Are you in Christ? When were you in Christ?

#In_Christ

Are you in Christ? How and when were you in Christ?

Most, without any hesitation, will confidently say when they believe in Him. If that's the case, they have been told only a fraction of the truth; a fraction of the truth taken as the whole truth becomes a heinous lie. Such have been terribly deceived, short-changed, and defrauded. A sane man would be furiously indignant, and demand to be told the whole truth!

Do you care enough to recover the gospel truth? Here's a glimpse of the whole truth of being IN CHRIST.

IN CHRIST - behold this multifaceted jewel!

A believer in Christ is in Christ in these different and distinct SENSES:

- He is in Christ by divine election before time

- He is in Christ by the legal purchase at the cross

- He is in Christ by the effectual calling out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ, at a point in time between his conception and death

- He is in Christ through his believing in the gospel of Christ, and

- He shall be in Christ by the glorious resurrection at the end of time.

The Scriptures speak of this multifaceted truth of being in Christ.

Few understand the richness of this blessed truth. They know and believe only one aspect of this truth, i.e. they are in Christ through their work of believing in Christ! This betrays an understanding of their salvation that is work based.

It is like thinking that a deformed one-fingered hand is a normal complete hand.  Instead of having a dazzling diamond, they have a plain glass marble.

Have you been defrauded; is your "in Christ" a dazzling diamond or a plain marble?

Valiant for the Truth

 

July 14, 2020 

#valiant_for_the_truth

Jeremiah 9:1-16.

In the passage, the LORD gave a long list of censures against the evils and wickedness among His people.

My first impression was, "there goes the Reformed fable of the perseverance of the saints." It is the popular Reformed idea that children of God will most certainly persevere in faith and holiness of life to the end of their lives; those who don't, can't possibly be God's children, to begin with, they insist. They have perverted the P of TULIP; P doesn't say God's children will certainly persevere in faith and holiness of life to the end of their lives.

Jeremiah 9:3
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

One of the top censures against His people is "they are not valiant for the truth..." Closely related to that evil is the twin wickedness stated next, "for they proceed from evil to evil" and "they know not me."

Note a few things:
i. It is the LORD God Himself who leveled these censures.

ii. These censures are leveled against His people; the phrase "my people" occurs in the first two verses.

iii. Precious truth has been delivered to His people through His prophets. This was a unique blessing enjoyed by them. Rom 3:2

iv. How did they treat such a precious gift to them? "They are not valiant for the truth." 

They are not excited with the precious gift; they don't treasure it; they don't learn and understand it; they don't proclaim and defend it; naturally, they don't contend for the truth or expose the lies that are peddled as truth.

v. What's the inevitable consequence when God's people are not valiant for the truth?
- They will proceed from evil to evil; when they are indifferent to the truth of God and are not guided by the truth of God, they will walk contrary to righteousness. Instead of being spiritually-minded, they are carnally minded.
- They know not their LORD: the LORD is to be known through the truth that He has spoken unto us. The LORD's revelation Himself is the only way His people can know Him.

The fact that the LORD censured His people shows that valiancy for His truth is a just and reasonable expectation; it is also a necessary duty for the spiritual wellbeing and usefulness of God's children.

Too many Christians couldn't care less; in fact, not a few are averse to sound doctrines; as a result, they know not the LORD their God. Many are "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2Tim 3:7.

Are you valiant for the truth of the LORD our God? We live in perilous times; we need be valiant for the truth of God. Amen.

Is common sense dead?

Life precedes the activities of that life;
Justification by God's grace precedes the ability in Christ;
Regeneration precedes the ability to believe in Christ.

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.

Ephesians 2:1 KJT
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

It's common sense that life precedes the actions of that life; faith is an activity of spiritual life. except a man be born again (regenerated) with spiritual life, he is still dead in trespasses and sins, utterly incapable of exercising faith.

EVEN SO...

To say that your faith is the cause of your justification by God is to put the cart before the horse.

It's equally common sense to say that a man's justification freely by God precedes his faith in Jesus Christ. Why? you ask.

It's common sense.
An unjustified man is a man still in his native state of condemnation and death; a man in his native state can't possibly exercise faith in order to be justified by God. Sola fide is fiction.

Have you not read these words:
Romans 3:24 KJT — Being justified FREELY by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:18 KJT — Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Adam's sin brought the condemnation of death upon all represented by him; EVEN SO, Christ's righteousness secured the justification of life to all represented by Him. Amen.

