This study is from 1 Peter Chapter 3
If the Lord be willing we will use the Biblical method of interpretation by comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual things, using Gods word to interpret itself.
Remembering that Christ spoke in Parables and is the word of God therefore the whole bible is spoken in parables, which is simular to paraphrasing or like figurative language.Which is like its written in code,and to decode it we must compare words and phrases that are simular in other parts of the bible to make a conclusion if the Lord is willing to open our spiritual eyes to see it,by his grace.
As Noted here in a few places:
1Co 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
And also in
Mt 13:10
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
and here in
Mt 13:13
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
heres another verse on parables in:
Mt 13:34
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
and here in
Mt 13:35
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Lu 8:10
And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
All Bible verses have deeper spiritual meanings in them because in the Bible God uses
earthly or physical,to show the spiritual heavenly meaning,so that as said above seeing they will not see,and the unseen is kept by God a secret or a mystery,because by nature human beings only see and teach the physical side or the fleshly nature of Gods word ,as seen here in:
Ro 8:5
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
and we see what happens to them in:
Ga 6:8
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Using this understanding if God is willing we will study.
May the Lord bless us in understanding, in Jesus's name amen
Our verse by verse bible study starts here:
1 Peter
3:17
For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
-----------------------------------------------
To understand this first verse we read here in:
Mathew 5:43
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
5:45
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
--------------------------------------------------
Next in 1 Peter 3:18 we read:
3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
This verse is simular to this in :
1 Cor 15:3
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
-------------------------------------------------------
Our next verse is:
3:19
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
To preach to a Spirit in Prison we need to look at these scriptures to find out what God means by the word prison and who would be found in there.
We read in these verses:
Mt 25:39
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
And here in Acts (there are many other examples of those in prison,but we are using just these few)
We Read:
Acts 16:22
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
16:23
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
16:24
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
16:25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them
Joh 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
By these verses we see that God uses the word prison to show the Gospel which is Gods word,and Gods word is Jesus,being not free to share his message.
But when the word is heard Spiritually if God opens up our hearts and minds to hear it,then he makes his word go free through us.
So then we see that its Jesus who is the word that makes someone free.
So when God spoke to Noah and his family he set them free by the spoken word which was and is Jesus,and they were made free because Gods Spirit made them to obey his word.
----------------------------------------------------
The next verse in our study is here in :
3:20
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
This above verse must be broken down further to fully understand what God is saying through Peter,so lets break it down.
first part of verse 20 says : Which sometimes were disobedient,.........
Who were sometimes disobedient?
Well its talking about Noah and his family.
We see this truth from the next series of words which are: when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,while the ark was a preparing,
This is refering to the time when God destroyed the earth by the flood he sent.
While the ark was being prepared by Noah (well we should say God was working through Noah preparing the ark)while the ark was being prepared God the father did not just disregard all,but waited for those who he chose to save before the world began, would actually enter into the ark,and be saved,which were the 8 souls of Noah and his family,who God through Peter refers
to as sometimes disobedient,because all of creation,including those who will become saved ,like Noahs family are sometimes disobedient.As we find in:
1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The last part is refering to how the flood of judgement upon the unsaved ,washed the 8 souls of Noah and his family,because they were safe inside the ark,which was a figure of those in Christ.The ark went through the flood unharmed,and protected the people in it,as how Jesus endured God the fathers judgement upon him for sin for his chosen people,but even though the ark endured the flood,everything else perished.
So then he took Noahs family out of the spiritual prison,and placed them in the ark,
which again is a figure of Christ himself suffering punishment,for the unjust,which was Noahs family,and all who was chosen before the foundation of the world,as seen here:
Eph 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
--------------------------------------------------------
This next verse shows us a very clear picture of baptism from the Holy Spirit
as we read in verse:
3:21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
-------------------------------------------------------
The above shows us that God baptises us Spiritually not
with physical water ,but when he actually does the evidence is that we have a good
conscience or rather know we are saved by his grace and his work alone, so it gives us a good conscience toward God
Compare to this verse here in
John 3:5
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.
and in:
John 15:3
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
--------------------------------------------------------
Spiritual baptism is spoken here
in the Old Testement also in
Ezekiel 36:25
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
36:27
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
--------------------------------------------------------
According to this study using the said method of interpretation we find that those in the Prison that Jesus preached to was not him going to the unsaved from the days of Noah preaching to them in hell(as i used to believe,and many people do),because the bible says in :
Heb 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
and also Jesus at the time he gave up the Spirit told the thief next to him that they would be that day in paradise together,as seen in :
Luke 23:43
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
but he spoke to the Spirits of Noahs family which were in spiritual prison.
as in Acts 16 as read above where Paul and Silas were thrown in,and also how John the baptist was put in prison from:
Mt 14:3
For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
and lastly how Jesus says to those who witness his word are visiting him in prison as read above in :
Mt 25:39
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
So this was what God is teaching through Peter, that Noah and his family all 8 that is were in Spiritual prison,and Gods word came to them and preached that the world would be destroyed,and they were given power to obey his word,and by that, they were made alive by God telling them to do his will,and placing his Holy Spirit in them to become obedient to his commands.See above Ezekiel 36:27
Where was Christ then you may ask for 3 days,if he was not in hell bringing souls out of there?
