Author: Don Gerrity

2 Peter 2:20-21: Is Peter saying that a person can lose their Salvation in this passage?

Don Gerrity Peter, Q&A: Difficult Passages
2 Peter 2:20-21: Is Peter saying that a person can lose their Salvation in this passage?

Is Peter saying that a person can lose their Salvation in this passage?

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” (2 Peter 2:20-21 KJV)

Reading this passage alone it does seem like Peter is talking about a believers loss of Salvation and some use these two verses to push their agenda that Once Saved Always Saved is not Biblical. Yet they fail to use proper context and make this Scripture to say what it is not saying at all.

In proper context, it is in this passage that Peter is talking about False Prophets and not believers. There are those that know the knowledge of the truth and understand how a person is to be saved, yet they will not believe.  Look at Judas Iscariot who walked with Christ in His ministry yet in the end did not belief on Christ for his Salvation. No one is saved by the knowledge of the truth in itself. No one is saved by understanding what the Bible teaches is the way to Salvation. It is only by BELIEF in the Gospel of Christ that a person becomes redeemed and saved!

“He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned ALREADY, because he hath not BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 KJV)

Being born again and saved from our punishment for sin hinges solely on faith and belief in the finished work of Christ.

There are those who have not yet HEARD the knowledge of the truth, that is the Gospel of our Salvation through Christ crucified. We need to reach them for Christ and God will.

This Scripture in 2 Peter 2 is just stating that some have enough knowledge about how to be saved that they can teach it to others, yet they do not even believe on the Gospel of Christ themselves. Without such belief, the Holy Spirit is not working through them to reach others for Salvation. In fact, they are false prophets headed for greater judgement.

We can see these false teachers all around us today. False Prosperity gospels and false works based Salvation gospels are just a couple of examples.

 

RELATED:

What Is The Source Of A Believer?

Don Gerrity Q&A: Christian Living, Q&A: Law of Moses
What Is The Source Of A Believer?

I see many believers today and pulpits teaching that we are still to be under the Ten Commandments. That we should be obeying them and that God did not ‘do away with them’ when Christ came. From the perspective that the Ten Commandments are God’s absolute truth and are Holy, they are correct but they are missing the point. The Law is dead to the Christian because it is all about how  the source has changed. The source for what? For our justification and Salvation and for our righteousness. What do I mean by that? Let’s look at a few Scriptures and then you will see it more clearly:

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under THE CURSE: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that NO MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW in the sight of God, it is evident: for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. AND THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, being made a curse FOR US: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (Galatians 3:10-13 KJV)

In this passage of Scripture we see that there has been a change when the New Covenant came into effect. The just (believers) are to now live by faith with the Holy Spirit indwelling as our source. Jesus Christ is now become our source and God lives within us now as the comforter and Holy Spirit.  The Law and Ten Commandments are not to be our source anymore. Our source is God within us! Faith and trust in Him that is indwelling us.

In Romans 7 we are told by Apostle Paul that,

“…ye also are become DEAD TO THE LAW BY THE BODY OF CHRIST; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, WHICH WERE BY THE LAW, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. BUT NOW WE ARE DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in NEWNESS OF SPIRIT, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

We are dead to the Law of Moses which had 613 man made laws plus the Ten Commandments given directly by God. We were DELIVERED FROM THE LAW. There has been a change! After receiving Christ as our Savior in belief of the atonement for sins He provided on the cross, we now have the spirit of God dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit within has now become our source and replaced the Law of Moses.

It is all about the source; a person is either following the Ten Commandments or He is following the spirit.

But does that mean it is okay to lie, murder, covet? Does that mean we do not have to follow the morals of the Ten Commandments? Not at all. So what does this mean? Let’s think about this logically a moment. Let’s compare what life is like using these two different, yet connected sources.

⇒ Life Under The Law As Our Source

Living under the Ten Commandments and all the Law of Moses as our source is like us trying our best in our own ability to keep every commandment without fail. So if we are coveting, in self righteous efforts, we keep saying to our self, “Stop coveting. Stop coveting. Stop coveting. Stop coveting!” Yet when we do that, we find ourselves in the same situation as Paul in Romans 7… we keep coveting!  It is like a kid who sees a sign on a lawn that reads.. “Do not step on the grass or else!” What does the kid do huh? Stomps around on the grass. (Okay maybe not all kids but you get my point.)

Following the Law as our source will not make you stop disobeying. It also will not forgive the sin you have committed. Romans 5:20 shows us that “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound.” Because the Ten Commandments were given, humankind now sees just how sinful we are. And not only that, it increases our sin. Why? Because we have a sinful nature within us and it is bent toward sinning.

We see in Galatians that some crept in with false teaching that once saved by Grace through Christ, we still have to be following the Law and Ten Commandments. And what did Paul say about believing and living this way? He said it is a VERY SEVERE OFFENSE!

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.” (Galatians 2:6-8 KJV)

⇒ Life With The Holy Spirit Within As Our Source

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE.” (Romans 6:14 KJV)

If we walk in the spirit we avoid the sins of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16). God resides within the believer and so if we find ourselves having trouble with the sin of coveting for example, we need to go to our new source, the Holy Spirit within us. We acknowledge (confess) and thank God for forgiving all my sinful ways and we pray to God knowing that without Christ as our source, we cannot bear good fruit (John 15) in self righteous efforts. We pray to God that we are having a problem with coveting. You want to stop but you cannot do this on your own. “God, please renew my mind on this and help me to stop coveting.” Do you think that is a prayer that God will not honor? Yes it is!

