The pope’s strong expression of support for the scientific origins of the universe and the theory of evolution predictably upset creationists.

The pope’s strong expression of support for the scientific origins of the universe and the theory of evolution predictably upset creationists.

“Following in the tradition of other recent popes, Pope Francis has compromised biblical authority in favor of man’s ideas in the area of origins,” complained Ken Ham, president of the Answers in Genesis ministry.

The creationist was troubled by the pope’s claim that God is not “a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything.”


“Of course God is not a ‘magician,’” Ham sniffed. “Nothing in Scripture ever hints that He is — especially not in the creation account. Scripture portrays God as the all-powerful Creator who is capable of making anything, whether that’s creating the universe out of nothing, parting the Red Sea, saving people from a fiery furnace, walking on water, or raising the dead!”

Ham was particularly offended that Pope Francis claimed “God is not afraid of new things,” which the creationist suggested a lack of deference to the Bible – which he believes was literally written by God.

“Think about it: if God and His Word are open to change, then God’s Word is not an authority on anything — man becomes the authority because he gets to decide when and how God’s Word applies,” Ham argued.

Of course, anyone who sets out to translate the Bible unavoidably “puts man’s word above God’s word.”

That can be particularly problematic when there’s no precise approximation of a word or concept between one language and another – which we saw in reporting on the pope’s controversial remarks.

One widely quoted translation reported the pope claimed “God is not a divine being” – which would be something of a bombshell — but other accounts translated the remarks as “demiurge,” the craftsman who created the physical world in Plato’s origin myth.

Conservative columnist John Ransom, a Catholic who says “the scientific account of creation [is] not incompatible with that of the Bible,” seized on this imprecise translation as something that would “hurt” Catholics.

“While other media outlets concentrate on Francis saying that God is not a magician, I grieve that a pope would dare to say that God is not divine,” Ransom wrote in his column, “Can the Pope Shut Up Too?”

“I don’t know how I can support a pope — or church — that says that God is not divine,” Ransom complained. “The church’s role as arbiter of scientific thought seems so important to Francis that he is willing to sacrifice the divinity of our Creator in order to glamorize the secular elements of man.”

Creationist Ray Comfort took a more conciliatory tone in a Facebook post, allowing that Pope Francis “is very welcome to believe in evolution if he wishes.”

But he said any self-described Christian who believes in Darwin’s theory of evolution revealed they don’t actually know very much about science – or their faith.

“They probably think that they are siding with science, [but] they don’t realize that the theory has no scientific basis — that it’s unproven, and that it has to be received on blind faith,” Comfort argued.


He said adaptations exist within species, but that has nothing to do with Darwin’s theory of evolution, and anyone who believed otherwise could not rightfully claim to be Christian.

“They don’t believe Jesus,” Comfort argued. “This is because He ruled out any thought of evolution when He said ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female’ (Matthew 19:4).”

Ham encouraged his followers to read some of his previous linked articles and urged them to pray for Pope Francis.

“I encourage you to pray that church leaders like these will realize that they are placing man’s opinions above God’s Word and that they will repent and trust God’s Word, beginning in Genesis,” Ham wrote.

"What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine?"

Question: "What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine?"

Answer: Scripture has much to say regarding the drinking of alcohol (Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 29:6; Judges 13:4, 7, 14; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4; Isaiah 5:11, 22; 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12). However, Scripture does not necessarily forbid a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. In fact, some Scriptures discuss alcohol in positive terms. Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs, “Drink your wine with a merry heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 states that God gives wine “that makes glad the heart of men.” Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing. Isaiah 55:1 encourages, “Yes, come buy wine and milk…”

What God commands Christians regarding alcohol is to avoid drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35). Christians are also commanded to not allow their bodies to be “mastered” by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). Drinking alcohol in excess is undeniably addictive. Scripture also forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In light of these principles, it would be extremely difficult for any Christian to say he is drinking alcohol in excess to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Jesus changed water into wine. It even seems that Jesus drank wine on occasion (John 2:1-11; Matthew 26:29). In New Testament times, the water was not very clean. Without modern sanitation, the water was often filled with bacteria, viruses, and all kinds of contaminants. The same is true in many third-world countries today. As a result, people often drank wine (or grape juice) because it was far less likely to be contaminated. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul was instructing Timothy to stop drinking the water (which was probably causing his stomach problems) and instead drink wine. In that day, wine was fermented (containing alcohol), but not necessarily to the degree it is today. It is incorrect to say that it was grape juice, but it is also incorrect to say that it was the same thing as the wine commonly used today. Again, Scripture does not forbid Christians from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12).

Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful nor addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin. However, due to the biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, due to the easy temptation to consume alcohol in excess, and due to the possibility of causing offense and/or stumbling of others, it is often best for a Christian to abstain from drinking alcohol.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/sin-alcohol.html#ixzz3Hc3b7NzO

WHAT IS SIN?

What Is Sin - The Big Question
We live in a culture where the concept of sin has become entangled in legalistic arguments over right and wrong. When many of us consider "What is sin?" we think of violations of the Ten Commandments. Even then, we tend to think of murder and adultery as "major" sins compared with lying, cursing, or idolatry.

The truth is that sin, as defined in the original translations of the Bible, means "to miss the mark." The mark, in this case, is the standard of perfection established by God and evidenced by Jesus. Viewed in that light, it is clear that we are all sinners.

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:23: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

In light of this, it does no good to compare ourselves to others. We cannot escape our failure to be righteous in our own strength. This is by God's design, because only when we understand our weakness will we consider relying on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.

What Is Sin - A Biblical Perspective
Sin is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible, starting with the "original" sin when Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge. Often it seems as if sin is simply the violation of any of God's laws, including the Ten Commandments.

Paul, however, puts this in perspective in Romans 3:20, when he says, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

God wanted us to recognize our sins. Even those who have not murdered or committed adultery will find themselves convicted of lying, or of worshipping false idols like wealth or power ahead of God.

Tragically, sin in any amount will distance us from God.

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear," says Isaiah 59:1-2. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

We must resist the temptation to act as if we are righteous, especially by leaning on our good works.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives" (1 John 1:8-10).

What Is Sin - A Call to Repentance
The good news in all of this is that, once we recognize ourselves as sinners, we need only to repent and embrace Jesus to be forgiven. Jesus can forgive us because he died and rose again three days later in victory over sin and death.

The Apostle Paul refers to this process of recognizing sin and being responsible for it as "godly sorrow."

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death," Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11. "See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter."

- See more at: http://www.allaboutgod.com/what-is-sin.htm#sthash.XgkSn1Rb.dpuf

Christians and Halloween

Grace to You :: Unleashing God's Truth, One Verse at a Time
Christians and Halloween
Scripture: Selected Scriptures

