What we do, the actions we take, the lifestyle we live all have an impact on others. In today's culture and even in the church world there is an attitude of "don't tell me how to live" or " dont tell me what I can and can't do. I'm under grace and that's law!" ... I just read something interesting as I was doing a study on the word "liberty" in the Greek, and something Paul presents in regards to liberty is interesting. Many present the idea that liberty is basically the freedom to live however they want, free from moral codes and so forth. Yet, Paul makes an interesting point in the tenth chapter of 1 Corinthians that, while you may not have a problem with doing a particular activity or eating or drinking something because you are living a life in liberty, your choice to participate or consume that could cause offense to another person and cause them to stumble. That while we may have liberty to do things, it doesn't always mean it is profitable.
Allow your FAITH in God and His Word to be the driving force of your life and you will lead a victorious and effective life!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
All We Need is Love... or is it All we Need?
I hear so many these days saying, "we don't need to argue doctrine" and "all we need to focus on is winning the lost" and so forth. While reaching the lost should be our number one interest, it shouldn't be our ONLY interest!
Along these lines it makes me wonder, if evangelism is the only calling we should be involved in, then what do we do with Ephesians 4:11? What about the other gifting and callings? If our only purpose is to reach the lost with Jesus' love... Then what happens to the lost after they're won? If there is no other purpose to life than that, then they may as well move on up to heaven. I’m reminded of babies. Once they're born into this world, you don't just let the loose to fend for themselves, do you?? No, of course not! You nurture, train, feed, teach, discipline, and so forth, so that when they are grown, they can take what they've learned and continue to mature and grow as a person. The same is true in relation to spiritual things. When someone is newly born again, they can't simply be left to themselves. They need teaching, training, discipline, and such to help them develop, grow, and mature spiritually. Paul talked about this on multiple occasions, as well as other New Testament authors! Paul taught that we are to grow and develop to become fully matured, that his purpose was to aid in teaching and helping others in their spiritual growth.
Did this end during Paul’s time? Are we only simply called to only evangelism and only telling others of Jesus’ love? Not to diminish those things by any means, because we all need to know how dearly we are loved and treasured by our heavenly Father. But in regards to this, I'm inclined to think, from what I see in the Word, that there is more to Christian living than winning the lost. Once they have been won, they have to be trained and discipled, but if everyone is only focused on evangelism who will train them? Who will teach them sound doctrine? Who will help them grow up spiritually? My friends, I'm tired of the cliché statements that all we need to do is "love" and that we don't need to be concerned with doctrine because all that matters is just simply "loving people" etc. It reminds me of the hippies in the 60s and 70s and that thinking is so errant and so worldly, while sounding religious. Paul taught that we should study the Word to be established in sound doctrine. And if Paul thought it was important to study the Word and to be grounded and established in sound doctrine, then I think it is vital to our growth and development to do the same to equip ourselves for the callings on each of our lives personally AND to equip us to help newborn Christians get established to contribute positively to their growth!
There is more to Christian living than just knowing how deeply we are loved, there is a job to do! There are those out there who want to lead us astray and it is our duty to be well studied in the Word and established in sound doctrine! Don’t let religious sounding phrases and statements catch you off guard and make you doubt whether you are living a successful Christian life. As we read earlier from Ephesians, we are to grow out of childhood so we are no longer tossed around by changing winds of doctrine. I see that a truly successful Christian is one who knows the truth and is grounded in the truth and can’t easily be swayed, but knows how to combat the wiles of the enemy and how to distinguish between truth and error disguised as truth, to become a fully mature man, perfect in Christ!
Growing In Him,
JRT
Along these lines it makes me wonder, if evangelism is the only calling we should be involved in, then what do we do with Ephesians 4:11? What about the other gifting and callings? If our only purpose is to reach the lost with Jesus' love... Then what happens to the lost after they're won? If there is no other purpose to life than that, then they may as well move on up to heaven. I’m reminded of babies. Once they're born into this world, you don't just let the loose to fend for themselves, do you?? No, of course not! You nurture, train, feed, teach, discipline, and so forth, so that when they are grown, they can take what they've learned and continue to mature and grow as a person. The same is true in relation to spiritual things. When someone is newly born again, they can't simply be left to themselves. They need teaching, training, discipline, and such to help them develop, grow, and mature spiritually. Paul talked about this on multiple occasions, as well as other New Testament authors! Paul taught that we are to grow and develop to become fully matured, that his purpose was to aid in teaching and helping others in their spiritual growth.
“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” - Colossians 1:28-29
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” – Ephesians 4:11-16
Did this end during Paul’s time? Are we only simply called to only evangelism and only telling others of Jesus’ love? Not to diminish those things by any means, because we all need to know how dearly we are loved and treasured by our heavenly Father. But in regards to this, I'm inclined to think, from what I see in the Word, that there is more to Christian living than winning the lost. Once they have been won, they have to be trained and discipled, but if everyone is only focused on evangelism who will train them? Who will teach them sound doctrine? Who will help them grow up spiritually? My friends, I'm tired of the cliché statements that all we need to do is "love" and that we don't need to be concerned with doctrine because all that matters is just simply "loving people" etc. It reminds me of the hippies in the 60s and 70s and that thinking is so errant and so worldly, while sounding religious. Paul taught that we should study the Word to be established in sound doctrine. And if Paul thought it was important to study the Word and to be grounded and established in sound doctrine, then I think it is vital to our growth and development to do the same to equip ourselves for the callings on each of our lives personally AND to equip us to help newborn Christians get established to contribute positively to their growth!
There is more to Christian living than just knowing how deeply we are loved, there is a job to do! There are those out there who want to lead us astray and it is our duty to be well studied in the Word and established in sound doctrine! Don’t let religious sounding phrases and statements catch you off guard and make you doubt whether you are living a successful Christian life. As we read earlier from Ephesians, we are to grow out of childhood so we are no longer tossed around by changing winds of doctrine. I see that a truly successful Christian is one who knows the truth and is grounded in the truth and can’t easily be swayed, but knows how to combat the wiles of the enemy and how to distinguish between truth and error disguised as truth, to become a fully mature man, perfect in Christ!
Growing In Him,
JRT
Friday, July 13, 2012
Church Multi-Level Marketing??
While Paul is one of my favorite New Testament writers, it troubles me the focus some are putting on his writings to the point that they say other NT writers weren't preaching the "Pure Gospel of Grace as Paul did" and therefore they invalidate other NT writings as acceptable and credible scripture.... Oh my, what a dangerous realm of error to be in, to become so full of pride that you think you have the authority to say what counts and doesn't count as scripture and that you have the right to throw out 1,2,&3 John, 1&2 Peter, James, Jude... because they weren't written by Paul?!?!?!? What errant thinking! ... I am bothered by how quickly, swiftly, and easily people are being caught up in this "new move", thinking it is the latest, greatest from God when really it is absolute error an unscriptural!!!! Anything that promises effortless living and abundant prosperity with no investment in other areas of Christian living(in accordance with the Bible) is nothing more than a multi-level marketing scheme within the church world!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
The Word MUST be Our FINAL Authority!
There is such danger in using someone's paraphrase of the scriptures as a legitimate translation, upon which to build sound doctrine. We must keep in mind that some paraphrases can offer some insight into some passages, however they MUST NOT be used for building doctrine! I have recently read some paraphrases and thought to myself, "I don't remember that being in that passage..." after some simple greek studies of the original text, there's a reason I don't remember that passage saying that... it is because the author of the paraphrase twisted the scriptures to fit his pet doctrine and beliefs, so that others adhering to like beliefs could have "just cause" to believe that way and have their Bible "translation" that supports such errant teaching.
My, my, my... what dangerous ground to be walking on! I am by no means a Bible scholar, but I have been a student of the Word my whole life (nearly 26 years) and know a little bit about searching things out and studying them against the scriptures. I am seeing so many people, peers and others I have looked up to, falling into errant teaching and clinging to their pet doctrine... they become argumentative and vicious in their defense of their new-found doctrine.... it is very saddening and I just pray for the wool to be removed from their eyes! We must be guarded more than ever before with what we open our selves up to and ever ready to study what is taught to us in the Word. The Word must always be our FINAL authority, not minister so-and-so, not this person's newest/latest/greatest "translation"/paraphrase of the scripture, or what our best-friend says.... but the WORD!!!!
Study the Word,
JRT
My, my, my... what dangerous ground to be walking on! I am by no means a Bible scholar, but I have been a student of the Word my whole life (nearly 26 years) and know a little bit about searching things out and studying them against the scriptures. I am seeing so many people, peers and others I have looked up to, falling into errant teaching and clinging to their pet doctrine... they become argumentative and vicious in their defense of their new-found doctrine.... it is very saddening and I just pray for the wool to be removed from their eyes! We must be guarded more than ever before with what we open our selves up to and ever ready to study what is taught to us in the Word. The Word must always be our FINAL authority, not minister so-and-so, not this person's newest/latest/greatest "translation"/paraphrase of the scripture, or what our best-friend says.... but the WORD!!!!