The more we renew our mind by the Word of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit within us to guide us and help us we will eventually come to the place where coveting ends in your life. This is following our new source within, our comforter, the Holy Spirit of God. And His guiding and help will follow the Ten Commandments because they are absolute truth and are Holy and right. Plus, Christ fulfilled them!

You see, Christ fulfilled the Law and now God resides within you as the Holy Spirit. Will the Holy Spirit as the source want you to murder, or lie, or covet? No. The Holy Spirit is Christ in you. Christ follows the Ten Commandments perfectly. Apostle Paul puts it this way,  “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10 KJV). This righteousness is not our self righteousness. It is the righteousness we now have because Christ is indwelling us as the Holy Spirit. Having accepted the Free gift of eternal life and forgiveness of our sins through belief on Christ crucified as our sacrificial substitute without our own efforts (John 3:18, Ephesians 2:8-9), we are set free from the punishment of our sins.  We now have a newly created spirit within us.

So when you hear that believers are ‘Dead To The Law’, it does not mean the Ten Commandments are not Holy and just and good. It means we are no longer using  the Law as our source. Instead believers are to follow the Holy Spirit as our source.

Stop trying to follow the Old Covenant Law of Moses as the source in your life. Start using the Holy Spirit and Christ within you as the source. Abide by Christ and His words (John 15). By doing so, your mind inwardly will be lsowly renwed to the truth and your outward life will start to change as you are slowly but surely transformed into the very image of Christ. And you will find that your life is more in line with the Holy and moral aspects of the Ten Commandments in an increasing basis.

Matthew 6: 14-16: Will We Lose Salvation If We Fail To Forgive A Person?

Don Gerrity Matthew, Q&A: Christian Living, Q&A: Difficult Passages

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15 KJV)

Jesus said this right after teaching the Jewish people how they should be praying when they pray to God. It is part of what we know today as the Lord’s Prayer. To ask forgiveness for sins we did to others as we forgive those who sinned against us. The concept of this is right obviously.

However, in the passage quoted above in verses 14 and 15, this is a strong statement. In fact, reading this is completely opposing to the Gospel of Grace Apostle Paul taught and so some are using these verses to show that in order to be saved we need to do more than just believe on Christ in faith and that we need to ACT and DO GOOD in order to be saved. After all, this verse is very clear is it not? If we do not forgive others than God will not forgive us. He will revoke our forgiveness and without our forgiveness, we cannot be saved.

The problem with that idea about these verses is that it is completely opposing to the New Testament Grace of God that saves us.  Apostle Paul never did teach anything like this. Salvation is not about self righteous efforts nor good works. We are saved ONLY because Jesus died on that cross and paid for the sins of the whole world. It was NOT a partial payment! When Jesus paid for the sins of the world He cried out on the cross “It is FINISHED!”. And if you look at the Greek that was penned it literally means, PAID IN FULL!

Thinking about this and being Logical and Scriptural; if we failed to forgive something a person did, that sin would also have been paid for by Christ on that cross. In fact, when we look at the New Testament and New Covenant Grace of God regarding forgiveness we find that forgiving is something we should do because God has ALREADY forgiven us. It is written in the PAST tense because all our sins were 100% forgiven on the cross by Jesus. We WERE totally forgiven the very moment that we believed on Christ alone to save us. (John 3:18)

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake HATH forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32 KJV)

 

“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ FORGAVE you, so also do ye.” (Colossians 3:13 KJV)

Is there a contradiction here then? Was Paul wrong?

Paul was not wrong at all. Again context is very important. We need to understand that for many of Jesus’ statements to the Jewish people during His ministry on Earth He was addressing those who are living under the Old Covenant and Law of Moses. And that, many believed that a person can only be justified by God in a works based method and Law keeping of the ‘letter of the Law’. They thought that they could be forgiven their sins by Law keeping but they failed to see the heart of the Law of Moses and Ten Commandments. Yes, the Ten Commandments are God’s absolute truth and they are Holy Laws to follow but these Laws will not MAKE a person Holy. What they do is show a person just how sinful they really are. It is impossible for people to obey the Law of Moses without failing. Thinking so is the sin of pride and we all know that is the sin Lucifer first had when he rebelled and became Satan, our adversary.

We see time and again, that Jesus is driving this home to the Jewish people living their lives under the Law of Moses to save them. He was burying them in their own wrong belief to bring them back to God. Many times Jesus goes to the utmost extreme and even expanding on just how impossible it is to be forgiven by obeying the Law perfectly. Here are just some examples that Jesus said just one chapter earlier:

“And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:30 KJV)

 

“Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5: 21-22 KJV)

 

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5: 27-28 KJV)

Cut off your hands?! If you hate someone it is the same as murdering them? Looking at someone with sexual lust is the same as the physical act of adultery? Remember the rich man who asked how can he go to Heaven? Jesus quoted to this guy the Ten commandment and the rich young man said that he had kept them all! REALLY?? Oh no he did not! This is very extreme PRIDE to claim such a thing. So what did Jesus say to him? He went to the extreme telling him to sell ALL THAT HE HAS (all the wealth) and to come and follow Christ. Even the disciples were shocked and asked Jesus ‘who then can be saved?’

