Judgment starts in the “house of the Lord”

Jun18 by fact-s.net

The “judgment “ referred to here is the “gehenna fire”, the end-consequence for those who “reject the Holy Spirit”i .e., the “last judgment “. Yes, it is time and judgment already begun even at the time of Peter and the apostles. But, where did it begin? He said in the “household of God”.

1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”(NIV)

Where is God’s household? It says “with us”, meaning with Peter and those with him at that time. And who were they and what is the common denominator among them?

Remember that God “does not live in the houses made by human hands”as in Acts 7:48-49

Judgment is fair when you know and not when you are still “blind and deaf spiritually “. This principle is based on: Luke 23:34 “ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

So, where does he “live” now and how? As in Acts 7:48-49, Jesus lives not in “houses or buildings made by human hands”. Yet, he is “building now, by “living in it”. How? For the answer, please read https://fact-s.me/2021/04/10/holy-spirit-unveiled-what-and-who-is-it-when-and-how-given/

Through the Holy Spirit

The pre-requisite before fair judgment is exacted on anyone is whether the person has the “gift of the Holy Spirit” given to him-her for power to what?

The “helper/comforter” was given first to “man Christ Jesus“ at River Jordan, (Matthew 3:16). But only after Jesus’ death (John 16:7) and resurrection will he receive it for us directly from the Father, as in, to the disciples first (John 20:22) , then generally at Pentecost (Acts 2) and ongoing even now. This Holy Spirit is indeed a “Helper” that helps us with a power to overcome evil, helps us decide and choose right from wrong (a period of sanctification) and is an “advocate” for us as we relate to the Father. And this “advocate/Holy Spirit” is Jesus Christ himself.

Without this tool “in-dwelling in the person”, judgment is not yet begun nor is it fair to start. This is why we need this first as a “tool” which no one had (even Adam and others did not have) until Jesus came, died and resurrected to receive it for us directly from an “alive-Jesus” who got it directly from the Father after his resurrection.

But, having received this “in-dwelling” of the Holy Spirit”. we now have a big responsibility, obligation and accountability to follow his will. Failure to follow and be “one” with him is like “rejecting/vomiting” and going back to our “unempowered self”. Gehenna fire is the punishment for those who refused to follow. However, remember to pray always for forgiveness and guidance; to be delivered from evil and to overcome temptations so as not to sin.

And. as “time and chance happen to all”, then all will receive this gift at their own “appointed time”, as participants of the 1st or 2nd resurrection. (Revelations 20:5)

Who judges?

Not the Father but the Son in us through and by the Holy Spirit in-dwelling in us. Jesus is in us and is judging us while guiding and advocating for us, as well.

John 5:22 “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,”

Summary

For anyone to be judged in the “gehenna fire”here is the only requirement for fairness in justice: must have the Holy Spirit in-dwelling in him/her.

Those of us with the gift of the Holy Spirit of power, Jesus in-dwelling in us, must take heed to be sanctified and not go back to our vomit/sinful past. Otherwise, Hebrew 10:27 holds true:

“But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

New International Version
“but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

Repent and pray always that we overcome evil as only “overcomers” will be in the God-kingdom. God is not mocked(Gal 6:7)

And, remember, for anyone who backslides, repent nevertheless, as we have a High Priest, our Advocate, Jesus Christ… the Holy Spirit in us. He is very patient to work in you his good will.

The actual place for “Gehenna fire” is in the valley of Hinnon. that will destroy the body and the spirit This is where the final place for continual sinners who “vomited” the Holy Spirit and continually sin instead of being “one” with God through a period of sanctification.

God bless👍🙏😇👌

N.B. Critique is welcome after reading all for context.

On the Verge of Death

May19 by fact-s.net

Is anyone reading this post “on the verge of death”?

In the usual parlance, nobody disputes that circumstances that make one “hang by a thread” certainly qualify, e.g. crashing car/airplane , falling off a building as in 9/11, etc. Additionally, people with major diseases have shorter life span, like Diabetes, CVA, myocardial infarction, kidney/liver failure, and especially metastatic cancer in spite of advances in treatment modalities. The possibility of death is everyone’s concern because there will be a time when all of us will experience this scenario, one way or another.

Strictly speaking, though, all of us are indeed “living on borrowed time” ,as in:

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Job 8:9 “…Because our days on earth are as a shadow.”

Psalm 102:11 “My days are like a lengthened shadow, And I wither away like grass.”

1 Chronicles 29:15 “…our days on the earth are like a shadow,”

It must be a heart-rending event as many will not be prepared when the time of death comes. Our response depends on what we know about death and why we die.

Why do we die?

Two reasons why we die depending on what type of “death” one means. As explained in the referenced hyperlink in my previous post, it depends on whether the death referred to is “reversible or irreversible death”.

1. Reversible death, the one all humans go to, i.e., “hades” (aka., grave) and will be resurrected from, happens because of how and what we are made of, i.e., “matter-composed”and therefore, just like any “physical matter”, we deteriorate, have expiration date and are not immortal.

To help understand these concepts, from the get-go, one has to acknowledge a “Creator God” who, by “Intelligent Design”, created all “visible and invisible”, the God of the Old Testament El Shaddai/Yahweh/Word who incarnated to “man Jesus Christ”. This Creator God made us what we are, as in:

Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:..,”

Genesis 2:7 “Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground (material or matter, therefore earthy) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, (coming from spirit-composed God and therefore spirit-composed and heavenly) and the man became a living being.”

As explained in my previous post, there is a Creator God who created humans with 2 components. The matter/flesh-composition of man came from the non-living “dust/aphar” of the ground, earthy. The other component, “breath/nshamah” of life” was “breathed ” into his nostrils and he became a “living being/nephesh”. Without that “breath of life”, man was dead. This “breath of life” came directly from a living Spirit-Being, the Creator-God, (not from earthly materials) and therefore heavenly. This breath-of-life is otherwise known as “spirit/of-man or mind” as in:

Job 32:8 “But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding”. (Notice that the brain functions but it is the “spirit of man” aka breath of the Almighty/ breath-of-life that “gives understanding”. It is the “energy/force” that activates the brain to function and made understanding possible.

So man is composed of “aphar” + “nshamah“= “nephesh” or living being/soul.

As such, we are “inadequate/incomplete“,“temporary”, a “template”, an “image” that will expire naturally but created on and with “hope” in the future, as in:

Romans 8:20 “For the creature was made subject to vanity(frailty-depravity), not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope

Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD:“

Romans 15:4 ESV “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

My researched post in “ongoing creation” will help explain that the hope was on the incarnation of the Creator-God/Yahweh Elohim Lord-God into “man-Jesus Christ”, his willful death to reconcile mankind and the receiving of the promised “Holy Spirit” (directly from the Father) by resurrected Jesus thus enabling him to “complete and re-create” the “marred clay” by “in-dwelling in us” through that energy/power, aka., the Holy Spirit. Adam made himself and all humanity “marred clay” because he sinned.

2. Irreversible death, the final end in which the person dies eternally in “Gehenna fire”. This type of death is the ultimate end of life and hopeless; was intimated in:

Genesis 2:17 “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Remember that Adam & Eve did not actually die and instead was vanished from the garden of Eden alive and lived 930 years; proof that this death was not immediate and referred to “reversible death”, that has hope although the subsequent “irreversible death” attributed to the “sin of Adam” (in the garden of Eden” will still be effective in the future. However, Adam will also be resurrected in the future with mortal body and be given his first chance of “in-dwelling Holy Spirit” to be guided, an opportunity for sanctification.

Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell(Gehenna fire).”

Matthew 13:49-50 “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Summary

Our life is “fleeting and like a vapor, meaningless” that can snap anytime, whether by accident, diseases, calamities, crime, etc. All are destined to die (with exception for those living at the “last trump”) because of what we are made of, mortals from the beginning. But, this “death to hades” is reversible and all will be resurrected back to “mortal bodies” to have their chance of “in-dwelling Holy Spirit at appointed time”. What we do at that time, post-resurrection , will determine whether we end up in “Gehenna fire” or be transformed to “immortal bodies”.

Our destiny has been planned from the beginning and the plan of salvation from “irreversible death”.

Hopefully, we will be one with God at that time by following his guidance of sanctification to do good rather than evil.

God bless👍🙏😇

Please tap on hyperlinks for references.

Critique is welcome after reading all for context.

Holy Spirit Unveiled: what and who is it, when and how given?

Apr10 by fact-s.net

What makes this topic so important is that it challenges with another wrinkle, a longstanding misunderstanding or false rendering that relates to the “Holy Spirit”.

What exactly is the “Holy Spirit”? Is it another person/body in the Trinity concept, a power or both? Who, when and how was this Holy Spirit given? And what is it for? What is so specific about this spirit to be called “Holy Spirit”? It was used before, but a particular “Holy Spirit”(a nonpareil) was given to Jesus Christ only after he died and resurrected; what is that about?

Where to start for the quaesitum, is a “door” to understand the truth behind the actual nature of this “entity”. There is no better place to start but to unlock that “door”, the Holy Scriptures of today( like the Bereans who fact-checked Paul on what was available to them on that day, Acts 17:11), to get some indication of what precisely this is. In today’s generation, we are blessed to have internet capabilities for research to “run the gauntlet” of contemplative analysis.

Who was the Creator?

At the outset, this research will be an exercise in futility unless one acknowledges, the fact of a Creator God, an Intelligent Designer. Therefore, let us first establish who the Creator in Genesis was.

Col. 1:16-20 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

While there is no doubt that it was the Father who planned creation, it was the spirit-composed YHVH ELOHIM/Lord God (EL SHADDAI/LOGOS/WORD) who proximately created all, the invisible and visible to us. No other spirit-composed person directly and actually participated in this creation, not even the Father.

And, “man-Jesus” was the incarnated El-SHADDAI/ God Almighty, YHVH ELOHIM/Lord God, the Word (John 1:1-5). The first “living beings” created were the “spirit-composed” angels (rejoicing at creation) including Lucifer(Isaiah 14:12-15); thereafter, the material world, inanimate and animate:

Job 38:4-7 “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons(angels) of God shouted for joy? “

The Father actually planned and it was man-Jesus Christ, in his capacity as Pre-incarnate El-SHADDAI/Yahweh-Elohim/LOGOS, who willingly executed the plan to create in Genesis then and now is “ongoing” by the same proximate Creator. But, how and in what capacity?

What exactly is the “Holy Spirit”?

After establishing the fact of a Creator God, we can now continue with this journey together. To begin with, the etymology of the English word “spirit” is translated from the Hebrew word ruʹach and the Greek word pneuma , both meaning “breath, wind”. The English word “holy” is from Hebrew “kodesh” and Greek “hagios”, both meaning sacred, consecrated or set apart.

