Apostate Church- Greedy Baalam
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Posted:Mar 14, 2009 12:11 pm
Last Updated:Mar 15, 2009 11:07 am 46023 Views
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Balaam was a false prophet because he was motivated by greed and eventually formulated a plan to entice the of Israel into idolatry. When ministers of the gospel focus on financial gain or extract excessive amount of finances and live high on the hog you can be sure that something is not aright. Scriptures say that some preach the gospel for financial gain. That is their motive and the people who follow them have the same motives but what does the bible say?
I Timothy 6:6-12
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
These false prophets and teachers like Baalam are soothsayers. They mimic the true prophetic in the same way that Pharaohs magicians mimiced Moses.
A soothsayer ( One who claims to be able to foretell events or predict the future; a seer)operates in the demonic but passes off as a believer. Any one who prophesies what you had for dinner and other intimate matters are soothsayers and have a familiar spirit. Gods prophets do not operate in that way. God only tells the prophet what is important for the ministering of truth to a soul(s)and this may include some things unknown to the prophet about a person but not unnecessary things. God is not a circus performer,trickster,demonstrative for the purpose of displaying signs to give people goosebumps. He is not a counterfeiter so he does not make money appear. Nor does he make diamonds or gold dust fall out of the sky or hand out gold teeth! If you see light orbs flying around in some guys service....get out of there. All these are manifestations that occur in the in occult meetings.
2 Peter 2:14-16
But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceiving while they feast with you;
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed : Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
These prophets have an intellectual knowledge of the gospel but they are not converted to the true gospel. Many of these so called prophets have been exposed for having perverted sin in their private lives. They have been shown the truth by God even as Judas knew the truth but they preferred the way of unrighteousness because THEY WERE GREEDY FOR GAIN!
Revelation 2:14
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication
The teaching of Baalam is in many churches today. Focus on prosperity and financial gain that cause people to stumble at the preaching of the cross. They worship the god of Mammon and do not teach on godliness and surrender to Jesus Christ.
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The False Apostate church- "Sovereign Grace" Hated by the Modern Religionist
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Posted:Mar 14, 2009 12:04 pm
Last Updated:Mar 14, 2009 10:41 pm 48415 Views
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"Of all the Doctrines of the Bible, none is so
offensive to human nature as the doctrine of
GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY." J. C. RYLE
We are sure that the gospel we have preached is not after men, because men do not take to it. It is opposed even to this day. If anything is hated bitterly, it is the out-and-out gospel of the grace of God, especially if that hateful word "SOVEREIGNTY" is mentioned with it.
Dare to say "He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will have compassion on whom he will have compassion" [Romans 9:15], and furious critics will revile you without stint. The modern religionist not only hates the doctrine of sovereign grace, but he raves & rages at the mention of it He would sooner hear you blaspheme than preach election by the Father, atonement by the , or regeneration by the Spirit. If you want to see a man worked up till the Satanic is clearly uppermost, let some of the new divines hear you preach a free-grace sermon.
A gospel which is after men will be welcomed by men but it needs a divine operation upon the heart and mind to make a man willing to receive into his inmost soul this distasteful gospel of the grace of God.
My dear brethren, do not try to make it tasteful to carnal minds. Hide not the offence of the cross, lest you make if of none effect. The angles and corners of the gospel are its strength: to pare them off is to deprive it of power. Toning down is not the increase of strength, but the death of it. Why, even among the sects, you must have noticed that their distinguishing points are the horns of their power; and when these are practically omitted, the sect is effete.
Learn, then, that if you take Christ out of Christianity, Christianity is dead. If you remove grace out of the gospel, the gospel is gone. If the people do not like the doctrine of grace, give them all the more of it! Whenever its enemies rail at a certain kind of gun, a wise military power will provide more of such artillery. A great general, going in before his king, stumbled over his own sword. "I see," said the king, "your sword is in the way." The warrior answered, "Your majesty's enemies have often felt the same." That our gospel offends the King's enemies is no regret to us.
Excerpted from C. H. Spurgeon's sermon #2185 "OUR MANIFESTO"
MTP Vol 37, Year 1891, pg. 49, Galatians 1:11
"I preach the doctrines of grace because I believe them to be true – because I see them in the Scriptures – because my experience endears them to me; and because I see the holy result of them in believers. I confess they are none the less dear to me because the advanced school despises them: I should never think it a recommendation of a doctrine that it was new. Those truths which have enlightened so many ages appear to me to be ordained to remain throughout eternity."