You can see that even with all the extreme rules and regulations and laws in the Law of Moses, these seem to be more extreme yet! You see many times Jesus is basically trying to bury the Jewish people of the day in the Law. He is trying to break them and have them realize the Law cannot save them. They need to come to an end of themselves in thinking they need to work their way our of their sin debts. And instead come to the conclusion that they simply cannot save themselves! Instead they need to cry out to God in acknowledgement of this and ask for mercy.

Using proper context we are now getting to the truth of Matthew 6:14-15. Under the New Testament and New Covenant Grace we are told that we should forgive others as Christ forgave us. Absolutely. But to say here, in the age of the Grace of God AS BELIEVERS, that if we fail to forgive then God will revoke His forgiveness and we lose Salvation is just not Biblical at all.

If you believed on Christ alone to save you by the only atonement for sins He provided on the cross, as God in the flesh, then ALL your sins (past/present/future) were 100% paid and you were 100% forgiven and God MADE you into the very righteousness of God, in Christ. It is by FAITH ALONE in the work of Christ crucified that saves us because the wages of sin is not ‘doing good works’. No. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Just as Apostle Paul felt the struggle between our newly created spirit that never sins (it is the seed of God) and our still existing sin nature flesh seen in Romans 7,

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, IT IS NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.

 

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after THE INWARD MAN:

 

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into CAPTIVITY to the law of sin which is in my members.

 

O wretched man that I am! who shall DELIVER ME from the body of this death?

 

I thank God THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:19-25 KJV)

Now understanding this proper context, when you see Jesus state some very extreme things to people regarding their trying to keep the Law of Moses for forgiveness of their sins to gain entry to Heaven you now know why. He was stating such things to people not yet under the New Covenant because Jesus had not yet died on that cross. Jesus was simply trying to show the Jewish people just how impossible it really is to be saved by good deeds, good works, and religious rituals. Doing so is simply futile. This completely agrees with Apostle Paul teachings.

Here in the Age of God’s Grace, and living under the New Covenant, we should be so thankful! Knowing we are saved by such an amazing act of grace through Christ who died in such a horrible way, shedding His blood so that we could be saved from the captivity of our sins which we could never pay back is such an amazing act of God! It is from this ‘saved by the Grace of God alone’  perspective that we move to forgive others, just as Christ has already forgiven us.

 

 

 

When Do Believers In Christ’s Atonement For Sins Become Righteous?

Don Gerrity General OSAS Questions, Q&A: Grace Of God, Q&A: Salvation
When Do Believers In Christ’s Atonement For Sins Become Righteous?

Believers Are One With The Father In Christ, Right Now!

Our Salvation is through belief in the only atonement for our sins, by God become flesh, the only begotten Son of God, Jesus The Christ, who never sinned, and who died on the cross taking the full penalty for our sins.

If you believe that then you have been forgiven any sins of the past/present/future. You are Heaven bound.

But we are given more than that! Heaven is a perfect place and only perfect people can go there. But we are not perfect right? We still have sin after our Salvation, though we strive to not sin. Before the moment of our Salvation, it is true that we just are not perfect enough with our sin nature to make it to Heaven based on our own merit and good deeds. As John stated clearly, before receiving the free gift of Salvation without good works (Ephesians 2:8-9), we stood condemned to hell.

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth NOT is condemned ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 KJV)

The good news is that all BELIEVERS in Christ have been MADE the very RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST! Did you know that? So amazing grace God has bestowed on every believer!

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he HATH MADE him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 KJV)

We have, right now, the very perfect righteousness of God in our newly created Spirit. This new creation (our Spirit) is the real us now. We also have our fleshly sinful body side. Our fleshly minds need to be renewed by the Word of God by the Holy Spirit and that takes time. A believer has two natures (Romans 7) until our resurrection when we will shed the sin nature, which is described as The Flesh. In the flesh we sin because it is our physical nature. With our Spirit, it never sins and is the perfect righteousness of God (1 John 3:9).

In John 17, Jesus prayed for us an amazing prayer. Read it all!

In this prayer it reads,

“11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are….

…20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US: that the world may BELIEVE that thou hast sent me.”

As saved believers through Christ, we are one with the Father, IN CHRIST. Yes, RIGHT NOW.

Because we still have a sin nature we do not always feel like it is true. But it is true. And once our bodily resurrection takes place, the sin nature in us now will be gone forevermore!

“Beloved, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2 KJV)

THINK HOW AWESOME THAT IS!!

Knowing this, set your goal to walking by the new you. Renew your mind by the Word Of God and watch how God will work in your life to help others come to the knowledge of the truth.

Will The Antichrist Be Revealed Before The Rapture Or After The Pre-Tribulation Rapture?

Don Gerrity Q&A: Bible Prophecy & End Times
Will The Antichrist Be Revealed Before The Rapture Or After The Pre-Tribulation Rapture?

 

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV)

This one verse of Scripture has been taken out of context by many teachers who say that it proves that there will be a falling away of belief by believers and that the Antichrist must be revealed BEFORE the Rapture takes place. Others teach that it is proof that the Rapture event happens at the Second Coming of Christ to setup His Earthly Kingdom age. If we were to read just this one verse out of context, one may think this is so. But add the previous verses to verse 3 and the truth comes into sharper focus by reading the words closely. Remember, that chapters were added later and were not found in the letter Paul wrote. It is one continuous letter and that is how we must read it in proper context.

