Instruction in righteousness
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Had to leave this thread for a while, it was just getting overwhelming. I can only unpack things slowly and in small quantities at a time these days. As well as that all the personal jabs were just getting to be too hard to watch.
Once again, I agree very much that there is more for us to get hold of as believers, on the road to maturing and offering ourselves to God in full surrender. The Lord has been showing me some things about the baptism of fire in scripture, which is so wonderful....only had that one reference that John the Baptist mentioned about it until now, as well as a couple of testimonies that I had read about or heard of somewhere in the past. (Though I believe God may teach the same truth in different ways, using different verses, and so different people may understand the same things with different terminology, and not to mention it is hard to put spiritual things into human language to start with and we only understand in part.)
Just want to share this if I may, about the baptism of fire...I'm not there yet, and hardly feel worthy to talk about this, but since it is a light unto our path, it confirms the truth about this subject:
Entering the land of promise:
Deu 9:3
Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.
Heb 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Lev 9:24
And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
1Ch 21:26
And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
2Ch 7:1
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
And looking at the Holy Spirit falling upon the early believers in the upper room, we can see that it was not a consuming fire at that time, only little tongues of flame upon their heads:
Act 2:3
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
As scripture says, this was only a deposit against that which was still to come…..once we are fully consecrated to God, and lying dead on the altar, offering ourselves to Him in full surrender. (Those OT sacrifices speak to the flesh...first killed, then burned/cooked. ) Then He will come and “consume” the sacrifice, ie, burning away our flesh and iniquities (spiritual enemies), and taking us into Himself (union)- which is what consuming is. (eg, the children of Israel and priests ate/consumed the sacrifices of beef and lamb, bread and grain…and likewise the Lord as a consuming fire consumes our sacrifice.)
But I do believe quite strongly that the whole concept of imputation of righteousness needs to be revisited. It's not that God is blind to the unrighteousness/sin that lives in our flesh, but that because of the cross He has chosen to forget about it, to "remember it no more".....another way of saying to forgive and overlook it.......while we are running the race to try and make our lives line up with what has been imputed (plumbline). It doesn't mean the Lord suddenly develops a bad memory any more than He is blind to the reality of our walk. If any are claiming that automatically makes their walk 100% righteous, and that they have no sin, they are deceived, as John wrote. But it's like children who are born into the family and then begin to learn and grow...the parents don't reject those kids because they are as yet immature and imperfect, they are looking at their potential (imputing it to them) and helping them to realize that potential to grow into maturity. And they only expect from their children what they are capable of at whatever age they happen to be along the way. Anyway that's just an attempt to express this....I'm so sluggish this time of year.
Forgetting about sin, or covering up sin, is for the righteous among the nations..come judgment day. Why do we need to have our sins covered up when we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice to be dealt with at the cross here and now?
The discrepancy is to mix up salvation from sin...by grace...NOW. ....with a future INHERITANCE of salvation after we die by God's mercy (not grace).
So there is a fundamental misunderstanding of grace and righteousness to think that grace is what covers up sins...as opposed to exposing them. God's light REVEALS our sins...not covers them up.
Unless you understand the difference between righteousness and holiness...you will never understand God's ways.
You really have to look up the word imputed and do a study of imputation from the Old Testament. The word is "chashav" In modern Hebrew the word is used for "accountant", or mathematics....meaning a CORRECT view of things. God is honest and will never esteem something that is not true. Only reformation types do that. Also...the word always means to attribute what is really there. Check out the concordance.
No one can live up to God's level of righteousness. It is a gift that empowers a believer to walk as Jesus walked...instantly. What you are using grace for is self-improvement over time. The irony is that you are espousing a gospel of human effort.
walking in the Spirit makes one walk 100% righteous...or else it is still by human power. when we abide in Christ we are purified from sin...without any spot or wrinkle. Just because modern rich people haven't experienced resurrection life, doesn't mean it isn't available. If you don't believe in grace or the power of the cross...then you will limit people to what they can do of themselves...as if Jesus never gave His life for the church. Trying to fit such a lack of power to the gospel...is a fool's errand.
There you go again.
I have 8 kids. I would never give a child the keys to the car until they are ready. You don't impute a drivers license to a child...And even here you have me using a bad way of understanding impute. No one imputes (adds) something to someone. That is wrong. You impute by seeing something that is ATTRIBUTABLE to them as they ARE (not one day will be).Dictionaries say....that a squeak can be imputed to the loose wobbly wheel on your bike. Or the loud noise can be imputed to the jet flying overhead.