Halloween. It's a time of year when the air gets crisper, the days get shorter, and for many young
Americans the excitement grows in anticipation of the darkest, spookiest holiday of the year. Retailers
also rejoice as they warm up their cash registers to receive an average of $79.82 per household in
decorations, costumes, candy, and greeting cards. Halloween will bring in approximately $8 billion
this year.
It's a good bet retailers won't entertain high expectations of getting $79.82 per household from the
Christian market. Many Christians refuse to participate in Halloween. Some are wary of its pagan
origins; others of its dark, ghoulish imagery; still others are concerned for the safety of their children.
But other Christians choose to partake of the festivities, whether participating in school activities,
neighborhood trick-or-treating, or a Halloween alternative at their church.
The question is, How should Christians respond to Halloween? Is it irresponsible for parents to let
their children trick-or-treat? What about Christians who refuse any kind of celebration during the
season—are they overreacting?
The Pagan Origin of Halloween
The name "Halloween" comes from the All Saints Day celebration of the early Christian church, a day
set aside for the solemn remembrance of the martyrs. All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints
Day, began the time of remembrance. "All Hallows Eve" was eventually contracted to "Hallow-e'en,"
which became "Halloween."
As Christianity moved through Europe it collided with indigenous pagan cultures and confronted
established customs. Pagan holidays and festivals were so entrenched that new converts found them
to be a stumbling block to their faith. To deal with the problem, the organized church would commonly
move a distinctively Christian holiday to a spot on the calendar that would directly challenge a pagan
holiday. The intent was to counter pagan influences and provide a Christian alternative. But most
often the church only succeeded in "Christianizing" a pagan ritual—the ritual was still pagan, but
mixed with Christian symbolism. That's what happened to All Saints Eve—it was the original
Halloween alternative!
The Celtic people of Europe and Britain were pagan Druids whose major celebrations were marked
by the seasons. At the end of the year in northern Europe, people made preparations to ensure winter
survival by harvesting the crops and culling the herds, slaughtering animals that wouldn't make it. Life
slowed down as winter brought darkness (shortened days and longer nights), fallow ground, and
death. The imagery of death, symbolized by skeletons, skulls, and the color black, remains prominent
in today's Halloween celebrations.
The pagan Samhain festival (pronounced "sow" "en") celebrated the final harvest, death, and the
onset of winter, for three days—October 31 to November 2. The Celts believed the curtain dividing
the living and the dead lifted during Samhain to allow the spirits of the dead to walk among the
living—ghosts haunting the earth.
Some embraced the season of haunting by engaging in occult practices such as divination and
communication with the dead. They sought "divine" spirits (demons) and the spirits of their ancestors
regarding weather forecasts for the coming year, crop expectations, and even romantic prospects.
Bobbing for apples was one practice the pagans used to divine the spiritual world's "blessings" on a
couple's romance.
For others the focus on death, occultism, divination, and the thought of spirits returning to haunt the
living, fueled ignorant superstitions and fears. They believed spirits were earthbound until they
received a proper sendoff with treats—possessions, wealth, food, and drink. Spirits who were not
suitably "treated" would "trick" those who had neglected them. The fear of haunting only multiplied if
that spirit had been offended during its natural lifetime.
Trick-bent spirits were believed to assume grotesque appearances. Some traditions developed, which
believed wearing a costume to look like a spirit would fool the wandering spirits. Others believed the
spirits could be warded off by carving a grotesque face into a gourd or root vegetable (the Scottish
used turnips) and setting a candle inside it—the jack-o-lantern.
Into that dark, superstitious, pagan world, God mercifully shined the light of the gospel. Newly
converted Christians armed themselves with the truth and no longer feared a haunting from departed
spirits returning to earth. In fact, they denounced their former pagan spiritism in accord with
Deuteronomy 18:
There shall not be found among you anyone...who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or
one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one
who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord (vv. 10-13).
Nonetheless, Christian converts found family and cultural influence hard to withstand; they were
tempted to rejoin the pagan festivals, especially Samhain. Pope Gregory IV reacted to the pagan
challenge by moving the celebration of All Saints Day in the ninth century—he set the date at
November 1, right in the middle of Samhain.
As the centuries passed, Samhain and All Hallows Eve mixed together. On the one hand, pagan
superstitions gave way to "Christianized" superstitions and provided more fodder for fear. People
began to understand that the pagan ancestral spirits were demons and the diviners were practicing
witchcraft and necromancy. On the other hand, the festival time provided greater opportunity for
revelry. Trick-or-treat became a time when roving bands of young hooligans would go house-to-house
gathering food and drink for their parties. Stingy householders ran the risk of a "trick" being played on
their property from drunken young people.
Halloween didn't become an American holiday until the immigration of the working classes from the
British Isles in the late nineteenth century. While early immigrants may have believed the
superstitious traditions, it was the mischievous aspects of the holiday that attracted American young
people. Younger generations borrowed or adapted many customs without reference to their pagan
origins.
Hollywood has added to the "fun" a wide assortment of fictional characters—demons, monsters,
vampires, werewolves, mummies, and psychopaths. That certainly isn't improving the American mind,
but it sure is making someone a lot of money.
The Christian Response to Halloween
Today Halloween is almost exclusively an American secular holiday, but many who celebrate have no
concept of its religious origins or pagan heritage. That's not to say Halloween has become more
wholesome. Children dress up in entertaining costumes, wander the neighborhood in search of
candy, and tell each other scary ghost stories; but adults often engage in shameful acts of
drunkenness and debauchery.
So, how should Christians respond?
First, Christians should not respond to Halloween like superstitious pagans. Pagans are superstitious;
Christians are enlightened by the truth of God's Word. Evil spirits are no more active and sinister on
Halloween than they are on any other day of the year; in fact, any day is a good day for Satan to
prowl about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But "greater is He who is in you than he who
is in the world" (1 John 4:4). God has forever "disarmed principalities and powers" through the cross
Christ and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through [Christ]" (Colossians
2:15).
Second, Christians should respond to Halloween with cautionary wisdom. Some people fear the
activity of Satanists or pagan witches, but the actual incidents of satanic-associated crime are very
low. The real threat on Halloween is from the social problems that attend sinful behavior—drunk
driving, pranksters and vandals, and unsupervised children.
Like any other day of the year, Christians should exercise caution as wise stewards of their
possessions and protectors of their families. Christian young people should stay away from secular
Halloween parties since those are breeding grounds for trouble. Christian parents can protect their
children by keeping them well-supervised and restricting treat consumption to those goodies received
from trusted sources.
Third, Christians should respond to Halloween with gospel compassion. The unbelieving, Christrejecting
world lives in perpetual fear of death. It isn't just the experience of death, but rather what the
Bible calls "a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume
[God's] adversaries" (Hebrews 10:27). Witches, ghosts, and evil spirits are not terrifying; God's wrath
unleashed on the unforgiven sinner—now that is truly terrifying.
Christians should use Halloween and all that it brings to the imagination—death imagery, superstition,
expressions of debauched revelry—as an opportunity to engage the unbelieving world with the gospel
of Jesus Christ. God has given everyone a conscience that responds to His truth (Romans 2:14-16),
and the conscience is the Christian's ally in the evangelistic enterprise. Christians should take time to
inform the consciences of friends and family with biblical truth regarding God, the Bible, sin, Christ,
future judgment, and the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ for the repentant sinner.
There are several different ways Christians will engage in Halloween evangelism. Some will adopt a
"No Participation" policy. As Christian parents, they don't want their kids participating in spiritually
compromising activities—listening to ghost stories and coloring pictures of witches. They don't want
their kids to dress up in costumes for trick-or-treating or even attending Halloween alternatives.
That response naturally raises eyebrows and provides a good opportunity to share the gospel to
those who ask. It's also important that parents explain their stand to their children and prepare them
to face the teasing or ridicule of their peers and the disapproval or scorn of their teachers.
Other Christians will opt for Halloween alternatives called "Harvest Festivals" or "Reformation
Festivals"—the kids dress up as farmers, Bible characters, or Reformation heroes. It's ironic when
you consider Halloween's beginning as an alternative, but it can be an effective means of reaching
out to neighborhood families with the gospel. Some churches leave the church building behind and
take acts of mercy into their community, "treating" needy families with food baskets, gift cards, and
the gospel message.
Those are good alternatives; there are others that are not so good. Some churches are using "Hell
House" evangelism to shock young people and scare them into becoming Christians. They walk
people through rooms patterned after carnival-style haunted houses and put sin on display—women
undergoing abortions, people sacrificed in a satanic ritual, consequences of premarital sex, dangers
of rave parties, demon possession, and other tragedies.
Here's the problem with so-called Hell House evangelism: To shock an unshockable culture, you
have to get pretty graphic. Graphic exhibits of sin and its consequences are
unnecessary—unbelieving minds are already full of such images. What they need to see is a life truly
transformed by the power of God, and what they need to hear is the truth of God in an accurate
presentation of the gospel. Cheap gimmickry is unfitting for Christ's ambassadors.
There's another option open to Christians: limited, non-compromising participation in Halloween.
There's nothing inherently evil about candy, costumes, or trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. In fact,
all of that can provide a unique gospel opportunity with neighbors. Even handing out candy to
neighborhood children—provided you're not stingy—can improve your reputation among the kids. As
long as the costumes are innocent and the behavior does not dishonor Christ, trick-or-treating can be
used to further gospel interests.

Ultimately, Christian participation in Halloween is a matter of conscience before God. Whatever level
of Halloween participation you choose, you must honor God by keeping yourself separate from the
world and by showing mercy to those who are perishing. Halloween provides the Christian with the
opportunity to accomplish both of those things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a message that is
holy, set apart from the world; it's a message that is the very mercy of a forgiving God. What better
time of the year is there to share such a message than Halloween?

Travis Allen
Available online at: http://www.gty.org
COPYRIGHT (C) 2014 Grace to You
You may reproduce this Grace to You content for non-commercial purposes in accordance with
Grace to You's Copyright Policy (http://www.gty.org/connect/copyright).

Common grace

Common grace
Common Grace refers to the grace of God that is common to all humankind. It is "common" because its benefits are experienced by the whole human race without distinction between one person and another, believers or unbelievers. It is "grace" because it is undeserved and sovereignly bestowed by God. In this sense, it is distinguished from the Calvinistic understanding of "special" or "saving" grace, which extends only to those whom God has chosen to redeem.

