Did Jesus refuse to be “called good”?

by fact-s.net

In Mark 10:18 Did Jesus actually “refuse to be called good”? What actually was his answer and why? Let us see the testimony of the gospel writers.

Mk. 10:17-29″ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had † great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s.”
See also Matt. 19:16-22 .

And for the context, please notice the emphasis of the question on “man” Mk. 10:17,”what shall ( I ) do that ( I ) may inherit eternal life?
Also, this trust in what “man” can do was reiterated in Luke 18:9-30, in v-9, “And he spake this parable unto certain which (trusted in themselves) that they were righteous, and despised others…”.
Moreover, in Mk 10:28-29, even when Peter and the disciples claimed that they (humans) left material things for the sake of Jesus and the gospel, He categorically denied that claim. Not so much as the disciples did not forsake material things for Jesus. But what they did, self-sacrifice as those were, would not be the “requisite to have eternal life”.

All the preceding statements attest to the focus of Jesus’ answer. It was to emphasize that “eternal life” is impossible for man (even rich man or apostles they maybe) to achieve on his own. That the “righteousness of God” is not anchored on a human; it is a gift of God and by grace. He was even giving a parallel regarding how ridiculous (and easier) it is for the “camel go through the eye of a needle”. And Jesus knowing that those around him saw him as a “man”, he therefore had to deflect and redirect to a “default answer”, that no man, yes “none is good but God”. Even Jesus, as a man that they see, can not do it. He was there to honor God, his Father.

It is clear that, Jesus did not “actually refuse to be called good”. Rather, he answered the question with wisdom, emphasis and direction on God the Father who is good and who is the only one who can give “eternal life”. There was nothing in the narrative that states or should be assumed that Jesus denied his deity, nor his divinity. He is the Logos in John 1:1, The Lord God/Creator God/YHVH ELOHIM in Genesis who incarnated into man-Jesus, the “same yesterday, today and forever”(Heb.13:8)… and that is a fact.

Easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle

by fact-s.net

This statement was in a narrative regarding a man who was asking “what he can do to inherit eternal life”(Mk. 10:17-29). See also Matthew 19:24; Luke 18:25.

And for the context, please notice the emphasis of the question on “man” Mk. 10:17,”what shall ( I ) do that ( I ) may inherit eternal life?. It was about having “self” doing something to attain eternal life.

Also, this trust in what “man” can do was reiterated in Luke 18:9-30, in v-9, “And he spake this parable unto certain which (trusted in themselves) that they were righteous, and despised others…”.

Moreover, notice in Mk 10:28-29, “Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is (no) man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,”. Even when Peter and the disciples claimed that they (humans) left material things for the sake of Jesus’ and the gospel, Jesus categorically denied that claim.

It appears that there was this belief predominant at that time that man can attain “eternal life” with “good works”. Even now, some think this way.

The focus of Jesus’ answer was to emphasize that “eternal life” is impossible for man (even rich man, or apostles they may be) to achieve on his own. That the “righteousness of God” is not anchored on man; it is a gift of God the Father and by grace. All mankind will die one way or another as “it is once appointed unto man to die and afterwards, the resurrection.” (Heb. 9:27 ). As to eternal life after resurrection, this can be gifted to us only by God the Father. While Jesus is the “only specific man chosen by the Father to effectuate his plan, he himself died as a man and was “powerless”. Jesus proved this concept by dying himself and, being dead, was dependent on the Father to resurrect him so that we “shall(future) be saved by his life”(Rom. 5:10).

And Jesus knowing that those around him saw him as a “man”, he therefore had to deflect and redirect to a “default answer”, that no man, yes “none is good but God”. Eternal life can only be given by God the Father (John 3:16). Jesus was here in this narrative, to honor God, his Father. And, you and I now know that man-Jesus’ role was to follow the will of the Father, as in “not my will but your will”(Lu. 22:42)

With the context thus explained, we can now understand Mk. 10:23-25 “Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

The preceding is clear as to the wisdom of Jesus’ way of answering the question, “What can man (and for that matter “any man”) do to inherit eternal life?” No man can. It is “frank cluelessness”, silly and preposterous to even think that man can attain eternal life on his/her “own works”. It is so ridiculous that the gravity of there ignorance was displayed by him equating their argument to “..it is easier for the camel go through the eye of a needle”.” But Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” (Mk.10:27). Even, the counter argument of a Peter and disciples notwithstanding( Mk.10:28-29).