But reform "theology" has someone imputing something on someone that doesn't belong...like..I impute the loud noise I hear overhead to my tomato. That's about the same kind of logic.
Why the confusion? Reformers want so BADLY to be able to self-impute righteousness to themselves...desperately so.....even misunderstanding the bible to read themselves into a situation that is very far from them.
1. Abraham was never imputed a higher righteousness than what he had...human righteousness.
2. Abraham never claimed to be righteous because of his faith. So then reformation doctrines are fully 2 steps away from truth and reality.
You need to check a thesaurus...BEFORE doing a bible study on what imputing means.
ok brother, going by your definition of the word, how is it that God can decide not to impute our sins to us, when in reality it is obvious that we have sinned? If our sins are not imputed to us (ie, they are forgiven and "remembered no more", then that is how righteousness is imputed to us. No sin (God has "forgotten" it) = righteousness. See what I mean?...it's hard to explain. Righteousness being imputed to us is talking about our sins being forgiven, not denying the reality that we have sinned.Forgetting about sin, or covering up sin, is for the righteous among the nations..come judgment day. Why do we need to have our sins covered up when we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice to be dealt with at the cross here and now?
The discrepancy is to mix up salvation from sin...by grace...NOW. ....with a future INHERITANCE of salvation after we die by God's mercy (not grace).
So there is a fundamental misunderstanding of grace and righteousness to think that grace is what covers up sins...as opposed to exposing them. God's light REVEALS our sins...not covers them up.
Unless you understand the difference between righteousness and holiness...you will never understand God's ways.
You really have to look up the word imputed and do a study of imputation from the Old Testament. The word is "chashav" In modern Hebrew the word is used for "accountant", or mathematics....meaning a CORRECT view of things. God is honest and will never esteem something that is not true. Only reformation types do that. Also...the word always means to attribute what is really there. Check out the concordance.
No one can live up to God's level of righteousness. It is a gift that empowers a believer to walk as Jesus walked...instantly. What you are using grace for is self-improvement over time. The irony is that you are espousing a gospel of human effort.
walking in the Spirit makes one walk 100% righteous...or else it is still by human power. when we abide in Christ we are purified from sin...without any spot or wrinkle. Just because modern rich people haven't experienced resurrection life, doesn't mean it isn't available. If you don't believe in grace or the power of the cross...then you will limit people to what they can do of themselves...as if Jesus never gave His life for the church. Trying to fit such a lack of power to the gospel...is a fool's errand.
There you go again.
Dictionaries say....that a squeak can be imputed to the loose wobbly wheel on your bike. Or the loud noise can be imputed to the jet flying overhead.
But reform "theology" has someone imputing something on someone that doesn't belong...like..I impute the loud noise I hear overhead to my tomato. That's about the same kind of logic.
Why the confusion? Reformers want so BADLY to be able to self-impute righteousness to themselves...desperately so.....even misunderstanding the bible to read themselves into a situation that is very far from them.
1. Abraham was never imputed a higher righteousness than what he had...human righteousness.
2. Abraham never claimed to be righteous because of his faith. So then reformation doctrines are fully 2 steps away from truth and reality.
You need to check a thesaurus...BEFORE doing a bible study on what imputing means.
Psa 32:1-2
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
God judges us as WE are not how He is. On OUR scale...there are things we do, imperfect things, that we cannot help ourselves to do in our weakness. We are INsufficient in ourselves...and God takes that into consideration. He compares like with like. Like a handicap in golf. So then common sins are swept away through humility...and lack of judging others. If we don't judge others, then we won't be judged...The righteous do sin...but God can justify a sinner through repentance, acts of love and faith...etc.The OT is clear on these things.
Then there is the idea of three kinds of sin. The kind of sin that religious people do...that God particularly hates...in people justifying themselves, is called "iniquity" (avon in hebrew). Hypocrisy means to pretend one is something one is clearly not.
Do a study on "avon" and you will see that...blessed is he who God does not impute iniquity.
"Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." Ps. 32:2 . Ps. 32:21 lists the other 2 kinds of sin. "No guile" means no hypocrisy.
So then there is an imputation going on (from God) but too often that will be iniquity...not righteousness. We see this with religious indoctrinated people.
Forgiveness is something different. God is merciful. When we cry out for mercy. He will forgive. That is NOT grace, but mercy. God has always been merciful. But that mercy depends on OUR attitude. With the humble God is humble. With the deceitful, God is deceitful. Any serious bible study will show you these things.
