The Dangers of ECUMENICALISM
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Posted:Mar 18, 2009 9:53 am
Last Updated:Mar 18, 2009 1:40 pm 35361 Views
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Like nothing else in many years, the latest Attack on America has certainly brought forward and emphasized the demonically designed worldwide ecumenical movement. Here is an entire nation created by throwing all sorts of ingredients into the pot all bowing together; all religions under one roof praying with each other to all sorts of differently designed gods with the only thing in unity is the spelling of the word g-o-d. To most people in America now, it seems like a great way to be united, etc. but when one again considers the Scriptural element of the whole situation, one would find out that God is not pleased with these actions.
You know - the Scriptures - that Book that each of those religions got their start from - but with a little wrong division there, we have massive confusion all based around a mess.
The prevailing philosophy of the last days desires that all professing religions join together in unity regardless of doctrinal integrity. It used to be just 'Christians' who made this call, but we should notice that the other world religions are moving in, if not only on America soil do they play that game.
"Ecumenical" means worldwide, universal. The ultimate goal of the ecumenical movement will be to bring all religious groups together into one worldwide group, if not in organizational unity, at least in sympathy of the movement. In their words, we may not all be Catholics or Methodists, Muslim or Lutherans, etc., but we all still worship the same God; but we do it in 'our own way'; so naturally, because we are sincere about our love & worship, we can be sure God DOES hear us because God is love & if we love each other, then certainly God must love us.
The ecumenical movement is a Satanic system of lies built on a lie and supported and promoted by professional liars ($$$). There is NO single final Scriptural authority within the ecumenical movement.
The Ecumenical Movement Exists in Three Levels
(1) There is THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL of the ecumenical movement, represented by the World Council of Churches at the global level, national councils on the national level, and clergy associations on the local level.
(2) There is THE EVANGELICAL LEVEL, represented by interdenominational parachurch organizations, fellowships, and mission organizations. Examples of Evangelical ecumenism are Campus Crusade for Christ, Youth With A Mission, Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, and the World Evangelical Fellowship.
(3) There is also THE DENOMINATIONAL LEVEL, which is the 'local church' crowd. While there are exceptions among some old-line Pentecostals, the Charismatic world focuses on experience instead of Biblical doctrine and seeks to unite every sort of denomination. Nobody lifts a voice against any doctrinal heresy. Many of the most popular Catholic and Charismatic and public religious leaders run this show.
In its necessary substitution of the Holy King James Bible, something called Scholarship Onlyism has developed. It is the response to the King James Onlyism title given to those who stick with one Bible - that of the Authorized Version of the English Reformation.
Final authority has been reduced to opinions and preferences, with the arbitrator of these conflicting opinions and preferences being the opinions and preferences of the scholars who conflicted with each other's opinions and preferences.
The final authority is their own opinion, whoever is making their opinion at the time.
The fruits of Scholarship Onlyism is one hundred percent error, while professing to have the ability to find errors in ALL translations and ALL Greek texts.
A Christian is supposed to have some final authority by which he makes decisions and settles issues. If it is not the King James Bible, then what would it be?
This ecumenical Scholarship Only bunch offer a pile of lost scattered pieces of paper written in a dead language that no one could not understand unless they attended a school that would teach them what 'they' believe those papers to say, of course, it is just their opinion based on their own personal studies, mind you.
The goal of the Ecumenical bunch is to destroy the belief in Absolute Authority coming from God and putting in its place, the relative authority of man, composed of the preferences and opinions of men who consider themselves fully equipped to be your guide instead of the Holy Bible itself (Hebrews 4:12,13)
Pastor Mike Paulson
Ephesians 1:11-13
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of his glory.
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THE SABBATH IN ACTS AND THE EPISTLES,,,,,,A JEWISH LAW ...NOT FOR THE CHURCH TODAY
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Posted:Mar 17, 2009 6:31 am
Last Updated:Apr 9, 2009 9:09 am 37533 Views
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The Sabbath in Acts and the Epistles
1. In Antioch, what did Paul do on the Sabbath? Acts 13:14. In Corinth, what did he do? Acts 18:1-4. Did Paul have a custom of going to synagogue on the Sabbath? Acts 17:2. Was it his custom to preach to Jews first? Acts 13:45-46; 18:6; Rom. 1:16. In Philippi, where there was no synagogue, did Paul look for a place where Jews could be found? Acts 16:13.