At the justification freely by God's grace, the righteousness of Christ is freely APPLIED to an elect personally (it's already IMPUTED to all the elect during the double imputation at the cross) in his native state of condemnation and death UNTO the justification of life.

The Father's free and gracious act of applying Christ's righteousness to the redeemed gives the divine warrant to the Spirit of God to regenerate such; that is why justification is termed as justification of life. (Rom 5:18)

Your faith evidences your justified state, freely by God's grace; even so, your breath evidences the prior impartation of life; your breath is not the cause of getting you your life.

May the gracious Lord grant you to understand this blessed good news.

p/s - just in case, if any is misguided in this too:
- Faith is NOT the gift of God; eternal salvation is the gift of God, Eph 2:8. Eternal salvation is through the faith of Christ, i.e. Christ's faithfulness in discharging the redemptive work to save His people. - Faith is ONE of the many saving graces worked in a child of God (an elect that has been justified, regenerated, adopted and bestowed with the Spirit of adoption to indwell him) by the Holy Spirit, Gal 5:22.
- A gift comes from without; it's a saving grace that is worked from within by the indwelling Spirit of God.

Conduct yourself honorably in the midst of personal attacks

 

Conduct yourself honorably in the midst of personal attacks (Nehemiah 6)

a. In the good work of rebuilding and repairing the wall of the city of God, there was not only bitter opposition to the good work from without, there were also all sorts of problems from within that hinder the good work,  chapter 5. This is to be expected. It was so from the very beginning.

b. In chapter 4, the bitter opposition was aimed at the people of God collectively: ‘the Jews,’ ‘the feeble Jews,’ ‘they… they… they’ ‘attack Jerusalem…’ All these bitter opposition did not work because they have a god-fearing and dedicated leader to lead and to labor with them. The good work of repairing and rebuilding the wall of the city of God continue uninterrupted and marches towards completion.
- In chap.6 we see the change of tactic by the enemies. Now the attacks, in all their various forms are aimed at Nehemiah personally. The tactic is called, ‘Discredit the shepherd and scatter the flock,’ ‘Smite the shepherd and destroy the flock.’ Nehemiah said, “To me,’ ‘do me harm,’ ‘they sent unto me,’

1. Watch out against the subtle schemes of your enemies
a. They will propose to you peaceful co-existence and co-operation: “Come, let us meet together…”
- The plain of Ono was near the border of Samaria and Philistia, the country of the Ashdodites, who were allies of Sanballat. We will cease our opposition against the good work you are doing… We will co-operate!
- They will set before you all the reasons why it is necessary and advantageous for you to co-operate with them… to accept them as friends… for all sorts of mutual benefits, for the sake of the king, etc.
- They will also point out to you all the disadvantages of living separated lives from the world, missing out on all that the world could offer you… in reality are snares to your souls.
## See James 3:17- first pure, then peace. No peace with the enemies to God’s work. James 4:4.

b. They will be very persistent in their pretence: “Yet they sent unto me 4 times… in like manner 5th time…”
- Beware that their persistence does not mean any sincerity at all! Don’t take the bait!
- Often persistence will wear down any resistance. Sweet talk long enough and many will forget about the poison wrapped in those sweet words. Resists the onslaught of these temptations… Rm 12:2

c. They will employ slanderous letter to blackmail you: “… with an open letter in his hand.”
- Note, it is an open letter… intended to inflict the most damage. ‘It is reported… you… you… you… These matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.’

d. They will even make use of false prophet to make false prophec concerning you to cause you to acts cowardly so that you may be discredited in the eyes of your people.
- “Gashmu saith it…” sowing lies that rebellion is in the air.
- They have secret informers who pledge loyalty to those who opposed the Lord’s work.
- “Shemaiah… Tobiah and Sanballat has hired him” to stumble Nehemiah, to act cowardly…

2. Be immovable in your own calling & priorities
a. Know the great work that you are called to do: “I am doing a great work.”  It is not only a good work… but a great work.  Great work – it is God’s work… unto God’s glory and honor.
- Great work – it is necessary for the spiritual well-being of God’s people.

b. Let nothing distract you from the urgency of the great work: “Why should the work cease while…?”
- Your calling is to be a Christian… why should you be distracted from your high calling to live as one?
- 1Pet 4:3ff…  Eph 5:15ff…  Tit 2:11ff.

c. Seek the needed wisdom, strength and protection from the Lord: ‘O God, strengthen my hands.’ v9.
- The leopard does not change its spots! Know the real character of the enemy.
- Do not be misled or deceived. 1Pet 5:8f. Mark them!