Aspects of common grace
In the words of Reformed scholar Louis Berkhof, “[Common grace] curbs the destructive power of sin, maintains in a measure the moral order of the universe, thus making an orderly life possible, distributes in varying degrees gifts and talents among men, promotes the development of science and art, and showers untold blessings upon the children of men.”^[1]^ The various aspects of God's common grace to all mankind may be generally gathered under three heads:

Providential care in creation
God’s sustaining care for his creation, called divine providence, is grace common to all. The Bible says, for instance, that God through the Son "upholds the universe by the word of his power" (Heb. 1:2-3; John 1:1-4). God's gracious provision for his creatures is seen in the giving of the seasons, of seedtime and harvest. It is of this providential common grace that Jesus reminds his hearers when he said God "makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5:45). We also see evidence of God’s common grace in the establishment of various structures within human society. At a foundational level, God has ordained the family unit. Even pagan parents typically know that they should nurture their children (Matt. 7:9-10) and raise them to become responsible adults.

Providential restraint of sin
In the Bible, Paul teaches that civil authorities have been "instituted by God" (Rom. 13:1) to maintain order and punish wrong-doing. Although fallible instruments of his common grace, civil governments are called "ministers of God" (Rom. 13:6) that should not be feared by those who do good. God also sovereignly works through circumstances to limit a persons sinful behavior (Gen. 20:6, 1 Sam. 25:26).

In man's conscience
The apostle Paul says that when unbelieving Gentiles "who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, . . . They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them" (Rom. 2:14-15, ESV). By God's common grace fallen mankind retains a conscience indicating the differences between right and wrong. This may be based on the fact that human beings, though fallen in sin, retain a semblance of the "image of God" with which they were originally created (Gen. 9:6: 1 Cor. 11:7).

In summary, common grace is seen in God's continuing care for his creation, his restraining human society from becoming altogether intolerable and ungovernable, his making it possible for mankind to live together in a generally orderly and cooperative manner, and maintaining man's conscious sense of basic right and wrong behavior.

"What is antinomianism?"

Question: "What is antinomianism?"

Answer: The word antinomianism comes from two Greek words, anti, meaning "against"; and nomos, meaning "law." Antinomianism means “against the law.” Theologically, antinomianism is the belief that there are no moral laws God expects Christians to obey. Antinomianism takes a biblical teaching to an unbiblical conclusion. The biblical teaching is that Christians are not required to observe the Old Testament Law as a means of salvation. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He fulfilled the Old Testament Law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15). The unbiblical conclusion is that there is no moral law God expects Christians to obey.

The apostle Paul dealt with the issue of antinomianism in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” The most frequent attack on the doctrine of salvation by grace alone is that it encourages sin. People may wonder, “If I am saved by grace and all my sins are forgiven, why not sin all I want?” That thinking is not the result of true conversion because true conversion yields a greater desire to obey, not a lesser one. God’s desire—and our desire when we are regenerated by His Spirit—is that we strive not to sin. Out of gratitude for His grace and forgiveness, we want to please Him. God has given us His infinitely gracious gift in salvation through Jesus (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Our response is to consecrate our lives to Him out of love, worship, and gratitude for what He has done for us (Romans 12:1-2). Antinomianism is unbiblical in that it misapplies the meaning of God’s gracious favor.

A second reason that antinomianism is unbiblical is that there is a moral law God expects us to obey. First John 5:3 tells us, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.” What is this law God expects us to obey? It is the law of Christ – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). No, we are not under the Old Testament Law. Yes, we are under the law of Christ. The law of Christ is not an extensive list of legal codes. It is a law of love. If we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will do nothing to displease Him. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will do nothing to harm them. Obeying the law of Christ is not a requirement to earn or maintain salvation. The law of Christ is what God expects of a Christian.

Antinomianism is contrary to everything the Bible teaches. God expects us to live a life of morality, integrity, and love. Jesus Christ freed us from the burdensome commands of the Old Testament Law, but that is not a license to sin, but rather a covenant of grace. We are to strive to overcome sin and cultivate righteousness, depending on the Holy Spirit to help us. The fact that we are graciously freed from the demands of the Old Testament Law should result in our living our lives in obedience to the law of Christ. First John 2:3-6 declares, “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/antinomianism.html#ixzz3H3DaA4Vr

A Brief Rebuttal of Baptismal Regeneration

A Brief Rebuttal of Baptismal Regeneration

by James White


"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." So wrote the Apostle Peter to the early Christians (1 Peter 1:18-19). He, as all the other Apostles, believed that we are redeemed, cleansed, forgiven, in the blood of Jesus Christ. Yet, there are many today who would replace the blood of Christ with the water of a baptistery. They teach that we are regenerated, made alive, cleansed, by water baptism. Some insist that it must be baptism by immersion; others say that sprinkling accomplishes the same thing. In either case, the work of Jesus Christ on the cross cannot be said to be finished and efficacious until man does something--in this case, adds his work of baptism to the work of God in Christ. Baptism is said to be the means of salvation, the method by which Christ's work at Calvary is taken from the merely theoretical to the actual.

It is not our intention to engage in a lengthy discussion of the topic of baptismal regeneration in this article. Such would require far more space than we have available at this time! Instead, we wish to point out a basic, foundational error of the position taken by such groups as the Church of Christ and the Mormon Church--both have some doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Then, we will briefly respond to a couple of the more often used proof-texts provided by proponents of baptismal regeneration. We realize that there is a whole area of discussion that we are leaving to the side by taking this approach, that being the sacramental concept of regeneration in infant baptism. This view is found in Roman Catholicism (indeed, baptism is the original means of justification in Roman theology) and in various of the sacramentally-oriented Protestant churches.

Underlying the idea that man, by an action such as baptism, can bring about his own regeneration, is the rejection of the Biblical teaching of sin, and most especially, the truth that sin enslaves man, debilitates man, brings spiritual death to man. The Lord Jesus spoke clearly of this truth:

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8:31-34).

Man in sin must be freed from slavery to sin. He cannot free Himself, but must be freed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is an offensive truth to the unregenerate man, as the response from these would-be self-made disciples indicates (8:41, 48). Men do not like to hear that they are, in fact, totally dependent upon God's grace for salvation--they do not want to know that they are incapable of saving themselves, or even of coming unto Christ for salvation, outside of God's gracious drawing (John 6:44). But as the Lord Himself said, we are slaves to sin. Slaves must be freed.

Paul describes the lost man's condition with the graphic language of death. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins" he tells the Ephesians (2:1). How can a dead man be made alive? Only by the work of God, just as he told the Colossians, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ" (Colossians 2:13). This deadness has tremendous results according to the inspired Apostle. First, it means that there is no man who, in and of himself, seeks after God: "There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God" (Romans 3:11). Likewise, there is no man who understands the things of God unless he is first changed from being "natural" or "carnal" to "spiritual": "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Paul says that when men are alienated from God, they are His enemies in their minds (Colossians 1:21). These are strong words, and they well describe the hatred and enmity that exists in the heart of the man who continues to live in his rebellion against God. What is even more striking is Paul's absolute belief that this condition cannot be changed by man--not only is it not the natural man's desire to be at peace with the Holy One, but it is beyond his capacity to do so, even if he were so inclined. Note Paul's words in Romans 8:5-8:

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Those who hold to baptismal regeneration would have us to believe that one passes from being a "natural man" to a "spiritual man" through baptism; yet, from whence does this desire to be baptized come? Is God not pleased when we are baptized? Of course. Yet, Paul said that the one who is still fleshly cannot please God. If such a person is the enemy of God, enslaved to sin, how is it that he is able to do such a spiritual and pleasing thing as to desire to be baptized? Obviously, this is impossible. Baptism signifies our death to the old way of life and our resurrection to new life in Christ, as Paul uses it in Romans 6:1-4. Unless we have died to sin, and been raised with Christ in reality prior to our baptism, the symbol becomes meaningless. So we see that the position that posits baptism as the means of regeneration and forgiveness ignores the most basic teachings of Scripture regarding man's inability. In taking the position they do, the baptismal regenerationists not only make man capable of things he is not, but they reduce God's grace to a mere aid, and make the death of Christ a theory that is dependent upon man's act of obedience, rather than the finished and effective work that the Bible teaches it to be (Hebrews 10:10-14).

