Will the Lord justly charge you, and me for lip service?

Matthew 7
21 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

You have no doubt heard this passage quoted and tossed around, often abused and misused.

Let's ask some questions to assist us in rightly dividing the passage:

Verse 21:
- Who is the Lord addressing with these words?
- Who is capable of confessing Christ as Lord?
- What is the kingdom of heaven? Is it the same as heaven?
- What is the condition to enter the kingdom of heaven?
- Is entering the kingdom of heaven and heaven itself the same?
- What is the condition to enter heaven?
- Who is to meet the condition in each case?
- What's the will of Christ's Father?
- Who can, and is expected to do the will of Christ's Father?
- Does everyone who is expected to do the will of Christ's Father do it?

verse 22:
- What is "that day" spoken of?
- Is the day spoken of already past or still future?
- Who are "the many" who confess Jesus as their Lord?
- Do they make false and exaggerated claims?
- Why do they attribute their works to the Lord's name?
- What sort of people attribute their works to the Lord Jesus Christ?

verse 23:
- In what sense did the Lord never know them?
- What is their work of iniquity?
- What will happen to them?

You may have your own questions; ask away.
Who are justly culpable of lip service?

Will the Lord justly charge you, and me for lip service?

The faith which was once delivered unto the saints

The faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Jude 3 KJT
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

1. THE FAITH
a. What is the basis or foundation that the saints' salvation is one common salvation? Jude gives us the answer when he speaks of 'the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.' 
- How do the saints come to know and enjoy this glorious and free salvation purposed by God the Father, accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, & freely applied to you by the Holy Spirit?

- How do we know that this common salvation is indeed purposed by God, accomplished by Jesus Christ & applied to us by the Holy Spirit? Did you dream of it, shown to you in a vision, or read it in a philosophy book?

- There is only one answer to that - it is through 'the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.' The one true and common salvation of all saints can only and must come to the saints through the channel of 'the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.'

- The saints' salvation is one common salvation because 'the faith which was once delivered to the saints' declares and teaches one and the same common salvation for all who believe. Rm 10:13-17

- The faith here speaks of the objective doctrines of the Christian belief. It is not the grace of faith worked in the saints by the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. It is the faith with the definite article 'the'. It is the definite and particular set of doctrines concerning the salvation which God has provided for His people through His Son, Jesus Christ.

- This set of objective doctrines teaches that there is only one common salvation for all saints.

2. The Faith is the DELIVERED Faith

3. The Faith is the ONCE-delivered Faith

4. The Faith is once delivered to the SAINTS

Think about these...

The Context of the Legalism Paul was Fighting Against

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

Sir, what do you think of these words on NPP?

The pre-Christian Saul
Proponents of New Perspectivism usually argue that Paul, before conversion, was more of a zealout for his nation (Israel) and their special place in God's plan than a devout Jew who was trying to earn his salvation. This is important, because if true, this means that Paul was not fighting legalism and that much Protestant Pauline scholarship following upon Luther has been wrong."
=======

️First, let me ask some questions:
- What is a zealot?
- What's the special place of zealots in God's plan for the nation of Israel?
- Did any of the three thousand devout Jews, who were converted on the day of Pentecost, try to earn their salvation? If they did, for what purpose/to what end did they believe in Jesus Christ?

- If Apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was not fighting against legalism, the imposition of ceremonial laws upon the Gentile believers by the Judaizers, then what was he fighting against?

- What's the Protestant Pauline scholarship? Why was it wrong?

Mr Luther was wrong on a few important issues. 
- He advocated justification by faith alone.
- The Scriptures declares, "... justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." "Justified freely by His grace" declares the MANNER the condemned guilty sinners are justified by God; "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" speaks of the BASIS of that free grace justification.

Second, mark the context of legalism

Fighting against legalism WAS NOT an issue UNTIL the conversion of the Gentiles to Christ and gathering them into the apostolic churches.