3. Expose the evil schemes of the enemies for what they are
a. ‘But they sought to harm me’: it was no effort at peace or cooperation. Evil and opposition was intended.
- It is not because Nehemiah didn’t want people… How often leaders like Nehemiah are misunderstood…

b. ‘You feignest them in thine own heart’:. they are all lies invented in your own heart.
- They are false accusations… false insinuations… blatant lies invented by their wicked hearts… calculated to stir up trouble and opposition from the Persian authority.

c. Why are they doing all those wicked things? ‘They all were trying to make us afraid… so that we would desert the good and great work, v9. The enemy wants the great and good work abandoned!

d. There are many shameless cronies of Tobiah among the people of God in Judah: v17. Very subtly Tobiah influenced them to oppose Nehemiah. They pledged their loyalty to Tobiah… not because of truth
- We must pledge our allegiance to the truth of God… not to men… no matter how close they are to us… whether by blood or by civil relationship. Sometimes, truth will separate father and son, Mt 10:34.

To the believing, the gospel speaks of the power of God unto salvation

Rom 1:16 ¶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:16
¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

This wonderful passage is often misunderstood by those who are afflicted with the disease called soundbytitis. One of the consequences is the serious error of gospel regeneration.

The passage is NOT saying that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The passage is saying that to the believing ones, the gospel is perceived as the message that declares the power of God in salvation.

The news informs of what has happened; the gospel is good news of what God has sovereignly done, by His divine power alone to save His elect, through His Son Christ Jesus alone, and freely applied to each elect by the Holy Spirit alone.

The gospel is the message of the power of God in salvation; God, in Jesus Christ, saved His people to the uttermost.

The same gospel is perceived by the perishing ones as foolishness. 

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Cor 1:18.

There is an unbridgeable gulf between the two.

------

Read an article here: Why I am not ashamed of the gospel? 
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2017/07/why-i-am-not-ashamed-of-gospel-of-christ.html

Paradise (paradeisos) and Heaven ('ouranos) are distinct

 

#Paradise - παράδεισος, paradeisos
#Heaven - οὐρανός, 'ouranos

Paradise and heaven are distinct; they are not synonymous. I hope you are aware; too many equate the two!

Jesus' spirit went to PARADISE after He died; after the third day, He was resurrected. He showed Himself to His disciples and was finally taken up to HEAVEN. 

Luke 23
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in PARADISE.

I understand that the spirit of Jesus went to the PARADISE between His death and resurrection, i.e. during the intermediate state. After the resurrection, He ascended to His Father in HEAVEN, the eternal state. 

Please tell me if I'm wrong.

What did He do in paradise?

After His resurrection, the risen Lord said these,

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 

When did Jesus ascend to His Father and His God? And where is His Father and God?

We read this report in Acts 1 when Jesus ascended to His Father and His God in HEAVEN...

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into HEAVEN? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into HEAVEN, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into HEAVEN.

The thief went to PARADISE, the intermediate state between death and resurrection. Jesus' spirit was there briefly, but after His resurrection, He was taken up to His Father and His God in HEAVEN.

You might want to take note of these simple facts.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJT
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

How easy it is to twist the word of God!

How easy it is to twist the word of God!

 July 3, 2012
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3452576868645&set=a.1182086067794

How easy it is to twist the word of God!

Here is one GLARING example. See it for yourself!

2Pet 1 reads
5 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.

Nicky reads and concludes with this comment:
"If we do not make our election sure, then it follows that we are not elect, not that we are elect but failed to make it sure. The whole point of “making our election sure” is so we can have confidence that we ARE indeed elect! In other words, we have no assurance of being elect if we fail to make our election sure."

Nicky says:
If we do not make our election sure, then it follows that we are not elect.

Scriptures say:
If we do not make our election sure, then we (who have obtained like precious faith with the apostles through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, 2Pet 1:1) shall be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Nicky says:
The whole point of “making our election sure” is so we can have confidence that we ARE indeed elect!

Scriptures say:
The whole point of “making our election sure” is so that we (who have obtained like precious faith with the apostles through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ) shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

See how easy it is to twist the Holy Scriptures.
It is frightening!
Let each one of us BEWARE... myself included!
It is no light thing to twist God's word!
------------

7 comments

Johnny Davis
I've always thought that Paul wrote this. Thanks for the quote, from Peter, perhaps with the personality of all the apostles, to develop the fruist of the spirit. Sing, is this a progression, towards the ultimate Godly characteristic, Love? If so, it is interesting that faith is mentioned FIRST, even before "good works" and "good works - vitue" before knowledge. If this is Peter's intent through God, then so much for "knowledge" by hearing BEFORE someone can have faith, and good works. It comes after those two. What does the Word say to you, not what do you think?