When we keep in mind the foundational truth that man is unable to save himself, but that salvation is the work of God, we are able to understand why it is said that we are justified by God's grace (Titus 3:7), justified by the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9), and justified by faith. Grace, and the blood of Christ, are both things that are beyond man's ability to manipulate; and faith, if it is true, saving faith, is the gift of God as well. Hence, we are justified by God's action, not by any action of our own. Never is it said that we are justified by baptism.

In light of the fact that any review of the central passages of the New Testament that directly deal with how a man is made right with God will lead us to recognize our own inability and the great ability of our God to save, what is to be said concerning those passages, drawn from one context or another, that seem to indicate that we are saved or forgiven by baptism? First, we must point out that it is common for some to confuse the *importance* of baptism with the idea of the *necessity* of baptism. Indeed, often the fact that the New Testament takes for granted that all believers will be baptized as a profession of their faith is taken to mean that baptism is *how* they became believers in the first place! We confess baptism to be vitally important--the Scriptures are clear in this. That Paul can use baptism is a sign and symbol of our spiritual union with Christ (Romans 6:1-4) shows that it is his assumption that all believers will be obedient in baptism. We do not, by asserting the proper understanding of baptism, in any way denigrate it as an ordinance given by Christ to His Church. But just as the holy Law of God was misused by the Pharisees in Jerusalem, and the Judaizers in Galatia, so baptism has been misused by modern proponents of the works-oriented system of baptismal regeneration. Therefore, just as Paul often asserted his great respect for and love of the law of God while asserting its true nature and purpose, so we, too, assert our great respect for Christian baptism while asserting its proper place in God's work of salvation and sanctification. We shall center our attention on three passages of Scripture that are often placed before us as "clear testimony" to the concept of baptismal regeneration. These passages are Acts 2:38, 22:16, and 1 Peter 3:21.

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39, NIV).

This is probably the most oft-quoted passage in the great baptism debate. Yet, when we read verse 39, we hear again the same concept that we saw above, which Peter himself will assert at a later date (1 Peter 1:2), and that will reappear in the Acts narrative, too (Acts 13:48)--salvation comes through the work of God's elective choice, not the actions or plans of men. Baptism does nothing for those who are not called of God. But, one might say, what if one is called of God? Does this passage then not say that baptism is for the remission of sins?

A tremendously large number of interpretations have been set forth on this passage over the years. We believe the simplest and most consistent manner of approach is to ask a question that is frequently not asked at all: we here have a short snippet of what was obviously a longer sermon by Peter. Does Peter elsewhere tell us, in plain language, how our sins are remitted, how we are cleansed from our burden of guilt? Certainly! We began our article with the quotation of 1 Peter 1:18-19, where Peter directly teaches that we are cleansed by the blood of the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Do we then have sufficient basis to identify the waters of baptism with the blood of Christ? Surely not. Sins are remitted through our participation in the death of Jesus Christ--it is by the "one time offering" of Jesus Christ that we are made whole (Hebrews 10:10-14). What of baptism then? It is the symbol, the outward representation before men of what the Spirit of God has done in our hearts (Titus 3:5-7). Unless we have first had our sins remitted in the blood of Christ, the symbol of baptism is meaningless. But doesn't this passage say that baptism is for the remission of sins? Yes, but what does "for" mean? We feel that Dr. A. T. Robertson's comments from earlier this century are very meaningful:

This phrase is the subject of endless controversy as men look at it from the standpoint of sacramental or of evangelical theology. In themselves the words can express aim or purpose for that use of "eis" does exist as in 1 Cor. 2:7....But then another usage exists which is just as good Greek as the use of "eis" for aim or purpose. It is seen in Matt. 10:41 in three examples "eis onoma prophetou, diakaiou, mathetou" where it cannot be purpose or aim, but rather the basis or ground, on the basis of the name of prophet, righteous man, disciple, because one is, etc. It is seen again in Matt. 12:41 about the preaching of Jonah....They repented because of (or at) the preaching of Jonah. The illustrations of both usages are numerous in the N.T. and the Koine generally (Robertson, Grammar, p. 592). One will decide the use here according as he believes that baptism is essential to the remission of sins or not. My view is decidedly against the idea that Peter, Paul, or any one in the New Testament taught baptism as essential to the remission of sins or the means of securing such remission. So I understand Peter to be urging baptism on each of them who had already turned (repented) and for it to be done in the name of Jesus Christ on the basis of the forgiveness of sins which they had already received (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, III:35-36).

The point being that one can (and we believe should, if one believes in the consistency of Scripture as a whole) understand Peter to be speaking of baptism on the grounds of the remission of sins that comes through belief in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 10:43). But, someone will surely object, Peter himself said that "baptism saves us" in 1 Peter 3:21. Let's look at the passage in context:

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who were disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

This is one of the more difficult passages in Scripture, due to the reference to Christ's preaching to the "spirits in prison." It is not our purpose to enter into the controversy over this particular aspect of this passage at this time (one might find Dr. Kenneth Wuest's comments enlightening; see Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament II:92-109). Instead, we point out that foremost in Peter's mind, again, is the death of Christ as the sacrifice for sin. Men are brought to God, not by what they do, but what God has done in Christ Jesus (v. 18). Upon the heels of this he mentions God's act of judgment in the days of Noah. At that time eight souls were saved through water. Peter then says that this water "symbolizes" baptism (as the NIV translates the Greek term antitupon, literally, "antitype"). Baptism now saves us, Peter says--just as the water "saved" Noah and his family. But, of course, we know that Peter was not asserting that there was some salvific aspect to the flood waters themselves--God shut up the ark, and God saved Noah and his family. But the water is a symbol, Peter says, a symbol seen now in baptism. But is Peter dropping the symbolization so as to make baptism the means of salvation? Certainly not. Dr. Wuest has commented so well that we give his words at length:

Water baptism is clearly in the apostle's mind, not the baptism by the Holy Spirit, for he speaks of the waters of the flood as saving the inmates of the ark, and in this verse, of baptism saving believers. But he says that it saves them only as a counterpart. That is, water baptism is the counterpart of the reality, salvation. It can only save as a counterpart, not actually. The Old Testament sacrifices were counterparts of the reality, the Lord Jesus. They did not actually save the believer, only in type. It is not argued here that these sacrifices are analogous to Christian water baptism. The author is merely using them as an illustration of the use of the word "counterpart." So water baptism only saves the believer in type. The Old Testament Jew was saved before he brought the offering. That offering was only his outward testimony that he was placing faith in the Lamb of God of whom these sacrifices were a type....Water baptism is the outward testimony of the believer's inward faith. The person is saved the moment he places his faith in the Lord Jesus. Water baptism is the visible testimony to his faith and the salvation he was given in answer to that faith. Peter is careful to inform his readers that he is not teaching baptismal regeneration, namely, that a person who submits to baptism is thereby regenerated, for he says, "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh." Baptism, Peter explains, does not wash away the filth of the flesh, either in a literal sense as a bath for the body, nor in a metaphorical sense as a cleansing for the soul. No ceremonies really affect the conscience. But he defines what he means by salvation, in the words "the answer of a good conscience toward God," and he explains how this is accomplished, namely, "by the resurrection of Jesus Christ," in that he believing sinner is identified with Him in that resurrection.

What, then, of Acts 22:16? Here, Ananias, having confronted the blinded Saul, says, in context:

Then he said: "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name."

We again see the common theme of the calling and sovereignty of God in the context of this passage as well ("God...has chosen you"). Verse 16 presents us with a significant construction in the original language. The terms "arise" and "call" (anastas and epikalesamenos) are aorist participles; "be baptized" and "be cleansed" (baptisai and apolousai) are aorist imperatives. These terms form two sets--the first, "arise and be baptized," the second, "wash away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord," or more literally, "wash away your sins, having called upon the name of the Lord." The remission of sins is effected by calling upon the name of the Lord in this passage--it is represented, as elsewhere, by baptism. One thing is for certain: given what we have seen previously of Paul's own theology of justification, he certainly did not interpret Ananias to be teaching any form of baptismal regeneration!

In conclusion, we must again insist that the Scriptures must be taken as a whole--when we find in the direct, clear statements of Scripture truths that are contradictory to assumptions based upon passing comments, we must take the clear statements over the assumptions. In the issue of salvation, we must take the clear statements of Scripture regarding the work of the Spirit of God in regenerating lost sinners seriously. By teaching baptismal regeneration, people do despite not only to the sovereignty of God and the finished work of Christ, but to the real purpose and meaning of baptism as well. While some like to refer to the evangelical doctrine of baptism as a "mere symbol," we respond by pointing out that an ordinance, given by Christ to His Church, in which the great and marvelous work of God in salvation is pictured for all to see is not properly described by the term "mere." Instead, Christian baptism must be understood as representing a true and inner reality--one that is brought about by the grace of God in a person's life. When we properly present baptism as it is presented in Scripture, we glorify God's grace and magnify His work of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Question: What is the Post-Tribulation Rapture Theory?

