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In Luke 8:4-8, Jesus gives the Parable of the Sower. He gives the parable and in verse 9, His disciples come to him looking for an explanation. You see, He says the one who has ears to hear, let him hear. So they come! This is how Jesus is going to minister now. He's going to speak publicly in parables. If somebody has a heart, or an ear to hear, they are going to come and ask Him what does it mean? I think that is very significant!
As the Lord does minister to the general public all at once, but His serious ministry is really giving the word and drawing people to find out what the word says. It's not enough just to sit and listen. He's going to tell us that. So he says the one who has ears to hear let him hear.
But notice that there are 4 types of soil. The soil represents 4 different heart conditions. In this parable, there is only one out of the four that represents salvation, and that is the number 4 soil, the seed that fell on good ground. That is the only one that actually produced fruit.
The other three types of soil (Heart conditions) represent those who receive the same seed, but they either reject it immediately because of the hardness of their heart, they initially receive it with joy but they have no root and therefore will never produce fruit (No salvation). And then you have seed that falls among thorns, and they go forth and the cares (MERIMA) of the world choke them out and they bring no fruit to perfection. There's no salvation there because bringing fruit to perfection is salvation.
So everyone who hears the word will fall into one of these four categories. But only one of the four refers to salvation.
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.->(Rev.13:v.13-15
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be DAMNED who believed not the truth(believed not in JESUS), but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
5 And from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,
and the Prince of the kings of the earth-Israel.
Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father;
to Him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds;
and every eye shall see Him,
and they also which pierced Him:
and all kindreds(tribes) of the earth(israel) shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come,
the Almighty.
You might recall reading 2 Thessalonians 2:3 where Paul said let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, meaning the tribulation period, except there come a falling away first. Again, the term "falling away" is the word APOSTASIA, apostasy. A moving away from correct doctrine will happen first before the man of sin is revealed.
He is indicating for us that things are going to get worse as far as getting away from the faith. Please notice that it doesn't say church, and it doesn't say the bible. It says the faith. All true doctrine will encourage and teach people to put their trust in Christ for everything.
Now, if you are asking if these are believers that will be led astray, I am someone who believes that there must be division in the church. There must be! Paul says there must also be heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
According to the bible, there are two divisions that take place, a preaching division, and a teaching division. Preaching is for non-believers to encourage them to receive Christ. Teaching is for those who have received Him. So the first division that takes place is when the non-believer hears the gospel, receives Christ, and is separated from the world.
The second division takes place in the church. How does that happen? Well, Paul told us that heresies are necessary. John tells us that it is necessary for people to leave us and follow after false doctrine in order to show us that they never were really of God to begin with.
These are not saved people losing their salvation or falling from grace. They left in order to show that they were never saved to begin with. A true believer will never fall away and follow false teachers, grievous wolves, because they will not listen to the voice of a stranger.
Before I continue, I just want to say that none of these verses have anything to do with a genuine believer falling from grace, or losing their salvation.
1 Timothy 4:1: He says now the spirit speaks expressly, or clearly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. I'll break it down because this is very important.
He says now there Spirit speaks clearly. So there wasn't any doubt what God's Spirit was saying in these days about the warning in the church. In Acts chapter 20, right before Paul died and before he saw the leaders from Ephesus for the last time, he called them over to Miletus and he told the elders that after his departing, all grievous wolves will enter in among you not sparing the flock.
He says out from your own selves, that is people right out from you.
So these won't be strangers. And they will speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Paul warned them for three years and he told them to watch. Paul in tears was saying "Do you not understand that after I'm gone, grievous wolves, false teachers are going to come in, and even some among you are going to rise up in your church, and with false teaching, they are going to draw people away from the correct doctrine.
It says in latter times, some, not all, but some shall depart from the faith. The term depart is the word APOSTASIA. It is the Greek word for apostasy. The definition of apostasy is moving away from a fixed position. So these people has a fixed position in Christ doctrinally, meaning they stood firm on what they believed. But they have been moved.
In Galatians chapter 1, Paul says I'm surprised that you're so quickly removed from the one who called you, into a different gospel. It happens a lot, even more so in our day.
Due to space, I'm going to have to do a part 2 on this verse ( 1 Tim. 4:1).
"If you are afraid you have fallen away because you had thoughts of unbelief and doubt, is it possible that you have not apostatized because you are worried about it? As in if you questioned your faith and felt faithless will God forgive that or are you doomed because you were not faithful when trying to research and prove to yourself that Christianity is true and felt discouraged and confused. Since then have been praying for forgiveness and understanding but according to Hebrews 6:4-6, it looks really bad. Now I am sitting at home just worried that I have unwittingly forfeited my salvation because I was scared and confused and weak in faith. This is incredibly stressful."