I also believed this,but God through his mercy,I have come to the truth of his word, that indeed does shine like light in a dark room allowing you to walk,and not stumble on the things you cannot see if it stayed dark in the room.
His physical body began to suffer punishment for sins,which is being seperated from God or out of his sight and care as seen here in:
Isa 59:2
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Thats why he recieved no answer from God even though he asked that the cup would pass from him in the garden 3 times,and said on the cross that he was forsaken of God in:
Mt.27:46
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
He knew no sin of his own,but had his chosen peoples sins laid on him from God and endured the punishment of death or seperation from God.
Then his physical body was dead for 3 days,but he went in his Spirit to Heaven,then re-entered his body,and went into Heaven in both Flesh and Spirit.
How he was able to make 3 days equal to an eternity of suffering is to large of a subject for our small minds,except we can see a little of how,by understanding God is from everlasting,and is everlasting as we read here:
Psalms 90
90:1
Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
May God bless us as we study the bible,in Jesus's name Amen
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Friday, July 27, 2007
Our Bible study
Welcome to my web log. In it we'll study the Bible,and you are welcome to leave comments.
I encourage you to not take my word,but read what the Bible says concerning this or any Bible study.
The Bible has been given to us by Gods mercy,and is not just a book, or a guide,but its actually alive,and is one of the many names that Jesus is refered to as we read in
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The study of Gods word starts with prayer.Without prayer,we are looking at words that are in the form of a different language,a language that even though is written in our own native tongue,has different meaning than what we were tought they mean, they are like parables,from the very first words in Genisis,to the last words in Revelation, and the Lord must open our spiritual eyes to understand what we read,so this is why prayer comes first in Bible study.
We read here what Gods word says about itself concerning interpreting his word here in 1Corinthians 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
I pray the lord will open our spiritual eyes,and our hearts to see,and understand his holy word as we begin here to study his Holy word,and that we will be in one accord in spirit ,and in truth,praying to him in Jesus's name Amen.
In this study if the Lord permit,we will look at the Gospel.
The Gospel message is the message of both very bad,and very great news.If we examin the bad first,we see that God is the punisher of sinfull people.If we are found guilty of any sin ( and we all are) there will be a consequence of paying for them ourselves in a place were we are constantly and forever without Gods help,or in his care,and that is a place that nobody wants to be in.He shows us in his spoken word that everyone is on there way there if the Holy Spirit does not step in and turn us from the road we are on.This is whats known as repentance.If indeed he plans to save us he will cause us (by the power of his Holy Spirit)to turn away from all the ways we have believed we can be forgiven , born again,and saved. Again this is whats known as repentance. We repent from our old way of believing we can save ourselves or contribute to our salvation.
In our very own fleshly nature we automatically believe that we can do something that will make us right with God,for example: In some beliefs, and teachings, believers are told,and believe to punish ourselves ,by making things hard on ourselves here on earth while believing that Gods mercy will see what I do to punish myself,and forgive me of my sin.Some call this penance,some call it pilgramidges,some call it fasting (no food or water for days) ,and some call it indulgances ,while others call it something they are required to do for forgiveness of sins.
God does not expect us to punish ourself ,actually he makes it known for sure he will do the punishing,and furthermore if we think that would make us right with God,Gods word says in
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Some of us are proud of our morally correct lifestyle, and our pride will say:
"I am morally OK , I don't kill anyone,I don't steal , I don't sin to much or do anything that I would be punished for,because I am pretty decent.
I'm a Godly person"
Gods word says in
Romans 3:12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one
This next belief,and teaching is tough its whats known as a grace plus works Gospel which is very popular,and the most sincere people are both taught this,and firmly believe it as the true Gospel,but we will find out in this study it is not.
We would say something along these lines if we trust this false Gospel:
" The day I accepted Jesus as my savior I said
Lord I accept your offer of salvation, and I acknowledge what you did on the cross,
come in to my heart ,and save me ,and wash me clean,
thank you Lord.
