Why not Everyone will be Saved

[gordon7]

Do talkers compare to doers ?



Luke 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

1 Corinthians 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

 

[FaithWillDo]

Do talkers compare to doers ?



Luke 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

1 Corinthians 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

Dear Godon7,

Isa 26:12 O Jehovah, thou appointest peace to us, for, all our works also thou hast wrought for us.

Phil 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

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.

Joe

 

[gordon7]

Joe, what good would Jesus have done to do only words..( He has to die and rise again so we do too)



John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

 

[FaithWillDo]

Joe, what good would Jesus have done to do only words..( He has to die and rise again so we do too)



John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Dear gordon7,
Did you not read the verses I posted? They are not hard to understand.

Christ's work is spiritual which means it happens within mankind. He is the one who causes a believer to "will and DO of His good pleasure".

The works that a believer does are CAUSED by Christ to happen. He does His works through us. We have no works that we can claim as our own even though we perform them.

We have nothing we can boast about either concerning our salvation and why we "follow" Christ. Christ is the one who causes everything to happen.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Look at how the writers of the NT referred to themselves:

Rom 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.

Tit 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,

James 1:1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

2Pet 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

Jude 1:1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

A bondservant only does as their master commands.

These statements are not hyperbole - they are factual. Christ was causing them to "will and do of His good pleasure". Their "works" were the works of Christ. They knew this was true even though their human senses told them that it couldn't be. This is where their faith came into play. They believed what Christ told them rather than what this world and its carnality was telling them.

The Doctrine of Free Will is a very deceptive lie from Satan. Believers who claim to have a free will ability have no faith in what Christ has said in His Word:

Prov 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Prov 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

Prov 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Deut 29:4 Yet the LORD hath not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of the heavens, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

It is the false Doctrine of Free Will which the apostate churches teach that Paul was referencing below:

2Thes 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

When the spirit of anti-Christ indwells a believer, the man of sin (who the believer becomes) is sitting in God's Temple (a person with the Holy Spirit). The man of sin shows himself to be God by claiming that he has a free will ability that can go against God's "will". By believing this lie, the believer makes God's "will" out to be nothing more than wishful thinking.

God the Father is the only one who has a free will ability and His "will" rules over His creation. Nothing happens in His creation that is not in accordance with His will.

When one of the Elect are saved, it happens because it was God's "will" for it to happen:

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD.

When a person rejects Christ, the same is also true. They reject Christ because it is God's "will" for them to reject Him.

When God is ready for a person to be saved, He will send Christ to them to freely give them His Spirit. With His Spirit indwelling the person, their heart and mind will be changed. When it is, they will accept Christ as their Lord and they will no longer be able to reject Him:

1Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.

Since Christ has been sent by His Father to save the world, Christ will do exactly that - no one who has ever been born will be lost. When the time ordained by God for a person to be saved arrives, they will be saved. In this age, Christ is ONLY saving the people who have been blessed and chosen for salvation from the foundation of the world. All others will be saved in the final age.

God's "will" will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Joe

 

[gordon7]

Verses versus doing:


2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

 

[FaithWillDo]

Verses versus doing:


2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

Dear gordon7,
There are "works of Christ" and there are "works of man". A believer must understand the difference between these two types of works.

I'll try to explain below:

The apostate church claims their works as being their own works (as supported by the Doctrine of Free Will) which they did to earn (or to receive) their salvation. By believing this way, it justifies in their mind why the people who reject Christ are worthy of eternal damnation
and why they are not.

This false pathway to salvation is called the "crooked" way.

Isa 59:8 The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Lam 3:9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone (the works of man); He has made my paths crooked.

Satan's "another gospel" (2Cor 11:4), which is taught in the apostate churches, mixes man's works with the works of Christ. In the spiritual language of Christ, Satan's gospel mixes the Old Wine with the New Wine. An unconverted believer will do this mixing because the Old Wine tastes better to their carnal minds than does the New Wine.

Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Hos 4:10 “They will eat (carnal understanding) but not have enough (no spiritual understanding); they will engage in prostitution (fornicating with Satan) but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves 11 to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.

Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Because Satan's false gospel mixes man's works with the works of Christ, Satan is called the "crooked serpent":

Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

In contrast to the crooked way of Satan is the "straight" way of Christ. The straight way of Christ is based on faith in Christ to do all the necessary works for salvation.

