Posted on 11/21/2013 11:02:12 AM PST by redleghunter
Paul calls for an examination in another passage and I want you to notice this. It's the last chapter of II Corinthians, Chapter 13, and verse 5, I want you to note what it says, Il Corinthians 13:5, just the first sentence, "'Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; (prove it, is what he's saying) prove yourselves." You say to someone "are you a Christian?" 'Yes.' What do you base that on? 'Well so many years ago I made a decision.' That means nothing. The Bible never verifies anybodies salvation on the basis of the past, It's always on the basis of the present, And if you don't have the evident proof of real salvation in your life now, there's a very real possibility you're not a Christian at all, no matter what happened in the past. So examine yourself, to se whether you are in the faith prove yourself. You say John' how do do that? How do I know if I'm really a Christian? I believe! (Maybe you've even been baptized.) I go to church, I, think I'm a Christian.' Look with me Matthew Chapter 5 and let's find out. When Jesus had arrived on the scene, the Jews had already decided what right-living was all about. They had already built their own code. They had already developed their own system, and they had it pretty cu and dried and pretty well laid out that this is what it was to be holy, and it was all external, it was all self-righteousness and works, and Jesus came and shattered that thing and He said I want to give you a new standard for living.
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The couple who died lied to the Holy Spirit. Peter told them it was theirs to give, yet they lied. I see no command by Peter or any apostles for believers to sell all. All gave gladly.
I looked at Acts 4 & 5 and see no forced or commanded giving. People gave gladly. Perhaps you can point me to where Peter commanded someone to sell all.
I have met people like that. Those who were brought up in certain religious denominations who are totally sold out to Christ and yet I am convinced, didn't really understand what they did.
I struggled with that at first also. There is so much reference to “works of the law” that we have our mind fixed on the “law” when we read the word “works”. But look at this verse.
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:28-29
That verse removes the requirement to think of the law when we read the word “works”. Works can be viewed as any action by man that is put forward as something we do that merits salvation. In that respect there is nothing we can do that would merit salvation other than “believe”. And even believing is still a function of the Spirit of God within us.
Then I have no doubt you understand these verses:
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:..."(Eph. 1:9); "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.."(Eph. 1:17-18); "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col. 1:9); "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, BUT NOW is made manifest to his saints: TO whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Col. 1:26,27); "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ:" (Col. 2:2).
Let me be very emphatic in saying we are saved by grace, NOT WORKS OF ANY MAN, including mine, or yours. It is by Christ's righteousness we are saved, not mans.
Now, I am an old man, and I have walked with the Lord many years and miles, and I see myself shorting the Lord in the statement. The Word says we are saved by grace through faith, and not of ourselves least any man should boast, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no man can boast.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Romans 5:1-2
Note carefully, we have access to His grace by faith. Faith is the door into His grace. So the big question revolves around the word faith. What is it? Faith is primarily a verb. Faith is an action, or a readiness to act, based on confidence one has in the object of his belief. Consider the ramifications of that statement carefully.
You don’t have to be at a loss for words because he did point out the shed blood of Christ. It was that they focused on the actions of man to effectuate the benefits of that shed blood. If you study closely it was about 20 years after the cross that the focus was switched to faith alone.
It seems to me that we might be trying to split hairs here. I don’t think that it’s that the other apostles didn’t preach or at least mention the shed blood and grace but the focus definitely changed when Israel was set aside and the revelation was made that the Gentiles would be considered “joint heirs” as opposed to simply having to “join with” the Jews.
Up until Jesus ascension the offer was “still on the table” to the Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah. Even Jesus said not to go to the Gentile nations but to the lost sheep of Israel.
“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near’ (Matt. 10:5-7)
Look at how harsh He was to the Canaanite woman.
Matt. 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
It was about 20 years after Christ’s death and resurrection that we see a shift had taken place.
It was 20 years after the ascension of Christ that the first hint was given that a change had occurred and the first sign that Israel had been set aside for a period while God “took the Gentiles for a people for Himself” after which He would restore Israel as a nation.
Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
Then around 64AD Paul makes the definitive statement to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Once the fullness of the Gentiles is fulfilled God will take the church out of the world and once again for the final seven years the attention will be on Israel as a nation. It is during that last seven year period of Daniel’s prophesied 490 years that the laws will once again be in affect. We can see that by the command to rebuild the temple and re-institute the sacrifices. 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
And example of that is my dad. He was a strong Christian dedicated to Christ but had no clue about prophecy or how that a changed life was the result of that salvation. They just didn’t think that deep.
Do You bake a cake with only one ingredient?
The external examination simply smacks of legalism. The external can too easily be faked and then self glory expecting salvation on one’s own merit.
So God's Word mercifully applied is legalism? I come boldly to the throne of grace, and thank the Lord for having mercy on me a sinner saved by grace. NEVER, EVER, will I defend my right to sin, which put Christ on the cross before the foundation of the world.
No doubt about it. But we need to understand what Christ said when asked what works meant.
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:28-29
Then we need to understand that even the faith we have is the faith OF Christ within us and some faith we have on our own.
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
It is Christ’s faith instilled in us not our own.
Yep, pretty much. I pour what’s in the box into a bowl make it wet and we are good to go! It’s just like my approach to salvation. I know that Christ does it all. He called me, He instilled His faith in me, and He gave me the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be my conscience and guide. I can boast of nothing other than the grace and working of God! Praise His holy name!
A man is sitting in his home watching the Super Bowl. A friend come running in the door and screams, "Get out now, your house is on fire."
If the man continues to sit there:
1. He is lazy or.. 2. He believes his friend, but doesn't have the faith (belief)in his friend to act on what he has been told.
To say I believed my friend last year, but will not act on what he says today is quite frankly unbelief.
What the heck does cake baking have to do with salvation.
Thankfully, God made salvation much easier than cake baking, cause I can't bake a decent cake to save my life.
Yup...Those 'but nows' mean something...
You might want to use a little faith to access His loving grace.
How did Jesus teach?
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
I suppose you didn’t see the part in my post about using the faith of Christ?
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
It is Jesus’ faith working in us who believe. So, we see that our righteousness is not IN Christ, but OF Him. And if so, we become part with Him, and He IN us.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Now why would go assuming that once a person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit would not act a year later? Do you think that indwelling is only temporary? Does God’s promise to “never leave or forsake” not hold merit?
I would suppose one could think it’s temporary if one believes it’s under his own power to be faithful. But those of us who understand and believe that it’s God working through us and His promise is to never leave or forsake wouldn’t even think that God would just leave us to our own strength.
Oh I can bake a cake all right. But I shudder to think if God would leave me to rely on my own strength to save myself.
Oh, and what are those people using who say they bake a cake from scratch? What in the world is scratch? I’ve never figured that out.
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