The BIG Picture (Q&A)

QUESTION:  I am half and half with my salvation. Deep down I feel like I'm saved, but doubt shoots that down quite often. I do want to be saved. I do feel love for Jesus and have a longing for him and to obey and follow him. I've been told that this longing that I feel is proof that I'm saved and then I've also been told that that's not enough. I'm guessing where you stand on this, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. Is that longing to be with Jesus enough? Or “evidence"? Or something else? ANSWER:  The first thing to mention is that faith is not a feeling. I mention this because 3 times in your comment above you mention this. Can I speak plainly (and bluntly). Forget about feeling anything. Feelings are just going to mess with faith. So, get that off your chest!! The next thing to say is this: Have you heard the gospel of the cross, how that Jesus Christ died for your sins, (so you could be forgiven and redeemed), and how that Jesus was buried and ...

In this dispensation of grace, a person is not baptized WITH the Holy Spirit (Act.1:5) as what happened on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. In this grace age, a person is baptized BY the Holy Spirit, (1Cor.12:13), thus sealing them into the Body of Christ the instant they are saved. I mention this because the Holy Spirit does not come upon us to empower us like in Pentecost. Today, we are filled with Christ (Gal.2:20) by taking in (receiving into us) the written Word of God. The true spiritual ‘fruit-bearing’ capacity we have is in direct relationship to the capacity of the Word in us. In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is the outward manifestation of our obedience to the living Word of God working inside us. If a saved person does not have the Word of God within them, then they are not walking by the Spirit. In actual fact they cannot. Thus, the fruit they will produce is of the flesh, which is emotional, fickle and selfish. If a saved person spends time in the Word, allowing ...

The moment one quotes scripture, like, “we are not under law but under grace”, Rom.6:14 , you get people defending the law with all their might, rejecting the post, and calling one a heretic. The typical defense will come in arguments like, the law is our tutor, or the law upholds morality, or they claim you're saying the law is sinful. The most common argument is when they say, even though the law cannot save one, it does not mean we do not have to practice it. Arguments like these are typically raised by believers, — yes, you read that correctly, believers . Either believers who lean too much upon a legalistic faith, or uninformed believers who have a carnal opinion of spiritual things without having studied the Word to discover the truth that is presented clearly and concisely in its pages. So, how does one correct such carnal thinking? Tutorship of the law:  The tutorship of the law aims to justify us, and it accomplishes this with little empathy. It brings us to ...

Comments from an anonymous party based on the following scripture: 1Cor.13:8-12 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. Dear reader, what I wrote afore becomes clearly evident when you understand and apply the requirement of right division in the Word, according to 2Tim.2:15. Israel is to be merged into or blended with the doctrine of Grace. They are separate programs and doctrines altogether. Let me point to some things that you write: COMMENT: Acts 2:39...

COMMENT: You say, “Repentance and water baptism is part of the salvation requirements in the Kingdom gospel for Israel. They [Israel] are commanded to repent for their unbelief and crucifying their Messiah. Water baptism is required to fulfil the priestly calling they have according to Exo.19:5–6, which they will fulfill in the Millennial Kingdom.” So, you call obedience to repentance and water baptism, works? How sad. You haven’t obeyed Jesus and Peter. MY RESPONSE: According to Paul’s writings we are to obey the living Word within us. You see, when we read the Word and fill ourselves with it, then it starts to renew our mind. It starts to influence our thoughts and actions. Giving ourselves over to obey that which the Word works out of us is what we obey unto righteousness. See what Paul writes in connection with this, Rom 6:16-17 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedien...