Mal 3:6 "I the LORD do not change."
So can we go to the OT to find out how God feels about todays Christianity? I would think so. Besides the Apostles scriptures were those of the OT. I can think of them referring to there own words as scripture (not to say their words have not authority, but I'm simply saying that they taught many believers to continue and to have faith in Jesus based on the OT). So.....
1 Tim 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
Well, how does one "use it properly"? One should read it to learn about the Love of God keeping in mind that he does not change. So though God give commands to certain people they may not have been given directly to us, we should at the very least trust that if God expected righteousness then he expects righteousness today. Also His response to sin then would be the same for today. If one sees God's heart in the command.
Duet 30:11-14
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
From the scripture above is it not clear that the ability to obey (love) God is within out grasp. Meaning we have the ability aforded by the commandment from the Commander to do what he want us to do. So the word is in us so that we may obey it. "May obey..." meaning that just because its in us and near us does not mean that we will do what God want us to do. We still have to follow the Spirit of Gods Words by choice. We must decide to be a slave to that righteousness.
So, I believe that God give us the oppertunity not only to come to Him through faith in His Word, but also to make daily choices to follow the Spirit (Word) of God. To be righteous by doing what is expected by God.
Well, this would apply to those who put there faith in God. But what happens to those who fall from that grace?
Galatians 5:4
You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
What does it mean to be "justified" by something? Basically, you trust in it soley as your source of salvation. People who live this way often do not see the need for repentance and mercy. But have FALLEN from grace.
Some today, however, have said that you cannot fall from a forgiven state and that state being grace obviously.
But how does God see it in the OT? I think the same as it was seen in the early church:
Ezekiel 18:24
"But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.
Unfortunately, many "Christian" religions preach that one is saved before he comes to Christ and after coming to Christ you are always saved and lack the ability to obey Christ law whole heartedly. So now the world sees NO DIFFERENCE between themselves and the church. These groups have now realized that their teachings are not producing faithful people both in doctrine and life. Outside critics araise and present scriptures that conflict with the fruitless lives of these Believers. An answer is need to combat these accusations and still hold on to a straw foundation of faith.
The answer from this movement: "There is no way a TRUE believer will ever leave God. So, that means those that leave God were NEVER saved in the first place!"
So now yet another "Reasonable" deduction made from a false premise.
(it should also be noted that this line of reasoning puts more faith in the believer than in God - or predestination)
Ezekiel 18:24 show, however, that a man is Judged by God according to how he lives in faith to him not just what he believes - And that it is possible to obey in faith - And, that a man can fall from grace when he goes back to living wordly. None of the righteous things he done before will be remembered (not that he didn't do anything righteous, but he simply fell from grace by not repenting).
So God responded this way in the old testament and has the same response in the new testament (this refers to believers in Him not "Non-believers)
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Is it true that Jesus "Never knew" us? Yes, in the sense of Ezekiel 18. What satifaction can God have in having part of a person's life and not all of the persons life? They can be justified by their earlier obedience, but only complete obedience.
Not all believers are saved in the end, but ONLY those who live the truth as taught be Christ till he comes back or they die!
So can we go to the OT to find out how God feels about todays Christianity? I would think so. Besides the Apostles scriptures were those of the OT. I can think of them referring to there own words as scripture (not to say their words have not authority, but I'm simply saying that they taught many believers to continue and to have faith in Jesus based on the OT). So.....
1 Tim 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
Well, how does one "use it properly"? One should read it to learn about the Love of God keeping in mind that he does not change. So though God give commands to certain people they may not have been given directly to us, we should at the very least trust that if God expected righteousness then he expects righteousness today. Also His response to sin then would be the same for today. If one sees God's heart in the command.
Duet 30:11-14
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
From the scripture above is it not clear that the ability to obey (love) God is within out grasp. Meaning we have the ability aforded by the commandment from the Commander to do what he want us to do. So the word is in us so that we may obey it. "May obey..." meaning that just because its in us and near us does not mean that we will do what God want us to do. We still have to follow the Spirit of Gods Words by choice. We must decide to be a slave to that righteousness.
So, I believe that God give us the oppertunity not only to come to Him through faith in His Word, but also to make daily choices to follow the Spirit (Word) of God. To be righteous by doing what is expected by God.
Well, this would apply to those who put there faith in God. But what happens to those who fall from that grace?
Galatians 5:4
You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
What does it mean to be "justified" by something? Basically, you trust in it soley as your source of salvation. People who live this way often do not see the need for repentance and mercy. But have FALLEN from grace.
Some today, however, have said that you cannot fall from a forgiven state and that state being grace obviously.
But how does God see it in the OT? I think the same as it was seen in the early church:
Ezekiel 18:24
"But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.
Unfortunately, many "Christian" religions preach that one is saved before he comes to Christ and after coming to Christ you are always saved and lack the ability to obey Christ law whole heartedly. So now the world sees NO DIFFERENCE between themselves and the church. These groups have now realized that their teachings are not producing faithful people both in doctrine and life. Outside critics araise and present scriptures that conflict with the fruitless lives of these Believers. An answer is need to combat these accusations and still hold on to a straw foundation of faith.
The answer from this movement: "There is no way a TRUE believer will ever leave God. So, that means those that leave God were NEVER saved in the first place!"
So now yet another "Reasonable" deduction made from a false premise.
(it should also be noted that this line of reasoning puts more faith in the believer than in God - or predestination)
Ezekiel 18:24 show, however, that a man is Judged by God according to how he lives in faith to him not just what he believes - And that it is possible to obey in faith - And, that a man can fall from grace when he goes back to living wordly. None of the righteous things he done before will be remembered (not that he didn't do anything righteous, but he simply fell from grace by not repenting).
So God responded this way in the old testament and has the same response in the new testament (this refers to believers in Him not "Non-believers)
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Is it true that Jesus "Never knew" us? Yes, in the sense of Ezekiel 18. What satifaction can God have in having part of a person's life and not all of the persons life? They can be justified by their earlier obedience, but only complete obedience.
Not all believers are saved in the end, but ONLY those who live the truth as taught be Christ till he comes back or they die!
