I have reached this point in my life.At least one blessing in that is that I can say, I made it. I’ve lived to be an older man. The Bible speaks of people like me and also speaks of elders, and those that are to be respected. I realize that respect has to be earned. I also know that all men or women with Grey hair and old bones are no full of wisdom. That is “ Godly wisdom”. There are people that might have wisdom of things about this world but not the kind of wisdom that God bestows upon a man. Of course the Bible doesn’t discern between that does it? It only tells us not to rebuke him and to treat him like a father.
What does it mean to show respect or to be honored?(1 Timothy 5:1) Rebuke not and elder but entreat him as a father.
So, does that mean to listen to them out of respect, allow them to say and expound all their wisdom, assuming they have any, be glad when they shut up and continue to do as you always do? Is that showing wisdom on your part?
Is it possible that we are actually doing God the Father the same way? Let him speak, say what he desires to say, when he leaves we’ll do like we always have. He’s just old and grey headed, so let’s respect him and then we can move in.
That is somewhat today’s version of respect. I have a feeling that’s not what God was thinking of when he placed this verse in scripture. An elder, I believe as mentioned in this verse is a spiritual man. A man that has Godly wisdom and deserves to be heard. If you stand and listen to a man of this character but pay little attention to what he says, is that not rebuking him? Is he being treated like a father in that regard?
Disobedient children act this way. They do or act one way in front of their father but show no respect to his guidance when he is absent.Let’s say your father, in his wisdom tells you not to smoke or use tobacco products. Therefore you refrain from using them in front of him but use them behind his back, is this showing respect?
In a Godly mindset, wisdom comes with grey hair that is there because of old age.
“If” a man is full of Godly wisdom and“if” his children are obedient to His will then his mistakes in his youth can be corrected in his children.
While God’s grace and mercy covers all the shortcomings and failures of a man it doesn’t take away the consequences of his actions. If he instructs his children from the things he has learned and, his children are mindful of his words, they won’t make the same mistakes.
If, either the father doesn’t instruct in wisdom or the child don’t listen or take heed then they will travel the same path as the father, maybe even worse.
There is something that can be even worse than this.
What if,the father is deceived, thinks he is pleasing to God the Father but in reality he’s not?
What if, he teaches his children the same mindset that he has, and they are deceived as well?
The Apostle Paul said this in ( Acts 22:3 } FOR I AM VERILY A MAN WHICH AM A JEW, BORN IN TARSUS, A CITY IN CILCIA, YET BROUGHT UP IN THIS CITY AT THE FEET OF GAMALIEL, AND TAUGHT ACCORDING TO THR PERFECT MANNER OF THE LAW OF THE FATHERS, AND WAS ZEALOUS TOWARD GOD, AS YE ALL ARE THIS DAY.
Can we see in that verse that, this man realized one day that what he had been taught, what he considered wisdom and sound knowledge was wrong and needed to be changed? It’s not that what he had been taught was wrong all together is it? It was Spirit in which it was being taught. Some of what he was being taught was scriptureand we know that. One of the problems that existed in that day was what was being added to the scripture.
Remember John the Baptist? He was just a little older than Jesus Christ and actually died before Christ did. He was a man, although, probably never had old bones or grey hair but could be considered a wise man. Do you believe that Jesus Christ and the fact that He was crucified could then and can now today be preached from The Old Testament? As an old man with grey hair and old bones, I do. Wonder why the men that taught the Apostle Paul, being considered wise, didn’t teach that?
I also wonder how much education Ananias had? The man that The Apostle Paul met in Damascus after he had met Jesus on the road there? Read about it in ( Acts 9 ). It really doesn’t matter does it? The man is not important is he? The important part is that this man was willing to expound to the new believer exactly what God told him to say, even in the face of fear.
Now, consider this. Both men, Gamaliel and Ananias were men that, in theory spoke and taught scripture, or expounded scripture. What’s the difference in the two men? I bet they both had grey hair and old bones.
The only difference, one of these men listened to the Spirit of God, even in the face of fear, and spoke what God told him to say, to the person God asked him to speak it to. The other, simply taught scripture, just that simple.
The Apostle Paul learned to do the very same thing, to speak what the Spirit spoke to him, not just what scripture said.
How about the Apostle Peter, the Bible even says that they perceived him to be ignorant and unlearned, ( Acts 4:13 )? He probably wasn’t old enough to have old bones and grey hair however, he did have wisdom enough to listen to the Spirit of God and share what God laid on his heart.
In the Old Testament and, according to the men that taught Saul before he became the Apostle Paul keeping the law was an important thing. As an old man with grey hair and old bones, I think it might have been more important to them than it was to God the father. We see in scripture ( Galatians 3:24 ) that the las was a school master that we might be justified by faith. The law simply was there to show us we were sinners. The Apostle Paul made the statement that those men expected people under them to keep laws that they themselves could not keep. God’s purpose was to show us our need for him. The preaching of the Apostle Paul was never to keep anyone from sin. His message was designed to show the whole gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our salvation is in Him and not our ability to keep from sin. His responsibility was to preach what God laid on his heart. It’s the responsibility of the spirit of God to point out sin in my life and help me overcome that sin. If any person does not have enough of the spirit of God in them to change the way they live, to guide their footsteps, to cause them to speak in his name, then it wouldn’t be wise to walk into death with what you have.
I wonder? If I, or any person were able to keep the letter of the law of the New Testament? would that be pleasing to God the father? Even if I were able to keep New Testament law would it not still be important to except Jesus as my personal savior? This question is coming from a man with grey hair and old bones. One that realizes he hasn’t accomplished that and can’t. Do you think you can? If you remember, God the father only gave one commandment to Adam, he failed at only one. Jesus Christ only gave me one, love thy neighbor as thyself, I can’t even keep that. I still need his mercy and grace to cover me even under New Testament law.
I wonder? How much of what we see in our Churches today is more about man’s law and not scriptural, just as it was in the days that the Apostle Paul, and the kind of things he was saved from? For instance, I see people go down to the alter and say they just got saved. They are now ready to join Church. They also say they are willing to be baptized. If they refused to be baptized, could they still join Church? I don’t actually know the answer to that question. But, my ignorance of that is not the point. If a person as actually born again and refuses to be baptized for any reason and, we will not allow them to join Church, is that not adding works to grace? I realize that being baptized is an act of obedience, and that before God, however can you show me in scripture where I have to be baptized to be a member of a Church? Is it not also true that if the spirit of God lays something on any man’s heart and he refuses to speak what God told him to say; is that not disobedience as well? The only difference is; one you can see, the other you can’t. Disobedience is disobedience, would you agree?
