Today, reply is that eternal life and salvation are accomplished only through the ministry of Jesus Christ, and not by human strivings and good works. Awareness and self-will respond to divine order through their spirit substance from the makeup of the Creator (e.g., faith, holiness, righteousness), rather than the operations of the flesh that include appetite, knowledge of the law, sensation, emotions, and mind. Good works have been ordained to encourage practical expressions of gratitude, permit discovery and gradual growth of sacred knowledge as well as to focus godly enthusiasm, passion, and zeal. A writer in the “Yahoo! Answers” forum using the ID “2FollowHim” (Level 7 with 128,021 points, a member since January 24, 2010) posted the following:
Christians, using real life example, can you explain this verse?
Good News Translation
Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it
I liked that translation but use the one you like best if you wish.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: 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:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10: 5-10, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: The Law and The Prophets (03/07/2018); What Is A Spirit? (03/06/2018); Recognizing True Christian Prophets (02/26/2018); Time and Chance Happen… (02/27/2018); Secular History, Sacred Revelation? (01/11/2018); Law of the Spirit (12/27/2017); Divine Holiness and Sanctity (12/25/2017); Salvation By Faith Alone? (01/19/2017)
“2FollowHim”, through Jesus Christ our grasp of the divine is elevated such that “life” becomes “eternal life.” When Jesus brought a “revival” to the Temple at Jerusalem, he was seen by the priests, scribes, and lawyers there as a rabbi from the rural areas (i.e., a country preacher) doing the work of an evangelist like Oral Roberts or Billy Graham. More than 400 years had passed since the time of Malachi, and prophets were no longer being sent from GOD when a priest, John the Baptist, left the Temple to preach repentance and cleanse through baptism in the wilderness. Institutional customs, policies, practices, and traditions had been developed by the Pharisees and Sadducees that acknowledged “the law and the prophets” yet no longer provided doctrine and teachings to reverence the Spirit of Prophecy (we also say, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth). Survival of their culture, secular history, politics, and formalism became important to their operations. Faith, being an inseparable aspect of divine spirit within the makeup of GOD (along with holiness, lovingkindness, righteousness, wisdom, and wrath against sin) could not be promoted among the living as above obedience to the law that proceeds on the basis of ones own self-will (willpower). In effect, like today, men were taught, By your actions and choices, you save yourself. Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible:
(1.) Mark 8: 31-38, King James Version (KJV): 31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. 34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
(2.) John 14: 5-7, KJV: 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
(3.) Ephesians 2: 8-10, KJV: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
(4.) Titus 3: 5-7, KJV: 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; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(5.) Romans 3: 20-22, KJV: 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. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 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:
There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, from one of the Pharisees, the Apostle Paul, (6.) Philippians 3: 7-14, KJV: 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
No comments:
Post a Comment