And nowhere here are we thinking that a forgiven person is as righteous as God.
Exactly. Do an in-depth study on the 3 kinds of sin. God will impute iniquity on MANY religious people. Look at all the "woes" in the bible.
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Amen ,Sister.
YOU are preaching God's TRUTH!
Thank you for deep roots.
I cannot engage with those who are of no earthly good bc THEY THINK THEY HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED!
MY HIGHER walk awaits me after I bow down and worship my Lord @ his throne !
Exactly. So what's stopping you? Do you see yourself as the first in line...and anyone who actually does what you say is a liar? So do you believe the bible or not?
I don't know if I'm understanding everything you're saying, no strength today. All I know is we're saved and justified by faith, not of our own, it's a free gift....scripture says that. Yes, there are many religious people who are not producing the fruit and works that their faith should be producing. Not the fault of the free gift, but the fault is in their hearts. Declaring and testifying of this free gift that we were given, is not automatically being smug and boasting, that is what we are called to do, be witnesses of His grace.
But after we come to faith, the Lord expects to see our faith beginning to produce fruits....where James said of Abraham that faith wrought with his works....obedience, humility and forgiving others that you speak of, etc. These are fruits of the spirit, fruits of faith that we need to begin to GROW from the seed of our faith. Not everyone who is testifying of their gift of salvation is being smug and judgmental, and claiming their own righteousness, though I know unfortunately there are those like that. Having a wrong attitude doesn't negate that what they believe is right......but unfortunately too many are not producing those fruits that are in keeping with repentance and they can have a holier- than- thou attitude. (And the devil routinely uses such things to discredit the truth of God's word).
Only one leper was grateful and humble enough to bow at the feet of Jesus and we assume begin following Him. Even though all 10 were healed. So we shouldn't be surprised to see this reflected in Christendom...it doesn't negate that all ten were healed. Maybe we can consider those 9 to be a picture of lukewarmness....if they don't turn around they are in danger of not making it. Not the fault of what Jesus did, the fault is in the heart of the recipients of his grace. The seed doesn't always fall on good soil. The nets are full of fish, then they are gone through and bad fish are thrown back.
People can receive God's grace and then proceed to trample all over it....this doesn't negate the scriptures of how we come to faith in the first place:
Act 13:39
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Rom 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Rom 3:21-28
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Rom 4:2-3
For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory (boast); but not before God.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Just a small point, but important...
"Go show yourselves to the priest."
The lepers knew what the Law required. They knew what it took to be cleansed by the priest of their leprosy, according to the Law. It was no small thing:
This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing:
He shall be brought unto the priest: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field. And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy: And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD: And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering: And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD. And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering: And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil; And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering. And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD. And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand: And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD: And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering: And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD. And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get; Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD. This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.
If you think it's YOUR acts that save you, that redeem you, or rescue, or cleanse you. There's the prescription above. There's the requirements and the recipe all in one-- a progressive program of acts to be accomplished. OR.... you can recognize that NONE of that was necessary.
Wrangler
Well-Known Member
Matthew 5.48, ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’. Given that we aim for communion with God, to be one with him, it seems your whole point is mute.
So what? Point is, the narrative of the Bible stated nonetheless, that he was righteous because of his faith. Why are you introducing the necessity or prohibition of claiming it?
Wrangler
Well-Known Member
Anyone can speculate anything. Maybe this. Maybe that.
My speculation is they showed their gratitude in other ways, unstated in Scripture. And it seems to me their priorities are an object lesson for us all. Consistent with the 1C, we should first show our gratitude to God and his Son, who is the agent of our deliverance.
In another thread, I made the point that the Bible acknowledges the existence of REAL lowercase-gods. It also says in the 2C not to bow down and serve any IDOL - any manmade thing, including MY family, My wife, My debtor, My boss, etc. And your point is well taken; even if they had their priorities wrong, they still received blessings and healing from God.
There is a part WE are responsible for...our faith and our faithfulness. That is incremental....as we learn to obey God more and more. This is analog.
And then there is the empowering grace of God to do the impossible...that is INSTANTLY perfect (as a gift). This is by His faith and faithfulness...until we sin a sin that brings death. This is digital (either we are in or out)
All you are doing is jumbling these up.
It is very dangerous to mix these up as one can become guilty of iniquity...
