Thanks brother, I enjoyed reading your post responses. In this post I will add your replies for reference and also add my answers underneath. The answers provided to the questions below are a response to your earlier post in
post #285 linked (added for reference and ease of referral)
1, What makes a Christian a Christian?
I like this answer brother as it discribes the process of becoming a Christian and the role that God's LAW (10 Commandments) has in Grace. I will only add a simplified version of your answer and that is FAITH makes a Christian *JOHN 3:16-21. Faith is when we solely rely on the WORD of GOD alone to do what it says it will do. A Christian therefore is someone that BELIEVES and FOLLOWS God's WORD *ROMANS 3:4.
It's true that - "Faith is when we solely rely on the WORD of GOD alone to do what it says it will do."
I don't see any relationship between Rom 3:4 and your statement.
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2, God's people are in EVERY Church living up to all the light that God has revealed to them. JESUS says many sheep I have from other folds and he must bring them and that the hour is coming and now is that all those who wish to worship God must worship him in Spirit and in truth *JOHN 10:16; JOHN 4:23. JESUS also says that all those why follow the teachings and traditions of men are not following God *MATTHEW 15:3-9. Where is God calling His people back to?
IOW there's no reason for your condemnation of what people in other churches believe. You can't make this statement and say these Christians of other churches have no salvation meaning they won't have the right to eat from the tree of life. You did say God's people. Given your posting history you say God's people instead of Christian for some reason. Christians are born again people who follow Jesus and generally some other quasi-christian (religious) stuff promoted from the pulpit for the most part. Generally speaking this quasi-christian stuff won't interfere with their salvation.
I am answering this section here with these scriptures in mind *1 CORINTHIANS 10:11; ECCLESIASTES 1:9; MATTHEW 4:4; 2 TIMOTHY 3:16; JOHN 10:16; JOHN 4:23.*MATTHEW 15:3-9 in relation to the question where is God calling his people where ever they may be back to? This questions follows on from the earlier question on what makes a Christian which we answered FAITH alone in God's WORD. A Christian being all those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God's WORD.
None of these passages are calling anyone (Christians) to be governed by the law.
It is interesting if you look at the days of JESUS the religeous teachers of the day were also many. The same and more so today within Christianity. There are so many different Christian religions today all proclaiming they have the truth and everyone else is wrong. In the days of JESUS and the Apostles there was also different religous groups professing different things within the JEWISH teachings of the OLD Covenant. We read that the main JEWISH sects making up ISRAEL at the time of JESUS included; the Chief Priests and Levites, the Pharisees, the Saducees, the Samaritans, the Essenes, the Herodians, the Zealots and the Nazarenes and other miscelaeous splinter groups. *MATTHEW 2:4; MATTHEW 5:20; MATTHEW 7:29; MATTHEW 9:3; MATTHEW 15:1; MATTHEW 3:7; MATTHEW 16:1; MATTHEW 16:11; ACTS 4:1; ACTS 5:17; JOHN 8:48; LUKE 17:16; MATTEW 22:16; MARK 3:6; MARK 12:13; MATTHEW 10:4; MARK 3:18; LUKE 6:15; ACT 1:13; ACT 24:5. (other sources;
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Here you reveal your true agenda - religion. Your focus is religion opposed to a relationship with Jesus Christ the Righteous and our Father. True Christianity isn't a religion, It's a relationship with God (the Father) and Jesus Christ the Righteous.
The point here is that all the different sects and teachings within the JEWISH religion in the time of JESUS as parrallel to Christianity today. Just like it was in the days of JESUS so it is today. ALL these things are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world have come *1 CORINTHIANS 10:11.
We have a translation problem creating our problem. The Greek word "Christos" means Messiah as in deliverer. It doesn't mean Jesus. Jn 1:17 and Gal 3:19 back this up. John because the law came by Moses and something much different came by Jesus complying with Jer 331:31-33. Gal 3:19 because it states the law was until Jesus thereby excluding Jesus as the giver. When it comes to understanding the OT, no one in the day of Paul knew better what the Scripture (OT) says and means.
JESUS says Go first to the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL *MATTHEW 10:6; MATTHEW 15:24; JESUS says; Many sheep have I that are not of this fold (referring to the disciples of Jesus), them I must also bring (where?) so there will be one shepard and one fold * JOHN 10:16. WHY? *JOHN 4:23-24 For the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Thank you for emphasizing "this fold" of JN 10:16. You take that to mean the same as the one fold. Jesus doesn't say He was bring these other sheep to "this fold." I understand some here will say it doesn't matter. I beg their pardon. Rom 11:17 says -"grafted in among them..." It doesn't grafted into them.
