In The Beginning - Chapter 2 (Angels)

Chapter 2

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

-- Hebrews 1:14 (NIV)

“We will need another group of beings to be our emissaries to man.  They will be heavenly beings full of power and beauty and will be the messengers of God and the guardians of man.  For those who love Us, they will bear them up in their arms lest they dash their foot against a stone.  They will be called angels.” [i]

“Yes, all in the earthly realm who accept Our gift of love will have the angels for their protection.  They will be active spectators in the lives of man and will interact with him as circumstances dictate.”[ii]

“There will be hosts of angels who oversee the spiritual realm in the earthly regions.  These hosts will be divided into principalities governed by princes -- angels who will oversee the spiritual host in each region.”[iii]

With the nod of His head and a wave of His hand the persona of the triune God known as Jesus the Son opened his mouth and the princes of the heavenly realm were spoken into existence with their hosts.  Immediately thousands upon thousands of heavenly hosts bowed down before him in reverence and awe.

Jesus turned once again to the throne.

“And there will be Our holy guard, the Cherubim who will guard the Most Holy Place.”

Jesus motioned with his hand and there before him appeared a company of Cherubim.  They were covered with eyes so that they could see in all directions at once.  Each Cherub had two massive wings and when they flew the sound of their wings filled the throne room.

Each Cherub also had four faces, one looking in each direction.  Beside them were whirling wheels that followed the Cherubim wherever they went.  Among the wheels were coals of purifying fire. Under their wings were hands with which they could distribute the burning coals. [iv]

They were massive and powerful beings; just as the heavenly host had before them, they bowed with their entire bodies falling prostrate at the feet of the creator of all things.  Jesus acknowledged their reverence with a bowing of his head.  He gave them their charge as the protectors of the throne and the Cherubim immediately took their place at the foot of and on either side of the throne on guard and ever vigilant against any threat or foe.

Once again Jesus addressed the persona of the triune God known as the Father.

“There will be Seraphim who will attend the throne ministering praises to the saints and to God.”

With another gesture of his hand Jesus caused the Seraphim to spring into existence.  These mighty angels had six wings each and upon being created each fell down before God the Son and became still.

“Arise”, said Jesus and they immediately began flapping their wings and rose.  “You are charged with ministering praise to the Living God.  Take your places!”

Immediately, they took their station and began their chant of perfect and unspeakable beauty.  They sang ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!  The whole earth is full of His Glory!”[v]  With two wings they covered their face, unworthy to look up on the countenance of him who is all powerful.  With two they covered their feet unworthy to be seen by him who is all knowing.  And with two they flew, hovering tirelessly above the throne and singing their song of praise.

“We will need a messenger to bring Our good news to the realm of man.  He will represent the God of the Ages and as such will be glorious in majesty.  He will be called ‘God’s Hero’ and his name will be Gabriel.”

With these words Gabriel was spoken into existence.  He shined bright with the glory and beauty of God and he also fell at Jesus’ feet in reverence.  Jesus bent down and touched him and he immediately arose.  “My Lord and My God!” he exclaimed in a loud voice.

With a smile Jesus gave him his charge.  “You are the messenger of God.  You will bring good news to the inhabitants of the earthly realm.  You will be the bringer of great joy.”

Gabriel straightened up tall and sure, smiled widely and replied, “My existence is to serve and I will serve as my Lord commands!”  Sensing there was more to be done, Gabriel moved to his place near the throne and watched with eager anticipation, always alert to hasten to do the will of the Most High God.

“And finally,” said Jesus, “we will create a being of perfect beauty, a guardian cherub who will exceed all others in power and glory.  His power will be exceeded only by Us.  He will be called ‘Son of the Morning’ and his name will be Lucifer.”[vi]

As he spoke these words, a being appeared who was so bright and beautiful that all other created beings paled in comparison.  He stood before the almighty God for the briefest of seconds before bowing deeply to the ground with his forehead touching the floor of the throne room.  “My Lord and my God,” he exclaimed!

“Arise,” commanded Jesus.  With this Lucifer stood to face his God.  “You, Son of the Morning, are different.  You are special.  To you is given charge over all of heaven.  You will be given free will to govern as you see fit.” 

Lucifer gazed around him at the legions of angels under his command.  He looked at the princes and as his gaze fell on each one the response was immediate.  Each in turn bowed in reverence to the one who was to govern all things in heaven.

He looked at the throne where sat God the Father.  He saw the enigmatic persona of God known as the Holy Spirit who permeated everything around them.  He then turned his gaze back to Jesus.  “It will be as you command,” he stated, and took his place near the throne of God, tall and proud.

It was done.  The angels of heaven were created and the stage was set.

Now, legions of angels, majestic and strong, without blemish or blame looked on as Jesus began the creation of the universe, of space and time.