Grey hair and old bones have a way of teaching people, all people that are willing to listen to the spirit of God. Actually, you don’t have to be old, just willing to listen and be obedient.I do believe however that wise young people will listen to the wisdom of spiritually wise older people.
If you, as an individual will stop for a second and ponder, what is it that is truly guiding you through this life?That’s not something that you might be able to conclude in just as second, I realize that but, that true love that comes from any source will never force you to do anything? You tell me one thing that Jesus Christ ever forced you to do? Jesus Christ never even forced you to get saved.Now, the law will. The law is very demanding.However it is not as demanding as the spirit of God is it? Any man can make himself look good according to the law, but that will never be pleasing to the spirit of God.The demands of the spirit of God will cause a man to go back for a beating that almost killed him the first time, it will have you say things that most people will not like, in Stephen’s case it caused him to be beat to death.
If we read the last few verses of Hebrews eleven it even says that the world was not worthy of them. As I look at myself as a man with grey hair and old bones, I’m not worthy to be listed among the people that truly listened to the spirit of God. The people that yielded their whole fleshly beings to do his will and speak what he told them to say.
Although the spirit is demanding, he never forces a person to be obedient, that’s a choice each person has to make. Once any man makes this choice, the rewards are not of this world. The prestige, the popularity, all the wealth of this world ends at the grave, you have your reward.
I, as a man with grey hair and old bones looked straight in the eyes of a well-known pastor in the county in which I live and said: I would not want to stand before God in your shoes! I could tell, by the look on his face that, the reality of that statement shook the very foundation he stood on. The very same statement can be made to me, only I can change how I will stand in the presence of the one that died for me.Jesus said ( come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and, learn of me;for I am meek and lowlyin heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.) Do you realize that in this same chapter, ( Matthew 11 ) John the Baptist is in prison? He has sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he is truly the one or should he seek another? Was the yoke of John the Baptist easy? Was his burden light? Would you agree with this man with grey hair and old bones, it’s all in perspective?
As a man with grey hair and old bones I was born again in 1975. At that time I started travailing in birth, the birth pains have continued until this day. The salvation that came to me in 1975 is or was ( past tense ) salvation. What I face today is ( present tense) salvation. One day my salvation will be complete, that will be (future tense) salvation. When physical birth happens and a woman travails in birth when does the pain stop? It stops at complete birth, and then joy comes. If we allow the spirit of God to use usthen we will be like John the Baptist until we finish our own personal course. The Apostle Paul actually said: I’ve fought a good fight, I’ve kept the faith, I’ve finished my course. I’m now ready to be offered.
Are we men that are ready to be offered, ready to stand before God? Are we willing to face the same spiritual pain as the men did for our spiritual maturity and the spiritual birth of people that are lost in sin? Even for those that are born-again, don’t they need people like us to truly speak the word and will of God that they might grow to spiritual maturity? Are we in the same class spiritual class as these men? And, if we have to answer ‘no’ then why aren’t we? Don’t we serve the same God? When birth is complete, the yoke will be easy, the burden will be light. That is if and only if we fight the same spiritual battles that these men did. Jesus Christ himself said of John the Baptist, among those that are born of woman there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. We can study this if you like but the point is. What will Jesus Christ say about you and me when we have finished our course?
More often than we are willing to admit, it’s not the Spirit of God that is leading us at all. We like to say it is or, most of us just won’t even talk very openly about where we are spiritually. Now let me ask you a question; if it’s not God the spirit leading you, then who is?
Our relationship with the spirit of God is very personal. And, as we allow him, by his spirit to speak through it’s still a very personal thing to the person or people we are speaking to. When God speaks through our flesh it become a one on one conversation with the person that is hearing it, a personal conversation between the Holy Spirit of God and the person that is hearing it even thou it’s coming out of your mouth. That’s even true in the average Church setting. Would you agree with me that since the Church is the body of Christ, wouldn’t the pastor have to be the mouth piece? If that mouth piece will not or does not allow Christ to speak by his mouth then where does that body hear what God has to say? It must be personal. If you, as God’s man or any person is simply sitting and having a spiritual conversation with God the father through and by the Spirit that abides in you, is it not a personal thing that no one else hears? Then in a Church setting, is it not the same way? When we, as men of God allow God to speak through us to the Spirit that lives or desires to live in the hearts of each person in any Church , then it becomes exactly like you sitting and allowing God to have a personal relationship with you in which, no one hears but you.God the Spirit is speaking to each individual, dealing with each individual heart as he sees fit on a very personal basis.
The ability, within a man to deny himself and completely allow God to speak through him is one of the greatest accomplishments that will ever happen to any individual.
We can even say that about prayer. If a pastor of a Church asks any man to pray, in service, for any reason, aren’t you allowing him to allow the Spirit of God to speak through him? If not, what are you actually looking for?Think about it, anytime we allow our flesh to speak, God is not glorified is he? If I stand to sing to make myself look good, what has God to do with that? Whether we preach, pray, teach or sing we should seek to be the best we can be for the glory of God, however, if our best is not good in the eyes of man then so be it as long as God is doing the speaking through our flesh.
If I, as a man with grey hair and old bones say to you “ I love you” but never question you about your salvation or where you are spiritually, how much do I really love you? If I know that you have been down to an altar, made a profession of faith, been baptized and joined Church but, I never question you beyond that or cause you to look beyond that point by challenging what you do or say, then how much do I love you?
As an old man with grey hair and old bones I think about this in my own past. The Bible says
“ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world”.(1 John 2:16)If you know this verse, can you tell me what the next verse says? Basically speaking it says that the world passes away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Just how much have I done, even in a spiritual sense because of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes or the pride of life?
I only reason I bring this up is actually not to change anything in my past but rather to make you look at where you are in your walk with and by the spirit of God. Youth is a very special thing, even being middle aged can be considered youth at my age.
The problem is that human nature, the flesh will not allow us to see, very often, who we really are. We live our lives, day by day and in a spiritual sense, never change a thing. Our flesh, in most cases won’t even allow us to think about it.What keeps you where you are? Is it the Spirit of God? These are the kind of things I consider about my life that has now reached the pride of life.