Now I realize that I was arrogant to question God and asking questions isn't wrong but not seeking help from a mature Christian first was dumb
Verse 7: After that, and again the Greek word shows succession. According to Galatians chapter 1, this is James, the Lord's brother. We know from John 7:5 that when many people stopped following Jesus, the Lord's half-brothers came to Him and were taunting Him. It tells us that His brothers did not believe in Him.
So apparently, all the way up to His death, His burial, and then His resurrection, He appears to James. How would you like to have an older brother who when you were growing up with him was absolutely perfect and appeared to be like God? Chances are, you're not going to believe it. For me, it would be like "Oh, he finally got himself in trouble huh? They finally caught up to him for pretending to be the Messiah, so they crucified him. Well, he's dead now and I'm sure going to miss him, because you know, he's my brother!"
And all of a sudden Jesus appears in the room. Oh, now they believe! There had to be an event beyond the human capacity for James to believe.
Finally, Verse 8: And last of all he was seen by me also, as of one born out of due time. Why would Paul designate himself that way? You have to read through verses 9-11 for the answer. In verse 9, he says he is the least of the apostles. In the Greek text, he says I am the last of the apostles. There will be no more!
Verse 10 is one of the greatest statements in scripture. You will always find Paul, when he is talking about the ministry work that he is involved in, he will name himself as the vessel to show the responsibility. He always puts the disclaimer on his presentation to show that it is not him working, but the grace of God working in him. Verse 11 pretty much sums it up.
I'll go over 1 Timothy 4:1 with you next.
Secondly in verse 4, it says and He was buried. Some commentaries will not list this as a second thing, but it is just important as all the rest. When you bury someone, you have proven that they died. They buried Him. And they put soldiers outside because they remembered that Jesus said He would rise on the 3rd day. The soldiers guarded the tomb. What they were doing by that is that they were helping God prove that there was a resurrection because Christ was raised while they were there.
Thirdly, He rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures. Again, Psalm 16, especially verses 9 to 11 about the resurrection of Christ.
And then fourthly in Verse 5, He was seen. It's not just the first three in that He died, was buried, and rose, but He was seen!
Verse 6: After that, and the phrase "after that" shows succession. He's giving it to us in order. He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remains unto this present day, but some are fallen asleep. The word death literally means separation. The spirit leaves the body, and the physical body just lies dead, sleeping! But the person's spirit is still alive.
Fallen asleep is the Christian phrase and designation for death. There are two reasons why Christians use the word sleep for death. One reason is because if you ever seen someone lying in a casket, it looks like they are sleeping. Secondly, death indicates permanency, where sleep is just temporary.
I will close out verses 7 and 8 in one more post.
There is a lot to share from 1 Corinthians 15:2-8 so I had to break this section up.
1 Corinthians 15:2-8 (Part 1)
Verse 2: It says by which, or more literally, through which you are also being saved. Please notice that I put the word "being" in there because it is a passive continually abiding in a process of being saved. When a person is saved, that is not the finish line. It is the starting line. When you're saved, you're saved. So you've been saved in the past. You are being saved now in that your salvation is being worked out. And in the future, you will be saved!
So it's a constant process of salvation. It doesn't mean that we're any less saved last month than we are today. It's just that salvation is a process that continues to work in us because first we are delivered. And that's what saved means. We are delivered from Satan. But then there's a restoration process where we are healed in the renewing of our minds.
Paul says that we remain in this process. Once we are saved, we are always in the process of being saved. So in order for a person to not be saved, they just have to drop out as to say I no longer belong in the process. Well then, they never were to begin with because it is a continuous process. The characteristic of a person who is truly saved is the person to whom God ministers His word to them, and it is received in their spirit, and it remains there (MENO).
Verse 3: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. Galatians 1:12 tells us that Paul received his gospel from Jesus Christ. So he's telling them that he delivered to them the same gospel he received from Christ.
There are 4 things in the content of the gospel message in the Greek text. First of all, how Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures ( Psalm 22, Isaiah 53).
Part 2 to be continued:
Do you mean your original question at the top of this thread?
I think struggle is common and normal. Paul openly admitted struggling with the flesh. I think this life is a test of our character and an ongoing challenge to emulate Jesus. We're sinners by nature, and we're covered by grace when we are genuine Christ followers. There's plenty of stuff to practice and be proactive with: armor of God, fruit of spirit, being a good neighbor, disclipling others, evangelism, etc.