Through man-Jesus, his death reconciled us to the Father and having been resurrected he went to the Father to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit given as a gift as promised to YHVH ELOHIM, the Creator Logos who incarnated to Jesus. This HS was not a reward for Jesus’ death; again Jesus’ death was for “reconciliation”. But the “faith (of) Jesus” on the Father whose promise would be kept for sure, as a “gift by grace”.

The Persians expressed the concept of the impossible by saying it would be easier to put an elephant through the eye of a needle. The camel was a Jewish adaptation (the largest animal in Palestine was a camel).

The most likely explanation is that Jesus was using hyperbole, a figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis. Jesus used this technique at other times, referring to a “plank” in one’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5) and swallowing a camel (Matthew 23:24).

Indeed, eternal life is not to be attained through “any man’s own works” it is a gift of God the Father.

Plan of Salvation?

by fact-s.net

This is a plan on “how to be in the God-Kingdom”. In essence, “how to” is anchored, not on “works” but on the righteousness of faith, the faith “of” Jesus and not on anyone else’s faith.

God the Father shows us how to “enter” the Kingdom of God, meaning how to be saved, as in, “unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, (which is by works) you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:19, 20).

The “righteousness of God” is the “righteousness of faith”, by faith “of” Jesus (Rom 1:17; 3:21-31; 5:1), who started it; He is the “author and finisher of our faith”(Heb 12:2). He started this faith even before the foundation of the world. This faith “of” Jesus is the faith “in” God the Father. And we are the recipient by grace through Jesus’ faith so that “no one can boast”(Eph 2:8-9; I Cor 1:29), and is based on love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)

Moreover, this faith of Jesus continues “from faith to faith”(Rom.1:17), as his faith is the one that the Father sees as ours, imputed on us, as we ourselves adopt this faith. Meaning, we have to have faith in Jesus and by extension, faith in the promise of God the Father.

That faith “of” Jesus is in the Father to reckon Jesus’ death as payment in full for the punishment of Adam’s/mankind’s sin with the goal of reconciling us to the Father. His death reconciled us to put us in the status of Adam prior to him committing sin against God. Reconciliation, as important as it is, did not actually “save” us. To explain this concept, just consider if Jesus stayed “dead”. That means he indeed “reconciled” us but did not “save” us, because as Paul said, “we are saved by his life”(Rom.5:9-10). Meaning, he has to be resurrected “to life” and for what purpose?:

“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.”(Jn 16:7).

“By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were “later” to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had “not been given”, since Jesus had “not yet been glorified”(Jn 7:39)

This Holy Spirit was given on faith, by grace and for what purpose?

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father–the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father–he will testify about me.”(Jn.15:26).

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”(Jn 15:26).

Why the need for the Holy Spirit?

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.”(Rom 8:26).
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God (Father) sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh”(Rom 8:3)
“Spirit is willing but flesh is weak” (Mk 14:38; Matt.26:41)and needed “re-doing like a Potter to marred clay” (Jer 18:4; Heb 2:6; Ps.8:4); “marred by sin”.

In summary, we, who are called and predestined, will receive this Holy Spirit promised, even before the foundation of the world, by the Father to Jesus(same Logos in John 1Creator,YHVH ELOHIM in Gen 2). This HS was given not because of the “works” of Jesus as “a reward for dying”. Rather, it was given on faith “of” Jesus, by grace and on love of the Father. This is “the righteousness of God the Father”. It will “seal, nurture, guide, sanctify us to have “the mind of Christ”(Phil.2:5; Rom.12:2) and to be “conformed into his likeness”. Without this in-dwelling of HS, there is no salvation. It takes this power in us to be “like Christ”.

Mankind was created to be in the God-kingdom, not in the plant-kingdom, animal-kingdom, nor among the angelic species. To be “saved” is to be in the God-kingdom.

What is Salvation?

by fact-s.net

Salvation, strictly speaking, is being saved from “eternal death” as a consequence of sin, that came to the world because of Adam. By extension, it refers to how one gets into the “kingdom of God“. It is synonymous to how to “enter in the kingdom of God“. This is achieved consistent with the narrative regarding the original plan alluded to in the “garden of Eden” (Gen.1:26-28).