Taken together, the Holy Spirit in Hebrew Ruach HaKodesh and the Roman Holy Spirit are two different concepts of the power of the Creator; the former sees Ruach HaKodesh as the creative force, the power of the Creator through which everything came into existence, while the latter sees it as the “third person” of the “Holy Trinity”. So, which is it?

Remember this basic principle: that the “spirit essence” has to come directly or “flow” from a spirit/composed person. It cannot originate from any other nor from its own. As to whether there was a separate “person” with the “giver” of this “spirit essence” may be intimated by the narrative in the first “mention of this spirit” in Genesis creation.

The creation of the visible and invisible world was narrated in Genesis 1. Notice that the “heavens and earth were created” in Genesis 1:1 (presumably, with sun, moon, stars, etc. but no mention of plants, animals or humans on earth. Then in Genesis 1:2, the “earth became formless, void and darkness was over the surface of the deep”. Notice that the “heavenly bodies” were intact and it was “the earth” that was “formless, void and dark”. While no human really knows what actually transpired at that time (and without favoring one theory over another), consideration of the pros and cons of the “gap theory/ruin-restoration theory” is in order.

Then the “Spirit of God” moved upon the face of the waters and earth’s. Where did this “Spirit of God” come from? It says “of God”, meaning from Creator-God, the El-SHADDAI/Yahweh-Elohim. This “re-creation/restoration from ruin” occurred with this “Spirit of God” also creating plants and animals. Darkness was covering the lights of sun, moon and stars, then “uncovered” by God’s command, “let there be lights”; this was the 1st day of re-Creation. The designation of “heaven” was on the 2nd day whereas the designation “dry land/earth and seas” and creation of plants was on the 3rd day. The seasons, days and years, and what rules the day and night were on the 4th day. The animals were created on the 5th day and “man/woman” created on the 6th day.

In all of this creation, there was this El-SHADDAI/Yahweh Elohim who was the Creator-God and it appears (although it did not directly state so) that he did all these creations with the “Spirit of God” that may have come/emanated from him; not necessarily from another person.

Psalm 104:30 “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground”. (N.B. “..,forth Your Spirit” suggests coming from him “… “they are created”.,.”renew the face of the ground” Compare with Genesis 1:2). Notice: “renew” because earth became “tohu and bohu”.

Psalms 33:6 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (the power of the word, the word spoken out, the heavens were created)

Also, notice in the creation of Adam and where the Creator was. Here, directly, the “spirit-of-man” emanated from him.

Gen. 2:7 “And the LORD God (Yahweh Elohim) formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul(being). “

Notice that when Adam was formed from the “dust of the ground” he was not alive until the “breath of life” (the spirit-component of man) was “breathe into his nostrils”, then he became a “living being”. Prior to breathing in him the “breath-of-life”, all his material components, from head to toe, were still non-living. Remember that “the body without the spirit is dead, being alone” (James 2:26). He became a “living being” only after this “breath of life”, the spirit-component, came into him from the proximate Creator-God(Yahweh Elohim/the Logos/Jesus Christ).

The composition of a living person is “body+ spirit”. The body/matter-component came from earth and therefore “earthy”. But, the “breath of life” the “spirit-in-man”(the spirit-component) came directly from a spirit-composed YHVH ELOHIM. This is the “active participle” (aka, kinetic energy” that brought life to an otherwise “non-living body”.

Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

Micah 3:8 “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.” (filled with power, with the Spirit)

2 Peter 1:20-21 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (Spiritual truth only comes from God by and through the Holy Spirit).

Symbolism:

Isaiah 66:2 “Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

By referring to God’s spirit as his “hands,” “fingers,” or “breath,” the Bible shows that the holy spirit is not another person. (Exodus 15:8, 10) A craftsman’s hands cannot function independent of his mind and body; energy/power to do has to emanate from the person. Likewise, God’s holy spirit operates only as he directs it. (Luke 11:13) The Bible also compares God’s spirit to water and associates it with such things as faith and knowledge. These comparisons all point to the impersonal nature of the holy spirit.—Isaiah 44:3;Acts 6:5; 2 Corinthians 6:6.

The Bible also personifies wisdom, death, and sin. (Proverbs 1:20; Romans 5:17, 21) For example, wisdom is said to have “works, “children,” and “sin” is depicted as seducing, killing, and working out covetousness.—Matthew 11:19;Luke 7:35; Romans 7:8, 11.

By grammatical norm, the holy spirit was personified as a “helper” (paraclete) that would give evidence, guide, speak, hear, declare, glorify, and receive. He used masculine personal pronouns such as “he” or “him” when referring to that “helper.” (John 16:7-15) However, he did so because the Greek word for “helper” (pa·raʹkle·tos) is a masculine noun and requires a masculine pronoun according to the rules of Greek grammar. When John referred to the holy spirit using the neuter noun pneuʹma, he used the genderless pronoun “it.”—John 14:16, 17. So, personifying as “he, him or it” maybe just for English grammar/ translation although this followed Greek grammatical norms.

As to the “three that bear witness”, Professor Bruce M. Metzger on 1 John 5:7, 8 said, “That these words are spurious and have no right to stand in the New Testament is certain.”—A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. See also: Textual problem

It becomes clear conceptually, that this “spirit” (the spirit of life in man, the breath of life) is an energy that empowers. Dissimilar but much like gravitational power, mechanical power, electrical power, nuclear power, etc. without which, nothing happens, are not necessarily a person. YHVH ELOHIM (Lord God Creator) has this power that brings life to his physical creation by breathing this life-energy into the human body. Similarly, this “spirit-essence” is called the “Spirit of God” (of God, i.e., coming from God)(Genesis 1:2) hovering over the waters and the “breath-of-life” which is the “spirit-of-God-IN-man”, all spirit/energy.

All “energy/power” was already given and discovered as “potential energy” which was then used by humans as “kinetic energy” for creating or performing things. On the other hand, this “spirit-energy/power” is unique and was never given before by the Father except to LOGOS/Yahweh Elohim/El SHADDAI /Son of God which was used for Genesis creation, miracles, etc. However, there was another type of “spirit-energy/power” that was not given to anybody until the resurrected Jesus Christ in his capacity as “Son of God”; this was subsequently given ( as promised) to other humans, as well.

Is the Holy Spirit another person/body in the Trinity concept or a power?

The concept of Trinity was foreign to the original 12 disciples, Paul and even to the latest writer John who wrote the Revelations, the last book in the New Testament Bible. Although pagans were aware, as in “Divine threesomes abound in the religious writings and art of ancient Europe, Egypt, the near east, and Asia.” the Trinity concept was brooding among Christians that culminated in the Athanasius-Arius controversy.

It was in full-blown animosity in the 3rd and 4th century, causing a rift in the Christian world, especially between Athanasius and Arius, both respected leaders, who later on ex-communicated each other. To finally bring an end to this controversy, Emperor Constantine called for a Council in Nicea to bring conclusion to this, leading to Trinity Doctrine, the Nicean or Athanasian Creed.

Looking at the history of this doctrine and knowing what we know now, we realize that the root-cause of this rift was a misinterpretation of the nature and usage of the word “elohim “. See Reference #1 for analysis.

There is no Trinity (2). In fact, the Father has started, with the power of the Holy Spirit at river Jordan, begetting “children of God”with the “pioneer” man-Jesus, who manifested after resurrection as the “Son of God”, then subsequently, us towards becoming “spirit-composed children of God”.

The family that God is creating is not limited to 2 persons, the Father and Son, but will include many other “sons and daughters of God”, aka, “spiritual church of God”, the “kingdom of God”, all spirit-composed beings, higher in the hierarchy than angels(Heb. 1:4-14). Not animal kingdom or human kingdom, but God-kingdom. With this Holy Spirit of power, the Father is building this “God-kingdom“, with Jesus as the “head of this church/body”.

When and how was this Holy Spirit given?

By this time in this epexegesis, we already can see that the “Holy Spirit” is “energy/power” emanating from (not independent of or separate from the) spirit-composed Creator-God. Moreover, we see that it has been used in Genesis creation of heavens, earth and their re-creation with plants, animals and humans.

It is well known that it was the Holy Spirit that empowered man-Christ Jesus, who was the first recipient at Jordan river(Matt. 3:16). It is therefore given after the “breath of life“(the life-giving energy) was given to a flesh-composed man-Jesus to live.

He is Christ Jesus, no longer “man-Christ Jesus” but “resurrected and became Son of God by resurrection from the dead”. Yes, ONLY after resurrection from the dead was he “declared/shown/named” Son of God. Christ is in us, “is come in the flesh”, “the truth that lives in us forever”, through the empowering Holy Spirit, that Jesus received directly from the Father, promised as a gift to him and to being given to us ALL as planned. And, the mechanism for Jesus to create the God-kingdom composed of “spirit-beings” is by “in-dwelling in us” through the Holy Spirit, the Advocate/Comforter.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the Father gave this power to the Son-of-God Jesus (John 16:7) to then subsequently be given out to “believers”, to his disciples first and generally at Pentecost; then to others, as in:

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.”(Holy Spirit is power)

Gal. 3:2-5 “The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing. Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

The power of the Holy Spirit originates from the Father, then given to man-Christ Jesus to empower him to become “Son of God” by resurrection, then afterwards given to him by the Father, to then be distributed by Jesus(as Son of God) to believers. Much like the power to create all from the beginning was given to him, so was this power (Holy Spirit) given to him at his resurrection to now “create” “sons and daughters of God “. This power is being used to “build the spiritual church” (God-Kingdom) through the process of salvation (4).

Who is that Spirit?

Identifying who this “Spirit” is, may give pause to the belief that the Spirit is the 3rd person in the debunked concoction of Trinity. The “Spirit” ( the Advocate) is identified here:

1 John 2:1 “…But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” Compare with John 16:7

2 Corinthians 3:17 …’Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’

Philippians 1:19 …’For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Clearly, Jesus Christ is empowered to in-dwell in us mechanistically through this energy/power, aka, Holy Spirit. He is indeed “coming in” to us (the flesh) as in:

This is how Jesus is creating us into his body, by coming into us, the “church” and be one with him, as He is one with the Father. Notice, he is “in us”:

1 John 4:2 “…Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come (coming, contextually is the correct rendering of this word) in the flesh is from God,”

2 Corinthians 13:5 “…,Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Colossians 1:27 “… Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

What is this Holy Spirit for?

Much like any power, e.g., mechanical, electrical, nuclear, gravitational, solar, etc. the Holy Spirit empowers believers in many ways. But it does not force us to do anything good without our consent and decision. The Father does not like “robots “. The Holy Spirit has many gifts and fruits as written in the Holy Bible for edification and glory of the “body of Christ”. This is key ingredient that believers must have in the process of salvation. The mechanism of how this happens is explained by Jesus (5).

Rom. 8:19 ” the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons ( and daughters) of God.” Manifestation is the “day of delivery”, at resurrection.