Question: What is the Post-Tribulation Rapture Theory?
By Chris Schang


Answer: There are four main views of the rapture in Christianity. These four views are the pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, and post-trib rapture timing views. The post-tribulation rapture view is the belief that the rapture will occur at the end of the Tribulation period. This view believes that Jesus will rapture the church and then defeat his armies at Armageddon. And not only that but he will have them go straight up to Heaven in the rapture and then come back immediately down to Earth with him at the Second Coming. This would require that the church do a full 360 degree loop from earth to Heaven to earth again.

Some of the arguments that post-tribulation rapture believers try to make for this theory is that they say that Jesus said that he would return after the "great tribulation" which is at the end of the Tribulation period. They often cite Matthew 24:21, 29 for this belief. The problem with this thinking is that the return of Jesus at the end of the Tribulation is not the rapture, but the Second Coming. Revelation tells us that Jesus will physically touch the ground at the end of the Tribulation period, in the rapture Jesus does not touch the ground but rather comes in the air to gather believers.

Another argument that post-tribulation rapture supporters cite is that Christians have all through the church period faced intense periods of trial and persecution. While this is true and that the Bible tells us that we will face trials and tribulations in life, the Bible has clearly told us that we have the promise that we will not have to go through THE TRIBULATION as we are not destined to wrath, but to salvation through Jesus Christ. Post-tribulationists have mistaken the context of the scriptures and misapplied them here. The seven year Tribulation period is the time of God's wrath on the world as he punishes unbelieving Israel and unrepentant sinners. God has never once punished the righteous with the wicked. He has always removed them from the time and place of his wrath. This has been illustrated over and over in the Bible. The church is made righteous by faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Another problem with the post-tribulation rapture view is that it tries to distinguish between "Satan's wrath" and God's wrath". This is a confusing issue as the truth is the entire seven year Tribulation period is God's wrath. How do we know? Because the scroll in Revelation is a two-sided scroll which in the Bible ALWAYS denotes wrath. In this case, the wrath of God will be poured out on the world as God unleashes one judgment after another until the end of the Tribulation period. Post-tribulation rapture timing advocates don't seem to realize this. The fact is that the Tribulation period or "the time of Jacob's trouble" is the entire Tribulation period as evidenced that the judgments are all "interconnected" together. The seals judgments give way to the trumpet judgments and the trumpet judgments give way to the bowl judgments. Further Revelation 6 clearly shows that the people on earth realize that the great and terrible wrath of God is being poured out after the have have experienced some of the judgments of God.

In summary the post-tribulation rapture timing view is not sound and biblical. The only view that is sound and takes in consideration of the entire "big picture" of Bible prophecy is the pre-tribulation rapture timing view that places the rapture before the terrible Tribulation period and the wrath of God. I hope this article has been helpful to you in understanding the truth taught in the Bible.

God bless.

After the Tribulation period who will be in the Millennium?

After the Tribulation period who will be in the Millennium?

The millennium will not just consist of Gentiles and not just Jews- Mt.25 speaks of sheep that will enter the millennium who helped the brethren. The goats are unbelievers that are judged. This means everyone that will enter the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth will be saved. But not all will be glorified having resurrected bodies. Only those who come back with Christ will have sinless bodies to co rule and reign under him as King. They will have tom wait until the thousand years are up to receive the transformation.

The sheep in Mat. 25:33 enter the kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world. Where is this kingdom? the kingdom is where Christ is ruling which will be in Israel, Jerusalem (Mt. Zion) as he rules the nations with a rod of Iron. The people of the nations are first those who are saved. Satan will be bound so the only sin will come from mans fallen nature.

In the millennium the world will be built back up. People will be born to the saved who enter the Millennium and as this increases so will those who do not believe even though Christ will be ruling and only his teaching will be upon the earth Hab 2:14: “ For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

Isa 65:19-25 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. "No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," says the LORD.”

At the completion of the 1,000 years the people will be tested just as Israel was tested in the wilderness(Heb.3:8-9) and the tribulation. They will be tested on whom they will choose to have allegiance to.

Zech. 13:8-9 And it shall come to pass in all the land," says the LORD, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

Rev 20:7-8 “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.”After the 1,000 years Satan is released to test the people who he had no influence on . (for the first time in history he was unable to influence generations). These are people that will be influenced for the final rebellion against Jesus

Rev 20:9-10 “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Then the culmination of the ages where everything is transformed to be in a state without sin.

Rev 21:1-5 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

H E L L is for REAL

People don't like to hear about hell. But I'm here to tell you that if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, you are on your way to hell. Some of you will be upset at this bad news. You think that I'm all gloom and doom. Tell me this...if your house were on fire, would you want me to let you know? Of course you would. You'd probably thank me for telling you. Well, if you go to hell, you will be the one on fire--and your soul will be lost forever.
Hell may not be a politically correct topic these days, but many people enter hell everyday. Out of the 120,000 people [probably more by now] that die everyday, most end up in hell. Hell is a real place in spite of the fact that people laugh and say that they want to go there. They simply don't understand how horrible hell is. Just because you've never seen hell doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We have descriptions of what hell is like in God's word (We'll get to some scriptures in a minute). Hell is dreadful--and if you don't believe in Jesus and obey him, you'd better get on the stick or else that's going to be your eternal destination.

Satan, the god of this world, WILL NOT always cause havoc. His doom is already foretold, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)

Did you know that if you do not belong to Jesus Christ you belong to Satan? You don't have to be a card carrying Satanist to serve Satan. You don't have to be a murderer, drunkard or drug addict, either. The wages of sin is death--whether murder, being a drunkard, being a whoremonger, lying, coveting and desiring what is evil, fornication, dishonoring parents, etc. If you have not repented of your sins and believed in the blood of Jesus that was shed for your sins, then you are in trouble. If you do not read God's word and obey it, then you are in trouble. If you die in your sins, never repenting, never obeying God's word, you will go to hell. To be saved from the wrath to come, we must REPENT of our sins, BELIEVE in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and OBEY his word (his commandments are not grievous, they are refreshing and life giving). The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God EXPECTING TILL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE HIS FOOTSTOOL. All of this horrendous foolishess, wickedness, murder, and whoredom and blasphemy on the television, in the streets, in the books, etc. WILL NOT continue. There is a cup of iniquity that has to be filled and anybody that looks around can see that it is filling up fast these days. Judgment day is coming--quickly--and we will all be there. God alone will be exalted in that day and the books will be opened.

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

And, as we shall see shortly, they will not get out.

How many times have I heard someone say, "A loving God wouldn't put his creatures in hell." Well I have news for you, friend, God is loving and he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9). Hell is for the devil and his angels, and all the rebels that want to break God's laws on this earth--

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS. (Matthew 25:41)
The devil is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)--men go to hell because they choose the devil's way and reject the Lord Jesus Christ. God is holy and will not allow any sin in his kingdom. As a result, when people die in their sins they are forever banished from the presence of God to hell and the lake of fire. They will go to a place of everlasting shame, contempt, and torment. Incidentally, Satan will not be ruling in the lake of fire. He will be condemned and tormented just like everybody else--

the devil...shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)
Think about this...God, out of profound love for you--a vile sinner who has transgressed his commandments--sent his own beautiful, dear Son to this earth be sacrificed for YOUR sins! To save YOU! Jesus was not a sinner. He did not sin one time. He did not die for himself. HE DIED FOR YOU. To take your punishment and to save YOU. That is why he is called the Saviour. Because he SAVES from sin and hell! If you reject his sacrifice and trod it underfoot it should not be too hard for you to understand that the same God who bruised his perfect, beloved, only begotten Son for your soul will expeditiously cast your rebellious hind parts into hell and the lake of fire. NOTHING unclean will ever enter God's heaven--and all unregenerate people are unclean. I too was once dead in trespasses and sins, but one day, by God's grace, I turned my face to Jesus and got saved--I believed on his word, repented of my sins, and got washed in his blood--my life quickly began to change as I read God's word, the Bible, and started obeying it. Holiness actually becomes a preference. You do not have to be tormented forever in the lake of fire, you can be saved too--that is what God wants for you. The Bible teaches that God hath no pleasure in the death of wicked. He sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the propitiation and payment for your sins so that you can be whole and live forever. For God so loved the world, that he gave us his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God wants to save you and make you whole--.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18
God does not want you in hell! Jesus came to save you from that horrible place! Get right with Jesus and you won't go there! Look at these scriptures:

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die... (Ezekiel 33:11)

The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)

The Bible teaches that God loves you so much that the Creator of this universe (the Lord Jesus Christ) came to "taste death" for every man. Jesus wasn't just some baby for a manger scene (we are not to make images and pictures of the Lord). He is God manifested in the flesh who came to save you from both the guilt and power of sin--he holds the keys, people! If you say yes to Jesus, hell won't be your final destination. If you say no to Jesus, the lake of fire will be your eternal home. There is no getting out and no comfort--it is everlasting.

