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Scripture Challenge #1 to all Christians: Romans 5:18
Christ justifies all that Adam condemns
This is a friendly challenge to Christians and anyone else. In the past, I’ve been accused of misinterpreting scripture or just being flat wrong. Every single time this accusation is made, the accuser never shows me how the scripture that I present is wrong. They just say its wrong and move to the scripture they think proves their point. This happens in person and online.
I have taken proof scriptures that Christians and others offer on eternal hell and human free will and have shown, agree or not, how these scriptures are mistranslated and misinterpreted.
So, now I am going to present just a few concrete proofs that completely disprove eternal hell and human free will and challenge any Christian or religious person of any persuasion to show me how it does not mean what it says. Show me how I am wrong. I am going to do separate posts each with only one scripture or group of scripture.
Now, I’m sure most of my readers know that we must correctly divide the word and take each verse in its proper context. For example, we have to know who is talking and to whom, is it a message for Israel or the gentiles, is Jesus talking about the 1000 year kingdom while Paul is talking about periods of time after the 1000 year kingdom? On and on…
However, I have found that many detractors just say, ‘you are taking these verses out of context.’ Yet, never explain how. It seems the phrase, ‘taking it out of context’ a lot of times is a pet answer for ignoring verses people don’t want to hear. So, explain how it’s being taken out of context. The religious never answer this question.
Today, I am going to present Romans 5:18
Context of these verses: Paul is talking to the Romans and just got done explaining that no man is justified by works of the law (Romans 3:20). Paul goes on to say that death has passed to all mankind, on which all sinned (Romans 5:13). Earlier, Paul already explained regarding all mankind: “Not one is just”—not even one. Not one is understanding. Not one is seeking out God (Romans 3:11).
So Paul is saying that nobody seeks God on their own (God causes people to seek Him) and not one person in all humanity (outside of Christ) can seek God and by justified by law. So Paul then explains how there is a righteousness of God, apart from law, that is manifest (Romans 3:21).
Paul explains how this righteousness of God is given, apart from law. He is talking to the Romans about all humanity. That is the context.
Onward to Romans 5:18…
18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life’s justifying.
What this verse says: WE get condemnation, not by our own individual sin or offenses, but by the ‘one offense’ of Adam. It was through one offense (Adam’s) for all mankind for condemnation. Remember Paul already stated that death passed through into all mankind and that is why all sinned (Romans 5:13). Adam’s offense condemned all mankind. This verse says nothing about ‘all mankind’ accepting Adam’s offer, or coming to faith in Adam, or making choices to receive his condemnation. WE were given this condemnation by Adam, apart from any ‘self’ act.
What this verse does not say: So many times religious people say that we inherit death from Adam but we must ACCEPT the offer of Christ. However, scripture says that Christ is greater than Adam. Wouldn’t Adam be greater than Christ if his act spread to all mankind and then Christ’s act was not powerful enough to spread to all mankind, but needed man’s permission? I digress.
What this verse says: Anyway, ‘thus also’ means in the exact same way. This is parallel language, therefore, the second part of this verse (justification) is received in the exact same way as the first part (condemnation). AS a result, we get justification from Christ in the exact same way we get condemnation from Adam. It is through the one just award (Christ’s work on the cross) for all mankind for life’s justifying. Christ’s one just award of justifying is for all mankind. This verse says nothing about ‘all mankind’ accepting Christ’s offer, or coming to faith in Christ, or making choices to receive His Justification. WE were given this justification by Christ, apart from any ‘self’ act.
What Christians say: Many Christians would agree that we get death and condemnation from Adam. Then they turn around, ignoring scripture, and say, “Yeah, but you must choose and believe in Christ.” My response to this is, “Did you choose death and believe in Adam?” Because we get justification from Christ in the exact same way we get death from Adam.
Romans 5:19 says basically the same thing:
19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.
How does one explain the absence of human choice in these verses?
Grace and peace to you all…
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Christians believe in ‘Their Faith’ not ‘Christ’
What saves us? Chirst or ‘our faith’ in Christ.
My dear friends…What saves you?
Does Jesus Christ save you or does ‘your faith’ in Jesus Christ save you?
Many of you may think that this is a play on words. It is not. Satan uses subtlety to get humans to believe in ‘self’ instead of Christ. If the Adversary’s tactics were overt and obvious, then nobody would fall for them.
So, let me clarify this question: Do you believe that Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection saves you? OR: Do you believe that Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection only makes it possible to be saved if you accept it by faith?
First, let’s take a look at if you believe that ‘faith’ comes from your ‘free-will’ choice in which God cannot or will not influence. If your faith and free-will is actually free, then God cannot touch it…otherwise…its not free. Therefore:
This belief rests on the premise that Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection actually saved nobody by itself. Christ saved not one person by His work on the cross unless a person believes He saved them by their own faith. You have to come to this conclusion because ‘if you have no faith’ then you are not saved. Therefore, Christ did not save you if you are not saved. As a result, without faith, the cross of Christ has no effect of salvation. The cross of Christ, without man’s faith, does nothing.
So, what actually saves you? Christ or ‘your faith’ in Christ? The obvious answer is that its ‘your faith’ in Christ that actually saves you, not Christ. Christ only made it possible for you to save yourself. Do you see how the Adversary has turned Christ’s accomplishment of salvation into human ‘self’ accomplishment?
Now, the saved person can boast in what he or she has done for salvation. They can boast because they have done something that others have not, in order to be saved. Of course the religious would never claim they are boasting because scripture debars it. However, boasting overtly or quietly is still boasting.
Okay, so does faith play a part in salvation? I am getting to that. However, to explain the role of our faith in salvation, I am going to start at the end. Here we go:
The end goal of God and everything that has ever happened in this world is for God to be All in all of His creation. Every creature that dies in Adam will be made immortal in Christ and so will every sovereignty, authority, and power. This includes all humans, animals, and spiritual entities. This is proven in Colossians 1:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 15: 21-28, and throughout the scripture.
