[SIZE=10pt]God saves only those He “knows (approves of)” …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]And this has nothing to do with God’s approval of John 3:16 believers![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]God doesn’t give people His free gift of grace, and then approve of them![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]That’s ridiculous! … No, John 3:16 believers must gain God’s approval.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]So, there are 2 types of “believers”: the worthy and the unworthy.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Revelation 3:4-5[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] • “You have a few names even in (your) Sardis (church) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]for they are worthy[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt].[/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]his name before My Father and before His angels.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Romans 12:1-2[/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]• [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]… present your bodies a living sacrifice, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service … [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Is I confused … Are the acceptable worthy? Or are the worthy acceptable? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]More “worthy” verses … 2 Thessalonians 1:5,11 • Matthew 10:38-39 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]• Ephesians 4:1 • [/SIZE]Philippians 1:27 • 1 Thessalonians 2:12
[SIZE=10pt]From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]concerning the verb “ginosko”, Strong’s #1097 …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“In the NT ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person “knowing”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and the object known; in this respect, what is “known” is of value or importance[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]e.g. especially of God’s “knowledge”, 1 Cor 8:3 “if any man love God, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the same is known of Him”; Gal 4:9 “to be known of God”;[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]here the “knowing” suggests approval and bears the meaning “to be approved”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]in 2 Tim 2:19; cf. John 10:14, John 10:27; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… The verb is also used to convey the thought of connection or union, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]as between man and woman, Matt 1:25, Luke 1:34.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… ginosko frequently implies an active relation between the one who “knows”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and the person or thing “known” (see above) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… thus in Matt 7:23, “I never knew you” (ginosko) suggests,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“I have never been in approving connection with you”. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Matthew 7:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]21 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]but he who does the will of My Father in heaven[/SIZE].
[SIZE=10pt]22 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]23 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness[/SIZE]!’
[SIZE=10pt]Can you see that the blue and red portions above are total opposites?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]They demonstrate the difference between eternal life and eternal death.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 Timothy 2:19 • “The Lord knows those who are His”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]John 10:14 • “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.[/SIZE]”
[SIZE=10pt]John 10:27-28 • “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]1 Corinthians 8:3 • “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Galatians 4:9 • “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God …”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]John 8:55 • “Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… I do know Him and keep His word.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]John 17:3 • “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]And this has nothing to do with God’s approval of John 3:16 believers![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]God doesn’t give people His free gift of grace, and then approve of them![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]That’s ridiculous! … No, John 3:16 believers must gain God’s approval.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]So, there are 2 types of “believers”: the worthy and the unworthy.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Revelation 3:4-5[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] • “You have a few names even in (your) Sardis (church) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]for they are worthy[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt].[/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]his name before My Father and before His angels.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Romans 12:1-2[/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]• [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]… present your bodies a living sacrifice, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service … [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Is I confused … Are the acceptable worthy? Or are the worthy acceptable? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]More “worthy” verses … 2 Thessalonians 1:5,11 • Matthew 10:38-39 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]• Ephesians 4:1 • [/SIZE]Philippians 1:27 • 1 Thessalonians 2:12
[SIZE=10pt]From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]concerning the verb “ginosko”, Strong’s #1097 …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“In the NT ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person “knowing”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and the object known; in this respect, what is “known” is of value or importance[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]e.g. especially of God’s “knowledge”, 1 Cor 8:3 “if any man love God, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the same is known of Him”; Gal 4:9 “to be known of God”;[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]here the “knowing” suggests approval and bears the meaning “to be approved”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]in 2 Tim 2:19; cf. John 10:14, John 10:27; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… The verb is also used to convey the thought of connection or union, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]as between man and woman, Matt 1:25, Luke 1:34.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… ginosko frequently implies an active relation between the one who “knows”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and the person or thing “known” (see above) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… thus in Matt 7:23, “I never knew you” (ginosko) suggests,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“I have never been in approving connection with you”. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Matthew 7:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]21 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]but he who does the will of My Father in heaven[/SIZE].
[SIZE=10pt]22 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]23 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness[/SIZE]!’
[SIZE=10pt]Can you see that the blue and red portions above are total opposites?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]They demonstrate the difference between eternal life and eternal death.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 Timothy 2:19 • “The Lord knows those who are His”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]John 10:14 • “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.[/SIZE]”
[SIZE=10pt]John 10:27-28 • “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]1 Corinthians 8:3 • “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Galatians 4:9 • “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God …”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]John 8:55 • “Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]… I do know Him and keep His word.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]John 17:3 • “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”[/SIZE]