The last verses of the previous chapter in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (KJV) Paul writes,

“For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which DELIVERED US FROM THE WRATH TO COME.”

We need to start here because Paul is giving the Thessalonian church (and all of us) a hope and a comfort that believers will not face the 7 year Tribulation Period spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Believers will not face the wrath of God on the people of Earth during the Tribulation Period. This is why the Rapture is our blessed hope. Paul’s goal is to comfort. Now the very next two verses are critical to understanding verse 3:

“1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the COMING OF OUR Lord Jesus Christ, and by OUR GATHERING TOGETHER >UNTO< HIM,

 

2 That ye be NOT soon SHAKEN IN MIND, OR BE TROUBLED, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter AS FROM US, AS THAT THE DAY Of CHRIST is at hand.

 

3 Let NO MAN DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS: for THAT DAY shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 KJV)

In verse one, Paul is revealing that there are two events to take place when Jesus returns. There is The Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to Earth to begin His 1000 year reign on Earth and there is The Gathering UNTO Christ, which we call The Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church Age.

The Rapture happens before the Tribulation Period. So why is Paul mentioning the Second Coming of Christ before the Rapture in verse one? Why does this seem in reverse order? The next verse shows us why Paul mentioned the events in what seems as a reverse order. Paul is telling the Thessalonians to not be ‘shaken’ by his previous teachings on the Rapture and Second Coming and ‘not be troubled’.

But why are they troubled? Paul mentions not to be troubled even by “letter AS FROM US”. Notice closely that it is not saying a real letter from Paul! Apparently, there were some false teachers writing fraudulent letters as if they were written from Paul, but they were not! These letters were instilling fear into the Thessalonian church because they were teaching (as if by Paul) that the troubles they were going through are the Tribulation Period and that they had ‘missed’ the Rapture event! It was a deception that Paul is addressing to clear up the mess these false teachers instilled by fear into the Thessalonian church. The church was losing their hope believing they were left behind at the Rapture!

Verse three reads, “Let no man deceive you by any means”. Now we are getting the proper context. Paul is refuting the false teachers and showing the Thessalonians that they were not living in the Tribulation Period and to return to the hope they have in the Rapture of believers. And Paul is assuring them that  believers in Christ will be taken in the Rapture before the wrath of God to come during the Tribulation Period to the people living on Earth at that time.

In this context we can now read and better understand verse three:

“Let NO MAN DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS: for THAT DAY shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 KJV)

Paul is simply telling the Thessalonian believers that the Second Coming is not going to come until there is a falling away from the faith and that man of sin (the antichrist) be revealed. And continuing reading in this proper context Paul writes,

“Remember ye not, that, when I WAS YET with you, I told you these things? 6 And now YE KNOW what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (Don: until the believers on Christ, the church is Raptured)

 

 AND THEN shall that Wicked (Don: the antichrist) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”
(2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 KJV – brackets Don are my added comments for clarity)

So we know that that antichrist is not going to be revealed until AFTER the Rapture of the Bride of Christ; which is all believers from our current Church Age here prior to the Rapture event.

Instead of refuting a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church 2 Thessalonians 2:3 actually fully supports the Pre-Tribulation timing of the Rapture of believers in Christ Jesus, in Salvation.

Will The Holy Spirit Be Taken Off Earth At The Rapture?

Don Gerrity Q&A: Bible Prophecy & End Times
Will The Holy Spirit Be Taken Off Earth At The Rapture?

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only HE WHO NOW LETTETH WILL LET, until he be taken out of the way. And THEN shall that Wicked BE REVEALED, whom the Lord shall consume WITH THE SPIRIT OF HIS MOUTH, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
( 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9 KJV)

This passage is telling us that once The Rapture happens and believers are taken off the Earth, the Holy Spirit will no longer RESTRAIN THE GROWTH OF EVIL through believers because we are no longer here. Once all true Christians are Raptured there will be NO BELIEVERS on the Earth for a period of time. This vacuum of time allows the Antichrist to deceive the world and take control without resistance, at first. However, that does not mean the Holy Spirit will have no ministry whatsoever in the Tribulation Period. Scripture shows us this is not correct, though some teach so.

Every Believer Has The Spirit Indwelling

Every believer has the Holy Spirit indwelling and those who become believers during the Tribulation period are also born-again believers. The New Covenant and Gospel of Jesus Christ is still true and promised to whosoever shall believe on Christ alone for Salvation – even for those in the Tribulation Period. The Holy Spirit will be working and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists from each tribe of Israel along with the Two witnesses, with great signs and wonders, will preach the Gospel. Is the Holy Spirit not working through these Tribulation believers?

“And I heard the number of them WHICH WERE SEALED: and there were SEALED an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” (Revelation 7: 4 KJV)

⇒ Doesn’t The Holy Spirit SEAL Believers?

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER that YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13 KJV)

However, even as it is now, the regeneration of a believer is the work of the Holy Spirit. Without God revealing to people, in or out of the Tribulation Period, that Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh, no one is saved.