Psa 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 42:16 And I will bring the blind (an unconverted believer) by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Elijah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

After an Elect believer is given the Latter Rain of the Spirit, they will recognize that their salvation came solely by the works of Christ which He did through them. In the spiritual language of Christ, this is when the crooked path is made straight.

When the Elect recognize this truth, they will cast their crowns before Christ's throne:

Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders (represents the Elect) fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Also in the spiritual language of Christ, the works of man which men do to clothe themselves with salvation are called "filthy rags". In this world, it is called religion.

Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

The works that Christ does to clothe His converted Elect are called "white robes". In other words, the Elect are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

Rev 7:14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Job 29:14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me (faith in the works of Christ): my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

Phi 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law (man's works), but that which is through the faith of Christ (works of Christ), the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The scene being described in Revelation 7:14 occurs immediately after an apostate Elect believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit and is converted. It is at this time that Christ "appears" to the newly born child of God and gathers them up to heaven (spiritually speaking). The "great tribulation" occurred to the believer when they were indwelt with the spirit of anti-Christ and were under Satan's deceptions.

Joe

 

[gordon7]

Dear gordon7,
There are "works of Christ" and there are "works of man". A believer must understand the difference between these two types of works.

I'll try to explain below:

The apostate church claims their works as being their own works (as supported by the Doctrine of Free Will) which they did to earn (or to receive) their salvation. By believing this way, it justifies in their mind why the people who reject Christ are worthy of eternal damnation
and why they are not.

This false pathway to salvation is called the "crooked" way.

Isa 59:8 The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Lam 3:9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone (the works of man); He has made my paths crooked.

Satan's "another gospel" (2Cor 11:4), which is taught in the apostate churches, mixes man's works with the works of Christ. In the spiritual language of Christ, Satan's gospel mixes the Old Wine with the New Wine. An unconverted believer will do this mixing because the Old Wine tastes better to their carnal minds than does the New Wine.

Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Hos 4:10 “They will eat (carnal understanding) but not have enough (no spiritual understanding); they will engage in prostitution (fornicating with Satan) but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves 11 to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.

Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Because Satan's false gospel mixes man's works with the works of Christ, Satan is called the "crooked serpent":

Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

In contrast to the crooked way of Satan is the "straight" way of Christ. The straight way of Christ is based on faith in Christ to do all the necessary works for salvation.

Psa 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 42:16 And I will bring the blind (an unconverted believer) by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Elijah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

After an Elect believer is given the Latter Rain of the Spirit, they will recognize that their salvation came solely by the works of Christ which He did through them. In the spiritual language of Christ, this is when the crooked path is made straight.

When the Elect recognize this truth, they will cast their crowns before Christ's throne:

Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders (represents the Elect) fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Also in the spiritual language of Christ, the works of man which men do to clothe themselves with salvation are called "filthy rags". In this world, it is called religion.

Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

The works that Christ does to clothe His converted Elect are called "white robes". In other words, the Elect are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

Rev 7:14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Job 29:14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me (faith in the works of Christ): my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

Phi 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law (man's works), but that which is through the faith of Christ (works of Christ), the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The scene being described in Revelation 7:14 occurs immediately after an apostate Elect believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit and is converted. It is at this time that Christ "appears" to the newly born child of God and gathers them up to heaven (spiritually speaking). The "great tribulation" occurred to the believer when they were indwelt with the spirit of anti-Christ and were under Satan's deceptions.

Joe

Can you explain belief in the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead, or that is done by belief and that is being called, to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ..


Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

[FaithWillDo]

Can you explain belief in the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead, or that is done by belief and that is being called, to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ..


Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Dear gordon7,
This verse applies:

1Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.

When Christ is ready to call a person out of the world and into the church, Christ will come to them (without their asking or permission) and freely give them the gift of the Early Rain of the Spirit. With the Early Rain of the Spirit, the person will have a "measure of faith" and certain spiritual gifts. It is at this point that they will make a confession of faith when presented the gospel by the "foolishness of preaching".

With their new faith, however, they will only have a carnal understanding of Christ (Christ and Him crucified) and not a spiritual understanding of Christ. A spiritual understanding is necessary for a person to understand the spiritual teachings of the New Covenant. A carnal understanding of Christ is all that is necessary to understand the physical work of Christ that He did under the Old Covenant - that includes the crucifixion and His resurrection.

But because the new believer cannot understand the spiritual teachings of Christ, Satan will come to the new believer and deceive them via the spirit of anti-Christ. With the spirit of anti-Christ within the new believer, they will accept Satan's "another gospel" which mixes man's works with the works of Christ. So instead of having faith in Christ and following His ways, they are now unknowingly putting their trust in their own works and following Satan.