"The doctrine which I preach to you is that of the Puritans: it is the doctrine of Calvin, the doctrine of Augustine, the doctrine of Paul, the doctrine of the Holy Ghost The Author and Finisher of our FAITH himself taught most blessed truth which well agreed with our text. Ephesians 2:8 – "For by grace are you saved through faith; & that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God." The doctrine of GRACE is the substance of the testimony of Jesus."
Excerpted from The Sword & The Trowel Magazine, January 1887
GOD Ordains not only ENDS, but also THE MEANS to those ENDS.
"There is a tendency in this age to throw doctrinal truth into the shade. Too many preachers are offended with that stern truth which the Covenanters held, and to which the Puritans testified in the midst of a licentious age. We are told that the times have changed; that we are to modify these old (so-called) Calvinistic doctrines, and bring them down to the tone of the times; that, in fact, they need dilution, than men have become so intelligent that we must pare off the angles of our religion, and make the square into a circle by rounding off the most prominent edges. Any man who doth this, so far as my judgment goes, does not declare the whole counsel of God. The faithful minister must be plain, simple, pointed, with regard to these doctrines. There must be no dispute about whether he believes them or not. He must so preach them that his hearers will know whether he preaches a scheme of freewill, or a covenant of grace – whether he teaches salvation by works, or salvation by the power and grace of God."
Excerpted from C. H. Spurgeon's sermon #289 "THE MINISTER'S FAREWELL"
NPSP Vol 6, Year 1860, pg. 25, Acts 20:26-27
"As for our Arminian brethren, it is wonderful to see how they hammer away at the ninth of Romans; steam-hammers and screw-jacks are nothing to their appliances for getting rid of election from that chapter. We have all been guilty of racking Scripture more or less, and it will be well to have done with the evil forever. We had better far be inconsistent with ourselves than with the inspired word. I have been called an Arminian Calvinist or a Calvinistic Arminian, and I am quite content so long as I can keep close to my Bible."
Excerpted from C. H. Spurgeon's sermon #1604 "Heart-Disease Curable"
MTP Vol 27, Year 1881, pg. 346, Isaiah 61:1
How I Learned of Grace
by C. H. SPURGEON
Well can I remember the manner in which I
learned the doctrines of Grace in a single instant?
Born as all of us are by nature, an "Arminian," I still believed the old things I had heard continually from the pulpit, and did not see the Grace of God. When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this.
I can recall the very day and hour when first I received these truths in my own soul – when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron: I can recollect how I felt that I had grown all of a sudden from a babe into a man – that I had made progress in scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God.
One week-night when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me, "how did you come to be a Christian?" (...I sought the Lord). But how did you come to seek the Lord? – (the truth flashed across my mind in a moment) – I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him.
I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, "How came I to pray?" – I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. I did read them; but what led me to do so? – Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith; and as the whole doctrine of GRACE opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make it my constant confession.
"I ascribe my change wholly to God."
Edit Post Hide Post 0 Comments A series on the false Apostate church.....The ‘modern-day church’ Aug 27, 2007 10:50 pm
180 Views Satan is the greatest mimicer and his diciples mimic Christians. How can you tell the real from the fake. I will be presenting a series on the false church (from Information Gospel and other sourses) that is here and will be the biggest persecuter of the real Church and body of Jesus Christ. This false church will have itching ears and reject the true gospel for the counterfeit. They hate with a passion the true word of God and cause such a ruckus when confronted with the truth. This false church has false teachers, false prophets and all kinds of false brethren.
We know that everything must to be tested by and through the Holy Scriptures; once the church in question is tested by the Scriptures, you can make an informed judgment as to whether or not it is part of the modern-day church.
How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Matthew 16:11-12
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them
Matthew 7:15-20
The modern-day church generally sticks to sound terminology, unlike the cults that basically unravel when it comes to doctrinal truth, such as Jesus being God or that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Generally the cults and occult are open and passionate about their false teaching once you corner them with the Holy doctrine of God. The modern-day church, on the other hand, is much more sinister in it’s attempt to deceive. The closer the false church can get to the truth, without actually telling the truth, the more deceptive it is.
For example, if I ask the cults Question #1: "Do you teach and preach from the Bible?", both of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons would initially say "YES!" However, when cornered after some debate, the Mormons will refer to their Book of Mormon as their 'bible', and the JWs will look at all issues of 'the Watchtower' as their source of absolute doctrine
But the modern-day church is not be so easily detected by a simple response. They would respond correctly to this question; they would say 'Absolutely!'. In most cases, there is no good fruit to back up this answer, however, it's just a simple, normal reply to stay in the standard of Christendom.
