Wow. Very good.
Will have to read it again tomorrow when I'm more awake.
Dear GodsGrace,
You said:
This is not what you said originally.
My statements do not contradict each other. God does all the works
in us and
through us. We repent, we have faith and we make a confession of faith, we do good works
BUT it is the Holy Spirit within us who is the one who causes us to "will" and to "do" those things. We can take credit for none of it.
Phil 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
The "things" that God "worketh" include the spiritual things
within mankind.
Mankind does not direct their own steps, nor does mankind have a free will ability to make their own decisions. Mankind has a "will" but it is not free.
Jer 10:23 I know, Jehovah, that the way of man is not his own; it is not in a man that walketh to direct his steps.
Prov 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
One other point on this subject. One of the primary reasons that mankind believes that they have a "free will" is because mankind cannot see, hear, taste or feel the spiritual work that God does within mankind. Mankind's carnality blinds them to it.
Ecc 3:11 He has made everything fitting in its season; However, He has put obscurity (the carnality of this world) in their heart so that the man may NOT find out His work, that which God does, that which God does from the beginning to the end.
Though one may argue over the translation of this verse, I believe the translation above conveys it's correct teaching. It is man's carnality that blinds man from sensing the spiritual work that God does within the hearts and minds of mankind. For that reason, it takes
faith to believe that God really does direct the steps of mankind.
You said:
Ok. Maybe you could stop using the phrase BABES and start saying carnal believers - which we all understand.
The term "babes" is what scripture uses and I find that using that term usually works the best.
When I use the term "babe" it has a very specific meaning. It means believers who only have been given the Early Rain of the Spirit and who remain
carnally minded,
spiritually blind and
unconverted. Because of these weakness, all babes will "fall backward, be broken, snared and taken" by Satan.
You asked:
Can a person be carnal (yet carnal - verse 3) and still be a believer?
Yes, all "babes" are carnal and they are believers. This is true because the Early Rain of the Spirit gives a babe a "measure of faith". But because the babes are spiritually blind and carnal, they
can and will be deceived by Satan. However, this was not true for the early believers prior to the spirit of anti-Christ coming into the church. When you read the NT letters, you must keep in mind that the babes to whom the letters were written were remaining faithful to Christ (no works). They were able to remain faithful because of the work of the apostles and because the spirit of anti-Christ had not come yet. But all that quickly changed after the death of Paul and the babes in the churches (who are "many") all fall away. They retained their zeal for God but it was not based on knowledge.
Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Though Paul was speaking of Israel in the verse above, it also applies to carnal believers, too, but with one difference. Carnal believers, though they are carnally minded just like Israel, they do have the Early Rain which gives them faith and the ability to see and accept the physical work of Christ that He did at the cross. Israel does not have the Early Rain and will not recognize Jesus as the Christ. But Israel still has zeal for God, its just that they cannot see who God really is. They are totally blind and have been cast into "outer darkness".
You said:
The above is referring to sanctification.
Do you agree?
"Judgment of the believer completes the conversion process..."
do you mean glorification?
Here's the verse again:
1Cor 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you (Early Rain): 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (second coming): 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end (Latter Rain), that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (judgment of the believer which completes the conversion process).
Here is my understanding: The Early Rain gives a believer "faith". Faith is what justifies a believer. However, after a babe begins mixing in their own works with the works of Christ, they will become "unfaithful" and will no longer be justified. Becoming unfaithful does not mean that they no longer believe in Christ because they still do. They are just are not approaching Christ solely by faith any longer since they are mixing in their own works.
For example: When Israel sent the 12 spies into the Promised Land (represents salvation), 10 of the spies came back with a "bad report" because they didn't believe that they could defeat the giants in the land (represents strongholds of man's carnality). This is a bad report because the 10 spies did not have faith that God would defeat the giants for them (or through them). This is what it means to be unfaithful. The 10 spies were mixing in their own works and faith. The 2 spies (Joshua and Caleb/types for the Elect) that came back with a good report believed that God would defeat the giants. They were ready to cross into the promised and it was based on faith. But since the congregation believed the bad report, God caused the nation to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. This is a type for the church becoming apostate. The number 40 represents a time of tribulation that the apostate church endures. Notice also that Joshua and Caleb had to experience this time of tribulation, also. But because Joshua and Caleb had the good report based on faith, they were the only two to live through the forty years of tribulation and enter the Promised Land (salvation). When Joshua and Caleb crossed the Jordan River, it was a type for them receiving the Latter Rain of the Spirit.
Back to 1Cor 1:16 now. Truth is what sanctifies a believer. The believer is sanctified after they receive the Latter Rain and have their spiritual blindness healed. As they are fed truth by Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb, Christ is sanctifying them.
Glorification: To be glorified is when someone else gives you glory. Here is when Christ glorified in His saints (the Elect):
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
This event is the second coming of Christ when He comes to convert one of His Elect. After He has given the person the Latter Rain and has healed their spiritual blindness, they will see him "face to face". This is when the saints glorify Christ because they can now see Him as He is.
Now for this verse:
Rom 8:30 ...whom he justified, them he also glorified.
And this verse:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Upon the Elect's resurrection from the grave, they will receive their glorious spiritual body and together with Christ, they will reign over the balance of unsaved mankind in the final age. As each "lost" person is converted, both Christ and the Elect will then be glorified by the newly born child of God. This is how Christ and the Elect are glorified together.
If you don't believe that Christ will save ALL mankind before He finishes is work, then you are not going to be able to receive what I stated above. We could discuss this more if you like.
You said:
You're going to have to stop using phrases like the latter rain because I think you're very well versed in theology but insist on using odd language.
My answer to "babes" applies here.
You said:
Are you saying the woman in adultery was under the law, and then she wasn't?
The woman represents mankind who is under the penalty of the law because of sin (her adultery of fornicating with Satan). After the woman (each person of mankind) receives both the Early and Latter Rains of the Spirit, they will be covered by the blood of Christ and the law can no longer accuse her of sin because of Christ's sacrifice at the cross. The law is still intact but the woman is no longer guilty of violating the law - and after Christ matures her into a perfect man, full of age, she will be like Christ and will never sin again.
Joe