Regardless of whether you believe it or not, hell exists and the Bible says that it is never full. I've heard folks say that hell is not mentioned in the Bible or that hell is just the grave. Well, let's take a look at what the AUTHORIZED (King James) Version of 1611 of the Bible says (we are not looking at the unauthorized bibles here like the NIV that deletes verses, we are looking at the truth--there is only one Authorized Version of 1611). Here are a few scriptures that deal with hell and the lake of fire (at the final judgment, hell, death and those not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone):

Matthew 25:41 [Jesus speaking to people at the final judgment], ...Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Revelation 14:11, And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night...

Revelation 20:12-20 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Matthew 10:28, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 12:5, But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which AFTER he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Matthew 25:46, And these shall go away into EVERLASTING punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

II Thessalonians 1:9 Who shall be punished with EVERLASTING destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

Jude 7, Sodom and Gomorrha...are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Matthew 22:13, ...Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:41-42, The Son of man [Jesus] shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 21:8, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Psalm 9:17, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Isaiah 14:9-11, 15 [referring to Lucifer], Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee...all they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee...thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Isaiah 66:24, And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be abhorring unto all flesh.

Mark 9:44 [speaking of hell], Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Daniel 12:2, And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and EVERLASTING contempt.

The following account, told by the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 16:19-31, gives us the actual words of a man in hell--notice how he is in torment and he can see and he wanted his tongue cooled and he is tormented in the flame. Notice how he wanted his brethren to be warned lest they enter that place of torment. Notice how the only hope that his brethren had was to believe the holy scriptures--there would be no other proof:

19. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28. For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

In order to be saved, you have to repent of your sins and believe that Jesus died for you, was buried, and rose again the third day. If you continue in his word, the Holy Bible (the Authorized (King James) Version, the modern versions are unauthorized versions of the Bible and counterfeits), then are you his disciple indeed. God has no pleasure that you should die in your sins. There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth (Luke 15:10). Going to church will not save you. You have to repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and obey his holy words until the end (These are the days of the falling away and false doctrine and apostasy, you need to read and study the Bible for yourself.). The thief (the devil) cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy: but the Lord Jesus Christ came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. The Lord Jesus Christ came to rescue us from sin and from the wages of sin which is death (physical death and everlasting torment in hell and the lake of fire).

Hell is real and those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will be tormented forever without a single, solitary hope. Hell is real but you can be saved, if you repent. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Now, while you are still alive, is the time when you can be accepted by God. Tomorrow is not promised to you--now is the time to make your decision. If you die in your sins, you will not be accepted and you will not get another chance to repent. You will be rejected. Heaven is for God's people. Unrepentant thieves, liars, whoremongers, atheists, agnostics, witches, murderers, sodomites, church hypocrites, false worshippers (people who follow false religions (Roman Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.) which includes the various so-called "Christian" denominations or churches which make up their own anti-Biblical messages and lies about how to be saved, e.g. Roman Catholicism, Jehovah's "Witnesses", Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), Charismatic, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, "Church of Christ"/Campbellites, etc.), dispensationalist Baptist, all antinomians* (self-professed Christians who say that you can do whatever you want to do and still go to heaven), haters of God, adulterers, etc. have to go somewhere else, a place of outer darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jewish people) must be saved by the blood of Jesus. Nobody is good enough to make it into heaven on their own. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (reference Isaiah 64:6). ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We ALL need the Lord Jesus Christ. We ALL need to REPENT of our sins, BELIEVE on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and OBEY his word.

*I find that many independent Baptists are antinomians. They blasphemously say that Jesus will be your Saviour without being the Lord and Master of your life. They teach that you can do what you feel like doing and still go to heaven. In these perilous end-times, many church people are teaching this lie as they lead their followers into the arms of the devil himself.
BEWARE OF THE HELL BOUND CHURCH PEOPLE--ALL OF THEM! IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR DOCTRINES, YOU WILL GO TO HELL TOO! They will tell you that you can do whatever you feel like doing--doing all the sins you want to--and that you will still go to heaven. That is a lie from the devil and totally the opposite of what the Bible says. God is holy and commands his people to be holy. God's people are holy people. We have REPENTED and BELIEVED on the Lord Jesus Christ. We read his word and call on him as we put off the old man and his corrupt, unrighteous deeds. We have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, no more are we the whoremongers, thieves, etc. Those things must go, and good riddance. It is time for the good, satisfying, upright life in God. We serve the Lord by working, organizing our homes, enjoying our children as we work with them on useful projects (food, clothing, shelter, water, fire, health), etc.

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. I Peter 1:15-16
Nobody will sin their way into heaven. Heaven is not for the whoremongers, liars, and slayers of fathers and slayers of mothers. It is not for unrepentant murders and kidnappers, thieves, evil men and seducers--the unrepentant go to hell and the lake of fire. This is not hard to understand, just look around. Criminals go to jail and the penitentiary. Ephesians 5:5-6 says, For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS cometh THE WRATH OF GOD UPON the children of DISOBEDIENCE. If you do not repent, believe AND follow the commands of Jesus, you are not saved (his commandments are not grievous). If Jesus is not your Lord, the one you serve, he is not your Saviour, you are yet in your sins. In these end times, men are being led into many grievous sins (if the reader is slave and servant to a grievous sin or sins, they can get saved and then see our Deliverance Series for information for walking away from what held them bound.). We see in Revelation 13 that men will worship a man (the beast) AND the dragon (that old serpent called the Devil and SATAN) that gave power to the beast--sins are permissible in that kingdom. All that belong to it will be cast into the lake of fire. The beast is also called "the man of sin" (reference 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

FLEE FROM "CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER", "EMERGING 'CHURCH'", "CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY" "ANCIENT FUTURE CHURCH", etc. In this movement, these people are learning and using black magic type occult techniques in churches! In disregard and disobedience to the Bible, THEY TELL PEOPLE TO CLEAR THEIR MINDS AND KEEP REPEATING THE NAME OF THE LORD OR SOME OTHER NAME. They say that focusing on the Bible is a hinderance to prayer--yes, the Bible is a hinderance to praying to the DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stay away from people who want to teach you to pray to the devil calling the devil by the name of the Lord. Flee from anybody who puts down the word of God--they are doing that so that you will be defenseless against their lies. These are the end times and now church people are being deceived into CALLING AND SUMMONING DEVILS! The emerging church of the devil is using the same yoga-type techniques as hindus, buddhists Roman Catholic mystics, Greek orthodox mystics, occultists and other mystical traditions. The people are even warned about the possibility of encountering evil spirits during these exercises--no regular prayer requires a warning, no, no, no--BUT PRAYING TO THE DEVIL DOES! AND WHEN THAT KUNDALINI SERPENT POWER RISES UP IN THESE PEOPLE, THEY WILL EITHER BECOME MAGICIANS OR GO INSANE OR SOME OTHER HORRIBLE THING--THERE ARE SYMPTOMS AND MANIFESTATIONS! CHURCH PEOPLE ARE GOING TOWARDS BEING POSSESSED! These are last days--BE WARE, DEAR ONE, BE WARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET SAVED, READ YOUR BIBLE AND OBEY IT AND LEAVE THE TELEVISION ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE BEAST IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One more thing: beware of "new age" teaching--you are not God, you are not divine, and God is not in everybody. All that pantheism (everything is God) and panentheism (God is in everything) is new age teaching which is actually old age because the devil told Eve in the garden, "Ye shall be as gods" (see Genesis chapter 3). The devil is a spirit--he is not dead and he has been telling that same lie ever since then. There is a lot more to this situation, but just get saved and obedient and live reconciled to God. Do not put your trust in science, etc. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth--there is no evolution. Evolution is a big fat lie and a hoax to get people to disbelieve the word of God. Science...many, many lies are told by people in white labcoats. Believe and obey God's word and you will be safe and whole and of an understanding mind and not of a reprobate mind.

