The BIG Picture (Q&A)

Much pressure is placed on Christians the moment they get saved. They join an assembly, and everyone expects them to immediately change and start showing typical Christian conduct, performing in activities and exhibiting spiritual gifts. This is what religion expects! It's not what the Bible teaches.  From the moment you get saved, God wills only two things for that person. (1) to be thankful (1 Thess.5:18) and (2) to know His Word (1 Tim.2:4) .  1. 1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  2. 1Tim 2:4  [God] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Both these attributes come from studying the written Word and getting it into you. The more you feed your spirit with God’s word, the more you become thankful for what He has done for you, and the more you learn —about Him, —about who you are in Christ, —and about where you fit into His redemption plan. Studying the Word, ...

QUESTION: Wouldn't you say that before I was a Christian, I was a slave to sin, but now I am a Christian I can overcome sin in my life through the power and grace of God. Not to be saved but because I am saved by grace. God loved me enough to die in my place and forgive my sins. He also loved me enough to dwell in me through the Holy Spirit so I can have a new life and not be a slave to sin. For example, before I was a Christian I was addicted to drugs, after I'm a Christian Jesus not only saved me but delivered me from drugs. Now my desire is to obey and follow Jesus because I love Him. ANSWER: We learn from scripture that the flesh is unsalvageable. Even Paul, our apostle and example in the faith, cries out at the end of Romans 7, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Sin is inside the nature of man. The flesh can never be saved. This is ultimately why we get a new body at the rapture/resurrection. What God has saved and regener...

STATEMENT: Is it just me or does anyone else think it’s funny that “Paul is hard to understand sometimes” can be directly backed by scripture (2 Peter 3:16)? ANSWER: Let’s look at the whole verse, 2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. One must remember that we are dealing with two distinct programs, and both happened to be running at the same time in Peter’s day (ie: the Acts period). Peter serviced the Jewish church, under prophecy, the law, and the Kingdom program and doctrine. Paul serviced the Body of Christ, under mystery, and under the Grace program and doctrine. The epistle that Peter wrote was addressed to the Jewish church. Since they were under a different doctrine, it is natural to expect that the Jews found it hard to receive ‘the mysteries’, a doctrine that was so different and ...

QUESTION: So, you mean to tell me that Demas who left Paul because he loved the present world more than the gospel as stated in second Timothy, four verse 10, would go to heaven anyway, even though he abandoned the faith? ANSWER: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world: There is no conclusive evidence that Demas forsook the faith. Paul says he forsook him, not ‘the faith’. In addition, we cannot interpret, having loved this present world, to mean, necessarily, that he was a materialistic man, or that, he loved the honours or wealth of this world. It could be interpreted that he simply ‘desired to live’. He was not willing to stay with Paul, and subject himself to the probabilities of persecution or martyrdom; and, in order to secure his life, he departed to a place of safety. So, there is no reason why Demas should be held up as an example of a worldly man. That he desired to live longer; that he was unwilling to remain and risk the loss of life, is indeed cl...

YOUR QUESTION: Observe that not ALL are imputed with Jesus’ righteousness whether they believe it or not, the two actions are not comparable. Jesus’ imputation of righteousness ONLY works with the additional requirements of faith and belief, without which you are still damned. Do infant deaths go straight to hell? Do aborted children go straight to hell? Do mentally challenged people go straight to hell? MY ANSWER: There is something else you need to be aware of that will explain God’s judgement on infants, the unborn or the mentally challenged. Let me take time and provide you with all the details. What your question does not account for is  accountability  itself. Though the Bible does not mention this explicitly, it is easy to validate this based on scriptures that allude to this understanding. Let me provide some examples of proof. God’s judgement is upon those who are accountable for their choices Rom 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven...

QUESTION: Can you lose salvation? YES. It seems fairly conclusive that you can indeed lose salvation by various means from this selection at least. Yes by doing an unforgivable sin. We agree with Jesus on this at least. Yes, Hebrews 6 4–6. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened … If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance” Yes, Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” Yes, Mark 3: 28–29 “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation”. ANSWER: If you choose not to rightly divide the scriptures (2Tim.2:15), and you don’t acknowledge the TWO programs (prophecy and mystery), contained in the redemption plan of God, then this is naturally what you’d conclude. However, since it is plainly clear that God’s Prophetic program for Israel, under the law, is different from God’s Mystery program for t...

Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified , them he also glorified . Paul tells us that if we truly believe in Jesus Christ by hearing and responding to the grace gospel, we are freely justified by the ‘decree’ of God, and we can have peace with God, and access to the grace that He provides, Rom 5:1-2. Through faith in the gospel of grace, we are transferred from the administration of death, which is in Adam, into the administration of life, which is in Christ. When we belong to Christ’s administration, we are now identified with righteousness, peace, and life, as Paul continues to tell us, Rom 5:17-19 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the...