the same self-emptying thinking that Jesus had when He came to be a man, suffer hardships, and even be crucified for the sake of others, to be in us. Jesus was ‘in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God.’ That means He knew Who He is, and was not conscious of being less than His true power and glory made Him. We are not ‘God’ nor equal to Him, but we need to recognize who we truly are, what are our strengths, our weaknesses, our blessings in Jesus.

Though Jesus knew that He Himself is Divine, is all powerful, is omniscient, etc. still He chose to willingly humble and empty Himself for our sake. To have His mind, we must likewise will willing to humble ourselves, to lay aside whatever good blessings we possess, to make ourselves of no reputation, to take the position of a servant, and become obedient even if it means our death.

That is the ‘mind of Christ’ referred to by Paul, and he sought to have that same mind. We may think it impossible, but we can have divine help.

EXAMINATION OF OUR THINKING,
FINDING HOW FAR INTO THE PROCESS
OF REPENTANCE WE ARE, IS VITAL

II Corinthians 13:5-6
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

Once in the process of mind transformation, i.e. repentance, we need a daily examination, while living in a sin infested world. We need to see if we are in the true faith.

The Greek word for ‘examine’ is peirazo (G3985). It means to make full proof by testing. If we ‘test’ and ‘examine’ ourselves, we will know if we are truly thinking aright in our minds. The Word of God is our ‘testing’ agent. It is where we go to find the standards for which we are to measure our thinking.

Then we must “Prove” ourselves. This is the Greek word: dokimazo (G1381) meaning to assay metals; to prove or test with the hope and expectation of finding great worth. One does not test ‘gravel’ for gold content. One will test a stone that appears to be gold, that weighs like it is gold, and that all signs suggest it is gold. That rock is taken to the assayer, and one is anxiously awaiting the news that it is ‘gold’ as they thought. So, the word ‘prove’ suggests we should be living, thinking, acting in such a way, that when we ‘test’ our thinking, we are in assumption that it will prove to be Godly.

2 Corinthians 13:11 (KJV)
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

We should be ‘perfect’. For the Greek of the word ‘perfect’ is katartizo (G2675), meaning to adjust, to put in order again, settling by mediation. In the proper thinking manner, ordained by God, we get into the ‘one accord’ by understanding another’s viewpoint, finding common ground, being more concerned with peace than with being right. By jointly agreeing the Word of God is the infallible truth, and then searching and understanding it as it is meant, we then begin to believe "the same thing." Then we can think and teach those same things, and to have no disputes. The church will then be living in peace and harmony.

‘Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates’ means, we have Jesus in us, and He is there to teach us, instruct us, transform us. Yet, unless we are ‘counterfeit’ Christians, pretend, but no reality in our faith type church member, we know Jesus can and wants to transform our mind to think perfectly.

Paul said he was concerned lest he become a ‘castaway’ which is the same Greek word, adokimos (G96), that is translated here ‘reprobate’. It means to become Christ-less, and rejected.

UNREPENTANCE IS BEING CONFORMED TO THE WORLD’S THINKING,
REPENTANCE IS TRANSFORMATION TO JESUS’ WAY OF THINKING.

If we yield our mind to God, and if we make ourselves a living sacrifice, making our thinking to be holy, full of light, dead to sin, alive to God. We have to refuse to be a slave to sin, and mortify the deeds the carnal man would want to do.

Romans 6:10-13 (KJV)
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Our body is the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’, and that means it should be holy. That means more than the outward washing the pharisees did, for we need to be sure our minds are healed from the carnal, sinful, wicked thoughts that are common in the world. Repentance is a change of mind from the sinful way of thinking to wanting and acquiring the Lord’s way of thinking.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV)
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

As a slave is the property of his owner, so we, bought by the precious blood of Christ, are not our own. We do not have right to claim independence from the One Who purchased us. He created us, and then saw us rebel. Mankind then began to serve sin, and serve the devil. Yet, then He purchased us from sin, and we again are His. He has a right to tell us what to think, how to think, and what to speak. Repentance puts us into the process of obtaining that godly way of thinking from God.



TRANSFORMED BY MIND RENEWAL

If repentance were like some picture it to others in the churches of today, you would think it was the making of everyone feel like the scum of the earth, and look at diddly things like hair length or the wrong color of lip balm, and make them beat themselves with a cat of nine tails, till they were bloody, so they could earn salvation with their hatred of themselves. LOL sadly.