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[i] Psalm 91:9-12

[ii] Matthew 18:10; Psalm 91:11;Hebrews 1:14

[iii] Daniel 10:13-21; Daniel 12:1; Ephesians 6:12

[iv] Ezekiel 10:5,6

[v] Isaiah 6:2

[vi] Isaiah 14:12

In The Beginning - Chapter 1 (In the Throne Room)

Part I

Before Time Began

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

-- 1 Corinthians 2:6,7 (NIV)

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Chapter 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.

                                                                                           

-- John 1:1,2 (NIV)

“Love requires a choice.  If one has no choice but to love then there is no love at all.”

In the throne room there was a discussion going on, although not so much a discussion as a simple statement of fact.  After all, simply being spoken by the living, omnipotent God makes any statement the truth and therefore a fact.

The topic of discussion was loneliness and God’s desire to love and be loved.

“We will create them to have the choice to love us or not – we will call them ‘man’.”[i]

“Yes.  We will make man in our own image having the ability to reason and to choose his own path.  He will desire to love and to be loved.”

“We will place into him the desire to know Us.  So that he will know his purpose, we will create in him an instinct to seek Us – an insatiable desire to know and commune with Us.  He will have no peace until this need is met.  When he seeks us We will be waiting for him and he will find Us.  And when he accepts Our gift to him we will give him the right to be called a Child of God.”

“Yes, very good.  And we will create for man a new realm.  A realm especially suited to his pleasure.  In this realm he will reside and make his choice to love us or not. We will call this new realm the earthly realm.  It will be beautiful but imperfect, unlike our own heavenly realm.”

“In the earthly realm he will put on a physical body which is finite and imperfect.  When his time in the earthly realm is complete he will shed this imperfect body to return fully to the spiritual realm with only his perfect spiritual self.”[ii]

“If, when man has completed his time on Earth, he has chosen to follow our command and accept our gift of life, he will live with Us in the heavenly realm experiencing the full measure of Our love.  If, however, he chooses to reject our gift of love for him, he will be left to observe the goodness of Our love from afar.  He will exist in anguish never experiencing true love for himself.”

“His reward for choosing to love us will be to experience the fullness of our love and the perfect beauty of the heavenly realm.  During his life, man will normally not be allowed to gaze beyond his own realm.  Some, however, will receive glimpses of the heavenly realm along the way and through their words others will be heartened and desire their eventual reward.”

“The earthly realm will exist in a set of dimensions all its own, We will call it the universe.  This universe will be governed by laws We will set forth.[iii]  In the universe man will be aware of the distance of space and the passing of time and he will learn more about these laws as time in his universe progresses and his knowledge grows.”

“Man will be born of man.  Each new physical life will be a derivation of his parents’ inhabited by his own unique heavenly spirit which has been ordained for him.  As his physical body is born of his parents, so will be his eternal soul.22  Man will continue to propagate for as long as time exists.  In the end, We will draw them to Us by manifestation of our persona in human form.  God and man will become one and through that union man will be given a path to everlasting life.”

“Our Earthly persona will be called God Saves, Joshua, Jesus, the Son of Man, and the Son of God.  He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.  He will be the Chosen One, the Messiah, the Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Through Him man will be created and through Him man will be saved from his own just rewards to eternal life.  Man will be created but for one purpose – to love Us - and will exist, live and die according to our pleasure.”

“In the end, after the time of the first universe is complete, we will make our home with man in a new and perfect universe.”

“Yes, it will be so.”

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[i] Genesis 11:7 (NIV): “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other”.  Here God is speaking to him self and refers to himself in the plural.  Also in Genesis 1:26 we see: “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea…”.  We see from these verses that at least some of the time when God speaks to himself he addresses himself in the plural.  This is understood to be God the Father referring to Himself as the triune God, namely God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

[ii] The burning of the sun is a result of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.  That law states that all things move to entropy – hot things get cooler and cold things get warmer on their way to a state of equilibrium.  The result is that everything is moving toward decay.  In the new Earth described in Revelation 21 there is no sun and no moon (21:23) because God provides light from himself.  This second creation will be perfect with different physical laws and will not be subject to decay.  Paul in 1 Cor. 13 describes the current world, as beautiful as it is as only like a dim mirror compared to the perfect that will come.  Clearly, this first creation by God was designed to be imperfect in anticipation of He who would come who is perfect.  After perfect comes the old imperfect universe will pass away to be replaced by a new and perfect universe.

[iii] Jeremiah 33:25; Psalm 104; Job 37-41

Original Sin

The question of original sin is a complex one.  The doctrine of original sin states that Adam sinned and we all inherited the guilt of his sin (or more precisely, we participated in the sin since we are all from Adam's seed and thus part of him) and are thus subject to damnation from the time of conception.