Here in Romans 5: 18-19, Paul explains that we get death and condemnation from Adam, not because of anything we have or have not done…not because of any faith we had or didn’t have. Well, comparatively, we get life and justification from Christ, not because of anything we have or have not done..not because of any faith we had or didn’t have.
18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life’s justifying.
19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.Okay, so if we are all with God in the end because and only because of the death of Christ for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection…then where does our faith come in?
Let’s look at Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 4:10:
10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers.
You see, in the end, God saves all mankind. However, before the end, some have an early and special salvation. Well, how do these people have a special salvation?
FAITH!
So here is the truth of scripture: Everyone is saved by and only by Christ’s death, entombment, and resurrection. Those that have faith realize and live in this salvation first, those that don’t have faith need to go through judgement in order to realize this salvation. All done by God, through Christ.
Those that do not have faith are not banished to an eternal hell hole, but miss out on some glorious ages until they eventually are saved by the blood of the cross.
Okay, so someone might argue that this faith that results in a special salvation is a human’s free will choice in which they can boast. However, that is not the case. Why?
Because that faith is not an act of ‘free-will’ but is given to each by GOD.
3 For I am saying, through the grace which is given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to be overweening, beyond what your disposition must be, but to be of a sane disposition, as GOD PARTS TO EACH A MEASURE OF FAITH. -Romans 12:3
Scripture says that God chooses who will believe and then gives them the faith at His appointed time. Note what Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:9:
9 Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before times eonian…
We get grace, through faith, and this grace was given to believers before time began. Therefore, the faith was given before time began. It is impossible for human beings to believe in God without God giving them the faith. So, nothing happens out of man’s supposed ‘free will.’
48 Now on hearing this, the nations rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and they believe, whoever were set for life eonian. – Acts 13:48
You see, God determines who will have this special salvation (agelong life) and then gives those that He has chosen the faith that is needed. It is not up to the human. The faith that is given by God is faith to believe that Christ did everything and accomplished salvation, apart from any human contribution, on the cross.
Faith does not save you but brings you to a realization that you have been saved by Christ. Those that do not have faith have still been saved by Christ, though they will not realize this until judgement and they will miss out on the glorious aionion life that is part of the ‘special salvation.’
This is true faith: Believing that Christ accomplished salvation apart from your ‘self’ contribution. This is the difference between believing that Christ saved you and believing that ‘your faith’ has saved you. This is the difference between being a member of the Christian religion and being a member of the Body of Christ.
Grace and peace to you all.
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Why Jesus is NOT a Religion
Through His Son, God ends the quest of man-made systems to reach God
The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘Religion’ as:
A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden—beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them.
I would simplify this definition of ‘Religion’ from a scriptural analysis. I would say ‘Religion’ is man’s attempt to get to God. Plain and simple.
Look at any Religion in the history of the world until now, you will see that man must do something by his or her self in order to attain the god, gods, or end bliss in question. In this article, I am going to show my readers how Jesus Christ has nothing to do with religion and how Christianity errantly makes Him a religion.
In order for a religion to be a religion, there must be something man ‘must do’ to achieve paradise or endless bliss. So, in order for something ‘not to be a religion,’ then the something man ‘must do’ must be eliminated. The only way for a belief not to be a religion is if the Deity in question accomplishes the end goal apart from man’s contribution. This is exactly what Jesus Christ does but hardly anyone believes it.
You must believe…you must accept the gift…you must do good works…you must follow the law…you can do this but you can’t do that…and on and on. Well, there is a debate is some circles as to whether one is saved by faith or by faith and works. However, let me tell you how neither is part of religion if properly understood.
The apostle Paul says this about God in Acts, chapter 17, verses 24-26: The God Who makes the world and all that is in it, He, the Lord inherent of heaven and earth, is NOT DWELLING IN TEMPLES MADE BY HANDS, NEITHER IS HE ATTENDED BY HUMAN HANDS, AS IF REQUIRING ANYTHING, SINCE HE HIMSELF GIVES TO ALL LIFE AND BREATH AND ALL.
I capitalized the words Paul used because they are the exact opposite of what religion is. What is religion but God being attended by human hands. In these verses, Paul says that God is not attended by human hands. What is religion but outlining what is required of a human to get to God. In these verses, Paul says that God DOES NOT REQUIRE ANYTHING…that is what is meant by the phrase ‘as if requiring anything.’
So religion requires something of man but God does not. Why? Paul answers…because God gives to all life and breath and all. The reason God does not require anything from man is because everything a man has is given him by God. How can God require something from a human that God Himself has to give in order for the human to have it?
Therefore, its not that a human doesn’t need to have faith or even works. But instead, its that God gives faith (Romans 12:3) and God creates the works to be done (Ephesians 2:10). God does everything so He requires nothing from a human that is independent of God. In fact, its impossible for a human to do anything apart from the intention of God (Romans 9:19). Another fact is that humans can give nothing to God that He has not first given to them (Romans 11: 35-36).
So, why is the truth of Jesus different from every religion ever created?
Jesus entered God’s creation and through His death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection, God saves all of His creation. Jesus is not a religion because He, by God’s hand, eliminates the ‘must do’ of the human.
Humanity inherited death from Adam and that is our curse (Romans 5:13). Forget eternal hell for it is a false doctrine. Death is our destiny and humans are powerless to overcome it. The dying cannot save the dying and the dead cannot save the dead. That is why we rely on the living God, Who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).
God, through the work and only the work of Jesus Christ, saves everyone, eventually. Jesus Christ entered our death and God resurrected Him. This is our salvation. Christ drags us into His death and scoops us up into immortal life. This is not a religion because it is not up to anything the human does, but all is accomplished by God, through Christ.
Where is the human contribution of religion in these verses?
Romans 5:18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life’s justifying. We get life’s justifying through the one just award of Christ!