Let me explain: there are certain portions of the Bible that the modern-day church cuts out, so to speak, of their doctrine; here is an example:
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Mtt. 22:36-39
Jesus uses the term 'love' here not as a vague definition but as a specific command to love completely; heart, soul and mind encompasses every part of you, to be committed to Christ as Lord, as Master and we as mere servants of the Master.
The modern-day church has a very vague, non-specific and human-relationship meaning of love, and we all know that human relationships are easily broken. The modern-day church will refer to love and how much they love to infinitum, but they miss the depth and richness of Love purposely, to taint the power of what Love really is. For, the ultimate demonstration and definition of Love was portrayed on the Cross, when Christ sacrificed Himself for the atonement of all our sins.
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
This second command the modern-day church ignores in several ways, but one in particular stands out to me as flagrant:
90% of the modern-day church's budget is spent on buildings and salaries, while a majority of the world has not heard the gospel and a third of the world is slowly starving to death or is in grave poverty. Even in North America, the widows and the fatherless are not reached out to by the modern-day church.
This is quite opposite of how Christ lived, whom is our example; he had no place on earth to call home, and he comforted the poor, meeting physical needs and spiritual. In His three years of ministry, having none of the modern-day church’s material possessions, He was still somehow able to demonstrate Love, and in the ultimate way.
Question #2: "Do you believe that Jesus is Lord?"
The cults deny that Jesus is Lord, according to Biblical terminology.
The modern-day church refers to Jesus as being Lord, but in their actions and in various teachings also deny that He is Lord. The modern-day church has re-packaged and re-defined the Lordship of Christ into simple belief, which is really non-belief but is just affirmation, signing of contracts, verbal agreements, cheap promises and vague demonstrations of 'love'. All this is to magnify their own profits and numbers. The math is simple, you take out the lordship and obedience to Christ and your church buildings suddenly fill up, tithes pour in; the pastoral staff can publicly announce new converts and claim stake in ministries they don't even labor in.
But, the Lordship of Christ, requires much more than this:
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mth. 5:20
This righteousness is not an external righteousness, but is one of the heart; it is a gift from God, impossible for human beings to have apart from Him.
The modern-day church is most adequately described by this verse:
"For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Romans 10: 3,4
[SIZE 5]The modern-day church may do many works, which the moral attributes of such may be good, but this accolade can also be wrung out upon the cults whose 'moralism' far outweighs the modern-day church's. This is an attempt at external righteousness, or 'good works' but falls short and misses the mark of what God demands in the verses above: internal righteousness. The modern-day church loves 'outward circumcision', but will not stand for the circumcision of the heart.
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Rom. 2:29
The term 'Jesus is Lord', refers to Lordship, or 'is the Lord over', as in obeying God's word. In the 16th century, a servant would not dare to go to the King of the land, his Lord, and not do what he was told to do. Such an action would have cost him his life.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 2:3-6
We see in Jesus' ministry, his love for the brethren. I find it more than interesting and sad that the modern-day church has pretended to be brethren, and yet the very foundation of the church is man centered.
"Sovereign Grace" Hated by the Modern Religionist!
by C. H. SPURGEON
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APOSTATE CHURCH SAYS PEACE,LOVE,UNITY BUT GOD SAYS IT IS A FALSE PEACE.
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Posted:Mar 14, 2009 11:55 am
Last Updated:Mar 16, 2009 9:57 am 48875 Views
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Jer. 6:10-19
To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
They have healed also the hurt of the of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
Hear, O earth behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
Isaiah 66:15,16
"For behold, the LORD will come in fire and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For the LORD will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by the LORD will be many."
Malachi 4
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the , and the heart of the to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Prophecies by David Wilkerson, 1985
First paragraph, chapter one--
"America is going to be destroyed by fire! Sudden destruction is coming and few will escape. Unexpectedly, and in one hour, a hydrogen holocaust will engulf America -- and this nation will be no more.
"America has sinned against the greatest light.
Other nations are just as sinful, but none are as flooded with gospel light as ours. God is going to judge America for its violence, its crimes, its backsliding, its murdering of millions of babies, its flaunting of homosexuality and sadomasochism, its corruption, its drunkenness and drug abuse, its form of godliness without power, its lukewarmness toward Christ, its rampant divorce and adultery, its lewd pornography, its molestations, its cheatings, its robbings, its dirty movies, and its occult practices. In one hour it will all be over. To the natural mind it is insanity to come against a prosperous, powerful nation and cry out, 'It's all over! Judgment is at the door! Our days are numbered!' The Church is asleep, the congregations are at ease, and the shepherds slumber. How they will scoff and laugh at this message. Theologians will reject it because they can't fit it into their doctrine. The pillow prophets of peace and prosperity will publicly denounce it.