In 1975, I was born again. Now my desire is for you to think about this. The Church I got saved in was, at that time a very spiritual Church. The pastor challenged me through and by his preaching to know, not just hope I was saved but to learn through scripture of the security in the salvation of God through his spirit.To study,the bible, that book was to become my lifeboat. My very being was to be transformed by the spirit of God through the study of that book.To become all I could be in Christ. From the place he stood in his pulpit he made me realize that I was nothing in my flesh, I needed to die to myself, I was rotten to the core, Christ had to become alive in me. Hepreached with the power of God. He did these things out of love for the very people that God had placed in his care. Even in this kind of setting, with this kind of spiritual power and influence I still yielded to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
The Apostle Paul himself said that it was easy to do the things he knew he was not supposed to and, not to do the things he was supposed to do. When we look at ourselves, are we willing to see ourselves as God sees us? Are we willing to change? To follow the spirit we say we have within us?
Very often, we, even as believers have a very hard time allowing ourselves to actually act out the things we say with our mouth.
We might say that we realize that we are sinners and undeserving of the mercy of God, but we act as self-righteous, better than you, you need to be like me people.
If we are not careful, the very personwe hold up to high esteem and think are very spiritual are not spiritual at all. Have you ever wondered to whom a person, that we might think is spiritual, is accountable to? What do you really know about him?
Just because a man is a college professor does not mean he is full of wisdom. A man can be a farmer, basically with no education at all and be wise, very wise in the eyes of God. But, no one hears anything he says.
We must as believers be able to discern Godly wisdom as his children. If not we are on a hopeless trail of deceit, dragging our children with us.
Do you realize that it is not now, nor has it ever been a time when we were told to follow a man, no matter who that man might be? The Apostle Paul even said to follow him as he follows Christ.
This is a dilemma. In some cases; how would you know the difference? If I, or any other person including the Apostle Paul admits that the things he should do, he doesn’t, and the things that he shouldn’t do he does then how do you know the difference?
As a man with grey hair and old bones I realize that living in open sin is always easy to spot. However, I don’t believe that living in open sin was what the Apostle was speaking of. He was speaking of things of things that people never see. The things we do in secret.
As a man with grey hair and old bones I also realize that it’s very easy skirt what the Holy Spirit is asking us to do as well. That is also something that men cannot see in you. Let’ look at a few examples: You can fell led by the spirit to witness to a person at a given time and, all you do is simply invite them to Church or not say anything at all about JesusChrist and the fact that he is needed in their live because they are sinners. A pastor can completely turn God’s Spirit off and only speak selective messages or throw only softballs at his congregation. Any person can look the part, appear to be very Christlike but simply not allow God to truly speak through his or her lips.We, every one of us can carry a Bible but never even allow the Spirit of God to teach us one thing in it, the very book we carry and say we live by. We can learn scripture by heart, memorize many verses but completely shut out the very spirit that inspires that very book, the word of God.
We can join every Church in this country, allow our mouth to say things that sound spiritual and even Christ like, be baptized until the tadpoles know our social security number but still not know Jesus and His saving grace.
These are the things, that I as a man with grey hair and old bonesknow.Things that I see in people not as old as I am and also,as old as I am. If we think God, through his spirit is pleased with us, I as a man with grey hair and old bones are telling you, he is not pleased with you, me or any person that will not say or do his will. You can do better, you can listen to him through your veil of flesh, you can yield to him more often and speak his truth more clearly, just as he says it to you.Do you realize that the average person today doesn’t even take a Bibles with him to Church? We are not even encouraged to do so. The Bible, the book that reveals to us, life itself and we act as if we don’t need it.
Satan has a way of closing our eyes to truth, not allowing us to see wisdom. He wraps himself in the beauty of higher education and worthless pieces of paper given by men. He closes our ears to the still small voice that is possibly right there within our own hearts.
Look at me, are my children actually a reflection of what I really am? Are they exactly what they see in me?
When I speak. Is it God speaking or me? Jesus said; if you have seen me, you have seen the father.
Is that true in me? When you see or hear me, do you see the father?
Now that my hair is grey, my bones old, what are my qualifications? Should my children or anyone pay attention to anything I say?Is what I say setting them up for a spiritual walk with Christ, listening to the Spirit or simply looking the part?What has been formed in me? Look at all the possibilities that can be formed in me rather than Christ. Have I allowed a religion, a denomination or my, self-will to be formed rather than Jesus Christ?Is Christ truly alive in me and, when I speak is it he or I? Since he, is alive in me, can I or will I allow him to speak?
He is, in me. He walks we me and talks with me, he tells me I am his own. Do you feel that same presence of Christ? The Bible says, even Christ himself said: hide not your light under a bushel, let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify God which is in heaven.
How do you think God defines good works? What is your light? Is it not Christ in you? When Christ made the statement that he must be about the father’s business or he must do the works of the father that sent him was he simply speaking of being a good person or was it more to it than that? Would you agree with me that Jesus Christ living a perfect life was only part of what was important? Won’t you agree that, when he spoke, it was God that was doing the speaking? Are we not supposed to allow God to speak the same way, using our lips of clay? If all we do is look good, what good are we to him?
A baby can’t speak, all he or she can do is make noise. Is that where we are? I Corinthians 13 is a very powerful chapter. It starts with saying or describing what we are without love. “ A SOUNDING BRASS AND A TINKLING SYMBOL.” We mentioned love a while back. Do you love as men love or is it truly loving like Christ loved?
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I acted as a child, I done very childish things. Did I ever become a man and put away child- like things? The Apostle Paul said he did but, did I? He also made the statement: My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you. ( Galatians 4:19 )
Am I willing to suffer, like a woman bringing a Child into this world, ( until Christ is formed in a new believer?) A woman’s pain while bringing a child into this worldis severe and last for as long as it takes to bring about birth. Do I slap the very hand that is trying to form the life of Christ in me? Or how far do I fall short of suffering to see that come to pass in me or in anyone else?
WHEN IS SALVATION REAL?
