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.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord

March 4, 2024

Hebrews 12:14 NIV
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Good morning, Sir. May I ask:
- Why is it stated here that without holiness no one can see God?
- Won't all the elect go to heaven to be with God?

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Hebrews 12:14 KJT
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

1. Preliminaries:
a. Please note the differences in the translations. Can you spot them? 
- List them.

b. Is the text’s "see the Lord" the same as your "go to heaven to be with God" or are they different? Why?

c. You asked: Won't all the elects go to heaven to be with God?
- Yes, all the elect shall finally be effectually called and made perfectly fit for eternal glory; they shall enter heaven to be with God after their resurrection to glory when Christ come again.
- John 6:39 "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
- “The last day”, the day of general resurrection and great judgment, and ushering in of the eternal state of blessedness.
- "I should lose nothing": i.e. every elect given to Christ shall be with God in heaven after the resurrection to glory.
- "I should lose NOTHING"; no not one.

2. Let us make some observations:
a. "follow" (dioko) is the right translation, " make every effort" is an interpretation and an application. Translators must do the translators’ job; leave the interpretation and application to the pastors/teachers
- To follow requires making every effort and much more.

b. The verb “follow” (present, active, imperative, second person plural) applies equally to both "follow peace with all men" and "holiness;" follow peace with all men, and follow holiness.
- “to follow” - to run swiftly in order to catch a thing. Check BlueLetterBible.
- “Follow holiness” is a duty the Lord commands (present, active, imperative, second person plural). Unto whom is the commands given???

c. "Follow peace with all men" - "all men": not exhaustively, i.e. everyone, but all sorts of men; even the enemies, the poor, the ignorant, weak, the antagonists, those you consider as heretics, etc.
- Romans 12:18— "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
- What’s the opposite? Hostile, divisive, my way or the highway, cut-cut-cut, etc.

d. "without WHICH..." the pronoun "which" refers to noun immediately preceding it, "holiness". Some say both.
- “Follow holiness” (present, active, imperative, second person plural) is a duty the Lord commands; it is a condition that must be met to be able to see Him.
- Thus, seeing the Lord is conditioned upon the human effort of pursuing practical holiness.
- Thus, seeing the Lord can only be understood in the sphere of TEMPORAL salvation, and NOT seeing the Lord in the sense eternal salvation.
- Seeing the Lord in the eternal sense is assuredly and immutably guaranteed by the finished work of Christ ALONE.
- Anything that requires human effort is in the realm of temporal salvation; it is “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Phi 2:12.

3. To whom are these words addressed?
a. Read from the beginning of the chapter… see what each verse describes.
- These words are addressed to God's children, the elect whom God has effectually called to grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
- "... God dealeth with you as with sons." v7
- “… but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

b. Only such are capable of following holiness, i.e. to follow to run swiftly in order to catch a thing, to run in pursuit of practical holiness; to press on in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal of practical godliness.
- In WHAT sense without pursuing holiness no man shall see the Lord?

c. All the elect, without exception are effectually called and made perfectly fit for eternal glory; they shall enter heaven to be with God after their resurrection to glory when Christ come again.
- Every one of them shall most certainly see the Lord in this ETERNAL sense.

d. Every child of God (by the effectual call), whether outwardly called by the gospel or not, shall be resurrected/transformed unto eternal glory at the last day. A child of God is there by the sovereign divine act of the effectual call; the gospel ministry instructs and informs him and makes him wise concerning his eternal salvation by the grace of God.
- The divine effectual call relates to eternal salvation; gospel call relates to temporal salvation. The grace of God teaches “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2:12.  This is “follow holiness.”
- Every child of God, whether outwardly called by the gospel or not, shall be resurrected/ transformed unto eternal glory; every one of them shall most certainly see the Lord in that sense.
- John 14:3 "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." [Do you believe what is plainly declared here? ONLY when Christ come again, we shall be with Him where He is.]

4. Then what's the sense of: without holiness, no man shall see the Lord?
a. So, in what sense without holiness none of God's children shall see the Lord?
- The command is addressed to God’s children;
- “Follow holiness” is a duty performed by God’s children.
- The non-performance of it shall prevent them from seeing the Lord.

Let us ask some apt questions to assist us in rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Q. In what sense will God's children not see the Lord without their “follow holiness?”

Q. If one shall not see the Lord, then where will he be?

Q. If one shall not see the Lord, then when shall this be, what period of time shall this be? 

Q. Does your understanding of the distinction between the temporal and eternal salvation help you in understanding the passage?

Q. Does your understanding of the distinction between temporal intermediate state of paradise/hell and eternal state of heaven/lake of fire assist you in rightly dividing the word of truth?

Q. What is the holiness commanded to be followed?

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Some possible responses:
1. ALL God’s children, without exception, follow holiness, all shall see the Lord. 
- Therefore, the command and warning are irrelevant to God’s children. 
- Those who follow not holiness CANNOT possibly be God’s children to begin with.
- These are poplar fables even among the reformed people.

2. The warning is addressed to those dead in trespasses and sins. God commands them to follow holiness!

3. The warning is addressed to God's children; those who follow not holiness will not see the Lord during the intermediate state (between physical death and general resurrection). 

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