Editor’s note: I have struggled over this post for a few weeks, as shown by this category not being represented. It is through a short study of curses and promises prompted by my recent post on the Heidelberg Catechism that I feel that I can better explain this doctrine of justification.
Like most of you who have learned about this reality of grace, I learned about justification through the same-sounding phrase “Just As If.” The way it was originally explained to me, it means that God looks at us “just as if” we had never sinned. That sounded good to me, but then the concept was unpacked a bit farther to say that it includes “just as if” I had done everything the Law of God requires. I look at the other doctrines I have researched and one thing stands out in justification. It seems to take more of a “right with God” stance in the sense that He looks at us as someone who has done everything to please Him from the beginning, rather than someone who needs sanctification, regeneration, adoption, reconciliation and other factors that come into play in the realities of Christianity.
Just like the other benefits of redemption, justification is a gift from God who performs the work necessary for us. For those who are young in faith but old in age, justification is a wonderful thing! When you are older, you can read in the Bible that we are to walk the path placed before us by God. We see the remission of sin. We see the obedience of worship. We see all kinds of things, that frankly, someone on their death bed may not have time to do. Those who are younger and healthier shouldn’t discount justification, and it is to that audience that I write this, but to those who have less time, justification is a promise that God will judge those who believe according to the righteousness of Christ rather than their own.
Philippians 3:8-9
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith
The Bible is filled with rules that God expects us to follow, both with expectations of what we are to do and with commandments that we are not to do. Before and after Christ, there is not a single person who has ever been able to fulfill this law. For God to extend to us the rewards of Heaven with this negative balance of sinfulness would be for Him to declare that His law is not to be taken seriously. In order for His law to be upheld, and yet for His people to be able to approach Him, Christ took every penalty of the law upon himself. We look to this innocent man who took the damnation we deserve. We have the reward that we do not deserve through faith in Christ.
When you look at the above quoted verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, you see that the righteousness that we require comes from God through faith. It is important to realize just what righteousness truly is in order to understand justification then. To be righteousness is more than to have no sin. That is, it means more than a status of having no negatives in our life. If the negatives were removed from us, we would be apathetic to God’s law, neither sinful nor righteous. What we need is a positive balance of righteousness. That means that not only are we not to sin, but we also need to live each and every moment of our lives for the glory of God. That has been attempted ever since the beginning and failed. I will discuss sanctification at a later time (I may have to move that one up a bit), but justification ensures that we have a proper standing before God, regardless of our sanctification. It is not to be abused, however, for if someone made a declaration of faith twenty years ago and had no change in attitude or behavior in all of that time, their conversion should be brought into question. Perfection is not required, but whenever possible there should be some sort of growth. Again, I will discuss more about this as I write about sanctification.
Justification can be looked at as a legal standing, for that is what it truly is. Throughout the Bible, there are lists of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience of God’s word. As a close reading of the Bible will show, we deserve every curse laid before us and we know this to be true when we look upon ourselves with an honest assessment. In order for our punishment to be taken from us, our failed responsibility to obey the law of God needs to be justified.
Justification is a legal declaration by God that we are righteous. This declaration is made instantaneously as we are granted saving faith in the substitutional atonement of our Lord, Savior and Treasure, Jesus Christ. This is done as the sins of those who know Christ are taken from them and placed upon Him in the punishment He took on the tree. Simultaneously, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to His followers, so God sees us not as wretched sinners, but as beloved saints. So the justification we have is not ours by choice or by merit, rather it is ours by grace. This is an instant and permanent standing that we have before God.
When God declares us righteous, we have a duty to live a righteous life. We will not attain this goal, but we are indebted to the Lord and He empowers us to combat the evil desires we once had. With the same voice that He used to bring the world into existence, He declared us righteous. Just as the universe exists, our righteous standing before God exists. Just as the world continues to exist, our standing remains despite any failings on our part.
For the record, I have moved the table of contents for this series to its own page. It can be found here.
April 14th, 2005 at 9:07 am
Brother I have a tough time finding a passage that speaks of the righteousness of Christ being imputed.
April 14th, 2005 at 10:03 am
R.C. Sproul wrote a good article about the imputation of righteousness. That may help more than my response, because I’m not sure I understand your question.