Note: Salvation comes by "faith" and that is what makes Christ's pathway straight for Him to come to the believer a second time to convert them. When a believer falls out of faith, the pathway becomes "crooked" because they are now following the "crooked" serpent's way which is by "works".

While the new believer is under Satan's deceptions, the Abomination of Desolation will occur within the believer. This is when they will "fall away" and become a "man of sin". They will remain in this "worse than the first" spiritual condition (Mat 12:43-45) until they die or (if they are Elect) until Christ comes to them a second time and pours out the Latter Rain which will heal their spiritual blindness. With their blindness healed, their faith will be restored to Christ so that Christ will appear to them. When this happens, the believer will be converted and saved.

What I presented above is the pathway to salvation that Christ established for all the Elect to travel. It is taught in many places of scriptures using analogies, parables and "types". Within those teachings, Christ also uses "spirit" words which have meanings that are different from what man's wisdom teaches (1Cor 2:13). This new language that Christ uses is called Christ's "another language" which is mentioned in the scripture below:

Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts (converted believers who "see" spiritually). 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and ANOTHER LANGUAGE (spiritual language) will he speak to this people. 12 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken (by Satan/how the apostate church was formed).

Joe

 

[gordon7]

The pathway to salvation is narrow, because it is belief in Jesus Christ doing good, and everyone who does evil has not known God.



Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

 

[FaithWillDo]

The pathway to salvation is narrow, because it is belief in Jesus Christ doing good, and everyone who does evil has not known God.

Dear gordon7,
"Doing good" is a result of conversion. The good works do not cause conversion to happen. Christ must clean the inside of the cup first so that the outside is truly clean (Mat 23:25-26). The Law (man's works) only makes a person appear clean on the outside when inside they are still unclean.

To be converted, Christ must decide to convert us and then it happens because of His spiritual works that He does within us.

In this age, Christ is ONLY converting the people who have been chosen for this blessing from the foundation of the world.

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.

Christ says that He will call "many" into the church by giving them the Early Rain of the Spirit (Mat 22:14). But only those who are chosen will also receive the Latter Rain of the Spirit and be saved. No person has any ability to decide for themselves when Christ is going to save them.

As I said in my previous post, there are many places of scripture which teaches the pathway to salvation that the Lord causes His Elect to travel.

Paul's conversion is the one of those examples and it is presented in "type". I will try to explain what that type teaches below. My presentation may run over into a second post but I encourage you to read it all. If anyone is going to be saved in this age, they will travel the same pathway that Paul's conversion typed.

To begin, I will present the scriptures that teach about when Paul received the Early Rain of the Spirit and its subsequent effects in Paul's life.

Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly, there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

These first events which happened to Paul "type" (symbolize) the spiritual process that all the Elect go through to be called out from the world so as to enter the church.

When an individual is called out from the world to follow Christ, Christ will come to them suddenly and without invitation (Mal 3:1). Under the New Covenant, mankind is God's Temple (1Cor 6:19).

Mankind does not have the free will ability to choose Christ in our marred spiritual condition we have from birth.

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Rom 3:10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

If mankind did have that free will ability, the decision to accept Christ or not would be a “work” of man. A person would then have something to boast about concerning why they are saved and why others are not.

But Paul says that no one has anything to boast about concerning their salvation:

Eph 2:8 For ye are saved by grace, through faith; and this not of yourselves; it is God's gift: 9 not on the principle of works, that no one might boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has before prepared that we should walk in them.

If Christ decides to come to a person in the present age to call them out, it is a spiritual event which happens within the individual (Luke 17:21). Christ is now spirit and cannot be seen with human eyes. In fact, Christ will never again be seen with human eyes. He will remain in "heaven" (the spiritual realm) until the last person of mankind is saved in the final age:

Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

When Christ comes to an unbeliever, He will come to them suddenly and spiritually, just as Christ came to Paul on the Damascus Road. When Christ comes, He will give the person the Early Rain of the Spirit which will cause them to fall to the earth (in type) just as Paul did. When Paul fell to the earth, it symbolized a new believer’s submission to Christ in a carnal way. The "earth" is a symbol for mankind's carnality.