Once inside our “temple”, the “holy of holies” in our mind, it helps and guides our spirit-of-man (aka spirit-in-man) to do what is good. Contextually speaking, the “spiritual DNA”, akin to the “spirit of man” is an “egg” and the Holy Spirit is like the “sperm” in the process of “fertilization “. Through many changes and overcoming challenges, it then develops into a zygote. And with growth/development in the “uterus” of the “mother/church”, it becomes a mature fetus and ripe for “delivery”.

It subsequently manifests “full-term” at “delivery” as “newborn child of God” at resurrection of the “firstfruits “, as in 1Corinthians 15:23 “But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him”

This is the fulfillment of being “born again”(6).

Summary

The Holy Spirit is a power that originates from the Father. It is not a “person” nor limited to three persons in the doctrine of Trinity which evolved in the 3rd/4th century because of misunderstanding the nature of God in conjunction with the Shema doctrine of “oneness”. It is very important in the eventual “building” of the “kingdom of God”, the “church of God”, all “spirit/composed”.

The first man, as promised and who received this gift of the Holy Spirit, was man-Christ Jesus at river Jordan because of his belief in the Father that what he promised, he will fulfill. This was the power that enabled him to overcome temptation of Satan at the mount after fasting 40 days/night. This is the same power that guided him to the way of the Father, following God’s will rather than his’ in the garden of Gethsemane. In contrast, Adam in the garden of Eden succumbed to Satan’s temptation because of his weakness and lack of this power that provides wisdom.

Only after Jesus’ resurrection, as “Son of God”, was he given, by the Father, the same power, for him to in-dwell/bestow to others who believe, at their “appointed time”. After Jesus’ resurrection, he gave this power to his apostles and since then at Pentecost to other believers and ongoing unto this day.

As Jesus, (the forerunner, beginner,trailblazer, precursor,pioneer) was empowered by the “Holy Spirit” in him to be sanctified and glorified, we who are “called” during this period, will also be “sanctified” and become “overcomers” to endure through the end, so long as we follow “his will, not our’s”. As Jesus was glorified as “Son of God”, we will also be glorified with him as “children of God”, all spirit-composed.

Being so, we will be “spirit-composed”, immortal and live eternally; this salvation. Instead of the family of God limited to three, as falsely woven into the Trinity Doctrine, there will in fact be numerous members of this family,“many stars in heaven” as promised and prophesied to Abraham(Gen. 22:17; 26:4).

This process is the very essence of salvation from “second death”, for us then to say“death where is thy sting?” (I Cor. 15:55-57).

It is our hope that this research will help illuminate the controversy surrounding the Holy Spirit. Let us keep our mind open to truth and for no one to be stubborn because of misplaced “belief perseverance”.

May God Bless you. 👍🙏😇

Original Post: 5/4/2018

Revised and reposted: April 10, 2021

On this special day, this post serves as a “proposal” for consideration and acceptance.

Please tap hyperlinks for references

Critique is welcome at foundationacts@yahoo.com

References

1. FATHER’S DAY_USA.2014 Retrieved 5/3/18 at http://fact-s.net/2018/05/03/1208/

2. Trinity Deconstructed. Retrieved 5/3/18 at https://fact-s.net/2014/08/06/trinity-doctrine-deconstructed/

3. Torah. Retrieved 5/3/18 at http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/m/articles_torah.html

4. Justification, Reconciliation, sanctification and Glorification. Retrieved 5/4/18 at http://fact-s.net/2018/05/01/justification-reconciliation-sanctification-and-glorification

5. Kingdom of God in Human Anatomy. Retrieved 5/3/18 at http://fact-s.net/2016/12/21/kingdom-of-god-in-human-anatomy/

6. Born Again? Retrieved 5/4/18 from http://fact-s.net/2017/03/12/born-again/

The Beast, 666, to be revealed?

Mar31 by fact-s.net

Who is the Beast?. Does anybody know? Many claims were made endowed with this knowledge and are passionate to a fault.

The description is in Revelations 13:18,“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

This is gematria, a Hebrew alphanumeric code of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase based on its letters, that has been used by many cultures, including Egyptian and Greek. This “number of a man” is traditionally assigned to Nero Caesar.

Some claim it to mean Sunday worship. While others see this as “Bismillah” the Arabic language for swearing one’s allegiance to Allah and purportedly on the forehead, hands and flag of Islam.

As to whether the Hebrew translation adds up to 666 or 616 is numberphile and can refer to many others. “As the boys from Numberphile explain, 666 doesn’t really have any remarkable mathematical properties, but if you look back into its history, it reveals something pretty incredible about the way the Bible was originally written.”

Points to identify the Beast

All the claims to date as to who the Beast is, strain credulity and are over the top. No one now truly knows his identity because the revelation of this “man-of-sin” (son of perdition) will “still be in the future”.

Consider the following identifying points:

1. This “man-of-sin” will come at “end times” when ten horns/kings appear. The realization of “ten horns/kings” was not yet in John’s time. And , they will have future power only for “one hour”?

Revelations 17:12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.”

2. Three of the ten horns will be replaced by a “little horn” to assume the leadership of the Beast and he will end up in “Gehenna fire”.

Notice the following verses:

Daniel 7:7-11 “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts… Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire…

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,” (NKJV)

2 Thessalonians 2:3“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”

2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

3. This little horn king will torment the “holy people of God” for 3 1/2 years.

Daniel 7:25 “He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time”

Observe that this “time, times and a half” coincide with the Beast, woman/church and 2 witnesses:

Revelations 12:6 “The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.”

Revelations 12:14 “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Revelations 11:3 “And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Note: The “time, times and a half “ have also been interpreted as “2,500 years”, which most likely do not apply to this “little horn’s” rule.

King of the North vs King of the South

The “little horn” and the “King of the North” maybe one and the same to be revealed at the end time. Both will enter Jerusalem.

Daniel 8:9 “Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.”

In Daniel 11:40-41’we read: “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land [the area of Jerusalem], and many countries shall be overthrown”.

Summary

There are claims and there will be more as to the identity of the Beast and counting of 666 into the name. But, let us not jump into it so readily and instead hearken to the advice of Paul in:

Watch the future for the revealing of the identity of the Beast, little horn, king of the north to coincide with the 2 witnesses and the safety, protection of the Church.

God bless 👍🙏😇

Original post: March 31, 2021

Please tap on the hyperlinks for references.

Critique is welcome at foundationacts@yahoo.com

Gun violence, what to do with the mind where evil may reside?

Mar23 by fact-s.net

Recent shooting that resulted in deaths in suburban Atlanta, Boulder Colorado, Gilroy, CA “Garlic Festival“, El Paso Texas and Dayton Ohio re-ignited the call for “what to do“. Advocates of 2A right and gun-control groups will again surface that will fan the flame and stoke the fire on an already “toxic environment” we find ourselves in. Finger-pointing will be right-on-the-heels before the day is out. A well-known aphorism will again be quoted that the “only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”.

And that begs the question: Do guns, by themselves, kill? Of course not but should some type of guns be banned? If so, some argue that other means to kill may have to be banned as well, like knives, cars that mowed down crowds, stones and even fists…sound ridiculous, indeed.

Taking extreme scenarios from both ends of the spectrum, history shows people kill even before there were guns. Remember, Cain killed Abel without using guns. But, at least, why not ban assault rifles? Some argue that on having the most destructive “weapons of war“, during the height of “nuclear race“ between USA and USSR, there was no exchange of nuclear missiles against each other because of MAD (mutually assured destruction) which was an effective deterrent that led to “detente“. Sen. Lindsay Graham has semi-automatic rifle for self-defense in “apocalyptic scenarios” (never used it for offense), should his weapon be confiscated or banned?

On the other hand, statistics show that gun violence not only increased in frequency but also in severity and lethality according to this opinion, that should give gun–rights advocates an occasion to pause regarding “assault weapons and gun themselves“. Yes, we are no longer under England’s monarchical rule to justify a “militia”. Already, we have a Constitutional Republic with 3 branches of government equal in powers to balance each other; powers delegated by the people in every election; we can change representatives and current laws that we don’t like and are not workable. Still, others maintain that realistically and urgently we need to do something.

While there are certainly measures like “universal background check” that can be implemented, still it has its own shortcomings, like a “mentally competent or law-abiding person” may become violent later. Likewise, “Red Flag law“, aka ERPO or GVRO can complement the preceding UBC, although it has its own unique detractors invoking violation of 2A right to bear arms and 4A right to due process. POTUS45 appears to support those initiatives. Notably, in response to the Las Vegas shooting, bump stocks have been prohibited by executive order of Pres. Trump. If “bump stocks” that enhance lethality of guns can be prohibited with Executive Order, what about assault/automatic weapons that discharge many bullets/minute? Others cite danger of false claim, like “swatting“, used against law-abiding persons with registered guns

Aside from the above, there are other salient proposals to reduce gun violence and promote gun-safety. With lawmakers in branches of government divided on this issue, bipartisanship is evermore needed to enact law, to be doable. Nevertheless, while humanity can do its best to find, prioritize and act on solutions, still, we have limits and boundaries.

Starts with the Mind

Inanimate objects like guns or knives don’t have life of their own to harm or not; only the person decides. Since this issue is difficult and sensitive, controversy then continues to no end.

Be that as it may, these proposals do not address the core issue of “mental state“ that changes later. Notwithstanding the concerted efforts of the nation through it’s representatives, it is the “mind” of the people that decides whether to engage in or act out violence, harming others or not. Undoubtedly, it is the “mind-set” of a person that makes him/her to act out violent behavior. It can be a mental disease/disorder or the mental state of any “Tom, Dick and Harry”. And, this “mind” is a composite of what collectively the person developed from birth and matured into adulthood. It is an accumulation of what the person concludes to be the best for self-interest or self-preservation that makes the person. History is replete with examples to buttress this mental mechanism to act which requires MOM (motive, opportunity, means); no pun intended. Understandably, assault weapons compared to glock or knife, as “means“, have ease of use to kill more people, should their sale be banned? Culture and philosophy in politics also play a role in how the person thinks and acts.

Still, what can be done about this problem of the “mind“? Behavioral health providers proposed ways and means to help alleviate this problem. But, there are myths and evidenced-based facts on this regard and statistics are incomplete. According to a Northwestern study, available gun violence data doesn’t show full picture.

Loopholes in the law are also factors. According to a new Duke Health analysis, “People with serious mental illnesses who use guns to commit suicide are often legally eligible to purchase guns, despite having a past record of an involuntary mental health examination and brief hospitalization,“

With that said, Glen Geher, PhD. was pessimistic and was quoted “if the violence problem is due to mental health issues, the future is bleak“. “In fact, in a powerful Psychology Today post from 2015, his colleague Jean Twenge provides a mountain of data speaking to the facts that

(a) a broad array of psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety, have increased in frequency since the 1980s and

(b) this observed pattern is not exclusively the result of over-diagnosis. In short, our nation is getting less and less mentally healthy with time”

The problem is multifactorial and not just because of mental health according to Dr. Geher. One can then argue that because of the complexity surrounding gun-violence, that this is all the more reason to favor gun-control and allow gun ownership license only at home or elsewhere for self-defense consistent with 2A. Additionally, the responsibility and obligation to defend others devolve to a “regulated militia” aka, police authorities in the city, state or federal governments under subordination to or governed by civilian power.