The plan is for man to be “like Him” or ”one” with Him in “knowledge of good and evil” as well as in “immortal-body composition”. Not the “same” as Him entirely, but “like” Him in those categories. This is why the Ten Commandments were given as a guide for us to have “knowledge of what is right or wrong” as well as why the Holy Spirit was given to empower us to overcome (Rev. 3:5; 3:21; 21:7), and become “spirit-composed”. All of these would not happen were it not for Jesus.

Notice:
Gen. 2:9 “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

Gen. 2:16-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

From above 2 verses, God (Creator Elohim) already planned for us to have “knowledge of good and evil as well as immortal bodies/eternal life”. But, Adam wanted to achieve these on his own “works” and violated God’s warning and failed. It is not the man-Adam to fulfill these but the man-Christ Jesus. This generic or common name from Hebrew word Elohim is the Creator God, specifically identified as YHVH Elohim(Lord God) in Gen. 4-9; v15-16;v18-19;v21-26. YHVH is much like the common name Smith but the proper name is John Smith, that specifically refers to no other than John. This YHVH Elohim, the Creator God is the Logos in John 1:1 who incarnated to Jesus. He is the “proximate Creator” or actual creator just by saying the word, things were created. Strictly speaking, he created following the will of the Father (Ancient of Days), see I. Cor. 8:6; John 8:28-29; Dan. 7:13.

How will Jesus achieve these 2 objectives, viz.,
1. For us to have knowledge of good and evil
2. For us to have eternal life (immortal bodies).

Going through the major points of the whole Bible, one can clearly see that the “ten commandments written in tablets of stones” and given through Moses were merely a “type“. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai” to deliver the Decalogue to Israelites (chosen people mind you), they all promised to follow but failed. There failure was a documentation that the problem was not the Decalogue but “them“(Heb. 8:7-9), i.e., “flesh is weak” (Mk. 14:38; Matt. 26:41) and was made so from the beginning, as it was made from the “dust of the ground” (Gen.2:7).

This is why the Spirit of God has to come down, not from Mt Sinai, but from heaven; not from Moses the mediator but from Christ, the mediator of this New Covenant. And, with that is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Heb. 8:10-13 “…put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts..” and also in 2 Cor. 3:3 “…written with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone but in fleshly tablets of human hearts.” Yes, the Holy Spirit of God has to be in us not only for guidance as to “knowledge of good and evil” but also for the “power to overcome” evil (Acts 1:8; Rom. 12:21;2Pet. 1:3-4;Phil.4:13).

How did we get this Spirit of God?

It was because of the “faith of Jesus“, the Creator God in Genesis and the Logos in John 1:1,. Faith “in” whom? In the Father. Jesus incarnated, died to reconcile us to the Father, and resurrected to claim this Holy Spirit as promised by the Father (John 16:7). Indeed, after his resurrection, we are “saved by his life“( not his death (Rom. 5:10) through an “ongoing creation”. Whatever “works” that emanate from our actions are indeed “fruits of this Holy Spirit” because on “in-dwelling” of this “spirit-power”; not our works but “works of the Spirit” in us…so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8-9).

After following willingly and voluntarily the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus followed the will of the Father (Matt.26:39), we will then be ”one” with Him in “knowledge of good and evil”. Having thus become overcomers, we will have eternal life (Rev. 3:21; 2:26; 21:7). And to be “like him” with “immortal bodies”, at resurrection in “a twinkling of an eye”, we will change from mortal to immortal-bodies.

Objectives then have been achieved, all through Jesus’ faith in the Father and works through the Holy Spirit; all because of Jesus, the “author and finisher“ of our salvation. All of us in the “God-kingdom“, not in a human flesh-kingdom nor animal nor plant kingdom; not even among the “angelic species”.

The “world to come” will not be subject to angels but to the “sons of God”, with Jesus as Head of the Body (Heb. 2:5).

God bless🙏😇.

Original post: August 13, 2015

Hyperlink version 6/25/2020

Please tap hyperlinks for references.

Critique is welcome at foundationacts@yahoo.com

Born of water, then born of spirit?

by fact-s.net

“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again”, John 3:5-7.

It appears that Jesus was differentiating the two births. There are 2 caveats according to Him, viz.,
1. Being born of the flesh is flesh
2. Being born of the spirit is spirit.

It seems that these requisites also refer to 2 attributes, viz., “timing”, i.e. when a person is actually born, and also to “body-composition”, flesh or spirit.
And, with that understanding, we can now analyze what Jesus meant.

