The interpretation of Scriptures.

This meme has stirred a thought on an important subject, the interpretation of Scriptures.

For example, a babe in Christ will easily see only three numbers 6, 0, and 4; others see four numbers; some perceive 5, and a few can see 6, 8, 9, 4, 2 and 1; all beautifully jived and harmoniously connected.

Let's illustrate this with John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,"

He will at least hear the sound of the following:
- God SO LOVED...

- He gave His only begotten Son,

- believing, and

- everlasting life.

Some may be content with the sound of these things, BUT clueless how these are biblically related; in fact, they may be quite wrong with some of their understanding and are oblivious of their errors.

So many end up believing that a man without everlasting life is capable of believing to get eternal life. They see John 3:16 as a prescription on how to get everlasting life. But John 3:16 is a DESCRIPTION of "whosoever believeth" - i.e., every believing one HAS/POSSESSES everlasting life.

It's like saying, "whosoever breathes has life." But many take it as a prescription; what the dead must do to get life! 

This is so basic and elementary, but multitudes of Christ get it wrong. 

Hebrews 5 KJV —
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Those with exercised senses would see a lot more in John 3:16 and in their biblical context.

Think about the matter.

How do the sola fideists cope with these declarations?

 By whose faith? By your faith?
Or by the faith of Christ Jesus?

How do the sola fideists cope with these declarations?

How do the sola fideists ("justification by faith, i.e. their act of believing, alone") cope with these declarations of Scripture? Are they saying one and the same justification?

1. Justification by Christ: the BASIS of Justification
- Ro 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

- Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

- Ga 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 

Justified by Christ's blood, justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, and justified by Christ... what justification is spoken of here? Are they the same justification by your faith?
- How does Christ's blood and Christ's faith(fulness) justify you?
- How does your faith justify you? 

Justification before God requires righteousness, and this righteousness is either by your own obedience to the law (i.e., deeds or works of the law) or by Christ's obedience to the law (i.e., His faith, or faithfulness in discharging the work of redemption). There is no justification by the works/deeds of the law!

Christ alone kept the law, completely and perfectly.
His righteousness alone meets the demands of God the Judge. 

And do you know that believing in Jesus Christ is a WORK?
Here it is, listen closely. Christ Himself said it.

John 6:28 KJT
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? [i.e. the works appointed of God to be done by His children.]
29 ¶Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. [i.e. this is the work God has appointed for you to work.]

Believing in Jesus Christ is a WORK required of God's children. 
Could this truth be expressed in simpler terms?
Not a few believe God requires this work from those dead in trespasses and sins.

2. Justification by God's Grace: the MANNER of justification
- Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
- Ro 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  [Note: justified freely by his grace, AND NOT THROUGH your faith in Christ Jesus; but through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.]

Justified by God's grace... yes, FREELY by His grace; this repudiate the notion that there is such a thing as a grace that is not free but earned or merited - i.e. through your faith. IF it is through your faith, then your justification is by works! John 6:28-29. 

3. Justification by your Faith: the Evidence of Justification
And even those passages that speak of justification by faith... whose and what is that faith? Is it man's act of believing? Is "faith" and "believing" the same thing?

i. Romans 3:28 Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
- ... justified by the faithfulness of Christ in His work of redemption.
- If it is by your faith, then it is by the deed of the law, your obedience to a command of God's law. 
- 1John 3:23 "And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

ii. Romans 4:2 "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."
- Abraham's faith (his act of believing) was counted to him for righteousness. This is completely different from Christ's righteousness accounted to Abraham for his justification by God. 
- In this passage, Apostle Paul marshalled Abraham to REPUDIATE the Judaisers' error that ceremonial laws must be observed to be accepted by God. Apostle Paul demonstrates that Abraham EXPERIENCED the blessedness of his justified state by faith, and NOT by performing any ceremonial laws like circumcision.  

iii. Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

- Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

4. And there is justification by works as well as by faith.
i. James 2:21 "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?"

