All posts by Christian ambassador (Shawn Brasseaux)

Grace and peace! What a privilege to be an ambassador for the risen Christ here on WordPress! I am a Pauline dispensationalist Christian saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus plus nothing! My goal is to "have all men saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3,4). I seek to preach Jesus Christ crucified for our sins, buried, and raised again for our justification as the only way to salvation. Also, I seek to edify and perfect the saints using dispensational Bible study and the Authorized Version King James Bible!
SOUL SALVATION FROM SINS, What about repentance?

What about repentance?

WHAT ABOUT REPENTANCE? WHAT IS IT? IS IT NECESSARY FOR SALVATION?

by Shawn Brasseaux

What is “repentance?” Is it necessary for salvation? Repentance is a rather difficult topic to discuss because the Bible has a definition for “repentance,” and religion has a definition for “repentance.” The Roman Catholic Church has invented “penance” (suffering for your sins, such as flagellation, or beating yourself with a strap) whereas Protestants have a doctrine called “penitence” (feeling guilt or sorry for your sins). Neither of these religious doctrines is in the Bible. Unfortunately, people have confused Biblical repentance with religion’s penitence and penance. My intention here is to sort out this mess by using the Bible to determine what repentance is and what repentance is not!

Biblical repentance is not “turning from one’s sins” and it is not “feeling sorry for one’s sins.” These are religious definitions, and we are unconcerned regarding church tradition and denominationalism. We need the Bible’s definition of “repentance,” not some religious authority’s opinion. After all, God’s Word carries the most weight in eternity!

In Genesis chapter 6, God beholds a wicked world filled with murder and other violence. Here, some 1600 years since Adam’s fall, and humanity is further declining, both morally and spiritually. Genesis 6:6 says, “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Did God repent of sin? Was God turning from His sin? Did God feel guilty because of sin? God is GOD, and He has no sin, so obviously “repentance” does not refer to turning from sin or feeling sorry for sins. When God had repentance, He had a change in thinking, a change in mind. God began to think about man differently, now that man had become worse and worse in his rebellion against Him. Biblical repentance is simply a change in the way you think about something: you view it a different way than you previously did. Let us look at other examples in the Bible.

Turn to Exodus 13:17: “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:” Notice that word “repent.” Had the Jews saw the war in the land of the Philistines, they would have changed their mind, and wanted to return to Egypt. Again, it had nothing to do with feeling sorry for sins or turning from sins.

Exodus 32:14: “And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” Again, the LORD was not repenting of sin; He was going to chastise Israel, but then He decided not to do so. Again, it was a change in thinking.

John the Baptist’s message to Israel in Matthew 3:2 is: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Israel had been murdering God’s prophets for centuries, so now John the Baptist is saying, “You better start thinking differently about God. Start obeying Him and listen to the message I am preaching! Quit being rebellious, and have a change in your thinking, because your Messiah-King is coming!”

By the way, it is interesting to note that the Greek word for “repent” (metanoeo)—which is used throughout the New Testament—literally means, “a change in mind; a reconsideration.” You can see the prefix “meta-,” which means, “change” (such as in our English word “metamorphosis”).

Or, take for example, in one of the Lord Jesus’ parables, the son refused to work in the vineyard. Then, the Bible says in Matthew 21:29 that he “repented;” he changed his mind and went work in the vineyard. Are you beginning to see the Bible’s definition of repentance? Can you see that religion has totally misconstrued what repentance is and what it is not?

In Acts 2:36-38, the Apostle Peter is urging Israel on the day of Pentecost: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” They could not undo the crucifixion, but they could change the way they thought about Jesus of Nazareth. Peter was telling them that they should now embrace Jesus as their Messiah/Christ, the same Jesus they refused and murdered 50 days before because they thought He was an imposter (Acts 2:23,36).

Now, turn to Acts chapter 17, where the Apostle Paul is confronting Athenian philosophers on Mars’ Hill. In verses 22-28, Paul notices these pagans have an altar with an inscription that reads, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Paul tells them “we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device [thought]” (Acts 17:29). In verse 30, Paul says that God now “commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Did you notice the word “think” in verse 29? “Repent” in verse 30 correlates with “think” in verse 29. These philosophers had to change their way of thinking—stop thinking of God dwelling in a manmade temple and stop thinking about the Godhead as if it were a dumb idol. Change your thinking!

In Romans 11:29, the Bible says: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” God will fulfill His promises to Israel one day; once God promises something, He will not repent (He will not go back on His word and break the promise; He will not change His mind). Again, repentance in the Bible has nothing to do with suffering for sin or feeling guilty for sin.

Turn to 2 Timothy 2:25 and read: “…if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” A change in thinking will result in you coming to the truth: in the context, this is Christians and lost people coming to the understanding “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), or learning how to study and understand the Bible dispensationally and learning how to be saved from their sins, respectively. You do not come to the truth by feeling sorry for your sins or turning from your sins. You repent (have a change in thinking), and then you respond positively according to the doctrine in the rightly divided Word of God.

Okay, we will look at one more reference. The church at Corinth had a wealth of problems (attested by the fact that Paul had to write a 16-chapter epistle we now know as “First Corinthians”). His follow-up letter is Second Corinthians, writing to commend and encourage the Corinthians for straightening out that long list of problems that existed a year earlier.

Please pay close attention to what 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 says: “[8] For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. [9] Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. [10] For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. [11] For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

After chiding the Corinthians in his first letter, Paul admits that he felt “repentance” (verse 8). Paul, after sending the letter of First Corinthians, had second thoughts about sending it. But, when Paul saw it had its positive affect on the Corinthians, he no longer had second thoughts (“I do not repent, though I did repent”). In verses 9 and 10, the Corinthians “SORROWED TO REPENTANCE.” Notice verse 10 says “godly sorrow worketh repentance.”

Notice what the Bible said. Godly sorrow is not repentance; it brings about repentance (a change in mind). Worldly sorrow, feeling sorry for your sins or feeling guilty, “worketh death” (verse 10). In contrast, godly sorrow addresses the situation, brings you to repentance (a change in mind), and that in turn brings about a change in lifestyle. So, because of godly sorrow, the Corinthians repented (had a change in thinking); this change in mind brought about the change in their lifestyle. Let me clarify this too: the change in lifestyle is not repentance. Repentance is the change in mind that brings about the change in lifestyle.

