The Half-Gospel.

[Episkopos]

How many of us eat a sandwich without first cutting it in half?

God has chosen to divide up the gospel like that sandwich ....for various reasons....as follows...

1. it's easier to take things in one step at a time. Every journey begins with a first step.
2. The first step is indeed salvation and it is enough if a person dies soon thereafter...not having had the time to seek the Lord for the whole measure of grace.
3. Dividing up the gospel into 2 steps shows who the hypocrites are. Time reveals all. The word reveals who we really are. This is very clever on the part of God. Many will be exposed by claiming the easy first step is all there is...thus becoming even an enemy of the cross and this AFTER having claimed the benefits of the cross for themselves. So the flesh is exposed. Many carnal men would rather die in their sins than change their attitude...claiming grace as a cover-up for a being that is hostile to the truth. What will men do with this inbred iniquity? They who forsake the iniquity will go on into a full salvation. But they who refuse to be purged will be rejected into being vessels of dishonour.

Notice the goodness and severity of God.

The wise will forsake their own mindset and poor attitude in exchange for humility and fear of the Lord. The foolish ones will rail against the truth in a full confidence and assurance of their own salvation.

The longer that one resists the truth...the deeper the hole one makes for himself.

 

[marks]

How many of us eat a sandwich without first cutting it in half?

God has chosen to divide up the gospel like that sandwich ....for various reasons....as follows...

1. it's easier to take things in one step at a time. Every journey begins with a first step.
2. The first step is indeed salvation and it is enough if a person dies soon thereafter...not having had the time to seek the Lord for the whole measure of grace.
3. Dividing up the gospel into 2 steps shows who the hypocrites are. Time reveals all. The word reveals who we really are. This is very clever on the part of God. Many will be exposed by claiming the easy first step is all there is...thus becoming even an enemy of the cross and this AFTER having claimed the benefits of the cross for themselves. So the flesh is exposed. Many carnal men would rather die in their sins than change their attitude...claiming grace as a cover-up for a being that is hostile to the truth. What will men do with this inbred iniquity? They who forsake the iniquity will go on into a full salvation. But they who refuse to be purged will be rejected into being vessels of dishonour.

Notice the goodness and severity of God.

The wise will forsake their own mindset and poor attitude in exchange for humility and fear of the Lord. The foolish ones will rail against the truth in a full confidence and assurance of their own salvation.

The longer that one resists the truth...the deeper the hole one makes for himself.

What is rebirth?

 

[Episkopos]

What is rebirth?

I see you stumble over that. Don't underestimate God profoundly by not seeing that God can raise the stakes as He wishes. Don't judge this from yourself....and not from the word by faith.


The spiritual rebirth is an invitation to be the people of God. It is a salvation from the condemnation of the world. And it is the exact equivalent of being an Israelite under the law...at that time. God has upped the ante by increasing grace...but also the standard which is now the standard of perfection in Christ.


We can fail as easily as they did....

Rom. 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

As such the scriptures are every bit as valid today for instruction...and warning...as they always were.

Being born again is the equivalent of starting out as David. The same love for the law. The same desire to please God.

The least of us are to be as David...as honest and surrendered as he was.

Zech. 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

What being born again does NOT do is provide us with humility, honesty, and surrender to an unconditional faith in God. These are what WE are required to do...and most of us will fail...just as the Israelites also failed. God's people failed then...and they do so still. There is no favouritism with God. God judges fairly. We reap as we sow. God doesn't change His judgments.

We modern believers do have the advantage of the bible record...well it can be so...but most people who say they believe the bible actually don't. And most who say they understand the bible also don't.

If we really understood the word of God we would tremble in fear and take a very humble posture...being easy to entreat, easy to forgive and very open to correction.

But that doesn't sound like a modern Christian does it?

There is one more aspect to this...and that is that many people believe from the wrong part of themselves... from the ego with a selfish motive (seeking to save the old man along with the inner man). But unless a person is purged of that approach...there can really be no hope for that one.

 

[Behold]

13 There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

Now, in this passage, Paul is comparing us to the believers in the wilderness, is he not? And if so, the admonition is that we not be overthrown in the wilderness like the Israelites were who fled Egypt, yes?