While collectively as a nation we must endeavor urgently to find ways and means to solve domestic and foreign terrorism, at best, humanity can only do so much. Clearly, an all-encompassing solution to this “crisis in gun violence” is not in the offing. Yet, wasn’t the perfect solution alluded to, generations ago? Read on.

Man Created with Weakness

What is wrong with humans? In all of our history, there is good and evil done by humans. Governments rise and fall, wars and rumors of war all throughout, etched in memories written or not. Certainly, there are progress, advancements, peace and prosperity. A good man can do bad things and an evil man can become good, as we define for ourselves what is good/evil at any given time; no consistency in action. Also, there are many laws in the book, many are laws of morality, but not followed nor enforced, why?

This brings to mind the same problem with Israel and the Law, specifically moral laws, the Decalogue. And apostle Paul explained why we do what we do and do what we don’t like to do in Romans 7 as highlighted in Romans 7:18 (KJV)

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

From the preceding, Paul addressed one of the 2 components of man: physical component which is the “flesh“,i.e., “carnal” that came from the ground/earthy. Obliquely, the other component was intimated: the “breath of life”, aka “spirit of man”, which is spiritual as it was breathe into Adam’s nostrils directly from God who is spirit-composed. He echoed the principle that in “flesh” dwells “no good thing” as far as God is concerned, even with “all righteousness coming from it“, rendered to be as “filthy rags“. This was understood later by Job that in spite of him following the moral Law perfectly on his own, he was still a sinner (assigned to the sin of Adam) that needs a Savior; “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you”

Essentially, the Law is spiritual (moral laws) and therefore requires “spiritual/moral power“ to overcome the “lust of the flesh“. There is “war/conflict” between our mind and flesh and that we are incapable on our own to consistently follow the “spiritual/moral law“ until the “Helper”, Spirit-power in-dwells in the “real you” to empower us.

And once this Helper/Advocate is given to human beings, it will write the laws in our heart and mind (no longer in tables of stone) to guide, teach and empower towards seeing the truth. And this Holy Spirit was given only AFTER man-Jesus was resurrected and went to the Father.

With the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, we were commanded to :

Galatians 5:16-17 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please“.

Galatians 5:16-26 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Summary

Gun violence is a major and urgent problem for all of humanity. This will continue in spite of our best efforts because of inherent “temporary weakness” of our physical/material creation. Evil starts in the “mind” aka “spirit-of-man” which was created as a “temple”/template. It starts there, whether they be gun violence, sexual abuse, greed, pride, hatred, etc. and for that matter, any temptation or “pull of the flesh”. Yes, we can change our mind, on our own, through experiential education, like Job. However, this will not last nor be consistent as strong forces dominate self-interest and self-preservation. Our “very best efforts” are like filthy rags“. Our “mind/spirit-of-man” needs an Helper/Advocate to empower it to help us to consistently be against evil as proven by man-Jesus after in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit at River Jordan. But, rejoice, as this inadequacy of man will be eventually empowered by the promised “in-dwelling” of the Holy Spirit to work with our “spirit-of-man” to follow moral laws.

Let us therefore ask and pray to be “baptized with the Holy Spirit“ as man-Jesus was and follow him, the in-dwelling “Spirit of Christ”, in us, consistently, Our development and maturity are still in the process of “ongoing creation” to be “one” with the Father.

God bless 😊🙏😇

Original post of Hyperlink version: August 4, 2019

Updated Sept 2, 2019

Modified March 23, 2021

Addendum: May, 2022 Another mass “school shooting”, 21 dead in Ugalde Texas, USA.

Sabbath-Rest, Remember and Keep Holy? Relevance and how?

Mar12 by fact-s.net

From the beginning, seven days have been established to comprise the week. This was counted from “sunset-to-sunset, “even-to-even,” And the 7th day is acknowledged to be Saturday in Julian and Gregorian Calendars.

Controversy:

The controversy is not about when is the 7th day, which is accepted worldwide for centuries to be Saturday. Rather, it is about how people keep it holy, aka., when to worship; Saturday, Sunday or any day. Does the mandate “remember (the 7th day Saturday sabbath) to keep it holy” really refer to a “worship-day, a specific day of the week to worship God ? Or , is this a planned time-period for this “rest”? What could be the reason for this “rest” that maybe a predicate to what God will do in the future. And, why was this instituted early on at Genesis creation and its relevance for the future? Moreover, does “Sabbath-rest” really mean no work for humans and God?

The 4th commandment about Sabbath-keeping is in the Decalogue which is a summary of Mosaic laws numbering 613 according to Rabbi Simlai in the 3rd century or the more accepted breakdown 365 according to Maimonides in the 12th century. But, many Christians confine the Decalogue to the Ten Commandments and called Aseret ha’Dibrot in Judaism.

It has been emphasized by “sabbath-keepers” that the 7th day/Saturday as the only one that has a mandate to “remember to keep it holy” in 22:42.(Doug Batchelor). Accordingly, other days are not to be, when people have to come to worship.

However, traditional Christianity maintains the day of worship, thereby keeping it holy, is on Sunday, 1st day of the week, because of change to the day of “the Lord’s resurrection”. Sunday resurrection is assumed because of an “empty tomb” which is an indirect proof , questionable for many reasons and because of “3 days and 3 nights like Jonah”. Nobody actually saw the actual event of resurrection, although numerous reliable witnesses attested for this post-facto and died taking this belief with them to the grave. Other Christians consider everyday holy sabbath, which functionally maybe tenable. So, this subject is indeed a “head-scratcher”.

As this is a contentious subject, proper analysis is needed, as guided by the Holy Spirit of truth.

Remember:

The etymology of the English word “remember” comes from the Hebrew word “sakar/zawkar:02142/02145” meaning to mark, mention, recognize, be mindful. There are 253 occurrences in 12 translation of the word translated “remember” in English. In the Old Testament it is found 178x. In Greek, it is “mnēmoneúō:3421/3420”, and found 75x in the New Testament, with the same meaning as in Hebrew.

N. B. Every time “remember” is used, it always refers to what happened in the past in relation to what the future holds.

Keep it Holy:

Now that we know the context of what “remember” means, the next question is “how to keep it holy”. On this regard, we can only depend on what God told us through biblical records on “how” and his definition of “holy”.

History shows many churches, denominations and religious groups differ in the minutiae of “how to keep it holy”. It will be unproductive and futile to enumerate these vicissitudes as the interpretation of others would not cut it.

Biblical principles:

Together, let us review salient verses and narrative of this 7th day.

In Genesis 2:2 we read, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.”

In Genesis 2:3 “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done”.

Notice that it was God who made it holy by resting after he finished his work as he planned. So, naturally he ceased from creating material things. He stopped creating, not due to Him being tired as Isaiah 40:28 says,

“The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.”

And, He made it holy by resting on that 7th day, way before any covenants, including the Old Covenant. He was completely finished with His “material creative work” like plants , animals and man. Heavens and earth were already created in Genesis 1:1; that includes sun, moon, stars, earth, etc. The creation of “spirit-composed angels” were not referred to and had to be before the 6-days “re-creation”.

When the “heavens and earth” were created, as expected, they were “perfect”. God may do “templates”, “images” like humans that were “incomplete”, but nothing “imperfect” was ever made by God.

But, in Genesis 1:2 the earth became “without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep” most likely because of the “war in heavens” when Satan and 1/3 rd of angels rebelled against God. Then towards the end of Genesis 1:2-10, there was “reforming the creation” with light (covered by darkness) then re-appearing to divide from darkness (Night and Day; sun-moon-stars) and firmament(heaven) dividing the waters. Seas and dry land came about. God then looked at His creation, declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and ceased from His finished timed and planned creation-activity.

Notice that he instituted this Sabbath-rest after Genesis 1:2; after “re-doing” the “earth which became without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep” , the first day of the week.

Additionally, there was no mandate for humans to “rest on the 7th day until Israel left Egypt. Referring back to original Old Covenant with Israel and Judah with Moses as mediator, in Exodus 20:8-11 it states:

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it

Included were “all within the gates” of Israel-Judah (including strangers/Gentiles) , no human should “work” on the 7th day as even the Creator-God “ceased”, as planned and timed, from his “reforming the creation”( compare Genesis 1:2 and v-2). And, it was God who blessed and hallowed the 7th day; made it holy. Keeping it holy “by not working that 7th day”.

But then, here in Luke 13:10-17 “On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.”

Notice, that “man-Christ Jesus“( the incarnated LOGOS,El-Shaddai, YHVH-Elohim, Creator-God) was “working on a Sabbath” as defined/understood by and to the chagrin of the synagogue leader. And Jesus rebuked the synagogue leader and called him “hypocrite” because “each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water”.

So, while there was a general prohibition against “working on a Sabbath”, it was not “all-or-none”. They themselves freed, untied from bondage, the animals, and gave them water to drink. Exception has been accepted depending on situation and time, i.e. to free from bondage, set them free and drink water to live.

Also notice this exception in Mark 2:23-28 “One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Again, exemption with emphasis on hunger and in need of sustenance to forestall death . This narrative has relevance to the future.

Caveats:

From the preceding facts, one can take-home the following messages:

1. This Sabbath-rest was instituted by God and set aside from the “creation week” in Genesis as the 7th-day, the last day of that week. God “worked” 6 days and himself “rested” on the 7th day. By so doing he sanctified it, made it holy. Humans cannot make the day holy, only God can.

2. It predates any of the subsequent covenants. And, it was presented de-facto and not as a covenant with any human. As to whether God will resume his “work” in the future was not revealed at that time.

3. There was no specific mandate for humans to “remember, to keep it holy” until the time Israel was freed from Egypt’s slavery. So to speak, this “rest day” is a “coming-out-of-slavery/bondage- day” , aka, “freedom-day”. This highlights the “association of the day of rest with freedom from bondage.” While only God can make the day holy, humans were asked “to keep it holy” by not working on that day.”.

4. Every time the word “remember” is used, it always refers to what happened in the past in relation to what the future holds.

5. As the Creator-God “rested” from his work that was planned and finished, so must humans “rest from their works”. Not only Israel was mandated but also “strangers/Gentiles within their gates

6. The prohibition against “working that 7th day”, has exception related to “works” that refer to freedom from bondage from disease/life-limiting like hunger/death event and towards attaining “waters of life”. This serves as a “works-predicate” for what will happen in the future “at time appointed”.

How to Rest on the 7th day

The relevance of the Sabbath-rest is in the utility of the Advocate/Helper/Comforter in implementing and ensuring this “rest”.