Comment: Paul wanted to teach Jews about Jesus and how he was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Acts 18:28; 28:23). The synagogue was a good place to start, because Jews gathered there to read and discuss the Law and the Prophets. The Sabbath was the day on which they gathered, so Paul, being a Jewish teacher, regularly went to synagogues on the Sabbath. This was a good evangelistic strategy.
But a historical fact is not a command for us today. We do not have to imitate Paul's participation in old covenant laws (Acts 16:3; 18:18; 21:26). We do not have to imitate his activities on the Sabbath, either. Christians do not have to go to synagogues on the Sabbath.
James said that Moses was preached in the synagogues every Sabbath (Acts 15:21). But James was not encouraging gentiles to attend synagogues! The converts needed to hear about Christ, not about Moses. The synagogues were preaching strict requirements, including circumcision and the law of Moses. The gentile believers did not need to hear that kind of preaching. The Jerusalem conference gave gentiles a lenient decree with only four requirements.
Most Jewish leaders believed that God gave the Sabbath law only to the Israelites. A book written in the second century b.c. gives their view: "The Creator of all blessed it, but he did not sanctify any people or nations to keep the sabbath thereon with the sole exception of Israel. He granted to them alone that they might eat and drink and keep the sabbath thereon upon the earth" (Jubilees 2:31, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, [Doubleday, 1985], vol. 2, p. 5 . The Sabbath was one of the laws that distinguished Jews from gentiles.
The rabbis taught that gentiles should observe laws that go back to Noah, and the Sabbath was not included (see "Dietary Laws and Uncleanness," question 6). Although God blessed the seventh day at creation, he did not command it as a day of rest until the days of Moses. The Sabbath law was added 430 years after Abraham, as part of the law of Moses, given to Israelites only.
First-century Jews understood that gentiles did not need to observe the Sabbath unless they became proselytes and came under the covenant made at Sinai. This is why the Sabbath was not a big controversy in the early church. No one thought that uncircumcised peoples needed to keep the Sabbath, because God had never commanded them to.
When the early church decided that gentiles did not need to become proselytes or to keep the law of Moses (Acts 15), the decision meant, among other things, that gentiles did not need to obey the law of Moses concerning the Sabbath.
When Paul said that Jesus destroyed the laws that separated Jews and gentiles (Eph. 2:15), the Sabbath would have been included, because the Sabbath was one of the main laws that separated Jews and gentiles. When the early church allowed people to live like gentiles (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 2:14), they were saying, among other things, that it was not necessary to keep the Sabbath.
2. Did Paul also preach on other days of the week? Acts 17:17; 19:9. In Troas, did Paul wait until after the Sabbath to preach? Acts 20:6-7.
Comment: Although Paul was in Troas for an entire week, nothing is said about the Sabbath. But we are told the church came together on the first day of the week to break bread, and Paul preached. This means that a first-day meeting at which preaching takes place is a valid Christian example. Daily preaching (Acts 17:17; 19:9) is also a valid example – but an example is not a command.
The new covenant tells Christians to meet regularly (Heb. 10:24), but it does not command when that must be. There is no biblical authority for changing the day of rest from the seventh day to the first. There is no new covenant authority for requiring any specific day of the week for rest or for worship.
We are never told that Paul rested or in any way avoided work on the Sabbath. We are told that he used the day as an evangelistic opportunity, just as he used any and every day of the week to preach about the Savior. His example shows liberty, and nothing about requirements.
3. What did Paul teach gentiles about the Sabbath? Col. 2:16-17.
Comment: These verses do not tell us whether the Colossians were keeping the Sabbath. It does not matter, for Paul clearly says that Christians should not let people judge them regarding the Sabbath.
Notice that Paul starts verse 16 with the word therefore. He is drawing a conclusion from what he has just written in verses 13-15. Because God has forgiven us, because of Jesus' death on the cross, because of his victory over his enemies, therefore we should not let anyone judge us regarding the Sabbath. Under the laws of Moses, the Sabbath was a law by which people were judged. But Jesus' crucifixion has changed that. Now, the Sabbath is no longer a basis for judgment. The proper standard for judgment is faith in Jesus Christ. The test of Christianity is not the day of devotion, but the Person to whom devotion is given. At the last judgment, the main question will not be about days, but about faith in Jesus Christ. (For a more detailed analysis of Colossians 2, click here.)