Apostle Paul, THE Apostle to the Gentiles, fought against legalism BECAUSE the Judaizers were intent on imposing the ceremonial laws of Moses upon the Gentile believers.

Legalism was a NON-ISSUE among the devout Jews; they all agreed to the observation of the ceremonial laws; they were all of the old covenant community.

Legalism became a watershed life-and-death issue in the context of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christ, by His redemptive work, has not only fulfilled, BUT ALSO ABROGATED the ceremonial laws. See Apostle Paul's extended arguments in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. Instances of the intense disputes are recorded in Acts, too.

Christ Jesus, by His redemptive work, HAS FREED His redeemed - whether Jew or Gentile - from the bondage of the ceremonial laws.

Galatians 2:4 KJT — And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Galatians 5:1 KJT — Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

The Jewish believers were not only unbelieving of this wonderful deliverance from the grievous bondage, but they insisted on REMAINING under this bondage.

Worse still, they had the audacity to force the Gentile believers under the same bondage. This is the legalism Apostle Paul fought against in defence of the gospel of Christ.

May the Lord grant you understanding. Amen.

The Doctrine of Imputation Mocked and Repudiated

Below was written to someone who repudiates
 the doctrine of imputation.
(with the quote from NTWright to support it.)

 

#imputation_mocked_repudiated

Romans 5:18 KJV — 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.

HOW, by the offence of one, judgment came [simple past tense] upon all men to condemnation? When did this happen?
(The sin of Adam was IMPUTED to all represented by him, resulting in their condemnation of death. This took place during the fall.)

HOW, by the righteousness of one, the free gift came [simple past tense] upon all men unto justification of life? When did this happen?
(The righteousness of Christ was IMPUTED to all represented by Him, resulting in their justification of life. This took place when Christ died on the cross.)

By what same law/principle did the above HAPPEN?
(By the laws of representation and imputation.)

Tell me what is the word that conveys/expresses this principle.

The NPP's usage of a human court to mock and repudiate the gospel truth of the imputation of righteousness is a FATAL flaw.

In an earthly human court,
The judge and the advocate for the defendant cannot be related. Otherwise, the judge must recuse himself to avoid any conflict of interest.

In the heavenly divine court,
The Judge of and the Advocate for the condemned are related as Father and Son; the Advocate being appointed by the Judge himself, for the condemned. The Advocate is also the Redeemer of the defendants.

The NPP has lost its plot; it's Empty Wrong.

Thanks.

--------

Be careful...
Without sound doctrines, there is no gospel.
Fuzzy Churchianity is loved, but
Apostolic Christianity is loathed.
Are you righteous before God?
How did you become righteous before God?
What did you, in your native unjustified state, do to become righteous before God?

Ask your questions.

What/who are the so called 'sons of God'?

 

https://www.facebook.com/notes/10217726042118283/

What/Who are the so called 'sons of God'?

Genesis 6:
1 ¶ And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 ¶ And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4 ¶ There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 ¶ And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 ¶ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

============

It is commonly asserted that the 'sons of God' spoken of in verse 2 refer to men of the 'godly' line of Seth, and the 'daughters of men' the women of the ungodly line.   And that their intermarriage brought forth "children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."

And the intermarriage brought about the catastrophic effect described - "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

Then whatever happened to the men of the so called godly line? Why and how did the men of the so-called godly line simply disappeared? 

Why imagine the 'sons of God' to be the men of the godly line when they chose to marry the ungodly women. Are they really men of the godly line? Such idea just does not match.

Was intermarriage even an issue then? If intermarriage had such catastrophic effect and destruction, surely they must have been a loud and clear warning against such practice!

If intermarriage between the godly and the ungodly has such catastrophic effect, wouldn't the marriage among the ungodly be worse?

Will intermarriage between godly men and ungodly women produces such offspring - "when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown," offspring which became the  cause for what is stated in verse 5 - i.e. "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Bottom line, is intermarriage between the godly and the ungodly adequate to explain what is written in Gen 6 - the catastrophic and disastrous effect, and the necessary destruction that followed?