Those are the kind of distortions that some have spread to make others afraid of the real Bible teaching of repentance.

The word 'repentance' itself is distorted in the minds of many. The woman caught in adultery repented, but never prayed the sinners prayer, never mentioned her sin to the crowd... Her mind saw her own sin as wrong, and no longer thought it was all right, so Jesus saw her heart's change, and told her to 'go and sin no more'. She was repented. Repentance is the change of heart, from justifying sin, to seeing it as does God.

One can pray the sinners' prayer, not change their mind about the wrongness of their sins, and not have repented, not be saved. It was 'meaningless repetition as the Bible calls it.

So, if the scary proponents of justifying sins, of preaching one can sin up a storm, be a mass murderer, never even quit cursing our Lord, and be saved, for repentance to them, i.e. the changing of one's mind toward sin, and seeing it as wrong... is what they cannot do. Those kind are not even really saved, for no 'change of mind toward God, nor change to being against sin' is there.

So, what is REAL REPENTANCE? It is mind transformation. It is a process of seeing sin as evil and to be avoided, and watching then our Lord give us the same kind of thinking as He has.


Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

When we come to Jesus, it is a process of presenting ourselves to Him, and by His ‘mercies’ be presented a ‘living sacrifice”, made “holy” by His blood washing away our sins, and thereby we become ‘acceptable unto God.’ This is “reasonable’ that we do this.

No longer do we want to be ‘conformed’ to this world and its ways. The world’s ways are sinful and an abomination in the sight of the One to Whom we have now been presented. Therefore, our minds need ‘renewed’ and made clean of all sin. This is a ‘transformation’ process that begins at salvation, and continues with that renewed mind now seeing all things different than before.

be not conformed to this world

The word ‘conformed is the Greek: suschematizo (G4964) meaning to conform to another's example. It is the ‘mind of Christ’ we are to ‘conform’ to, but too often people ‘conform’ to the ‘world’. The word for ‘world’ is the Greek word, aion (G165) meaning ‘age’. We are not to pattern after this age. We often hear people say things like ‘this is the 21st century, and we must adjust’, or others say ‘that is old fashioned thinking’ about verses in the Bible. The Bible is never outdated, God wrote it to be eternal, and it , just as valid and true in a million years as it is now. We need to find the ‘mind of Christ’ and not seek to think like the world.

Be ye transformed

The word ‘transformed’ is from the Greek word ‘metamorphoo’ (G3339), meaning ‘transformed or transfigured by a supernatural change.’ This refers to a supernatural miracle, doing what cannot be done without God’s power.

Paul exhorts believers to be transformed, rather than to be conformed to this world's ways. We are not to let the world put us into their mold, we are not to look in the spiritual mirror, and see the same thing that the world sees. We should see Jesus, when we look in that spiritual mirror. We should have a mind that thinks like His would if He were in our situation. Sin is still sin, murder is still evil, abortion is not suddenly righteous because society says that a woman can choose to murder the unborn, but only the born cannot be murdered at her choice. Cursing and using God’s name in vain is still as evil as they always were in past generations.

We are told to be "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1) for God does not desire us to die for Him (though He sometimes allows us to die), but He certainly does want us to live for Him daily. If we conform to the world, we are not living for Him. If we are transformed to think as He does, then we will be living sacrifices for Him, for the world will hate us, treat us, as they treated Him.

Our "mind" is what needs ‘transformed’. Our thinking is warped by the world, lied to by the devil and his cohorts, and twisted by the cursed circumstances of life. The Greek word is ‘nous’ and means the "capacity to perceive." Our perceptions and thoughts need to be reshaped by God's presentation of truths shown in Scriptures.

We can then be totally in God's will. The word dokimazo, prove, means to be assured positively knowing God’s will. Paul is saying that we can trust God's will to be good, to be acceptable, to be perfect, for our life. We will be thinking aright, so we will easily understand God’s will.

If we can ‘think soberly’, we look at ourselves honestly, we can realize the needs of others, and we can be of use of the Lord being that ‘living sacrifice.’

Romans 12:9 (KJV)
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

The transformed mind, the correct and Godly thinking, brings a ‘love’, and this love is for real. It causes the children of God to abhor evil, and cleave to good. To function well in one’s thinking, we must have this love from the thinking of the mind.

Love is not some conventional concept. Love is a way of thinking, it is an expression of the heart. The transformed thinking is based on love, is motivated by love, and judges all things with this love. Love is wonderful.

The ‘renewing’ of our mind is not a mere change of decision, but it is one which results from an entire alteration of the whole way of thinking, the whole nature of the being.



THE UN-RENEWED MIND

Some of the wicked have a ‘reprobate’ mind, guided by the loss of God in their heart, and doing things not wise due to that reprobate mind.

Romans 1:28 (KJV)
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Many have an ‘alienation’ from God, which results in a vain, worthless mind, and gives them darkened understanding.

Ephesians 4:17-18 (KJV)
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

We must be renewed in our mind, by a renewal of having God rule and umpire our mind. This is a command, and a necessity to survive this wicked world.

Ephesians 4:23 (KJV)
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

When our thinking is aright, is transformed, we will then be able to ascertain, prove, what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We are renewed in our thinking so we can approve and agree with what is God’s will and God’s thinking. That brings happy thinking.

Ephesians 5:8-10 (KJV)
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

We should not be unwise in our thinking, we need a transformation, a renewal of our thinking, so we can know and can agree with the will of God.

Ephesians 5:17 (KJV)
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

SIN TRIES TO KEEP US IN BONDAGE
TO UN-GODLIKE THINKING...

Sin grips with a hold that is unbreakable by most. It can become habitual and increase its grip. Sin is never satisfied. It will take more and more control. Sin will begin as a thought, and soon become an action. The action will develop into a habit. The habits will form one's character. The character will end in one reaping a destiny. Sin will kill. It is a moral cancer to the soul.

James 1:15
"When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and when sin is finished, it brings forth death."

What is the answer? Only repentance to Jesus is the answer!

John 1:12
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God."

John 8:36
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
We have a Savior that is able to wash our sins away, We may confess our sins to Him, and He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

REPENTANCE PRECEDES FORGIVENESS...

Repentance is:
not just a seeking of different circumstances,
not a sigh of regret,
not just a remorse,
not simply a regret of the trouble that sin led one to.

Repentance is a real change of mind and attitude toward sin and its cause.

The repenters were recognized by their confessions of sins. Confession of sin was a new thing for Israel. They had grown accustomed to having only one day a year on which to repent of sins, the Day of Atonement. Some, a few, would go to the burnt altar at the temple to offer sacrifice for individual confession of sins, but that altar was ignored by most, except on the Day of Atonement.

There was not a practice of spontaneous confession following the committing of sin, and of feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit. John the baptist came and opened their eyes to the sins of the people and demanded a baptism to show to the world that they had already repented their sins.

WHEN WE REPENTED, WE WERE FORGIVEN.
BEFORE WE REPENTED, WE WERE LOVED.

Acts 13:38-41 (KJV)
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

What is forgiveness? One of the words for "forgiveness" is from the Greek word - "aphiemi." It means "to send forth." When we are saved, our sins have been "sent forth" from us to be totally forgotten by our God.

Romans 4:7
"Blessed are they whose iniquity is forgiven (sent forth)."

Another Greek word is translated "forgiveness." It is the word, "charizomai." It means "to bestow a favor unconditionally." When we forgive, we are to unconditionally bestow the favor. This is how God has forgiven us.

Ephesians 4:32
"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving (bestowing favor unconditionally) one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven (unconditionally bestowed favor) you."

When we are forgiven, it is only "for Christ's sake" for we have no goodness for which to expect the forgiveness. Christ deserved favor from God, and not ourselves. God's favor of forgiveness is unconditional on us, for Jesus met all the conditions necessary. We, when we repent, have our sins ‘sent forth from us’ and ‘unconditionally we are given favor with God’. That is the meaning of what we call ‘forgiveness.’

What Acts 13 (above) is speaking of is this ‘forgiveness’ that is preached. We are made ‘justified’ by the forgiveness. The law of Moses could not justify us, for we all broke it. It took the forgiveness to justify us. JUSTIFICATION is the Greek word "dikaiosis" means "pronouncing righteous, acquittal." When we are saved, we are justified (pronounced righteous) by our Lord. We have been acquitted of all charges in the trial for our life.

Romans 4:25
"Who... was raised again for our justification (acquittal)."

Romans 5:18
"...by the righteousness of One, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

If we were on trial for a crime, it would be a joyful time when the attorney would come into our cell to announce that the Judge had pronounced us acquitted of all charges, and said that we would no longer have to answer for the charges against us. We are justified by God, because of the blood of Jesus, when we become saved. The ‘forgiveness’ that comes by the blood, is what makes God able to justify us.