BOTH faith (act of believing) and works of righteousness JUSTIFY EVIDENTIALLY. It is like breath and movement, both give evidence that the man is alive. 

ii. James 2:24 "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
Works evidence a justified state by the free grace of God. Works and works of the law are entirely different things. Works justify evidentially.

Laws condemn, and no works of the law can justify a man.

Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

May our Lord grant you understanding. 

State Imposed and Coerced Religions - Are Pathetic!

Hear ye, hear ye!

The power of God and the wisdom of God
versus
The impotence of gods, and the folly of gods.

"Every man must give account of himself to God, and therefore every man ought to be at liberty to serve God in a way that he can best reconcile to his conscience. If the government can answer for individuals on the day of judgment, let men be controlled by it in religious matters; otherwise, let men be free."
~~ Isaac Backus (1724-1806)

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Any state coerced and imposed religion upon a man is a bondage straight from hell; it is actually an obscene mockery and insult to any religion when it has to resort to state power to coerce and compel a man to convert, to adhere or to remain in it;  it's an assault against the liberty of conscience. Only weak and pathetic religions resort to force and coercion to impose itself on others; it is a horrible disservice to any religion if it has to resort to the despicable means of compulsion and coercion through the power of the state/government.

Let a man's own mind, heart and conscience determine for himself, through the open discourse and persuasion, to be convinced and constrained by the teachings of a religion. If a religion cannot do that to gain a man's voluntary and freewill allegiance, it is impotent and powerless.

Why would a religion be happy with adherents whose association with it is not free and voluntary but coerced? Why such shamelessness?

1 Corinthians 1 KJT 
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

John 3:3 KJT — Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

What do I think of modern secular Israel?

Some Zionist Christians asked w hat do I think of modern secular?

Not much, but I told them this:

I don't know about your view on Israel. My view is that modern secular Israel is REMOTELY related to the theocratic Israel of the Bible; it's an invention of man. What had been divinely established at the foot of Mt Sinai was ALSO divinely preserved until its abolition for good in AD 70; the biblical theocratic Israel lasted for as long as only the LORD God had intended it; when the time was fulfilled, it was forever done away with.

That said, the modern secular Jewish nation has every right to exist in peace and to defend itself, as much as any other.

Let the aggressors and warmongers on the earth perish - "for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Amen.

Matthew 26:52 KJT "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
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Cheri
Amen. Old Testament Israel and modern secular Israel are two completely separate and different things.

Joe
Brother Sing. I agree. I kindly do not go along with the occasional idea of an end-times Jewish restoration. Jesus said everything we need to know about the question in Matthew 23:39, "...Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Jesus was/is the "he that cometh in the name of the Lord." I have not heard modern Israeli people praising or believing in Jesus. Till I see that evidence, I respectfully stand with Jesus. Amen.

Wayne
Amen to Brother Joe and Brother Sing. I consider modern Israel an ally of our country, but in my opinion there is no prophesy being fulfilled by the present nation of Israel, etc.

Wayne
Another thought: I trust we are a part of spiritual Israel, being a Spiritual Jew. That's what is important and if we are a Spiritual Jew we are so by grace alone! ""For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. 2: 28-29).

Sing F Lau
Wayne, BOTH the Jews and the Muslims fighting them have outward circumcision made by hands.

God does it all; yes, it's all by His grace alone!

The Triune God does it all... our eternal salvation is entirely by grace alone.

God does it all; yes, it's all by His grace alone!

- God the Father purposed eternal salvation for the elect before time...

- God the Son accomplished that eternal salvation for the same at the cross...

- God the Spirit applies that same eternal salvation, at God's appointed and approved time, to each elect in their native state of sin and death, effectually calling them out of their native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation, completely fitting them for eternal glory.

- On the resurrection day, all the redeemed who have died shall be resurrected and be glorified and those still living shall be transformed and be glorified; together they shall be brought home into eternal glory in heaven. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3.

God ordained the ministry of the word for the instruction and temporal salvation of those He has freely bestowed eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

- Some of them are outwardly called by the ministry of the word; those who are called are converted to varying degrees.

- Others are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word.

God does it all. All glory and praise to Him alone.

Amen and amen.