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.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

The First Resurrection - what, and who?

And the graves were opened;
and MANY BODIES OF THE SAINTS which slept arose,
and came out of the graves after his resurrection,

and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.


The First Resurrection
- what is it,
- who partook of that glorious blessing?

Rev 20
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Some observations:
1. "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" - they lived at the beginning of the thousand years. Note this simple fact.

2. "They lived... this is the first resurrection" - this first resurrection is ONLY true of a specific people, i.e. "them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands." Note this plain fact too.

3. "They lived... the rest of the dead lived not until..." - "they" and "the rest" belong to one COMMON group, that is, they are God's children who were dead. Some of them enjoyed the first resurrection; the rest did not, they shall when the 1000 years were finished.

4. "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." Some partook in the first resurrection, the rest didn't. The rest need to wait for their turn until the 1000 years were finished, at the return of Christ until the 1000 years were finished.

I hope these are plain and simple.
It is a very popular notion to equate the first resurrection as regeneration, an interpretation that repudiates the plain sense shown above. That fable is just impossible - look at the passage again! Think a bit please, and maybe stop regurgitating the elders' tradition!

Where in the Scriptures speaks of the first resurrection mentioned here?
Mt 27:51-53 is the passage that speaks of the first resurrection of many saints, those described in the Rev 20 passage:

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and MANY BODIES OF THE SAINTS which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

This happened at the beginning of the "1000 years" mentioned in Rev 20. Regeneration has been happening since the day of Adam and Eve!

Many bodies of the saints... not all the saints that were lying in the graves, but many of them were resurrected.

The first resurrection spoken of in Rev 20 HAPPENED at the beginning of the "1000 years." So the first resurrection can't possibly be the regeneration of any sort! Also, "they lived" is simple past tense, it occurred as recorded in Mt 27:51-52.

Tell me what you think. I need sharp sounding boards to aid me to think.

Amen gallery has no use for me!

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 Initially posted here:

https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10204367398360538

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Faithful and True


Faithful and True



Rev 19:11-13
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war... and his name is called The Word of God.
 
One who is called Faithful must be a man full of faithfulness, full of fidelity. This character of faithfulness and fidelity is expressed by the phrase "the faith of Christ Jesus" in the KJT. (The word "faithfulness" is not found in the NT of the KJT. The noun "faith" translated from "pistis" expresses that exact meaning.


For the meanings of "pistis" take a look here:
"http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm….

Take note of the second meaning of "faith - pistis"
- "fidelity, faithfulness"; the character of one who can be relied on.
- All are familiar with the first meaning, but the second meaning of "pistis" has been eradicated from virtually all the modern translations of the Holy Scriptures.

Now read these passages of Scriptures (from the KJT)
Rom 3:22
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.

Gal 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.

Gal 3:22
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

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

Please note that "(the) faith of Christ Jesus" is completely different from "(your) faith in Christ Jesus."

One tender suggestion: if your bible has substituted "the faith OF Christ Jesus" with your "faith IN Christ Jesus" in the above passages, it is time to discard it. It contains a lie subtly sown by the devil!

So many are obsessed with their faith IN Christ Jesus. They are oblivious of the faith OF Christ Jesus, i.e. his faithfulness, fidelity in executing the work of redemption, which is the ground and foundation of the justification and salvation of His people.

This is evidenced by the plain and simple fact that in all new translations, the "faith OF Christ Jesus" for His people has been substituted with man's "faith IN Christ Jesus." A whole world of difference just by "the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Eph 4:14)

Rom 3:22

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.


The righteousness of God's provision is NOT NOT NOT by anyone's faith in Jesus Christ.

The provision of righteousness is SOLELY by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in rendering perfect obedience to the complete law of God.

Sins is the transgression of the law of God; righteousness is the obedience to the same law. The righteousness that is necessary for the justification of guilty condemned sinners before God is by the faithfulness, the pistis of Christ, in rendering perfect obedience to the complete law of God.

That righteousness which is by the faith of Jesus Christ was LEGALLY IMPUTED to all of God's elect at the dead and resurrection of Christ - it is by the righteousness of ONE.

That righteousness which is by the faith of Christ is VITALLY APPLIED to each elect individually at their effectual calling out of their native state in death and condemnation, this is done when an elect is dead in trespasses and sins, completely incapable of believing. Effectual calling an elect out of his native state of condemnation and death to that of grace and salvation involves these activities of the Triune God: justification, regeneration, adoption, and the bestowal of the Spirit of adoption to child of God. This enables a child of God to believe.

The phrase "them that believe" is parsed as "present active participle, that is, "the believing ones". The believing ones is the result of the righteousness of Christ having been APPLIED to them - whether Jews or Gentiles. There is no difference.

Who shall live by faith? It is the justified ones - "the just (i.e. justified ones) shall live by faith" repeatly declares the Holy Scriptures. It is NOT NOT NOT as popularly imagined, "the unjustfied ones shall be justified by faith (i.e. their act of believing in Christ)."

Apostle Paul is calling the justified ones to forget about living by the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ BECAUSE they have been justified freely by God based on the righteousness of Christ.

Believing in Christ Jesus evidences their justified state by the free and sovereign act of God when they were in their native state of condemnation and death! Believing in Christ enables them to experience the blessedness of their justified state in Jesus Christ; believing in Christ DOES NOT get them justified before Christ.


Gal 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 l
aw shall no flesh be justified.

Sins bring condemnation and death.
Righteousness brings justification and life.
No righteousness, no justification before God; thus remains in one's native state of condemnation.
No righteousness, no bestowal of life; thus remains in one's native state of spiritual deadness.

Sin is the transgression of the law of God.
Righteousness is the obedience to the law of God.
Righteousness is the prerequisite for one's justification before God. 

That righteousness is by perfect obedience to the complete law of God - whether it is by man's own obedience, or by Christ Jesus' obedience, to that law of God.

Man's faith in Jesus Christ IS NO SUBSTITUTE for man's perfect obedience to the complete law of God for his justification before God! The Devil has deceived many to believe that subtle grotesque lie!

Man who is in his native state of condemnation and death has no righteousness of his own needed for his justification before God. He has no ability to attain that righteousness! Someone else must attain it for him. Someone provided by God Himself - even the man Christ Jesus has done it! He was faithful and true to His mission of redemption.

Knowing that: Apostle Paul has established two truths:
- a man is not justified by the works of the law, i.e. a man is NOT, and CANNOT be justified by his own work of obeying the law.
- a man is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, i.e. a man is justified by the faithfulness/fidelity of Jesus Christ in rendering perfect obedience to the complete law of God, thus securing the righteousness necessary for the justification of a man under condemnation.

Know those twin truth, what do we do? EVEN WE we :
- have believed the truth, i.e. we own the truth that our justification is by Christ's faithfulness in rendering perfect obeying the complete law of God in our stead!
- and rejected the popular fable, i.e. that our justification before God is not by our own works of obeying the law of God.

Why do we reject the popular myth?
- We "that a man is not justified by the works of the law... for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified," i.e. for by man's works of obeying the law shall no one be justified before God.

So many sincere believers substitute the "faithfulness/fidelity of Jesus Christ in rendering perfect obedience to the complete law of God" with "their work of believing in Christ" as the means of their justification before God!

Believing is work. In case you have not learn this simple truth, read John 6:28-29
28 ¶ Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Believing in Jesus Christ is a work God requires of His children, because Christ is their Saviour. It is the duty and responsibility of God's children to believe the truth of the salvation.

copied from here
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10204317145424246?pnref=story