We need to glory in the acquittal that God has given us for our sins. We need to realize our sins are ‘sent forth’ from us, never to be called in charge against us, and God’s favor not judgment is upon us. Is that not enough to rejoice for eternity??? Then start rejoicing in forgiveness, and don’t quit till eternity ends. LOL


DURING the REPENTANCE TRANSFORMATION,
BE MERCIFUL ... FOR THE MERCIFUL WILL OBTAIN MERCY

The prodigal thought that at the very most that he could only expect a stinted pardon, and a servant's fare. That is because his notions of forgiveness ranged no higher. The father runs, falls on his neck, kisses him, clothes him with the most sumptuous dress, and seats him at the table with the most royal provision. That is the difference between man's notions of pardon and Christ's. The father saw a repentant, shamed by his sin, son. He knew is son was truly repentant. God sees our hearts, the hearts of those who wrong us, and He knows in an instant their sincerity or lack of it.

When God forgives, He ceases to remember. He does not treat us as pardoned criminals, but makes us beloved sons. God then transforms us into perfect righteous ones, as though we have never sinned. If we cannot measure up in our forgiveness of others who wronged us, in that same manner, well, join the club. None of us can have that kind of forgiveness. It is a standard we try to meet, but we need be honest enough to say we fail, but as we grow in love more and more, we hope to get closer and closer to that.

Matthew 5:7 (KJV)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

The ‘merciful’ refers to those who forgive the offenses of others. This is distinguished from tolerance of the wrongs of others, it is distinctive from giving license or allowance of doing the wrongs. Also it is not in accepting the payment to repay for wrongs. Mercy is giving of undeserved favor, non reimbursable grace to the one who has done another wrong. Mercy is measured by actions, forgiveness is measured by attitude.

When we are merciful, we are blessed by God. When God blesses us, one of the blessings is that He is merciful to us. He is forgiving, but His forgiveness is so far beyond ours, that we are not going to be able to match His. So, as we are merciful, and do good to those who have wronged us, He too does good things for us who do not deserve it. He knows our forgiveness cannot match His, so He requires that we be merciful.

Jesus likely spoke that verse of Matthew 5:7 (above) in Aramaic. It was translated into Greek by the apostles, to make it understandable to the Gentiles. Yet, the Aramaic/Hebrew word was ‘chesedh’. This word speaks of the ability to ‘get right inside another person, to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and feel with their person their feelings.

That brings a ‘mercy’ upon them, that makes us begin to do, to help them for what they truly need. For now we understand their motivations, their fears, their hopes. It is a greater than simple sympathy, it is an empathy. It is much easier said than done.

As we leave ‘self-centeredness’, we learn an empathy, and a ‘merciful love’ for others. We are not to simply feel sorry for them, but extend in mercy the love to them. Actions, the ‘do good’ follow the merciful love we are being given.

The world is self-centered, and is not merciful, rather it is unmerciful. The Christ-like ones are to be merciful, and thereby continue in the mercy of the Lord to ourselves. The devil brought into existence the thing we call ‘sin’. Sin is devastating, it perverted a once perfect Lucifer into the evil, hateful ‘satan’ that we battle. A whole pre-adamite creation was destroyed due to that fall of satan. This devil then tempted Eve in the garden, as God was beginning the new creation. Adam and Eve sinned, and this whole adamite creation is now tainted, sick with sin.

The devil inspires many to hurt us, he plants seeds of mistrust, false charges are spawned by the devil in the minds of anyone with an open mind. The devils did that to those about Jesus in His first coming. The devils inspired some to beat Paul, to stone him once, to imprison him at least seven times. Those wrongs could have made Paul bitter, hateful, and vengeful. Yet, he interceded for them, he preached till chased out of town.

The love of God flowing through Paul made him able to continue on. He gave them mercy, and did good unto them. He demonstrated, as had Jesus, that doing good to this sinful world, doing good to those who abuse and speak all manner of evil against us, is still the way to keep love from God flowing into us. We can allow that love and mercy flow out from us, and as we do it, the mercy and good things come to us from God. Because we have been merciful, we will continue to have the flow of mercy into our lives.

THE POLLUTED MIND NEEDS TRANSFORMATION,
IT NEEDS RENEWED, WITH REPENTANCE

The devil tried and succeeded in polluting the pure mind of Eve. Disguised as a serpent, he convinced her that God may have been keeping a secret of knowledge that she may want to know. He convinced her that the forbidden fruit was a key to finding truth. Yet, she was believing a liar, and allowing her mind to become polluted by sin.