1 Corinthians 15:22 For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified. The same ALL that die in Adam are the same ALL vivified by Christ. We did nothing to get death, we do nothing to get life. We inherit death from Adam and we inherit life from Christ. No religion, no ‘must’ do on our part. All up to Christ!
Colossians 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens. All of creation is reconciled to God THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE CROSS not through human contribution, acceptance, rule-following. Religion is eliminated because God does the ‘must do’ for everybody.
So back to Christianity. Christianity reverts Christ back to religion the minute a follower says, ‘Jesus died on the cross, but you must ______’
Whatever you fill in that blank with…..is religion. If you fill in this blank and you believe that this action is ‘independent of God’ then you make everything Christ has done null and void. Why? Because now salvation is no longer dependent on Christ but on whatever you fill in the blank with. It could be faith, accepting the gift, works or anything else! You have made the Destroyer of religion, a religion.
Now, let me be very clear. Everyone is saved by God, through Jesus Christ’s completed work. The verses above and many others prove this. However, though all is done by God, He does not save everyone at the same time (1 Corinthians 15:23).
God gives faith to those He has chosen for a special salvation unto agelong life. Whatever needs to be done to have this agelong life, God gives to the person He has chosen. This so happens to be a realization of Christ’s completed work of salvation through His death for your sin, His entombment, and His resurrection. Plus, no human contribution. Anything we do or have is given to us by God, not self.
WE are HIS ACHIEVEMENT (Ephesians 2:10) from start to finish. God just brings people to Him at different times. But rest assured, that all including the salvation of every creature ever created is accomplished by God and not the human ‘must do’ of religion. It all ends with God being All in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). All created by God, all saved by God, all with God in the end. For in Him we are living and moving and are (Acts 17:28).
Grace and peace to you all!
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We are Roused Together with Christ
All that we have is from Christ’s life, not from our life of performing acts
Here is one of the great mistakes of religion and why many people cannot understand the apostle Paul’s message. The mistake is that religion believes the human needs to attain to the life of Christ, however, the truth is that Jesus IS our life.
Now, I know that Jesus commanded His disciples to follow Him, while the saints during the last seven years will be assessed by their acts. However, the earthly life of Jesus was to confirm the patriarchal promises of Israel.
8 For I am saying that Christ has become the Servant of the Circumcision, for the sake of the truth of God, to confirm the patriarchal promises.
9 Yet the nations are to glorify God for His mercy, according as it is written, “Therefore I shall be acclaiming Thee among the nations,” “And to Thy name shall I be playing music.” -Romans 15: 8-9Jesus Christ, while on earth, came to fulfill the law that Israel could not. Yet, the nations are to glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:9). In fact, Jesus Himself said “I was not commissioned except for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24-25).
This does not mean that Jesus only came to save Israel. But, it does mean that His earthly ministry was focused on Israel. You see, its not until the glorified Christ appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus that the plan for the nations was revealed.
The glorified Christ, in a series of revelations, explained to Paul the full meaning of the cross and what it meant for the nations. Paul, our apostle to the nations, goes far beyond Israel and the 1000 year kingdom to a time when the cross reconciles all creation to God (Colossians 1:20), when God will be All in all (1 Corinthians 15:28), and when all that die in Adam will be made alive in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
This revelation of Paul from the glorified Christ Jesus has nothing to do with our behavior and our acts. It has everything to do with Christ Jesus giving us His life.
So now to the verses I wanted to discuss:
1 If, then, you were roused together with Christ, be seeking that which is above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Be disposed to that which is above, not to that on the earth,
3 for you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God.
4 Whenever Christ, our Life, should be manifested, then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory. -Colossians 3: 1-4There is so much to unpack here, but for time sake I’ll keep it short. First, Paul says ‘you were roused together with Christ.’ This speaks to a previous verse in Colossians 2:13 where Paul says that Jesus vivifies (makes immortal) us together JOINTLY with Him.
You see, we die with Christ and we were roused together with Christ, not separate from Him. Religion teaches that we must save ourselves apart from Christ in order to get to Christ. Christianity teaches that a person must accept Christ or do good works by their own ‘human free will.’ These teachings go against the truth of scripture.
Again, we are roused jointly, together with Christ. This is truth. This is the opposite of being roused by our own acceptance or free will acts. If we believe that our decision or our acts are separate from God, then those choices and acts are not jointly, together with Christ, but they are separate from Him. Therefore, we must conclude that we are only raised WITH CHRIST if we save ourselves apart from Christ.
However, this is not true. Let me illustrate:
Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15: 22 that says ‘For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.’
We all die in Adam as the above verse says. In fact, Romans 5:12-13 says that DEATH passed through into ALL MANKIND. We get death jointly with Adam and through his sinful act. In truth, we are all born into death because of Adam’s act. We didn’t do anything apart from Adam by our free will or any other means to earn death. We simply inherited it from Adam, jointly, together with him.
Therefore, as Romans 5: 12-14 explains, our sin is a result of the death operating in us. The death we received from Adam, jointly, together with him. So, in Adam, we are dying. Now, in Christ, will all be vivified. Vivified means to be made immortal and roused with Christ, jointly, together.
So, in the same way that we get death together with Adam, we get immortality together with Christ. Notice in I Corinthians 15:22, the same all that are dying in Adam (everyone) is the exact same all vivified by Christ (everyone). The exact same way we get death from Adam, we get life from Christ…jointly…together with Him.
Ephesians 2:6 says that God vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved) and rouses us together and seats us among the celestials. The key is TOGETHER…TOGETHER…TOGETHER! Together with Christ and together in Christ. As if we could be seated among the celestials apart from Christ.
Paul says that whenever Christ, OUR LIFE, should be manifested, then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4). Notice that Paul didn’t say that whenever Christ’s life is manifested, then our lives will be manifested if we have believed or done certain things. No, there is no separation. Christ is our life! Everything that He is and everything He has done is given to us.
WE take HIS life. The temporary successes and failures of our lives on earth are traded for the life of Christ. Now, of course God gives belief to the chosen beforehand to have a special salvation and this is the group to whom Paul was speaking. But, this salvation is eventually for all humanity (Colossians 1: 15-20, 1 Timothy 4:10, I Corinthians 15:21-28, Romans 5: 18-19).
Grace and peace to you all!
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Does the Grace of God have Limits?
You would never ask this question if you experienced God’s grace
You know how one can tell whether or not a person really understands grace? I’ll get to that in a moment. First, I want to emphasize just how important grace is because as Ephesians 2:8 says, ‘We are saved in grace.’
8 For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God’s approach present (Ephesians 2:8).
Now, here’s the thing about grace…you can’t do anything to earn it. The minute you do something to earn it then it is no longer grace. That is how the definition and action of grace works.
Let’s define grace: Grace is a gift of God given to man that man does not deserve. The apostle Paul explains the fact human beings can do nothing to earn grace with this verse in Romans:
6 Now if it is in grace, it is no longer out of works, else the grace is coming to be no longer grace. Now, if it is out of works, it is no longer grace, else the work is no longer work (Romans 11:6).
There it is! Paul says once you do something to earn grace, then it is no longer grace. Our apostle also says that this grace is NOT OUT OF YOU in Ephesians 2:8. In fact, Paul says in Acts 17:25 that God Himself gives to ALL life and breath and ALL. So everything that we have, be it faith, repentance, love, or anything else is given to us by God, therefore given in grace.
Well, now to the purpose of this post. I’ve heard Christians make statements against grace and speaking out using names like free-grace or hyper-grace. This, in their religious view, is a bad thing. In other words, they are suggesting that too much grace is a bad thing or that if we don’t act in a certain way, then grace really doesn’t apply. In essence, they make people ‘do something’ in order to earn or maintain grace because us doing nothing destroys human pride and proves that all is of God.
The argument from Christianity goes like this: Yes, salvation is by God’s grace but you must do something in order to earn it or maintain it. Christ died for you but you must have faith says Mr. Christian. Okay, well faith is a gift from God given to each in measure (Romans 12:3), therefore it is grace. You must do works, acts, or the law some of the religious say. However, Paul says we are saved apart from works (Ephesians 2:9), not in accord with our acts (2 Timothy 1: 9), and apart from law (Romans 3:21).
So does that mean that we don’t have faith or that we don’t do good works? No. It means that God gives us the faith and the good works by grace. He gives some faith now and they are the firstfruits of salvation, not because they did something of themselves, but because God gave them faith. See, its still all grace. Those that are not saved now will be given the grace later. Reference 1 Timothy 4:10:
10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).
I have talked about grace in my other posts so I am not going into detail here. But now, I want to address the question I asked at the beginning of this post: How can you know if a person really understands grace or not?
When people here that God will eventually save all creation, their objection will go something like this: “Oh, so grace is free, really, so I can go out murder children and commit all kinds of sin and God will eventually save me.”
That response above absolutely PROVES a person does not understand grace. I would dare say that the person that says this has not experienced grace. Why? BECAUSE ANYONE THAT HAS EXPERIENCED GRACE KNOWS THAT GRACE DOES NOT PRODUCE SIN, BUT PRODUCES GOOD THINGS.
This person that objects is really saying that he or she is doing something to earn grace and at least that part of it is of them and not God. Therefore, they deny the grace of God because they say it is earned in some way.
The person that has truly come to the end of self and completely rely on God’s salvation through the death, entombment, and resurrection of Christ, knows they can do nothing. All their eggs are in the grace basket.
Therefore, knowing what Christ has done for them only makes them want to give thanks to God and Christ. In fact, Paul says that believers behave themselves because of the grace of God (2 Corinthians 1:12). You see, we behave ourselves because we have grace, not in order to earn grace.
This is the motivation (grace) that God loves. But, in order for grace to truly be the motivator, we must know that salvation is all of God and there is nothing we can do to earn it or lose it. However, once we believe that our actions or behavior earn or maintain grace, then ‘doing’ will always be our motivation. This gives way to salvation and grace by ‘human will power’ and not the power of God.
Rest in His grace. All is of God.
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God Does Not Miss
By denying God as the Creator of Evil, we attribute to greatest ‘evil’ to Him
The apostle Paul says that God Himself gives to all life and breath and all (Acts 17:25-26). Does this ‘all’ not include evil?
Think about our lives and how many of us would think that ‘evil’ is a big part of our lives. Now, Paul says God gives us all things, but those of religion believe that this ‘all’ does not include evil? How can God give ‘all’ to ‘all’ people and this not include ‘evil,’ something which is such a major part of our lives? We all experience evil in different forms and degrees in our daily life.
Evil is a creation of God and is completely under His control. Please see my previous articles on the scripture that supports this. Many don’t believe this because they do not understand that God uses evil for an eventual good purpose. However, in attributing the creation of evil to the Adversary or humanity, religion actually accuses God of the greatest evil in which the results are the satanic doctrines of ‘human free will’ and ‘eternal conscious torment.’
Which scenario is evil and which is good?
- Giving a person temporary pain in order for them to understand pain. Then, taking that pain away and giving that person joy forever. The joy will be that much better because the person knew pain.
- Giving a person temporary joy in order for them to understand joy. Then, taking that joy away and giving that person pain forever. The pain will be that much worse because the person knew joy.
I think all of us would choose option 1 as being good and option 2 as being evil. Then, why does religion say that God operates option 2’s evil?
To answer the above stated question, let’s look at Christ’s own words in Luke 6:35:
35 Moreover, be loving your enemies, and be doing good, and be lending, expecting nothing from them, and your wages will be vast in the heavens, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. -Luke 6:35
So, Jesus commands us to love our enemies and says that God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Well, those that reject Christ are Christ’s enemies and evil people are ungrateful and wicked. Now, Christians say that these people will be in eternal hell but Jesus expresses love and kindness to them. So, how does eternal conscious torment show love and kindness to God’s enemies or to the ungrateful and wicked?
It doesn’t. Therefore, my detractors would say that God is kind only for a period of time before that kindness runs out. Then, its too late they will say. So, if this is the case, God has shown His wicked, ungrateful enemies kindness for a period of time only to torture them in fire for all eternity. The kindness shown would just add to the torture because of contrast. It would have been better if God showed them no kindness at all.
So, if God shows kindness and then eventually tortures the person forever, then the kindness was only a contrast that makes hell even worse. Therefore, we must ask the question: Does God give us an experience of goodness and kindness in order to enhance the experience of evil or does He give us an experience of evil in order to enhance the experience of His goodness and kindness?
The latter is true of course, however, this cannot be understood if we do not realize that God is the Creator of evil. Those that don’t believe God is the Creator of evil will use ‘human free will’ to get God off the hook and place blame on the human being.
However, the false doctrine of ‘human free will’ defined as ‘the ability of God’s creature to operate independently of God’ actually takes God off of His throne. How can God be sovereign if 8 billion human beings can do whatever they want?
1 Timothy 2:4 says:
3 for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God,
4 Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth.God wills all mankind to be saved and Ephesians 1:11 says that God is One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will. Yet, human free will takes away God’s sovereignty and makes ‘man’s free will’ stronger than God. So God now has to react to the mighty decision of man.
As a result, evil is separate and protected from God’s hand through the fallacy that God allows and cannot touch the evil of man because He has given him free will. Now, the responsibility of evil is placed on man and not God. Therefore, God no longer controls man’s destiny, instead, man controls his own destiny.
Consequently, this evil that God is no longer in control of operates contrary to His will for all eternity. Therefore, a place must be invented to hold this evil forever. Enter ‘eternal hell’ which actually makes God a sinner. The definition of sin is ‘missing the mark.’ If God wills all men to be saved and fails, then He missed the mark and has sinned.
The apostle Paul said that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15-16). Jesus Himself said that He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Do we really believe that Jesus did not accomplish His mission? It is such a spiritual cop out to claim that indeed Jesus did not complete His mission of saving all sinners and seeking all the lost because of ‘human free will.’ This is the worst form of evil, claiming that man’s will can thwart the God that does all that He pleases with peoples of the earth (Daniel 4:35).
So, by taking evil away from God, people make God a sinner and attribute the great evil of eternal hell to Him. Free will and eternal hell mean that evil and Satan will steal most of God’s creation forever. As a result, evil destroys the sovereignty and love of God. Human free will and the Adversary, the creator of hell, become more powerful than the Almighty God. The true ‘Subjector and Placer,’ God, becomes subject to and has to react to human free will and Satan.
So in summary, evil needs to be quarantined in a specific part of God’s creation because not only did He not create it nor plan it, but neither can He overcome it for all eternity. Therefore, religion has to make man responsible for choosing to go to hell through the fiction of ‘human free will.’ People think that this gets God of the hook. But, no it certainly does not. It simply takes God off His throne and places man’s will, evil, and Satan above Him.
However, this is not the case. God is the God of evil and He places it exactly according to plan. Not one evil act can occur apart from the Almighty’s will. Eternal hell and human free will do not exist. In fact, man’s will is subject to God’s will in every way and once evil, sin, and death run their course, all mankind will be saved. This is the glorious end when God is All in all because of Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection.
Grace and peace to you all!
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God is the Placer of Evil
Scripture proves that evil beings fulfill God’s purpose
God is the Placer of all things. The best definition I’ve seen for the Greek word ‘Theos’ which is translated God is this: Theos refers to One Who appoints everything and gives it a place. Nothing takes place without Him giving it a place.
God means ‘placer’ and if another being PLACED evil in God’s creation then that would make them the ‘placer’ or God.
God is ultimately responsible for ‘every evil’ done in His universe. If He wasn’t, then He would not be God and Whomever created evil would be just as powerful as God. After all, according to popular religion, the one that created evil is not only a creator (something only God can do), but one that has thwarted God’s plan.
However, a close study of ‘evil’ in scripture shows that God creates it in order to eventually serve a good purpose. So, evil is a part of God’s plan to perfect His creation and not something foreign to His creation that can mess things up. For years, religion has taught the lie that God created a perfect universe and ‘sin and evil’ has entered and destroyed His creation apart from His plan.
However, the truth is this: Evil is created by God in order to play a part in perfecting His creation. It is an ongoing process, this perfecting all creation thing, and it will not stop until God is All in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). Once it does stop, once Christ perfects all creation through His death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection, then will evil be done away with. Once it has served its purpose and all creation, including Christ, is subjected to God, then evil and every enemy will cease to exist.
Like the ugly but necessary scaffolding on a mighty skyscraper, once the building is complete, once it has served its purpose, the evil and the scaffolding are gone forever.
But wait! What about these evil beings that exact evil on God’s creation? Do they operate separately from God or do they actually do God’s work?
To the scripture in 1 Kings 22: 19-23:
19 Micaiah replied, Not so! Hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on His throne and all the host of the heavens standing by Him, to His right and to His left. 20 Yahweh said, Who shall entice Ahab, so that he may march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? Now this one said thus, and another was saying thus. 21 Then a spirit came forth, stood before Yahweh and said, I myself shall entice him. Yahweh asked him, By what means? 22 He replied, I shall go forth, and I will become a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then He said, You shall entice, and, moreover, you shall prevail. Go forth and do so. 23 And now behold, Yahweh has bestowed a false spirit into the mouth of all of these, your prophets, for Yahweh Himself has decreed evil concerning you.
Do you see what is going on here? God gave a spirit permission to become a false spirit in the mouth of these prophets. A false spirit is a liar. But, look at what verse 23 says: And now behold, Yahweh has bestowed a false spirit into the mouth of all of these, your prophets, for Yahweh Himself has decreed evil concerning you.