"I no longer care. God has made my face like flint and put steel in my backbone. I am blowing the Lord's trumpet with all my might. Let the whole world and all the church call me crazy, but I must blow the trumpet and awaken God's people. Believe it or not, America is about to be shaken and set aside by swift and horrible judgments. Many other praying believers who have been shut in with God are hearing the very same message - 'Judgment is at the door! Prepare, awaken!'"
Later in the chapter......an attack from Russia, and "The great holocaust follows an economic collapse in America. The enemy will make its move when we are weak and helpless... America will not Repent... God promised to preserve America only if it turned from its evil... This nation has not repented but has turned its back... I see Almighty God even now slowly turning His back on this nation. America is on the verge of committing the unpardonable sin by resisting the Holy Ghost. Soon, there will be repentance only for individuals, but not for the nation."
Mr. Wilkerson's book discusses at great length the sins of America and the Scriptural basis for her judgment at the hand of God. America will be destroyed in this attack, and it comes well before Armageddon. America does not repent, but suffers judgment unto total desolation. Judgment is unavoidable.
by David Wilkerson
Part of a message given by Gerald Derstine
Christian Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada 1970
In 1961, let me tell you this. In '61, in Sarasota, we had an unusual experience. . . . 'had a vision of the wrath of God coming upon our American cities and this North American continent. Put your hands on me and ask God to remove it from me, I can't stand what I am seeing and what I've been seeing,' and he was really disturbed. I could tell by the way he was talking and crying that he really did have a genuine vision.
Of course, I didn't know what had happened until daylight, when I was out of bed, and I then was only out for a short while when I met these other two brothers and they began to tell me what happened.
They said, 'Brother Derstine, when brother Bob left your house and came back, we were still in the room. We knew that God moved in him in a tremendous way. In fact, he was crying and groaning.' When he left, that was the condition he was in. He figured he had to see me. Came over to my house. But when he came into our room, the glory of God was so great and so tremendous. It was so strong. As he was walking in the door, it seemed like a great, great glory, a brightness. It caused us to tremble. We were on our beds, but our bodies began to tremble so violently we couldn't stay on the bed, we were so frightened, and we cried out to God, we literally screamed out to God, 'Don't come any closer, don't come any closer,' and he said, 'we fell off our beds, and were laying on the floor, just trembling,'
And then this Bob, his voice began to speak the most unusual way--if you can imagine somebody speaking while they're spewing, bringing up everything inside, and here are the words that came out of his mouth and they both heard it clearly: 'The vileness and wickedness of man has come up before me as a stink in my nostrils. And I cannot stay my hand any longer. The mockery of my word in the religious systems of America is an abomination to me.' As they were coming out of his mouth, supernaturally, these words.
That was in 1961. And during that day, that morning, as we were assembled together, the Holy Spirit was still moving through this Bob, and one of the things that he said to us under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, said that what had happened here that morning, had also happened in other parts of the world -- that same message and vision was given to others of God's people.
And I was glad to hear that. . . . We had the first evidence of it the next day. The next day God sent a man from Orlando, Florida, to our service. He said, 'What this young man is telling you about this morning, that identical vision I saw. For several hours I cried and I wept.' He said, 'I couldn't stand it. I asked the Lord to remove it from me. I saw cities, I saw people crying in a terrible state of desperation at the wrath of God coming upon the cities.' Well, this really shook me, you know.
I thought, Goodness, the next day already I hear one that had nothing to do with it in our own town but in another city 160 miles away. Three days later I received an air mail letter from the country of Haiti, describing a vision and it was the same night, the same time. And they told us about the vision that came upon them. Several of them had it the same night.
One of the missionaries couldn't sleep all night long. The Holy Spirit was just speaking to him and telling him what's coming to pass. And the other one had vision of the judgments coming upon the earth. In fact, one of them saw unusual things. They saw people that were being destroyed, and there was another people with those people that were not being harmed. They saw a people that were seemingly hid away. But they were amongst the tribulations, but they were hid away -- they were not being affected by it.
Then they saw still a third party of people that were right in amongst those that were being in this state of terrible sorrow and tribulation, and crying for help. And they heard a voice cry out and say, 'how come YOU are not affected by this?' Because they saw they weren't being hurt at all. They said, 'because we are the of God and have already overcome the world and the powers of the world.'
Now this was written in that letter that came from Haiti to us. I still have a copy of that letter; I think I have it written in this particular leaflet entitled, "God Spoke," which hundreds of thousands of these have been printed already and distributed all over the U.S. and Canada and many countries of the world. (The little story I'm telling you now.) But anyway, then I received a third confirmation of this.