Since the new believer is left carnally minded upon receiving the Early Rain of the Spirit, they will remain spiritually blind. They will not have the ability to understand who the voice is that is speaking to them. Christ will remain hidden from their understanding. Because they do not have "ears that can hear", they must rely on being told who the voice is, just as Paul had to do.

After the voice told Paul that it was Jesus who was speaking to him, Paul answers back to Jesus and calls Him Lord. Since scripture says that no one can call Jesus Lord but by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we know that this event happening to Paul is the Early Rain of the Spirit.

1Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.

Paul calls Jesus “Lord” but still lacks the ability to know Jesus for himself. Christ remains hidden (veiled) from Paul’s understanding, just as He remains hidden from the understanding of all who experience the Early Rain of the Spirit.

Paul then asks Christ “what wilt thou have me to do”?

Since Paul remains carnally minded, he believes that he must do something to earn the Lord’s favor. The Lord answers him by saying to arise and go into the city. The city represents the Great City which is Mystery Babylon the Great, Sodom, Egypt and earthly Jerusalem. These spiritual terms all represent mankind’s spiritually worsened carnal nature. It is mankind's carnal nature that causes mankind to approach Christ by "works" (religion) rather than by faith alone.

Christ then tells Paul that once he is in the city, someone there will tell him what he must do. That someone is a minister of Satan who is just as spiritually blind as Paul is.

2Cor 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

From verse 7, we see that no one with Paul experienced what Paul did. This visitation by Christ is only for the person who is being called out from the world. It is a spiritual event and happens within Paul. Human eyes cannot see Christ.

After Paul stands up and opens his eyes, he “saw no man”. Paul’s blindness represented his spiritual blindness and was the reason why Paul had to ask who was speaking to him. Paul had no ability to see Christ for himself. Scripture goes on to say that Paul had to be led by the hand. This is symbolic of the blind leading the blind.

After Paul arrives in Damascus, verse 9 says that Paul remained blind and did not eat or drink for three days. Paul’s lack of being able to eat and drink represents Paul’s spiritual blindness when he was not able to consume Christ’s bread of truth or drink the wine of Christ’s blood which He shed for the New Covenant of Grace through Faith. The number 3 is also a spiritual symbol and it represents a spiritual process. The “three days” does not represent a literal length of time as “taught by man’s wisdom” (1Cor 2:13). It represents the spiritual process which will eventually cause Paul to "fall away" and lose his salvation. The end product of the spiritual process results in Paul becoming "worse than the first" (Mat 12:43-45); a "man of sin".

On the next post, I will present when Paul receives the Latter Rain and is converted.

Joe

 

[FaithWillDo]

The pathway to salvation is narrow, because it is belief in Jesus Christ doing good, and everyone who does evil has not known God.



Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS POST...

The second set of verses below represents Paul’s repentance and subsequent conversion:

Acts 9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened.

It is no coincidence that Paul was staying at the house of a man named “Judas” (a type for the Man of Sin who Paul had become).

Ananias is a “type” for Christ. It is also no coincidence that the street to where Ananias was sent is called "Straight".

The crooked path represents the pathway of “works” under the Old Covenant of Law. The straight path represents the pathway of faith under the New Covenant of Grace through Faith.

Lam 3:9 He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone (represents the Law), he hath made my paths crooked.

Isa 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

At the time Ananias received the vision, Paul was praying. Although scripture does not give us the details of Paul’s prayer, we can surmise that Paul was repenting and praying for understanding of what had befallen him.

This verse applies:

Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

In verse 17, Christ (Ananias) comes to Paul a second time and heals his spiritual blindness by giving him the Latter Rain of the Spirit. Upon being baptized by the Spirit, Paul “arose” (verse 18) and was born as a child of God. It is at this time that Paul is gathered together with Christ in heaven (spiritually speaking).

The verses below apply to what happened to Paul:

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Isa 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Because Paul’s spiritual blindness was healed, verse 19 says that Paul received “meat” (truth) and was strengthened. This event is symbolized by the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:9) and is the spiritual fulfillment of the Lord's Supper.

Mat 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day (day of salvation) when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

From the nourishment that Paul received during the Marriage Supper/Lord's Supper, the brightness of Christ’s appearance will destroy Paul’s worsened carnal nature (Great Harlot/Great City Babylon/Sodom/earthly Jerusalem) and Man of Sin (spirit of anti-Christ).

Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

2Thes 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

After Paul’s judgment is complete, Paul will be empowered to walk by faith in Jesus Christ. This is the true and narrow pathway which leads to maturity as a son of God.

Joe