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.” ( Matthew 16: 15-17 KJV)

Jesus said this to Peter BEFORE He was crucified and before the New Covenant started because it started at the death of Jesus on the cross (not at His birth). So this is how God drew people in the Old Testament and even now for all non believers. If the Spirit were not present during the tribulation, no one could be saved. But the fact is that a multitude that no one can number is saved during the tribulation including both Gentiles and Jews (Revelation 7:9–14)! Once saved they too will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, they are not saved and they could not enter Heaven at their death.

Multitudes will come to Salvation by the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and the Two Witnesses.

Those martyred for their faith in the Tribulation die and their newly created Spirits are seen in Heaven (Rev. 6:9-11) while the Tribulation continues on Earth and they will be resurrected at the Second Coming. No one without the Holy Spirit can even enter Heaven right? Those who survive the Tribulation Period who are believers will continue and start repopulating the Earth.

God Is Omnipresent

Our God is a Spirit and the Bible teaches us His attributes. One of God’s attributes is that He is Omnipresent; that is He exists everywhere and at all times.

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. “ (Psalms 139:7-10 KJV)

“Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. “ (Jeremiah 23:23-24 KJV)

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. “ (Proverbs 15:3 KJV)

GOD IS SPIRIT and He is everywhere at all times. And so, He must be in the world during the tribulation as well. It is how the Holy Spirit operates that changes just as He has changed in how He operates from Old Covenant times to New Covenant times, from Old Testament times to New Testament times. God’s focus now turns from the gentiles and back to Israel as He promised He would do.

End Time Prophecy For The Tribulation Period Agrees

End Time Bible Prophesy even says the Holy Spirit will be working in the Tribulation Period – just differently than here in the Age of Grace we are currently living in.

“Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 39:29 KJV)

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10 KJV)

Both show the Holy Spirit working in Daniel’s 70th week, also known as the Seven Year Tribulation Period. After the Rapture happens to believers here in the Age of Grace (The Church Age), The Day of the Lord, Daniels 70th week, begins. God now turns His focus on promises made to Israel and will fulfill them all and Israel will return to God.

The Holy Spirit will most certainly be working on the Earth after the Rapture but He will work as He did in Old Testament days to save all of Israel and as many people whosoever will receive the FREE GIFT of Salvation through the only atonement for sins, provided by Jesus The Christ, God in the flesh, who took the punishment for our sins to the cross and paid the penalty we deserved, IN FULL.

Much better to be saved here in the Age of God’s grace than to endure the Tribulation Period! It will be the worst time period in all of history. Natural disasters like never before seen. And an Antichrist leader that will make Hitler look like a choir boy in comparison.

Related:

Does The Gospel Teach Perseverance or Preservation Of A Believer?

Don Gerrity Q&A: Salvation, Q&A: The Truth About...
Does The Gospel Teach Perseverance or Preservation Of A Believer?

The Bible teaches PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS (believers on Christ’s atonement for our sin on the cross and making us righteous by BELIEF Jesus is God in the flesh.) AND NOT as many pulpits and false prophets are teaching PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS (through self righteous works and human effort for justification)

“And the very GOD of peace SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body BE PRESERVED BLAMELESS unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. FAITHFUL IS HE THAT CALLETH YOU, WHO ALSO WILL DO IT” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 KJV)

“Being confident of this very thing, that HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU will PERFORM IT until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6 KJV)

“For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

We Cannot Even Be Our Own Mediator With God

“For there is ONE God,and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself A RANSOM for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2: 5-6 KJV)

“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:” (Philippians 3:9 KJV)

“Now to the one who WORKS, his wage is NOT RECKONED on the basis of GRACE, but as what is DUE. But to the one who DOES NOT WORK, but BELIEVES in Him (Jesus) WHO JUSTIFIES the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 4:4-5 KJV)

Repent (change your mind) And Believe (Jesus is God in the flesh who took the deserved punishment for your sins)

“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15 KJV)

“He THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 KJV)

What Is The Purpose Of Putting On The Whole Armour Of God In Ephesians 6?

Don Gerrity Q&A: Christian Living
What Is The Purpose Of Putting On The Whole Armour Of God In Ephesians 6?

“Finally, my brethren, be strong IN THE LORD, and in the power of HIS MIGHT. Put on the WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD, that ye may be able to STAND AGAINST THE WILES of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the FIERY DARTS of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
(Ephesians 6: 10-14 KJV)

In Ephesians 6, Paul is teaching the Ephesians, and also all believers today, a few things. A few VERY IMPORTANT things!

There Is A Real Devil And His Fallen Angels.

We tend to think that people we vote into office, or politicians, or even dictators, are the rulers of this world we live in. However, the Bible clearly states that ‘flesh and blood’ (humans) are not the real rulers and that it is the hidden principalities in high places directing the whole show. Satan is a real being and the Bible says he and his fallen angels are the real ‘rulers of this world’ and have been given a certain amount of influence and power in the ruling of this world we live in. There are many names describing this angel in the Bible. Some of the names are Satan, the devil, the adversary, the ruler of this present world, son of the morning, Abaddon (means the destroyer), the accuser, angel of light, the anointed Cherub, the beast, the dragon, the son of perdition, the tempter, the king of Tyre, the Antichrist, the god of this age, deceiver, the father of lies, Beelzebub, the prince of the power of the air and many more. Satan is a very REAL being and he hates us humans! Yes, God ultimately is in full control but Satan has been allowed a certain amount of power to run the world as we know it today.  Satan’s rule will not be forever though and it is soon coming to a close.