So when I said that, God saved me that very day"
That is certainly not what the Bible teaches,although many hold this as the absolute truth.
Notice there are several I's in that statement of a persons faith.
If there are I's , and not God who saves me alone,than we have a problem.
Because this person has gone through sometimes a very very emotional experiance the day he did these things,they may believe it was true because they felt that emotional feeling,
perhaps it brought them to tears also.
It then begins as an infection growing to continually shadow that belief all through
that persons Christian walk and makes confusion.
They believe the work of Jesus is what saves them,but they add to it the thoughts of , now I have to be a good Christian,if they sin they say to themselves things like ,"that was not a Christian thing to do".
or "If I am going to be forgiven I must forgive first".
They also may think they have to continue maintaining there forgiveness,by
doing good works.
In the New Testement the people of Galatia held these beliefs also,
as many do today,
The Bible teaches us what God says to them through Paul the Apostle, who wrote to them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit here in:
Galations 3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
If we carefully examin what the bible says about becoming saved the first thing we see, is that we are made to understand that there is nothing we can do, as it says here in:
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
We tend to stop at the word faith,but God is teaching us that this faith that saves us, is not our own faith.Read it for yourself,it says
"and that not of yourselves:it is the gift of God: "
You see that faith that saves us is Gods gift. Wait theres even more in the next verse.
Verse 9 says:
Ephesians 2:9 says
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Some simply think they can say :
yes I believe Jesus came to save sinners,and I am a sinner,so I have that faith, right?
This would be a work,and boasting,and God does not teach that here very clearly.
The work I am trying to pointe out is anyone saying,they
have believed,and accepted Christ as there savior.
If indeed the Lord is saving us,he will humble us
(notice I did not say we must humble ourselves,but that he would do this ,if indeed he is saving us)
then all we would be able to say
is that it was God who saved me,and we in that way would be giving God the Glory, the praise,and the credit for saving us.
This is further made known in Gods word here, were we read in:
Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
This totally rules out anything I say I did.
This says its not our will that accepted anything,and if we say that,then its a work we are claiming, and boasting, and disregarding what God does to save us.
Can you see that such a small detail,on this subject is like an infection yet?
We can become very spiritually sick,and also infect others.
God you see is the one who gives us repentance from what we believe saves us.
We read in 2Ti 2:25
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
In conclusion of this our Bible study,
we have seen that if God intends to save us,than he will bring his word close to us,that we hear it or read it,
If he is saving us he will apply the words to our hearts,
so that we indeed begin to see spiritually,that we are in need of a savior ,and we will not escape his punishment for sin ,and if he wants to save us,he would give us the repentance,
or if we put it in other words, turn us away from believeing we can do anything to save ourselves,or even contribute the slightest little something to get saved by
him.
We can pray for his mercy,
after reading that we can do nothing,and that he is the one who saves us alone, and only if he wants to.
We can beg him for mercy,and cry out to our heavenly father,
and after if we find that he did actually save us,we would see that it was him who brought to our knees,and caused that begging for mercy,
because he teaches in his word that we will not do that left to ourselves without him in our hearts,
and that it was him causing us to pray to our father for mercy.
The Bible says that Jesus told a parable
(which is an earthly story with a heavenly ,or spiritual meaning)
about these very things we have studied this far
In Luke18:9:
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
18:10
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
18:12
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
18:13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner.
18:14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted.
After the hearing of his word,we will see that we can offer nothing,and come emty handed,pleading that he would save us,and send his Holy Spirit into our life to wash us from our sins,and give us the faith that he speaks of.
If it is Gods will to save us,then he will send his Holy Spirit to us, and make us repent of anything we would normally believe,or any teachings that are contrary to the true Gospel,which is salvation by Grace alone.
The grace that
his son Jesus provided for us who are spiritually poor,and cannot offer anything
at all.
How did he provide you may ask?
By becoming the only sacrifice acceptable to God for sins.
The Bible teaches about how God sees us here in
Romans 3:12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
But God says about his son Jesus here in
Mathew 3:17
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.
You see here that God the father is not pleased with any of us,but he is well pleased with Jesus.
A Psalm of David showed how under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
that David was able to see this truth we are studying here when God spoke through him saying in
Psalms 118:14
The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
One last thing before we finish for now.
Some of you may be asking
What about verses that say if we believe on Jesus,or confess Jesus,or even the most popular type of verses widely used to bring people to Jesus to be born again such as this very well known chapter and verse found in
John 3:16
3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This particular veres must be in harmony with what else the bible teaches,because left alone or isolated this apears to say that if we choose to believe in him,than we would have eternal life.