Another is Eph 2:19 that says "fellowcitizens with the saints." Israeli aren't called saints anywhere in Scripture.
The parallel today is that God's people are in EVERY CHURCH. As long we we are living up to all the KNOWLEDGE of God's WORD that he has revealed to us then we are a part of God's Church. God's Church are all those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God's WORD.
IOW all those you expose to the 4th commandment lose their salvation. Really should make you feel great. Christians are governed by the words of Jesus and thru the Holy Spirit - not the law. JN 15:10, Gal 5:18
God is calling his people out from following the teachings and traditions of men that break the commandments of GOD to whorship Him in Spirit and in TRUTH according to his WORD. The one Shepard is JESUS (the WORD of GOD) and he is calling his Sheep back to the WORD of GOD to worship God according to his WORD in SPIRIT and in truth *MATTHEW 15:3-9; REVELATION 18:1-5.
God isn't calling His people to the law given to Israel. 1 JN 3:23
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3, Who are the lost and why are they lost?
This is just a simplified answer to the question who are the lost. The lost are the opposite of those who are Christians and that is all those who do not know or BELIEVE and FOLLOW God's WORD *JOHN 3:16-21.
This isn't Christians who don't follow the law given only to Israel in the desert after departure from Egypt. Your statement is contrary to the passage you reference.
This raises an interesting question. Can we be in God's Church wherever that may be and be lost? Listen to the words of JESUS;
Yes you can merely attend church without being a Christian, contrary to what many people believe.
MATTHEW 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
MATTHEW 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
These scriptures tie in with the earlier discussion in questions 1-3. If we are given a KNOWLEDGE of the truth of God's WORD and we reject it or choose not to follow it, are we in a saved state before God or an unsaved state before God *JAMES 4:17; ACT 17:30-31? Only God's WORD is true and we should BELIEVE and FOLLOW it *ROMANS 3:4 over the teachings and traditions of men that break the commandments of God. JESUS says that all those who KNOWINGLY follow the teachings and traditions of men that break the commandments of God are not following God *MATTHEW 15:3-9. The hour is coming and now is when those who worship God must worship him in Spirit and in truth. God is calling his Sheep wherever they may be back to the WORD of GOD to the true Shepards calling *JOHN 10:16 JOHN 4:23.
None of this has anything with Christians becoming Israel (God's People as you apply the phrase).
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4, Who is God's ISRAEL in the NEW COVENANT?
Correct brother I will not add more to this one accept to add that everything we are talking about now is applicable to God's Church today (all those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God's WORD) where ever they may be.
Thanks for sparing us. It's still an error.
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5, Who are the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL and does God want us to save them through his Word *MATTHEW 10:6?
Remember God' ISRAEL today are all those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God's WORD. A JEW is not one outwardly but he is a JEW which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God *ROMANS 2:28-29.
As shown through the scriptures above already the LOST SHEEP are all those who JESUS is seeking to save also within ISRAEL (His Church). All these things are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world have come. Please do not misunderstand this post brother. It means we should be seeking the to save the lost where ever they may be both inside and outside the Church to all those who do not KNOW God's WORD and to those who have rejected it.
Israel isn't the Church. Such a teaching is the false replacement theology taught these days.
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6, What part of God's WORD is not important and what is it that we need to be converted to *MATTHEW 13:13-16?
As stated correctly in the beginning of your post ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of GOD and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness *2 TIMOTHY 3:16, just as ALL THESE THINGS in are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the WORLD have come 1 CORINTHIANS 10:11 and we are to live by EVERY WORD of it *MATTHEW 4:4. Only God's WORD is true and we should BELIEVE and FOLLOW it over the teachings and traditions of men that break the commandments of God. JESUS says that all those who KNOWINGLY follow the teachings and traditions of men that break the commandments of God are not following God *MATTHEW 15:3-9. God is a Spirit and those who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth according to his WORD. This is where God is calling his people where ever they may be.
You by passed your question. I can understand why.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
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7, If we knowingly follow the teachings and traditions of men that lead others to break the commandments of God are we in a saved state before God or an unsaved state before God?
Absolutely good reply! We cannot follow God by following the teachings and traditions of men that break the commandments of God. God is calling his people where ever they may be to worship him in Spirit and in truth according to the Word of God.
We do not please God making an effort to keep the law. It won't redeem anyone giving them the righteousness required by God.
God's Sheep hear his Voice (the WORD)
Amen!
Thanks for sharing and the discussion.
You're very welcome.