Study the Word,
JRT
What Type of Vessel are You?
God doesn't seek for golden vessels, and does not ask for silver ones, but He must have clean ones. ~ Dwight L. Moody
What type of vessel are you?? Are you a clean vessel or a vessel that was once cleaned but has set off to the side gathering dust and specks of dirt? Seek to put the Word into action, let the Word be ever present in your thoughts and deeds! When you stay in the Word, it will show! Quit looking for loopholes to live an "effortless" life of excusing yourself from doing righteous works and start living a life of that exudes righteousness!!!!
What type of vessel are you?? Are you a clean vessel or a vessel that was once cleaned but has set off to the side gathering dust and specks of dirt? Seek to put the Word into action, let the Word be ever present in your thoughts and deeds! When you stay in the Word, it will show! Quit looking for loopholes to live an "effortless" life of excusing yourself from doing righteous works and start living a life of that exudes righteousness!!!!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
My thoughts on: Being overtaken and captivated by radical grace or radical righteousness.
I hear so many people saying that they're praying for this person or that person or for me to be overtaken and captivated by radical grace or radical righteousness, to be captivated by grace in its most extreme form..... I have a problem with such statements.
I just don't see, after 25 years of growing in the knowledge of the word, where such statements have biblical foundation.... Yes, we are to grow in grace, but we are also to increase in faith, love extravagantly, study the word diligently to prove ourselves unashamed workmen, to labour together with Christ, to preach the Gospel, lay hands on the sick, preach deliverance to the captives, disciple believers to help them grow up spiritually, and much more! There's much more to successful christian living than simply the traditional view of grace (God's unmerited favor) that is being forced as the ONLY view or definition of Grace.
I've listened to the most popular of the grace teachers, and everytime I come away with an unsettled feeling, that something just wasn't "right" and wasn't biblically sound. We've got to get past these "faddy" messages and quit building our ministries on only that one topic from the Bible! Where that's the only teaching we listen to, teach/preach on, and where we think everything else is useless in light of our pet doctrine.
I may upset some people with this, but I am very concerned with this unbalanced teaching and the error that is being propagated by my peers, by leaders, and many in the church who are just caught up in a whirlwind of "Grace" .... I am thankful for grace, there is much study to be done on that portion of scripture, as it is a deep and broad topic which I have devoted a lot of study to particularity in the past 5 years, but so many are focusing on a small portion of the topic of grace and teaching it as the whole gospel.... Oh how small-minded we are when we limit the gospel to merely that! There's much more to New Testament living!
Don't put God in a box because that's the only part of the gospel you want to teach, be open to the WHOLE entirety of the scriptures and what God has for us in the new Covenant, don't let Satan cripple you with getting you off track! ..... Study the WORD!
JRT
I just don't see, after 25 years of growing in the knowledge of the word, where such statements have biblical foundation.... Yes, we are to grow in grace, but we are also to increase in faith, love extravagantly, study the word diligently to prove ourselves unashamed workmen, to labour together with Christ, to preach the Gospel, lay hands on the sick, preach deliverance to the captives, disciple believers to help them grow up spiritually, and much more! There's much more to successful christian living than simply the traditional view of grace (God's unmerited favor) that is being forced as the ONLY view or definition of Grace.
I've listened to the most popular of the grace teachers, and everytime I come away with an unsettled feeling, that something just wasn't "right" and wasn't biblically sound. We've got to get past these "faddy" messages and quit building our ministries on only that one topic from the Bible! Where that's the only teaching we listen to, teach/preach on, and where we think everything else is useless in light of our pet doctrine.
I may upset some people with this, but I am very concerned with this unbalanced teaching and the error that is being propagated by my peers, by leaders, and many in the church who are just caught up in a whirlwind of "Grace" .... I am thankful for grace, there is much study to be done on that portion of scripture, as it is a deep and broad topic which I have devoted a lot of study to particularity in the past 5 years, but so many are focusing on a small portion of the topic of grace and teaching it as the whole gospel.... Oh how small-minded we are when we limit the gospel to merely that! There's much more to New Testament living!
Don't put God in a box because that's the only part of the gospel you want to teach, be open to the WHOLE entirety of the scriptures and what God has for us in the new Covenant, don't let Satan cripple you with getting you off track! ..... Study the WORD!
JRT
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Whole World is Righteous ... Or is it?
It has really been bothering me lately, how easy it is for so many to throw out scripture that contradicts their doctrine, based on personal opinions.