Adam allowed the suggestion of Eve to bring into his mind the pollution of sin. We are now nearing the end of this rebellion against God, this pollution of the minds that God had created pure and perfect. Christ will soon return, and this end the devils work against the minds of mankind. He will come, and bring with Him the saints, who have been redeemed from the curse. We will rule and reign with Him for a 1000 years on this earth. Then, a final test, will determine who, of the ones we rule and reign over, will allow their minds to be polluted again. Those who allow this pollution of the mind, will be destroyed, along with the earth. The redeemed, mercifully forgiven, justified, and righteous-in-Christ, saints will then rule and reign with the Lord on the new heaven and the new earth for eternity!!! Our minds will be free from pollution at the rapture, and the minds of the humans of the millennium will also then be free from sin’s pollution.

When Adam and Eve allowed their minds to be polluted, it brought to end the first dispensation of mankind, the dispensation of innocence. In it, mankind was on probation. Could he resist the pollution of sin, or not. It had a very favorable beginning. Everything was perfect, sinless, and under man's dominion. He had only one command to obey, and everything else came natural to him.

Genesis 2:17
"But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest, thou shalt surely die."

This was their only test to pass. Could they resist the foul ideas of temptation, to make them believe that evil was good? Could they be made to think that God would have tried to rob them of something they deserved? Could their minds be twisted to think that they could rise to the level of God? Mankind failed, due to polluted minds, that twisted the pure and true thinking they once had.

Genesis 3:6
"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

Adam and Eve had the power of choice. If God had not given the power to mankind to choose sin or righteousness, mankind would have simply been robots. God's purpose was to test see if mankind could remain innocent, and be true to God's trust, and thereby remain perfect under all conditions. Mere untried virtue does not deserve the name. Goodness is not a passive quality, but a deliberate choice between right and wrong. The innocence of a baby, is one of simplicity. The child is too unaware of its world to make temptation to sin possible. But a child must grow and mature, the mind must come to a choice of purity, or of pollution. When temptation comes, a choice determines if we keep purity of mind, peace of God, or pollution of sin. Though we all love the innocence of a baby, we do not want the child to remain for decades in that state, but we desire to see the normal human development, and awareness growth. God wanted mankind to be wise, knowing, and still be faithful to Him as their Father and Creator. He knew they would sin, but He wanted to test mankind before the birth of offspring, so He could deal with such sin on a universal nature. The whole human race can now be dealt with alike, for we are all descendants of Adam and Eve who first allowed pollution of sin into the mind.

Satan is called the "accuser of the brethren", and he is known as a tempter of God's children. Temptation was subtle, but the devil could not force pollution into mankind. That pollution needs repentance, a change of mind from the thinking the devil has put into our minds.

People are now corrupt, have a bias toward evil, and are totally unable in themselves to restore their former purity of mind. God cannot be pleased with even the good works of a sinner, for the mind is polluted, tends toward evil. The polluted mind is universal, and all people must be born again into a new mind that is mercifully given. Total depravity in our minds make mankind unable, outside the merciful grace of God, to please God. Though mankind may possess goodness, civility, good deeds, charity, and seem religious, without the repentance of sins, and the acceptance of God's divine gift of the Lamb of God, i.e. Jesus Christ, and His atonement on the cross for us, there is no salvation from the polluted mind of sin!

"TOTAL DEPRAVITY" does not mean that everyone has no qualities pleasing to others. But it does mean, that people are prone to sin, and the mind tends to be opposed to God's ways. Even though many sinners do some things that in themselves would be pleasing to God, without the acceptance of Jesus as the atonement for our sins, those things will not please God.

The only thing sinners can do, that will avail, is to give heed to God's way of salvation. The grace of God, and the transforming power of the Spirit of God, can change the totally depraved mind of sin. Depravity of mind has infected all people. Inborn pollution of our minds will doom everyone who does not find the atoning work of Christ, and accept that atonement as their own.

Some feel guilt, and others claim to not feel any guilt. That feeling is not the measure of our condition. Whether we feel guilt or not, we are still totally depraved of any ability to please God, outside of His merciful plan. People are devoid of even the desire to serve God and repent for sins. Unless God convicts sinners, they will have no desire to ask God for mercy.

John 6:44
"No man can come to Me, except the Father Which has sent Me, draw him."

If the totally depraved of mind sinners, who feel this drawing toward God and His mercy, accept Jesus, they are forgiven, and accepted into the family of God.