Think, think, and think again!

Did God permit Man to eat of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden?

 

A dear saint inquired:

Saint
Blessed morning, bro. Sing
Did God permit Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden?

sing
Gen 2:23 Therefore, the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

No, the LORD God did not permit Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. They had forfeited the right to the fruit of the tree.

It's also a wonderful act of divine mercy that they are kept away from that tree, for a very good reason.

Saint
Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

sing
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is distinct from the tree of life; they served different specific purposes.

The former is for the purpose of probation: to test Adam if the LORD God ALONE is the sole source of the knowledge of what is good and evil. Not to eat from it is to acknowledge the truth that the LORD God alone is indeed the only source of knowledge of what constitutes good and evil.

The latter is for their confirmation; if they succeed in their probation, they shall have access to the tree of life. They shall be confirmed in their blessed state of immortality.

Since they failed their probation/ test, they forfeited their access to the tree of life.

Scriptures indicate that they FOOLISHLY and desperately wanted access to the tree of life after the fall; "The LORD God... placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."

Can you imagine the frightening situation if they had access to the tree of life in their FALLEN DYING state? Imagine ever dying but cannot die; the world would be filled with dying people who cannot die!

Gen 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever."

If Adam had eaten from the tree of life after the fall,  it would be an immortality in the state of sin of everlasting hell on earth. Such a horrid folly must be averted.

Immortality in the state of grace is by Jesus Christ alone, and that's eternity in heaven after the general resurrection.

Saint
Thanks bro. Sing. Great help.

sing
I'm glad it helped.

------

If someone asks, "Why did the LORD God so carefully guard the tree of life from Adam and Eve? Why didn't He let them eat from it? Wasn't He so very unkind?

What would be your reply?

Gen 3:24 So He drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

(please  note:
- "the man" consisted of male Adam and female Eve.
- The LORD God stationed CHERUBIMS to prevent access to the tree of life, to guard the way to the tree of life.
- a flaming sword which turned every way: yes, just one sword, but one sword that turns every way is sufficient and adequate for the task. 

Why such tight security?
What does this speak of man's folly and desperation?
What does this speak of God's mercy?

The Common Salvation of Saints

Jude 1:3 KJT
¶Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

κοινός koinós: common, i.e. (literally) shared by all.

The "common salvation" is the salvation shared by all the saints, that is, all that "are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called," Jude 1b.

The common salvation of saints...
- All saints, without exception, are freely chosen and predestined by God;
- All saints, without exception, are redeemed by the life and death of Jesus Christ;
-  All saints, without exception, are justified on the same basis, even the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ; (no, your faith/act of believing has NOTHING to do with it!)
- All saints, without exception, are justified in the same manner, freely by the grace of God; (no, your faith/act of believing has NOTHING to do with it!)
- All saints, without exception, are equally regenerated by the same Spirit of God based upon the same merit, the righteousness of Christ freely applied to them by the grace of God; (yes, you were regenerated when you were dead in trespasses and sins.)
- All saints, without exception, are equally united to Christ, and are equally members of Christ;
- All saints, without exception, are equally indwelt by the Spirit of adoption; (yes, it is this indwelling Spirit who works all the saving graces, including the grace of faith, in you; the grace of faith ENABLES you to believe the truth of your salvation by the grace of God in Jesus Christ!)
- All saints, without exception, are under the same Lordship and Kingship of the Saviour Jesus Christ;
- All saints, without exception, possess the same resurrection hope of eternal glory in Christ Jesus.

The saints of God - those God freely and sovereignly set apart from the state of sin and death in Adam to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ - possess the common salvation indeed.

Is your salvation in COMMON with the common salvation of the saints of God?

===========

Reglee
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for...

(THE FAITH)...
...which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 1:3 KJV)
Again... (THE) Faith... not our faith.. I love the KJV. See here,

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4 KJV)

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

...the word "our" is in italics, meaning, the authors of the KJV are granting its readers permission to remove that word and place there a more fitting word if the disciplined student finds reason to. Well, I put "THE" in place of our for this very purpose which you found in your study... "common salvation" and THE FAITH I believe are referring to the same idea.