I have heard so many report of people who are teaching universalism, but under the "Grace" umbrella. Teaching that the whole world is already saved and everyone is already righteous, but some haven't fully realized it yet and so their fruits are the result of condemnation. Some are teaching that being "born again" is not a biblical term and is simply something fabricated to put people under the Law. Such teaching is so far out of the bounds of sound bible doctrine that it isn't even funny, it is sad to be honest. It is sad that many promoting this have been in church, been to bible school, and heard teachings from some excellent bible scholars from the Word and STILL believe in their doctrine so much that they want to seek out arguments and debates with those who don't see things the way they do.
I've really been thinking along these lines and I really been taking personal time to study things out, to see exactly what the Word says with my eyes. In regards to "everyone already being saved" that is simply inaccurate scripturally. The truth is that God has PROVIDED salvation to all mankind through His son Jesus, but they have to BELIEVE to receive that gift. It is like if someone gave you this beautifully wrapped box and inside was, oh a check for a million dollars. The gift is yours if you'll receive it, but the million dollars isn't in your possession for you to access and apply to your financial life until you actually unwrap the gift and access it. The same is true with salvation, it is provided freely, it is waiting for you to unwrap it and access it and apply it to your life... But you have to review an unwrap it first! Believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth that jesus Christ is Lord is our way of unwrapping the beautiful gift of salvation!
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:9, 10 NLT)
In that scripture the greek word for "right" in verse 10 is dikaiosynē which is the same as righteous, so by believing in your heart that He was raised from the dead is when you access righteousness! Righteousness was provided to all when Christ rose from the dead, but not all mankind was made righteous in that moment, it provided and made righteousness available, but we have to reach out and accept it! In reality, if you take this universalist teaching to the extreme, you are teaching that there is no hell, there are no consequences for any sins committed pre- or post-salvation, and really there's no point or purpose for evangelizing or doing missions work around the world.... If you are going to teach that you've got to be willing to follow that argument to the end, and if that is so, then the Muslims and Buddhists are just as righteous and in as much right/standing with God as You and I are right now. Funny, but if that is so how do you explain some verses a little further down in that same chapter of Romans?
"For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved. But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!] But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us? So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself)." (Romans 10:13-17 AMP)
Obviously, those in darkness have to BELIEVE and they have to have faith in what Jesus provided through His death, burial, and resurrection in order to access the gift of salvation and walk in right-standing with God.
"Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us." (Hebrews 10:26-29 NLT)
"For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward]. [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God]. Any person who has violated and [thus] rejected and set at naught the Law of Moses is put to death without pity or mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse (sterner and heavier) punishment do you suppose he will be judged to deserve who has spurned and [thus] trampled underfoot the Son of God, and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)?" (Hebrews 10:26-29 AMP)
Then those teaching that "born again" isn't a biblical principle are outside the bounds of true bible-based doctrine. In John Chapter 3, Jesus spoke prophetically to Nicodemus about the way to salvation. He wasn't speaking to Nicodemus "under the law", as Many love to proclaim when the words of Christ contradict their doctrine of "extreme grace", He was speaking to him prophetically that the Son of Man (Jesus, the Messiah) WOULD BE (future tense) lifted up like the bronze serpent was by Moses for salvation (an old testament type and shadow of the cross). In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that you must be BORN AGAIN, that is not and was not an Old Covenant belief, you couldn't be born again under the Old Covenant, but it was something tht was to come, an now in our time has come. The passage states it very plainly....
"Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” (John 3:3-21 NLT)
So, from the scriptures I have listed and studied, it is pretty clear that hole salvation has been PROVIDED to all mankind, it is not automatically on all mankind. It is something that is freely provided, but must be accessed by faith! And We an see that being "born again" is a biblical principle, taught in the new testament! I am so saddened by the absolute rejection of truth under the guise of "newer, better revelation" ... When the Holy Spirit reveals things to us from the Word and brings revelation and understanding, it will ALWAYS line up fully with the full counsel of the scriptures, if it doesn't it is not a heavenly revelation, but a mere doctrine of devils, full of falsities to knock into error. If you have people in your life who are blinded by such untruth, pray for them. Because in many cases that's all you can do if you are going to maintain your love walk. Pray for them (the Ephesians prayer is a great one to start with) and when given the opportunity to speak into their life, speak the truth in LOVE, don't be rude or argumentative about it, speak it in love.
"Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” (Galatians 2:16 NLT)
"Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law." (Romans 3:31 NLT)
Til Next Time,
JRT
I have heard so many report of people who are teaching universalism, but under the "Grace" umbrella. Teaching that the whole world is already saved and everyone is already righteous, but some haven't fully realized it yet and so their fruits are the result of condemnation. Some are teaching that being "born again" is not a biblical term and is simply something fabricated to put people under the Law. Such teaching is so far out of the bounds of sound bible doctrine that it isn't even funny, it is sad to be honest. It is sad that many promoting this have been in church, been to bible school, and heard teachings from some excellent bible scholars from the Word and STILL believe in their doctrine so much that they want to seek out arguments and debates with those who don't see things the way they do.
I've really been thinking along these lines and I really been taking personal time to study things out, to see exactly what the Word says with my eyes. In regards to "everyone already being saved" that is simply inaccurate scripturally. The truth is that God has PROVIDED salvation to all mankind through His son Jesus, but they have to BELIEVE to receive that gift. It is like if someone gave you this beautifully wrapped box and inside was, oh a check for a million dollars. The gift is yours if you'll receive it, but the million dollars isn't in your possession for you to access and apply to your financial life until you actually unwrap the gift and access it. The same is true with salvation, it is provided freely, it is waiting for you to unwrap it and access it and apply it to your life... But you have to review an unwrap it first! Believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth that jesus Christ is Lord is our way of unwrapping the beautiful gift of salvation!
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:9, 10 NLT)
In that scripture the greek word for "right" in verse 10 is dikaiosynē which is the same as righteous, so by believing in your heart that He was raised from the dead is when you access righteousness! Righteousness was provided to all when Christ rose from the dead, but not all mankind was made righteous in that moment, it provided and made righteousness available, but we have to reach out and accept it! In reality, if you take this universalist teaching to the extreme, you are teaching that there is no hell, there are no consequences for any sins committed pre- or post-salvation, and really there's no point or purpose for evangelizing or doing missions work around the world.... If you are going to teach that you've got to be willing to follow that argument to the end, and if that is so, then the Muslims and Buddhists are just as righteous and in as much right/standing with God as You and I are right now. Funny, but if that is so how do you explain some verses a little further down in that same chapter of Romans?
"For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved. But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!] But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us? So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself)." (Romans 10:13-17 AMP)
Obviously, those in darkness have to BELIEVE and they have to have faith in what Jesus provided through His death, burial, and resurrection in order to access the gift of salvation and walk in right-standing with God.
"Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us." (Hebrews 10:26-29 NLT)
"For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward]. [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God]. Any person who has violated and [thus] rejected and set at naught the Law of Moses is put to death without pity or mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse (sterner and heavier) punishment do you suppose he will be judged to deserve who has spurned and [thus] trampled underfoot the Son of God, and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)?" (Hebrews 10:26-29 AMP)
Then those teaching that "born again" isn't a biblical principle are outside the bounds of true bible-based doctrine. In John Chapter 3, Jesus spoke prophetically to Nicodemus about the way to salvation. He wasn't speaking to Nicodemus "under the law", as Many love to proclaim when the words of Christ contradict their doctrine of "extreme grace", He was speaking to him prophetically that the Son of Man (Jesus, the Messiah) WOULD BE (future tense) lifted up like the bronze serpent was by Moses for salvation (an old testament type and shadow of the cross). In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that you must be BORN AGAIN, that is not and was not an Old Covenant belief, you couldn't be born again under the Old Covenant, but it was something tht was to come, an now in our time has come. The passage states it very plainly....
"Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” (John 3:3-21 NLT)
So, from the scriptures I have listed and studied, it is pretty clear that hole salvation has been PROVIDED to all mankind, it is not automatically on all mankind. It is something that is freely provided, but must be accessed by faith! And We an see that being "born again" is a biblical principle, taught in the new testament! I am so saddened by the absolute rejection of truth under the guise of "newer, better revelation" ... When the Holy Spirit reveals things to us from the Word and brings revelation and understanding, it will ALWAYS line up fully with the full counsel of the scriptures, if it doesn't it is not a heavenly revelation, but a mere doctrine of devils, full of falsities to knock into error. If you have people in your life who are blinded by such untruth, pray for them. Because in many cases that's all you can do if you are going to maintain your love walk. Pray for them (the Ephesians prayer is a great one to start with) and when given the opportunity to speak into their life, speak the truth in LOVE, don't be rude or argumentative about it, speak it in love.
"Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” (Galatians 2:16 NLT)
"Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law." (Romans 3:31 NLT)
Til Next Time,
JRT
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