An interesting tightening of the shot group. That is meant in a good way. I have to ask the following question and it is not intended as a trap.
Upon rapture of the church will those asleep who heard and responded to Peters call to salvation be translated with those who responded to Paul’s call to salvation?
Are the kingdom responders of Peter and the 11 treated as those under the old covenant?
Finally did Cornelius respond to Grace or Peter’s call to baptismal regeneration?
I ask these questions because I have reached a point where the logic of two systems within one body of believers at the same exact point in history does not measure up. To me “worlds collide” apparently in Acts 15 and all departed brothers and agreed on the Gospel.
As one who has studied dispensationalism for a few years, I note there are clear distinctions which usher in a new. The Fall, the Flood, Abraham, Mosaic, Messiah death, burial and resurrection then ushering in His church at Pentecost, Rapture ushering in Trib etc. By dividing the church into two dispensations seems to laymen me as illogical based on claims of that Paul was sole owner of the Gospel of Grace and inferring Paul was the only apostle to realize or communicate the mystery. Acts 15 to me tells it all. The gospel was for Jew and Gentile.
Thank you again for your previous post.
Just as always only God knows for sure. We do know that many Jews responded to Christ’s message and were called disciples until His sermon recorded in Matthew after which many of them left. Many were “added” at the sermon at Pentecost and we can only assume that because we are told that that they indeed were saved. It does say they received the Holy Spirit.
Keep in mind. That many became believers prior to Paul’s revelation of the “mystery” doesn’t detract from the fact that a “mystery” still hadn’t been revealed. Many today are saved not realizing the free gift they received. They may even have thought that it was they who did something. That isn’t the point.
The main point of understanding the “mystery” is to understand that salvation is a true gift not dependent on man’s actions. Once people understand that there is a deeper understanding of how God will deal with people after the rapture. Once again it will be actions that count. That is clear from the command to “not take the mark of the beast”. Salvation is no longer a free gift but requires people to take action and “persevere”.
Understanding the “mystery” that salvation is a free gift and entirely the work of the Holy Spirit within us we are relieved of the guilt that Satan tries to plant in our minds. He can no longer plant that doubt because I can say that the Holy Spirit within me is my guarantee or seal that I belong to God no matter what I do. Not to say I want to do wrong because the Holy Spirit is now my conscience if you will but the guilt is gone because it’s not something I have to other then have faith in the shed blood if Jesus and that I am secure in Christ. He chose me, I didn’t choose him.
Many people are saved who never understood the “mystery”. For one, I don’t think they had the peace of mind we do in the security of salvation and two, they never understood the prophesy of the coming tribulation.
I pray that helps explain. The Old Testament saints never had that assurance and neither will those during the tribulation.