. . . He was weeping and crying. And he said, 'What brother Derstine is telling you about, the same thing happened to me that same day -- that same morning.' So in just seven days' time I had the confirmation of at least three other people beside our own experience that happened, and I was satisfied. I knew that God spoke. . .
luke 21:8-26
And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
But Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay And ye shall be there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.
And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.But woe unto them that are with , and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
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ADAMS SI N CAUSED US ALL TO BE FALLEN CREATURES...DEAD IN TRESSPASSES AND SIN.
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Posted:Mar 13, 2009 9:37 am
Last Updated:Mar 14, 2009 11:43 am 48795 Views
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There is no way to avoid the obvious teaching of Scripture that Adam’s sin had dreadful consequences for his descendents. It is precisely because of the abundance of such biblical statements that virtually every Christian body has composed some doctrine of original sin linked to the fall of Adam.
We are still left with a big question. If God did in fact judge the entire human race in Adam, how is that fair? It seems manifestly unjust of God to allow not only all subsequent human beings but all of creation to suffer because of Adam.
It is the question of God’s fairness that federalism seeks to answer. Federalism assumes that we were in fact represented by Adam and that such representation was both fair and accurate. It holds that Adam perfectly represented us.
Within our own legal system we have situations that, not perfectly but approximately, parallel this concept of representation. We know that if I hire a man to kill someone and that hired gunman carries out the contract, I can justly be tried for first-degree murder in spite of the fact that I did not actually pull the trigger. I am judged to be guilty for a crime someone else committed because the other person acted in my place.
The obvious protest that arises at this point is, “But we did not hire Adam to sin in our behalf.” That is true. This example merely illustrates that there are some cases in which it is just to punish one person for the crime of another.
The federal view of the Fall still exudes a faint odor of tyranny. Our cry is, “No damnation without representation!” Just as people in a nation clamor for representatives to insure freedom from despotic tyranny, so we demand representation before God that is fair and just. The federal view states that we are judged guilty for Adam’s sin because he was our fair and just representative.
Wait a minute. Adam may have represented us, but we did not choose him. What if the fathers of the American republic had demanded representation from King George and the king replied, “Of course you may have representatives. You will be represented by my brother!” Such an answer would have spilled even more tea in Boston Harbor.
We want the right to select our own representatives. We want to be able to cast our own vote, not have somebody else cast that vote for us. The word vote comes from the Latin votum which meant “wish” or “choice.” When we cast our vote, we are expressing our wishes, setting forth our wills.
Suppose we would have had the total freedom to vote for our representative in Eden. Would that have satisfied us? And why do we want the right to vote for our representative? Why do we object if the king or any other sovereign wants to appoint our representatives for us? The answer is obvious. ‘We want to be sure that our will is being carried out. If the king appoints my representative, then I will have little confidence that my wishes will be accomplished. I would fear that the appointed representative would be more eager to carry out the wishes of the king than my wishes. I would not feel fairly represented.
But even if we have the right to choose our own representatives, we have no guarantee that our wishes will be carried out. Who among us has not been enticed by politicians who promise one thing during an election campaign and do another thing after they are elected? Again, the reason we want to select our own representative is so that we can be sure we are accurately represented.
At no time in all of human history have we been more accurately represented than in the Garden of Eden. To be sure, we did not choose our representative there. Our representative was chosen for us. The one who chose our representative, however, was not King George. It was almighty God.
When God chooses our representative, he does so perfectly. His choice is an infallible choice. When I choose my own representatives, I do so fallibly. Sometimes I select the wrong person and am then inaccurately represented. Adam represented me infallibly, not because he was infallible, but because God is infallible. Given God’s infallibility, I can never argue that Adam was a poor choice to represent me.
The assumption many of us make when we struggle with the Fall is that, had we been there, we would have made a different choice. We would not have made a decision that would plunge the world into ruin. Such an assumption is just not possible given the character of God. God doesn’t make mistakes. His choice of my representative is greater than my choice of my own.
Even if we grant that indeed we were perfectly represented by Adam, we still must ask if it is fair to be represented at all with such high stakes. I can only answer that it pleased the Lord to do this. We know that the world fell through Adam. We know that in some sense Adam represented us. We know that we did not choose him to be our representative. We know that God’s selection of Adam was an infallible selection. But was the whole process just?
I can only answer this question ultimately by asking another question – one the Apostle Paul asked. “Is there unrighteousness in God?” The apostolic answer to this rhetorical question is as plain as it is emphatic. “God forbid!”
If we know anything at all about the character of God, then we know that he is not a tyrant and that he is never unjust. His structure of the terms of mankind’s probation satisfied God’s own righteousness. That should be enough to satisfy us.