As An old man with grey hair and old bones, this question concerns me. It ties to this same verse. ( Until Christ be formed in you ). As we look at and read this verse, is it not saying that, while the basic journey is never complete that the formation of Christ is a constant concern of the Apostle or any person that cares about the spiritual well-being of another? When I see people that say they are saved but never show forth the fruit of the formation of Christ in their lives, that concerns me. Let’s say your wife came to you and told you she was with child. You know that the possibility of that statement is real, it’s very possible she is, however, looking at her, you see no signs that the statement is true. Will you agree with me that, if that statement is true, in just a short while you will be able to say for sure? One of the first signs or facts she might tell you, you might say, well, I don’t know, I still question it. But, as time moves on, one day, without a doubt, you’ll know. What your wife told you will be very obvious.
Should salvation be obvious as well? If Christ is in you and you say you are born again, I might doubt the reality of that statement in the beginning but, as time moves on my doubts in what you say should subside.
As a father that can’t even see the child he has fathered, are you going to beat your wife or do things to hurt her and the child she says she has? Not likely, unless you actually don’t care about her or the child. Would you agree that the father, in love will do all he can to see to and nurture his wife and child since love is present?
The mother will do the same. She will demand that her husband, the one that supplies the money for the groceries, in some cases goes and gets them, she desires for him to bring home only the things that will help develop her child into a healthy being, nothing short of perfection.
If a Church will except less from their pastor what are they saying about real salvation? If a pastor delivers less that what the spirit of God asks for, what is he saying? Is not this the same picture?
A new born babe in Christ is just like a wife that is with child, he or she is basically sitting in Church but, in a spiritual sense, they are not seen. Is it not the God given responsibility of that pastor and that Church to see to it that the babe in Christ get exactly what that babe needs from the spirit of God, nothing short of perfection?
If, the nourishment that need babe needs is not coming from these two entities, the Church and the pastor, tell me, where is it going to come from? The responsibility of a pastor, a deacon, any man that takes on a leadership responsibility in a Church a continuation of the very burden that the Apostle Paul carried in him until the day he died. The responsibility of every Church and ever member of that Church is so overwhelming that it brings tears to my eyes and draws me to my knees.
Real and true salvation is a responsibility that runs from conception until death. If we neglect so great salvation, what does that say about us.
Let’s look at a verse of scripture that we pay little attention to:
(Acts 9:15-16)
{Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name sake.}
Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life, for you, he went to the cross of Calvary, for you, he suffered the Bible says more that any man, he died for you, he rose from the dead after three days for you, he did this to see to it that what he had purchased with his own blood was secure, He promised us that he was going away but, he would send the comforter, and he did. Jesus cried from the cross: IT IS FINISHED! All that Jesus Christ we supposed to do for you and me was complete, his suffering is done, he’s going to be with the father.
In Acts chapter two the Church is born. These people have no idea, what is a Church? somebody has to take on the responsibility of the very formation of such an established new thing, who would that be?
WE find out in Acts 9.
If you doubt this you can read about it in ( Ephesians 3 ) God laid the whole responsibility of forming the doctrines that govern the Church on the shoulders of a born again sinner named Saul who changed by the new birth of Jesus Christ and became the Apostle Paul.
What if he failed? What if he refused to hear God, the Spirit that spoke to him and walked off in a spiritual sense and quit? Where would we be today?
In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul gave his all to establish a Church on sound doctrine. The doctrine given him by the very Spirit of God. Some foolish, worthless shell of a man came in behind him and was attempting to change the truth into a lie.
In the Apostle Paul’s mind, although he was a sinner, he carried the same responsibility that Jesus Christ carried, could not fail. If he did, where would the Church be?
We today take these things lightly. However, ever since the Apostle Paul died, someone has always carried the gospel of Jesus Christ forward. The true Church is still alive until this day. The reason for that is some man or men have been willing to pay whatso ever price necessary to bring the truth forward.
I don’t know much about the Catholic Church. I believe that they believe the Pope is a continuation of the Apostle Peter.
Well, guess what! You and I are a continuation of the Apostle Paul. If we fail to carry the true gospel of Jesus Christ and how it relates to the true Church forward, who will carry it? Every generation of men that are called of God has that same responsibility.
AS a man, the God man Christ Jesus, not other man could have done what he did. However. Any born again believer can carry on the responsibility of the true Church of Christ. At the same time, any person can weaken its power. Any pastor can do less than what the Spirit tells him to do and any Church can sell out to something short of where God truly desires for them to stand.
When Jesus spoke in the Revelation and made the statement: I stand at the door and knock, if any man open unto me, I will come in and sup with him and he with me. At that time Jesus was already sitting at the right hand of the father, seeing the Church he had given his life for. He was knocking as the door of the Church, desiring to come in. He actually was not speaking to and individual but the Church. Would you agree with this man with grey hair and old bones?
In order for salvation to be real, Jesus Christ must be present. Any Church that will not let him in is deceiving the people that are coming within. How does he come in? Is it not by the very same Spirit that the Apostle Paul had in him when he was preaching with power and starting Churches for the glory of God?
When is salvation real? Salvation is real anywhere the Kingdom of God is present.If the Spirit of God is alive and well in any Church then salvation is there for the taking. If that same Spirit takes abode up in an individual heart then salvation is there. If that same salvation is in the heart of any person and that person will not allow it to come out then it cannot be seen by any other person.I’ve always wondered how that could be? How can something as big as God live within a person and yet, not be seen?
That is exactly the same with any Church. If there are born again believers in a Church but those believers refuse to allow God to use them, then salvation is hiding. What good is your flesh if it actually has salvation inside it but cannot be seen?There’s a price to be paid to deliver the Spirit of God. That Spirit is offensive to those that have no desire for it, or to except it’s transforming power. It’s easy to (believe in) Jesus Christ. It’s much harder to (believe on) him. Real salvation is within the understanding of those two terms.
A man with grey hair and old bones, one that actually has the spirit of God living within him, knows the difference. The reason for that is because he has already lived within both terms. As you look at your own definition of salvation, can you say that? There are people that have (real salvation) and cannot. They never knew anything about Jesus Christ until they heard the gospel and were born again, born of his Spirit.
I knew about him, had even made a profession of faith, in other words ( believed in) him, just like Satan does. He’s not saved is he? I knew how to play the game, just like Satan does, I knew when to curse and when not to, just like Satan does. I knew who to impress and when it wasn’t important, just like Satan does. Shall I go on or is that enough? One of the easiest things in the world to do is to fake salvation. Anything fake might look very life-like but it can’t truly do the job of the real thing can it? Satan knows whether you are saved or not, so does God the father.