Sing
Reglee: THE FAITH once delivered to the saints defines for the saints what THE COMMON SALVATION of the saints is.

Reglee
Beloved... the beloved of that generation, that is who Jude is writing to. The letter wasn't written to people from China in 60 AD... even the elect that were in China during 60 AD. How do I know this? Well, they never had the opportunity to read this letter. Also, in retrospect, if that letter isn't for people in China in 60 AD, then it's not written to us today in 2023, no, not even to God's Elect.

Now, this letter is edifying and eye-opening to us, and it is preserved for us who are the Elect of God in 2023, sure! But may we never lose sight of the fact that these letters were actually meant for a people who were about to experience an Exodus from an Era.

Sing
Reglee: Yes, it is helpful to remember who the original recipients are. Nevertheless, the truth spoken of here cannot be restricted or limited to them.

Tell us more about the Exodus from an Era.
Thanks.

Reglee
Sing: Well, here is the perseverance of the saints. Those who endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.. found in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Now, just how in common is mine and your salvation with those who experienced the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D.?

20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judæa flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-22 KJV)

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to the mountains: (Mark 13:13-14 KJV)

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:13-16 KJV)

Sing
Reglee: Thanks, I was misled by the word 'exodus' in "Exodus of an Era." It's more like "End of an Era" - an Era of a few thousand years of the earthly theocratic Israel is heading for oblivion! This was why so many Jews found it impossible to believe...

2Pet 3
4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Reglee
Sing: right. Well, this fleeing to Petra (the mountains) in 70A.D. away from The Land of Israel is similar to Exodus.

Follow me...
The church under Moses in the wilderness was there for 40 years before they came into the promised land.

The church in Israel was in Israel for 40 years after the resurrection.

Ok now read...
15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; (Deuteronomy 18:15 KJV)

Now we have this being fulfilled in Jesus.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. (Acts 3:22 KJV)

The baptism in the Red Sea was John the Baptist's baptism. A baptism into the wilderness/a baptism in the wilderness. Those who were of John's baptism was in Jerusalem for 40 years.

The Baptism of Jesus was the baptism through the Jordan river into the promise land under Joshua (The Kingdom of God).

Joshua/Yeshua are synonymous names. They mean exactly the same thing.

The Book of The Revelation of Jesus is The church of Jerusalem being delivered out from Israel before Titus destroyed it.

Sing
Reglee: @ "The church in Israel was in Israel for 40 years after the resurrection."
------------
The church in Israel was in Israel for 40 years after the resurrection; then Israel was obliterated.

Of the church in Israel who believed the warnings of Christ ( Matt 24) on the impending judgment upon Jerusalem would flee Jerusalem timely and be delivered from being slaughtered and roasted, or captured and sold as slaves - along with the natural Jews.

Was Adam created immortal?

Was Adam created immortal?

 

Leong
My Hebrew teacher asked me this:  Was Adam created immortal? What do you think of this?

sing
Adam was created with immortality - i.e. with an ever-living and undying spirit. This is one of the reasons for this declaration, ”And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Genesis 1:31 KJT

Death/mortality - the separation of his body and spirit, and separation from and cessation of fellowship/communion with God - was a divine penalty judicially imposed on account of sin. Mortality is not part of Adam's creation; death is the wages of sin

Genesis 2:17 KJT — But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

What did the race of Adam lose in Adam through his disobedience?

What did Christ, the second Adam, gain for His race through His obedience?

The fact that what we have gained in Christ is infinitely better than what we had lost in Adam - this does not directly deal with the question of whether Adam was created immortal.

If Adam had obeyed, he and his race would have been confirmed in the state of natural blessedness,  in which he was created. It would have been a world without sin and its devastating consequences.