There are others who believe that one cannot sin if one does not know what sin is and that each person sins constantly (being incapable of not sinning), and so when that person reaches the "age of accountability" - the age at which he understands the consequences of sin and chooses to sin anyway - he or she will come under condemnation for their own sin, thus each person is only culpable for the sins they themselves commit.

Both positions are problematic and in this blog post I will attempt to point out the problems with each side and posit the solution which answers these problems to the best of my understanding.

The Baptist Faith and Message has the following to say: "Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation." (emphasis mine)
Perhaps this is the best synopsis of the position of those who oppose the notion of original sin.

There are a number of verses which support this position:

Ezekiel 18:20  The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.

Romans 2:5-7 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  God will give to each person according to what he has done.  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Jeremiah 31:29  "In those days people will no longer say,
    'The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
    and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.  

There are others, but you get the point.  The position is well supported by such verses.

On the other hand, there are also verses which support the notion of original sin:

 Psa 51:5  Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Rom 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Jesus] the many will be made righteous.

Again, there are others, but you get the idea.

So the question then becomes, Does the Bible contradict itself?  How can both be true?

Here we must apply one of the key principles of Biblical Hermeneutics (see my first blog post for a list of these principles).

Interpret Difficult Passages in the Light of Clear Ones.  If a scripture can be interpreted in more than one way it should be interpreted in a way that is harmonious with other scripture on the same topic.

It is also useful to understand that the entire work (the entire Bible) should be considered when deciding how a scripture should be interpreted.  What is the theme of the entire Bible on the subject?  Where individual verses or passages seem to disagree with the theme of the entire Bible then those verses or passages are most likely being interpreted incorrectly.

So what is the theme of the entire Bible on the subject of original sin?  There are a couple of key verses which set the stage for answering this question.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

This verse is explicit and cannot be interpreted in any other way.  The only way to reach heaven is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Adding to the theme are these verses:

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

 Joh 10:9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 

 Joh 10:27-30 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.

Act 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Clearly, the overwhelming theme of the scriptures is that salvation is through Christ alone.

Why is this so important to the doctrine of original sin?  If a person were not "sinful from the time my mother conceived me" as the Psalmist proclaims, and a newborn infant dies fresh from the womb (or even in utero) having committed no sin, then that infant would not need the saving grace of Christ Jesus in order to enter into heaven because that fetus would have been sinless at the time of its death.[1]  This is a huge problem for the person who does not believe in original sin because that infant or fetus has attained salvation from hell without the need for the saving grace of Jesus which directly contradicts the teachings of Jesus Himself when he says "no one comes to the father but by me" (John 14:6).

Another problem for those who reject the notion of original sin is: when is the age of accountability?  I have read many articles on the subject, most of which say there is no set time, it is the time when a person understands that he is a sinner and understands the consequences of sin.  This opens up another opportunity for someone to get to heaven without needing God's grace.  The person who understands that he is as sinner and needs a savior (and thus has reached the age of accountability) and dies before committing any sin.

Another of those principles of hermeneutics talks about the perspicuity (clearness) of Scripture: “the main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things”.  If it is important it will be clearly taught.

If there is such a thing as the age of accountability why isn't it well documented in scripture?  Why wouldn't something so important as this be well defined in scripture?  The logical answer is, it isn't taught because there is no such thing.

I think probably the biggest issue that most people have with original sin is they do not believe a righteous God would allow someone to be punished for someone else's sin (me being punished for Adam's sin).

Here we get back to one of those overriding themes of the Bible.  It was God's plan from the very beginning that humans have no way to deserve salvation.  He wants our utter dependance upon Him and total submission to his will.  If there were some way for us to attain salvation other than the death of His son (like never committing a sin) there there would be no need for His son to die because salvation could be obtained through works and not of grace.


This brings us back to those scriptures above supporting the notion that everyone is judged only for his own sin.

The New Testament verses quoted above are simply saying that a person is responsible for his own sin and will be judged according to what he has done both good and bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).  The verses do not preclude that we are also judged for the sins of our fathers (more on this later).  For Christians, that means rewards for good deeds done, and no punishment for the bad ones because Christ has borne the penalty for that sin already (this is the doctrine of justification).

The Old Testament verses noted above describing how the son will not be held accountable for the sins of the father are talking about sins committed by the father after the son is born.  If I am 40 and my father is 60 and my father commits a sin, I am not responsible for my father's sin.  This does not mean that I did not inherit the sins my father committed prior to my conception or the sins of his father and so on all the way back to Adam.



Now, if the doctrine of original sin is true, then that has some very significant ramifications which may not be apparent at first glance.

First, if man is subject to original sin and cannot attain salvation apart from willful acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, are all aborted fetuses, and those who die as infants and young children bound for eternal damnation?

Not according to the scriptures.  We are not given a specific doctrinal position in the Bible concerning this condition, but we are given a story describing this very thing which gives us our answer.