In a lot of cases, so does Spirit-filled people. They might not ever say it because of the wisdom they have from God, but they are impressed by his Spirit and can tell. It’s not their place to judge, but you’d be wise to allow them to speak with the power they have and be obedient to the same Spirit that lives within them.
I personally, was sprinkled in a Methodist Church as a teenager, didn’t change a thing about me. I went down to the alter in a batiste Church, the pastor came to me, he asked me if I were saved, I replied (no). He took his Bible and took me down the Roman’s road, he asked me if I wanted to be saved and, to that I replied (yes). He helped me pray the sinner’s prayer. I got up, shook a few hands and went home just exactly like it went to Church that night.
The whole time, before I was sprinkled in the Methodist Church, before I made a profession of faith and even after that night, I ( believed in) Jesus Christ. I knew and believed that he, live a perfect life, no sin in him, he suffered and died for my sin. He was crucified, died and was buried, I even believed that he arose from the dead. I was one thing missing in this man through it all, salvation. From the time I was sprinkled I was even a member of a Church.
After all this, concerning the Church and Jesus Christ, on a given Sunday morning in 1975, I was born again. I went down to an altar, all alone in a Church with a lot of people in it. I got on my knees, not one person came to my side. The only person that morning that came to my side was Jesus Christ himself. He and I reasoned together, and he took away my sin, he also took abode up in my heart. From that moment old things passed away, behold, all things became new. All of a sudden, I didn’t curse. Before that I didn’t curse in front of certain people, like my mom for instance, now I didn’t curse anywhere.
So, what’s the difference in (believing in) and Believing on)? As a man with grey hair and old bones, I might be able to explain it now. Look at this verse:
(John 3:16)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Notice what he says here, it says, whosoever ( believeth in) him. (should not) perish. Any person, such as I that possesses all the knowledge that it takes to obtain salvation should not be lost, would you agree?
Jesus said to Judas, (betrayest thou me with a kiss)? (Luke 22:48) This man walked with Jesu Christ, ate with him, took the Lord’s supper with him and died and went to a devil’s hell. He (believed in) Jesus, even kissed him on the cheek. He should not have perished, would you agree?
Even with having all the knowledge, understanding all the concepts of Christ, something else must take place, and, if not, hell will be your home.
Do you realize that Jesus himself was speaking in John 3:16? God, speaking through the body of flesh that he lived in, speaking of himself made the point that, as you see me in this body of flesh, not should not perish if you believe in me.
Now, look at this verse: (John 1:12) In this verse, Jesus is not the one speaking, but rather John the beloved. But guess what, it’s the same spirit, in other words, God, through his spirit that is alive in another man, speaks. Look at what he says;
BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVE HIM. TO THEM GAVE HE THE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, EVEN TO THEM THAT (BELIEVE ON) HIS NAME: WHICH WAS BORN, NOT OF BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD.
This man with grey hair and old bones understands that my mom’s desire was for me to be saved, not only that but there were other people that also desired for me to change, that was the desire of their flesh. In my own flesh, I desired to look good, that’s why I didn’t curse in front of certain people. I tell you,they were very happy when I went down to be baptized, it made them feel really good when I joined Church. They believed, in the fact that I was saved. I had done all that they required and as far as they could see, it was real, I made sure of that. The only real problem was, God didn’t know anything about it. The Spirit of God that abode in Jesus and, in John the beloved still did not abide in me. I (believed in) and those people around me that I desired to impress, also (believed in) but that did not change the fact that God did not know me.
In November 1975, on a Sunday morning, forgetting all about what mama thought or any of the other people thought. Forgetting about being baptized or Church membership, I had a conversation with the very same spirit that lived in Jesus Christ and John the beloved. For the first time in my life I realized who and what I truly was. I realized that I could not help myself and even at my best, I was hopelessly lost in sin. I, as a sinner, laid my all on him and his finished work, I stopped (believing in) him and began to (Believe on) and I became a son of God. That transformation came about because I(believed on) his name. I’m still a sinner, I try not to practice what I know I am but seek to do his will. I promise you that throughout eternity, even on my death bed I’ll be completely sitting (on) his finished work.
As a man with grey hair and old bones I have a burden for those people that cannot see, nor do they understand the difference in the two terms.
I know that the point I’m about to make, I can’t prove. The point here is to make you think. First of all, do you realize that if you would have had the privilege of actually walking with Jesus Christ from the time he began his ministry until he was crucified, you would still have to believe all he said about himself by faith. If you remember. After Jesus was crucified, the Apostle Peter was going to fish again. Even before Jesus was born there were people that believe, even died believing by faith that he was to come. The person I want you to think about is Thomas. He walked with Jesus. Even talked with him, broke bread with him, He made the statement that unless he could touch the wounds he would not believe.(John 20:25). All of a sudden Jesus appeared and said; Peace be with you. Reach forth thine finger, and so on. At that Thomas replied: my Lord and my God. My question I to you, was that the moment that Thomas stopped (believing in) and started (believing on)? Jesus said on that day to Thomas; you believe because you see. Blessed are they that believe and have seen not.
This man with grey hair and old bones is very confident in all that I believe. When this world is on fire, I’ll be standing on the word of God, knowing that my faith in Jesus Christ is solid and worth all we, as believers have to face.
An evangelist friend of mine that use to come to my home Church to hold revivals had a saying that I adopted for my own. { I’m so confident in my salvation that I’ll swing out over hell on a rotten grape vine and spit in the devil’s eye} He cannot touch me, not as far as my salvation is concerned. He can tempt me, even win in some of the battles I face but he cannot touch my salvation.
Salvation has got to be real, only an individual can decide whether theirs is real. Consider this, from this man with grey hair and old bones. When I first heard that saying from that evangelist, do you think I had that confidence in what I said I believed? No I didn’t. The fact that this man pushed my faith to that point cause me, by the spirit that lived within me to study and find those answers. That kind of preaching stirs the man that lives within,it causes the flesh to desire to know, to learn, to become that person that will stand and make that kind of statements for the glory of God.The average Church member might just say, he’s lying,he can’t be that secure, in what he can’t see. With this kind of mindset, it’s easier to make a statement like that, just assume that person is just like you and stay just as you are.