I Cor. 15:22
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

By Adam's sin came physical death upon a mankind. Also spiritual death ensued, the mind once alive and pure has died due to sin. This death passed upon all of mankind since.

Romans 5:12-21
"Wherefore by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many... judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification ... Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience, man were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

The tragedy of this pollution of mind, is that many stay trapped in the sins brought about by the pollution. Jesus made a way of escape from sin’s defilement. Yet, many do not choose that "narrow" way to salvation through the repentance process.

After death comes judgment, without any chance of being saved, if one has died in sin. Repentance is the change of mind that brings salvation. There is no purgatory wherein one can change his mind toward God. We die, we are judged for where we are at that moment, lost or saved.

Hebrews 9:27
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

This life is our probation. There is no Scripture to give us hope of a purgatory, or a chance after death. If one is righteous, heaven awaits after death [II Cor. 5:8, Phil. 1:21-24]. If one is unrighteous, then hell fire awaits them moments after death [Lk. 16:19-31, Rev. 20:11-15]. There is no purgatory, no re-incarnation, no second chance. Our chance is here and now, and Jesus made the way for us.

Ephesians 4:22-24
"That ye put off concerning the former conversation of the old man, which is corrupt ...be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

Repentance is the ‘putting off the former’ ways of thinking. It is a process of God instilling in our mind, His way of thinking. It is not instantaneous, but it is a process that begins when we recognize sin as wrong, and want Jesus to come into our hearts, our minds, and change us.


THE REPENTANCE BATTLE


Salvation is not a membership card, a one time event that bought one into the club of Christianity. Salvation is the entering into the family of God, a relationship, wherein sins were forgiven, and now a path to closer and closer fellowship with the Lord is ongoing.

Repentance is not a one time 'I'm sorry' said with little idea of all the changes that will come, it is a 'change of mind' toward sin and God that allowed the transformations of salvation to begin.

During this time in the flesh, we still could sometimes choose to do that which God calls sin, and the human part of our triune being will pull that way, for its adoption is not yet complete (Romans 8).

The power of salvation is that 'nothing else' will ever separate us from God, and the only one who can make us fail, is ourselves. We have a battle within us, with the one redeemed soul, still struggling with the carnal flesh.

God has placed within the mind of mankind - both a soul and a spirit. The soul has the evil tendencies and lusts. It is the part that is polluted due to original sin. The spirit is the part of man, that before the fall was "hand in hand" with God. When sin came that grasp to God was broken. Since then, the spirit of mankind reaches out for God. It is never satisfied until it finds God. The soul is reaching out for self, and in self-seeking battles the spirit for control. The soul of man wars against the idea of turning control over to the spirit to seek, find, and worship God.

God had a plan to destroy the pollution of mankind. God provided a plan of salvation, and He has had great pleasure in the working of it.

Ephesians 1:9-10
"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ."

The flesh and the soul battle the spirit. The fleshly desires can overcome one's spirit, if allowed, and lead one to a wicked life. The battle is on this side of the grave. Our lusts and sinful desires hate our spirit that wants to serve God. If we feed the mind, the lusts of the soul, it will thrive and grow strong. The things of sin and lasciviousness make our polluted mind to be strong in that pollution.

If we feed our spirit - the things of God, the Word of God, Christian fellowship, prayer, worship, etc. - then the spirit will grow strong, lthe part of us that would want to yield to sin will be weak.

The part of you who will win is the strongest side -- which side are you feeding?

Romans 7:15-20, 24-25
"For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin dwelleth in me. for I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is nor more that I do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.... O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Romans 8:1-13
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit ....that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled un us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, do mind the things of the spirit... they that are in the flesh cannot please God ...If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

Man is a free moral agent. Mankind serves the devil or God -- as he freely chooses. Choosing wrongly allows more pollution into the mind. Choosing rightly is beginning of repentance.

Revelation 22:17
"And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely."

THE BATTLE IN THE HEART, BETWEEN THE OLD MAN AND THE NEW ONE,
CONTINUES THROUGHOUT LIFE, WE ARE ALL IN THE MIDST OF UNFINISHED
RENEWALS OF THE MIND


The early church, as founded by the apostles, was not perfect. They struggled too with the mind pollution. They remembered the teachings of Jesus, and fought the pollution of sinful thought. Our churches of today are very different though. In the interim time between our church, and the early church, much has happened. The false doctrines in the early church led to a departure from certain primary factors that had given the early church revival and power.