My, that sure does show the high cost and difficulty of being cleansed from sin...and to think Jesus did that for us! But after we are saved....of whom much is given, much is required. We have a walk to walk, a race to run, a working out of our salvation with fear and trembling.
How did you come to faith in Christ brother? Wasn't that a free gift? It almost sounds as though you might be talking about a nominal walk, followed by the born again experience. Rather than the born again experience followed by the higher walk and baptism of fire. May I ask, did you go straight from Catholicism into what you're calling a higher walk?
1. I have been with the Lord for a long time. Since 1980/ I have changed a lot.
2. I began in the Spirit...baptized into a walk in Zion.
18 years later...after a LOT of struggles...I was permitted to go back in the Spirit...this time for a few years.
2. But I failed after much testing in holiness because I didn't understand righteousness.
Since then (over 20 years) I have been learning righteousness.
There is a lot to understand.
I went deep...the Lord told me to learn Hebrew...which I did. I have studied the scriptures long and hard enough..with the Spirit guiding me...to see through the religious facade of modern Christianity. There is a huge judgment coming on the rich Western churches.
Of course, people will want to remain smug in their religious certainties. It is a LOT easier to do so. And it doesn't require a surrender of the flesh.
Of course, it would take a long time for me to present all the evidence that points to a return to simplicity...humility, the fear of the Lord....and an attitude that has been broken by the deeper experience of the cross. That's why I introduced these things by writing a book.
3. I realize that almost no one will wake from their spiritual sleep. But I have to warn people. A few will get it. And those few are those who I am speaking to. I thought you might be one of them. That's between you and the Lord. And I see that you have a good heart. But I'm speaking of is the higher walk in the Spirit that is basically no longer known...especially in the West. The Orthodox churches leave room for it...although it is very rare there too.
4. Of course the mockers will attack now.
You should pay attention to what is the sign of the times...and what has always been.
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I suppose we must take error to its most drastic and illogical conclusion. What is needed here is a thesaurus or even a dictionary. I speak here of @Keturah 's propaganda campaign regarding the error that I'm hoping will be seen for what it is...thus liberating modern believers into a place where they are free to take responsibility for their own lives and move on with God.
1. There is no way that Adam's sin could be imputed to future mankind...since they were not even born yet. No, Adam is responsible for his own sin...and it wasn't the fault of those who would come afterward. So we must impute Adam's sin to Adam. As God did.
2. And it is even more ridiculous that our sins could be imputed to Christ who knew no sin. He is not responsible for our sins. Of course He was SEEN by people as sinful...so He became sin for us. The bible says ..."we esteemed (imputed) Him not" Is. 53
All it would take is a simple bible study (and not be the sluggards) to overthrow the "imputing" error. Do a study on "Chashav"
3. Christ's righteousness can never be imputed to us. That's why it is called "Christ's". Christ's righteousness is imputed to Christ. That how imputation works. There is no way we can take responsibility for Christ's righteousness. We will all be judged for what we have done with what we have been given. We will be judged by OUR works...not what Jesus did. We will be judged according to our righteousness...although it is God in His righteousness that will do the judging.
There is NO other biblical doctrine possible than what I have stated. Of course, people can be confused with all the statements in the Bible without having a basic understanding of the ways of God.
1. There is no way that Adam's sin could be imputed to future mankind...since they were not even born yet. No, Adam is responsible for his own sin...and it wasn't the fault of those who would come afterward. So we must impute Adam's sin to Adam. As God did.
2. And it is even more ridiculous that our sins could be imputed to Christ who knew no sin. He is not responsible for our sins. Of course He was SEEN by people as sinful...so He became sin for us. The bible says ..."we esteemed (imputed) Him not" Is. 53
All it would take is a simple bible study (and not be the sluggards) to overthrow the "imputing" error. Do a study on "Chashav"
3. Christ's righteousness can never be imputed to us. That's why it is called "Christ's". Christ's righteousness is imputed to Christ. That how imputation works. There is no way we can take responsibility for Christ's righteousness. We will all be judged for what we have done with what we have been given. We will be judged by OUR works...not what Jesus did. We will be judged according to our righteousness...although it is God in His righteousness that will do the judging.
There is NO other biblical doctrine possible than what I have stated. Of course, people can be confused with all the statements in the Bible without having a basic understanding of the ways of God.
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....
