The Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

That is true, however, the salvation of the Old Testament Saint was retroactive in regards to Eternal Salvation:


Hebrews 9:15
King James Version (KJV)

15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.


Also stated here:


Romans 3:20-25
King James Version (KJV)

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;


That is why Paul says "us" here...


Romans 5:6-8
King James Version (KJV)

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.


Continued...

 

And I am not arguing that people were not awaiting Christ, which was made clear in my post. Did you read it? I point out that the Father revealed to them that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, but...

...Peter still rejected the Gospel.

You ignore the point: Israel, and mankind as a whole...still awaited redemption, it had not taken place in advance of the Cross as popularly taught today.

It was retroactive for the Old Testament Saints.

And that is what I asked you not to do, simply jump into the thread, make assertions, then refuse to address the responses by saying you had something to do.

I don't know how I can be more succinct than to ask, again, for you to respond to these points:


Ephesians 3
King James Version (KJV)

1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:


You are ignoring everything in vv.2-5 which make it clear...

1. The Mystery was made known to Paul by Revelation;
2. The revealed Mystery is The Mystery of Christ (which is synonymous with the Mystery of the Gospel);
3. The Mystery was not made known in other Ages;
4. The Mystery was not made known to any man, as "the sons of men" is all inclusive of mankind, it does not distinguish between Jew and Gentile;
5. The Mystery is now revealed to the holy Apostles and Prophets of Paul's Day by the Spirit, and that Spirit is of course the promised Spirit of the Old Testament, promised by the Father and taught of by Christ (Acts 1:4-5)...the Comforter.
6. That though Gentile Inclusion is mentioned in v.6 you overlook the fact that the Jews had not received the promise, nor had the Old Testament Saints (Hebrews 11:13; 39-40), and that they too were in Paul's day receiving those promises.


Should you take up the challenge, perhaps you will see that your position cannot be sustained.


God bless.

 

The significance is something I have been preaching on this forum for years, my friend, and still it is an issue that raises criticism instead of agreement.

That significance is that Eternal Redemption was accomplished by Christ on the Cross, and not a day before.

That significance is that salvation on an eternal basis is found only in Jesus Christ, and in no other way.

That significance is that most Christians learn, and teach...the provision of the Law, and that which went before it, as equally capable of producing Eternal Redemption as the Cross of Christ is.

That is why I "go on about them."

Because of the sacred nature of the Gospel.

Isn't that obvious to every believer?

No, actually you haven't, because this...

...is what you state right before claiming you've always "viewed them as "stuff they didn't used to know... now God has revealed it and filled in the details."

The two are completely opposite.

Shall we call the elements of the Gospel...stuff? lol

But you are correct about one thing, it is pretty much the New Testament. We have to wonder why so many people can read the New Testament and completely miss the truths that I go "on about," such as Eternal Redemption being accomplished by Christ and applied retroactively to the Old Testament Saint; that men were not born again in the Old Testament; that Abraham's accreditation of righteousness was in a temporal context, because he would be eternally redeemed by Christ when He died on the Cross.

The reason why most do not see that is because they have to make Scripture conform to their adopted Systems of Theology.

And we see some amazing presentations when people try to defend their systems instead of simply exegeting truth from the Scriptures.

That is why you say two opposite things one after the other, and it doesn't really occur to you that they are in conflict one with another.

Correction: the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is no longer a Mystery...to the initiated.

Only those who respond to the ministry of the Comforter and turn in faith to Christ understand.

Those unbelievers who continue in unbelief, though shown the Truth, and commanded to obey the Way of Righteousness, who reject the Truth...will fall back into blindness, and their blindness will be made worse than before, because now they will not just simply cater to their fallen flesh, they will add to that the sin of rebellion against God, Who has Himself spoken to the heart of that individual.

So I see it as necessary, Gup, to go on about these things because its important to me that the Word of God be conveyed properly, rather than tossed about the field like a hackey-sack for each member to kick around.




God bless.

 

While I agree for the most part in what you say, one thing I will say I disagree with is the concept that "God is holding something against us."

Man's condition is that, due to the Fall, man is now conceived and born separated from God. It is not God's fault we are separated from Him, it is Adam's fault.

And just the opposite is true, rather than "holding something against us," God in His grace overlooks that condition we are in and He makes the effort to remedy that condition, and has done so throughout man's existence.

He first provides a means by which men do not have the penalty for their sin (death) exacted on them when they commit it...animal sacrifice.

But He didn't stop there, because at the appointed time He came to us to take upon Himself the penalty we owe.

Nothing in that contributes to a concept of God "holding something against us.

Paul makes the statement here:


Romans 3:24-25
King James Version (KJV)

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;


Not only did He not hold it against us, but He knew all along He would pay the debt.

In short, we cannot view, in my opinion, God's grace in a light of it is He holding something over us. That is reminiscent of those who argue "If God were a loving God He would not allow bad things to happen to people." The fact is, bad things happen to people, good and bad, not because God caused it, or failed to prevent it, but because that is the consequence of sin. And before we say "God could have prevented that from happening," we better digest the grace He has shown in not simply exacting the penalty for death and sending all men to Hell.

No man will stand before God and say "But, I didn't know your will, its not fair that you should send me into eternal separation!" Because God has always made provision for men to be spared eternal separation.


