Theological discussion/premise on FB (True of False?): “DID YOU KNOW…God’s plan for salvation today is only found in Paul’s epistles. FAITH ALONE?” “Paul’s gospel (Romans 2.16, 16.25), was different from the gospel of Jesus and the Twelve. Its focus was not upon the identity of Christ but upon the work of Christ.”

Please consider this…

Have you considered the eternal differences between “righteousness” and “justification-salvation?” It is possible to be “righteous” but not “justified.” Righteousness (a right standing with God the Father) is possible ONLY by “faith,” but “justification” is only possible by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as God who died to pay our sin-debt.

1) The Holy Spirit taught righteousness by “faith” alone in the Old Testament (Genesis 15:6).

2) Jesus taught righteousness by faith alone in the New Testament while under The Law (Luke 7:50).

3) Paul taught righteousness by faith alone in the New Covenant of Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

There is NO disparity in the theology of the Spirit, Jesus, Paul.

Paul’s teaching concerning faith as the precursor to righteousness (a right standing) with God the Father is NOT Paul’s doctrine but the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from the Genesis forward. Faith, alone, has always been the KEY to God the Father’s heart and men like Enoch and Abraham are examples of righteousness by “faith” alone in God.

“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:24 (NASB)

“Then he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6 (NASB)

Some mistakenly believe that the Covenant of Law in the blood sacrifices brought righteousness with God but the writer of Hebrews, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. It was not the blood of animals that found righteousness with God but the “faith” of the one who offered the sacrifice in obedience to our God…it is the obedience by “faith” that saved, not the animals blood.

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4 (NASB)

So then, the animal sacrifices under the Levitical Law were simply an act of faith and they were also a foreshadowing of the blood sacrifice to be offered by the coming Lamb of God, Yeshua-Jesus, who would take-away the sins of the World.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NKJV)

It is written concerning Jesus…

“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very [a]form of things, [b]can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in [c]those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,

“Sacrifice and offering You have not desired,

But a body You have prepared for Me;

6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure.

7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come

(In the scroll of the book it is written of Me)

To do Your will, O God.’”

8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:1-10 (NASB)

The question is then asked, “Why Jesus?”

Even though mankind, from The Beginning, has found “righteousness” with God the Father by faith, alone…righteousness void atonement for sin will NOT permit entrance into the Kingdom of God where nothing impure is permitted to dwell.

“…and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:27 (NASB)

The sinless perfection of Jesus Christ was essential to pay the sin-debt of mankind and it is ONLY by grace (unmerited favor from God) through faith (trusting-believing) in what Jesus Christ did for you and me at the Crucifixion, shedding His innocent blood to pay our sin-debt, that mankind can find atonement for sin and the imputation of Messiah’s perfection/righteousness over our life (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Without repentance of sin and faith in Jesus as Lord, access to the Kingdom will be denied; in fact, even the Old Testament saints who died in righteousness with God were confined to Sheol-Paradise (Abraham’s Bosom/Luke 16:19-31) awaiting the coming Messiah who would shed His innocent blood for the sins of all mankind that would believe in Messiah as Lord.

Access to the Kingdom was not open to the Old Testament saints until Jesus provided Himself as the sacrifice for sin and while His body laid in the tomb, Jesus entered Sheol-Paradise and preached liberty and freedom via the Gospel to the saints and then led them into the Kingdom before His resurrection.

“For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” Psalm 16:10 (NASB)

‘And He said to him,‘ “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 (NASB)

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.” 1 Peter 3:18-20 (NIV)

‘But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,

He led captive a host of captives,

And He gave gifts to men.”

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)’ Ephesians 4:7-10 (NASB)

So then, from The Beginning, “faith” in God has been the KEY to righteousness (a right standing) with God the Father but Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin was essential for atonement i.e….a “payment in full” for the sin-debt of mankind and it is the atonement for sin earned ONLY by Jesus Christ that permits mankind to enter the Kingdom of God subsequent to the death of the body in Time to everyone who believes in Jesus as Lord!

In the Covenant of Grace as opposed to the Covenant of Law, mankind can now enter the Kingdom of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as God.