It was Yahweh that did this, scripture says, even though it was the spirit that became a false spirit. This false spirit was attributed to Yahweh because God does all. This spirit is God’s action because no part of creation can operate separately from the Almighty.
So if a spirit, Satan, or any part of creation does evil, it is God doing it. However, God is not evil and does not sin because He works this evil to an eventual good purpose. The evil spirits and beings are still evil, but God is not. Just like my previous example of God, according to His plan, having killed Jesus by the works of evil men actually produced the salvation of all mankind. This is how God works evil done by his creation to an eventual good done by Him.
This is exactly why Job, with all the evil done to him by the adversary, never acknowledges anyone but God. In the book of Job, the adversary entered the throne room and God gave him permission to afflict Job. Why then does Job only acknowledge God and not the adversary?
It’s because the adversary could do nothing apart from God’s plan. Job knew this and so he never addresses Satan. Job knew that Satan could only do what God had planned for him to do. God doesn’t allow anything but does everything.
The adversary killed Job’s children and Job said: “Yahweh, He gives, and Yahweh, He takes away”…(Job 1:21). Then, verse 22 says that in all this, Job neither sinned nor ascribed anything improper to Elohim. So, Job was right in attributing what Satan did to Yahweh.
The adversary did everything to hurt job physically, mentally, and spiritually except kill him and Job responds by saying, “Indeed should we receive good from the One, Elohim, and should we not receive evil (Job 2:10).”
In all the evil being done, Job acknowledges God and ignores the adversary. This is because everything the adversary does is God’s intention. All is of God and every creature can only do what God Himself has planned. Even when these evil beings do evil and appear to be opposite of God, they still can only do God’s will. They will eventually be judged for the evil they do, but God will not because this evil will be turned to good by the Creators hand. This is the purpose in all evil.
After all, God Himself created the ruiner to harm:
Behold, I Myself created the craftsman, Who blows into the fire of coals And brings forth an implement for his work; And I Myself created the ruiner to harm. – Isaiah 54:16
The Creator of and the ultimate end-game purpose of evil and vanity (a form of evil) is explained perfectly in Romans, chapter 8:
19 For the premonition of the creation is awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God.
20 For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation
21 that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now.
23 Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body. – Roman 8: 19-23First, let’s recognize that creation is subjected to vanity, not voluntarily, but by Him Who subjects it. This means that it is not a human being’s action or free will choice that results in vanity. We experience vanity against our will, NOT VOLUNTARILY. God subjects us to vanity or in other words, The Almighty PLACED vanity on His creation on purpose.
Here is Strong’s definition of the Greek word ‘mataiotes’ which is translated ‘vanity.’
Strong’s Concordance
mataiotés: vanity, emptiness
Original Word: ματαιότης, τητος, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: mataiotés
Phonetic Spelling: (mat-ah-yot’-ace)
Definition: vanity, emptiness
Usage: vanity, emptiness, unreality, purposelessness, ineffectiveness, instability, frailty; false religion.So, Why? Why would the Almighty God choose to subject His creation to vanity apart from the creature’s will nor based on anything that creature has done? Why would God subject creation to emptiness, purposelessness, ineffectiveness, false religion, and all these evil things?
Well, Paul answers this in verse 21 of Romans, chapter 8:
21 that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Creation is subjected to vanity by God so that God will one day free creation from it. This is the very reason we have an experience of evil. God uses evil to shape us and hold us down so that we enjoy and understand the experience of freedom from this evil to the highest possible degree.
Paul says that ‘we ourselves, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body.’ He is referring to believers here, however, in verse 21 Paul says that this deliverance is not just for believers, but eventually for all of creation.
In conclusion, God creates and subjects His creation to evil and vanity in order to set that very creation free from it, each in their own order. Evil shapes us and is a part of the plan. We must experience evil, sin, death and separation from God in order to understand and enjoy goodness, sinlessness, immortality and being filled with God forever. Once God is All in all, then evil, sin, and death are abolished forever. All of this is accomplished through Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection!
Grace and peace to you all.
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God, the Author and Finisher of Evil
Evil is a part of God’s creation
The depths of Satan and the depths of evil throughout the ages is appalling. How could God allow such atrocities to take place in His creation?
I am not pretending to be someone that understands why there is so much suffering and pain in the world. However, perhaps the answer lies in the depths of Satan and evil. Maybe we have to experience this in order to truly understand and marvel in the depths of God and His goodness.
After all, Ecclesiastes 1:13 says concerning all that is done under the heavens: It is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.
So, this life is an experience of evil. Of course, some good is mixed in but perhaps this experience is preparing us for something. Maybe we, as humans, cannot understand righteousness if we don’t experience sin…perhaps we cannot know the full joy of being immortal if we do not experience the ravages of death…and experiencing the bitter depths of evil, sin, and failure only give us a greater understanding of God’s goodness, sinlessness, and success.
I believe that from scripture, we can prove that God created evil for a purpose and plans everything in His universe. This evil serves as a contrast for humans to truly know good and enjoy it even more having experienced evil. Then, when evil has served its purpose, it will be done away with forever.
Think about it…there is nothing you know without knowing the opposite. For instance, you cannot understand winning without understanding losing…you can’t understand up without knowing down…you can’t appreciate honesty if you don’t know dishonesty. Everything we know is based on also understanding the opposite. So it is with evil.
First, to examine evil more closely, lets look at who created it in the first place.
Former of light and Creator of darkness, Maker of good and Creator of Evil, I, Yahweh, make all these things. – Isaiah 45:7
Here, according to Isaiah, Yahweh is speaking in the first person claiming to be the creator of evil. Not Satan, not any human, but Yahweh Himself. The word evil used in this verse is the Hebrew word ‘ra/rah’ and it is the same word used to describe the ‘evil’ people in Noah’s day wiped out by the flood and the same word used in Genesis 2:9 to describe the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. The word is ‘bad,evil’ and God created it.