In conclusion, repentance is changing your thinking, your thought processes, having a renewed mind brought on by the indwelling Holy Spirit as your read and study and believe the Bible rightly divided (Romans 12:1,2; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:10). Repentance will cause you to think differently, and the change in lifestyle will follow. Remember that Biblical repentance is not “turning from your sins” and Biblical repentance is not related to penance or penitence. Repentance was necessary for salvation for Israel in time past, but it is not necessary for salvation today (it is a result of salvation). Hopefully, you have a better understanding of repentance as the Bible defines it. We all need to change our thinking—throw away the denominational definitions we have been taught for so long, and rely on God’s definitions that will last all eternity!

_______________
SUPPLEMENT:

“Is repentance necessary for salvation today in this Dispensation of Grace?” And the answer is NO! NO! NO! So what about Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized…?” As we discussed earlier, that was spoken to Jews, the entire nation Israel, not us Gentiles (Acts 2:14,22,36). Furthermore, Acts chapter 2 was in the Dispensation of Law, separate from our current Dispensation of Grace. Before Jews could be saved in Christ’s earthly ministry, they needed repentance (Matthew 3:3; Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:38; et al.). Today, repentance is a result of salvation. When Paul told the Philippian jailor how to be saved, Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31). Paul did not say, “Repent and believe,” but merely “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Read Romans 3:26: “To declare, I say, at this time Christ’s righteousness: that He might be just [fair], and the justifier of him who believeth [trusts] in Jesus.” Notice, you did not see “he who believes and repents, or he who is baptized, or he who has joined the church, given money, walked the aisle, etc….” Repentance is not necessary for salvation today: it is a result of salvation. Repentance will cause you to have a change in thinking because you will become a new creature in Christ, and you now have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1,2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:23; Titus 2:11,12)!

In fact, here is how repentance relates to us today as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:23: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” This, beloved, is Biblical repentance. Our Apostle, Paul, also writes in Romans 12:1-2 (take special notice of Biblical repentance in verse 2): “[1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Also see:
» What is penance? (UPCOMING)
» What is the sin of presumption? (UPCOMING)
» What is lordship salvation? (UPCOMING)

DISPENSATIONAL BIBLE STUDY, GRACE (CHRISTIAN) LIVING, Have I blasphemed against the Holy Ghost?, Have I blasphemed against the Holy Ghost?

Have I blasphemed against the Holy Ghost?

WHAT IS “THE BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST” OF WHICH JESUS WARNED? HAVE I COMMITTED THIS “UNPARDONABLE” SIN? HAVE I LOST MY SALVATION BECAUSE OF IT?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Have you ever wondered if you “blasphemed against the Holy Ghost?” Oftentimes called the “unpardonable sin,” this concept can be very troubling to some Christians because it causes them to question whether they are still saved and going to heaven. What is the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost? Once we answer that question from the Scriptures, then we can determine how it relates to us. Again, we do not appeal to denominational doctrine; we appeal to the Holy Scriptures!

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 12:31,32: “[31] Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. [32] And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” What did Jesus Christ mean when He said this?

 

YOU CANNOT LOSE YOUR SALVATION IN CHRIST

Firstly, a Christian who is genuinely saved is never in danger of losing his/her salvation. Matthew 12:31,32 is often misquoted/twisted in an attempt to promote the idea of a Christian losing his or her salvation. If you have genuinely trusted in Christ Jesus alone as your Saviour (you have placed your faith entirely in the Gospel of Grace of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), the Bible says that you have the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling you. God’s Holy Spirit “seals” (confirms/brands) you, and you cannot lose your salvation (Romans 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 1:12).

Today, in this the Dispensation of the Grace of God, the Bible says that God accepts those who are “in the beloved,” in His Son Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:6). How do we get “in Christ?” The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body [the Church the Body of Christ], whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”  Ephesians 1:13-14 explains: “[13] In whom [Jesus Christ] ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins: see Paul’s Gospel of Grace in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day for our justification.” Salvation from sins and hell and salvation unto justification (right standing before God) is instantaneous, not a lifelong process. If a true believer in Christ ever lost his/her salvation, that would mean God rejected His Son! You would have to throw away all the verses that Paul says confirms the believer’s salvation forever (Romans 5:1,2; Romans 8:29-39; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Ephesians 1:13,14; Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:12). Our salvation from sins and hell is not dependent on what we do, but on what Jesus Christ did, and He did enough, so we do not worry about losing it (if Jesus Christ could not save us, then what good are our efforts anyway?).

 

MATTHEW 12:31,32 HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US

What God was doing with Israel in “time past” is different from what He is doing with us Gentiles (non-Jews) in the “but now.” In Matthew 12:31,32, Jesus was speaking to Israel under the Mosaic Law. Jesus Christ was speaking in light of God’s earthly kingdom, over which He would be King. We cannot follow what Jesus said in the Four Gospels, because that was God’s message to the nation Israel.

Jesus Christ said in His earthly ministry: “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24) and “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). The Apostle Paul confirmed this in Romans 15:8: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision [Israel] for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”

The Apostle Paul says “I am the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13 KJV). Paul is our apostle; the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ sent Paul to us. Just as Jesus spoke God’s message to Israel in the Four Gospels, God’s message to us Gentiles (non-Jews) is Paul’s 13 epistles, Romans through Philemon. We are not part of Israel’s prophetic program of Law.

Paul wrote in Romans 6:14-15: “[14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. [15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” We are under grace, in the Body of Christ, separate from Israel.

The Apostle wrote about Israel’s current status in Romans 11:11-12: “[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” Spiritually, Israel is fallen, and we are not Israel, for that would mean we (Christians) too are spiritually blinded!

Although Jesus said that Israel could blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, Paul never mentions us today in the Dispensation of Grace as “blaspheming against the Holy Spirit,” but rather “grieving the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30) and “quenching/hindering the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Because the Holy Spirit indwells us, it makes Him sad when we sin and it keeps Him from working His will in us. However, even though we make the Holy Spirit sad when we sin, we are never in danger of losing our salvation. Matthew 12:31,32 says that God will impute sin to those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit. If God says He has “forgiven you all trespasses” (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 2:13), obviously you as a Christian have not committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—Jesus said that sin could not be forgiven. Rest assured, you are never guilty of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit because Matthew 12:31,32 does not apply to us today. Matthew 12:31,32 was spoken to the Jews so it applies to the Jews.