The early church degenerated into such sins as selling indulgences, forgetting the importance of the prophetic message, abuse of others, dogmatic judgmentalism. The protestant reformation changed some of these, but it soon degenerated into a competition for people with the Catholicism that it had broken from, and soon used infant baptism to try to outnumber the other churches. The abuse and false doctrines have so permeated congregations today, that it bears little resemblance to the original foundation of the church. The church, both the protestant, and the catholic, are greatly polluted by evil thinking inserted by the devil through the ages.

We need to step away from the dogmas of denominationalism, and look to the New Testament, and study the doctrines and truths presented by the early church. To hold onto the present adulterated traditions and dogma, does not result in the power and love the church is to have. Many do not want to admit it, but the powerless, impotent, confused, apathetic, ignorant churches of today cannot, will not, and have not made the impact that the Lord intends. To have revival, we must un-pollute the minds of those in the church. We must get back to the purity of truth, to the Word of God, so that the mission, truths, and sincerity that can be received by the mind of Christ will rule our hearts and minds.

The main thing that caused all the degeneration of the minds in the church is the carnal thinking that has overtaken the spiritual understanding that we are to have. The word for "carnal" is the Greek word "sarkikos" which literally translated means: "meathead..."

We have a "meathead" mentality in far too many Christians, and this has engendered a "meathead" church. They fought this tendency even in the early church. In our age, we find many churches, many in those churches to have pollution of mind. The meathead mentality is that polluted mind.

Romans 8:6, 10-13
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be ... And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. ...For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

In Christianity, there are many who have allowed a "meathead" mentality to re-emerge. It has led many to false doctrines, wrong emphasis, and mistaken ideas. Many in Christianity have wrongly emphasized the carnal life. Many teach how to have carnal riches, how to have physical prosperity, but neglect the many Scriptures about spiritual blessings, riches in heaven, and eternal rewards. When the early church was in revival, they emphasized the spiritual, and mostly, they ignored the fleshly.

Most in the early church (Ananias and Sapphira being notable exceptions) did not seek earthly riches, but forsook all and served the Lord. Many of the early church could be put into prison, sacrifice their earthly wealth to give to the poorer saints in Jerusalem. They saw the world as dead souls needing life from the Lord.

Today, many are seeking to be carnally rich, and spend more time counting their monetary wealth than enjoying their spiritual wealth. There are gifts of the Spirit that many are satisfied to not have. There is the fruit of the Spirit that can be totally absent, and yet, un-missed.

Why are we so interested in the natural life, the carnal mammon which purchases only things of this world, and the acclaim of men? It is the pollution of the mind, inserted by the devil, that we need earthly riches, earthly possessions to be happy. We need to put aside this "meathead" mentality, and begin valuing the spiritual blessings of salvation, gifts of the Spirit, and heavenly reward. We need to realize that this earthly life is just temporary, and our real emphasis should be the spiritual life. The polluted ideas of the devils, bring despair, depression, and loss of real joy and peace.

As the revival of the early church subsided, many allowed the pollution of thinking to be more and more on the physical and carnal plane. This led to many problems, some of which we still suffer.

We need to cleanse out, with repentance, the pollution of the mind. Let us now begin to have a spiritual minded approach to the gospel.

Many saints today have not asked of the Lord for spiritual things. They get too taken up with their physical and monetary needs to see the spiritual victories that God wants us to have. To pray in the "name of Jesus" means more than to tack that to the end of prayers. It means to pray according to what He desires for us, and we must therefore get the "meathead mentality" out of control and the spiritual mind into control, so that we can think as Jesus thinks, desire what He desires for us.

We must keep the polluted "meathead" mentality out of our thoughts, as did Paul, and keep the spiritual mind in control.. The "meathead mentality", the pollution of mind, has devastated the most of the church today.

We are to ask largely, and not to simply ask God for the minimum. We have a God Who can do "exceeding abundantly above..." all our requests.

Ephesians 3:20
"Now unto Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think..."

We can ask God "whatsoever" (John 16:23) we desire. Too often our minds are too "meat-headed" with carnal, physical, and temporal things. God wants us to raise our prayers to a higher level. We are to ask for even more than the minimum, but do it with un-polluted thinking.

Zechariah 10:1
"Ask ye of the Lord rain, in the time of the latter rain."

We can pray and ask for the heathen for our inheritance.

Psalms 2:8
"Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."