Can anyone really assume “born” refers to an adult coming out of “water baptism”? An adult has already been born flesh and as such, he/she goes for water baptism; goes in as “flesh” and comes out still “flesh”. Most likely not. Moreover, a fetus has not yet been born, and covered in “amniotic fluid”(water). When “born” the newborn was “born of water” and certainly is “flesh”. At the “timing” of birth, the person is “flesh”.

On the other hand, the timing of “being born of the spirit” is like being “firstborn from the dead”. The only example of this is what happened to man-Jesus, the “first of the firstborn from the dead”(Col.1:18). No one can dispute that at resurrection (firstborn from the dead) he was/is “spirit-composed” with the ability to be seen, in the same way that angelic-spirits can show themselves to humans (Gen. 18; Matt. 28:1; Lu.24:,10-24; John 20:19-22; 1 Corinthians 15:6-9). And, we will follow that path of becoming “born of the spirit”, also at resurrection of the dead.

In short, as Jesus said, “most assuredly”, one has to born “flesh” first before being “born of the Spirit”. During growth and development in utero, the fetus is covered with water/amniotic fluid before being “born”. Likewise, we need to be “all covered” (infused) with the Holy Spirit in our current flesh composition for “sealing, guidance, protection, maturing, i.e., “growth & development” as in,
Ezekiel 36:25-27, “25 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. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them”.

All of these processes to be “one” with Jesus, our “forerunner”(Heb. 6:20). Then, this flesh will change in a “twinkling of an eye” from flesh/mortal to spirit/immortal
(I Cor. 15:52).

What does it mean, The LORD our God is one LORD?

by fact-s.net

This concept is the “Shema Doctrine, based on “echad” in Deut. 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”

The English word “Lord” comes from the Hebrew word “YHVH” and the word “God” from “Elohim” (0430 Strong concordance). The other English translations referring specifically to YHVH is Adonai or El Shaddai. By the way, there is no upper case in the original.

This uni-plural Hebrew word “elohim” means”multiplicity of powers”, plurality of powers or majesty, the most supreme of all powers”, otherwise Supreme God, the epitome of all. Contextually, “above all gods” in Ps 95:3; 96:4; 97:9; 135:5; I Chron.16:25. The possessive words “us” and ” our” in Genesis 1, were not in the original Hebrew but translated as such for “grammatical consistency”.

Moreover, “elohim” is a common or generic term, not a proper noun nor a specific term for a particular being. It occurs more than 2500 times in the Hebrew Bible, with meanings ranging from “gods” in a general sense (as in Exodus 12:12, where it describes “the gods of Egypt”), to specific gods (e.g., 1 Kings 11:33, where it describes Chemosh “the god of Moab”, or the frequent references to Yahweh (Jehovah) as the “elohim” of Israel), to demons, seraphim, and other supernatural beings, to the spirits of the dead brought up at the behest of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28:13, and even to kings and prophets (e.g., Exodus 4:16).The KJV has “elohim” translated as “judges” in Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8; and twice in Exodus 22:9.
These are “other gods”albeit “false gods” that definitely must not be worshipped as that would be tantamount to idolatry.

To be specific, this Elohim was further identified as the one and only “YHVH” (Yahweh) translated as “Lord” in Genesis 2; i.e., “YHVH ELOHIM” or “Lord God”. This is the Creator God referred to also in John 1 as LOGOS, who incarnated to man-Jesus, Yeshua or YHVH ELOHIM and was called “God” (John 1:1; 20:28; Titus 2:13), the “same yesterday, today and forever”(Heb.13:8). “YHVH ELOHIM” is the specific and proper name of the one true God of Israel. Much like “Smith” is generic or common name, but the proper name is the one and only “John Smith”. YHVH ELOHIM” is above all “gods”(Ps 95:3; 96:4;97:9;135:5; Ex. 15:11; IChr. 16:25)

Another name that is specific to the person is the Hebrew word “Adon” (singular) Adown, or “Adonim” (plural), Adonai. This is translated into English as “Lord” in the OT (Ex.34:23), the God of Israel. There was no attempt to duplicate this Hebrew in the NT.