 

WHAT MATTHEW 12:31,32 MEANT FOR ISRAEL

Find Mark 3:28-30, which should help us better understand what Matthew 12:31,32 is saying: “[28] Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: [29] But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. [30] Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.”

In Mark 3:22,23, there are people falsely accusing Jesus of being devil-possessed. In reality, Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit, not an “unclean spirit”/devil (see verse 30 above). These people were guilty of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit because they were claiming the Holy Spirit was a devil, an unclean/evil spirit! These false accusers of Jesus were lost—they were filled with unclean spirits, not Jesus.

Now, go back to what I just mentioned about that earthly kingdom Israel had been promised. Through John the Baptist, God the Father urged Israel to prepare for their coming King, Christ Jesus (Mark 1:1-4; Luke 3:2-4; Acts 13:23-25). In unbelief, the Jews rejected God the Father by allowing king Herod to behead John the Baptist (Matthew 14:10). God the Son (Jesus Christ) comes to present Himself to Israel as Messiah-King, but Israel rejects Him and crucifies Him. While Jesus is hanging on the cross, He asks the Father to forgive them (Luke 23:34). Compare that with “whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him” (Matthew 12:32).

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension, God the Father forgives Israel as His Son requested, and this is the purpose of Peter’s sermon in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost. Here, God gives Israel a renewed opportunity of repentance. The Apostle Peter urges the nation Israel to repent (change their mind), to trust in Jesus as their King-Messiah, and to tell Israel He has resurrected, and that He will still bring in their kingdom (Acts 2:36-38). Remember on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came down from heaven and filled the Jewish believers there in Jerusalem. Still, only a small remnant of Israel chooses to have faith in Christ. Israel is mostly rejecting the Holy Spirit’s ministry through the apostles.

Now, in Acts chapter 7, about a year after Calvary and the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the prophet Stephen is also filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5; Acts 7:55). Again, most of Israel is still refusing to embrace Jesus as their King-Messiah. Stephen tells Israel, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). Israel’s leadership hates Stephen’s message (God’s Word convicts them), and they stone Stephen to death, thereby rejecting the Holy Spirit. This is the blaspheming against the Holy Spirit spoken of in Matthew 12:31,32 (cf. Acts 7:55-60)!

So, returning to Matthew 12:31,32, we read “and whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him.” Remember, God the Father forgave Israel of killing their King and Redeemer Jesus Christ (just as Jesus asked God the Father in Luke 23:34). Now, Matthew 12:32 says “but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

“The world to come” was Israel’s future kingdom (cf. Hebrews 2:3-5)—not heaven or the afterlife as some claim. Those Jews who rejected the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 7 were actually rejecting the last person of the Godhead. They had already rejected God the Father, and they had already killed God the Son! As the saying goes, “three strikes and you are out.”

In Romans 11:11,12, we read about Israel: “[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?”

Israel did stumble because Romans 9:32 says, “For they [Israel] stumbled at the stumblingstone; As it is written [Isaiah 8:14, 28:16], Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed.” What was this “stumblingstone and rock of offence” that God laid in Zion? According to 1 Peter 2:6-8, that stumblingstone is the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than Israel recognizing Jesus as their Messiah, they stumbled over Him and crucified Him!

But, Romans 11:11 says Israel did not fall at Calvary’s cross. Israel fell in Acts chapter 7; by Acts chapter 28, Israel’s program was fully set aside (temporarily) and the transition to our Dispensation of Grace. From Acts chapter 7 onward, Israel was “diminishing” (Romans 11:12). Because Israel blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, God set her aside for a time.

Any Jew who rejected/spoke against the Holy Spirit, they would be purged out (destroyed in the seven-year Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ; Matthew 3:11,12; Matthew 13:38-42; Luke 3:16-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Hebrews 10:26-31; et al.), and not be allowed to enter into that earthly kingdom (“it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come”).

But, God in His grace, and despite their wickedness, will one day establish that promised kingdom to Israel and we know it as the “Millennial (1,000-Year) Reign of Christ.” That kingdom will be brought in at the Second Coming of Christ, after the seven years of Tribulation.

Today, national Israel does not exist like she did in time past. Jews are scattered all over the world today. In fact, God says in His Word that Israel is “fallen,” “cast away,” and “spiritually blinded” (Romans 11:11,15,25). An individual Jew can receive salvation by becoming a member of the Church the Body of Christ, but one simply being a descendent of Abraham is not required for salvation today. A Jew, like a Gentile, must come to God through Paul’s ministry and Paul’s Gospel, not through the nation Israel.

Actually, did you know that Saul (the Apostle Paul), who was encouraging the death of Stephen, was guilty of blaspheming against the Holy Ghost? After all, Jewish Saul was leading the world’s rebellion against Jesus Christ (Acts 26:9-11). Paul wrote that he was a “blasphemer” in 1 Timothy 1:13. Paul was saved, but he blasphemed against the Holy Spirit! How was Paul saved? God opened our Dispensation of Grace, a program separate from Israel’s program. Saul/the Apostle Paul could only be saved if God interrupted Israel’s program with a new program. Paul was saved in our dispensation, not Israel’s program.

CONCLUSION

The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not apply to us today. This was God’s message to Israel. Israel blasphemed against the Holy Spirit when she refused to hearken unto the voice of the apostles during the early Acts period. This is why Israel was temporarily set aside and her program was momentarily suspended. Because Israel’s program is inactive, our program (the Dispensation of the Grace of God) is in operation. Unlike Israel, we cannot blaspheme against the Holy Ghost.

Also see:
» Can I lose my salvation in Christ?
» What is the Holy Spirit doing today? (UPCOMING)
» What should I do when I sin? (UPCOMING)

CREATION AND EARLY MAN, Why do animals fear us?

Why do animals fear us?

WHY DO WILD ANIMALS ATTACK US OR RUN AWAY FROM US WHEN WE APPROACH THEM?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Why do wild animals normally run away from us or attack us when we approach them? The Bible has a very fascinating explanation.

In the beginning humans and animals lived together harmoniously. Actually, God brought to Adam all the fowls of the air and all the beasts of the field so that he could name them—yes, that would include dinosaurs! “[19] And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. [20] And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:19,20).