Satan Wants To Blind Humans From The Only Way To Be Saved.

Satan has one main purpose since he turned against God, and in pride sought to become as God. Many do not know but the Bible tells us that Satan was once the closest angel to the throne of God!  In Ezekiel 28:14, Lucifer is described as “…the anointed cherub who covers;…”. We also find in this passage that he was guardian of the very throne of God where it states, “…I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.”

No other created being was given the intelligence that God gave Lucifer. The very name of this Cherub angel is ‘Lucifer’ which means the “shining one” or “son of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12 ).  The Bible tells us that Lucifer was a very beautiful angel and was wise as well, (Ezekiel 28:12). In fact, he was a well respected angel as one of the top angels in the entire angelic creation. But all of that was going to change and in his own beauty he allowed the sin of PRIDE to overcome him.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV)

Since his fall from Lucifer to Satan (which means our advisory) Satan now has one task and he has been scheming and working his evil ways towards this very goal. What is the goal of Satan? To stop the Gospel of Jesus Christ from reaching the hearts of humankind!

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV)

This is the whole goal of Satan and he using many ‘wiles’ and schemes to deceive unbelievers into not finding the truth of the Gospel of Christ in which people may be saved. And basically, Satan does this through getting people involved and thinking about ANYTHING other than their Salvation. Because as we see in John 3:18,

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 KJV)

Without accepting the free gift of Salvation from our sin debts against God we stand ALREADY CONDEMNED and headed for the same judgement against Satan himself; the lake of fire and hell for eternity, because our sin debt has not been paid for by Christ when we do not believe in the only atonement for our sins against God; Jesus the Christ, God in the flesh, taking the punishment for our sins on the cross. So all the devil is doing is deceiving and keeping people too busy to see the Gospel. He is blinding unbelievers.

Satan Deceives Unbelievers And Attacks Believers!

Therefore, if Satan’s main goal is to blind men from knowing the truth of Salvation by the Gospel of Christ, who do you think he is mainly focused on attacking? Unbelievers who are already blinded to the truth? Or believers who are telling others the truth of Salvation? Right! BELIEVERS are the main focus of his ‘wiles’ and ‘attacks’ because as Paul wrote,

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
(Romans 10:17 KJV)

Satan deceives the unbelievers and attacks, and tries to deceive believers, on all fronts to prevent people from hearing the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto Salvation.

In Ephesians 6, BELIEVERS are told by Paul to put on the whole armour of God so that we could STAND against the WILES of the devil. The Greek in which the New Testament was penned for the word ‘wiles’ is the Greek word ‘methodeia’ and it’s meaning is ‘to lie in wait, cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery’. Satan uses many methods to DECEIVE people. Satan has been ruling this world system we live in for thousands and thousands of years now. He has observed every human nature that there is. He has developed many many schemes and evil plans for the one main goal he is working to achieve; spiritual blindness of people from the one way to be set free and saved for eternity and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

What Is The Purpose Of The Armour Of God?

This may seem an easy question to answer but do you answer this question correctly? You see, there are many pulpits and TV evangelists that are teaching the answer to this question FALSELY! Be sure you use the Word of God in context to base your answer on this question.

Ephesians 6 reads, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the FIERY DARTS of the wicked.”

Because of this one line of Ephesians 6, many pulpits and Bible teachers have taught that this is all about being able to withstand the troubles of life that the devil throws at believers and that it is all about living a good and happy life of ease since God loves us. Is this true though? Or is that another lie of the devil to deceive believers and prevent them from telling others the message of the Gospel of Christ? I can tell you that this is NOT what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 6!

Think about it a moment. This is called the ARMOUR of God. If a soldier puts on his helmet and his rifle and grenades and army boots, why is he doing that? Is it to go live a life of ease? NO!  It means he is preparing for a battle! He is preparing for all out war and he is fighting not just for himself. He is ultimately fighting for a purpose of his leader and for the love of others in his Country. Please get this folks. Paul wants you protected because as Christian believers in the Gospel of Grace, he knows that the devil and his fallen angels are going to attack you in many ways (fiery darts) to prevent you from sharing the Gospel to others. The answer to why we put on the full armour of God is NOT so that we can live a life of ease without troubles but so that we can STAND AGAINST the fiery darts of the devil and so we can boldly proclaim to others how to be saved from our sins.

Have you ever wondered why many believers, who are truly saved and truly love and truly want others to know the truth of Salvation, still freeze in fear in telling others the Gospel? It is FEAR! We see in the Bible that there is The Fear of God that leads to all understanding but that is a fear in respect of who God is and helps a person recognize God and how great He is for saving us through Christ crucified. But the other fear in the Bible is about fear verses love. And what does the Bible say about this fear?

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18 KJV)

 

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15 KJV)

This is where the devil attacks believers. We should be using our FAITH in love which is the opposite of the fear the devil tries to instill in us over many issues of life. And especially when it comes to sharing the Gospel with others. Satan knows this!  Now the devil cannot read your mind to instill this fear but he can influence how you think others will react or give you questions about doing so such as, ‘what if I fail to bring them to Christ?’

