Hello (:
weisen here(:
haha i'm posting some intresting articles and sometimes the post/articles are very simple things like you know but if you really pause and think for awhile do you really know or are you working out those things in your life? If you are doing it than that's great but if you are not maybe it's time to go back to the basics and align your heart with God(:
The word of God speaks of "salvation" in three tenses - past (Ephesians 2:8), present (Philippians 2:12) and future (Romans 13:11) - or in other words, of justification, sanctification and glorification.
Justification
Salvation has a foundation and a superstructure. The foundation is forgiveness of sins and justification. Justification is more than the forgiveness of our sins. It also means that we have been declared righteous in God's eyes, on the basis of Christ's death, resurrection and ascension. This is not on the basis of our works (Ephesians 2:8,9), for even our righteous deeds are like filthy rags in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). We are clothed with the righteousness of Christ (Galatians 3:27). Repentance and faith are the conditions for being forgiven and justified (Acts 20:21).True repentance must produce in us the fruit of restitution - returning money and things and taxes due, that are wrongfully in our possession (that belong to others), and apologising to those we have wronged, as far as possible (Luke 19:8,9). When God forgives us, He also requires that we forgive others in the same way. If we fail to do this, God withdraws His forgiveness (Matthew 18:23-35). Repentance and faith must be followed by baptism by immersion in water, whereby we publicly testify to God, to men and to demons that our old man is indeed buried (Romans 6:4,6).We can then receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, whereby we are endued with power to be witnesses for Christ by our life and our lips (Acts 1:8). The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a promise to be received by faith, by all of God's children (Matthew 3:11; Luke 11:13).It is the privilege of every disciple to have the witness of the Spirit that he is indeed a child of God (Romans 8:16) and also to know for certain that he has indeed received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).
Santification
Sanctification is the superstructure of the building. Sanctification (meaning `being set apart' from sin and the world) is a process that begins with the new birth (1 Corinthians 1:2) and that should continue throughout our earthly life (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24). This is a work that God initiates in us through the Holy Spirit, writing His laws upon our hearts and minds; but we have to do our part, working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12,13). It is we who are to put to death the deeds of the body through the power that the Spirit offers us (Romans 8:13). It is we who have to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1).
It is in times of temptation that our wholeheartedness in desiring sanctification is truly tested. To be sanctified is to have the righteousness of the law fulfilled inside our hearts - and not just externally as under the old covenant (Romans 8:4). This was what Jesus emphasised in Matthew 5:17-48. The law's requirements were summed up by Jesus as loving God wholeheartedly and loving our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40).
It is this law of love that God now seeks to write in our hearts, for that is His own nature (Hebrews 8:10; 2 Peter 1:4). The outward manifestation of this will be a life of victory over all conscious sin and of obedience to all of Jesus' commandments (John 14:15).
It is impossible to enter into this life without first fulfilling the conditions of discipleship that Jesus laid down (Luke 14:26-33). These are basically to give the Lord the first place above all our relatives and our Self-life and to be detached from all of one's material wealth and possessions.
This is the narrow gate that we have to go through first. Then comes the narrow way of sanctification. Those who do not pursue after sanctification will never see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Glorification
While it is possible to be perfect in our conscience here and now (Hebrews 7:19; 9:9,14), it is not possible to be sinlessly perfect until we have a glorified body at Jesus' return (1 John 3:2). We can be LIKE Him only then. But we must seek to WALK as He walked even now (1 John 2:6).As long as we have this corruptible body, unconscious sin will be found in it, however much we may be sanctified (1 John 1:8). But we can be perfect in our conscience (Acts 24:16) and be free from conscious sin (1 John 2:1a), even now, if we are wholehearted (1 Corinthians 4:4).Thus we wait for the second coming of Christ and for our glorification - the final part of our salvation, when we will become sinlessly perfect (Romans 8:23; Philippians 3:21).
---P.S—It’s true that we are forgiven by grace. I believe that only by grace than I can have this relationship with Him BUT when you only believe that you only need the grace, you are wrong. In James 2:14-17 (What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.)
Faith without deed is dead , so without working out your salvation you are as good as not being save for you have done no deed.
Hi weisen,
ReplyDeleteJesus said to the thief who was crucified beside him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." I would like to ask whether that thief received his salvation since obviously he did not have a chance to produce in him "the fruit of restitution". Oh, by the way, he also did not have a chance to be baptised.
You said "Repentance and faith are the conditions for being forgiven and justified". Does this mean that our salvation is conditional? However, Romans 10:9 says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."; I don't see any conditions attached in that verse, do you?
You said "When God forgives us, He also requires that we forgive others in the same way. If we fail to do this, God withdraws His forgiveness" BUT this contradicts what you said earlier : "we have been declared righteous in God's eyes, on the basis of Christ's death, resurrection and ascension. This is not on the basis of our works." So, is our forgiveness of others the basis for our justification or is it Christ's death, resurrection and ascension?
I don't agree with some of the way the author phrased his words :) Can be easily misread.
ReplyDeleteHi Derrick,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could point out which are the "disagreeable" phrases and in what way they could be misread?