Humans and animals were originally herbivores, meaning their diets consisted strictly of plants (herbs, nuts/seeds, fruits, vegetables, et cetera), not flesh. Genesis 1:29-30 tells us: “[29] And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. [30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.”

But, once Adam sinned, the diet of man and animals changed. “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered” (Genesis 9:2). Here, Noah and his family have survived the Great Flood, and they are now exiting the ark. God’s instructions are: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1). This is basically what God told Adam and Eve some 1,600 years earlier (Genesis 1:28), but now God adds a stipulation: Noah can eat flesh.

The LORD told Noah in Genesis 9:3: “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” Mankind can now eat any creature: he has to first catch or trap it! But, to make it fair, God instilled within animals the desire to flee from us humans, and to attack us when we invade their habitats. Here is one example of where science disagrees with the Bible: scientists (wrongly) classify man as a “higher evolved animal,” whereas God’s Word differentiates between humans and animals.

Today, we do not observe Israel’s kosher food laws (Colossians 2:16). We can eat any animal we choose: “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4,5). You can eat any and every animal, but first you must catch it! 🙂

It should also be pointed out that this fear animals have of man will be intensified during the seven-year Tribulation, when God’s wrath will be poured out on unbelieving mankind. The Bible says that one-fourth of earth’s human population will be killed by sword (war), hunger, death, and “the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8). These wild animals will devour billions of people during Daniel’s 70th week! When Jesus Christ returns, the curse of sin will be lifted, and says the animal kingdom (and even humans), will return to their original strict diet of vegetation. Describing the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, the Prophet Isaiah wrote:

“[6] The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. [7] And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8] And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. [9] They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6-9). In that day, people and animals will dwell peacefully with each other.

Also see:
» Should a Christian believe in evolutionary theory? (UPCOMING)
» Who were Adam and Eve? (UPCOMING)
» Was the Great Flood of Noah’s day regional or global? (UPCOMING)

GOD, Is the Godhead/Trinity a Biblical concept?

Is the Godhead/Trinity a Biblical concept?

IS GOD REALLY ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS? OR IS HE THREE GODS? DOES THE BIBLE TEACH THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY/GODHEAD?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Does God exist in three Persons? If so, does that mean that Christians worship three Gods? The term “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible, but the word “Godhead” appears three times in the King James Bible (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9)—modern Bibles, unfortunately, either omit or water down this term. What is the Trinity? Is it a biblical doctrine? We want to answer these questions using the Bible, not some denominational handbook.

One of the strongest claims in the Bible for God existing in three Persons is the “famous Trinitarian proof” (the Johannine Comma) of 1 John 5:7, which reads: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Obviously, this verse speaks of three Persons all being God, all three being one. Notice, the Godhead is not three Gods; but three Persons in one Godhead. We have God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ, “the Word” of John 1:1,14), and God the Holy Ghost. Notice how the verse says the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost “are one:” this is reminiscent of what Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.”

Unfortunately, unlike the King James Bible, most modern English Bibles, such as NIV, NASB, NRSV, ESV, omit 1 John 5:7 (this is also true of the depraved Jehovah’s Witness “bible,” which denies the deity of Jesus Christ!). Why? Because their corrupt underlying Greek New Testament texts omit this verse. It should be noted that the Old Syriac (A.D. 170) and the Old Latin (A.D. 200) contain 1 John 5:7 and over a dozen church fathers and writers quote it between A.D. 150 and A.D. 550, some predating the corrupt modern Bibles’ manuscripts that omit it. All of 1 John 5:7 belongs in the Bible; it is an important verse! But, there is more in the Bible to support the doctrine of the Trinity.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 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” (John 1:1,14). By noting the wording, we learn that Jesus Christ, “the Word” (cf. Revelation 19:13), is God. According to John 1:14, “the Word became flesh:” unquestionably, that refers to Jesus Christ (God’s incarnation, His indwelling a human body). In the beginning Jesus Christ “was with God” (indicating He is a Person separate from God the Father), and Jesus Christ “was God” (indicating He is one with [equal to] God the Father).

In 2 Corinthians 13:14, we read: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” Jesus Christ told His apostles, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). Yet again, we see God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

Immediately after John the Baptist water baptized Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and as it lighted upon the Lord Jesus, the God the Father declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16,17; Mark 1:10,11; Luke 3:22,23). There are the three Persons of the Godhead in three passages.

Look at Ephesians 2:18: “For through him [Jesus Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Here are all three members of the Godhead again. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2). And again, all three Persons of the Godhead are found in one verse.

At the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation (which is after the rapture), a remnant of Jewish believers will flee to the mountains of Israel. This remnant is described as “the woman.” In Revelation 12:6, we see “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” This place in the mountains will be “prepared of God, that they should feed her there….” Notice “they”—this is another reference to the triune Godhead.

In Ephesians 4:4-6, we find a list of seven distinct doctrines that are vital to the Dispensation of Grace—by the way, seven is God’s number of perfection: (1) one Body, the Church the Body of Christ; (2) one Spirit, the Holy Spirit; (3) one hope, the hope of our calling; (4) one Lord, God the Son Jesus Christ; (5) one faith, the faith of Jesus Christ; (6) one baptism, not water baptism, but the supernatural baptism of 1 Corinthians 12:13; and (7) one God and Father. All three members of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Spirit—are mentioned yet again.

In the Person of the Holy Spirit, God indwells us believers and seals us until the “day of redemption;” that is, the rapture (Ephesians 4:30). This Holy Spirit is the same Spirit that indwelt Christ while He was in His earthly ministry (Mark 3:29,30). Jesus Christ, God the Son, prayed to God the Father in Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, Luke 23:46, and John chapter 17. Obviously, Jesus was not talking to Himself, so He was communicating with God His Father.

The Holy Spirit is not “God’s active force,” but rather the Holy Spirit is a Person of the Godhead (Acts 5:3,4). A force does not have a seat of emotions; we know that the Holy Spirit is not an “active force” because the Holy Spirit can be “grieved” and saddened (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit can also teach (1 Corinthians 2:13) and pray (Romans 8:26,27).

The Father is not over God the Son, and the God the Son is no greater than the Holy Spirit. All three are coequal in power and authority (however, because Jesus Christ is both God and man, He can, in His humanity, submit Himself to His heavenly Father’s will [see Matthew 26:39,42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; Philippians 2:5-11]). Jesus made it very clear, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all… I and my Father are one” (John 10:29,30)—the Jews then took up stones to stone Jesus (verse 31)!