Jesus addresses this here in:
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever * * ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
I pray that many have recieved blessing from God in studying here
In Jesus's name
Amen.
I encourage you to not take my word,but read what the Bible says concerning this or any Bible study.
The Bible has been given to us by Gods mercy,and is not just a book, or a guide,but its actually alive,and is one of the many names that Jesus is refered to as we read in
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The study of Gods word starts with prayer.Without prayer,we are looking at words that are in the form of a different language,a language that even though is written in our own native tongue,has different meaning than what we were tought they mean, they are like parables,from the very first words in Genisis,to the last words in Revelation, and the Lord must open our spiritual eyes to understand what we read,so this is why prayer comes first in Bible study.
We read here what Gods word says about itself concerning interpreting his word here in 1Corinthians 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
I pray the lord will open our spiritual eyes,and our hearts to see,and understand his holy word as we begin here to study his Holy word,and that we will be in one accord in spirit ,and in truth,praying to him in Jesus's name Amen.
In this study if the Lord permit,we will look at the Gospel.
The Gospel message is the message of both very bad,and very great news.If we examin the bad first,we see that God is the punisher of sinfull people.If we are found guilty of any sin ( and we all are) there will be a consequence of paying for them ourselves in a place were we are constantly and forever without Gods help,or in his care,and that is a place that nobody wants to be in.He shows us in his spoken word that everyone is on there way there if the Holy Spirit does not step in and turn us from the road we are on.This is whats known as repentance.If indeed he plans to save us he will cause us (by the power of his Holy Spirit)to turn away from all the ways we have believed we can be forgiven , born again,and saved. Again this is whats known as repentance. We repent from our old way of believing we can save ourselves or contribute to our salvation.
In our very own fleshly nature we automatically believe that we can do something that will make us right with God,for example: In some beliefs, and teachings, believers are told,and believe to punish ourselves ,by making things hard on ourselves here on earth while believing that Gods mercy will see what I do to punish myself,and forgive me of my sin.Some call this penance,some call it pilgramidges,some call it fasting (no food or water for days) ,and some call it indulgances ,while others call it something they are required to do for forgiveness of sins.
God does not expect us to punish ourself ,actually he makes it known for sure he will do the punishing,and furthermore if we think that would make us right with God,Gods word says in
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Some of us are proud of our morally correct lifestyle, and our pride will say:
"I am morally OK , I don't kill anyone,I don't steal , I don't sin to much or do anything that I would be punished for,because I am pretty decent.
I'm a Godly person"
Gods word says in
Romans 3:12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one
This next belief,and teaching is tough its whats known as a grace plus works Gospel which is very popular,and the most sincere people are both taught this,and firmly believe it as the true Gospel,but we will find out in this study it is not.
We would say something along these lines if we trust this false Gospel:
" The day I accepted Jesus as my savior I said
Lord I accept your offer of salvation, and I acknowledge what you did on the cross,
come in to my heart ,and save me ,and wash me clean,
thank you Lord.
So when I said that, God saved me that very day"
That is certainly not what the Bible teaches,although many hold this as the absolute truth.
Notice there are several I's in that statement of a persons faith.
If there are I's , and not God who saves me alone,than we have a problem.
Because this person has gone through sometimes a very very emotional experiance the day he did these things,they may believe it was true because they felt that emotional feeling,
perhaps it brought them to tears also.
It then begins as an infection growing to continually shadow that belief all through
that persons Christian walk and makes confusion.
They believe the work of Jesus is what saves them,but they add to it the thoughts of , now I have to be a good Christian,if they sin they say to themselves things like ,"that was not a Christian thing to do".
or "If I am going to be forgiven I must forgive first".
They also may think they have to continue maintaining there forgiveness,by
doing good works.
In the New Testement the people of Galatia held these beliefs also,
as many do today,
The Bible teaches us what God says to them through Paul the Apostle, who wrote to them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit here in:
Galations 3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
If we carefully examin what the bible says about becoming saved the first thing we see, is that we are made to understand that there is nothing we can do, as it says here in:
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
We tend to stop at the word faith,but God is teaching us that this faith that saves us, is not our own faith.Read it for yourself,it says
"and that not of yourselves:it is the gift of God: "
You see that faith that saves us is Gods gift. Wait theres even more in the next verse.
Verse 9 says:
Ephesians 2:9 says
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Some simply think they can say :
yes I believe Jesus came to save sinners,and I am a sinner,so I have that faith, right?
This would be a work,and boasting,and God does not teach that here very clearly.