Many object to these plain words of scripture because they are trying to protect God because they conclude that God must be evil, if He created it. However, this is not true if God uses ‘evil’ in order to eventually produce a greater ‘good.’ This is exactly what God does.
For instance, Acts 4: 27-28 says that those that murdered Jesus, an evil act I’d say, did this because God planned it. This evil act, planned by God, resulted in salvation for all creation. So, it was evil of these people to plan and carry out this act. However, God used it for ultimate good. So, God does this with all evil.
27 For of a truth, in this city were gathered against Thy holy Boy Jesus, Whom Thou dost anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the nations and the peoples of Israel,
28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel designates beforehand to occur.Another example is when Joseph’s brothers planned to kill him and then sold him into slavery. This was evil of the brothers but God planned this so that Joseph would raise to power in Egypt in order to save all of Israel. Without the evil acts of the brothers, Joseph would not have risen to power and Israel would have starved to death.
In fact, Joseph actually said to his brothers, “You devised evil against me, yet Elohim, He devised it for good in order to accomplish, as at this day, to preserve many people alive.” That’s from Genesis 50:20.
God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to show His power to the entire world so that God’s name would be praised. On and on go scriptural examples of God planning evil in order to fulfill a good purpose.
What if God did not create evil?
If God did not create evil then a foreign element has invaded His creation that He cannot control. Therefore, God becomes REACTIVE to this evil that He did not create and has to adjust His plan accordingly. Even more so, this evil can thwart His plan. God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). This verse becomes a pathetic wish from a God that can’t get what He wants because of evil. This makes Satan, or whoever created evil, a god on equal footing with the Almighty. Those that want to protect God from His creation of evil actually succeed in taking Him off His throne.
The truth is that God creates and uses evil for an ultimate good purpose that we as humans don’t always comprehend. However, once evil runs its course and all creation is home with God, evil and all enemies are abolished (1 Corinthians 15: 25-27) and found nowhere in creation.
So, the God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4) actually gets what He wants and evil is a part of this, not something that can stop it. Thus, making Ephesians 1:11 true: …One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will…
So, scripture proves that God wants or wills to save all mankind, then has the power to do all He wants or wills. Evil, God’s own creation, cannot stop Him but is a means to the end.
Evil and sin go hand and hand, wouldn’t you say? Well, what about sin?
Many think that sin entered the world without God’s approval or plan but Revelation 13:8 says the Lambkin slain from the disruption of the world. The disruption of the world occurred before Adam and Eve were ever created. Therefore, God had the remedy for sin before Adam and Eve sinned. He planned it all.
Why? Because without sin, God would not have been able to show His creation how much He loved them by sending His only Son to save them. Without sin, no need for a Savior…without sin, God could not show the extent of His love through Christ.
In my next article, I will review more scripture that proves beyond any doubt that God is the Author and Controller of evil.
Grace and peace to you all.
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The Destiny of Believers and Unbelievers
It is important to understand that believers and unbelievers have a different process and a different destiny in the ages to come. However, all believers and unbelievers (won’t remain unbelievers forever) will eventually be with God because of Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection.
For Christ died for every sin, including the sin of unbelief.
Remember also, that God alone chooses who will believe and who will not believe:
God parts faith to each that He chooses: 3 For I am saying, through the grace which is given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to be overweening, beyond what your disposition must be, but to be of a sane disposition, as God parts to each the measure of faith (Romans 12:3).
God chooses who will have this saving grace before we were even born: 9 Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before times eonian (2 Timothy 1:9).
Believer indeed have a special salvation in that they get in early and share in the glories of Christ, but unbelievers also have a salvation that includes a period of time outside the kingdom, some will experience the second death (Lake of Fire), but in the end, Christ saves all because ALL DEATH is abolished by His work.
10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).
Below is a brief study using various scriptures concerning the truths of believers and unbelievers written by Matt Fisher:
Believers: Believe the Evangel/Gospel in this life and are saved for the Eons/Ages. The Good News; God is at peace with us and offers us His Grace (Eph. 2:8). His Son Jesus Christ died, was entombed and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3,4). We are justified by God’s Grace (Rom. 3:24). We are reconciled to God (Col. 1:22). We receive the Spirit of God, and we are set free from the dominion of sin in our lives (Rom. 8:9-11 and 6:1-23). We will experience the deliverance of our bodies when Christ Jesus returns (1 Cor. 15:50-58). We will share the glory and the labor of our Savior during the coming Eons/Ages (Eph. 2:1-10 and 3:8-11).
Unbelievers: Those who do not believe in this life will be resurrected and judged at the time of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). God will deal with them justly according to their deeds (Rom. 2:1-16). Then the unbelievers whose names are not in the book of life will have a second death (Rev. 20:15). This is not the unbelievers final end, for unbelievers will be Made Alive at the conclusion of the Eons/Ages when Christ Jesus abolishes the Last Enemy DEATH (1 Cor. 15: 25,26). Then they too will be justified (Rom. 5:18,19), reconciled to God (Col. 1:13-20), and be made immortal (1 Cor. 15:22; Rom. 8:18-23; 2 Tim. 1:9-11). Then ALL will be subjected to God the Father and God will be ALL IN ALL (1 Cor.15:27,28).
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How do we know we are saved?
Looking at Christ to see what is guaranteed for all humanity
How do we know we are saved?
Some say its by faith…some says its by faith and works…some say its by not sinning…and on and on based on your persuasion and religion. But, what is faith? How many works is enough? Are there sins I can commit that disqualify me?
For me, I start at the end and look to see what in scripture is guaranteed to all mankind and to those in Adam. I am dying in Adam and am a card carrying member of mankind. Therefore, anything promised to ‘all mankind’ or to those ‘dying in Adam’ is guaranteed for me.
Therefore, I have come up with an acronym to fall back on whenever people accuse me of being an unbeliever, condemning me to hell, or when my faith is low and I really don’t know where I stand with God. The acronym is J.I.L.L. and it is an absolute guarantee for me, you, and all mankind.