NO.

Look at the context of the verse.
Its 13 and 14... He's talking about temptation.

 

[Behold]

You gave no explanation in your response regarding the things I mentioned: A simple 'your way or the highway' answer. The whole loaf is needed! Anyone who really knows God sees and anyone seeking God will come to see the problem. Of course some don't care, one way or the other!"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matt 5:6
Help us dear Lord!

That you don't agree with my response is just your opinion.
I answered you.

 

[Behold]

This is the deception. This is the mantra of the half-truth found in the half-gospel. And many will be deceived. Every person who was in the wilderness was saved...from Egypt. But these people were once saved....but they were saved in order to be tested .

Legalism tries to replace the Grace of God with the idea that we are saved to be tested.

Truth teaches that God saved us because He loves us, and wants us to be a part of His Eternal Family.

 

[marks]

Legalism tries to replace the Grace of God with the idea that we are saved to be tested.

Truth teaches that God saved us because He loves us, and wants us to be a part of His Eternal Family.

It's the difference in thinking of . . .

God as sifting through humanity trying to find someone good enough for Himself,

or

God searching for the lost people, gathering them back together to Himself.

In the first case, we are to make ourselves good enough for Him, by "overcoming", or whatever wording we want to use,

In the second case, He makes us good enough for Him, and gives us the faith by which we overcome.

Much love!

 

[marks]

I see you stumble over that.

Gee, I ask a question, and you open with a pejorative. What a surprise!

 

[marks]

The spiritual rebirth is an invitation to be the people of God. It is a salvation from the condemnation of the world. And it is the exact equivalent of being an Israelite under the law...at that time. God has upped the ante by increasing grace...but also the standard which is now the standard of perfection in Christ.

OK, thank you!

So then in your view, to be reborn is as if you had become an Israelite under the law. But then why tell Nicodemus he had to be born again? He already was a Israelite born under the law?

Much love!

 

[marks]

We can fail as easily as they did....

Rom. 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Because of unbelief.

That does seem to be the key, those who don't have a true faith don't go the distance.

Much love!

 

[marks]

What being born again does NOT do is provide us with humility, honesty, and surrender to an unconditional faith in God. These are what WE are required to do...and most of us will fail...just as the Israelites also failed.

How do you change yourself in these ways?

If you are not surrendered, how do you surrender? How do you stay surrendered? If you are not humble or honest, how do you make yourself these things?

How do we produce the "unconditional faith", something apparently more than our "saving faith", how do we produce this greater faith within ourselves so that God will accept us, and not condemn us?

Much love!

 

[marks]

If we really understood the word of God we would tremble in fear and take a very humble posture...being easy to entreat, easy to forgive and very open to correction.

Agreed! Although I'd rather say, the better we understand God's love and forgiveness . . .

Much love!

 

[marks]

If we really understood the word of God we would tremble in fear and take a very humble posture...being easy to entreat, easy to forgive and very open to correction.

This is a good thought, and I definitely urge everyone to consider themselves in this regard.

And I don't mean a false humility, that, though someone tell themself they are humble, yet they still find the need to put down others, so they can feel better about themself. That's not real humility.

Getting in those little digs, stating people's views just a little off to make them sound wrong, or silly, or whatever.

I think an honest reading of our own posts can tell us a lot about what remains hidden in our hearts. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Much love!

 

[marks]

If the body of Christ is purely spiritual and cannot be seen, then it isn't much use to anyone is it. Yet I thought looking after widows, orphans, being hospitable, visiting the elderly, the sick, those in prison, need to be a visible work. We are literally His body...a physical reality that is a vehicle for expression of love and care for those around us. The church, the body of Christ, must of necessity be a practical living working embodiment of the Spirit of Christ. If it cannot be seen... If it isn't as light set on a hill... Then nobody's going to notice. Nobody will come. There is no attraction. People will remain in darkness.

Maybe the kingdom of God doesn't come with observation, but I think you've got a good point here. If we are in His kingdom, people are going to notice.

Much love!