“…we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NASB)

Religious-Atheistic logic: “When I ask a Christian why do you believe in Christianity…Why not other religions? Is there something special or does the bible contain [a] scientific verse which is now discovered? How do you know that this is the word of god? Simply his answer will be…Because Jesus said I am the only way to God And he died for our sins. What I observe from this is that they look like they are really programmed or like Christianity is really weak and the Christians are follow[ing] their emotions.”

Response to the one who scoffs at Christianity…

I walked in the lust of my flesh and in narcissism for 35-yrs and I was headed to death in sin and death in Hell while thinking I was a “good” person and that surely God accepted me as I was…it was not until I took the time (out of pride) to sit and read through the New Testament of the Holy Bible in an easy to read version that my life was forever changed by the power of God the Holy Spirit.

Approximately one-half-way through my initial read of the New Testament, I looked up from the pages of Scripture and asked “Where has this been all my life?” Something happened to my inner-man as I read the Scriptures…I came to know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is indeed God who entered Time some 2019-yrs ago and suffered and died for ME…Jesus Christ died to pay my sin-debt that I could not pay and when I sincerely believed this with my whole heart, a change manifest in my life…I began to see the World and LIFE from a different perspective…my desires and affections began to change and every question I previously had about the origin of life, meaning of life, morality – my destiny, these were ALL answered by the Holy Spirit within the pages of Scripture as He spoke to my heart and opened my eyes to the things of God (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:27).

That was 27-yrs ago and I am here to testify that Jesus Christ is exactly Who He said He is and unless a man or woman humbles them self before God the Father, repents of their sin and believes in their heart, confesses with their mouth that Jesus Christ is God who died to pay their sin debt and believes that Jesus was resurrected from the dead for their justification, unless a man or woman sincerely believes this and confesses same with their mouth, they will NOT see life in God’s Kingdom subsequent to the death of their body in Time (Romans 10:9-10; John 8:24). If you desire life in Eternity in service to our God…if you desire to know God…you must repent of sin and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is God who died for you to provide you forgiveness of sin and life in Eternity (John 3:16)!

Atheists, secularists, naturalists, moral relativists, religionists, mock God and Christianity because these people don’t know the Holy Spirit…they have never truly tried to know God personally; therefore, God remains an enigma to them. Anyone who truly desires to know God and seeks Him with their whole heart, He will be found by them (Jeremiah 29:13) – but – you must first believe that He is God and understand that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. There is no other way to know God the Father but by first trusting-believing in the Son, Jesus Christ, as your personal Lord and Savior for the mediation of your sins (John 14:6)!

It is ONLY by grace (unmerited favor from God unattainable by human effort) through faith (trusting-believing) in Jesus Christ as Lord that you have access to the indwelling Holy Spirit and a knowledge of God’s deeper secrets concerning Time and Eternity and your destiny with assurance of Eternal life (Ephesians 1:13; John 16:13).

Progressive-Socialist-Democrat Party in the United States…Hell’s demons manifest in Time…

There is no doubt in my old military mind that the Progressive-Socialist-Democrat Party in the United States is the Party of Satan manifest in Time…there is no other logical explanation for a group of people who find joy in the mutilation of babies in the womb; “proudly” advocate for sexual perversion destroying our posterity and the American family unit, God’s Marriage Covenant, while demanding the evils and suffering of Socialism be infused in America to destroy our capitalistic economy and our Constitutional Republic…there is NO OTHER viable reasoning for these people to exist other than as an instrument of God’s wrath as punishment for America’s disobedience (Deuteronomy 28).

No one possessing a modicum of common decency, ethics, morals, compassion and love could call them self a Progressive Democrat…no one.

Christian defeatism: “SINCE UR EXISTENCE ON THIS EARTH, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU WITNESS[ED] A SUNDAY WITHOUT CHURCH SERVICE?”

Response to the downtrodden Christians…

Why do you require a building in order to worship our God? Don’t you understand that you ARE the Church if you belong to Christ and the Spirit of God dwells within you? Therefore, any day, any time, any place, is YOUR Church.

It matters NOT if you’re in a prison cell, an ICU bed, quarantined over this sensationalized virus…you can worship our God because the veil has been torn away and as God’s child, His ear will hear! Don’t walk in defeat, Christ is your victory!!!