Look around, the more the leaders make plans, the worse things get--child abuse, drug addiction, abortion, murders, shoplifting, lying, compulsive disorders, broken families, directionless young people, mind-killing school system, panic attacks, reprobate mind laws, denying God and his word, etc. This thing called time is coming to an end. The heavens above and the earth beneath that you see before your eyes are going to be burned up completely and dissolved. The day of the Lord is coming and we will all stand before God at the final judgment and the books are going to be opened. We will all be there--including all the dead people...they won't be left out--nobody will be left out.

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.



* * * TIMELY WARNINGS * * *
Aliens:
There has been a lot of talk about "aliens" for some time and the talk continues; some kind of sky show may be in the future. If you see something in the air, it is not because there are true aliens. But what about devils? yes there are devils; what about oversized genetically modified organisms and chimeras? maybe; possessed people? yes there are; 3D pictures, yes; pheromones, yes; unrevealed inventions and laws, in all probability, yes. If you hear a voice, see lights, or whatever, compare everything to the Bible--we believe in the Bible above our senses. This is a time of deception. You will not be deceived if you read and obey the scriptures. Read Matthew 24 (and other passages as well) for what is going to happen when the Lord returns. An excerpt--

Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise FALSE Christs, and FALSE prophets, AND SHALL SHEW GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS; insomuch that, IF it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

"Is 'name it claim it' teaching biblical?"

Question: "Is 'name it claim it' teaching biblical?"

Answer: The “name it and claim it” or “prosperity gospel” is not biblical and is in many ways antithetical to the true gospel message and the clear teaching of Scripture. While there are many different versions of the name it and claim it philosophy preached today, they all have similar characteristics. At its best, this teaching comes from the misinterpretation and misunderstanding of some Scriptures, and, at its worst, it is a completely heretical teaching that has the characteristics of cultic doctrine.

The roots of the Word of Faith movement and the name it and claim it message have more in common with new age metaphysics than with biblical Christianity. However, instead of us creating our reality with our thoughts, as new age proponents advise, name it and claim it teachers tell us that we can use the “power of faith” to create our own reality or get what we want. In essence, faith is redefined from “a trust in a holy and sovereign God despite our circumstances” to “a way of controlling God to give us what we want.” Faith becomes a force whereby we can get what we want rather than an abiding trust in God even during times of trials and suffering.

There are many areas where name it and claim it departs from biblical Christianity. The teaching really exalts man and his “faith” above God. In fact, many of the more extreme Word of Faith teachers teach that man was created on terms of equality with God and that man is the same class of being that He is Himself. This dangerous and heretical teaching denies the very basic tenets of biblical Christianity, which is why the extreme proponents of the name it and claim it teaching must be considered to be cultic and not truly Christian.

Both the metaphysical cults and the name it and claim it teaching distort the truth and embrace the false teaching that our thoughts control reality. Whether it is the power of positive thinking or the prosperity gospel, the premise is the same—what you think or believe will happen is ultimately what controls what will happen. If you think negative thoughts or are lacking in faith, you will suffer or not get what you want. But on the other hand if you think positive thoughts or just have “enough faith,” then you can have health, wealth, and happiness now. This false teaching appeals to one of man’s most basic instincts, which is one reason why it is hugely popular.

While the prosperity gospel and the idea of controlling one’s future with his thoughts or faith is appealing to sinful man, it is insulting to a sovereign God who has revealed Himself in Scripture. Instead of recognizing the absolute sovereign power of God as revealed in the Bible, the name it and claim it adherents embrace a false god who cannot operate apart from their faith. They present a false view of God by teaching that He wants to bless you with health, wealth, and happiness but cannot do so unless YOU have enough faith. Thereby God is no longer in control but man is. Of course, this is completely antithetical to what Scripture teaches. God does not depend upon man’s “faith” to act. Throughout Scripture we see God blessing whom He chooses to bless and healing whom He chooses to heal.

Another problem with the name it and claim it teaching is that it fails to recognize that Jesus Himself is the ultimate treasure worth sacrificing everything for (Matthew 13:44) and instead sees Jesus as little more than a way of getting what we want right now. Jesus’ message is that a Christian is called to “deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24–26). Contrast that to the message of the prosperity gospel. Rather than being a message of self-denial, the prosperity gospel is one of self-satisfaction. Its goal is not becoming more Christlike through sacrifice but having what we want here and now, clearly contradicting the words of our Savior.

The Bible teaches that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12), but the name and claim it message is that any suffering we undergo is simply the result of a lack of faith. The prosperity gospel is completely focused on us getting the things the world has to offer, but 1 John 2:15 tells us we should not “love the world or the things in the world” and, in fact, those with a fondness for the things of the world become enemies of God (James 4:4). The message of the prosperity gospel simply cannot be any more opposite of what the Bible really teaches.

In his book Your Best Life Now, prosperity teacher Joel Osteen says that the key to a more rewarding life, a better home, a stronger marriage, and a better job is found in a “simple yet profound process to change the way you think about your life and help you accomplish what is truly important.” How different that is from the biblical truth that this life now is nothing compared to the life to come. The message of the prosperity gospel is focused around the “treasures” or good things we want and can have now, while Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21).

Jesus did not come to give us health, wealth and happiness now. He came to save us from our sins so that we can have an eternity of bliss with Him. Following Christ is not a ticket to all the material things men desire in this life but a ticket to eternal life. Our desire should not be to have our best life now but to have the attitude of the apostle Paul, who had learned to be content “in whatever state I am” (Philippians 4:11).


Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/name-it-claim-it.html#ixzz3GOB0ZghQ

The Three Tenses of Salvation

The Three Tenses of Salvation

By Harold S. Martin

According to the message of the Bible, every human being comes into the world with an inborn nature that is inclined to go astray. It is not that a child is born with a thirst for robbing a bank, but we are all predisposed toward doing wrong. Most of us underestimate the sinfulness of the human heart-the extent of pride, the stubbornness of the mind, the lack of genuine love toward others, and the distrust of God when we face hard places in life. All of us need salvation-deliverance from the guilt and power of sin.
The greatest miracle in the Bible is not the parting of the Red Sea, or the raising of Lazarus from the dead-but the conversion of an individual by the power of God so that the person becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.
Salvation is deliverance from the grip of sin. In the Old Testament, the word salvation sometimes referred to deliverance from danger (Jeremiah 15:20). Sometimes it was used to describe deliverance of the weak from an oppressor (Psalm 35:9-10). At other times it referred to national deliverance from a military threat (Exodus 14:13). But the word "salvation" finds its deepest meaning in the spiritual realm. That every human being has a universal need for salvation is one of the most clear teachings of the Bible.
Within the Scriptures there are other terms associated with the concept of salvation. The "new birth" speaks of being made alive in Christ (John 3:3). "Redemption" speaks more of the means of salvation (the payment of a price to bring one back to God). "Reconciliation" speaks of a change in relationship. "Propitiation" points to the turning away of God's wrath. All of these terms are sometimes used for the broader concept of salvation.
Salvation is the entire process by which God rescues sinful human beings from their bondage to sin, and gives them an overhaul from the inside out. Salvation is accomplished in three tenses-past, present, and future. Those individuals who accept Jesus Christ by faith, and repent of their sins, and take a vow of obedience to Christ in Christian baptism--can say with other believers:
"We have been saved from the penalty of sin (called justification); we are being saved from the power of sin (called sanctification); we shall be saved from the presence of sin (called glorification)."
Justification is our acceptance with God on the basis of Christ's perfect righteousness. Sanctification is the working out of right living in our daily behavior. Glorification is the future perfection to be experienced in the world to come. Justification refers to "the removal of guilt." Sanctification means "a setting apart unto holiness." Glorification speaks of "the final harvest."
1. JUSTIFICATION (THE REMOVAL OF GUILT)