In 2 Samuel 12:13-21, we find the story of God's punishment of David for his sins in his affair with Bathsheba.  David lusted after Bathsheba and had her husband murdered so that he could marry her.  When that relationship produced a child, God's punishment for David was that his won would be taken from him.

David grieved for his son and would not eat for a week until his son died.  When his son died, David got up went to the house of the Lord and worshiped him, then he ordered some food and ate.

Vexed by this behavior his servants asked him why he grieved while the child was still alive, and stopped grieving when the child died.

It is David's response that gives us our answer.

2Samuel 12:22,23  He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.'  But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

David, being a "man after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22) understood that the child would not be resurrected and come back to him, but that when David died, he would see the child again in heaven.  This verse gives us confidence that those with no capacity to make a conscious decision to accept Christ as personal savior are still saved through a special outpouring of grace from Jesus Christ.

Importantly, we don't need to understand the doctrinal nuances of the situation to understand that David expected to see his child again in heaven and that is enough.

As to the situation previously discussed where a person believes that Jesus is God, understands he is a sinner and dies before accepting Christ, I don't have an easy answer, but in situations like this I always recall the words of my friend Pat Marsh who said: "I don't know the answer, but I have a good and just God and I trust Him to do the right thing."

The second, and probably the most difficult, problem with the doctrine of original sin is: If all humans inherit sin from their parents then why wasn't Jesus subject to the punishment for original sin through his mother Mary?

That is a difficult question, indeed, and to find the answer we need to consider from whom we actually inherit our sin.  It is interesting that that the Bible says that the original sin was the sin of Adam.  In fact, it was Eve who first disobeyed God!

Also, why is it that God says he "punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7)?[3]  What about the sins of the mothers?

Another good question is, why do the Jews only cite lineage through the father?  In the Old Testament we occasionally see a reference to the mother, but the long lists of genealogy (including the genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament) list only the fathers (in most instances).

I believe the reason comes back to the origin of the human soul.  Another very difficult question is, where does our soul come from?  There are three schools of thought.  I will not dig deeply into them, but will recount each here for convenience.

The first possibility is that each person's soul is a unique creation of God at conception.  Whereas this is a possibility, the Bible tells us that God completed his creative work on the sixth day and on the seventh day he rested.  If you read my blog posts on apologetics you will note that I believe in the day age origin interpretation.  In a nutshell, the word translated in most Bibles as "day" in Genesis is Yom and is the same word translated in other places as "era".  I believe that God created the entire universe is six eras and that we are currently living in that seventh era.  In this seventh era God is resting from his creative work until the after the second coming when the eighth era begins and it starts with a new creation - a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1).

Most of those who believe in the 24 hour day interpretation also believe that God is currently resting from his creative efforts.

If each soul is a unique creation then God did not rest much at all and He has been creating billions of souls ever since.

The second possibility is that God created all of the souls which would ever exist (on the sixth day it is presumed) and that each soul inhabits a new person at conception until such a time as all of the pre-created souls in heaven runs out, sometime after which Christ will come again since there will be no new souls to harvest.

This possibility would require some kind of soul repository in heaven which is never discussed in the Bible and would require one to believe something entirely made up of supposition which most Bible believers (including this one) are unwilling to do.  I consider this possibility to be more myth than doctrine.

The third possibility and the one which seems most plausible to me is the doctrine of traducianism which holds that one's soul comes from one's parents just like the physical body.  Traditional traducianism holds that just like each of us is physically a product of both our parents, so are we also, spiritually.

When all things are considered, this best explains how each person is subject to original sin.  We are both physically and spiritually a part of our parents [4].  To me, this is the only possibility which makes sense and fully harmonizes with scripture.

Now back to the original question, though, of why Jesus would not be subject to original sin through His mother.  My belief is not the traditional traducianism whereby a person inherits his soul from both parents, but rather, that a person inherits his soul from his father only.  If this is the case, then it makes perfect sense that original sin was perpetrated through Adam.  It also makes perfect sense that it is the sins of the father that are visited on the children.

Also, and most importantly, if this is the case, then Jesus was not subject to original sin because he had no earthly father (and is the only man other than Adam - the original sinner - who ever existed with no earthly father) and thus did not inherit any sin from His father.

If this understanding is correct, then it also becomes much easier to understand that Jesus was fully human and fully God.  He was fully physically human, and fully spiritually God.

When interpreted this way all of scripture is in perfect harmony.  Every person (other than Jesus) has sinned in that each one of us was once a part of our father and when our father sinned (prior to our conception) we also sinned.  That sin was then inherited through each generation of ancestry all the way back to Adam who committed the first sin which was inherited by his offspring (Eve, who also came from Adam, but was created from his rib before he sinned against God, was responsible only for her own sin).

