Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things"
2Ti 2:7.

Monday, May 5, 2014

He ALSO freely give us ALL THINGS - what are they?




 Ro 8:32 "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us ALL THINGS?"

He ALSO freely give us ALL THINGS - what are they? As you ponder over that question, don't forget the adverb "freely"!

Joh 19:28 "After this, Jesus knowing that ALL THINGS were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst."


Romans 8:28 And we know that ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
ALL THINGS accomplished by Jesus Christ for His people are also the ALL THINGS given FREELY to each of God's elect personally - no more and no less. They are co-extensive.

'ALL THINGS' must be defined by the Scriptures itself. Scriptures is its own interpreter.

"ALL THINGS" that were accomplished by Jesus Christ for His people are the same as ALL THINGS freely given to His people. Not a single thing that Jesus Christ accomplished for His people shall be withheld from anyone of God's elect.

If this be the case, then many things that people IMAGINE to be among the "ALL THINGS" are just figments of their own imaginations.

For example, the perseverance of the saints in a life of faith and obedience to the end of their lives - is this among the "ALL THINGS" that Christ accomplished for His people? If it is, then every elect will manifest this thing in their life. However, this is obviously not true. There are God's children who do not even have the capability to hear and be converted... and there are others who do not have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be converted. How then can these persevere in a life of faith and obedience???

However, the biblical truth of perseverance of the saints IS this: every one for whom Christ accomplished their salvation shall REMAIN in the STATE OF GRACE. Jesus Christ did accomplish this STATE OF GRACE for every elect who were by nature in the STATE OF CONDEMNATION. And each elect is brought into the STATE OF GRACE, without a single exception, wholly freely by grace alone, and forever remains in it, because Christ accomplished it for each and every one of the elect.

But to remain in a life of faith and obedience is a BIG THING THAT a child of God must WORK OUT for himself with fear and trembling, through the grace of God working in them. It is not a thing given to him FREELY

Christ did not accomplish that for them, nor does the Father give it to them.

They must WORK OUT it for themselves, the Holy Spirit working in them to will and to do BUT they must do! And some do, and some don't. Those who do, they work it out for themselves to varying degrees and measures - some 30 folds, some 60 and other 100!

The LORD's way...


Look at those little ants, circling the massive citadel stronghold.
The presence of the Ark of the Covenant made all the difference!

The LORD's way or the my-way?

Isa 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Joshua 6
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

Commanding a huge group of armed men to march like soldiers but keeping their big mouths shut (marching soldiers do shout themselves into a frenzy!!!) and under the shadow of such an imposing and massively walled stronghold will most certainly hammer into their heads their own helplessness. Is that the way the LORD will grant them victory - no battle cries? Yes, the only noise they were to make was the shout of victory - to celebrate the victory the LORD has given them!

And the armed men obediently carried out the LORD's command even though it seemed so foolish and childish - circling the impenetrable stronghold like idiots.

What a powerful and graphic way of reminding them that the victory is completely of the LORD!

Rightly dividing the word of truth

Photo: Eternal salvation & temporal salvation – 2Tim 1:9 and 1Tim 4:16

Please read the two passages below very carefully. 
- “…God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2Tim 1:9

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1Tim 4:15-16

In the first passage God has both saved and called us, and this work is “…not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”  

In the second passage Timothy is urged to take certain actions in his ministry, and to teach certain things faithfully, and continually. By this precise activities on his part Timothy is assured that he shall both save himself and those who hear (and presumably believe and follow) his teaching ministry. 

Do we have two distinct salvations under consideration, one wholly and freely by God’s sovereign purpose and grace, and the other through the human activities of godly preaching, and our obedience to it?  

Or do we have one salvation, thus a hopeless confusion as to who the real savior is? 

One interpretation leaves these two passages hopelessly contradicting each other, while the other interpretation harmonizes them fully.   

2 Tim 1:9 speaks of a salvation:
- ALREADY happened by God's free grace. 
- NOT conditioned on any thing in us, of us, by us.
- ACCORDING to God's own purpose and grace in Christ Jesus, through Christ's life, death and resurrection alone,
- THROUGH God's effectual call of us out of our native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation, i.e. through the justification applied personally, regeneration to new life and adoption into God’s family.
- Eternal salvation is the work of the ETERNAL God alone, bestowed upon each elect personally when they are still in their native state of sin and death. 

1 Tim 4:16 speaks of a salvation:
- That has NOT YET happened, but SHALL happen.
- CONDITIONED upon the obedience of God's children.
- THAT a child of God must labor to attain for himself.
- THAT a child of God can attain for others through his ministry (e.g James 5:19-20). 
- Temporal salvation is experienced by God’s children as they do the will of God their Father. 

Failure to distinguish these two distinct salvation is the root cause of the confusion and errors on the Bible's teaching of salvation. Even the Calvinists are pretty messed up here! 

Eternal salvation is wholly monergistic, with man completely passive. 
Temporal salvation is synergistic, God's children responding to the will of God their Father. The salvation that involves any activities of man is the temporal salvation attained by the activities of God's children. 

(Mount Hood reflected in Trillium Lake, Oregon, United States)
(Mount Hood reflected in Trillium Lake, Oregon, United States)
The grand object, and its reflection.

Eternal salvation & temporal salvation – 2Tim 1:9 and 1Tim 4:16

Please read the two passages below very carefully.
- “…God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2Tim 1:9

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1Tim 4:15-16

In the first passage God has both saved and called us, and this work is “…not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

In the second passage Timothy is urged to take certain actions in his ministry, and to teach certain things faithfully, and continually. By this precise activities on his part Timothy is assured that he shall both save himself and those who hear (and presumably believe and follow) his teaching ministry.

Do we have two distinct salvations under consideration, one wholly and freely by God’s sovereign purpose and grace, and the other through the human activities of godly preaching, and our obedience to it?

Or do we have one salvation, thus a hopeless confusion as to who the real savior is?

One interpretation leaves these two passages hopelessly contradicting each other, while the other interpretation harmonizes them fully.

2 Tim 1:9 speaks of a salvation:
- ALREADY happened by God's free grace.
- NOT conditioned on any thing in us, of us, by us.
- ACCORDING to God's own purpose and grace in Christ Jesus, through Christ's life, death and resurrection alone,
- THROUGH God's effectual call of us out of our native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation, i.e. through the justification applied personally, regeneration to new life and adoption into God’s family.
- Eternal salvation is the work of the ETERNAL God alone, bestowed upon each elect personally when they are still in their native state of sin and death.

1 Tim 4:16 speaks of a salvation:
- That has NOT YET happened, but SHALL happen.
- CONDITIONED upon the obedience of God's children.
- THAT a child of God must labor to attain for himself.
- THAT a child of God can attain for others through his ministry (e.g James 5:19-20).
- Temporal salvation is experienced by God’s children as they do the will of God their Father.

Failure to distinguish these two distinct salvation is the root cause of the confusion and errors on the Bible's teaching of salvation. Even the Calvinists are pretty messed up here!

Eternal salvation is wholly monergistic, with man completely passive.
Temporal salvation is synergistic, God's children responding to the will of God their Father. The salvation that involves any activities of man is the temporal salvation attained by the activities of God's children.