 

[marks]

The Exodus is meant to teach us spiritual lessons. They walked in a physical wilderness...but we a spiritual one.

Born again to walk in a spiritual wilderness?

Rather, born again to walk in the Spirit.

Much love!

 

[Episkopos]

OK, thank you!

So then in your view, to be reborn is as if you had become an Israelite under the law. But then why tell Nicodemus he had to be born again? He already was a Israelite born under the law?

Much love!

Jesus also said that there is coming the time...as in with the coming of the New Covenant in Christ. ...that God was looking for worshippers according to Spirit and truth. God was going to raise the stakes by giving men...all men having access...a chance to be the people of God.

So Jesus preached the kingdom of God...not the law. Jesus brought the kingdom of God to men and eternal life to light. In order to even have a chance at seeing the kingdom of God...a new spiritual birth is required.

But with a higher gifting comes a higher calling. To whom much is given MORE is required. The false gospel teaches the opposite. It teaches that since you have been given a heavenly gift...LESS is now required because of love.

And this as if God has favourites so that He gives His gifts to those He prefers. A very human and bent understanding...which is very unlike God.

 

[Episkopos]

Born again to walk in a spiritual wilderness?

Rather, born again to walk in the Spirit.

Much love!

These are just words. Few people will ever walk in the Spirit in our day. People now prefer fables to the truth. Indoctrination makes a philosophy and a vain religious posturing to be the biblical standard...which it is not. We are warned in the bible about the deceptions of the last days.

The truth is that we can learn obedience through faith by being first LED by the Spirit. Only by the faith OF Christ will God permit an entrance into a heavenly walk in the perfected life of Jesus through His resurrection grace.

It's basically unknown...hence the false gospel that pretends much...but is an empty testimony.

And once people have been indoctrinated into the lie...they almost never humble themselves as this would seem like they are giving up their security.

So it becomes a choice between the truth or the vanity that is taught for a guarantee of security.

 

[Episkopos]

It is wise to consider just how much of the gospel we believe in is culturally American...or Western...and how much is heavenly and eternal and biblical in nature.

Do people really walk in resurrection power...or just the flesh that has been indoctrinated to accept and defend a religious posture?

What is evident is that rich Westerners like us have an EXTREMELY hard time entering into the kingdom. So to remedy that the standard has been changed to allow the carnal self-interested religious types to feel like they have the inside track on an easy salvation scheme that they can adhere to. But things are not as they seem.

 

[amadeus]

It is wise to consider just how much of the gospel we believe in is culturally American...or Western...and how much is heavenly and eternal and biblical in nature.

Do people really walk in resurrection power...or just the flesh that has been indoctrinated to accept and defend a religious posture?

What is evident is that rich Westerners like us have an EXTREMELY hard time entering into the kingdom. So to remedy that the standard has been changed to allow the carnal self-interested religious types to feel like they have the inside track on an easy salvation scheme that they can adhere to. But things are not as they seem.

"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matt 19:24

When I was very young I thought my family was poor, but I really had not a clue. Later in Mexico, Viet Nam, Colombia and the Dominican Republic I saw some real poverty. We may be materially poor compared to a multi-millionaire, but few in America and other Western 'civilized' countries are really poor. Our material riches do get in the way of serving God as the verse above indicates. If nothing else in the USA, we have Uncle Sam who continues to dole out most everything including money so that we are able to stay up with the Jones' next door. [Does anyone still know what my last few words even mean?]

This forum is swamped with people who are still rich with their 'rights' too and struggling to retain or increase those more fervently than [or so it seems to me] they are striving to enter in through that strait and narrow gate. We could have been born as slaves in the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus with no rights and no property of our own under the law of men. Has anyone ever read the book of Philemon? We are really blessed, but mostly we take it all for granted... Help us dear Lord!

 

[amadeus]

How do you change yourself in these ways?

If you are not surrendered, how do you surrender? How do you stay surrendered? If you are not humble or honest, how do you make yourself these things?

How do we produce the "unconditional faith", something apparently more than our "saving faith", how do we produce this greater faith within ourselves so that God will accept us, and not condemn us?

Much love!

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8