Importantly, Adam and Eve offered sacrifices to God and taught their children (as evidenced by the story of Cain and Able) to do so as well.  Since the sacrificial system is symbolic of Christ's death for our sin, it is clear that even Adam and Eve understood and attained salvation through belief in the coming Messiah.

So, when Adam took that first bite of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he sinned and because we all are a part of him, we all sinned as well.  This idea of taking part in an ancestor's actions is well supported by scripture.

Hebrews 7:9,10 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

 This verse clearly supports the position that each of us lives in the body of our ancestors prior to conception.  If Levi participated in Abraham's tithes before he was conceived, so surely would he have participated in Abraham's sins.

The notion that my children inherited sin from me adds some extra poignancy to this Father's Day.  I think there is a reason why God made the husband and father the spiritual leader of the family [5].  If it is through the father that sin is passed to the children then how important is it that it be the father who ensures that his children are properly introduced to the God of the Bible through whom those sins are washed away?

Fathers, there is no greater responsibility under heaven than this - to be the strong spiritual leader for your family that God has commanded you to be.  There is nothing less than the immortal soul of your children (and perhaps your wife, if she is not already a believer) at stake.

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[1] In reality, this is a problem for all children whom those rejecting the notion of original sin consider as younger than the age of accountability.  The difference in an infant and a small child being that an infant or fetus has committed no sin, whereas as soon as a child chooses to disobey a parent they have broken the fifth commandment and are guilty of sin, whether or not they are held accountable for it.
[2] Many see the unpardonable sin as “speaking against the Holy Spirit” (Matt 23:32), however, in the context where Jesus made this statement, the Pharisees had attributed the work of Jesus to his being a follower of Satan and Jesus is talking about the Pharisees rejecting Christ as God and attributing his miracles to Satan instead (since the miracles Jesus performed he did through the power of the Holy Spirit).  Thus the unpardonable sin is not simply “speaking against the Holy Spirit”, rather it is, rejecting the godhood of Jesus himself.  Since accepting Jesus as God and savior is core to the salvation experience, the unpardonable sin is that of rejecting Jesus as God and savior and thus rejecting the resulting indwelling of the Holy Spirit that comes to every believer.
[3] The new NIV (which is gender neutral) translates this verse as "the sins of the parents".  This may seem innocuous at first, but if my supposition in this document is true then that is a grievous misinterpretation.  Strong's Hebrew concordance translates the word 'awb' used here for father thusly:

awb
A primitive word; father in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application: - chief, (fore-) father ([-less]), X patrimony, principal. Compare names in “Abi-”

 The word clearly means 'father' and not parents.  For this reason, and many others, I do not consider the TNIV to be a valid translation.

[4]  The egg and sperm physically come together to firm a single cell which then begins to divide leading to a new human being, thus we are not simply made by them, we physically are them, half the mother and half the father.
[5] Ephesians 5:21-33 sets the husband as the "head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church" giving him the responsibility to love her as himself and carrying with it the responsibility for the spiritual leadership of the family.  This is not a blog about marriage, but I would be remiss if I did not point out that I do not believe this means that the wife must do whatever the husband says.  It means that the husband is responsible for setting the proper example in all aspects of life, for expecting a high standard from his family in return, and for loving and protecting his family at all costs including that of his own life - just as Christ did for the church.  It does not mean that the wife is subservient to the husband, it means that the husband sets the kind of example that his wife can follow.  The onus is on the husband to provide that leadership and not the wife.  If the husband sets an example that is contrary to the will of God as clearly outlined in the Bible then it is the obligation of the wife to not submit to her husband.  It is the obligation of each of use to love God first, our spouse second, our children third, and ourselves somewhere after that.

Predestination vs Free Will

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

 Up until about the 4th century AD, there really was no controversy between the doctrines of free will and predestination.  It was Augustine who first proposed that people were predestined for salvation or depraved with no hope of salvation. It was John Calvin in the 16th century, however, who really championed the idea of predestination, largely based on the writings of Augustine.

The belief that men are predestined for their ultimate fate became widely known as Calvinism, although, there is a lot more to Calvinism than just predestination.  Predestination is actually only one of the famed Five Points of Calvinism.


There are a number of verses which support the doctrine of predestination.

Rom 8:28-30 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Rom 9:16-24 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."  Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?"

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "  Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?  What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

 Act 9:5,6  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

Gen 17:20,21  "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.  But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." 

Jeremiah 1:5  Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

 Clearly, these passages and others support the notion of both election (some chosen for salvation regardless of their will) such as Isaac and Paul, and others chosen for depravity (those chosen for damnation) such as Pharaoh and Pilate.

There are number of arguments made by free will proponents including the idea that God did not choose Pharoh or Pilate for damnation, He merely looked into the future, saw they would not accept His free gift, and then used them for His ultimate purpose.

One has to consider if this explanation is logical and reasonable.