Yet we still quarrel. We still contend with the Almighty. We still assume that somehow God did us wrong and that we suffer as innocent victims of God’s judgment. Such sentiments only confirm the radical degree of our fallenness. When we think like this, we are thinking like Adam’s . Such blasphemous thoughts only underline in red how accurately we were represented by Adam.
I am persuaded that the federal view of the Fall is substantially correct. It alone of the three we have examined does justice to the biblical teaching of the fall of man. It satisfies me that God is not an arbitrary tyrant. I know that I am a fallen creature. That is, I know that I am a creature and I know that I am fallen. I also know that it is not God’s “fault” that I am a sinner. What God has done for me is to redeem me from my sin. He has not redeemed me from his sin.
Though the federal representational view of the Fall is held by most Calvinists, we must remember that the question of our relationship to Adam’s fall is not a problem unique to Calvinism. All Christians must struggle with it.
Calvinism, along with other views of predestination, teaches that God’s decree was made both before the Fall, and in light of the Fall. Why is this important? Because the Calvinistic view of predestination always accents the gracious character of God’s redemption. When God predestines people to salvation he is predestinating people to be saved whom he knows really need to be saved. They need to be saved because they are sinners in Adam, not because he forced them to be sinners. Calvinism sees Adam sinning by his own free will, not by divine coercion.
To be sure, God knew before the Fall that there would most certainly be a Fall and he took action to redeem some. He ordained the Fall in the sense that he chose to allow it, but not in the sense that he chose to coerce it. His predestinating grace is gracious precisely because he chooses to save people whom he knows in advance will be spiritually dead.
One final illustration may be helpful here. We bristle at the idea that God calls us to be righteous when we are hampered by original sin. We say, “But God, we can’t be righteous. We are fallen creatures. How can you hold us accountable when you know very well we were born with original sin?”
The illustration is as follows. Suppose God said to a man, “I want you to trim these bushes by three o’clock this afternoon. But be careful. There is a large open pit at the edge of the garden. If you fall into that pit, you will ‘not be able to get yourself out. So whatever you do, stay away from that pit.”
Suppose that as soon as God leaves the garden the man runs over and jumps into the pit. At three o’clock God returns and finds the bushes untrimmed. He calls for the gardener and hears a faint cry from the edge of the garden. He walks to the edge of the pit and sees the gardener helplessly flailing around on the bottom. He says to the gardener, “Why haven’t you trimmed the bushes I told you to trim?” The gardener responds in anger, “How do you expect me to trim these bushes when I am trapped in this pit? If you hadn’t left this empty pit here, I would not be in this predicament.”
Adam jumped into the pit. In Adam we all jumped into the pit. God did not throw us into the pit. Adam was clearly warned about the pit. God told him to stay away. The consequences Adam experienced from being in the pit were a direct punishment for jumping into it.
So it is with original sin. Original sin is both the consequence of Adam’s sin and the punishment for Adam’s sin. We are born sinners because in Adam all fell. Even the word fall is a bit of a euphemism. It is a rose-colored view of the matter. The word fall suggests an accident of sorts. Adam’s sin was not an accident. He was not Humpty Dumpty. Adam didn’t simply slip into sin; he jumped into it with both feet. We jumped headlong with him. God didn’t push us. He didn’t trick us. He gave us adequate and fair warning. The fault is ours and only ours.
It is not that Adam ate sour grapes and our teeth are set on edge. The biblical teaching is that in Adam we all ate the sour grapes. That is why our teeth are set on edge
Dr. R.C. Sproul
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ORIGINAL IMPUTED SIN OF ADAM IS INHERITED BY FALLEN MANKIND.
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Posted:Mar 13, 2009 9:26 am
Last Updated:Mar 14, 2009 11:43 am 50722 Views
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The terms "original sin" and "imputed sin" refer to the two main effects that Adam's sin had on the human race.
First, as a result of Adam's sin we all enter the world with a fallen nature. This is original sin--the sinful tendencies, desires, and dispositions in our hearts with which we are all born. Thus, original sin is something inherent in us--it is a morally ruined character. The original sin that we are all born with manifests itself throughout our lives in actual sins--the actions, thoughts, and feelings we have that violate God's moral commands. So our sinful hearts (original sin) cause us to make sinful choices, think sinful thoughts, and feel sinful feelings (actual sins). We are not sinners because we sin; rather, we sin because we are sinners. We are all born totally imprisoned in original sin. There is no island of goodness left in us.