Too many saints try to make their prayers easy for God, they expect too little from the process of repentance. They try to ask God for only what they can foresee Him being able to do, and they have so little faith, that they cannot see the possibility of God doing great things. They are "meat-headed", and shallow in faith. They are allowing the devil to slip in doubt of God’s promises, doubt of God’s power, to pollute their minds.

The prodigal son, when traveling home from his rebellious stay away from the father. He only had faith to ask the father for the position of a slave, but the father gave him a robe, ring, shoes, fatted calf, feast, and sonship. The elder brother complained that the younger brother received so much... and the father told him that he only had to ask, and he could have always had it.

Many of us are like the prodigal and elder brother, and we ask little, we ask for the wrong things, or are too busy to ask at all.

Jonah prayed from sheol (Jonah 2:1-9). He had been dead, and God had to resurrect him to go do his job. Stephen prayed for the salvation and mercy on his enemies, and as a result Paul became a great apostle. (Acts 7:59-60)

THE GRACE of GOD HIDES A MULTITUDE OF SINS,
AND REPENTANCE CONTINUES TO BE ITS AGENT OF WORKING...


The wounded soul needs a full application of the balm we call the ‘grace of God’. Those who have harmed us, have mistreated and abused us, need a balm of healing for our souls and bodies. We could fall into sins, like the sins of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21. We could be angry and vengeful, but that not only does not heal, it actually does more harm to ourselves, than did the wounds of others. Those failures of falling into anger and wrath make the past hurts, the inner wounds of the sins of others to become infected, and nearly permanent, if we do not change.

We need to apply God’s grace daily, let the past hurts be healed. After a list of the works of the flesh, we are reminded that ‘they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” If we want to ‘inherit’ the full kingdom blessings of God’s grace, we need to eliminate those works of the flesh from our lives. We need to maintain the ‘repentance’ thinking that began the work of grace in our hearts.

WE CAN ERR FROM REPENTANCE...
REPENTANCE IS NOT A ONE TIME EVENT, IT IS A WALK OF LIFE...

Christians, those already saved by grace, can sin, err... leave the truth. We need to repent of those errors, and get the grace of God applied again to our inner person. Those who have wronged us, need to be converted, and we need to prayerfully love them, as the Spirit works upon them.

James 5:19-20
“Brethren (those in the family of God), if any of you do err (planaoma, to wander) from the truth, and one convert (epistrepho, meaning ‘to turn about’) him, let him know that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”

The ‘hiding of a multitude of sins’ is a continuing healing work of grace. The saving of our soul is the initial work, but the grace from God continues, or desires to continue, a healing transformation of our way of thinking. The Lord wants to forgive, but needs a repentant heart in those who have sinned in hurting us. When they do ‘convert’, change, repent, their sins will be washed away. Repentance should be a constant change of our mind, and if it is, that forgiveness continues and transforms us more and more. If we ever cease this repentance change of mind, we re-pollute our minds.

‘Grace’ and its abundant magnificence, does not mean there are no conditions that men must meet in order to realize the benefits of grace. Not one Scripture in the Bible teaches ‘unconditional grace’, or a grace that is given to all regardless of acceptance. Nor is there any Scripture that teaches that God gives ‘grace’ to those who are choosing to rebel against the repentant mind. If that were possible, then God would owe grace and salvation to all of mankind, for ‘there is no respect of persons with God’ (Romans 2:11).

God is under obligation to give grace, when mankind chooses of his own will, to walk in the light. Choosing to reject the ‘sins of the flesh’ allows the grace to do its full work of healing, not only on our own sins which were immediately forgiven, but also on the effects of sins of others on our inner persons.

I John 1:7
“For IF we walk in the light (i.e. the revelations of the repentant mind), as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.”

The blood, i.e. the grace of God, keeps on cleansing us, as we walk in the light. The light is Jesus, a relationship with Him. The light is His Word, and a feeding upon it. The light keeps on cleansing the wounds and scars of others’ sins that try to plague us.

Grace is freely given, but given with the purpose of teaching mankind to deny ungodliness and to then come to the full obedience of the gospel.

Titus 2:11-12
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.”

If men do not allow repentance to begin and continue a process of learning the righteous living, then the abundant and magnificent grace of God can go no further. Repentance brings the grace that saves us from our own sins, brings us into the family of God, and yet, there is more that grace can and should do. We enter into the process, and need to allow grace to continue a cleansing, an enlightening process in us. The change of mind of repentance is to continue its work.