God finished all his planned “work and rested”, So, should humans work for 6 days and rest on the 7th day. But, he has a plan for “working again” in the future. As the Creator-God created heavens and earth and those on it in Genesis 1:1 and “re-did” the earth and others from Genesis 1:2-31, ceased from that planned work, so will he (at the appointed time) again “work” to create the “kingdom of God”, all spirit-bodied through Jesus.

Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Humans were really created in God’s image and likeness but “incomplete” and started as “templates”( temples ) where God will “in-dwell”

Currently, humans have not reached their “destiny” and do not have “dominion over all the earth” as we still die from diseases, accidents, etc. This promise is still future when we “change in a twinkling of an eye” from mortal to immortal spirit-composed bodies.

Adam and even now, humans are trying to attain salvation through their “own righteous works” which at best, are as “filthy rags”. Salvation has to be from and because of God, not “human works” so no one may boast as in:

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works(by you), so that no one may boast.”

It is really a gift of God, the Holy Spirit in-dwelling in us, such that “by grace we have been saved through faith”. Sabbath-rest comes when the “creative power/energy of God”, the “Comforter/Advocate”, the empowering tool, was given to resurrected Jesus Christ and to be subsequently given to humans, first to apostles, afterwards generally to others at Pentecost, then to “firstfruits” and “latterfruits” as planned from the foundation of the world. This is our “Sabbath-rest”, “God’s rest” with his Spirit working in us and not ourselves working out our salvation.

Yes, we rest, cease from working our own salvation(so not to boast) and consent freely (using freewill) for the Holy Spirit to be a “Helper” by in-dwelling in our “spirit-of-man” to will and to work for his good pleasure”.

Appointed-time for Sabbath-rest

The appointed time for this event to happen , its fulfillment, was prophesied by Isaiah and was quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:16-21

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Isaiah 11:2 “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him– the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD”

Isaiah 61:1-2 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn –

John 1:32

New Living Translation
Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him..

English Standard Version
And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.

The “man-Christ Jesus“ was the first to receive this Holy Spirit directly from the Father at Jordan River that rested in and empowered him to overcome Satan in the wilderness and to do miracles. Without this “power/energy”, he would not have done all these things. More importantly, this helped him to choose the Father’s will and not his own in Gethsemane.

Summary

Juxtaposing this to Paul’s teaching of freedom from bondage, death to life etc. not under the law that leads to death but law of spirit that leads to life, here in Genesis 2:1-3

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

“For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ‘And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.’ There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:4, 9,10,

New International Version
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;

New Living Translation
So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.

That day is today when “God rests in us”, i.e., in-dwell in us through the Holy Spirit and does for us His will, as in “not my will but let your will be done”.

Mark 14:36: And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (ESV)

Luke 22:42: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (NIV)

Philippians 2:13

New Living Translation
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

English Standard Version
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

In the same way that this “power/energy” was the mechanism to “re-do” the earth that was void and formless as in Genesis 1:2 “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”, so shall it “re-shape” the “marred clay” as in Jeremiah 18:4 this time period.

The Holy Spirit is a “power tool” that automatically works in us ( with our consent) to do the works as we rest like God rests. But we need to push the bottom, say yes to it for it to work. ...”like any automatic power tool” turning the electric switch or pressing on “power on devices”.

Because “all our righteous acts are as filthy rags”, therefore let us all “rest” as God rests, while we let the Holy Spirit of power “work in us” to “will and to work for his pleasure”. Not our “own works”( as we are resting), but the “works and fruits of the Holy Spirit”.

Notice that God is consistent in “working” although “resting” as in Genesis where his creative power is expressed by the Holy Spirit. What the Holy Spirit is doing is still “work of God” ( the origin of this power) although emphasis is placed on his “rest” as it was his “power of the Holy Spirit in-dwelling or resting in us” actually working with our “freewill to consent” and allow “not my will but your’s be done”.

Remember how and what humans do to perform and create? When we were created, our composition inherently has “limits and boundaries” for a reason. Historically, in paleolithic age, they think, then to perform work they use their hands; nothing happened without “lifting a finger”. Then they used “stone tools”, but humanity advanced when discovery and invention occurred, then “more powerful tools” were used to “perform work”.

This shows how, those with “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit”, are “resting now” . Also, the “future spirit-composed members of the God-kingdom“ will not use “any muscle or material body” because they will be “spirit-bodied” and will use this “empowering spirit-energy” to create and work. Indeed, God is teaching us that work can be done “without lifting a finger” because of this “newly gifted power”. Remember, the Genesis creation on how he worked/created: the “spirit of God” moved upon the face of the waters, he spoke and it was done, just his word and things happened. This is “human destiny”.

Thank God for this power/energy given as a gift by God to us on grace, through the faith of/and in Jesus Christ, the trailblazer, author and finisher of our faith.

Let us therefore “remember to keep the Sabbath holy” by “resting” while following the “law of the Spirit”, that brings forth “fruits”, not just on holy Saturday/Sunday that should continue, but “everyday” using ( not our own power which is lacking) the “power/energy” that comes with the “in-dwelling” of the Holy Spirit.

God bless👍😇🙏

Original post: March 12, 2021

Please tap on hyperlink for references.

Critique is welcome at foundationacts@yahoo.com after reading all for context.

Old and New Covenant?

Mar2 by fact-s.net

Before we embark on this journey, let us be crystal clear on what a covenant is.

By definition, a covenant is a written agreement between 2 or more parties, where one proposes what is required from another to perform in return for a reward. In whatever manner that makes it official, binding and enforceable, it is generally ratified, sealed, stamped or recorded.

There were many covenants starting with Adam, Noah, Abraham etc. But these particular ones for analysis this time, were specifically called such, because they were based on time/change.

Anyone steeped in religion knows that the covenant referred to as “Old Covenant” became “old” because it has been replaced by a “New Covenant” as prophesied and planned.

The Old Covenant:

The following verse that addresses its specificity, proved this point:

Jeremiah 31:31-32 ”Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.”

Notice from the preceding verse, the following caveats about this particular and specific Old Covenant;

1. Transitory

That it will be changed, as prophesied and not the same as originally laid out. But, what that change in particular will be revealed and understood in the future.

2. Parties to the Covenant

It was a covenant with the Lord, aka.,God-Creator who was Yahweh to Moses, El Shaddai to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but LOGOS/Word to John. The same person incarnated to “man-Christ Jesus”. It was made specifically with the nation Israel which subsequently was divided, after reign of King Solomon and succeeded by Rehoboam, into the northern house of Israel with Samaria as capital, and southern house of Judah with Jerusalem as capital.

3. When was it?

And as to the time when this occurred, it was when Israel was taken “by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt”, not before. It was after Israel was freed by God from slavery in Egypt.

4. There was a mediator

That it was through a mediator(Moses) at Mt Sinai as in Exodus 20:18-21. “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.”

5. The Covenant itself

The core of the agreement between God and Israel was specifically identified as the Ten Commandments written in 2 tables of stones as in Deuteronomy 9:10 “The LORD gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the LORD proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.”

And Israel agreed to follow, as in: Exodus 19:7-8. “…All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.”

6. Reward for following

The reward for following the Covenant was:“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5-6) and take them to the “land of milk and honey”

7. Marriage covenant

God (El-Shaddai/Yahweh/LOGOS) was a “husband” to them in this covenant. It was therefore a marriage covenant that bonded God and Israel as husband and wife.

Notice there was “marriage” contract already without period of courtship, engagement, wedding ceremony as in our culture and in Hebrew culture.

8. Israel-Judah broke the agreement.

Soon after the agreement, Israel broke that covenant. And, subsequently God divorced Israel as in Jeremiah 3:8 “Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.”

9. What is the sign of this covenant that ratified and sealed it ?

Exodus 24:4-8: “And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel which … sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.”

In essence, the Old Covenant comprised the Ten Commandments written in 2 tables of stone, agreed upon by the whole Israel, ratified by the blood of oxen, enforceable and to be rewarded for Israel to be a “special treasure to Me above all people” and dwell in the “land of milk and honey”

Why was the Old replaced with a New,

The reason for replacement of the Old Covenant was because it was faulty.

Consider Hebrews 8:7 “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.”

Certainly, there was no need for the first covenant to be changed if it was faultless. But, where does this fault emanate? Was it coming from the Decalogue itself? Not really, as the following verses proved;

Psalm 19:7. “”Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”

Psalm 19:7-8 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;”

This verse was quoted by Paul in Romans 7:12 “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”

The Law is eternal, an everlasting covenant as in Psalms 119:160 “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”(NIV)

Luke 16:17 “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” ( emphasized its primacy over heaven and earth).

Matthew 19:17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Paul also reiterated it’s everlasting enforceability in Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill”

Precisely, that the Law/Decalogue which is “just, holy and good“, “perfect and pure” cannot be at fault. Instead, it is eternal, and was established.

And fulfilling it is essential to enter into life. (as man-Jesus did) as in:

Revelations 22:14 “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”

I Corinthians 6:9-10 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Moreover, it is an “all or none law”, as in “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all”

Unfortunately, some well respected people interpret these verses wrongly, reach a different conclusion and say otherwise with “three absolute proofs that the covenant which disappeared was not the Ten Commandments” just because the reasons given were that the Decalogue has “poor promises, but not faulty and not void”. Obviously their interpretation and logic do not comport with the truth. So, what is the proper interpretation of where the fault lies?

Where does the fault lie?

If not the Decalogue itself, where is the fault?There were only 2 parties to this agreement and God can not be at fault. So, where does the fault come from? Here it is;

Hebrews 8:8“For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: “

Hebrews 8:9 “Because they continued not in my covenant … I regarded them not.”

As the preceding verses proved, the fault was on Israel, the other side to this agreement and not on God. Still, it begs a corresponding question:

Why was the human side at fault?

Truly, Israel did not follow the Decalogue and sinned. Still, why do humans violate the commandments of God whose infinite power was known to them through many of their experiences? Why do we sin? Paul explained this as taught by Jesus’ in-dwelling in him:

Yes, by nature, the spirit is “willing”!and the flesh is“weak“, as created and subject to temptation(sin-prone flesh) although “fearfully and wonderfully made” as in Psalms 139:14 and the “angels shouted for joy” as in Job 38:7. Weak in the sense of still missing a component for the “living being” as in Genesis 2:7 (NIV). That missing link was the “ Holy Spirit(spirit-power of God)” that would be given as in Romans 8:4 to empower the “spirit-of-man that is willing” to “walk not after flesh but after the Spirit”(Romans 8:4 KJV). Humans have “sin-prone nature” (subject to temptation) but not a “sin-nature”. Job and “man-Christ Jesus” did not succumbed to temptation on their own altho Job was still counted with the sin of Adam and needs a Savior, while man-Jesus does not as he “came from above.”