I’m just like the Apostle Paul. He said he was persuaded that Christ was able to keep him against that day. I am as well. Let me ask you something; if every person in any given Church only has a {hope so } salvation, Is the Holy Spirit in that building? Did the Apostle Paul deliver a {hope so} salvation or a {know so}salvation?
Another question that could be asked; if there are people within a Church that are truly born again, filled with the spirit of God but they never get to speak, are they beneficial to the Church? In a Church setting such as the Church of Galatia that situation was very possible. The pastor of the Church was preaching something false, but we already know that there were believers within that Church. If the Apostle Paul had been free to be at that Church, wonder what we would have done?
For a man with grey hair and old bones, these things I ponder. In any given situation, what should I do? Is God pleased with what I do? Am I willing to suffer for the cause of Christ? Am I too comfortable just as I am, therefore, I don’t rock the boat?
Let me tell you a story. I was working at a Church on day, actually finishing up a job. My helper and I needed some light bulbs, so I sent him to the shop to get some. I was standing by a glass door watching an old man walk up the sidewalk to the entrance. When he walked in, he shook my hand and asked me if I went to Church anywhere? I replied; yes, I go to Faith Baptist Church. We were standing in a Methodist Church. He replied to my answer; Oh! You’re a Baptist, it’s not any difference in us. I said to him, I disagree, I believe it is. He said, what’s the difference? Well. I know I’m going to heaven when I die, Do you? His answer was {no} and you don’t either. I said, Sir, now you can’t tell me what I know. Just because you don’t know doesn’t mean nobody does, or you can’t know. The Bible says you can know. He argued, no it doesn’t. I said well, let’s find a Bible and see. I led him to a Sunday School room in search of a Bible. Once we found one I turned to (1 John 5:13) and read; { these things have I written unto you that (believe on) the name of the son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may ( believe on) the name of the son of God}.
He stood there for a moment, staring at the scripture and then looked at me and said; I don’t care I still don’t believe it.
He was a man with grey hair and old bones. He had spent his life supporting a denomination, a building, but doing nothing as far as his spiritual education was concerned. I only point out the two denominations because of the story line. The fact we went to different denominations is not the issue. There are people that set in Churches with very powerful spirit filled men of God and spiritually starve to death, even die with little knowledge of scripture.
As a man with grey hair and old bones I know that people say, more often than not, what they are taught to say. For instance, in some denominations everybody says the hope they go to heaven when they die, therefore, as people join that Church, they as simply say what they hear. There are denominations that teach that you know you are going to heaven when you die, therefore, they all say that. In either case the actual people that are speaking with their mouth really don’t know one way or the other. All they know is what they have been taught to say.
Does God want us to be parrots or spirit filled people with our own knowledge of scripture. To this man with grey hair and old bones it’s ignorance. If a man walked up to you and told you he had cancer, are you going around and telling everyone you have cancer? Well, tell the difference. If that man has knowledge he has cancer, does that mean you have the same knowledge? In some cases, you can’t even tell he has it. If you are thinking, I wouldn’t make a statement like that. Then why do you say the same thing spiritually that someone else says without have knowledge of the truth?
The man with grey hair and old bones has some news to share with you. No Church, no pastor, no denomination will take you to heaven. Believe it or not, you’ll stand before you judge, Jesus Christ on your own merit, with no one else to blame but yourself for yourignorance or lack of knowledge.
Salvation has to be real, it’s not a fakable entity, at least not before God. You might get by with a lot of things at your local Church but if it’s not real, it will surly cost in the end.
[ TIME IS A PROPHET THAT HAS NEVER TOLD A LIE ].
LOOK AT YOU!
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
As an old man with grey hair, I ponder this statement as well. Lord, can I put into words what your desire is for me to say here? I ask for your wisdom.
If we allow ourselves to go back to the very beginning of this age. We call it the grace age. It began on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts and continues until this day. We now know that the Apostle Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles and he went about starting New Testament Churches. As far as I know, no other Apostle started even one. That might be in my ignorance but basically each of the Churches we see recorded in Scripture was started by him. As we read each of the epistles, they are letters that the Apostle wrote to Churches he had formed. I realize that he didn’t write all of the epistles but the ones he did write were to either exhort a Church that was doing well, or he was writing totry to correct something that was being taught, being done in error.Even the Churches that were doing well and were not in error he still pushed them to a higher spiritual level, he was never satisfied with their spiritual level.
I’d like for you to take the time to read this a whole chapter that is found in:
(1 Corinthians chapter two)
As people that are members of any given Church today, do we just assume that we are where God, through and by his spirit, is satisfied with us? I would argue that the people at this Church felt the same way. In their carnal minds they were satisfied. They could not see any spiritual need that they had. These people were wrapped tightly in their own flesh and were only feeding on the milk of God’s word with no desire to go any deeper.What would going deeper mean? Were they at all willing to pay that price? The Bible says in (1 Timothy 6:6) Godliness with contentment is great gain.
Any person or Church can be content and not be Godly at all or, they can be Godly and not be content, however if you ever can reach the place in your spiritual walk that you have obtained both, then that my friend is great gain.I personally do not believe a Church can ever reach that point, that’s why we need pastors and teacher to continually press that issue.
Far too often we get content just as we are. That’s exactly where the Church of Corinth was in their spiritual journey. At one point in this letter the Apostle Paul actually told them to pray for the destruction of the flesh of an individual that the soul might be saved. If you’ll notice the Apostle didn’t judge him as lost for his actions but was not willing to tolerate that kind of sin in the body of a believer. (1 Corinthians 5:5).
In the book of Galatians we see where they were being taught that they had to, not only except Christ but to also keep the law. In Corinthians it’s somewhat just the opposite, they we living just as they pleasedin the flesh and still claimed Christ as their savior. In neither case is God pleased. The reason for that is that neither is being led by the Spirit of God.
As a man with grey hair and old bones my question would be: Is any person trying to or seeking to please God the father through his spirit? I’m an electrician by trade. Over the years how good of a job have I done in teaching others the art of the trade? The Apostle Paul, how good was he at teaching or instructing other believers to listen to, hear and obey the spirit of God? He was a tent maker by trade. I suppose that he and I might have done a fair job of teaching our trade but, how easy is it to teach another person the hear the spirit? Above all the noise of the world, all the chaos we see and hear and see, can it be done? Can you, as an individual that says you are born into God’s family hear his voice when he speaks to you, and can you obey that spirit?