The death, entombment, and resurrection of Christ Jesus gives us many things, however, I am focusing on three of these things that are for ALL HUMANITY. Therefore, no matter where you stand…faith or not…good works or not…sinning or not…you know you have these things because Christ did them for all humanity.
So, the ‘J’ in J.I.L.L. stands for justify or justification. I know I am justified in the eyes of God and one day, I will be constituted just. This is a guarantee because scripture says its a guarantee for all humanity. Wait! What if my faith, works, righteousness are not up to par? DOES NOT MATTER! This justification is guaranteed for you because of CHRIST’S ACTION and NOT YOURS.
Check out Romans 5: 18-19:
18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life’s justifying.
19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.Notice that these verses teach that ‘all mankind’ is condemned in Adam, THAT’S ME, and also all mankind is justified by Christ, THAT’S ME. You cannot, as Christians try to do, apply the ‘all mankind’ to condemnation and not apply the ‘life’s justifying’ to all mankind.
In verse 19, the ‘many’ is referring back to the ‘all mankind’ is verse 18. Therefore, ‘the many’ also means ‘all mankind.’ Less, you think that not all of mankind were constituted sinners by Adam. The same ‘many’ that were constituted sinners by Adam shall be constituted just by Christ. That’s all mankind. That’s me. My JUSTIFICATION is an absolute guarantee.
Second, the ‘I’ in J.I.L.L. stands for immortality. My future immortality is guaranteed by Christ’s work because all those dying in Adam will be made immortal by Christ. This ‘immortality’ given to all humanity is Christ’s immortality. The very same immortality that Christ has now will be shared by all those that die in Adam. I have to say that because there are many that think God will give immortality to people just to torture them in hell. NOT TRUE. NOT POSSIBLE. The only immortality given to humans is that of Christ’s.
Check out 1 Corinthians 15: 21-22:
21 For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead.
22 For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.Verse 21 says that ‘through a man (Adam)’ comes death…not through our sin, lack of faith, or lack of good works. Also, ‘through a man (Christ)’, comes the resurrection of the dead…not through our faith or good works.
Verse 22 says that in Adam, all are dying, THAT’S ME. I am in Adam and I am dying. So are all of us. Thus also, the verse continues, the same ‘all’ in Adam are the exact same ‘all’ vivified or made immortal in Christ. Notice this verse does not say, again like Christians suggest, that only those ‘in Christ’ will be vivified. No sir, no mam. This verse says in Christ, ALL shall be made immortal. That’s me. That means that my future immortality is guaranteed and so is yours.
Let me remind you that there is only one way we are made immortal and it is explained in 1 Corinthians 15:54 below: The mortal must put on immortality and the corruptible put on incorruption. This is what Christ is doing to ‘all mankind’ in 1 Corinthians 15: 21-22.
54 Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption and this mortal should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory.
This is the only way to abolish death…and remember, Christ reigns UNTIL He abolishes death. All death is abolished. Whether it’s the Lake of Fire, which is the SECOND DEATH, the first death, or even the un-scriptural ‘spiritual death’ used by those in religion. All death is abolished for all those that die in Adam by the process of Christ making them, me and you, immortal.
25 For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy is being abolished: death (I Corinthians 15: 25-26).So, I know that I will be justified and immortal one day by Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection. This is guaranteed for me because it is guaranteed to all humanity, all those that die in Adam, in which I am a member.
The last two letters, both ‘L’s’ in J.I.L.L. is also a guarantee for all mankind and that is ‘Lack of Lack.’ This comes from 1 Corinthians 15:28 in that the same ‘all in Adam’ in verses 21-22 are the same all that God will fill up. There will be a lack of lack because we will lack nothing when God becomes all in us.
Every broken dream, every sin, every pain, every moment that could have been good but wasn’t, every treasure that could have been discovered but remained hidden, every experience of failure and missed opportunity will be filled by God in all creation when He becomes All in all. How could we possible lack anything when God is our all. Not possible, so there is the lack of lack. This is a guarantee for all creation.
So there it is, J.I.L.L, justification, immortality, and the lack of lack is what I know for certain I have because all humanity has it. How do I know I’m saved? J.I.L.L. is for all mankind, all those that die in Adam…this includes me, you, and everyone else.
Nobody can ever take this away, including myself. Why, because Christ is the only One that achieved this for me. Its not up to me nor anybody else, so those people cannot take it away.
So, what about faith? Faith is given to us by God to realized the J.I.L.L. is true. Faith is not given to us to make J.I.L.L. true for us. Salvation is based on Christ’s work and not ours. Faith acquaints us with this truth.
Those who do not have faith still have these promises but they will come to a realization of the truth later and will not experience the ‘special salvation’ like those given faith now. However, they will come to the realization of J.I.L.L. and ultimate salvation later, through judgement. Thus, making 1 Timothy 4:10 true:
10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers.
So, what about good works and sin? God causes us to walk in good works because we are saved, not in order for us to be saved. Ephesians 2:10:
10 For His achievement are we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them.
As far as sin goes, we are instructed by Paul not to grieve the spirit, refrain from sinning, and to walk worthily because we REALIZE that we are saved by Christ’s work and not our own, knowing that nothing we do or don’t do can effect our position in Christ. We walk worthily because we are saved, not in order to be saved. Therefore, if we do ‘sin’ and we do walk ‘unworthily,’ our position and salvation is still guaranteed. Why? Because every promise we have is based on Christ’s work, His death for sin, His entombment and His resurrection…NOT our behavior or our work.
So, no matter what anyone says, we can be sure of the promises of J.I.L.L. because this is for all mankind because of Christ’s work on the cross alone. Nothing we do or anyone else does can take this away from us. That is how we know we are saved. That is how I know I am saved. Guaranteed!
Having the faith to realize this is a gift from God. Faith brings us in to these benefits early before the rest. After judgement, at God’s appointed time, the rest will be brought in as well. Christ is the guarantee for ALL.
Grace and peace.
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