I think part of the great deception is satan convincing Christians its ok to commit unlimited sin that our actions have zero consequence and we're getting in heaven regardless. It's unbiblical, is self-contradictory, and dangerous in my opinion. Satan is the father of all lies and behind pretty much every lie. I suppose some believe think satan is deceiving us into being more obedient than we need to be? What a strange argument. Obviously its the opposite, that most people are going to hell, including deceived Christians who stopped following Jesus and are unknowingly following the world (satan). Then our beliefs will be attacked if we attempt to call it out, which is interesting.
If everyone was going to heaven regardless, pretty much all of the new testament and all the teachings of Jesus wouldn't be relevant according to that view. But the reality is the opposite and some really should fear God. He's not just a buddy who gave a hall pass to commit unlimited sin and he's not a genie in a lamp there to serve us- quite the opposite. God hasn't given anyone immunity from judgment. 2 Corinthians 5:10 - there's someone on here who even claimed that Hitler will go in heaven. Deception and ignorance.
We need to get our act together and fast, because end times are near and judgment is near. Jesus already predicted what will happen- most will assume they're going to heaven, but they won't: Matthew 7:22
It's through grace we hope to be saved, but we MUST follow Him (ongoing action).
Picking up with Galatians 5:4: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law;
What Christ did for you on the cross will have no effect on your life whatsoever if you're going to try to be justified by the law rather than faith in Jesus Christ.
But then it says you are fallen from grace, and this is where we sit and debate this one phrase. Please allow me to break it down for you. The word fallen is actually a nautical term. It's from the shipping industry and it's when a ship gets off course. An example would be found in Acts 27:32, when Paul and the others were involved in the ship disaster. The soldiers cut off the rope from the boat and let it fall off. The word fall is the same word for getting off course. Just let the boat drift. There's no set course.
Basically, what Paul is telling them is that they had stopped functioning in the sphere of grace. That statement is very important to understand. They stopped functioning in the sphere of grace and began functioning in legalism. The two don't match!
Some teach that this means they lost their salvation. But it means to be off course. A perfect example would be the story of the prodigal son. The prodigal son never lost his position as a son. He never lost it! He squandered much of the provision of the promises for him of his father, but he never lost his position as a son.
You see, that's what happens when a believer gets off course and follows teaching that is not correct. We get off course but we don't lose our salvation. We don't lose our son-ship as a child of God.
I'll go over with you 1 Corinthians 15:2-8 next. There's a bit to share in those seven verses.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9
"The Lord is my refuge and strength, an ever present help in troublesome times. Therefore will I not fear, though the earth move and the mountains are cast into the sea." I hope this is a blessing to you! I will pray for you!
When you write "you" it sounds like you are judging or assuming my beliefs, which you don't know. This is the 2nd time in a row you've made assumptions about people. It's weird, because you're saying things to people who may agree with much of what you say until you start making up stuff about what others may or may not believe.
America will exit from being militarily overpowered by China, with Russia leading the charge. When America pushes too far east, they will fall hard, and the world will witness the death Mystery Babylon. The Arab world will break out in song.
You know and expose the US as a shoe-in for the daughter of Babylon, but still can't see America for who they are, or come to terms with her fate. Who's left on the planet that fits such end-time descriptions? Today, now, with the back and forthing, blaming Russia fits Revelation 17 perfectly. Putin showering US leaders with flatteries, and all this doesn't register? Do you want a list of scriptural traits? God, according to the prophets, is not on America's side, neither Israel's, and God joins forces fight with our enemies, Russia and China, to suddenly bring America down to hell. If you think America/Israel survive the coming day of the Lord, abomination of desolation, you are not an honest watchman. It's equivalent to saying, if America survives the sixth trumpet strike, Jesus would return at the seventh trumpet to defeat America and the beast army at His second coming. Fat chance.
2 Peter 2:20: For if they have escaped the pollutions of the world, and please notice this: (Through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ). They have responded to the truth, the facts about Jesus. And they've come and said yes, this is true. And they are entangled therein, and they are overcome. The concept is: the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. (Read the Parable of the Sower to see what category the "they" in verse 20 represent.
2 Peter 2:21: Notice the emphasis is on what they know. They haven't surrendered their life to Christ. But these false teachers came into the church and they latched onto false teachers that taught them how to go out into the world and get sin "In the name of Jesus." The last state is worse than the first.