Sing F Lau
The first and chief work that God requires of His children is FAITH... believe on Him whom He has sent... That's the starting point... when that is settled, progress can be made.

When a child of God has done that, then he has a treasure chest to add other virtues into it.

John 6
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.

They asked about WORKS (plural)
Jesus said, forget the works, and directed them to ONE work. First thing first! Start with this work (singular). Get this one work sorted out first before thinking about others! That's the way to go, men!

Juliet Oliveros
amen pastor

Johnny Davis
I agree with you, on this interpretation of God's Word. While the ultimate goodness of God, is "love" and humans are able to achieve and obey the COMMAND to love, only through God, examples of all the virtues, come up, in our walk toward "godliness." The important think about "knowledge," is that it not get in the way, from our natural humanity to gloat of ourselves, in working toward other virutes, as "brotherly kindness," in particular. Thos other brothers make just not have been given the same knowledge that we have, and if God has given us the duty to teach, then it should be done with kindness, certainly with love. For without love, teaching, knowledge, any virtue, is meaningless. According to scripture.

Sing F Lau
'Meaningless' and 'unprofitable' are distinct, I think! May be less profitable, but surely not meaningless!

Johnny Davis
Well, from the standpoint, that Jesus himself said, that the Father was spread, through obvious error (from fortune tellers and magicians), I understand, your distinction. Yet, to the fortune teller, who has no love for God, and certainly no love for man, that he is in the process of scamming, it is meaningless to him. "If I should gain the entire world, and lose my soul, what does it profit?" The answer is so obvious, it was not given. NOTHING. That is meaningless, to me. Yet, by revealing the evil, that it is NOT love, not of the Father, the Father is "promoted" and taught, from God's spirit of love. So, in that sense, YES, you are correct, it is NOT meaningless.

Sing F Lau
Your statement: "For without love, teaching, knowledge, any virtue, is meaningless. According to scripture."

That's the context. How can 'teaching, knowledge, any virtue' be meaningless WITHOUT love? Without love, those great and good things would be of no profit to others! These don't become meaningless!

Do you delight in the number game? Resist the urge!

Do you delight in the number game? Resist the urge!

 

Do you delight in the number game? Resist the urge!

(The Brother who introduced the service exhorted from this Scriptures. I was blessed. Thanks, Brother Woon.)

Read 2Sam 24
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?....
10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

Despite his foolishness in the number game:

1. King David is tender-hearted:
a. He saw the foolishness of his number-loving game.
- he acknowledged his great sin to the LORD.

b. He took personal responsibility for his evil deed (v17 " Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house." Taking responsibility is a rare grace!
- He defended the innocent, "but these sheep, what have they done?"

2. King David is wise:
- he chose to fall into the hand of the LORD instead of into the hands of man! " I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man." v14.

3. King David is obedient:
- he obeyed what prophet Gad instructed him to do. "Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD... And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded... And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings."

4. King David is no freeloader:
- "Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."

Monergists oblivious to their silliness!

Monergists put the cart before the horse
and are oblivious to their silliness.

 

July 3, 2019

Monergistic in sound only but wholly synergistic in sense - quite typical; what's worse is that the Monergists are oblivious to their error.

In a post here https://www.facebook.com/1508696.../posts/10151291770289949/ by Monergism on its page, the Administrator speaks approvingly of the third scenario depicted in the picture.

But the third scenario is remotely monergistic.

Can you see it?

"... sinners are welcome here and I will change your heart to love the things I love...."

The plain meaning of the above is this:, when sinners (whose hearts are not yet changed, i.e. still dead in trespasses and sins) come to Christ, they are welcome by Christ, and He will change their hearts (by the divine act of regeneration) to love the things He loves.

And Monergism APPROVES this cart-before-horse salvation, that men whose hearts have not been changed can come to Christ to have their hearts changed; men dead in trespasses and sins must meet the condition of coming to Christ in order for their hearts to be changed by Jesus Christ. Monergism claims that this salvation is still unconditional by the free and monergistic grace of God.

Christ calls those whose hearts He HAS CHANGED to come to Him. Those coming to Him will find rest.

Matthew 11:28 KJV — Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The change of heart through the free and sovereign regeneration PRECEDES the ability to come to Christ.

Monergists put the cart before the horse and are oblivious to their silliness.