Second, the guilt of Adam's sin is credited not just to Adam himself, but to us all. We are regarded as having sinned in Adam, and hence as deserving of the same punishment. This is imputed sin. Thus, we not only receive polluted and sinful natures because of Adam's sin (original sin), but we are also regarded as having sinned in Adam such that we are guilty of his act as well (imputed sin). Imputed sin is the ruin of our standing before God and is thus not an internal quality but an objective reckoning of guilt, whereas original sin is the ruin of our character and thus is a reference to internal qualities. Both original sin and imputed sin place us under the judgment of God.
Since the consequences of Adam's sin are twofold (original sin and imputed sin), the remedy of our salvation is also twofold.
John Piper writes:
So we have seen two things that need a remedy. One is our sinful nature that enslaves us to sin, and the other is our original guilt and condemnation that is rooted not first in our individual sinning but in our connection with Adam in his sin. The book of Romans–indeed the whole Bible– is the story of how God has worked in history to remedy these two problems. The problem of our condemnation in Adam God remedies through justification in Christ. The problem of our corruption and depravity he remedies through sanctification by the Spirit. Or to put it another way: The problem of our legal guilt and condemnation before God is solved by his reckoning to us the righteousness Christ; and the problem of our moral defilement and habitual sinning is solved by his purifying us by the work of Spirit. The first remedy, justification, comes by imputed righteousness. The other, sanctification, comes by imparted righteousness. Justification is instantaneous; sanctification is progressive ‒ and we will deal extensively with it in Romans 6-8, just we have dealt with justification in Romans 3-5.
DesiringGod min.
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THE INHERENT SIN OF ADAM.....THERE IS NONE GOOD .....ONLY GOD IS GOOD....JESUS DIED FOR SINNERS.
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Posted:Mar 13, 2009 9:21 am
Last Updated:Mar 14, 2009 11:46 am 47578 Views
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Mankind was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam's sin the human race fell, inheriting a sinful nature and becoming alienated from God.
Gen. 1:26,27
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them
Rom. 3:22,23
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Eph. 2:12
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world
Man is in the state of total depravity.
Rom. 4:4,5
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness
Tit. 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Isa. 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away
The Scriptures describe three categories of sin:
Imputed Sin, Inherent Sin, and Personal Sin.
Imputed Sin: At birth every member of the human race shares in the responsibility and penalty for Adam's sin.
Rom. 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned[/I](For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
1 Cor. 15:21, 22.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Inherent Sin (Sin Nature): At birth every member of the human race inherits a capacity which entices and enables him to commit personal acts of sin.
Rom. 6:4-10
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Romans 7:18-20
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Eph. 4:17-19
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Personal Sin: Personal acts of sin fall into three categories:
Mental Sin
2 Cor. 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Sins of the tongue
James 3:5,6
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Open sins.
Rom. 6;12-15
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
DesiringGod min.
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TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF GOD
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Posted:Mar 12, 2009 1:06 pm
Last Updated:Mar 12, 2009 11:12 pm 45987 Views
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David in the psalms refers to himself as a worm. He is identifying with the plight of the human soul without Salvation through Jesus Christ.
Psalms 22:6
But I [am] a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
When a person becomes born again by the power of the holy Spirit, transformation takes place. The butterfly comes forth from the caterpillar by way of metamorphosis. Something beautiful comes forth from something base. Personal transformation comes from within the spirit of man and not from without, as in the body. The body is dead because of sin the bible says but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. That righteousness is Christ's righteousness which is imputed to the person at the new birth. That person is now a new creature. Old things have passed away and behold new things have come!
The word “transformed” is the Greek word metamorphoō (met-am-or-fo'-o which means to transform or “metamorphose”,to change, transfigure, transform. It comes from two words: 1) META- implying CHANGE 2) MORPHE - form
The word is transliterated in the English language as metamorphosis; to change into another form.
He who the sets free is free indeed! The worm at the new birth becomes a beautiful butterfly, which symbolically represents freedom. Free from the old man, the sinful nature, the legalist law keeper and transformed into a of God, filled with the power and might of the holy Spirit.
Jesus said that you must be born again...born from above...born of the Spirit to be saved. Travail in the Spirit Saints for those God puts on your hearts for Christ to be formed in them......metamorphosed into that butterfly. Wait patiently until the work is done in the secret place(cocoon)by the holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
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THOSE BORN OF GOD HAVE HIS NATURE.
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Posted:Mar 12, 2009 1:00 pm
Last Updated:Mar 12, 2009 11:11 pm 46542 Views
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In order to understand the salvation experience, one must first of all understand the doctrine of the depraved nature. If one does not believe that man is born with a sin nature, then chances are that person is not born again but is only a religious person. The bible clearly teaches that although man was created in the image of God, having a three part person as he is a three part person(s), (body, soul and spirit),because of the fall man choose to aline himself with Satan and he now is a fallen creature even as Satan(his father by birth into that nature) is a fallen creature. In this natural depraved state, man is now an enemy of God by nature. He is not subject to the will of God nor can he ever be so.