The best way to comprehend the Godhead is to consider that we are all equally human by nature, but we are also individuals. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all individuals, but they are all equally God by nature and in essence (all three are omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, righteous, just, holy, et cetera), thus making all three “one” (1 John 5:7).

God existing in a Trinity prevents tyranny or deception. If God were just one Person, He could be a bully and He could be dishonest. However, all three Persons of the Godhead testify to the truthfulness and integrity of the other two members. They testify to the truth of each other, just as Bible says, “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witness,” the testimony is to be believed—the testimony of one person is not to be accepted unless at least one or two others corroborate him (Deuteronomy 17:6; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28).

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit live for each other. They fellowship with one another, and they want us to fellowship with them! God became a man in order to restore our fellowship with Him. Notice what Jesus Christ prayed to His heavenly Father just before He went to Calvary’s cross: “[5] And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. [24] Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:5,24).

We cannot see all three Persons of the Godhead. However, God the Son stepped out of eternity and entered time, and “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9; cf. John 14:9; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, so He can take God by the hand and man by the hand and link them (1 Timothy 2:5)! The invisible triune Godhead has been made visible via the God-Man, Jesus Christ!

So, God exists in three Persons—they are three Persons in one Godhead; not three Gods. The three Persons of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are unique Individuals, but they are also similar in that they are all fully God. Indeed, the doctrine of the Godhead—God existing in three Persons—is one of the most difficult Bible concepts to grasp, but we take the doctrine of the Trinity by faith.

IS THE TRINITY A “NEW TESTAMENT INVENTION?” OR, IS IT FOUND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT TOO?

Opponents to the doctrine of the Trinity claim that it is only a “New Testament teaching,” or that the Trinity promotes polytheism (the belief in many gods). For instance, modern-day Jews reject the doctrine of the Trinity because Deuteronomy 6:4 says: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” If this verse disproves the Trinity (as present-day Jews claim), then that would mean that Deuteronomy 6:4 contradicts a number of Old Testament passages—verses in the Hebrew Bible—that support the Trinity.

Although God did not explicitly reveal the doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament like He does in the New, we can go back to the Old Testament and see references to the Trinity there. Remember that the Bible is a progressive revelation, with things kept secret in the Old Testament and later revealed in the New.

For example, God the Father tells God the Son, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). Compare this to Acts 2:34-36. If the Trinity is not found in the Old Testament, then what is the meaning of Psalm 110:1?

Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Notice the word “our” appears twice. The triune God made mankind in their image, as in one God in three Persons. In Genesis 3:22, after Adam and Eve fall into sin, we see the LORD God saying, “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:” Notice that pronoun “us.” This is a reference to the Trinity. (At this point, the following objection is raised to avoid the Trinity doctrine: “How do we know the words ‘our image’ in Genesis 1:26 do not mean that God made man in His image and the angels’ image?” Because Genesis 1:27 says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Man is made in “God’s image,” the triune Godhead’s image.)

We read in Genesis 11:6-7: “[6] And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. [7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Notice, the LORD says “Let us go down.” Like in Genesis 3:22, the “us” is a reference to the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

In Psalm 2:1-3, we read the prophetic statement of Israel rejecting her Messiah-King the Lord Jesus (1000 years before it happened): “[1] Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? [2] The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, [3] Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

Notice, Israel’s religious leaders conspire with the Roman government to kill Jesus Christ (verses 1 and 2). Verse 3 says it all—the Jews and Romans want to “break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” To whom is “their” referring? Look at verse 2: “the LORD, and his anointed.” This is God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (“Christ” is Greek for “anointed one;” in Hebrew, the word is “Messiah”). God the Father and God the Son share power over mankind, and rebellious mankind wants to destroy the Godhead’s authority over them.

Read Isaiah 48:12,16: “[12] Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last… [16] Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” This is the Trinity again!

It should also be noted that the Hebrew word translated “God”—Elohim—such as in Genesis 1:1, is plural, as in three Persons, and yet He is one LORD, JEHOVAH (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Is God a triune God? YES! Does the Bible Teach the doctrine of the Trinity? YES! The Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, gives us ample proof that God is a triune God, that He exists as three separate but equal Persons—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. They are all fully God, yet they are unique Persons too, just as we are all fully human, yet we are unique persons. All three members of the Godhead operate in perfect accordance with each other, and they are coequal and coeternal (none of them were created, and they exercise the same power).

Also see:
» Is the Holy Spirit a Person or a force?
» Is Jesus Christ God? (UPCOMING)
» Does God really exist? (UPCOMING)

GOD, What is the “Lord’s house?”

What is the “Lord’s house?”

IS IT SCRIPTURAL TO SAY THAT A LOCAL CHURCH BUILDING IS “GOD’S HOUSE?”

by Shawn Brasseaux

Does God dwell in the local church building? Is the local church building really the “Sanctuary of God?” Is it correct to call the local church building “the Lord’s house?” You may be surprised at the answer God’s Word gives.

Ever since the Dispensation of Grace began with the Apostle Paul, and the doctrines of grace were made known to man, erroneous and heretical ideas have crept into the Church the Body of Christ to pollute those glorious doctrines. Today, it can very difficult to establish what doctrine is God’s pure Word (that is, the Bible rightly divided), and what doctrine is simply man-made religion (unbiblical and/or non-dispensational Bible teaching).

No matter how wrong and false it is, church tradition (denominationalism) can be extremely hard to notice and even more difficult to abandon. Because the common church member takes for granted the “education” of the church leadership, they never bother to check the Scriptures to see if what was said is really what God said to them. They remained captivated by scholarship, simply relying on what the preacher or priest said.

For instance, many Christians refer to their local church building as “the Lord’s house.” At one time, I held to the nonsensical idea that I had to visit a local church building in order to be in “God’s presence.” We hear preachers pray, “Lord, be with us in this place….” Sometimes, you might hear Matthew 18:20 quoted at prayer meetings: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” As one hymn claims, “There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place, and I know it’s the Spirit of the Lord!” Does God really dwell in church buildings? Should we be asking God to “be with us?” Must we go to church to “visit God?”