Romans 8:3-4 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful (hamartia) flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”(KJV). This is why the “flesh” will be changed “in a twinkling of an eye” but through a process of first having the “spirit-of-man/breath of life”in “oneness “ with the Holy Spirit of the Father.

The timing behind giving that empowering “Holy Spirit” was after Yahweh-Elohim’s incarnation to “man-Christ Jesus” to be the “first of the firstfruits/wavesheaf”, to receive this power as a gift to be the “captain/trailblazer” of our faith. And, this was “based on hope” for man-Christ Jesus, “flesh Christ” “hopefully as a human”, but with the “in-dwelling Holy Spirit” at Jordan River, will go through with the foundational plan to die as a Passover for the sins of all humanity (to take on the consequence of sin which is eternal death towards our salvation ) as a reconciliation with the Father.

Consider Romans 8:20 “For the creature was made subject to vanity(mataoites/frailty-depravity), not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,(ESV). Note: The Father who is omniscient preferred to base this on hope even for “man-Jesus”and “hope that is seen is no longer hope”. The Father’s hope on man-Jesus materialized as Jesus “delivered” by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit in him.

As promised, the Father then resurrected Jesus, (the first human to become the begotten “Son of God” according to his plan) and directly gave him the “empowering Spirit” for others as well (through Christ).

This fact that there is inherent flaw at creation, “spirit (of man) is willing but the flesh is weak” was emphasized 3 times before “man-Christ Jesus” was to die for mankind. Consider Matthew 26:42-44 at 3rd time Jesus saw them sleeping he said the same words at the 2nd time.

“O my Father if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be done “.

Yes, “man-Christ Jesus” had to voluntarily agree to die , i.e., to “drink the wine/blood” as a Passover. If Jesus did not die, he would not have been resurrected as “Son of God” to receive the “Comforter/Holy Spirit” for us, as in John 16:7.

This narrative in the garden of Gethsemane was a teaching moment for all of us, too.

Jesus received as a gift the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit directly from the Father to overcome Satan and do miracles. and so shall we be “overcomers”, too.

After resurrection, Jesus then received the Holy Spirit from the Father to be given to us; as a gift first to the disciples in particular and subsequently in general to others at Pentecost. With the “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit”, we will then “bear fruits”. All our own “righteous acts are as filthy rags”; and so, our righteousness has to come through Christ via the Holy Spirit bearing fruits.

Instead of human’s effort or “human works through the flesh” as in “we will do on our own,” the “work” has to be as in “to make you perfect in every good work … working in you.” And that is through the mechanism of “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit” that empowers the “spirit-of-man and flesh” (living being) to overcome evil and follow the Law. But, how is this power made available? Because of what Jesus did on the cross: “Through the shedding of Jesus’ blood of the everlasting covenant.”

The New Covenant:

The New Covenant is basically the same as the Old Covenant except in the manner of execution to fortify the fault inherent in the previous agreement, which is the “wiling spirit-of-man and weak flesh”.

1. What comprised this New Covenant?

The core of the agreement between God and Israel did not change. It is still the Ten Commandments. But instead of prohibitive and with negative tone “thou shall not”, it is now prescriptive and positive as in “bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit”, and “against such, there is no Law”. By, “walking and following” the guidance of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, one “bears fruits”, thereby actually following the Law given to Moses but now Law of the Spirit. Not our own righteous acts/works which are “filthy rags”, but the “works of the Holy Spirit” in us which are “sweet/pleasing aroma/savor” to the Father.

Remember, Matthew 5:18 “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished”(ESV).

Yes, “until all is accomplished.” And, it was “man-Christ Jesus” who fulfilled all of the Ten Commandments and “bear fruits of the Holy Spirit” in-dwelling in him from the baptism at River Jordan by the Father. Jesus is the “trailblazer, captain of our faith”for us to be led to the path and process of salvation. So, the “letter of the Law written on tables of stone” has been changed and is now the “Law of the Spirit written in our “mind and heart of flesh through the power of the Holy Spiirit for us to follow and also “bear the fruits” which are;

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

This is the “rest” that Paul was referring to, not our own works as in:

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”

Genesis 2:2-3 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Exodus 20:8-10 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

Psalms 55:6 “ I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.”

Mark 2:27 “Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

This is the rest Jesus called us to in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Notice that it was God who blessed and made that 7th day holy, Not you, me or anybody else. Only God can make it “holy”. Although, we have to “remember and keep it holy“. It is God who will be “working in you” through “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit”. For us to keep the Sabbath “holy”, it has to be through God’s power to do the “works “, i.e., God “working in you” as in Philippians 2:13

2. To whom was the New Covenant? Still Israel but now counted as referring to “children of promise”, “not after the flesh” but after the Spirit. Gentiles with the Holy Spirit are “grafted to Israel”.

3. When was the New Covenant instituted?Similar to the Old Covenant when “Israel was taken out of slavery in Egypt”. Figuratively for New Testament believers, Egypt represents our old life of slavery to sin. Essentially, the timing was when Jesus died and resurrected to receive the Holy Spirit from the Father to take the road to freedom from “slavery of Egypt”. Remember, as Israel had to spend years to reach the promised land “flowing with milk and honey”, so shall it will take some time for us to be sanctified and become “sons and daughters of the God-kingdom”.

4. It was a Marriage Covenant.

Yahweh-Elohim/El Shaddai/Logos was married to Israel of old, but was divorced because Israel violated the agreement. After incarnation to man-Christ Jesus, he died and can now be married to another, but to “spiritual Israel”.

It was a marriage agreed upon by both parties that will bring out “children of God”. Personally, I think the wedding has happened and now producing “sons and daughters of the God -Kingdom”.

5. Ratified and sealed: As the Old Covenant was ratified by blood, the New Covenant was also ratified by the blood of the Passover Lamb/man-Christ Jesus and was sealed by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

6. Mediator of New Covenant is superior. As the Old Covenant has a mediator Moses, we now have a mediator as in Hebrews 8:6, Jesus as mediator of the new covenant.

“But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

The better promises refer to the promise of “in-dwelling Holy Spirit” that will bring out to deliver “sons and daughters of the God-Kingdom”. The promise to Israel was not just land from River of Egypt to Euphrates River as in Genesis 15:18-21 but to “spiritual Israel” ( those with in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit) as promised to Abraham’s seed(not seeds).

7. Written agreement, how?

Just like the Old Covenant, the New covenant was also a written agreement but this time using a different method of re-writing it.

Jeremiah 31:33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

This was written in the fleshy tables of our heart and mind through the Holy Spirit; unlike the Old Covenant written in “tables of stones” and with the “finger of God.” And this was written into the disciples and in Pentecost and beyond, not with the “finger of God” but by breathing it out directly into them.

8. What will the Holy-Spirit do to empower the “spirit-of-man”/“breath-of-life”?

Ezekiel 36:24-25”For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Notice: process of sanctification

Jeremiah 31:34 “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’because they will all know me,from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Notice: guidance to truth.

Matthew 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (fulfilled by man-Jesus who was appointed Son of God by resurrection) as empowered by the Holy Spirit and so will other “sons/daughters of God). Notice: with the empowering in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit and our willingness to follow its guidance, we will fulfill the Law, entirely, through the Law of the Spirit.

Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” ( Fulfillment of the law on your own does not cut it; it has to be “fruits of the Holy Spirit” which was attained by Christ for us who “ended the law of righteousness on our own” so now our righteousness is a result or “fruits” of the gift of the empowering Holy Spirit.

9. What is the reward?

Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be in “oneness with the Father”, has a reward. Much like that the Old Covenant has reward to Israel as promised in Exodus 3:17 the reward for the New Covenant is more expansive and superior, in line with the promise to Abraham(Genesis 15:18-21; Genesis 17:4-6; Genesis 13:16, Genesis 15:5, Genesis 22:16-18) which actually is to his seed (not seeds, specific seed, “man-Christ Jesus”). And this can only be achieved in the context of creation of “immortal spiritual sons and daughters of the God-Kingdom” through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Summary

The Old Covenant is a mutual agreement by God-Creator/El-Shaddai/Yahweh-Elohim/Logos to Israel/Judah, a marriage covenant with conditions and promises that was ratified with blood. As Israel/Judah did not fulfill her part, she was given a certificate of divorce. That Covenant was faulty and changed to New Covenant as planned. The fault was in the very composition of man, viz. “flesh+breath-of-life/spirit-of-man”.

Adam and subsequent patriarchs have the same intrinsic fault in their composition so they sinned as well. The fault is in the “breath-of-life/spirit-of-man” which is willing but the “flesh is weak”. As originally created, it has a “missing link” that would fortify this flaw which will be revealed later through the “incarnated Creator-God”, man-Christ Jesus. As written: “until the seed should come” (Galatians 3:19).

Israel/Judah violated the Old Covenant because the “spirit is willing but flesh is weak” (needs to be empowered in the future) and was made so, subject to futility/failure predicated on “hope” for the coming “man-Christ Jesus” (the incarnated Creator-God) so that we “by grace, will be saved through faith” of Jesus. This “hope on him” materialized, to the Father’s expectation, at Gethsemane, at which time Jesus said “not my will but yours be done” for him to be crucified and die for the sin of humanity (imputed/counted on one-man sin of Adam) for reconciliation with the Father as planned . Notice that in Gethsemane, the “will of Jesus” was “let this cup pass from me”, not to experience the harrowing and excruciating death by crucifixion. But he had “faith and trust” in that the Father will fulfill his promise to him, so, “not my will but your’s be done”. This is why our “spirit-of-man/breath-of-life” has to defer to the “Holy Spirit” as in DNA helix bond.

The Law of Moses was brought in/introduced so that people would see how sinful they were. The Old Law given to Israel was “added” and a tutor to lead us to Christ, “but after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor/guardian/schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24-25). It was taken away and nailed to His cross (Colossians 2:14).

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, his face shone because he had been speaking with God. But, after he finished speaking, he put a veil over his face, to remain until his next visit with Jehovah (Exodus 34:29-35). The veil hid the fact that the brightness of his face was fading (2 Corinthians 3:7), suggesting that the glory of the Old Covenant is now fading away, being superceded by a New Covenant with greater glory.

Similarly, notice the epexegesis of apostle Paul:

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God”.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:7 “But if the ministrationof death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:”

But through Christ the veil is removed, and made believers to “open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me”.(Acts 26:18)

After resurrection, Jesus (as firstborn, Son of God) received directly from the Father, the promised “Comforter”, the power that was then given by Christ to us, first to the disciples, then in a general way at Pentecost and subsequently to us through an “Ongoing Creation” of the God-Kingdom. This is the quaesitum that empowers the “spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” and develops us from our nonage. This is the “gospel of Jesus Christ”, the “Ultimate Covenant” between El-Shaddai/Creator-God and the Father, before the foundation of the world.

Paul warned the Galatians to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

Ezekiel 36:28 “Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

God bless👍😇🙏

Post published March 2, 2021

Please tap on hyperlinks for references.

