The BIG Picture (Q&A)

Reconciled AND saved by his life are different parts of God's salvation Read this verse in Romans chapter 5 and take special note of the tenses used to describe reconciliation and salvation by his life. Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Let's take a deeper look at what it is saying: --being reconciled Reconciliation is the first part of our salvation. It is the part that the majority of believers understand and relate to. Reconciliation comes about by being justified through the hearing and believing of the grace gospel. In simple terms, Romans chapters 1 to 4 educate us on God's righteousness, man's unrighteousness and ungodliness, God's wrath upon those who reject Him, and God's grace upon those who believe in His Son. It is through this grace of God, by means of the cross of Christ and His resurrection, that God can be just and the justifier of...

STATEMENT (by someone aiming to disprove eternal security): Eternal Security (or once saved always saved) is falsified by the Holy Spirit in 1 Timothy 4:1 as “some will depart from the faith”. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” - 1 Tim 4:1 ESV MY REPLY: You are adding your own presumptions and reasoning to that verse. The verse says there will be a departure from the faith due to deception. Nowhere does it say that these people will lose their salvation. One can easily prove from scripture that eternal security is false outside of the grace dispensation, (Lk 9:62; Matt 16:24-25; Matt 6:15; Rev 3:16, etc), but there is no scripture that directly proves this within Paul’s grace doctrine. On the contrary, there is evidence that undoubtedly supports eternal security. Ex.1: The scripture below refers to a man in Corinth committing gross fornication. Paul writes that...

How does it work for believers in the Kingdom program? The Kingdom gospel in Jesus’ day was a works-based gospel. In other words, the Jews would believe in Jesus as his Messiah, but then he would have to add works to his faith by repentance, water baptism, Spirit baptism, obeying the commandments, forgiving his brother, selling all his possessions, and enduring to the end. These ‘works’ would prove his faith and commitment to his Messiah and he would qualify for the Kingdom. Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 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, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died w...

POINT TO PONDER When we look at the horrific death of Christ, and the fact that the Bible says His death is essential for our salvation, then we can only conclude that our condition is one of extreme and inescapable despair, disability and destitution – to the extent that we ourselves could do nothing to rectify our existing situation. The extreme measure that God took to save us is an indication of our extreme need to be saved.

Salvation has NOTHING to do with you. Ask yourself these simple questions. Do you believe that the cross work of Jesus is your only hope? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected for your justification? Do you truly trust that you cannot do anything to save yourself and are wholly dependent on what Jesus did for you? If you say yes, THEN YOU, my friend, ARE SAVED! …. And there is NOTHING you can do to ‘unsave’ yourself because God has sealed that contract in heaven. Your righteousness and justification are not dependent on your performance or choices. Your righteousness and justification are settled because of the performance and obedience of Jesus. I’m sorry to say, but once you are saved, you, my friend, CANNOT get out of it, whether you want to or not. Have you ever seen a baby get ‘unborn’. It is physically impossible. Likewise, it is spiritually impossible to become ‘unsaved’. Just make peace with it and continue to grow in the only other instruction th...

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 ...

QUESTION: Let's say a person hears and responds to the gospel of grace and believes in Jesus. Justification takes place the moment the get saved. However, the remain a babe in Christ as they never renew their mind to the will and ways of God. They remain weak in spirit and their flesh continues to control their thoughts and actions. What will happen to people like this when they die or when the rapture happens? ANSWER: You need to understand that justification is not something that occurs in the flesh. It is a positional status that God declares over you when you believe in Christ, Rom.7. Your flesh is not justified. That is why your flesh will be dissolved (in death or the rapture). Your flesh is unsalvageable. It is corrupt and vile, and it must be done away with. Your spirit is justified at salvation, and this verdict cannot be changed irrespective of your choices on earth, Rom.8:1. What should happen on earth is the following: If you chose to follow God’s word, you will mortify...