Many sincere people quote Psalm 145:18: “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Does that mean that God occasionally leaves us, and that we must “call upon Him in truth” in order to have Him return to us? The only what we will make sense of this is if we use God’s Word, God’s way. We must approach the Bible dispensationally (all of the Bible is for us, but not all of the Bible is to us or about us).

Firstly, there is nothing special about a church building: it is a structure built by men using common materials. According to the Bible, the church building is not the issue; the activity that occurs in the building is the issue. The Apostle Paul told the Athenian intellectuals and philosophers on Mars’ Hill: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24).

The pagans to whom Paul spoke believed their mythological gods and goddesses did live in their temples and shrines (especially on Mount Olympus in Athens, which was close to where Paul spoke that!). Paul educated them: “The LORD God of heaven dwelleth not in temples made with hands!” Why do Christians today claim that God dwells in their church building when the Apostle Paul criticized the pagan Gentiles for holding to the same ridiculous idea? It makes no sense.

According to the Exodus 40:33-35: “[33] And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. [34] Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [35] And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”

The verses above tell us that, in time past, God did manifest Himself in the Old Testament Israel Tabernacle and Temple. They were “the house of God,” “the LORD’s house,” and “the house of the LORD thy God” (Exodus 23:19; Joshua 6:24; 1 Kings 7:12,50,51; 2 Chronicles 7:2; Psalm 116:19; Jeremiah 7:1-4; Jeremiah 27:16; et al.). God was with Israel in the presence of the Shekinah glory (the cloud) hovering over the Tabernacle. Over time, Israel’s Temple grew apostate—Jesus Christ condemned it as a “den of thieves” during His earthly ministry (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46). Eventually, God left the Temple.

In Acts 7:47-50, when the prophet Stephen is recalling the nation Israel’s history, he says (being filled with the Holy Ghost): “[47] But Solomon built him [the LORD] an house. [48] Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, [49] Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? [50] Hath not my hand made all these things?”

Notice how Stephen said that God did manifest Himself in the Temple and Tabernacle of Israel. But, this is not true in our dispensation. In our Dispensation of Grace, God does not dwell in any manmade structure (in fact, the Second [that is, Herod’s] Temple was destroyed by Roman Emperor Titus in A.D. 70). Pagan religions today have shrines, mosques, temples, and cathedrals where you can supposedly “find God,” or some “deity”—anything and everything but the God of the Bible, JEHOVAH, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we call a local church “the Lord’s house,” we are no different from the superstitious pagans around the world who claim their god dwells in their religious building. Today, the Lord dwells in the hearts of genuine Christian believers, in the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that we Christians, members of the Church the Body of Christ, are “temples of the Holy Spirit.” Our bodies are “the Lord’s house.” Let us read (and most importantly, believe) the following verses:

  • 1 Corinthians 3:16,17: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
  • 2 Corinthians 6:16: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
  • 2 Timothy 1:14: “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.”

Also see:
» What is the Holy Spirit doing today? (UPCOMING)
» Where is God during times of suffering? (UPCOMING)
» Can I lose my salvation in Christ?

BAPTISM, BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, Why do Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 contain dissimilar instructions?, Why do Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 contain dissimilar instructions?

Why do Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 contain dissimilar instructions?

WHY DO MATTHEW 28:19 AND ACTS 2:38 SAY DIFFERENT THINGS?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Water baptism, the most divisive issue within Christendom, is rightly called “religious TNT.” There is tremendous confusion about water baptism. Who should administer it (priest, pastor, deacon)? What is the proper mode (sprinkling, pouring, immersion)? What words should be said? Who should be water baptized (adults only, or adults and babies)? How many times forward and backward? Where should it occur? For salvation, for a testimony, or not at all?

Two particular verses regarding this topic are Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38.

Jesus Christ commanded His twelve apostles, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19).

Strangely, we read in Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Does the Bible contain a mistake here? How do we resolve Jesus Christ’s instructions in Matthew 28:19 with what the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:38? Do you see why people get confused when they read the Bible? The Bible seems to be contradicting itself, does it not? Which is it? Water baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” as Jesus Christ declared (Matthew 28:19)? Or, be baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ,” as the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter taught (Acts 2:38)? Even today, some denominations follow Matthew 28:19 while others obey Acts 2:38, fervently accusing each other of not having the valid baptism!

Resolving the apparent contradiction between Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 is as simple as reading and believing the verses and their context. To whom does Matthew 28:19 refer? “All nations”—Gentiles—just as the verse says. Whom does Acts 2:38 involve? “All the house of Israel” (verse 36).

Matthew 28:19 refers to believing Gentiles in Christ’s millennial kingdom (verse 20) being cleansed from their pagan idolatry and embracing the triune Godhead, the only true God. Acts 2:38 is God’s plan of salvation for Israel: Peter is instructing Jews to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Person they rejected and crucified on Calvary’s cross. Peter said, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36), and then he urged to be baptized in Jesus’ name (verse 38).

Also see:
» Do I need to be water baptized?
» Why is water baptism necessary in Israel’s program?
» Why was Jesus water baptized?

BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, Why did Jesus call men “gods?”

Why did Jesus call men “gods?”

WHY DID JESUS CALL MEN “GODS” IN JOHN 10:34? CAN MEN REALLY BE “GODS?”

by Shawn Brasseaux

In John 10:34, the Lord Jesus Christ made a very strange statement: “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” Was Jesus Christ saying that mere mortal men can literally be gods or God? Let us search the Scriptures, especially the context, for the answer, and not speculate on the basis of church tradition.

In the context, Jesus stated, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (verses 29,30). Christ said His Father was “greater than all,” and then He equated Himself with His Father—“I and my Father are one.” Jesus claimed to be equal to God the Father, and this infuriated the Jews. “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him” (verse 31).

“Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God” (verses 32,33). Then comes Jesus’s mysterious answer in John 10:34: “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”

If we search the Old Testament Scriptures, we learn that Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 (“Ye are gods”). But, how does this relate to the situation in John chapter 10? Why does the Bible call men “gods” here?

It is helpful to read Psalm 82 at this point: “[1] God standeth among the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. [2] How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah [Rest/Pause]. [3] Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. [4] Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the land of the wicked. [5] They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. [6] I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. [7] But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.”