Critique is welcome after reading all for context at foundationacts@yahoo.com

Process of Salvation

Feb24 by fact-s.net

Everything has a process, like action done by our structural anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, computer system etc.

Nobody can build a house without planning and implementation, starting with a process/steps/stages from a foundation, then the rest of it, building up on top of another. Our transportation system, roads, bridges, highways, trains, cars, trucks, etc. could not have been built without vision, goals, strategic planning, coordination in execution with meticulous details from the beginning. Similarly, everything we know has to follow a process initiated from somewhere, by someone and received by us through our 5 senses, viz., hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and touching.

Even “reflex” takes a process to complete, so why do we hear preachers saying “ just have faith and you are saved”, really? This appears to have emanated from misinterpretation of the following verses which are all true, but taken out of context, as these all referred to the mechanism of salvation, “how” we are justified or saved “by grace through faith”, and not the “time” we are saved:

Ephesians 2:8 “ For by grace you are (have been) saved through faith…”

of Romans 3:28 “…a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

and the tense-rendering of the word save “saved in three tenses (past, present and future)

So, is salvation a process for us to lucubrate. But what is this gospel(good news) of “salvation”? This was defined and the plan expounded by God through Paul as a vehicle in Hebrews 2:2-18:

“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.²For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.⁵It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶But there is a place where someone has testified:“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
⁷You made them a little^[^a^] lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
⁸ and put everything under their feet.”^[b][c]In putting everything under them,^[d]God left nothing that is not subject to them.^[e] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.^[f] ⁹But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.¹⁰In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. ¹¹Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.^[g] ¹²He says,“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”^[h]¹³And again,“I will put my trust in him.”^[i]And again he says,“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”^[j]¹⁴Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. ¹⁶For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. ¹⁷For this reason he had to be made like them,^[k]fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

In essence, the gospel of salvation, is a salvation from death that we are all enslaved to, because of our original flesh-composition, and is resolved by a process of creating a family that the next world will be subject to, all children of God, a God family that starts with Jesus as a foundation, the pioneer. And this “man-Jesus” has to come from above, heavenly, not from the ground where Adam came from. Hence, the process aka, ordo Salutis.

A. Incarnation

The process of salvation was planned and initiated with incarnation (Hebrews 2:14-18) of the Creator Yahweh-Elohim (to Moses Lord -God), or El-Shaddai (translated God-Almighty in the Old Testament) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (Exodus 6:3) and Logos(Word in the New Testament) to “man-Jesus Christ” John1:1. And this, by surrogacy pregnancy of Mary. Without incarnation of a “spirit-composed YHVH-Elohim (Lord-God) into “flesh-composed man-Jesus Christ) to die as Passover-Lamb, there would be NO “atonement/reconciliation of humanity with the Father”.

B. Crucifixion and death of incarnated YHVH-Elohim for reconciliation

As all humanity was “counted” as sinners as a consequence of one-man (Adam’s) sin, so all humans have to be “reconciled”. And this only through the sacrificial Passover-Lamb “man-Jesus/Christ” who had to die for mankind. As Paul explained in I Corinthians 15, the death of JC was counted as our death, and reconciled us to the Father.

The death of JC reconciled us to the Father but we were saved not by his death, but by/through his life(his resurrection), as in Romans 5:10. New International Version
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

C. Resurrection of “man-Jesus Christ”

Yes, for us to be saved, JC needed to be resurrected to life, but why and how? The purpose of him getting resurrected from death was for the Holy Spirit/Comforter/Advocate/Counsellor/Redeemer/Helper to be given to us, as in John 16:7

New International Version
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.“

Amplified Bible
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].”

English Standard Version
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

King James Bible
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“I tell you the truth: it is beneficial for you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Redeemer of the accursed will not come to you, but if I depart I shall send him to you.”

D. In-dwelling of the Holy Spirit in us for empowerment against evil and towards goodness.

Only with “in-dwelling of Jesus in us” by/through the Holy Spirit” can we be “empowered” to act/follow the truth, his guidance towards good and away from evil. And this, so that:

1. We will overcome evil temptations as only “ overcomers will seat with God”

https://biblehub.com/revelation/3-21.htm

2. So that we will be empowered not to go back to sin as “dog going back to his own vomit” as in 2 Peter 2:22 htmhttps://biblehub.com/2_peter/2-22.htm

Revelations 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

And, there is “no more sacrifice for sin” as in Hebrews 10:26

“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit,” as in Hebrews 6:4.

3. With JC as the Comforter/Helper/Strengthener in-dwelling in us, by/through spiritual power, and therefore “empowering us“, “our good works” are “works of the Holy Spirit by/through faith of Jesus Christ,” and no longer “ours” so “no one can boast”.

E. Sanctification

With JC in-dwelling in us, we are empowered to constantly be guided to truth, following what is good, fleeing/ overcoming temptation, aka., sanctification.

F. Change from mortal (flesh-composed) to immortal (spirit-composed)

As in I Corinthians 15:1-58, our mortal bodies will be changed into a glorious/spirit-composed body, no longer “flesh-composed”(subject to pull of the flesh) Galatians 5:16-24 to walk “in the spirit and have fruits of the Holy Spirit” as in Galatians 5:22-23

G. Eternal life within the promised creation of God-Family

This was promised and expressed in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar’s image as in Daniel 2 as the “stone” from above that will replace all human kingdoms…a family of God

Summary:

Everything has a “process” to achieve a planned and desired goal and so does the “road towards salvation”. The predicate is on the “faith of Jesus Christ” based on grace and love of God towards his creation. But, there is a planned timetable: first, the wave-sheaf offering(man-JC, the pioneer/trailblazer), then the firstfruits(those who will participate in the first resurrection) , followed by the latter fruits (those participating in the second resurrection) as in “spring and fall harvests” in Israel.

God bless👍🙏😊

Critique is welcome after reading all for context; please tap on hyperlinks for references.

Original post: 2/24/2022

Reposted: 1/26/2022

Researched from 3/31/18- finished, posted, reposted 1/26/2022

Genesis creation, who, how and why?

Feb6 by fact-s.net

Undoubtedly, the “creation of visible and invisible” can only come about with an “Intelligent Designer”. There had to be a “Creator” for anything to be created. Failure to recognize this logic necessarily extends to denial of a “maker” of watches, chairs, houses, etc. No wonder, Psalms 14:1 says “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

But Who is the Creator?

Going through Genesis, it says in 1:1 “In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.”

The preceding verse just makes an acknowledgment of someone called “God” to be the Creator of “heavens and earth”. The specific name or identity was not mentioned until Genesis 2:4 “ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God (Yahweh-Elohim)made the earth and the heavens.”

This particular Creator-God was called “Lord God” in English that came from the original Hebrew name “YHVH-ELOHIM”. The same Creator-God was named El Shaddai/God Almighty to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Exodus 6:3, but was known to Moses in Exodus 3:14 as I AM/YVHH . The same “proximate Creator-God”, i .e., “by, in and for him”in Colossians 1:16 was called “LOGOS/WORD” in John 1:1, the one who incarnated and identified as “man-Jesus Christ” in I Timothy 2:5.

How did God Create?

Let us ask ourselves, is there anything created without energy/power? A ball that drop from a height, came down because of “gravity power”. Any machine works because of “mechanical power”. Electricity does not come without “electrical power”. Photosynthesis Vitamin D will not form nor wind turbine function without “solar power”. Nuclear bombs detonate because of “nuclear power”. And one can go on and on.

And these are manifestations of potential energy to kinetic energy. But for God, he created with an energy/power unique to him. Notice Genesis 1:2(KJV)”…And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” See also 2 Peter 3:5 So, it was using “spirit-power” that God created. Notice also that by his mere commanded word as in Genesis creation, “God says…and it was so or came about”. This is why he is called the WORD/LOGOS.

Yet, why is it that people deny that God created the “visible and invisible” with “spirit-power”? This is the mechanism of “how he created”, through the “Holy Spirit of power”. This energy/power is unique to him while new and foreign to us.

The preceding verses precisely explained how God created; it is through his “Spirit-power”. And there are other verses where this “spirit-power” manifested as in “clouds by day and fire by night”. Miracles that happened throughout the Bible are a by-product of the Holy Spirit of power. Notice that Jesus did miracles “only after” spirit-baptism by the Father in Jordan river. His first manifestation of this “miraculous power” was to overcome Satan, the “god of this age”; then the miracle of water-to-wine in Cana wedding and on and on.

Same Creative Power, but how and why?

As YHVH-Elohim(Lord God)created the heavens and the earth with this “Spirit-Power”, in a “miraculous way”, so is he also re-creating the “marred clay” that man had become. Adam that was perfectly created, subsequently sinned and his sin at the garden of Eden was counted to all mankind and humanity became “marred clay” that needs “ongoing creation”

Notice that the creation of heavens and earth was using “Spirit-power” that was present externally. On the other hand, the re-creation and ongoing creation is internally, through the “in-dwelling of the Spirit”. There had to be “in-dwelling” because what was being re-created was the “real you”, that is the “breath-of-life/spirit-of-man” that was breathed into and came directly at creation from a spirit-composed Creator. Remember the “body” came from the ground, earthy. With the “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit”, it forms a metaphor double-helix-like DNA with “spirit-in-man” from which a “new person” is being created, much like how (naturally) mankind is formed.

Summary

Creation in Genesis was a type of creation of an anti-type future God-Kingdom, all “spirit-composed”. This is done “internally” through in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, in contrast to other creations which were achieved with this “ Holy-Spirit-of-power working “externally( as in Genesis 1:2)”.

Strictly speaking the God-Creator is the Father, but this creation is “by and through” the “proximate God-Creator”, EL-Shaddai, YAHWEH-ELOHIM, LOGOS, aka., JESUS CHRIST. Notice and compare these verses;

1 Corinthians 8:6”..,yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

Colossians 1:16 “For by Him (Jesus)all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him (Jesus) and for Him(Father).”(ESV)

As the material world was created using “spirit-power” moving externally so shall the “spirit-composed beings” through internal change of the “spirit-of-man”.

After “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit”, there will be sanctification that will lead us to become “one” with the Father and Son. This eventually will engender the God-kingdom.

God bless👍🙏😇

Original hyperlink version posted on February 6, 2021.

Critique is welcome at foundation@yahoo.com

Calvinism and Arminianism …A Commentary/Personal Take

Jan24 by fact-s.net

Calvinism and Arminianism …A Commentary.
The subject of this commentary is what was written in italics from this link:
http://www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip.htm
“The system of Calvinism adheres to a very high view of scripture and seeks to derive its theological formulations based solely on God’s word. It focuses on God’s sovereignty, stating that God is able and willing by virtue of his omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, to do whatever He desires with His creation. It also maintains that within the Bible are the following teachings: That God, by His sovereign grace predestines people into salvation; that Jesus died only for those predestined; that God regenerates the individual where he is then able and wants to choose God; and that it is impossible for those who are redeemed to lose their salvation.