The Sabbath, festivals, new moons and other old covenant laws were a "shadow" of things to come. They were foreshadows – predictive shadows symbolizing things to come. Whether or not these have all been fulfilled, we are told plainly not to let others judge us with regard to the Sabbath.
In other words, Paul wrote that whether we keep the Sabbath or not, we should not let others make us feel guilty regarding what we do on the Sabbath. In the new covenant, the Sabbath is neither forbidden nor required. It was a shadow, or precursor, of Jesus, and now that Jesus, the true Rest, has come, the shadow or precursor is no longer necessary.
The contrast between "shadow" and "reality" is also seen in Hebrews 10:1, which uses the same Greek word as in Colossians 2:17. The sacrificial laws were a shadow of the good things that were coming. Just as Jesus put the Sabbath in the same category as ritual laws, these verses also do. Just as the sacrifices were shadows that pointed to Christ and were superseded by him, the old covenant worship days were also shadows that pointed to Christ. Now that he has come, the days are no longer standards by which we are judged.
4. What did Paul tell the Romans about special days? Rom. 14:5.
Comment: Both Jews and gentiles were members of the church in Rome. Some of the Christians felt that they should consider certain days different than others; some considered every day alike. Paul did not seem to be troubled by either approach – what was most important in this situation is to avoid judging a brother (verse 4). One brother should not put stumbling blocks in another's way (verse 13). If God does not require a particular behavior, it is wrong to teach it as required.
In Judaism, special days were important. But Paul took a rather indifferent attitude to the concept of special days. That is because something significant had happened to change the basis of our relationship with God. The most significant event in history had happened: the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of that, the old covenant laws came to an end. Days are no longer a matter for judging behavior. (For a more detailed analysis of Romans 14, click here.)
5. What did Paul tell the Galatians about observing days? Gal. 4:10.
Comment: The Galatians had been pagans before they were saved by faith in Christ. But Judaizers were teaching them that they needed to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses (Gal. 5:2-3). The old covenant law was bondage, Paul said (Gal. 4:24-25; 5:1). The Galatian Christians had come out of one form of slavery (paganism, with its many external rules) and were being taught to come under another form of bondage (the obsolete old covenant, with its external rules). Such a teaching makes Christ of no value!
When the Judaizers taught "days and months and seasons and years," it is likely that they taught the Jewish calendar with its days, lunar months, festival seasons and sabbatical years. Paul called these external requirements "weak," since they could not transform the heart. He called them "inadequate," since they can never earn us salvation, nor are they required after we are given salvation.
Christians may keep such days if they want (as many Jewish Christians did), but Paul said they should not teach that such days are required under the new covenant. (For a longer analysis of Galatians 4, click here.)
6. Does a Sabbath rest still remain for the people of God? Heb. 4:9. Is this rest something the ancient Israelites did not have? Verse 8. How do we enter God's rest? Verse 3, first part.
Comment: The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish believers who were still participating in the customs of Judaism. The letter explains that the old covenant is obsolete and its regulations have been set aside. Throughout the letter, the Jewish believers are reminded that Jesus is much, much better than anything the old covenant had. Jesus Christ is the main focus of the epistle. He has fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. The old covenant rituals find their fulfillment in him. This is true of the Sabbath, too. The rest we experience through faith in Christ is infinitely superior to the rest the ancient Israelites were given in the Sabbath. When verse 9 mentions a Sabbath rest, it is praising the superiority of Christ. It is not recommanding an old covenant law.
Joshua could bring the Israelites into the Promised Land, and he could give them the weekly Sabbath rest, but he could not give them the supernatural rest that comes only through Jesus Christ. But those who believe in Christ have entered God's rest (verse 3), and [SIZE 6]they have entered it through faith in Christ, not by keeping an old covenant command. "Come to me," Jesus said, "and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28-30). We are exhorted to enter God's rest by faith in Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews, "rest" is used to symbolize salvation, which includes spiritual rest. The weekly Sabbath of the old covenant symbolized the salvation made available in the new covenant. Jesus fulfilled the purpose of the Sabbath day. We are not exhorted to enter the Sabbath day, but to enter the rest that comes with faith in Jesus Christ.
This passage does not say whether the weekly Sabbath should or should not be kept. It does not even address that question. Instead, it is speaking about something we find in Jesus Christ. It is speaking of the reality, not a shadow. (For a more thorough analysis of Hebrews 4, click here.)
In summary, we have seen the following:
Many old covenant laws are now obsolete.
The early church decided that gentiles did not have to keep the law of Moses, the law that separated Jews from gentiles and was given only to Israel, the law that was added 430 years after Abraham.
The Sabbath was part of the law of Moses, given only to the Israelites.
Jesus obeyed God perfectly, yet he did not command the Sabbath or set an example of resting on the Sabbath.
Jesus gave examples of ritual laws that were more important than the Sabbath.
There is no new covenant authority for commanding the Sabbath.
Christians should not judge one another regarding special days.
No New Testament verse specifically cites the Sabbath as obsolete. Instead, there are verses that say the entire old covenant law is obsolete. The law of Moses, including the Sabbath, is not required. We are commanded to live by the Spirit, not by the law inscribed in stone. The Sabbath is repeatedly likened to things now obsolete: temple sacrifices, circumcision, holy bread, a shadow. The Sabbath is not a basis for judging one another, and it should not be taught as a necessary addition to Christ.
In concluding this section, we can briefly consider two stumbling blocks that confuse Sabbatarians. First is the idea that the Sabbath is a "creation ordinance," commanded ever since creation. To understand the fallacy in this concept, we must note these facts: Although Genesis says the seventh day was declared holy at creation, there is no biblical evidence it was a commanded rest until the time of Moses.
Marriage and reproduction were commanded at creation and are therefore "creation ordinances," but Christians are free not to marry if they choose. Even if Sabbath observance had been commanded at creation, which it was not, that would not in itself prove that everyone must keep it today – especially when Paul says we should not let others judge us regarding the Sabbath.
It is important to keep in mind the biblical principle that the laws contained in the Old Testament, including the law of Moses and laws given to the patriarchs, pointed to and were fulfilled and superseded by Jesus Christ.
The second stumbling block that confuses Sabbatarians is the idea that the Sabbath is required because it is part of the Ten Commandments. Many Christians think of the Ten Commandments as a permanent law code for all humans for all time. Nevertheless, the Ten Commandments were given to Israel as the centerpiece of the old covenant, not to the whole world (Ex. 20:2; Lev. 27:34).
It is true that the principles on which the Ten Commandments are based are timeless, and that the new covenant contains those same principles. Yet the Christian life is based on the new covenant in the blood of Christ, not on the old covenant given to Israel. The Ten Commandments, written on tables of stone, are part of the old covenant and have been set aside, superseded by something that is permanent (2 Cor. 3 -10).
The Ten Commandments were given at a certain time, for a certain people. They even start with the preface that they were given to ancient Israel (Ex. 20:2). One commandment refers specifically to the land of Canaan (verse 12, last part).
Jesus said that certain ritual laws were more important than the Sabbath command, which implies that the Sabbath command is a ritual law, and that it became obsolete when the rituals did. Paul said that the stone tablets were once glorious, but have lost their glory because of the greater glory that has now come (2 Cor. 3-10). Most of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament, but the Sabbath command is not. In fact, Paul specifically says that Christians are not to judge one another about the days they keep.
The Sabbath is not a new covenant command, but it can have practical benefits. It is a good practice to set aside a day each week, putting jobs and other activities on hold, in order to devote time to God in worship and service. But the church does not have scriptural authority (other than by misapplying the old covenant) for requiring an entire day to be set aside, and no authority for requiring either the seventh day or the first.
The Sabbath, as a commanded day of rest, was central to the old covenant, which has been declared obsolete. Although Christians may choose to obey it, it is not a requirement for Christianity.
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SDA TEACH that salvation is by grace plus law, faith plus works....EQUAL A LIE
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Posted:Mar 17, 2009 6:19 am
Last Updated:Mar 18, 2009 9:28 am 35545 Views
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"Try Seventh-Day Adventist teaching by the Bible. Do they teach salvation by works, or by grace alone? By works, of course, by Sabbath-keeping, by tithing, by law and commandments. But this is not the plan of John 3:16 or of Ephesians 2:8. It is the heresy Paul condemned so strongly in the Galatians, when he said they had fallen from grace in doctrine, and now taught salvation by the law. He said in Galatians 4:9,10:
"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years."
"Seventh-day Adventism plays the same game in salvation as every other false movement of Christendom. They profess to teach salvation by grace through faith, but they redefine this in a way that is contrary to New Testament doctrine.
Though they often deny this, the Adventist denomination teaches that salvation is by grace plus law, faith plus works. Grace, according to Adventist theology, is the power and forgiveness God gives to enable a sinner to keep the law and to thereby build a holy character fit for Heaven. He who fails to build the right character by God's grace will never see Heaven. Faith and works are the two oars by which the believer is propelled to glory.
The Adventist doctrine of salvation is a subtle mixture of grace and law that can never provide Bible security. Simply stated, this doctrine is as follows: The sinner is powerless to live up to God's holy standards, the law. He does not and cannot possess in himself the character demanded of God. Thus God has come to his aid through the sacrifice of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit. God now offers, because of the atonement of His , enablement to the sinner by which he is empowered to keep the law. Christ's blood covers all shortcomings, (only) as long as these are properly confessed and forsaken. God offers the grace and power; the sinner must take these and develop within himself the character demanded by the law, or at least, to put it as the cults would, to allow Jesus to do this work. The believing sinner who fails to properly walk with the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit shall ultimately be lost, in spite of his faith in Christ.
This doctrine of salvation cannot and does not offer any security for the adherent. There can never be assurance of eternal life for the cultist, because he does not, in practice, believe that eternal salvation is TOTALLY a gift of God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. The cultist, rather, is convinced that he, too, has a part in gaining eternal life. He must properly endure to the end in the law of God and the works of his church. If he fails to develop the proper character, he will never inherit eternal life. Thus, he can have no assurance of salvation until after the examinations of judgment day. The misled cultist cannot "stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:2). Since works play a role in his salvation, he can never testify with joy, saying.......
I am NOW justified by his blood ... I SHALL BE saved from wrath through him" (Rom. 5:9)
David Cloud
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SDA IS A BIG SCAM.....Why was there NO Seventh-Day Adventist religion before 1844?
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Posted:Mar 17, 2009 6:11 am
Last Updated:Mar 18, 2009 9:32 am 38942 Views
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Why was there NO Seventh-Day Adventist religion before 1844? Why was there NO teaching of the "investigative judgment" before 1844? Why isn't this doctrine found in the Word of God? Why do SDAs only recognize Ellen G. White as a prophetess? Do you mean to tell me that no other prophets have appeared in nearly 2,000 years? According to the Bible, in Hebrews 1:1 and 2, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his ..."
Jesus NEVER told us to look for another messenger or prophet. If what SDAs teach is true concerning Ellen G. White, then surely the Word of God would have foretold of the coming of such a great prophetess, who would reveal new doctrines. To the contrary, the Bible says nothing of the such.
It is disturbing that the entire SDA religion was formed out of a major embarrassment, when a foolish Baptist preacher twisted the Bible around, set a date for Christ to return, and then Christ DIDN'T return. Not even a lightning bolt. And another thing, why did all those Baptists descent, suddenly starting a whole different religion? The entire matter is disturbing to say the least.
Logic with me here. If what SDAs teach is true, then what about all those Christian people who died between the cross of Christ, and the beginning of the investigative judgment of 1844? If Christ needed to complete His work of redemption, then why would He wait until 1844? And here's something to really consider, the year 1844 wasn't set by Ellen G. White--it was set by a Baptist preacher, Miller!!!
If Ellen G. White was such an inspired prophetess, why didn't God give her the revelation of the year 1844? Why would God give it to a Baptist preacher? The Seventh-Day Adventist religion was formed by a group of SINFULLY PROUD people, who couldn't accept the FACT that they had been hoodwinked by a misguided Baptist preacher. Thankfully, most Baptist preachers would never be so foolish as to set a date for Christ's return.
The Bible plainly teaches in Mark 13:33, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." The foolish people in 1844, who followed a man, instead of God's Word, were greatly embarrassed when Miller's prophecy failed to come true. Think about it ... these people had sold their homes, quit there jobs, and given away all earthly possessions!