Atheist logic: “Christians believe that God made everything, including the coronavirus that has killed thousands. Why would a loving God do that?”

Response to the atheist…

God the Son, Jesus Christ, no more created the corona virus than He created the evil that dwells within your soul as you revel in the futility of atheism. All disease is the resultant of man’s choice to live apart from God’s Covenant of Sustenance and Provision as established in The Beginning.

Man opted to compromise with evil via narcissism and it is the atheist today that openly and unashamedly represents the ramification of this lack of wisdom and discernment by our first father, Adam. As a result of Adam’s rejection of God and God’s love, the entire creation fell under a curse and genomic deterioration/mutational malformation, the atrophy of Time-Nature-Life-DNA is the resultant of the chasm created between man and God via sin and rebellion.

Without Jesus Christ as our Mediator and Intercessor with God the Father, we would die in our sin and die in Hell in our impurity, but God the Father made a Way through Jesus Christ for us to be reconciled back to Him by grace (unmerited favor-beyond human effort) through faith (trusting-believing in one’s heart), confessing with one’s mouth, that Jesus is God who died to pay our sin-debt and that Jesus was resurrected for our justification leading to enteral life (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10).

Though all sickness and disease are the resultant of sin…and death is the resultant of sin as well (1 Corinthians 15:22), eternal life, via the forgiveness of sin, is possible through Jesus as your Lord; in fact, there is no other Way to find eternal life but by faith in Jesus Christ as God and Mediator for sin (John 14:6; John 8:24).

Atheist wants the Government to force Church closings: “Governments have closed public places due to the coronavirus, but they have no legal authority to close churches. Should they?”

Response to the atheist…

The Church cannot be closed because every individual believer possessing the indwelling Holy Spirit IS the Church. Buildings used by the Church for corporate worship in obedience to Scripture (Hebrews 10:25) can be closed but the Church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ as Lord, can never be defeated, closed, silenced. I know that you would love to see the Church extinguished as you are a servant of Satan, but you serve a defeated foe unaware and you’re headed to an eternity much like his. Enjoy your hate.

Theological confusion concerning the Trinity: “Elohim is plural but has absolutely nothing to do with trinity… It means powerful, those who God made powerful carries the title of Elohim. That’s the plurality of the word.”

Response to the one denying the Trinity…

Jesus, in John 10:34, quoted Psalm 82:6 where Elohim-gods is used to denote judges-magistrates, those in power and those who rule over the people via God’s authority…but these are men, not Deity. Note: “This use of the word “gods” to refer to humans is rare, but it is found elsewhere in the Old Testament. For example, when God sent Moses to Pharaoh, He said, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1). This simply means that Moses, as the messenger of God, was speaking God’s words and would therefore be God’s representative to the king. The Hebrew word Elohim is translated “judges” in Exodus 21:6 and 22:8, 9, and 28.” (Source: GotQuestions)

Discussion…

Elohim, Genesis 1:1, is a plural noun with a singular verb. In Genesis 1:2, we’re introduced to the 3rd-Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit and in John 1, the Creator in Elohim as per Genesis 1:1 is introduced as Yeshua-Jesus Christ the Son i.e. the Living “Word” of God. Though I cannot adequately explain the Trinity, my God has chosen to reveal Himself in a Trinity, a Triune God that is revealed in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and these Three are co-equal as One-God while an agreed upon delineation in authority is present among the Godhead.

Why God has chosen to do this, I do not know but I cannot deny the fact that my Lord has introduced Himself in this way. It is very likely that because God is Spirit (John 4:24) and His Plan for redemption involved manifesting in flesh (Genesis 3:14-15; Matthew 1:23) that the Godhead appears in a division of Three as God would clothe Himself in flesh and offer Himself as the sacrificial Lamb for our sin thus requiring a manifestation of God in the flesh in order to take upon Himself the sin of the World; And this same God, in His resurrected body, would leave the corruption of the World yet in Spirit He would indwell the body of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord…it is the Spirit of God dwelling in the body of the faithful that secures them in God’s righteousness forever and walks with them daily in the process of sanctification as they are prepared for a life of service in Eternity. This is truly a mystery beyond the mind of man.