2 Peter 2:22: But it happened unto them (A fulfilment of Proverbs 26:11). But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow, that is, the pig that is washed to the wallowing in the mire.
You can wash a pig all day long but it will always return to the mud. It's the same with people. They can be clean on the outside, but filthy on the inside. There has to be transformation and change. Cleaning people on the outside does no good. A person has to be cleansed from within.
The "them" in verse 22 are the same ones being spoken of in verse 20. These are not saved people walking away. Please read those three verses and think about it. Again, the Parable of the Sower would help in understanding who these three verses are speaking of.
I go over Galatians 5:4 in another post.
1st, the death of former Levitical priests always required subsequent replacements (v.23).
The repetitious replacements of the Levitical priests necessitated a "change" (v.12) in the "Order" of the priesthood from the temporary "the Order of Aaron" to that of the permanent "the Order of Melchisedec" (v.11; Ps. 110:4).
LORD JESUS CHRIST occupies this "changed" priestly Order, for "HE taketh away the first (animal sacrifices by the Levitical priests), that HE may establish the second (CHRIST's own bodily Sacrifice)" ( Heb. 10:9).
This "second" establishment effectively and permanently "sanctified [the believing worshippers] through the offering of the Body of JESUS CHRIST once for all" ( Heb. 10:10; cp. Heb. 7:25).
2nd, the Law, through "commandment" provided the process of priestly succession. Note, here, this commandment is described as "carnal" (v.16) {pertaining to the flesh}, meaning the commandment only applied to human priests in the blood line of the Levitical tribe.
The term "carnal" also speaks of each of the Levitical priest's brief temporariness in office. Death ended each priest's tenure in contrast to that of Melchesidec's (v.3), and of CHRIST's Eternal Priesthood (vv. 16, 21 & 24-25).
3rd, while Levitical priests received their authorization merely through a "carnal commandment", JESUS CHRIST received HIS authorized Priestly appointment through a DIVINE Heavenly Proclamation (v.17).
4th, the very fact that this "commandment" is "carnal", meaning as it pertains only to the sequentially authorized replacements of human priests, it is inherently characteristic of "weakness" and "unprofitableness" worthy of "disannulling" (v.18).
I gave you my word that I would study those verses with you. Here is my understanding of these scriptures one at a time. This may take more than one post. If I can fit more than one verse in a post, I will do so.
2 Peter 3:17: Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
The word steadfastness and the word unstable in verse 16 mean the same thing in reference. Your steadfastness is your solid maturity. But if you follow false doctrine it will make you unstable and expose you to all kinds of spiritual problems. In verse 16, he is telling them that the apostle Paul has taught these very same things that I am telling you.
It says beware. So be watching for yourself. Guard yourself, lest you be led away, and you fall from your own steadfastness. It has nothing to do with salvation. It has to do with maturity. It has to do with firmness, solidity in Christ.
Hebrews 3:12: Take heed, (pay attention) brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. These are special words used in the book of Hebrews for unbelief. It literally means to reject the persuasion of God's Spirit. A true believer under the influence of God's Spirit would never do that.
The word departing is the word apostasy. A Believer cannot commit apostasy. An unsaved person who is following along with the teachings, being enlightened, and maybe even agreeing, but when hardship and persecution comes, they depart. Those are the ones who commit apostasy.
More to follow:
I think the USA is failing in front of our eyes. A delusion has fallen over people where it prefers lies over truth. It's feelings based (from misinterpreting things) over facts based. Rampant immorality: they attempt to justify sodomy by using words like 'pride'. They attempt to justify mass murder of babies by the word 'choice'. They are violating the constitution of human rights by the word 'hate'- allowing them to censor, shut down any political opponents or freedom of thought. They demonized the police and make false assumptions about situations so they can put police in prison and let violent terrorists roam the city streets. Illegal aliens who commit crimes sneaking in are rewarded with money and free room and board while the citizens themselves are in poverty and homeless. The corrupt leaders of the US don't even like the country and want to give everything away (which steals from the citizens)- but they give mostly to China, and now to Russia (pipeline), and to millions illegals. Really sickening seeing this unfold.
But I'm not sure its' Babylon, which is a city. Rev. 21:11-22:5 and I'm not sure its Gog or Magog: Revelation 20:8-9. It's very possible that the USA will basically collapse and not even be on the map before the end times. It's likely that China will take it over or something.
I'm at work right now.
Will converse with you later.
Thanks and God bless.
If we aren't able to physically or monetarily help we can surely pray, I will. Amen Brother.