To "justify" means "to declare righteous" or "to put into a right relationship." Justification is the act of God whereby those who put their faith in Christ are declared righteous in God's eyes, and are set free from guilt and punishment for sin. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
There are three elements of justification:
The forgiveness of sins. Acts 13:38-39a says, "... Through (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things."
The removal of guilt. Romans 8:1a says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (that is, to those who are justified).
The imputation of righteousness. In Romans 4:6, David describes the blessedness of those unto whom God "imputeth righteousness without (apart from) works." Romans 4:5 makes it clear that he is talking about a person who is justified by faith.
Those who are justified are not only forgiven, but are declared not guilty, and are acquitted. Their past sins are canceled, and they are counted "just as if they had not sinned."
There are several other factors related to justification:
The source of justification is God's free grace. Romans 3:24 says, "Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
The ground of justification is Christ's blood. Romans 5:9 says, "Much more ... being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
The condition for justification is faith in Christ. Galatians 2:16a says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ."
The evidence of justification is good works. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Justification is the result of the grace of God reaching down. Justification is not the result of any works that we do. However, some folks isolate this truth, and press it to the limit, and fail to reconcile it with other truths related to salvation. A. W. Tozer says, "To escape the error of salvation by works, some have fallen into the error of claiming salvation without obedience."
There is a difference between "good works" and "obedience." "Good works" are warm deeds of love that spring from a right attitude toward God. Good works speak of "service." "Obedience" is the act of earnestly carrying out the instructions of another. Obedience speaks of "compliance." Justification is by "grace through faith"-but the Bible does not recognize "faith" as a valid faith, unless that faith leads to obedience. Hebrews 5:9 says, "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." One who thinks he is saved, but does not care about obedience, had better take another look at the New Testament.
Obedience is one of the Bible's leading themes. In John 14:21a Jesus says, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." Saving faith involves more than trust in the merits of Christ's atoning work on the cross. It involves a commitment to order one's daily life in accord with the Scriptures. The Bible becomes our manual for daily living. The practices and attitudes of the world are to have little influence on our daily decisions.
2. SANCTIFICATION (SETTING APART UNTO HOLINESS)

To "sanctify" means "to set apart" or "to declare holy for God's service." Sanctification is the process by which the believer is more and more separated from sin, and becomes more and more dedicated to God's standard of righteousness. Titus 2:14 says, "Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people (literally, a people of his own), zealous of good works."
There are three aspects of sanctification:
Instantaneous sanctification-is the standing before God which is assigned to individuals at the time when they accept Jesus Christ by faith. We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:13b that "God hath ... chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit." And from 1 Corinthians 6:11 we learn that "Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." The Christians at Corinth had lived very ungodly and pagan lives, but now they were new creatures in Christ Jesus.
2) Progressive sanctification-is the life process of growing in holiness; it is pressing on in the upward way, and more and more being delivered from the power of sin. Thus sanctification speaks of following in the path of righteousness, choosing the more excellent way, and seeking the mind of Christ. We are told in 2 Peter 3:18a to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." That takes place when we are devoted to reading the holy Word of God, using the tools of Bible study, and exercising the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, and participation in the ordinances of God's house. There is also an admonition in 2 Corinthians 7:1b which says, "Therefore ... let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." The Apostle Paul spoke of pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God (Philippians 3:13-14). The New Testament does not suggest any short-cuts to sanctification. It simply encourages us to give ourselves to the old-fashioned and time-honored means of Bible reading, and meditation, and prayer, and worship, and self-discipline.
Ultimate sanctification-is the final state, which will be attained only when we are fully and completely set apart to God in heaven. The wish of the writer in I Thessalonians 5:23 is expressed as follows: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." And in 1 John 3:2b, we read, "It doeth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
Instantaneous sanctification has to do with our standing.
Progressive sanctification has to do with our spiritual growth.
Ultimate sanctification has to do with our eternal state.
Usually when we speak about sanctification, we refer to the progressive work that continues throughout our earthly lives. Sanctification is partly God's work. We are sanctified by God the Father (Jude 1:1). We are sanctified by God the Son (Hebrews 2:9-11). We are sanctified by God the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:2). The Apostle Paul prayed, "And (may) the very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thessalonians 5:23a). Sanctification is partly the believer's work. Romans 8:13 flatly says, "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." The Apostle Paul acknowledges that it is "by the Spirit" that we are able to mortify the deeds of the body-but he also says that we must do it! There are numerous commands throughout the New Testament indicating that we have a responsibility in sanctification. For example, we are commanded to "be holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). We are commanded to "be perfect" (Matthew 5:48). We are commanded to present the faculties of our bodies "as servants of righteousness unto holiness" (Romans 6:19b).
It is instructive to take a concordance and note how often words like "strive" and "work" and "run" and "fight" are used in the Bible to describe the believer's spiritual duties. We must run the Christian race with all our might. We must flex our muscles and exercise our will power. It is not a matter of "letting go and letting God," or "trusting instead of trying." It is, instead, a matter of trusting "and" trying! Sanctification involves human resolve, along with Holy Spirit power.
One of the primary means of sanctification is through the study and the intentional practice of God's Word. John 17:17 says, "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." Ephesians 5:26b says that sanctification and cleansing are associated with "the washing of water by the word." The Word of God sanctifies by revealing sin, by awakening conscience, by showing the example of Christ, and by setting forth spiritual motives and ideals. God's purpose in saving people is not primarily to get us to believe in Christ so that we can escape Hell and go to Heaven. His purpose is to reproduce the life of Jesus in every person. God's desire is that we should be more and more conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), and that requires running and striving and abstaining and guarding.
Sanctification is essential to salvation. The Bible says, "Follow ... holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). The believer must seek to walk worthy of his heavenly calling (Ephesians 4:1). We are to seek to adorn the doctrine of God by good works (Titus 2:10). We must aim to "abound more and more" in good deeds which "please God" (1 Thessalonians 4:1).
3. GLORIFICATION (THE FINAL HARVEST)

God not only justifies-delivers from the guilt of sin. And He not only sanctifies-delivers more and more from the power of sin. He also glorifies--delivers ultimately from the presence of sin. Glorification is the future perfection which will take place when the believer inherits his home in Heaven, and lives eternally in a new body.
Romans 8:16-18 says, "Children of God" are "joint heirs with Christ-if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Hebrews 1:14 says that we are heirs of salvation. First Peter 1:5a says that we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." Romans 13:11b reminds us to awake out of sleep, for our "salvation is nearer than when we (first) believed." Christ came the first time to pay the price of our sins; He is coming the second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly looking for Him (Hebrews 9:28).
To understand the word "glorification" we must think about the word "glory." We don't use the word "glory" very much in our everyday conversation, and so it sounds a bit strange to our ears. But the word "glory" has in it the idea of harvest. The farmer has many disappointments. He plants crops, but sometimes the summer is dry, the days are hot, the work is hard, the bugs are plentiful-and yet, harvest time is always a time of rejoicing and gladness. Harvest time is glory time for the farmer. This gives us a small concept of the Bible meaning of "glory."
Jesus spoke about a harvest at the end of the age. In Matthew 13:30b, we read, "I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to bum them, but gather the wheat into my barn." Glorification is the act of God by which He is going to transform the believer's body, and re-invest it with the soul, and transport the individual inside the gates of the City of God. The glorified believer will be delivered from the presence of sin forever (1 John 3:2). At that time there will be joy and peace and gladness and singing. Sufferings and trials are sometimes hard and painful in this life, but the sum total of them all will be nothing when compared with the glory which is still to be revealed (Romans 8:18).
Salvation is God's great gift to human beings. The Greek word "soteria" speaks of deliverance, preservation from danger, wholeness, and soundness. The many facets of salvation cannot be completely comprehended by the human mind, but if we ponder the concepts of God's salvation, we will sense a deeper appreciation, a great love, and a happier praise for the God who has saved us.
Salvation, by way of summary, is the work of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) whereby the sinner who becomes a committed believer in Jesus Christ, is redeemed from the curse of the law (justification), and is increasingly set free from the dominion of sin (sanctification), and will finally be perfected in the image of Jesus Christ (glorification). No wonder the writer of Hebrews asks such a probing question; he says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3a).
Justification is a gift (it refers to a backward look). Isaiah 53:5-6 says, "He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him ... the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Sanctification is a process (refers to an inward look). Galatians 2:20 says, "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 Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Glorification is a heavenly- experience (it refers to a forward look). Revelation 3:21a says, "To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne." Glorification includes the aspect of reigning with Christ. We do not know all the details, but the Apostle Paul tells about the reign of Christ in general terms in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.
Salvation comes to individual persons "by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is God's hand reaching down. Faith is man's hand reaching up. If you have never reached up to accept God's offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, remember these three truths:
There must be a recognition of the fact of sin (Romans 3:23). Salvation is only for sinners, and all of us fall into that category.
There must be an acknowledgment that God has provided a way out (John 3:16). Jesus accomplished His mission when He died on the cross.
There must be an actual embracing of the finished work of Christ on the cross (John 1:12). The promise of salvation is to those who "receive him." To those who receive Him, Jesus gives the right to be called "sons of God."
If you are not a child of God by simple faith in the work Jesus did for us on the cross, why not step out on His side today?