God bless.

 

It wasn't God holding sin against them:


Romans 5:12-13
King James Version (KJV)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.



Acts 17:29-31
King James Version (KJV)

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.


As I said, His forebearance is a more prominent truth than the idea that God is holding "it" against us.

The fact is that God, Who is great in mercy, can forebear better with the sin of man than a parent can forebear with a child who, like as we, commits sins, not always because it is intentional, but because it is simply the only recourse they have.

And again, God has given opportunity in every Age for men to be able to come into obedience to His will.

Think of the judge sentencing the murderer. He isn't "holding it against him," he is simply doing his job. So too with sin, which is a result of our separation from God, the penalty is not imposed because God wants to, but because it is simply the penalty for sin, just as death is the result of many cancers.

Now, do you have anything to add concerning the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

I will transfer the responses of any more posts concerning Justification to "The Limited Gospel?"


God bless.

 

It was presented clearly. What wasn't given was an understanding of what was presented.

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ...



Isaiah 53
King James Version (KJV)

1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.


Very detailed knowledge of Christ.

But, we understand it because the Mystery has been revealed to us by the Spirit of God.

We can place it in a context that has meaning because we have the revelation of the New Testament Scriptures which gives us the context.

So it is not the Gospel the Old Testament Saints didn't have, it is the understanding of the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ they didn't have.

Revelation is progressive, and praise God we are on this side of the Revelation of the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


Continued...

 

The Old Testament very much accepted what Scripture said (well, perhaps with the exception of that Jonah fellow...).

And the Gospel was presented to the disciples very clearly...


Matthew 16:20-23
King James Version (KJV)

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.


But because the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ would not be revealed until the Spirit (Comforter) was sent (which would not take place until after He died, arose, and was glorified), the disciples could not understand it, and Peter is vehemently in opposition to the Gospel:


Matthew 16:20-23
King James Version (KJV)

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.


And Christ makes it clear...Peter's heart is carnal...


Matthew 16:20-23
King James Version (KJV)

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.


Continued...

 

Can you show me where the Gospel" speaks of men?

It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not the Gospel of Jesus Christ and those chosen by Him.

The Gospel centers on Christ and His Work, and while the results of that Work can be included, properly the Gospel has a focus on Christ.

We are imputed the righteousness of Christ when we are saved through the Gospel. We are not "made" righteous in a practical sense, not until we are redeemed from the fallen flesh. We have been saved (from the penalty of sin), we are being saved (from the power of sin and its impact on our lives), and we will be saved (from the presence of sin, ultimately in the glorified body in the Eternal State).

Sorry, it was not "partially revealed" in the Old Testament just because it was given in the Old Testament. Any more than it was "partially revealed to Peter," who opposed Christ's death, which is essentially opposing the Gospel of Christ.

If it were partially revealed then it would not be a Mystery.

What part of the Rapture was "partially revealed in the Old Testament, Van?

Not a bit of it. Mystery is knowledge kept hidden, and privy only to the initiated.


God bless.

 

On the contrary, that has been a primary point I have been asserting, lol.

I don't disagree with that at all. You are rewriting Scripture all the time...

...why do you think I am disagreeing with you.

I do: that is the Gospel, my friend.

Sure you want to get into such a deep subject?

Not at all. In fact I mentioned that Progressive Sanctification was not the issue we were looking at.

But you don't seem to be able to distinguish between Progressive and Positional Sanctification.

Hence you bring false arguments, because you cannot address the arguments presented to you.

You can't even properly quote someone to let them know you have responded to them. This amounts to talking behind someone's back...

...not good form, brother.

Of course I do...it was nailed to the Cross, my friend.

They know.




God bless.

 

That being "made sinners" is a positional perspective is pretty obvious.

Tell me, Van, what sin did you commit in your mother's womb?

And before you spend a great deal of time trying to remember, lol, let me suggest to you you committed no sin in the womb, but, when you grew up, learned the will of your parents, or whoever was in charge of you, you rebelled against their will and became a sinner.

And that because you were born separated from God, and not having life.

And it was credited to his account as righteousness.

Again, the problem is not seeing Abraham as being righteous, its a matter of equating that righteous standing with the righteousness of Christ.

There are numerous men and women declared righteous in Scripture, and not one of them are intended to be viewed as havng the righteousness of Christ.

Here is an example or two:


Genesis 7:1
King James Version (KJV)

7 And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.


Luke 1:5-6
King James Version (KJV)

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.


Hebrews 11:4
King James Version (KJV)

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.


Christians can be righteous or unrighteous in their daily conversation as well.

But this is a temporal righteousness, not to be confused with the Righteousness of Christ:


Romans 3:21-26
King James Version (KJV)

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.


Now show me where your righteousness correlates to His.

If you think you are righteous of your own self, and have been made righteous in a practical sense (in regards to your daily conversation), then you are seriously confused. You will not ever be righteous according to the righteous standard of God in your fallen flesh. Never. You are only righteous before God because of Christ's righteousness, and it is a matter of Positional Sanctification, not Progressive.

You are certainly being made righteous in comparison to how you once were, at least, that is God's will for your life.


God bless.

 

Note: I am not responding to this member, just pointing out this is what a nice list of false arguments should look like, in case anyone else is interested in also compiling a nice list of false arguments.




God bless.