Can you imagine how idiotic and desperate they felt? The embarrassment was so overwhelming that they couldn't live with themselves, so they fabricated a new religion which would heal the wounds. Unfortunately, it was to their own destruction, "...in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2nd Peter 3:16).
David J. Stewart
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WHOEVER TRIES TO BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW HAS FALLEN FROM GRACE
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Posted:Mar 16, 2009 9:30 am
Last Updated:Mar 19, 2009 9:46 am 40425 Views
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Galatians 5
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another
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IF RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES BY THE LAW THEN JESUS CHRIST IS DEAD IN VAIN
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Posted:Mar 16, 2009 9:22 am
Last Updated:Mar 18, 2009 9:15 am 37873 Views
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If you obey the letter of the word in your own power and ability then according to the bible you are under the law, but if all that you do is empowered by the holy Spirit then it is no longer you that is obeying God but the Holy Spirit who dwells in you that does the work.
Your life is hid with Christ and it is no longer you that lives but Christ in you the hope of glory. Life in the Spirit is performing good deeds, mighty exploits,obedient acts by the empowerment of the Spirit of the living God and not of your own self efforts.
God crowns only his own works. All works done by the sinful nature are burned in the fire! So as you can see, requirements for obedience are even provided by our loving Savior! Praise God for his wonderful grace!
Galatians 2:19-21
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
I do not frustrate (nullify) the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Philippians 4:12,13
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Ephesians 5:17-21
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Romans 8:26-30
The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his , that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
Micah 3:8,9
But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
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GODS LAW REVEALS SIN AND LEADS US TO GODS GRACE IN JESUS CHRIST
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Posted:Mar 16, 2009 9:17 am
Last Updated:Mar 18, 2009 9:17 am 36144 Views
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God's purpose in giving the law, was to bring to guilty sinful man the knowledge of his sin first, and then of his complete helplessness in view of God's just requirements. It is purely and only a ministration of condemnation and death. The law only brings condemnation and death but Jesus came to bring life more abundantly. Where sin abounded grace much more abounded!
1 Cor. 15:56
The strength of sin is the law
Gal. 3:12
And the law is not of faith
Rom. 7:14
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin
Rom. 3:19
Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God
Gal. 3: 10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them
Rom. 7:9
For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died
Rom. 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin
Gal. 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified
Gal. 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain
Gal. 3: 11
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith
Rom. 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh
Acts 13:39
And by him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses
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THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD... that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
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Posted:Mar 15, 2009 10:51 am
Last Updated:Mar 19, 2009 9:48 am 38618 Views
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John 6: 29
“This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent,”
“The blood of Jesus Christ his cleanseth us from all sin,” 1 John 1: 7
“have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace,” Eph 1: 7
“As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, John 1: 12
“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.,” Phil 3: 3
“When I see the blood, I will pass over you,” Exod 12: 13
“In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,” Eph 1: 13
The grace of God is not a licence to sin, but it is the free gift that empowers Christians to live a life that pleases God through the blood of Jesus
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GOOD WORKS ARE THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (NOT A WORK OF MAN)
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Posted:Mar 15, 2009 10:48 am
Last Updated:Mar 16, 2009 10:01 am 36723 Views
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Gods grace teaches Christians to live a godly life
that is zealous of good works. God has PURIFIED his people for this purpose.
purify ( Websters Dictionary)
1. To rid of impurities; cleanse.
2. To rid of foreign or objectionable elements.
3. To free from sin, guilt, or other defilement.
4. To become clean or pure.
Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Christians who are born again by the holy Spirit positionally are abiding in Jesus Christ(You in I and I in you) and bearing fruit unto God...which are Spirit led works because without God we are unable to produce fruit. When the Lord says that without him we can do nothing, he meant that without the holy Spirit initiating our works then we cannot produce fruit unto God.Works initiated by self produce death and this is because they are more often than not self initiated and self fullfilling. That kind of fruit is unproductive in the Kingdom of God.
Abide- Websters Dictionary
1. To wait for; to be prepared for; to await; to watch for.
2.To endure; to sustain; to submit to.
3.To bear patiently; to tolerate; to put up with.
4.To stand the consequences of, to answer for, to suffer for.
5.To stay; to continue in a place; to have one's abode; to dwell, to sojourn,with with before a person, and commonly with at or in before a place.