In the New Testament, however, the English word “God” comes from the Greek word “Theos” and in general refers to the Father. Whereas, the English word “Lord” comes from the Greek word “kyrios”, and refers specifically to Jesus. Notice that Hebrew word “YHVH” and Greek word “Kyrios” are both translated into English word “Lord”, referring to Jesus, who is also Logos or Word in John 1.

A definitive separation and distinctiveness of these words can be proven in:
I Cor 8:6 “But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given”.
I Tim. 2:5″There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua” .
Ps. 2:7:”You are my son; today I have become your father”. Not yesterday or tomorrow but “today”, “this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matt.3:17;Mk.1:11).
John 5:37 “And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form”.

Jesus himself said that no one has seen nor heard the Father referred to in the New Testament. Conversely, all the time from Genesis on, the specific “elohim” had to be YHVH ELOHIM, the LOGOS according to John, who incarnated to man-Jesus (anthropos-Jesus to Paul), the Messiah Passover.

In short, “The Lord is one” refers only to YHVH ELOHIM not the FATHER of Jesus and of us all.

Absent from the body but present with The Lord?

by fact-s.net

In the 2 Cor. 5:6-8, it says, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

There is no doubt that “being absent in the body” refers to our death. At which time, the “breath of life”(spirit of man”) leaves the body and goes back to the Creator (Eccl. 12:7; 3:20-21); this is “being present with The Lord”. The body is then buried (goes to hades/hell) where it decays and rots, as in,””For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;” (ACTS 13:36,NKJV). Also, read:

ECCLESIASTES 9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. (NIV)

ECCLESIASTES 9:10 …., for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. (NIV)

PSALM 146:4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (NASU)y and

PSALM 115:17 The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence; (NASU)

Notice that the “spirit of man/ breath of life” that goes back to the Creator is not a conscious component of man. It carries all the memory, education, character, distinctiveness, uniqueness of that particular person. But apart from the body, it is not alive and not functional.

As an analogy to a computer, the body is like the hardware with all components but not a “living person” until the “breath of life” was “breathe into his nostrils”. Body/dust of the ground/flesh + breath of life/spirit of man= living soul/person ( Gen.2:7). When these 2 components of man separate, life ends and the body is not functional, dead. Much like a computer, the memory and identity of that particular person can be stored in a “thumb drive” which we can put in our pocket. But, when inserted into another computer, it can manifest itself will all that it has stored in memory. Similarly, when our “breath of life/spirit of man that goes at death to the Creator, is given another body, albeit spiritual , both these components make up the person to become alive again.

But, to extend the original question, “do all breath of life (of the righteous and the wicked) follow the same route to go to the Creator”?.

Notice,”For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead”. (Eccl. 9:1-3). Again, “there is one event unto all, righteous or wicked”suggesting that all go to the same process at death, that the “breath of life” goes back to the Creator.Yes, it appears from Ecclesiastes that the “breath of life”, whether from good or evil person, goes back to the Creator at death.

But, the “breath of life” of the “firstfruits” at Jesus’ return will be given an “immortal body” and will live with him forever (Rev.20:4; I Cor.15:52). On the other hand, the “breath of life” of others who died and not part of the “firstfruits”, will be resurrected after the Millenium, as in, “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.(Rev.20:5).
The “second resurrection” will be a fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the “dry bones”, as in: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’’ (Ezek. 37:5-6 and read also 1-17).
Surprisingly, even Job will have a flesh-body as other Israelites (and Gentiles), as in “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!(Job 19:25-27).
Of these people, some will go towards resurrection to life and others to judgment (John 5:29) of eternal death, after they were given their only and last chance to choose.
.

Why pray when God already knows and “changeth not”?

by fact-s.net

Yes, why pray, is a very important question. For any difficult question like this one is, it is always helpful to recollect about the life of man-Jesus (anthropos-Jesus).

No question that many verses in the Bible proved that Jesus, the Creator God in Genesis and the Logos in the gospel according to John, prayed. In fact, he even prayed the whole night, as in, “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12).

Still, it begs the question, why pray?

This brings me to how you and I communicate. We use our physical senses of sight, hearing, feeling, gesturing, etc…albeit “material methods” of communicating. Without communication, how else can we understand each other? How can we learn or be guided by each other? Yet, this is a way to communicate with the “material world”.