The work I am trying to pointe out is anyone saying,they
have believed,and accepted Christ as there savior.
If indeed the Lord is saving us,he will humble us
(notice I did not say we must humble ourselves,but that he would do this ,if indeed he is saving us)
then all we would be able to say
is that it was God who saved me,and we in that way would be giving God the Glory, the praise,and the credit for saving us.
This is further made known in Gods word here, were we read in:
Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
This totally rules out anything I say I did.
This says its not our will that accepted anything,and if we say that,then its a work we are claiming, and boasting, and disregarding what God does to save us.
Can you see that such a small detail,on this subject is like an infection yet?
We can become very spiritually sick,and also infect others.
God you see is the one who gives us repentance from what we believe saves us.
We read in 2Ti 2:25
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
In conclusion of this our Bible study,
we have seen that if God intends to save us,than he will bring his word close to us,that we hear it or read it,
If he is saving us he will apply the words to our hearts,
so that we indeed begin to see spiritually,that we are in need of a savior ,and we will not escape his punishment for sin ,and if he wants to save us,he would give us the repentance,
or if we put it in other words, turn us away from believeing we can do anything to save ourselves,or even contribute the slightest little something to get saved by
him.
We can pray for his mercy,
after reading that we can do nothing,and that he is the one who saves us alone, and only if he wants to.
We can beg him for mercy,and cry out to our heavenly father,
and after if we find that he did actually save us,we would see that it was him who brought to our knees,and caused that begging for mercy,
because he teaches in his word that we will not do that left to ourselves without him in our hearts,
and that it was him causing us to pray to our father for mercy.
The Bible says that Jesus told a parable
(which is an earthly story with a heavenly ,or spiritual meaning)
about these very things we have studied this far
In Luke18:9:
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
18:10
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
18:12
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
18:13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner.
18:14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted.
After the hearing of his word,we will see that we can offer nothing,and come emty handed,pleading that he would save us,and send his Holy Spirit into our life to wash us from our sins,and give us the faith that he speaks of.
If it is Gods will to save us,then he will send his Holy Spirit to us, and make us repent of anything we would normally believe,or any teachings that are contrary to the true Gospel,which is salvation by Grace alone.
The grace that
his son Jesus provided for us who are spiritually poor,and cannot offer anything
at all.
How did he provide you may ask?
By becoming the only sacrifice acceptable to God for sins.
The Bible teaches about how God sees us here in
Romans 3:12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
But God says about his son Jesus here in
Mathew 3:17
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.
You see here that God the father is not pleased with any of us,but he is well pleased with Jesus.
A Psalm of David showed how under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
that David was able to see this truth we are studying here when God spoke through him saying in
Psalms 118:14
The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
One last thing before we finish for now.
Some of you may be asking
What about verses that say if we believe on Jesus,or confess Jesus,or even the most popular type of verses widely used to bring people to Jesus to be born again such as this very well known chapter and verse found in
John 3:16
3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This particular veres must be in harmony with what else the bible teaches,because left alone or isolated this apears to say that if we choose to believe in him,than we would have eternal life.
Jesus addresses this here in:
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever * * ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
I pray that many have recieved blessing from God in studying here
In Jesus's name
Amen.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Salvation ,and Evidence of it from The Holy Spirit
In our last study we looked at salvation from the true Gospel,and after reading what we studied,keep them in mind as we read Ezekiel chapter 36 starting in verse 20,and Think more upon the verses we refered to when Jesus spoke about how he chose us,and we did not choose him,and how in the book of Ephesians it says that we are saved by the faith that God gives us,and not of our own works,or even our own faith (which is also a work)lest we should boast.
I have copied this whole chapter,and have not placed any of my words here to distract any of Gods word.
May he agian open our spiritual eyes,and ears to understand his Holy word,
in Jesus's name and for his sake,
amen
Ezekiel 36:20
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
36:21
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
36:22
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
36:23
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
36:24
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
36:25
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
36:27
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
36:28
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
36:29
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
36:30
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
36:31
Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
36:32
Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
36:33
Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.
36:34
And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
36:35
And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.
36:36
Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.
36:37
Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
36:38
As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
I have copied this whole chapter,and have not placed any of my words here to distract any of Gods word.
May he agian open our spiritual eyes,and ears to understand his Holy word,
in Jesus's name and for his sake,
amen
Ezekiel 36:20
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
36:21
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
36:22
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
36:23
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
36:24
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
36:25
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
36:27
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
36:28
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
36:29
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
36:30
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
36:31
Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
36:32
Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
36:33
Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.
36:34
And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
36:35
And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.
36:36
Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.
36:37
Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
36:38
As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
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