Maybe in some respect you have been studying with the intellect rather than with the illumination of the Holy Spirit and relying on Him, I don't know brother. All I know is that all the promises are yes and amen (as long as we don't fall away), they are ours......just that it's a matter of maturing and growing up into everything that we have been given. And we are all at different places along the way in growth, and I believe some will grow to the point of being perfected, but we all should be aiming for that. We grow simply by following/obeying Jesus, His word and personal leading in our lives, as we seek His kingdom and righteousness...He is the Shepherd of our souls, author and finisher of our faith, leading us to those still waters of rest and green pastures (promised land).
(Two things that I know of in scripture that can cause a believer to fall away, though maybe there are more, one is willful sins that never get repented of, and the other is stagnation and failing to grow at all, as per Heb. 6.)
ok, I just wanted to understand where you were coming from. When we are born again, we go from kingdom of darkness (blind to God) to the kingdom of light where we can see/know God personally because He is revealed to us by the Spirit. Since sin separated us from God in the first place, when we are forgiven of those sins (washed away because of the cross when put our faith in Jesus) we become reconciled/reconnected to Him.1. I have been with the Lord for a long time. Since 1980/ I have changed a lot.
2. I began in the Spirit...baptized into a walk in Zion.
9 years later...after a LOT of struggles...I was permitted to go back in the Spirit...this time for a few years.
2. But I failed after much testing in holiness because I didn't understand righteousness.
Since then (over 20 years) I have been learning righteousness.
There is a lot to understand.
I went deep...the Lord told me to learn Hebrew...which I did. I have studied the scriptures long and hard enough..with the Spirit guiding me...to see through the religious facade of modern Christianity. There is a huge judgment coming on the rich Western churches.
Of course, people will want to remain smug in their religious certainties. It is a LOT easier to do so. And it doesn't require a surrender of the flesh.
Of course, it would take a long time for me to present all the evidence that points to a return to simplicity...humility, the fear of the Lord....and an attitude that has been broken by the deeper experience of the cross. That's why I introduced these things by writing a book.
3. I realize that almost no one will wake from their spiritual sleep. But I have to warn people. A few will get it. And those few are those who I am speaking to. I thought you might be one of them. That's between you and the Lord. And I see that you have a good heart. But I'm speaking of is the higher walk in the Spirit that is basically no longer known...especially in the West. The Orthodox churches leave room for it...although it is very rare there too.
4. Of course the mockers will attack now.
Maybe in some respect you have been studying with the intellect rather than with the illumination of the Holy Spirit and relying on Him, I don't know brother. All I know is that all the promises are yes and amen (as long as we don't fall away), they are ours......just that it's a matter of maturing and growing up into everything that we have been given. And we are all at different places along the way in growth, and I believe some will grow to the point of being perfected, but we all should be aiming for that. We grow simply by following/obeying Jesus, His word and personal leading in our lives, as we seek His kingdom and righteousness...He is the Shepherd of our souls, author and finisher of our faith, leading us to those still waters of rest and green pastures (promised land).
(Two things that I know of in scripture that can cause a believer to fall away, though maybe there are more, one is willful sins that never get repented of, and the other is stagnation and failing to grow at all, as per Heb. 6.)
We sample God's goodness at regeneration..we are forgiven, cleansed, and given a new motivation from within to fear the Lord and obey His commandments. What is left in us is a template of Christ into which we are to be conformed.
it's called discernment!
And knowledge and understanding.You have to see the bigger picture.
Gentiles are like the wild branches that have been grafted into Christ...who are either to bear fruit or be cut off. God doesn't hate the Jews. And we are not more special than they were. So then to whom much is given MORE is required.
Rather than me being too intellectual, I think rather you are seeing things too much from an emotional subjectivity.
God is not a respecter of persons. It is no big deal for God to cause a spiritual birth into a spiritual race. Just like God can make a natural Jew and give him the law.
We will each be judged against the standard we have received...to understand that takes a prophetic understanding based on eternal wisdom. (Toushiyah) Do a study on toushiyah....double sided wisdom.
My studies are every bit guided by the Spirit. How else can one escape the religious options offered by men? But no one will understand that as long as they rely on human religious indoctrination...without going to the Hebrew and Greek and comparing scriptures with scriptures. Do you think the Bereans were wrong to seek out the truth of the scriptures for themselves? Or maybe more people should not just swallow whatever they have been taught?
GRACE ambassador
Well-Known Member
Yes, don't nullify Any Of It, but 'Rightly Divide' ALL Of God's Word Of Truth, To End
the 'captivity Of Confusion!' Amen?
Grace, Peace, And Joy In Christ, And In His Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided!
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