Impute: To place on ones account Christ’s righteousness in exchange for our sin.
Romans 3:21-22a
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.
Romans 5:17
If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Philippians 3:7-11 (Heck, just read all of Philippians 3)
…For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…
I’m not sure that these responses meet your question. If not, would you want to clarify what you mean?
April 14th, 2005 at 10:44 am
Brother I have a tough time finding a passage that speaks of the righteousness of Christ being imputed.
1 Corinthians 1:30 is the one that comes to my mind right off the bat:
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
April 14th, 2005 at 10:45 am
Ooh…I see Doug already listed that, but I didn’t recognize it in that translation.
April 14th, 2005 at 10:49 am
BTW, the ESV version seems to me to be very dynamic translation of that verse….
Just found that interesting…
April 14th, 2005 at 2:01 pm
Basically I mean that I don’t see the “imputation of Christ’s righteousness” but the imputation of God’s righteousness through Christ.
April 14th, 2005 at 2:19 pm
I see what you mean, but since both the Father and the Son are one within the Trinity “I and the Father are One”, I’m unsure that this difference is that great.
I haven’t looked into this matter more fully than that, and I do exchange the descriptor “Jesus” for “God” regularily, so if you have any insight to this, that would be cool. I know that there are differences between Father and Son, but in some cases don’t know where those differences take us.
April 14th, 2005 at 2:55 pm
I wouldn’t say it says the righteousness of the Father either. I would say the imputed righteousness of God, as the verses state and as mediated through the Annointed. Paul Himself makes sure to use “Jesus” when attributing the Humanity of the 2nd Person of the Trinity and use “Christ” when specifying his Sonship or Deity. But when speaking of the righteousness of God it may be helpful to look into it.
April 14th, 2005 at 7:17 pm
OK, Rey. Now you have me confused and that’s easy to do! I mean… well… you know. You said:
then you said:
There are only three members of the trinity. Only three options as the source of righteousness. Could you elaborate on this for me?
April 14th, 2005 at 10:54 pm
Sure, I’ll unpack it. When we read God or Christ or the Spirit we tend to look at it as a single member of the trinity and we start trying to draw sources of things where the Bible doesn’t make that outright classification.
Now, I speak in all reverence and forgive the weakness of the illustration when referring to the majesty and wonder of God. The illustration is so woefully human, but perhaps it’ll help ground our thinking.
Imagine the trinity like a big round pizza pie made up of 3 wedges. One pie, 3 wedges. When we look at passages that say that God’s righteousness is imputed through Christ we tend to focus on the Christ wedge and think “Ah, there it is, the righteousness in His public ministry or His perfection on the cross, etc”. Instead of looking at the single wedge as a source (the righteousness of Christ, the righteousness of the Father, the righteousness of the Spirit) look at the whole pie. The righteousness of God in His entirety (For God is One) was manifested in the flesh and imputed on us through Christ (the physical wedge).
So the source isn’t one wedge, but God…in His entirety–Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Human mind starts to shudder with this. Thing is the Bible speaks as God as one and yet, obviously, 3 persons.
Now, there’s a ton more involved in this and I should probably write a full post on it instead of your comments–but to stir thinking I would look at the resurrection of Christ as a starting point. Who resurrected Christ? Why was He resurrected? What does His resurrection prove? etc.
Did I make a brilliant mess of it?
April 14th, 2005 at 11:19 pm
I see where you are going with it. I don’t think I’ll be able to wrap my peanut-sized mind around the totality of the trinity in this lifetime, though. This is not unlike the yolk-white-shell image, the root-stem-flower image or the ice-water-steam image.
Eventually, all imagery breaks down and all you have are humans trying to bring the doctrine of the trinity down to our level. I don’t mean that we shouldn’t contemplate it, but we are grasping at the perfect, even while we are working with fallen minds.
We should remember that the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Three persons, one God. This is one of those things we just have to accept, and know that all will be revealed when we are incorruptable.
The person of the Son was raised by the person of the Father, yet the two are one. It really boggles the mind! Even though we cannot comprehend this in full, we honor God by our study of the doctrine. If Heaven were laid out like a website, this question would be toward the top of the FAQ page.
Thanks for bringing that up! My mind keeps trying to seperate the three or combine them into one homogenous God, but neither image is correct.
April 14th, 2005 at 11:42 pm
heh heh. Definitely agreed. That’s why I try to recommend sticking with the Word’s usage of what was imputed. This way we don’t stumble on thinking it was Christ’s moral perfection in His earthly ministry but rather think of the radical nature of the great miracle by which we were rescued. Hey, look at that–I sound like a Calvinist!
April 15th, 2005 at 6:15 am
And doesn’t that feel better?
October 20th, 2006 at 3:05 am
Ro 3:19-31 and Eph 2:8-9, How true Christians become God’s “Fishers of Men.” (ASV, public domain.)
19. Now we know that what things soever the (OT) Law saith; it speaketh to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be brought under the Judgment of God [Read Eph 2:10-22. Through Jesus Christ, the OT Law is no longer a “middle wall of partition” between Jews and Gentiles. Now, there is no longer a difference between physically circumcised Jews and uncircumcised Gentiles. However, the OT Law remains to condemn everyone who has rejected salvation “through Faith” in Jesus Christ. The Lord our Righteousness did not abolish the OT Law but He did fulfill it. Read Mt 5:17-20.]
20. because by the works of the (OT) Law shall no flesh be justified in His sight for through the (OT) Law cometh the knowledge of sin. [A primary reason for the institution of the OT Law was to bring “the knowledge of sin” “that through the commandment, sin might become exceeding sinful” and hated by God’s children. Read Ro 6-8, which has nothing to do with physical water baptisms but everything to do with spiritual circumcisions. The Old Covenant ceremonies and rituals for the “flesh”, “the works of the (OT) Law,” could never save anyone. They were shadows of the reality to come under God’s New Covenant. Read Col 1-4, which is also about spiritual circumcisions. Read Heb 8-13, which has nothing to do with physical water baptisms either. Notice Heb 9:10. What are the “dead works” of Heb 9:14? “The works of the (OT) Law” that could never clear anyone’s conscience. No human being could ever perfectly obey the OT Law under the Old Covenant but the Righteous Son of God did it for us. Now, “through Faith in His Blood,” He has made it possible for us to have “a good conscience toward God.” Compare Heb 10:14-18 to Jn 17:17-23. Read Ro 1-2; Ro 12-13; 1Co 10; 2Co 1:12; 2Co 4-5; 1Ti 1; 1Ti 3-4; 2Ti 1; Titus 1; 1Pe 2-3, about “conscience.”]
21. But now, apart from the (OT) Law, a Righteousness of God hath been manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, [Compare “hath been manifested” to “revealed” in Ro 1:17. How far back must we go to find “a Righteousness of God” “being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets”? We need to repent and believe what was said and done for us under the OT Law in Mt 1-4; Mk 1; Lk 1-4:30; Jn 1; Jn 3:22-4:3, especially in Mt 3. Read Mt 3-6; Mt 11:1-15; Mk 1:14-15. Why did Paul write: “apart from the (OT) Law”? Our salvation begins when we repent and believe that Jesus Christ has perfectly fulfilled the entire OT Law, including His baptism in the Jordan. Read Ro 4. When we believe God’s Word, we will be blessed with Righteousness from God. If we do not repent and believe what Jesus Christ said and did for us in Mt 3, then we are rejecting His Righteousness and our salvation forever. Read Isa 66; Mt 23; Lk 19-20. When Jesus Christ cleansed the Temple, He symbolized the Temple cleansing to come. What did Jesus Christ ask the religious leaders when they questioned His authority? Now why would He ask them about John’s baptism and mention a baptism “from men”? Did anyone ask Him what a baptism “from men” was? Why not?]
22. even the Righteousness of God through Faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe. For there is no distinction [Salvation begins “through Faith” in the Righteousness of God’s Son. It is the height of sheer arrogance to think we can ignore and reject what Jesus Christ said and did for us in Mt 3. Read Ro 9-11 about those who reject saving Faith. Read Ro 4-5. Faith, as God defines Faith, must come before God’s Grace is given. God will never give His Spirit of Grace and Truth to unrighteousness unbelievers. Read Jn 1.]
23. for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God [No one but Jesus Christ could ever perfectly fulfill the OT Law. However, now He commands everyone to “sin no more” because “the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Read Mt 5-7; Mt 19; Mt 25; Jn 5; Jn 8; Ac 26; 1Co 6:1-11; 1Co 15:50; Gal 5:13-26; Eph 5:1-21; Col 3; Heb 5:12-6:12; Heb 9:1-15; 1Pe 1-3; Rev 21-22, to see who will and who will not receive an inheritance in God’s “Kingdom of Heaven.” Read Ps 19; Pr 25:2; Jn 11; Ac 7:55-56; Ro 5:1-5; Ro 15:1-21; 1Co 10:31-33; 2Co 1:18-22; 2Co 4; Php 2:1-18; Rev 15; Rev 21:9-27, about “the Glory of God.”]
24. being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [Ro 3:23-24 and Eph 2:8-9 could possibly be the most misunderstood verses in the entire Holy Bible. Read 2Pe 3:15-16. It is extremely dangerous to take Paul’s teachings out of context but multitudes have ignored Peter’s warnings. “The redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” “through Faith,” must come first before anyone will be “justified freely by His Grace.” Paul was still writing about “the Righteousness of God” “apart from the (OT) Law” that is only available from “God through Faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe.” Compare Mt 3; Mt 5:17-20; Mt 6:1,31-33 to Ro 1:16-21. Salvation must begin and end “through Faith” in “the Righteousness of God.” Notice: “through Faith” in Ro 3:22. Notice: “through Faith” in Ro 3:25. And notice: “through Faith” in Eph 2:8. Faith, as God defines Faith, must come first before anyone will receive God’s Spirit of Grace and Truth. How does that agree with the popular man-made definition of grace as mercy from God? It doesn’t. God’s Grace was certainly made available because of God’s great mercy but that is not God’s definition of Grace. Use a complete concordance and study the words “Grace” and “Power” in the full context of the NT Scriptures. Who would be so arrogant as to believe that God is offering His salvation to the Gentiles on a silver platter? Would God require the Jews to obey the OT Law for hundreds of years and then freely give His salvation to the Gentiles because He is more merciful now? God does not show favoritism and He does not change! He expects true Christians to become “bondservants” of His Righteousness. Read Ro 6-8; Ro 12-13 again. Only “if, by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body (flesh), ye shall Live” in eternal Life in God’s Glory!]
25. whom God set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in His Blood to show His Righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime in the forbearance of God [How must we have “Faith in His Blood”? Read Jn 1-7. On the cross, the spiritual Living Water of the Word of God became God’s spiritual Wine. The Ultimate Passover Lamb, sinless and perfectly Righteous, shed His Holy Blood and died a physical death. God’s Word in sinless human Flesh became the perfect sacrifice for sinners who believe, repent and obey His exact Gospel Truth. “Through Faith in His (Holy, Righteous) Blood,” we may become reconciled to God. Read Mt 5-7; Ro 5; Ro 11:1-22; 2Co 5; Eph 2:10-22; Col 1, about “reconciliation”. Read Jn 8; Jn 14-17; Ro 4. When true Christians believe in God’s Word, as Abraham did, they will also be blessed with Righteousness from God “through Faith” “in His Name.” Read Rev 19. His Name is: “The Word of God!”]
26. for the showing, I say, of His Righteousness at this present season that He might Himself be Just and the Justifier of him that hath Faith in Jesus. [Compare this verse to Jn 17:19, another verse that has confused many so-called Christians. How could God’s Son be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world if He had not been able to perfectly fulfill the OT Law? How could He have been a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world if He had committed even one little sin? Jesus Christ could never have been “set forth to be a propitiation” by a Holy and Righteous Father unless He always was and still is as Holy and Righteous as His Father. Therefore, what Jesus Christ said and did in Mt 3 is critical. His perfect Righteousness cannot be ignored and rejected without serious eternal consequences. Everyone, who is foolish enough to think he can ignore and reject what Jesus Christ said and did in Mt 3, will never receive God’s Righteousness “through Faith,” and therefore, no Grace and no salvation. The wheat and chaff are separated in Mt 3. Are you wheat or chaff? If you have been chaff, now is the time to trash your false gospel before it is too late to change!]
27. Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of Law? Of works? Nay, but by a Law of Faith. [Exactly, not one of us could even dream of fulfilling the OT Law. What “works” was Paul writing about here? The works of the flesh under the OT Law, none other. The OT Law has already been perfectly fulfilled. Who would be so foolish as to return to the OT Law when we can begin to be saved by simply believing that Jesus Christ did, indeed, perfectly fulfill the OT Law for us as He said. Read Mt 3; Mt 5:17-20.]
28. We reckon, therefore, that a man is justified by Faith apart from the works of the (OT) Law [Read Gal 1-6. Only the “foolish” and bewitched will return to the OT works of the flesh and fall “away from Grace.” Read Mt 6:1; Heb 11:1,6. Do you deny that physical water baptisms are OT works of the flesh as physical circumcisions are? Read Mt 23; Lk 16:15-17. The Jewish religious leaders also had a water baptism that only washed the outside, not the inside. Read Ac 8; Ac 10-11 very carefully. Why was Peter worried that he had opposed God? What did he remember? What did they learn about Gentile conversions? Read Ac 1-28.]
29. or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yea, of Gentiles also. [Read Eph 2:10-22 again and also continue to read Ro 4 to see how God’s Promise to Abraham was for all nations. Everyone, who believes in God’s Word, will have Faith as Abraham had prior to his physical circumcision that symbolized the New Covenant spiritual circumcisions. However, if you do not believe what Jesus Christ said and did for us in Mt 3, then you will never be blessed with Righteousness from God. Therefore, you will never receive God’s Grace or be saved. You will have rejected your salvation through God’s “Law of Faith.”]
30. If so be, that God is One and He shall justify the circumcision by Faith and the uncircumcision through Faith, [Read Jn 17; Eph 4:4-7 about “One”. Now, there is not a Jewish faith and another faith for Gentiles. When God declares “One”, He means “One”. This also holds true for baptisms. Six times we read that John baptized with physical water but Jesus Christ baptizes with God’s Holy Spirit of Grace and Truth. “One baptism” always means “one baptism.” A baptism under the “Law of Faith,” also called “the Law of the Spirit of Life,” has nothing to do with physical water. Read Jn 7:37-39; 1Co 12:13. Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the OT physical requirements when He was perfectly fulfilling all of the OT Law, “all Righteousness” in Mt 3!]
31. do we then make the Law of none effect through Faith? God forbid! Nay, we establish the Law. [“The Law of the Spirit of Life” has no physical works of the flesh. Nothing under this Law is done through the power of human flesh. Everything under this Law is done through the Power of God for His Glory. Therefore, the OT Law has become “the Law of Sin and of Death” for everyone who remains under it since it depends on works of the flesh that were already perfectly fulfilled by God’s Righteous Son. To continue in the works of the flesh under the OT Law is to reject salvation “through Faith” in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and His Father, a deadly sin. Php 3:1-3: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things unto you, to me indeed, is not irksome but for you it is safe. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and Glory in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.” Rev 22:15: “Without are the dogs…and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie.” Don’t be “dogs”! Join God’s “Fishers of Men” and rescue His “good” fish from mankind’s polluted waters!]
Question: In Mt 5:17-20, Jesus Christ said He came, not to abolish or destroy but to fulfill the (OT) Law and the Prophets. In Eph 2:10-22, Paul wrote that Jesus Christ did abolish “in the Flesh” “even the (OT) Law of commandments contained in ordinances.” Is there a contradiction? No, not at all. Why not? A true Christian will understand. Do you? Can you explain why there is no contradiction? If you understand what was written about Ro 3:19-31 above, then you should be able to answer this simple question in a very short paragraph.
Replies welcome at canawedding at aol dot com, anne robare
October 20th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Anne,
I will answer your question as soon as you answer mine.
How does your thinly veiled accusation match up to the above verse?
October 21st, 2006 at 2:36 am
Doug,
Is your definition of love the same as God’s definition of Love? I doubt it, in fact, i know it isn’t.
2Ti 3:12. Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13. But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14. But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
15. And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. [There is THROUGH FAITH again!]
16. Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. [What is Scripture profitable for besides teaching?]
17. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. [Yes, Paul wrote about "work" just as James did but why is it that so few understand what Paul wrote?]
2Pe 3:15. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;
16. as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17. Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
Are you going to say that Paul and Peter did not have God’s Love?
Rev 3:14. And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. [As in vomit out!]
Are you going to say that the Lord Jesus Christ does not have God’s Love????!!!!!!!
17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.
19. As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. [Read Jn 13:20; 2Co 4; 1Ti 4; Jas 5:19-20, and see how the Lord works through His ambassadors that "reprove and chasten." Read Gal 1:6-12 to see what happens to those who teach false gospels. Read Heb 10:26-31 to see what happens to those who continue in deliberate sins.]
20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
22. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. [Read 1Jn 1-5. How do we "overcome the evil one"? And, there John tells us to lay our lives down for our brothers as Jesus Christ laid His life down for us. That is God's definition of Love. Telling people how to be saved even if they hate us and kill us for telling them the saving Gospel Truth that most of them will hate, Mt 5:1-12; Jn 15-17.]
Rev 21:1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.
2. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven of God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God:
4. and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away.
5. And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true.
6. And he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. [Only God's Living Water will save, never physical water.]
7. He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8. But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
Replies welcome at canawedding at aol dot com, anne robare
October 21st, 2006 at 2:44 am
Here are a few more simple questions:
Daniel 12:1-10 (ASV, public domain)
1. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the Book. [The Book is the Lamb’s Book of eternal “Life from the foundation of the world.” Is this the same Book of Dan 12:4? Is this the same Book of Rev 5; Rev 17; Rev 20? Why did the apostle John “weep” when he thought no one was “worthy to open The Book and to loose the seals thereof” and “to look thereon”? Why would John “weep” like that if the popular interpretations of the four riders and horses of Rev 6 were true? No one will begin to understand the four riders and horses until God’s exact Gospel Truth is believed and obeyed.]
2. And many of them, that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake, some to everlasting Life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. [Explain the following quote from Isa 66: “… that cast you out for my Name's sake.” Explain the following quote from Rev 3: “I know thy works … that thou hast a little Power and didst keep my Word and didst not deny my Name.”]
3. And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to Righteousness, as the stars forever and ever. [Hab 2:4: “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright in him but the Righteous shall live by his Faith.” What will the Godly “wise” have and do that makes them “shine as the brightness of the firmament” according to Mt 13; Mk 4; Ro 1-4; Gal 1-4; Heb 7-11 and Php 2:1-18? Read Jn 8. Who is “the Light of the world”?]
4. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the Words and seal the Book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.” [Read Ro 1-2; Ro 10-11:22; 1Co 12-14; 1Ti 4; 2Ti 4:1-8 about “knowledge”. There are two kinds of “knowledge” as there are two kinds of “works.” What is the major difference between the two kinds of “knowledge”?]
5. Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, there stood other two, the one on the brink of the river on this side and the other on the brink of the river on that side. [What NT River did that river symbolize? In Rev 22, what is the “Water of Life”? Who gives the “Water of Life”?]
6. And one said to the Man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” [Read 1Th 5 about “times and the seasons.” Few have paid careful attention to what really matters—their own salvation. Who is “the Man clothed in linen”? Why is He “above the waters of the river”? What was being symbolized?]
7. And I heard the Man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river when He held up His right hand and his left hand unto Heaven and sware by Him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times and a half. “And when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the Power of the Holy People, all these things shall be finished.” [How can someone break “in pieces the Power of the Holy People”? Why would God allow it? Read Lk 24:44-53; Jn 20:19-31; 2Ti 3. What is the goal of “every Scripture inspired of God”?]
8. And I heard but I understood not. Then said I, “O my Lord, what shall be the issue of these things?” [Read Rev 10. The Words were sealed until the New Covenant Gospel Truth was preached as Peter described in 1Pe 1-5; 2Pe 1-3. How are the souls of the saved “purifed” according to Peter’s Epistle? How are the saved “begotten again” according to Peter’s Epistle? What “Water” do the “springs without Water” not have? Explain your answer. What does the “dog” symbolize? What is the “vomit”? What does the “sow”, the pig, symbolize? What is the “mire”?]
9. And He said, “Go thy way, Daniel, for the Words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. [Jesus Christ said, “It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone, that hath heard from the Father and hath learned, cometh unto me.” Read Ac 13; 1Th 1-5. How long did it take true believers to become effective witnesses? Did they attend Bible colleges or seminaries? Did the apostles command anyone to establish such institutions or to trust in them? Read Ro 12-15:21; 1Jn 2; Rev 1-3. How do the “wise” “overcome the evil one”?]
10. Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white and be refined but the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand but they that are wise shall understand.” [In Jn 2:1-11, God’s Son revealed His Glory, the Glory His Father had given Him “before the world was.” What, exactly, was revealed when the water was turned into wine? Read Jn 3:1-4:26; Jn 7:37-39; Jn 12-17; Jn 20; 1Co 12:13; 2Co 2:14-7:1; Eph 4:4-7. Jesus Christ said He sends His true followers as His Father sent Him. Where can we read that the Father sent His Son to baptize with physical water? Read Ps 51; Isa 1-2; Rev 7. How is a true believer washed “whiter than snow”? Read 1Pe 1. How do true believers “purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined”? Read Mt 7:15-29; 2Co 11:1-15; 2Th 1-3. What is the lie that “the lawless one” uses to deceive? If you do not know the answers to these simple questions, then how do you know that you are not among “the wicked” who “shall do wickedly?” Do not be deceived! The unrighteous ones will suffer the “shame and everlasting contempt” of Isa 66:24!]
Replies welcome to canawedding at aol dot com or here.
October 21st, 2006 at 6:31 am
I’m going to take a different approach than you, and by that I mean I’m going to try and start over this conversation on a different note. That is, I am going to assume you are a Christian. Can I ask what denomination you belong to or what teaching you sit under?
I hate to throw out warnings, but I will require any response to be civil and of a considerate length or I will have to begin moderating my comments.
October 21st, 2006 at 8:06 am
I personally just want to know why the questions are being raised. What motivated it and what was the end goal.
October 22nd, 2006 at 12:22 am
Doug and Rey,
True Christians will always declare that Jesus Christ is the Lord as I have done and always do, 1Co 12:3. “For we can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth,” 2Co 13:8. “…and because no lie is of the Truth,” 1Jn 2:21b.
In Jn 8:31-32, Jesus Christ said, “If ye abide in my Word, then are ye truly my disciples and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.” Only God’s exact original Gospel Truth will set us free from sin. That is the point of the questions. If you do not follow God’s exact original Gospel Truth, then you haven’t been set free through faith in the Righteousness of God’s Son. When do you want to find out that you are on the wrong road? Now, when there is time to change or later, when it is too late to change?
To answer your questions: The Church I belong to is described in Scriptures such as Ps 87; Gal 4; Rev 3:1-13; etc. Who is my Teacher? In Jn 6:45, Jesus Christ said, “It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught of God. Everyone, that hath heard from the Father and hath learned, cometh unto me.” Also, read Ro 15 and 1Jn 2 about this very same Gospel Truth. In Lk 21:15, Jesus Christ said, “For I will give you a Mouth and Wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand (oppose) or to gainsay (dispute).” In Jn 13:20, Jesus Christ said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you: He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth ME and he that receiveth ME receiveth HIM that sent ME.”
Why don’t you answer some of my simple questions, Doug and Rey?
October 22nd, 2006 at 12:38 am
Than you lie. The church should aspire to the standard of scripture, but no body of believers can make the claim that it is without error. I also find it interesting that you will reference the letters to two of the churches in Revelation but not any of the others. I suggest you read Revelation 2:1-7 again. And before you say that you are being loving, remember to read 1 Peter 4:8.
We’re done here.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:52 am
you wrote:When God declares us righteous, we have a duty to live a righteous life. We will not attain this goal,
I just want to add this………Philippians 1:6 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
We can, and will attain this goal through our lord Jesus, the Christ. If it were not so, he would have said so. : )
Very old post I am responding to lol
May 5th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Wow, a legit comment on an older post!
I agree with you that it is Christ working in us, not the product of our own efforts. In fact, I agree with you more now than I would have when I first wrote this.
Thanks for the comment!
July 10th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Why would it be incorrect to say that we are justified by faith, hope, and love.