6.To remain stable or fixed in some state or condition, to continue, to remain.
John 15:4-6
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
It is God that works in you, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13
Good works will not make you acceptable to God. There is a purpose for good works but it is not to attain righteousness. Good works are the fruit of a born again Christian and a byproduct of a born again Christains faith. Adding works to the attonement is heresy and will not keep you in salvation.
It is through Gods great riches of his grace and kindness towards us that saves us when we recieve him by faith. Not by any works at all on our part. It is a free gift!
We are created by God in Jesus Christ to perform good works. These works are ordained by God for each one of us pertaining to the gifts and callings of each individual Christian. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Ephesians 6: 7-10
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God who has begun a good work in us has promised to continue that good work of his pleasure until Christ returns and we all have glorified bodies.
We will be found sincere and without offense until the day of Jesus Christ because we are filled with the fruits of his righteousness and that is what brings honor to God. Not our own fleshy works but those ordained by God for us to do.
What God has put in your heart to do then do. All for the GLORY OF GOD because if he has called you to do a work for him brethren, then he will equip you by his Spirit to do it!!
Philipians 1:5-11
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God
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DOES WATER BAPTISM SAVE? A Biblical Refutation of Baptismal Regeneration
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Posted:Mar 15, 2009 10:40 am
Last Updated:Mar 18, 2009 1:42 pm 40270 Views
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1. The Bible teaches that to be saved a person must “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
In Acts 16:30 the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas this crucial question: “What must I do to be saved?” What answer did these men give to this needy jailer? Did they say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized and thou shalt be saved”? If baptism is necessary for salvation, then why is nothing said about baptism in Acts 16:31? It’s true that this man was baptized (verse 33), and yet this does not change the fact that Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” If water baptism was a condition of salvation, then this would have been the perfect place for Paul to have said so.
2. The Bible teaches throughout the New Testament that FAITH and FAITH ALONE is necessary for salvation.
. EPHESIANS 2:8-9 is a passage which God has given to answer this key question: HOW IS A PERSON SAVED? This important doctrinal verse says nothing about water baptism.
How is a person saved? “For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Why is there no mention made of baptism? Why didn’t Paul say, “For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH AND BAPTISM . . .”?
4. Water baptism is a WORK (something that man does to please God), and yet the Bible teaches again and again that a person is not saved by works.
Here are some examples:
Titus 3:5–“Not by WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which WE HAVE DONE, but according to His mercy He saved us.”
2 Timothy 1:9–“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS.”
Ephesians 2:8-9–“For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 3:28–“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW.”
Romans 4:5–“But to him that WORKETH NOT, but BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
In other words, salvation is not DOING something; it is KNOWING someone (John 17:3). Salvation is not based on what we might do; it is based on what Christ has ALREADY DONE (John 19:30). Salvation is not TRYING; it is TRUSTING (John 6:47).
If salvation could be earned by anything we do, then Christ’s death was a waste (Galatians 2:21). Salvation is not WORKING; it is RESTING on the WORK of Another (Romans 4:5). Good works are not what a man DOES in order to be SAVED; good works are what a SAVED MAN DOES (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3 : 5-8 God’s holiness utterly condemns the best man (Romans 3:10-23); God’s grace freely justifies the worst (1 Timothy 1:15)!
5. The key question is this: When is a person saved? Is a person saved at the moment he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ or is a person saved the moment he is baptized in water? Is a person saved when he believes or is he saved when he is baptized in water (at a time subsequent to initial faith)?
If a person is saved at the point of water baptism, then this means that faith in Christ is not enough for salvation. This means that faith in Christ is part of the requirement but it is not the total requirement. To be saved a person must not only believe in Christ but he must also be baptized in water. The requirement for salvation is faith plus water baptism. This would also mean that it is possible for a person to be a believer in Christ and yet still be unsaved until he is baptized. The person’s sins are not washed away until the water baptism takes place,
Hebrews 7:25–“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” He saves all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. In John 6:35 we learn that COMING TO GOD is synonymous with BELIEVING ON HIM. Thus, God saves to the uttermost all who believe (compare also John 6:37).
Was the theif on the cross baptized? No ..."This day" Jesus said, "thou shalt be with me in paradise"
MIDDLETOWN BIBLE CHURCH (reformed)
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