As a man with o grey hair and old bones I believe it has to do with a person desiring to hear. A yearning for something more than just what one seesvisually with their eyes or hears with their ears. As a matter of fact the Apostle Paul is teaching that right here in this chapter.Look at verse (7) but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto his glory: Now that’s verse(7), we’ll get back to that in a moment. Let’s look at verse(8) first. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
This one line in verse (7) which God ordained before the world unto his glory. That verse is saying that all the world needed to see was right in front of them and they could not see it, and that was unto his glory.
The people in control of the leadership of this world could not see that crucifying Christ was to God’s glory. If they were wise enough to see that one fact, they would never have killed him.
Most people that knows anything about scripture knows the story of God leading his people, Israel out of bondage in Egypt. To him that was a simple thing. The real question is, how can he get Egypt out of Israel. Although they were not in bondage to a nation, they were still in bondage to themselves.
Sin is the same way with us. We can ask Christ into our hearts, but how do we get free from the sin that embodies us?
That is hidden from this world. It’s a mystery that God desires to share with those that believe, that is, if we can get beyond being in bondage to sin.
The people of the Church of Galatia thought that as long as we look good to other people, we are spiritual. The people of Corinth thought they could be spiritual just as they were, neither were correct.
God’s desire is that we learn to see the things that the world cannot see or hear. We must remember that our flesh is of this world. Only the Spirit, His Spirit that lives within us is spiritual. That Spirit hungers for each of us to desire to seek for, find and understand the hidden mysteries in scripture, not just the things of the world.As long as we only seek the things of the flesh, we are exactly like the people of the world, even if we are born again and are faithful to our local Church. The world can see and understand Biblical stories and characters. God’s desire if for us to seek the things that only spiritual people with spiritual eyes and ears can see and understand. The Bible, the word of the God of this universe, since we are born of his spirit, lives within each of us. Spiritually mature men and women of God are supposed to teach babes in Christ to see these things. You can count on this, if a lost person is sitting close to you and hears what you are saying they will think it’s foolish, that is until they, themselves are born by the Spirit of God.
As a man with grey hair and old bones let me share something that just makes me swell up inside. The things that I say are simply nuggets that I, because of the spirit that drives me,has sought out in scripture. That means the you, as believers can learn far beyond me and add to all that I might say.
It also means that I might not be correct in all that I say. My desire is for you to look at what I say and learn thereby, If I need to be corrected then you learn what is spiritually correct and go, teach others that they might see.
Genesis is rich in thing such as this. We see it time after time. Without me writing the scripture, I’ll just share these things with you and you can find it in Genesis. A man named Abraham was a man that God used to actually bring about the Nation of Israel. God promised Abraham that he and his wife Sarah would have a son that would be the father of a great nation. The problem for Abraham and Sarah was they were both aging. Sarah was beyond the age that normal women thatwould be able to bare children, but still, no son. Therefore Sarah told Abraham to go into her handmaid that she might bare a son for him. Now, let’s stop here and look at this. Do you think that God placed that story in scripture simply to show people, like me that Abraham went into a handmaid and had a child by her? Or that Sarah allowed it? Maybe so a preacher could preach against adultery, and show how wrong it is or what sin brings about? Well, the people of the world. People of flesh would know that, don’t you think? Just on the fleshly side those things are easily seen, but that not what God desire you believers to see, remember( the hidden things, the mystery )?
Wonder why Sarah come up with that idea? Why not Abraham? Another question could be; why did Abraham do it?
This picture is a very spiritual picture that is hidden and a mystery to most people of this world. There is a spiritual lesson for both the Church and for each individual here in what God is revealing through scripture. It has to do with the weakness of our flesh and the damage that takes place because of the weakness. First of all, it was Sarah that had little faith in what God could do. She is a type of the local Church or we could say the Church in general. We already know that Abraham is a type of Christ in many ways, just as Adam was, and Eve was a type of the bride of Christ, just as Sarah was.Can you see the relevance between these two couples? When Eve was tempted by Satan to bite the fruit, she had no children. When Sarah made this request of Abraham, they had no Children.
In both instances the first son born to either man, being Adam or Abraham were, spiritually speaking, was,of the flesh. We now know that both men, being Cain, Adam’s first born and, Ismael, being Abraham’s first bornwere physically blessed in the sense that they both reproduced and had sons.
With this in mind. Let’s look at something common to both of these women, wives and types of the body of Christ, the Church. Let’s start with Eve. In (Genesis 4:25) Look at what Eve said: { For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. )
Even in that picture: can you see a picture of Adam failing and Christ gaining back what Adam lost? { 1 Corinthians 15:46-47} Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterwards that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. Abel is a spiritual type of Adam. Seth is a Spiritual type of Christ which continues.
Now, going back to with Eve making that statement, wasn’t she concerned about the spiritual aspect more than she was the physical? The first man was of the flesh, he slew the spirit man, Abel. Eve, being a type of the Church was concerned about the spiritual aspect continuing, not the physical aspect of man. Can we even say that, in the beginning it was the serpent that tempted the church, in the body of Eve? Today it is the flesh, the serpent within that tempts the Church, we just can’t see him with our eyes.
We now know that Sarah did, by the power of God, have a son. His name is Isaac. Now she has two sons under the same tent. That can’t be, in her mind. One of them has to go. Wasn’t both of them by her choice? The only difference is the second son, being the spirit man was not within her own power, was it? It was by the power of God. At any rate, she chose to make Ismael and his mother leave. Sarah, being a type of the Church expelled the physical aspect and kept the spiritual. Is that not the whole concept of the Church? The responsibility of the Church is to get rid of the physical and to feed the spiritual.
Now, when we speak of this, do you think that the flesh or the physical is just going to die? That my friend will never happen. However we do see something here. Didn’t Abraham supply food and water for their journey? Didn’t God sustain the flesh and even promise to keep them? Again God also told Abraham that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Isn’t (that seed) Jesus Christ?
So much to see here. God told Abraham here to harken unto his wife Sarah. So we see that a man, a pastor has to be wise and know when the spirit of God is telling him to hear his wife or, the Church and when not to hear her. He also has to be willing to stand against the temptation to yield to what she desires for him to do and, by faith stay the course of the Holy Spirit with patience, waiting for God to deliver and not the flesh.