Hi Derrick,
ReplyDeleteI am curious of James 2:26 'As the body without spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead' and Lord impressed me to meditate this verse and this is what He tells me:
Abba:
'Glory Glory that you find the answer for this. Abba father want to tell my children of God:
Once you accepted Christ, your sins are forever cleansed. 24 by 7, Jesus blood is washing you. You are so clean that Holy Spirit can dwell in you.
In the olden days, only once a year, under the day of atonement, could the High Priest enter the Holy of Holy and prayed in the spirit. Now you could do it any day!
Why faith without deeds is dead?
When you believe in the Righteousness of God in Christ, it's a keeping believing that you are one till you are so full in your heart that you are one. This is the deeds. By believing in my Son's work at the cross and walk out a life with His Words.
But you don't concentrate on being a sinner. Once save, you are child of God, not sinner. You are a King and High Priest!
Sinners are those that yet to accept Jesus!
Glory Glory! Amen Amen!'
Shalom!
Hi Stanley,
ReplyDeleteThe first one is on the part about God withdrawing His forgiveness if we do not forgive. The author has made it sound like God's forgiveness is conditional on a work.
The second one is on the part where salvation must be followed by "baptism by immersion in water". I think the context is too complicated to be summarized into one statement, therefore the ambiguity.
I disagree though with your comment on the repentant thief, since in his was an exceptional death. Though he had little time on earth, his genuine faith is nonetheless still evidenced - first in his recognition of his own sin and his just punishment, and second in his rebuking of the unrepentant thief to fear God.
Of course he hadn't time for 'fruit of restitution' or any other fruit for that matter! Does that mean all commandments from God are useless since this one man was saved by faith and did not exhibit most of the works? Of course not.
The conclusion to the repentant thief episode is not "this man did not have time to exhibit 99% of works, so those 99% are not important"! Because if that is true, then all Christians have to do is simply persuade people to believe on their deathbeds and forget all about repentance and holy living and a large part of the bible.
Hi Derrick,
ReplyDeleteI quoted the thief example to ask weisen to explain how his "theology" of salvation applies to the thief (but no response from him so far).
As for deathbed conversions, Jesus did say in the parable of the vineyard workers (Matt 20) that it is his right to pay the same wages to those who worked the whole day and those who worked only the last hour - "Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?" (Matt 20:15)
Hi Derrick,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you might want to read what abba reveal to me in the following verse:
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says 'Lord Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven'
Abba: Glory to Lord Jesus. He, who had gone to the Cross has cleansed many, who come to Him and Believe in Him.
Abba is glad that you meditate to find the truth of this verse. Why I said so:
In the end time, all people will come to me, My children of God and those that had not accepted Jesus. Everyone will call Me 'Lord Lord' when they realise Lord is God.
However, I will tell those who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour that I do not know them. I know every one of my child of God by Name. I even know how much hairs they have on their heads. I am in them, how can I not know them?
Tell my children of God that once they accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, Holy Spirit is with them. They are not the same as those, who did not accept Christ. Even though they might live the life the same as those that did not have Christ in them.
My Son has done a Perfect Work on the Cross. Those, who have accepted him, surely, I will know who they are. They have Christ in them. Whether they enjoy the fruit of this Righteousness and being bless by Me is another matter.
This they have to fully believe in what Jesus did for them, walk the life Jesus provided, know more about who is Jesus and what have He achieved victory for them.
When they know how much Abba has loved them, I will then bless them and use them. Tell my Child this.
Glory to Lord Jesus.Amen and Amen!
End
Hi Derrick,
ReplyDeleteSalvation we surely have. Righteousness of God in Christ, we have it too, for we are in Christ. Lord Jesus was judged 2000 yrs ago, so all your sin, be it your past, present or future sin, all falls under future sins that Jesus had cleanse. You are not older than 2000 yrs, so you have no past sin cleansed by Lord Jesus and future sin waiting for you to walk right yourself.
The earlier you accepted Christ, and believe in all that He had done for you, the faster you live a blessing life that feels like you are in heaven even thou you are on earth.
Those who accept Christ at death bed, they enjoy the salvation but they have no time to enjoy the fruits of Righteousness, living a life like heaven on earth.
Shalom
Hi Stephanie
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments, but I do not understand why you are speaking as if I am a Christian who does not believe Christ died a perfect death for me?
Please read my posts again and see what I disagree with.
Hi Derrick,
ReplyDeleteI know you believe in Jesus died a perfect death for you. But when you talk about walking your own righteousness to near God, it's a work of self righteousness.
I am not here to condemn you, Lord want you to see His Grace for you. As such He lead me to post those few comments.
Lord likes to bring an end to looking to self and look to Him for his Grace. Whatever our lack, pass it to His nail pierce hand and let Him do the transformation.
What you did by going to the bible and read the verses to stand for your 'sin' is correct, but instead of sin consciousness, you should look to the righteousness of God in Christ and to Jesus completed work for you at the cross and be Jesus consciousness.
Each time you look to Jesus and thank Him for what he done to you, unconsciously, you will see your 'sin' drop off you by Grace. Lord in you nap it off without you realising it. This is the Amazing Grace.
That's why in the bible, Lord tells us to 'Praise and Worship Him' instead of confessing of sin.
Shalom!