Arminianism, on the other hand, maintains that God predestined, but not in an absolute sense. Rather, He looked into the future to see who would pick him and then He chose them. Jesus died for all peoples’ sins who have ever lived and ever will live, not just the Christians. Each person is the one who decides if he wants to be saved or not. And finally, it is possible to lose your salvation (some arminians believe you cannot lose your salvation”.

Here is my humble take (in bold parentheses) on these areas:

Calvinism
The teaching is summarized in the acronym TULIP. Is this biblical?
Total Depravity: (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin):
“Sin has affected all parts of man. The heart, emotions, will, mind, and body are all affected by sin. We are completely sinful. We are not as sinful as we could be, but we are completely affected by sin.

The doctrine of Total Depravity is derived from scriptures that reveal human character: Man’s heart is evil (Mark 7:21-23) and sick Jer. 17:9). Man is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:20). He does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12). He cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). He is at enmity with God (Eph.2:15). And, is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). The Calvinist asks the question, “In light of the scriptures that declare man’s true nature as being utterly lost and incapable, how is it possible for anyone to choose or desire God?” The answer is, “He cannot. Therefore God must predestine.”
Calvinism also maintains that because of our fallen nature we are born again not by our own will but God’s will (John 1:12-13); God grants that we believe (Phil. 1:29); faith is the work of God (John 6:28-29); God appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48);aCalvinism also maintains that because of our fallen nature we are born again not by our own will but God’s will (John 1:12-13); God grants that we believe (Phil. 1:29); faith is the work of God (John 6:28-29); God appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48); and God predestines (Eph. 1:1-11; Rom. 8:29; 9:9-23).”

Personal take:
(Mark 7:21-23 do not say “man’s heart is evil”, “see Jer. 17:9” , “slave of sin”(Rom. 6:20) and “does not seek God (Rom. 3:10-12). In fact, when man was created, he was perfect and “very good” (Gen. 1:31). One does not have to look far to see that evil can not come out of a newborn baby who has not develop enough to distinguish good and evil. As the baby develops and has the capacity to decide and act, he/she can choose good or evil, be a slave to sin or righteousness and can seek God. A prime example is Job who was “blameless and upright ..fears God and shuns evil”(Job 1:8). True, Job was in a “death row” because of the “imputed sin” of Adam, but of himself, he did not sin although he lacked the understanding of God that he was still a sinner because all are accounted with “death sentence”, as “Adam sinned , so all sinned” with the resulting death as a consequence. Likewise, David was a “man of God’s heart” and did “good works” before his adultery. Taking all these in consideration, the context suggests that no one can discern what is in the mind of man where evil comes out from. It merely explains that action taken by man originates in the mind and that no one can divine what is in his mind. Man is capable of choosing between right or wrong, good or evil, life or death. This choice was set before us, as in:

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 New International Version (NIV)

“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

Another example of change to choose what is right was Nineveh that repented and was saved but then reverted back to sin and was destroyed (Jonah).

Nevertheless, however upright a person is, whatever good works emanating from him, those are still “filthy rags” to God (Isaiah 64:6). The “works” that God requires are those that are secondary to the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit to account as ”fruits of the Holy Spirit“(Gal.5:22-23).

Indeed, because of Adam’s sin that was counted as sin of all mankind, no one can bring humanity back and be reconciled to the Father were it not for Jesus‘ death counted as that of humanity’s. Jesus died instead of us, as far as the Father is concerned to pay for the consequence of Adam’s sin, which is “eternal or second death”.

Without the Passover sacrifice, humanity is totally hopeless. Predestination is about salvation at the time-period that God chose for a particular person to be offered the opportunity to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Judgment does not occur unless the person has the Holy Spirit available to him at his predestined time-period. This was first offered to the disciples and received by others at Pentecost, then to others who believed who will then manifest themselves in the “first resurrection” of “overcomers“. Others will have their time for the Holy Spirit to dwell during the Millenium-rule of Jesus/Son of God on earth and after that, as in the prophecy about the “dry bones” (Ezek.37:1-14).

The last time this Holy Spirit of power will be available to humans will be at the Great WhiteThrone Judgment. Those who believed/received the Holy Spirit of power and voluntarily follow its guidance will bear “fruits of the Holy Spirit”; they are the “overcomers” who “choose good over evil”. Those who outrightly reject or do not believe Jesus and those who believed/received the Holy Spirit but did not become “overcomers“, i.e., did not bear fruits, will be thrown in the “gehenna fire” at each period of the Holy Spirit’s availability.

Jesus died for ALL humanity applicable to All at their predetermined time period. Jesus death is propitiation for the consequence of sin thereby a redemption for ALL from eternal death and reconciled us to the Father. But, not all will be saved; others may not achieve eventual future salvation, depending on whether they become “one” with the Son and the Father through following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ death and redemption for all do not mean salvation for all, as being predestined in the “book of life” (Rev.20:12) does not necessarily mean “once saved always saved” because anyone can be blotted out (Rev. 22:19) and has to be an “overcomer” as in Rev. 3:5). All those predetermined to have the Holy Spirit available to them at their particular/predestined time-period does not necessarily mean all of them will follow, develop, mature and be saved as they have to be “overcomers“.

In essence, if “sinful nature“, “slave of sin”, and “man’s heart is evil” mean that because of Adam’s sin by imputation, that we naturally are doomed to eternal death, then this is true. If “incapable of doing good works” refers to “works that God requires” (which are fruits of the Holy Spirit), then indeed we are “incapable“. Otherwise, the teaching is problematic.)

Unconditional Election:

God does not base His election on anything He sees in the individual. He chooses the elect according to the kind intention of His will (Eph. 1:4-8; Rom. 9:11) without any consideration of merit within the individual. Nor does God look into the future to see who would pick Him. Also, as some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21).

Personal take:
(Yes, God alone chooses who he elects and decides on what time period they will be, at which time, the Holy Spirit is available to in-dwell to them. This opportunity of “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit” never happened until after Jesus’ resurrection. This is not merit-based as the best of human works are still “dung” to God. Election is about who are to be in a particular/predestined time period when the Holy Spirit will “dwell in us“. Salvation comes through the gift of reconciliation achieved by the death of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit that needs to be “baptized in us” (same as in man-Jesus Christ ) to bear “fruits” through sanctification process. . Whether we follow its guidance or not, determines who will be “overcomers” and worthy of the reward of “immortal life“, which translates to “salvation from eternal death“.

In essence, if “some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15,9:21)” means elected as to their predestined time-period of election to receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit’s in-dwelling then it is tenable teaching.

Limited Atonement:(also known as Particular Atonement):

Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect. Support for this position is drawn from such scriptures as Matt. 26:28 where Jesus died for ‘many’; John 10:11, 15 which say that Jesus died for the sheep (not the goats, per Matt. 25:32-33); John 17:9 where Jesus in prayer interceded for the ones given Him, not those of the entire world; Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 which state that the Church was purchased by Christ, not all people; and Isaiah 53:12 which is a prophecy of Jesus’ crucifixion where he would bore the sins of many (not all).

Personal take
(Matt. 26:28 “blood shed for many” is not necessarily exclusive. Rather, it’s context suggests his blood is not for a few, but so abundant and “for many”. While Jesus did not actually say in this verse that his blood was shed “for all”, it certainly “efficacious” for “all who believed” and those who did not believe” (because it was not their time yet).

John 10:11-15 the context is about protection of all from the wolf that may devour his sheep.

Matt. 25:32-33 differentiates people who were “sheep” and received eternal life from those who were “goats” and received eternal death. The “sheep” followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit whereas the “goats” did not. Nevertheless, Christ died for all, whether sheep or goats. The “actual salvation” is a process

John 17:9 In here, Jesus was praying ” for them”, “not the world” , his followers as their lives would be in danger after he leaves. Jesus loves all, whether believers or not. This verse does not mean that Jesus did not care for others, as they will have their chance in the future as in “ “… time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27. True, “Christ loved the church and gave himself for it” but this does not necessarily exclude others from his love and that he died for all.

Isaiah 53:12 “bear the sin of many” is not exclusive as the following suggests “made intercession for transgressors“, meaning all transgressors. )

Irresistible Grace:

When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call and it cannot be resisted. This call is by the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration whereby they willingly and freely come to God. Some of the verses used in support of this teaching are Romans 9:16 where it says that “it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy”; Philippians 2:12-13 where God is said to be the one working salvation in the individual; John 6:28-29 where faith is declared to be the work of God; Acts 13:48 where God appoints people to believe; and John 1:12-13where being born again is not by man’s will, but by God’s.

“All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out,” (John 6:37).

Personal take:
(True, only God decides who will be called at any particular/predestined time-period to receive the Holy Spirit of power and the one who initiates every facet of salvation. But, why should this awesome gift of God be forced down our throat? No one is forced to obey him, even those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit as the believer may still “vomit and eat”(Prov. 26:11; 2 Pet. 2:20-22). Overcomers are those who voluntarily overcome evil with the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Being “one” with God is imposed but not forced in such a way that we have no choice. Calling into salvation does not mean we can not resist because there are people who reject the Holy Spirit( I Thes. 4:8; Mk. 3:28).

Perseverance of the Saints:(also known as Once Saved Always Saved):

You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those thus saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ. Some of the verses for this position are John 10:27-28where Jesus said His sheep will never perish; John 6:47 where salvation is described as everlasting life; Romans 8:1 where it is said we have passed out of judgment; 1 Corinthians 10:13 where God promises to never let us be tempted beyond what we can handle; and Phil. 1:6 where God is the one being faithful to perfect us until the day of Jesus’ return.

Personal take:
(Only those who “persevere“, the “overcomers“, are the sheep that will never perish, are the ones who “passed out of judgment” to be rewarded with eternal life. True, God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle on hope that we would overcome as Jesus did in Gethsemane; unfortunately, some may still succumb. Indeed, God is faithful but we are not consistently so.)

Arminianism
Arminianism, on the other hand, maintains that God predestined, but not in an absolute sense. Rather, He looked into the future to see who would pick him and then He chose them. Jesus died for all peoples’ sins who have ever lived and ever will live, not just the Christians. Each person is the one who decides if he wants to be saved or not. And finally, it is possible to lose your salvation (some arminians believe you cannot lose your salvation”.

Personal take:
(Predestination is absolute as far as determining who are elected to partake in a particular time-period of “calling” and chance to have the Holy Spirit. God’s choice is not determined by “who would pick him” . Instead, he gives “sunshine to grass and weeds” (Matt. 5:45) as “time and chance happens to all”( Eccl. 9:11)

God bless.🙏😇

Original post: February 15, 2018

Hyperlink version posted 3/16/19

Other hyperlinks added for advancing the narrative: January 24, 2021

Critique is welcome at foundationacts@yahoo.com.

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