Israel’s leaders, whom God ordained to lead the nation in His ways, are perverted and cruel. They were “gods” in the sense that God wanted to utilize their position of leadership to take care of His people, Israel. God ordained Israel’s leaders to educate the nation in light of His Word, to rule His people with godliness and honesty. Israel was a theocracy—God ruled her through kings, prophets, priests, judges, et cetera. Nevertheless, Psalm 82 says these leaders are ungodly and cruel. They are not fulfilling God’s will, they are not executing proper judgment in Israel, and they are not ruling Israel as God would rule her. They preferred to abuse their authority. They are not fulfilling God’s will; they are not executing righteous judgment in Israel. Thus, God will have to come and personally rule Israel and accomplish His will without those leaders: “Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations” (Psalm 82:8). This parallels the situation in John chapter 10. Israel’s leaders, and even the common Jews, are still wicked. As in Psalm 82, so in Christ’s day, Israel’s leaders and even the common Jews who claimed to be following JEHOVAH, were doing anything and everything but. They were wicked, despite their privileged position as God’s chosen earthly people.

Remember, man is not equal to God, for the creature is inferior to his Creator. There is one God (1 Corinthians 8:4-6), and all of creation is nothing in His sight (Isaiah 40:12-31). Thus, obviously, Psalm 82:6 and John 10:34 are utilizing the word “gods” idiomatically. Here, the literal sense—that men are actually gods—is nonsense. It must be a “play on words.”

In John chapter 10, Jesus Christ basically said that He can be rightly called “the Son of God,” and His working with God the Father verified His claim (He healed the blind man in chapter 9). These Jews, however, merely claim to be of God—they do not do His will like God’s children do (John 1:12). Jesus Christ asked, “[36] Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? [37] If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. [38] But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him” (John 10:36-38). The (convicted) Jews understood Him… they tried to physically grab Jesus, but He escaped (verse 39)!

In summary of John 10:34, our Lord Jesus Christ was forcing His audience to remember the contents of Psalm 82 by quoting one of its verses.

By quoting verse 6, “Ye are gods,” He equated His audience in John chapter 10 with the evil and unbelieving rulers of Israel of centuries past. They were all antagonistic against God’s will (in Psalm 82, instead of ruling as God would, they rule Israel in wickedness; in John chapter 10, they reject God the Son and want to kill Him). Jesus’ audience knew they were wicked!

Psalm 82:7 said, “Ye are gods… but ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.” Jesus reminded His audience that their punishment was coming!

Also, Psalm 82:8—“Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations”—was in their minds. They were not accomplishing God’s will, so God (Jesus Christ) would have to perform His will without them (John 10:36-38). Jesus’ audience knew their God had arrived!

By quoting Psalm 82, Jesus reaffirmed His deity and confirmed their unbelief! The Jews understood what Jesus said: they were so irritated and convicted that they unsuccessfully re-attempted to physically seize Him (John 10:39). Behold the wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Also see:
» What is “Abraham’s bosom?”
» “No man has seen God?”
» Why are the instructions in Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 dissimilar?

CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT, GRACE (CHRISTIAN) LIVING, PRAYER, Should I "pray in tongues?", Should I “speak in tongues?”, Should I “speak in tongues?”

Should I “speak in tongues?”

SHOULD I “SPEAK IN TONGUES?” SHOULD I “PRAY IN TONGUES?” IS TODAY’S “GIFT OF TONGUES” OF THE GOD OF THE BIBLE?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Proponents of the charismatic movement claim that we need to be “filled with the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.” Must we speak in tongues to be saved? Is speaking in tongues necessary to prove our salvation? Remember, we do not appeal to a theological system for answers to these questions. Church tradition, experiences, and assumptions are not the issue; what matters is what God’s Word says.

Let us see what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:10,28,30 about spiritual gifts: “[10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: [28] And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. [30] Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” Certainly, some of these Christians had the gift of tongues.

In Mark 16:17, Jesus Christ Himself said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.”

Paul himself wrote, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (1 Corinthians 14:18).

Tongue-talking is certainly biblical, for the above verses demonstrate that certain Christians and Jewish believers had the spiritual gift of tongues. But, is speaking in tongues something we Christians should practice today? That is, is tongue-talking dispensational? (We will answer this question later.) The Bible clearly mentions “speaking in tongues,” but before we discuss this topic any further, we need to define this term as the Bible defines it, not what a denomination says it is. Firstly, what does it mean to “speak in tongues” in the Bible?

Today, church members claim to speak in allegedly “angelic language,” some special prayer language that only God understands. Upon listening to these people “pray in the Spirit,” we conclude it is nothing intelligent: “Hastala shandala hobbla gobbla.” Others repeat, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” This behavior is related to the Oriental religions’ “breath prayers” and uttering the Roman Catholic repetitious rosary. In short, it is vain, worthless religious nonsense!

Corinth was the most spiritually immature Christian assembly Paul knew. These believers loved feel-good worship services, emotional highs, and being the center of attention (1 Corinthians 14:4,5ff.). That is much of “the Church” today! Corinth abused spiritual gifts, so Paul devoted three chapters (1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14) to address these problems. Chapter 14 deals entirely with tongue-talking.

In 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4, 13, 14, 19, and 27, Paul mentioned speaking in “unknown tongues.” That word “unknown”—absent from modern Bibles—indicates this was not God’s gift of tongues. This was some ecstatic, nonsensical utterance based on emotions: some believers in Corinth just loved to draw attention to themselves by abusing tongues (that is, by speaking in gibberish). God’s gift of tongues was always intelligent human languages, dialects.

The Apostle Paul confirmed that speaking in tongues in Scriptures was always an intelligent language that could be translated and understood (profitable). He wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:7-19: “[7] And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? [8] For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? [9] So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. [10] There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. [11] Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian [foreigner], and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian [foreigner] unto me. [12] Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. [13] Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. [14] For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. [15] What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. [16] Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? [17] For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. [18] I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: [19] Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”

What did Paul say in verse 19 above? “I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” Talking 10,000 words in gibberish will profit nothing! Speak with intelligence, not some “angelic tongue.” According to the Bible, “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33), so if it is not an intelligent human language that can be reduced and profitable, it is not from the God of the Bible!

We see how the gift of tongues operated in the Bible by looking at Acts 2, the day of Pentecost and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Israel’s 12 apostles. Let us read Acts 2:4-11: “[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. [5] And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. [6] Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. [7] And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? [8] And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? [9] Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, [10] Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, [11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”

For the Feast of Pentecost, there were Jews in Jerusalem “out of every nation under heaven” (verse 5). These Jews did not speak Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic, so in order for them to understand Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled, God the Holy Ghost caused Israel’s 12 apostles to speak God’s Word in at least 15 different dialects, those human languages of the nations out of which those Jews came. These Jews were amazed (“confounded”) that uneducated fisherman could speak all of these intelligent languages that they had never formally learned!