Genesis 1:31 KJT — And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, *it was very good*. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Adam and his race were created immortal. Heaven and the lake of fire for eternity after the general resurrection are indisputably affirmative of the immortality of Adam and his race.

1 Corinthians 15:53 KJT — For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

2 Timothy 1:10 KJT — But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Pay close attention to this 2-verse paragraph:

Romans 5
18 ¶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. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Mortality, condemnation  of death is the effect of sin, of disobedience.

May the Lord grant you understanding. Amen.

Leong
So we do not need Christ to die for us, had Adam not sinned? But God had planned it to be this way before the world was formed. So God knew that Adam would sin.

sing
If Adam had not sinned, he would have been confirmed in his natural state of blessedness; if he had not sinned, there would have been no death, mortality to deal with.

God had made Adam completely capable of not falling had Adam chosen to obey. But he was capable of falling, too. That explains the thunderous warning, "... thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Yea, God has purposed the eternal redemption of His people; He did not leave the whole race of Adam to its just and righteous wrath because of sin. He knew Adam would fail.

Ephesians 1
3 ¶Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Go and read a bit, and you will discover that Adam was created immortal, with free agency to act in obedience or disobedience to God's command.

Death is a judicial penalty imposed upon sin; if there were no sin, there would be no death.

Leong
I just finished joining our Hebrew grammar class. At the end of the class, the teacher touched a bit on "is Adam created immortal?" Her answer was that Adam was created a mortal. The reason is that the Tree of Life is in the garden also.

She said that the opposite of the Tree of Life is the Tree of Death (aka the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil). So Adam is created physically mortal but spiritually immortal

sing
The tree of life was in the garden for one specific purpose: access to the tree of life is for the confirmation in the state of blessedness because of obedience.

The tree of life IS NOT the opposite of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil IS NOT the tree of death. Where does this silly idea come from?

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil served one specific purpose:
Genesis 2:17 KJV — But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

It's just a normal, ordinary tree. It's designated as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to denote one thing:
- For Adam to eat of the tree is to declare himself as the source of the knowledge of what is good and evil;
- For Adam not to eat of that tree, IN OBEDIENCE TO the LORD God, is to declare/acknowledge that God is the source of the knowledge of what is good and evil.
- That's the significance of the name of that tree.

 It declares a most basic fundamental issue: Who is the source of the knowledge of good and evil: man himself, or LORD God?

May God grant you understanding.

There is a judgment immediately after death

Do you see a man camouflaged in the foreground? 
Some things are plain and obvious,
but they are not noticed or willfully ignored. 

Ecclesiastes 12
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it...
13 ¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

These words are addressed to God's children; those still dead in trespasses and sins are incapable of fearing God and keeping His commandments.

Judgment according to our works is related to temporal salvation only, even our place in the intermediate state.

For the redeemed, there is no more judgment on the day of judgment at Christ's coming again; it will be resurrection to glory.

Hebrews 9
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

There is a judgment after death, "for God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Some relegate the judgment spoken of here to the end of time, a long long time AFTER physical death!

For the redeemed, when Christ comes the second time, it will be WITHOUT sin but UNTO salvation; there will be no more judgment according to works; it shall be resurrection to eternal glory, according to whether the names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. (Rev 20:15)

Ecc 12:7 "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Return unto God for the judgment stated in verse 14 "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

"... with every SECRET THING" too.
He sees in secret! (Mt 6:4,6,18)

If the works are evil, what then?
What's your answer?
Some will retort, "Ah, God's children are NOT capable of evil; those who do evil are not God's children to start with!"

p/s
John Gill and Matthew Henry on the judgement IMMEDIATELY after death:

Gill's commentary on the phrase "... but after this the judgment" - "the last and general judgment, which will reach to all men, quick and dead, righteous and wicked, and in which Christ will be Judge. There is a particular judgment which is immediately after death; by which, the souls of men are condemned to their proper state of happiness or woe; and there is an universal judgment, which will be after the resurrection of the dead, and is called eternal judgment, and to come; this is appointed by God, though the time when is unknown to men; yet nothing is more certain, and it will be a righteous one."