Jesus was a minister of the circumcision (which is Israel). What Jesus said in this verse is true for Israel under the Kingdom gospel . They had to remain faithful to their Messiah and were taught to endure through the tribulation until Christ came again at His second advent. Jesus told them to pick up their cross and follow Him. He also told them that no man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God, Luke 9:62 . It is Israel that has to endure to the end as this is the conditions of their salvation. As for us, today, in this dispensation of grace, our salvation is not dependent on endurance. Yes, Paul encourages us to endure in our service to God and in the Body of Christ, because of our love for Him and the good works we are led to do for Christ, but as for our salvation, that is not based on works and enduring to the end. When we respond in faith to the grace gospel, we are saved and sealed eternally into Christ. The blood of Christ provides...

What are these two mindsets about salvation? Those who think they're saved but are not. Those who fear they're not saved but are. Let me explain both views. People who think they're saved but are not, are those who think that attending church, giving to the poor, living piously, or doing certain "good works" is all that's necessary for salvation. Their mindset is that through their good works they can build up credits with God and enter into heaven because they have earned it. They don't realize that the only way they can be saved is to hear and respond in faith to the gospel of grace; by believing that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification. Rom.4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 1 Cor.15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what ...

Rom.3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. The circumcision (Israel) are justified BY faith. It places emphasis on what they need to do to be saved. The focus is on using a prescribed system to achieve something by their own efforts and actions. God provided justification because they DID the following; they confessed Jesus as their Messiah (faith component), they got baptized in water and Spirit, they obeyed the law, and endured to the end (works component). BY doing all these, they could achieve salvation. In Israel's program, a Jew needed to positively obey what God was saying or doing. They are saved BY demonstrating faith in what God instructed. Romans 9:31-33: But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith...

Before we tackle this question, let's just define the Kingdom and the Grace programs so as to maintain context through the rest of this post. The Kingdom program belongs to the Jews who believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Those saved into this law program have a future hope of an earthly inheritance, the Millennial Kingdom. Those who have died will be resurrected at the 2nd Coming of Christ. The remnant who are alive at Jesus 2nd coming will enter, together with those who were resurrected, into this 1000-year period of Christs reign. The Grace program belongs to ALL who believe in the grace gospel of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Those saved into this Grace program experience a current and assured salvation, and have a heavenly inheritance, and eternal destination. Those who have died are already present with the Lord. Those who are alive, at the end of this dispensation, will be silently raptured into the heavens and into Christ's presence. After this rap...

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten [born, birthed] us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Peter mentions the fact that 'us' , in reference to the Jews (Israel), have been begotten (or birthed) AGAIN! Born again? Firstly, what exactly does Peter mean by this, and second, does it line up with what the modern church and many Christians say today? So, in other words, what does 'born again' REALLY mean in the true biblical context, and does it REALLY have any significance in this grace dispensation? You might be very surprised at the findings. In the scripture passage below, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. We are all familiar with this well-known piece of dialogue as Jesus mentions to Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom, one must be born again . As always, it is crucial to read and understand any scripture in a rightly ...

This is undoubtedly the MOST important question we can EVER be asked, but sadly, the answer is also the MOST misunderstood. The problem with this question, no matter how it is asked, is threefold. We are ignorant about it or don't think it's a big deal We tend to complicate the answer We think we have to do something to be saved Lets look at point #1 and clarify it. Why must I be saved? We are created beings. This means that whether you believe it or not, there is a Creator (Jn.1:1-5). The problem is that we have been separated from our Creator because of sin (Isa.59:2; Mic.3:4). You see, God is holy, and because we have sin in our nature (Rom.3:23; Rom.3:10-12), we are not. Because of sin, we cannot survive in God's holiness (Ex.33:20; Ps.5:4; 1Jn.4:12; 1Tim.6:16) where God wants us to be (Ps.145:18; Jn.14:23.  Many who are ignorant of this do not realize that when we die, without the salvation that God freely offers through the sacrifice of His Son , we will remain separa...