Romans 9:17 quotes God speaking of Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Exodus 4:21 says "The LORD said to Moses, 'When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.'"

Taking these verses together it is hard to believe it was not God's purpose that Pharaoh would be chosen for depravity.

On the other hand, Christian Apologist, Dave Hunt has a really good argument:

"The huge difference between the biblical God and the Calvinist God is clear. The biblical God punishes men for rejecting the salvation He provided for everyone, which all could have accepted by their free will-and punishes them for their sins, which are contrary to His will, none of which they had to commit but chose to do so.

But the Calvinist God condemns to hell those whom He could save if He so desired but for whom He sovereignly chose not even to have Christ die for and from whom He deliberately withholds the salvation He pretends to offer them—and punishes them for not accepting.”

 
This illustrates the more powerful argument that the doctrine of predestination as outlined by John Calvin is not in harmony with the description of the loving God described throughout the Bible who wants none to perish, but all to come to salvation (1 Timothy 2:3,4).

Other verses come out clearly in support off the ability for every individual to make his own choice.

Isaiah 65:12  I will destine you for the sword,

            and you will all bend down for the slaughter;

            for I called but you did not answer,

            I spoke but you did not listen.

            You did evil in my sight

            and chose what displeases me."

Joshua 24:14,15  "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Joh 3:16,17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Romans 11:32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

There are many others, but you get the picture.  So the big question then, is "How can these scriptures be reconciled?"


Loraine Boettner, in his work The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, gives us a good idea of the attitude of the early church fathers in the period prior to Augustine:

“It may occasion some surprise to discover that the doctrine of Predestination was not made a matter of special study until near the end of the fourth century. The earlier church fathers placed chief emphasis on good works such as faith, repentance, almsgiving, prayers, submission to baptism, etc., as the basis of salvation. They of course taught that salvation was through Christ; yet they assumed that man had full power to accept or reject the gospel. Some of their writings contain passages in which the sovereignty of God is recognized; yet along side of those are others which teach the absolute freedom of the human will. Since they could not reconcile the two they would have denied the doctrine of Predestination and perhaps also that of God's absolute Foreknowledge.  They taught a kind of synergism in which there was a co-operation between grace and free will.”

Perhaps the best word picture of this synergism is provided by Christ Himself in the parable of the wedding banquet found in Matthew 22:1-14.

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:

"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.  He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

"But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.  The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.  The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.  Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'  So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

In this parable, the King (God) throws a wedding banquet (celebration of the salvation of the church) for his son (Jesus).  He sends out invitations to a certain group (the Jews), but that group rejected his invitation.  The king then sent some of his servants (the prophets) to tell his invited guests to come to the banquet, but they seized the servants, abused them, and killed them.

The king then puts out a blanket invitation to everyone.  He sends out his servants out into the streets to invite everyone they find (the Gentiles) to the banquet.

The king finds one without the proper wedding clothes (salvation by grace) and throws him into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Hell).

That pretty much sums it up the entire gospel story in one parable.  Importantly, some are invited directly by the king (elected) but the call to attend the banquet (enter into heaven) goes out to anyone who will listen.

This parable sets the table (pun intended) for the belief of the early church fathers and the only explanation I believe is compatible with all of the quoted verses (and many others as well).

In my blog post on God's Will, I discuss the various types of God's will including what I call God's ultimate will.  God's ultimate will is His plan for the universe from beginning to end which was written before time began.

In the synergistic explanation, God chooses individuals whom He uses to accomplish His ultimate will.  These people include the patriarchs, Moses (certainly an unwilling participant, at least initially), Pharaoh, the prophets, the twelve original Apostles (including Judas, who betrayed him, foretold in Psalm 41:9), Paul, and surely others.  It is possible that this list also includes the early converts who were dispersed in the Christian Diaspora which resulted in the preaching of the gospel, quite literally, around the known world.

None of these verses, however, excludes the salvation (or damnation) of any other individual or group of people.  Just because some are called for specific purpose does not preclude the calling of everyone else to salvation.  The Bible never says, "these people are called and everyone else is damned".  Instead, what I believe it says (paraphrased) is: "These people I have elected (for salvation or damnation) to achieve my ultimate will, and everyone else have the choice to heed or reject my invitation."

This is the message of the parable of the wedding banquet and, I believe, the answer to the predestination versus free will conundrum which satisfies the needs of all of the verses on both sides of the debate.

Christian Apologetics Conclusion - What must I do to be saved?

This is undoubtedly the most crucial question ever asked by man.

God’s Plan of Salvation is laid out in the Holy Scriptures

1.  We are all sinners (Romans 3:23)

Rom 3:19-25  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Emphasis mine)

2. As sinners we are deserving only of death, but God has a better plan

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3.  Salvation is achieved through belief in Jesus

In John 14:6, Jesus says, “No one comes to the father except through me.[1]

Act 16:30,31 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

4. God’s gift to man is salvation by faith in Jesus through His grace.  We can’t do anything which will make us deserving of salvation.

Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.

5. We receive this grace through confession of our sin and a sincere belief that He can and will save us from our sins.

Rom 10:8b-10  ...that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

6. Once you have believed in your heart that Jesus is God then you must confess it – This does not mean to confess it to other men, but to God Himself as this passage describes in one of Jesus’ parables:

Luke 18:13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

7.  The result of such belief, confession, and begging for forgiveness is then salvation.

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

8.  Once you are saved, nothing can take it away

Rom 8:38,39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 10:27-30 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.  I and the Father are one."

9.  No one knows what the future holds – today is the day to accept his offer of grace

2Corinthians 6:2 For he says,

"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you."

I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

10.  Baptism is the commandment of God, but is not required for salvation

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 Luke 23:40-43 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”  (baptism by Holy Spirit [the sign of salvation] came prior to baptism by water precluding the need for baptism by water for salvation).

11.  Belief brings life

John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

12.  Once saved, live for Christ

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

13.  Be bold and proclaim what Christ has done for you

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"

So what does it mean to ‘believe in the Lord Jesus’?

While Paul and Silas were in jail, there was a great earthquake and the jail doors opened and the jailer was about to commit suicide rather than be put to death for letting the prisoners escape when Paul told him to stop, that they hadn’t left.  The jailer was so impressed that we read these words from him:

Acts 16:29-31  The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.  He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household."

(Emphasis mine)

So the critical question is: “What must I do to be saved?” and the simple answer is “Believe in the Lord Jesus”.  The difficult question is: What does it mean to “Believe in the Lord Jesus”?

James 2:19 says; “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.”

So it is evident that just the belief that there is a God is not enough to attain salvation.  So what is the believing that Paul and Silas meant?  What is the difference in believing that there is a God and believing in Jesus as God.

Jesus himself tells us in John 5:24

John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

In John 8:31-32 He says: "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (Emphasis mine)

The next logical question then is: Jesus said a lot of things, he taught the exact same things in more than one way to more than one group of people and at various times.  What are these teachings that one has to believe to get oneself “set free”?

John 14:6-11  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

(Emphasis mine)

In this verse Jesus tells us that there is no other way to salvation than through Him and also that he is God.  In John 10:30 He flatly says “I and the Father are one”.

Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

This seems to me to be the crux of the issue.  Jesus spends a large amount of his ministry debunking the traditional Jewish beliefs about the Messiah and explaining the truth.  Most of what we read about – especially in John - are His attempts to convince them that He is God.  This bit, that He is the fulfillment of the law, that as a result we are no longer under the law, and that He is God and has the authority to judge and to give or refuse to give salvation (aka spiritual life) as he chooses, is radically new and is the only major difference in the moral life that we are called to in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

There is a clear distinction between the morality (or moral law) and legalism (or social law).  Ergo, we are still to have no other gods before him (Ex. 20:3), but we are not to stone the rebellious child at the town gates (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).

Whatever moral life we are called to lead, though, it is clear that no such “clean living” can lead us to salvation.[2]

Furthermore, we are told the penalty for the unpardonable sin[3] – that of rejection of Christ as personal savior and thus the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 20:10-15 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

(Emphasis mine)

The doctrine of Justification is attested to by scripture

Rom 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines justified as ‘To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid.  To declare free of blame; absolve’.

When Christ judges the dead at the end of time the Bible says that He will judge each person “according to what he had done.”  Christians then will be judged and found to be free of blame because Christ Himself bore the burden of that blame and paid the price in advance for those of us who accept Him.

From these scripture passages, it is clear then that the belief in Jesus (meaning the acceptance of and belief in all of who He is and everything he taught, including that He is the one and only God and is thus uniquely capable of forgiving sin), the confession of sin, and the asking for forgiveness is what is required for salvation, nothing more and nothing less.

Importantly, the scriptures do not say all one has to give up to be saved.  There is no requirement to stop drinking alcohol or stop anything else.  The beauty of the Holy Spirit is that He will work in your life to make you not want to do things which are contrary to God's will and make you want to do the things which are clearly inside of God's will (see Galatians 5:22-25 below).

 Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."  This does not mean that if you ask Him for something He will give you whatever you want.  It means that he will place into your heart the desire to do what he wants you to do - He will give you the desire to do His will!

The word translated as "give", in the Hebrew is "nâthan", which literally means to put, or assign.[5]  So literally, it means He will assign to you the desires of your heart.

Through this salvation experience of believing, confessing, and accepting, you will experience the peace that passes understanding which is available only to those who are saved through His grace.

What happens after one has attained salvation?

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

1John 2:5,6 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.

Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

The coming of the Holy Spirit was prophesied of by John the Baptist.

Matthew 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

The word baptize is transliterated here and means literally to submerse.  It is interesting that the Bible talks about two types of baptism.  The baptism by water which is an outward demonstration of our dying to our old self and being born again into new life, and the baptism by the Holy Spirit which is the gift of God to all who are saved.

We find in Acts that all those who receive Christ as personal savior immediately receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Act 2:36-39 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your 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 10:44-48

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."

So why is the Holy Spirit given?

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:7-15 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Acts 13:4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

Hebrews 2:3b-4 This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

And what does that mean to us?

Romans 8:8-11 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

1Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Once saved always saved

Once we have attained salvation it cannot be taken away from us by anyone or anything, not even by ourselves as some claim we can lose salvation by choosing to leave God’s salvation of our own volition. 

Rom 8:38-39  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (emphasis mine)

Nor anything else in all creation includes us, ourselves.  We cannot separate ourselves from the love of God and neither can anyone or anything else.

Heb 9:24-28 For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.  Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

The writer of Hebrews tells us Christ died once for all.  If one could fall from grace requiring salvation anew, Christ would have to die again for him since that first sacrifice wasn't good enough.  This is in sharp contrast to the old covenant where men had to sacrifice repeatedly for new sins as they are committed.  The blood of animals doesn't forgive sin, it only postpones the penalty for sin until the perfect sacrifice has been made, the sacrifice of God Himself, the only person whose blood is sufficient to wash away sins forever.

John 10:27-30 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.  I and the Father are one."

(from New International Version)

Live to emulate Jesus

We are obligated to try to take as many as possible with us.  Not that we should all be preachers or missionaries, but we should at least exude Jesus such that others can see Him through us and be compelled to ask us about it.  When asked, we should then be prepared to tell them how God's grace has affected us.

Mark 16:15-16 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Rom 10:12-15 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Ephesians 4:11-13 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The Prize

Despite Paul’s early sins and persecution of Christians at the end of his life he was able to look back and be satisfied that he had lived out God’s will for his life. 

Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Conclusion

The journey has been long and the discussions technical and intense.  It is clear that our primary purpose on this earth is not to gather as many toys as we can before we die.  It is to proclaim the truth of Jesus to all the world.  2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Just as a good parent will do anything to rescue his children from danger, Christ will tarry as long as there are souls to be saved and it is our responsibility as faithful believers in Christ to help bring with us as many as possible while we are still on this Earth.

How many of us at the end of our lives will be able to say as Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

That doesn’t mean we have lived perfect lives, on the contrary, Paul also says “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”[4]

What it means is that he listened for the call of God and heeded that call.  That is what we are called to do and it is our just recompense for the salvation that He purchased for us on the cross.

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[1] A child who  is unaware of sin and its consequences is a special case and does not have the understanding to accept Christ as savior.  This dilemma is not clearly addressed in scripture, however, in 2 Samuel 12:23, David explains why he ends his grieving over his dead child explaining that he (David) would “go to him, but he will not return to me,” indicating that he would see his child again in the afterlife.  Psalm 51:5, however, tells us that we are “sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”  I believe that all are sinful from conception as a result of original sin.  The curse of Adam’s sin falls on each of us and is passed down from father to child, generation to generation, to the present day (since Jesus did not have an earthly father he was not subject to original sin).  Thus the child does not enter heaven because of a lack of sin, rather the child enters heaven as a result of a special outpouring of God’s grace on one who doesn’t understand sin well enough to be conscious of it.  Thus, the child who has not reached the maturity to understand sin and its ramifications is still saved through Christ as a result of His grace and not because he is sinless.  Otherwise, if a person were only subject to hell after reaching the "age of accountability" and thereafter having committed a sin, then there is the possibility that someone could reach heaven because they were sinless without needing the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and that is strictly impossible according to John 14:6 and Romans 3:23,6:23.

[2] Ephesians 2:8,9

[3] Many see the unpardonable sin as “speaking against the Holy Spirit” (Matt 23:32), however, in the context where Jesus made this statement, the Pharisees had attributed the work of Jesus to his being a follower of Satan and Jesus is talking about the Pharisees rejecting Christ as God and attributing his miracles to Satan instead (since the miracles Jesus performed he did through the power of the Holy Spirit).  Thus the unpardonable sin is not simply “speaking against the Holy Spirit”, rather it is, rejecting the godhood of Jesus himself.  Since accepting Jesus as God and savior is core to the salvation experience, the unpardonable sin is that of rejecting Jesus as God and savior and thus rejecting the resulting indwelling of the Holy Spirit that comes to every believer.

[4] Romans 7:15
[5]  נתן (nâthan):  A primitive root; to give, used with great latitude of application (put, make, etc.): - add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ([healed]), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up). + sing, + slander, strike, [sub-] mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, X willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.