Matthew Henry's commentary on the same text:
“It is appointed to men that after death they shall come to judgment, to a particular judgment immediately after death; for the soul returns to God as to its judge, to be determined to its eternal state; and men shall be brought to the general judgment, at the end of the world.   

==============
Regg
Good morning 🌞 bro. Sing. Amen… these are also my own personal conclusions I come to when reading the verses you’ve shared.

sing
Regg, Hairyticks don't differ, do they?

Regg
Sing, in things similar to how they see the scriptures, nope. An agreement doesn’t make the thing in consideration true; it can only declare what it believes to be true.

Does that mean truth cannot be known? No.

That’s the error of the Gnostic.
We know the truth can and is known by His children.
“My sheep hear My voice…”

sing
Regg, Indeed, all Scriptures is profitable, therefore all is perspicuous; truth can be known.
Agreement doesn't make the thing under consideration true - indeed, Sir.
I was called a hairytick for saying what I posted above.

Regg
Sing, Always consider the source…

sing
Regg, Everyone bellows "sola scriptura." 

Regg
Yes, they do.

Question on Women Pastors

From: Nicolet
To:     sing <singpenang@gmail.com>
Date:  Jun 28, 2009, 3:23 PM

Hi Pastor,
I'm Nicolet and I'm Johanan's friend. I'm a Christian and I attend a charismatic church in Singapore (VFC). During holidays, I also attend Wesley Methodist Church in Penang.

Well, I think it was a few months ago when he said some very disturbing things, such as tongues do not exist, and women cannot be pastors, and only Catholics celebrate Good Friday, among other things.

It wasn't easy to understand what he claims to be true to the bible because it is in conflict with what my pastors preach (they always say "let's all pray in tongues for a while") and what my church does. In Singapore, there are female pastors in my church (and perhaps you've heard of them, the Seawards), and I did ask my pastor from Wesley whether women can be pastors and he told me it's a Southern Baptist belief, an American kind-of problem and not so much of an Asian problem. He did use the example of Deborah from the bible to back that argument.

Anyway, since Johanan isn't very good at explaining (and he admits it), he directed me to you. So, I'd like to ask you two questions..

1. Where does it say in the bible that women cannot be pastors? and
2. Why does he say that tongues have ceased? (when it isn't stated explicitly that they have...)

Yup, hope you could help me understand these issues. Thanks!

God Bless,
Nicolet

-----

from: sing <singpenang@gmail.com>
to: Nicolet
date: Jun 28, 2009, 5:44 PM

Hello Nicolet,
It is good to hear from you. Thank you for being a friend to Jo-Hanan!

And I am mighty glad that you are making inquiries what the Bible teaches on the issues you have raised. I always enjoy studying the Scriptures together with fellow saints.

I will direct you to the passages of Scriptures that deal with the issues under consideration. I will leave it to the Spirit of God to teach you from Scriptures given by His divine inspiration.

Your spirit of wanting to know what the Bible say is most commendable. Nowadays, few care to know what the Bible says - what it says is irrelevant to them. More commendable would be to practice what you are shown the Bible teaches.
- "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22.
- "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." Matthew 7:24-25.

Apostle Paul wrote to Pastor Timothy, "1 ¶ I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from THE TRUTH, and shall be turned unto FABLES [FICTIONS]." 2Tim 4:1-4.

One more note: you and I need to agree that in the doctrine and practice of the Christian religion, the Bible is the SOLE guide and authority. Our only interest is what has God said on this matter. God's revelation is everything; man's imagination is vanity. It is not what this pastor or that professor or that doctor of divinity says. There are enough such people teaching FABLES as TRUTH! Therefore, it is "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20.

Jesus condemned the religious people of His day with these words,
- "6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7.

Let's consider the issues you raise. I will give some passages of Scriptures for your preliminary consideration and study.