How about the “spiritual realm”? Can we communicate with the “spirit” using “material or physical tools” like eyes, ears, etc? How could we be “on line” in a physical sense as in World Wide Web, unless we access the internet to learn, email, etc.? Similarly, the spirit-God, cannot be accessed except through spiritual means or venue. This is why we need to “pray”. It is a vehicle to communicate spiritually to a “Spirit-Being”.

Regarding, why pray when we “cannot change God’s mind”? Actually, God can “change or modify” his will, but within his limits of perfect judgment. Didn’t he delay the destruction of Nineveh, “haggled” with Abraham as to how many “just people” needed to save Sodom & Gomorrah? How about Adam in the garden of Eden? He did not like Adam to eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil and he could have “forced” Adam to follow. Yet, He did not because His perfect judgment allows Adam to “freely choose”.

Remember, God said, “…not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more”(Jer. 31:32-34; Heb. 8:10)

Yes, the promised Holy Spirit by the Father to the Son, who sacrificed his life for remission of sins and subsequently for us to receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7), is now available for in-dwelling and writing the “laws into our fleshly tables of our heart and mind” to empower us. The Holy Spirit working with the “spirit of man”(the “breath of life”), to nurture, guide, teach, direct, suggest, empower, seal us. Ultimately, prayer helps us develop the character through the Holy Spirit to be “one” with God in “wisdom”.

Jesus, the Firstborn?

by fact-s.net

This question extends itself to the very essence of the gospel of the “kingdom of God”.

To begin with, where does “firstborn” (prototokos) start? From “all creation” in Genesis at Logos time or specifically “from the dead”, man-Jesus time ?

Undoubtedly, according to the understanding of Paul, “firstborn of all creation” means, Jesus is “the firstborn (prototokos) from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.”(Col. 1:18). Jesus is the Creator in Genesis and the Logos in the gospel according to John. Obviously, the Creator pre-existed before any that was created and therefore this quote does not address the question as to whether the Creator himself was created before he created others. The context in Colossians does not refer to the beginning of creation in Genesis at Logos/Creator time, but specifically relates only to being “firstborn from the dead”, during the early Christian era.

How then could a Creator be “firstborn from the dead”? This means that the Creator/Logos has to die first before becoming “firstborn from creation”; how could the spirit-composed Creator die? Also, this has similarity to the question of Nicodemus regarding humans being “born again”, as in:

“Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”(John 3:4-6).

Likewise, notice the similarity of the dilemma in the narrative about the rich young man in Matt. 19:23-25. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?”

Being firstborn from the dead, born again and for a rich man to be in the “kingdom of heaven”, any other way, appear impossible. But, notice how Jesus responded,”And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Matt. 19:26).

As proof that Creator God will die, Jesus said, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven”,John 3:13) confirming that the Creator was in heaven and has come down from heaven as man-Jesus, by incarnation.

Notice the requisites of being the code word “firstborn”:
1. Has to die
2. Has to be a spirit

As of now, only Jesus completed these requisites. Being spirit-composed as Creator/Logos, , he could not die. As prophesied , he incarnated into man-Jesus and being flesh, he was killed as “Passover Lamb” on Nisan 14. Subsequently, he resurrected “in three days and three nights”, and as spirit-composed, went to “tartaros” (hell) to proclaim his resurrection to the evil angels(I Pet.3:18-20; Jude 6-7; 2 Pet 2:4-5). He was then seen by many humans (as spirit-beings can show themselves as humasn, Genesis 18) before he finally went back to the Father and “seated at the right hand”. Indeed, Jesus is the “firstborn” from the dead, to “have first place in everything”.

For us, we are prophesied to follow Jesus the “the first of the firstfruits” at “his coming” ( I Cor. 15:20-23) to “meet him in the air” (I Thes.4:17) and set foot on the Mt. Olives (Zech. 14:1-4;Acts 1:7).

There should be no second-guessing about what the Father and Jesus planned to do from before the beginning of Genesis’ creation. The Potter will re-shape his clay (Jer. 18) and God will be “mindful” of us (Ps. 8:4-6; Heb. 2:6-18). A “new creation” is in the process where the Holy Spirit dwells in us to guide and nurture us to be “one” with Jesus and by extension “one” with the Father. “Old things have passed away (2 Cor. 5:17), our old self will be regenerated into a new creature. We will then become “sons of God”, higher than spirit-angels, spirit-composed like Jesus, the head of the body/church, the first of the firstfruits, the wave-sheaf offering, the “firstborn from the dead”. All in the “kingdom of God”, not in angelic species, not a human kingdom, animal-kingdom nor plant-kingdom. This is the destiny of humans given as a gift by the grace of God.