So you see, the carnal man under the sin nature, is exceedingly sinful and must be regenerated (made alive unto God)by the holy Spirit and translated from darkness into the light, or in other words, God's kingdom.
Humans are created in the image of God. However, because of the fall, all are born sinful as a result of the sin of Adam, the first human. People are all born fully sinful and there is no moral good in people at all. They know good because Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but they are unable to perform it. Every good act will always in some way, have an evil motive. Only God by the power of his holy Spirit can change the hearts of all those who are in Christ, thereby giving them moral goodness that is God breathed and the ability to do good things by his empowerment. Everything that the unsaved do is sin, because they are still in the state of utter sinfulness that they were born with.
Sin is simply not doing what God said to do. God told Adam not to eat of the forbidden tree in the Garden and Adam disobeyed God and that was sin. Fallen man canot obey God by their very nature, so they cannot please him in that nature.One man (Jesus) was able to redeem humanity out of sin(of Adam) because he took the penalty of sin and destroyed its power over those redeemed by his blood. Without the shedding of blood,(of a holy vessel) the bible says that there is no remission of sins.
The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. It is very important for you to realize that salvation is a gift. In no way is any one even able to earn it for the bible calls the unredeemed DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS. How can a dead man give himself life? How can a dead person who is blinded by Satan because he has Satan's evil nature, save himself? He cannot! Salvation is completely and totally a work of grace to all that the Lord our God shall call and all whom he calls will come to him, Jesus said. Not one will be lost that the father gives to Jesus as his bride.
So you see, God is the author and the finisher of our faith. Those born of God have God's nature living in them and they now are his seed, born of his Spirit and purchased with a great price. The blood of the lamb!
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 the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain
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ONLY THE NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST CAN PLEASE GOD.
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Posted:Mar 12, 2009 12:55 pm
Last Updated:Mar 12, 2009 8:36 pm 50363 Views
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"And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Man's physical body is not patterned after the physical appearance of God. We are taught in John 4 that God is Spirit and does not reside in a physical body. Man is created not like the animals , with instinct drives but with the ability to reason and think logically and with moral understanding. However after the fall, man like Satan has been corrupted from his original form. Man cannot perform good even though he knows what good is. His nature ahs been altered by sin.
Man is morally aware. He understands that some things are good and some things are evil. Before the fall, Adam and Eve had no experiential knowledge of good and evil, but they most certainly understood that they should obey God's commands. If this were not so, God warning them about punishment if they disobeyed Him would have no meaning to them, and the fall could be viewed as entrapment on God's part.
Ever since the Fall, humans are corrupted morally. They are not like God in their morality, but yet they are still considered to be in God's image but in a corrupted state. (Gen 9:6; Jam 3:9). This defect needs be corrected
Humans do have some concept of right and wrong (Rom 2:15)
Jesus Christ is the perfect image of God (2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3), and Christians must be conformed to his likeness (2 Cor 3:18; Gal 4:19; Eph 4:13; Col 3:10)this is done through the new birth. God's nature is imputed into the redeemed persons spirit...kind of like a computer program. Thus the born again person has God inside and can live a life that pleases God by the holy Spirit that dwells within him.
Ephesians 2
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the of disobedience
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 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.
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ONLY THOSE BORN OF GOD HAVE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.
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Posted:Mar 12, 2009 12:53 am
Last Updated:Mar 12, 2009 4:15 pm 51664 Views
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Born again Christians do not have to go through life without the full assurance of salvation.
1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you...that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
How then can we have this assurance? We must know whether we have eternal life! The Bible teaches that those who remain unsaved will spend eternity in a place of eternal torment (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 14:9-11).
The reason for this is because their sin has not been paid for, and God's perfect justice requires that payment be made for sin (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, it is vital that we know the answer to this question. This is why the Apostle Peter wrote, "...give diligence to make your calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10).
Born again Christians do not live in sin: "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself..." (1 John 5:18 cf. 3:9). "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:2)
SDA have no assurance of salvation because they are not born of God. SDA are under the old testament law of Moses and are not under the grace provided by Jesus to bring in the new covenant. Jesus came to fulfill the law. All who are in Christ are redeemed from sin and are clothed in his righteousness, not our own. If you could be saved by keeping the law...for what reason did Jesus come?
Romans 10
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above
If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2:21
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