Remember that even Paul had this same fear! You ask, “Paul had fear to share the Gospel?” Yes he did! Keep reading in Ephesians 6 and you will see that Paul writes,

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that UTTERENCE may be GIVEN UNTO ME, that I may open my mouth BOLDLY, to MAKE KNOWN the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, AS I OUGHT TO SPEAK.” (Ephesians 6:19-20 KJV)

Do  you see it now? Paul is asking for prayers from believers to give him boldness to preach the Gospel of Grace because he had fear in doing so. Because he did not believe? NO! Because he knew full well there would be opposition and persecution from unbelievers who will not believe the truth of God and in that day the opposition could be grave. Paul was beaten, stoned, jailed and the list goes on and on. He had fear just as you and I do for sharing the Gospel. But in love we need to press forth because the souls of humankind are hanging in the balance.

Put On The Whole Armour Of God So that….

  • You are not deceived by the devil, even from pulpits and others who claim to be believers but base Salvation on their works and religious rituals which is a lie straight from the devil. Salvation and justification with God are not by our own efforts in self righteousness.  Salvation is a FREE GIFT from God which we can never deserve or merit. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
  • That you may STAND AGAINST the schemes of the devil and his fallen angels. Read the Word of God! It is the only truth we have in this world friend! And this world system is soon going to be replaced by Christ Himself ruling and reigning on the Earth! If you know the truth from the Word of God, the KJV Bible, it empowers us to recognize what the devil is trying to do.  And as we read the words of Jesus and abide in them (John 15) we quicken the work of the Holy Spirit to RENEW OUR MINDS to God’s world view (John 17). We change from the inside and conform more and more into the very image of God within us as believers. And then this moves outwardly into good works God has set before us and to help others come to Christ for the FREE GIFT of Salvation.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2 KJV)

 

 

John 8: ‘go and sin no more’

Don Gerrity John | 1 John, Q&A: Difficult Passages
John 8: ‘go and sin no more’

In John 8, we see a scene where a woman was caught in adultery and the Scribes and Pharisees were going to stone her which is what the Law Of Moses says should happen to such a person. These men thought that they could trap Jesus in His own words as they feared the loss of power as so many were flocking to belief in Jesus. So the Pharisees sought to exposure Jesus as a fraud.

“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” (John 8: 3-9 KJV)

In response to their trying to trap Jesus in His own words Jesus started to write something with His finger on the ground.  This passage does not say what Jesus was writing with His finger for these men to see but one could speculate that His response in words to them likely has a big clue. “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.”

It is likely that Jesus was writing down sins that the Pharisees and Scribes had committed themselves but were not punished for by the Law of Moses. Jesus was showing them their own sins and now, whoever among you is without sin to go ahead and cast the first stone at the woman. Jesus knew none would do so. They could see their own sin. How could they stone the woman?

And another couple of interesting thoughts about this scene. One is the question, where is the man she committed adultery with? Because the Law of Moses demanded He too be put to death. Yet, he is no where to be found. Another is where it states ‘being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last:‘. Why does it state ‘begginnig at the Eldest’? If you think about it, they have lived longer and have also sinned more! And they recognize how hopeless not sinning at all really is. Anyway, a couple of interesting observations to see. It is clear that the motivation of the Scribes and Pharisees really had little to do with the woman caught in adultery. They brought her to Jesus to accuse Jesus Himself! The Scribes and Pharisees simply wanted to discount Jesus and be able to accuse Him and shut Him up. They feared the popularity Jesus was gaining with the people.

These same Pharisees and Scribes were the group that Jesus said this about:

“O generation of VIPERS, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12: 34-36 KJV)

He called them VIPERS out for the kill. Coveting for money and instilling fear to accomplish this. And then we see Jesus get quite upset at these religious leaders in Matthew 23:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”  (Matthew 23: 29-39 KJV)

Look at those TOUGH TOUGH words of Jesus! We see here clearly just how much God hates religion! Religion is man working their way through self righteous deeds to be justified with God. But that is the sin of PRIDE, the same sin that caused Lucifer (the shining angel closet to Gods throne) to become Satan (our adversary and hater of God and humans). And more than that, these leaders were coveting for money and power to control the people. Just as Jesus warned Israel, in 70 AD, the Jewish people were dispersed into other nations.

“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, LORD. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
(John 8: 10-11 KJV)

These are the verses of this scene where some are teaching that we must not sin or we may lose Salvation. Or others teach that we must ask forgiveness for every sin after Salvation or they are not forgiven. However, a close examination of the specific words and how they are arranged shows a different truth.

Here are some points that I see by looking closely at the words:

1. She called Jesus LORD.. not Rabbi, not prophet. She already believed that Jesus was LORD; the prophesied Messiah to come, God in the flesh as the Torah foretold as that is how she addressed Him.

2. Which came first ?  Did Jesus say Sin no more and then I will not condemn you ? (works salvation) Or did Jesus first say NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU.. go and sin no more?  (Salvation by faith alone) Go and sin no more or she will be condemned and lose Salvation? No. Go and sin no more so you do not have to deal with the consequences of the sin like she almost just got stoned for. Jesus first said He does not condemn her. The word condemn here in the Greek it was penned in Strongs concordance is: κατακρίνω from G2596 and G2919 and is defined as to judge against, i.e. sentence:—condemn, damn.

Jesus is saying He does not condemn her to punishment in physical death and hell. He says this first. And then He says to go and sin no more.  In essence Jesus is saying to this woman that You are forgiven and saved (because she believed Christ was the Messiah and God) and no longer condemned and now go and live a Godly life.