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil put by God in the midst of the garden of Eden, together with the Tree of Life…but

by fact-s.net

Gen. 2:16-17 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

This certainly gave Adam/Eve a choice: to have eternal life by eating the fruit of the “tree of life” or die by eating the fruit of “tree of knowledge of good and evil. And, they acted on their personal choice having “free will” to do so. 

Notice that Adam & Eve chose and preferred to “be like him”, the Creator, with knowledge of “good and evil”, instead of “immortality” like the angels by eating the fruit of the “tree of life”. They chose and preferred wisdom over immortality. But, while their choice of “being like him” and risking eternal “second death” was correct, their method of achieving that goal by disobeying God was wrong and sinful. What was wrong with what they did was not so much as their choice of having wisdom over immortality since God wanted us to know “good and evil” by the Ten Commandments through the aegis of the Holy Spirit. Their mistake was their method to achieve that goal to “be like him” on their “own works”, i.e. by themselves “eating the fruit”. But, let us backtrack so that we can fully understand what happened in the “garden of Eden”. 


Jesus “was slain from the foundation” (Rev. 13:8), even way before the garden of Eden and certainly before the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God is omniscient and knew that, when given a choice to “die or be like him”(the Creator YHVH ELOHIM), Adam/Eve would choose the latter, even at the risk of “eternal death”. This was not a test on Adam, as God also knew that, while man was made “perfect and good”, he was “flesh”, “weak”.(Matt. 26:41; Mk. 14:38) and would choose the wrong path. This was well-planned from the beginning and executed perfectly.


But, God wanted to be on record, through the narrative in Genesis, that to “be like him” would not be through the “works of Adam”. It would not be through man “reaching out and eating the fruit of the forbidden tree”. Adam/Eve did not know the way to be “like him”, and subsequently sinned against God. God was giving an indication that the way was not through “man-Adam” but through “another man”, man-Jesus . This is the essence of the “gospel of the kingdom of God”.


To be like YHVH ELOHIM, would be by “grace through faith” of this specific Creator in Genesis, the Logos in John 1, the same one that incarnated into man-Jesus. The “faith of Jesus” in whom? In the Father, that what He promised, He would fulfill. What was this covenantal promise of the Father to the Son? 


It is a continuum of these promises:

That if this YHVH ELOHIM CREATOR, the LOGOS would “strip himself of or give up his divine privileges”(Phil. 2:5-11), thus incarnate and die, then his death would be reckoned as payment in full for the sins of mankind to be reconciled to the Father. Having thus reconciled by Jesus’ death, the Father would then resurrect him, “in a twinkling of an eye” as an immortal body, “firstborn from the dead” (Col.1:18) as “Son of God”, the first of “firstfruits”, the “wavesheaf offering. We will then be saved by his life (Rom. 5:10) and the Holy Spirit would be sent (Jn 16:7). This HS would then “in-dwell” in us, the temple not made by hands (Acts 7:48; 17:24), so God the Potter can re-do what is best for us, the “marred clay” (Jer. 18:4). This promise of the Holy Spirit in us will seal, guide, teach, help us overcome temptation and direct us to develop the “wisdom” of God, the “mind of Christ” 


Therefore, let us not “grieve” but instead follow willingly this Holy Spirit in us, as man-Jesus did (Lu.22:42) to express the “fruits of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23). While our faith in God and our good works are important, what matters most and ultimately the only ones that God recognized by grace were the “faith of Jesus and the works of the Holy Spirit”.


With the Spirit in us, this promise will be fulfilled: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, (immortal bodies) which is in the midst of the paradise of God”( Rev. 2:7). Overcoming is with using the “tool of power” coming from the Holy Spirit in us, and therefore not entirely “our” works but the ” fruits of the HS” given by grace through the faith of Jesus, the “righteousness” that matters. God the Father wanted us from the beginning to have “first”, the wisdom and mind of Christ, and then change from mortal to immortal ” in a twinkling of an eye” to live eternally(immortality) but only through His strategic plan. 


This is the ” kingdom of God” made up of spirit beings in the likeness of Jesus, the Son of God, the Head of the Church and Body of Christ, “one” with him and by extension “one” with the Father.