<< Well I think it was a few months ago when he said very disturbing things such as tongues do not exist and women cannot be pastors and only Catholics celebrate Good Friday, among other things.>

The veracity of a matter is not determined by how much it disturb us. An uninformed and prejudiced mind is often disturbed by the things (whether true or false) it hears the first time. For example, when it was first stated that the world is ROUND, it was very disturbing to the ignorant Roman Catholic Church. They had always believe that the world is FLAT, and that the world is the centre of the universe! Lies are sweet and comforting to those with itching ears - said Apostle Paul!

The veracity of a matter is to be measured by its EXACT conformity to the Holy Scriptures, God's revealed word to His children.

1. Where does it say in the bible women cannot be pastors?

The Bible not only affirms positively that only QUALIFIED male man are to be pastors. It plainly forbids women to be pastors. This is not because men are better than women. This is because the Head and Lord of the church decided so - it is the will of the Head and Lord of the Church.

Here are some passages of Scriptures for your consideration. The teaching is plain and easily understood. You draw your own conclusion.

Apostle Paul writing to Pastor Timothy, reminding him of the qualification of a pastor/teacher in 1Tim 3. (This is repeated in Titus 1.)

 1Timothy 3 KJT
1 ¶ This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

There are ONLY TWO offices in the church of Jesus Christ - only two sets of qualification are given for the two offices of the NT church - that of pastors/teachers and deacons.

The rest are all man-made and imagined. For these offices that Christ Himself has ordained for His church, He himself lays down the qualifications for those exact and same offices. No more and no less.

What about women pastors? Read this passage and may our Lord give you light!
1Timothy 2:
9 ¶ In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Please understand these words in their proper context - the church. There are many vocations where women can teach legitimately. But it is the will of the head of the Church that the office of pastors/teachers are restricted to man only - and restricted to selected men, men whom the Lord Jesus Christ himself has called and given to the church. Read Ephesians 4:11 "... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." Four distinct teaching offices are given by the Lord Jesus Christ to His church; the first three are unique to the apostolic church; that fourth, i.e. the pastors and teachers are normative to the whole gospel age. 

Women 'pastors/teachers' are USURPERS - God's words, not mine.  They are greatest shame to Christ... they pretend to be teachers of Christ's word but are the greatest transgressors of Christ's plain command. And this order of male headship is based on creation principles and the tragedy of the fall - and not something cultural  or misogynous or Jewish male chauvinism.

Another passage, 1Cor 14:33ff - the immediate context is the orderliness when the church meet for public worship - " How is it then, brethren? when ye come together..." (for public worship - where men and women, boys and girls are gathered together) verse 26.

Read the passage below slowly, and think for yourself. Let the Word of God speaks to you.
26  How is it then, brethren? when ye come together...
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
34 ¶ Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

The context is the gathering of the church for public worship: it is not permitted unto women to speak - in the office and capacity of pastors/teachers. That office is RESERVED by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to those selected men whom He Himself has called and equipped for the work of pastors/teachers, see Eph 4:11.

All so-called women 'pastors/teachers' are WITHOUT shame - not knowing that they shame themselves for usurping man's office, they shame Christ the head of the Church by repudiating Christ's command, they transgress the law of God, they shame the 'sissy spineless men' under their ministry. God's words, not mine!

Now, let those who claim that women can be pastors prove that these plain Scriptures speak otherwise! May our Lord grant you light, and guide you. If I have erred from the Scriptures, please be so kind to convert me back to the truth. "19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;  20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." James 5.

It refreshes my own soul restating these plain truths from the Holy Scriptures. And I thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so.

If you have further questions, please feel free to ask further.

I commend you, young lady, for wanting to know what the word of God says on the various issues.

2Ti 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

2. Why does he say that tongues have ceased? (when it isn't stated explicitly that they have...)

I will reply to this question on 'tongues' in another mail, tomorrow.

Until then, read a helpful article here first:
https://letgodbetrue.com/bible-topics/index/heresies/tongues-have-ceased/

your brother and servant in Christ,
pastor lau