God, in his wisdom allows for your flesh to be cared for. That flesh is the vessel that he, by the power of the Holy Spirit uses to carry out his will. But, that is only if we allow our flesh to do so.
In the spiritual picture we see that God sustains the flesh, but his desire is for the spirit man to show forth through the flesh that he sustains.
Now, back to Sarah. Although she, being a type of the Church offered Abraham another avenue to have a son, wasn’t it still his choice to do so? We often get caught up in the fact that Abraham committed adultery and it was wrong to do so. If that was the case only God could have known it because Abraham live over 400 years before God gave Moses the law. The sin of Abraham was not sin as we look at it but, just like us, he did not stand on God’s word. He trusted more in the flesh and yielded to that flesh. He could have simply told Sarah, God is faithful What he has promised He will deliver.
If a spiritual man is standing behind a pulpit and doing his best to show forth his faith in Christ, doing all he can to follow the will of God without any intention of settling for less, then in every case it will be the Church that gets impatient. In their minds they don’t think things are going well. The Church will approach the pastor with this problem and tell him that something needs to change. That’s the weakness of the body of Christ. Sarah is a type of that weakness. She is seeing a need for a child to be born. The Church thinks more people needs to be coming and we need to do something to make this happen. Just as it’s not Sarah’s place to set spiritual policy, it’s also never the Churches place to set Spiritual policy, it’s the pastors or the husbands.
A lot of pastors and men have children after their wife’s handmaiden, spiritually speaking; the wife condones this, she even creates the situation, the pastor or husband just simply yields to the temptation to bring about that physical birth.
Well, we now know that Abraham did have a son by the handmaid. The problem is that it was not of God. That wasn’t the promise that he made to Abraham. Do you realize that God made this promise to Abraham and not to Sarah in the beginning? Wasn’t it then Abraham’s responsibility to teach Sarah faith in God? To spiritually be her solid rock. We also know that when Sarah did hear the angel of the Lord speaking to Abraham and told him that he and his wife would have a son,( see laughed within herself).Those angels there were messengers, sent from God, they knew what she was thinking. Do you think you can sit in your Church, be something less than God desires for you to be and God not know what truly on your heart or mind?
As a man with grey hair and old bones, over the years as a believer I’ve heard people make this remark: Well, you can’t help that man or woman, they’re too far gone. Isn’t that the same mindset as Sarah had? In this group of verses here we also see this phrase; IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOER THE LORD? Now, at this time, when she made this statement Ismael had already been born.
Friends, please hear this; once, as a Church you began to settle for less that the Spirit of God to leadit or us as an individual, Satan has taken over the mindset of the marriage. That marriage being, the relationship between Christ and his bride, the Church.
In the husbands we are seeing here, being Adam and Abraham, they are weak through the flesh. They are mere types of Christ and his finished work. Christ did not and will not fail. Since Christ did not and will not fail, where does that leave us as the Church? We, the Church are the only avenue Satan has to corrupt the cause of Christ. It begins with the doubt of the Church, her willingness to do something, anything to have what she desires. The Church, corrupting the pastor; because of his willingness to settle for less than the true power of God. We, as men, pastors are just like Adam and Abraham, weak through the flesh. However, Christ will not fail, and the true Church will live on.
Can we see the Church in the children of Adam? We know that Abraham had only two sons. But Adam had many sons and daughters ( Genesis 5:4 ) However, the only one that counted or truly was pleasing to Eve, a type of the true Church was Seth, the spirit man, the second man. Can you see the picture? You can fill a Church completely up with people but the only ones that God sees is the ones that’s truly born into his family, ( born again ).
We are born of flesh, just like Adam and Eve’s first son and Abraham and Sarah’s first son. Both of their second sons were the spiritual sons. Our first birth is only important to God the father if we are born again and allow him to use that body of flesh for his glory.
We can fill a Church up with people like Cain or Ismael both of which kill the true spirit of God. It all looks good but where is God?
( Genesis 18:12-18 ) Well, why didn’t Abraham refuse to do what Sarah, his wife was asking him to do? That proves that Abraham’s faith was weak as well, or was it? Can you see how a man can know in his spirit that God is able, believe that by faith, but at the same time yield to the flesh. He yielded to, shall we say, the Churches desire.
Far too often we get caught up in the physical, sinfulness of mankind. We know that Adultery is sin and not of God. That is true in either male or female. However that is not what God desires for us to see in the spiritual sense. His desire is for his children to have spiritually mature eyes. His desire is for his children to see the sin of the Church. The spiritual sin, what happens between the pastor, the head of the Church and, the spiritual leadership.That which God has placed on this earth for the salvation of people.
To bring this segment of this to an end, I’ll say this. You can teach a man or woman not to commit adultery, but that doesn’t make them closer to God. You can teach a wife to be submissive to her own husband, but she is still no closer to God. You can teach your Children to obey you as their parents, but they are still no closer to God.
The Bible says in 1 Timothy that Adam was not deceived. This blesses my heart. After Eve had bitten the fruit, she offered it to her husband, Adam which is a type of Christ. I can see Adam standing there, in his mind he knew his love for his wife. He knew if he didn’t bite that same fruit he would be separated from the wife he loved forever. Therefore, he willingly bit the fruit. Christ willingly came to this world, lived in the same temptation we, as members of his bride have to live in and we, every one of us gave in to sinful temptation. Christ did it without yielding to that temptation.
Adam lost the garden of Eden and cast this world in to sin. The second Adam purchased that home back for Israel and also prepared a place for His bride, 1500 hundred miles of pure gold, our heavenly home.
( I Believe )
What that means is: you don’t have to believe it just because I do. I believe it takes the hidden things in scripture to bring about salvation. That might not necessarily mean that we have to understand that to be saved. The person sharing the gospel or the person receiving to gospel. It’s like child birth, a child doesn’t understand that. Sometimes the person having the child doesn’t understand it all, bit it happens just the same.
Jesus told Nicodemus: ( John 3:3 ) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That my friend is a spiritual statement. If you look beyond that spiritual statement made by salvation himself you will see that Nicodemus did not understand that. Therefore Jesus had to try end explain it to him. Explaining the things we can plainly see will not save anyone. It takes the unseen hand and truth to birth a person into the family of God.
WE SHALL CONTINUE!
Spiritual teaching:: Teaching lessons for Sunday School 