That is picture of the Gospel Of Grace. REPENT and BELIEVE (change your mind about your sins and how you plan to pay for them and BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ and Messiah-God in the flesh who paid your sin debt and you shall be saved.) and then live Godly to the best of your ability.

“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15 KJV)

That is how I see it through the Gospel of Grace that Paul taught. Salvation and justification is a gift to be received without good works, nor religious rituals, nor not sinning as requirements. After we are saved we should be renewing our mind by the word of God (see Jesus prayer for believers in John 17) and the Holy Spirit guides and sanctifies us by the Word Of God.

“Sanctify them through thy truth: THEY WORD IS TRUTH.” (John 17:17 KJV)

Eventually, as we grow in the Word Of God and our mind is renewed we see things through God’s view and He places desires in our heart to accomplish good works that He sets before us. For Salvation? For our justification with God? NO. We are already saved and justified by faith alone in the only atonement for our sins; Christ who shed His blood and was crucified on the cross to pay for our sins. After Salvation is it more about conforming to the image of Christ.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ” (Romans 12:2 KJV)

 

“For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

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Did We Receive One New Nature At Our Salvation or Do We Have Two Natures After Our Moment Of Salvation?

Don Gerrity Q&A: The Truth About...
Colossains 1:27 Christ In Your. The Hope of Glory.

The Apostle Paul is who God chose to give the Gospel Of Grace to the gentiles (us today) and he also taught the doctrine of the Two Natures At War In The Mind Of A Believer in Romans 7 where we read,

” 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

 

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

 

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

 

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

 

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

 

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

 

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
(Romans 7: 14-20 KJV)

Reading Verse 17 and then again in verse 20 is the truth that so many Christians have not grasped. Paul is saying very clearly that inside of us is the Adam, our OLD NATURE before our moment of Salvation which Paul calls The Flesh. Our old nature always wanted to sin. Whatever feels right was right with no thought given to sin against God. The Flesh is like a disease since our physical birth.

And then there is the New Created Spirit we received at our conversion and belief in the Gospel Of Grace that our Apostle Paul taught.

The Spirit is now the real us and has become our ONE very nature; though we may not act perfectly living in The Flesh body.

The problem is The Newly Created Spirit is residing in The Flesh still and will until our bodily resurrection. Our minds have not yet been renewed completely and so our thinking is not perfect yet.

Paul tells us to renew our mind by the Word of God because it is no longer The Flesh that is our nature as believers. We are now actually the New Created Spirit. That is our identity now, in Christ. And that when we fail and sin, and believe me we ALL DO! (1 John 1:10), it is not the REAL US that does it. Instead, as believers, it is this disease we have called the The Flesh. (our older nature before our belief on Christ)

The Newly Created Spirit we received and have become, is PERFECT (1 John 3:9) and without sin. It is of the seed of the Spirit Of God and is perfectly Holy.

This is why the Apostle Paul tells us that our present body, with this Flesh Sin bent, will never inherit the Kingdom of God.

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”
(1 Corinthians 15:50 KJV)

It is also the reason why we need a bodily resurrection in our future as Apostle Paul continues,

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

 

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

 

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

 

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
( 1 Corinthians 15: 51-57 KJV)

Heaven is a perfect place and there is no sin there. No one can enter Heaven with a sin nature and sin debt against God. The problem is we cannot stop sinning perfectly while living in this Flesh. That is why we need Christ! Paul admonishes that regarding the doctrine of  the Two Natures At War In The Mind Of A Believer in the last verse of Romans 7:

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:24-25 KJV)

Christ paid for all of our lifetime of sins  on the cross 100%. Even the future sins we may commit were PAID IN FULL by Christ on that cross because all of our sins were future to the cross right? Jesus paid for ALL THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD (1 John 2:2). He did not give us a partial payment on our sin debt! Jesus cried out on the cross, IT IS FINISHED! In the Greek this was penned is an accounting term meaning a ‘debt paid in full’. Salvation is eternal and the word eternal means… well… ETERNAL and FOREVER!

We do not keep our Salvation intact by our own efforts! It is Christ alone that keeps us saved. Jesus tells us this very clearly:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:27-20 KJV)

In God’s sovereignty, He foreknew everything you and I would do in our life and the sins we would commit and yet He still decided to give every person the opportunity to accept Salvation as a FREE GIFT without self righteous works or deeds required. God still came in the flesh and died on that cross for us so that we would be forgiven and saved eternally. What a great gift! (Ephesians 2:8-9) And whosoever believes on Christ alone in faith, He gives them eternal life and keeps them saved forever.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6 KJV)

 

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” (Psalms 37:23-28 KJV)

The Grace of God is not a license to sin. There are still consequences for sinning in this life after the moment of our Salvation (steal/jail) and loss of rewards at the judgement seat of Christ for believers after the Rapture. The Loss of Salvation is not a consequence though.

We as believers have the Holy Spirit within to guide us into all truth. We should be reading the Word Of God to renew our minds (John 17). We should be striving to walk in the Spirit and not by the lusts of The Flesh (The old Sin Nature we were before our moment of Salvation).

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 KJV)

Focus on that. Shake! Shake off the ‘old man’…The Flesh because as a believer on Christ for Salvation you are now a NEW CREATION called The Spirit and it is HOLY, REDEEMED and the very righteousness of God, in Christ! (2 Cor. 5:17-21)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFNHENrNke0]