The various human languages of the world are the result of God’s judgment on rebellious mankind at the Tower of Babel back in Genesis 11:1-9. In Israel’s earthly kingdom, which is still future, this curse of the languages will be reversed. Zechariah 8:23 says: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” Israel was given the gift of speaking in tongues as a way to evangelize Gentiles (which they will do when Jesus Christ returns at His Second Coming).

Israel is also God’s “signs, miracles, and wonders” people. “For the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22a). In order to demonstrate that He was working in their midst, God would perform miraculous demonstrations for Israel to see and hear. This was true throughout the “Old Testament” Scriptures, the Four Gospels, and even into early Acts.

Acts 10:45-47 demonstrates what God taught Israel using the gift of tongues: “[45] And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. [46] For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. [47] Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” Notice how these were intelligent human languages—otherwise, these Jews would have been unable to recognize that these Gentiles were “magnifying God” (rather than cursing Him, which could not be distinguished had this been gibberish). God poured out Israel’s gift of speaking in tongues on Gentiles to show Israel that He was now saving Gentiles.

This is why there was tongue-speaking in Paul’s ministry and in the early Church the Body of Christ. God was proving to Israel, especially unbelieving Israel, that He was now ministering to the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22: “[21] In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. [22] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.”

The spiritual gifts program, however, was only temporary. Those spiritual gifts were only operating while the transitional book of Acts was occurring. God was moving away from Israel and going to the Gentiles, and the miraculous demonstrations—including the gift of tongues—operating amongst the Gentiles proved this. Once that transitional period was over (that is, the book of Acts had ended), God had fully set aside Israel and her program. Once the spiritual gifts ceased, the Corinthians would have nothing on which to rely in their Christian life! Thus, Paul urged these immature believers to grow up, and not to be fixated on spiritual gifts, which were passing away (Paul’s two letters to Corinth were written during the latter half of the Acts period).

Notice carefully what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:8-13: “[8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. [9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. [10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. [11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. [12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. [13] And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

The spiritual gifts (the chief of which were the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, and the gift of knowledge; verse 8) were only going to operate while there was incomplete knowledge and incomplete understanding of God’s Word. When the Bible canon was completed, which was about A.D. 68, the spiritual gifts were no longer needed. The gift of speaking in tongues “vanished away” when the Bible was completed in the A.D. first century. “That which is perfect is come” is complete knowledge and complete understanding—it is not Jesus Christ’s coming and it is not going heaven. God does not want us to grow up when we get to heaven—He wants us to grow up now! Paul wrote that the immature Corinthians needed to grow up now! “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11).

Contrary to the tenets of the charismatic movement, the gift of speaking in tongues is of no use to us today—otherwise, we are wasting our money and time sending missionary to learn foreign languages in language school! It existed in the early days of the Church the Body of Christ, when God was using it to signify to the Jews that He was now operating amongst the Gentiles. But, there came a point in time when the spiritual gifts were no longer needed. The spiritual gifts were no longer needed when the Word of God, the Holy Bible, was completed, and mankind received the full/complete (“perfect”) revelation from God. We know that today’s tongue-talkers in religion are not doing God’s will, for they are not obeying the rules regarding tongue talking as described in 1 Corinthians chapter 14.

  1. MUST ONLY BE MEN SPEAKING IN TONGUES. When God’s gift of tongues is operating, only men talk with them (verse 34). Why are women talking in tongues today?
  2. MUST BE TWO, OR AT THE MOST THREE, MEN SPEAKING IN TONGUES AT ONE MEETING, AND THEY MUST TAKE TURNS TALKING. No more than two or three are allowed to speak in tongues, and they are to take turns talking—they are not to talk over one another, and the entire assembly is not to speak in tongues (verses 23-24, 40). Why do whole churches engage in tongue-talking today?
  3. MUST MAINTAIN SELF-CONTROL AT ALL TIMES. Self-control is to be present the entire time while the gift of tongues is in operation (verse 40). Why do today’s tongue-talkers lose bodily control (jumping pews, running down aisles, dancing, convulsing on floors, et cetera)?
  4. MUST BE INTERPRETED/TRANSLATED. God’s gift of tongues was an intelligent human language never formally learned, but it was to be interpreted (verses 27-28; cf. Acts 2:4-11). Why do today’s tongue-talkers utter gibberish, which cannot be reduced to anything intelligent and profitable?
  5. MUST BE A SIGN TO UNBELIEVING ISRAEL. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22: “[21] In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. [22] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.” God is not dealing with Israel anyway, so why would He be communicating to Israel via the gift of tongues?

Obviously, today’s “gift of tongues” is not of the God of the Bible; it does not agree with these rules for speaking in tongues that God laid out in the above verses. Rather than spiritual gifts, we have the completed and written Word of God to accomplish His will, and that Bible can be and has been translated into the languages of the world: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is studying and believing that Holy Word of God rightly divided that we will grow up spiritually!

So, if it is not of the God of the Bible, then what is the origin of the modern-day gift of speaking in tongues? It is nothing more than an emotional high, the overactive flesh of spiritually immature people who are not cooperating with the God of the Bible. “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect through the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). God does not deal with us via emotions (they are tainted by sin); God communicates to us through our spirit, our mind, as we study and believe His Word (Romans 12:1,2; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:10).

Also see:
» Should I be filled with the Holy Ghost? (UPCOMING)
» Are signs, miracles, and wonders for today? (UPCOMING)
» What about angelic appearances, visions, dreams, and other experiences? (UPCOMING)

BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?, Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?, Can Christians lose their salvation?, GRACE (CHRISTIAN) LIVING, SOUL SALVATION FROM SINS

Can Christians lose their salvation?

ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED? CAN I LOSE MY SALVATION? HOW CAN I HAVE THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Can Christians lose their salvation? Must we do good works to maintain (keep) our salvation? Is salvation instantaneous (once for all) or progressive (throughout your lifetime)? Let us look at the Bible verses people often use to refute and reject the doctrine of “once saved, always saved” (the eternal security of the believer). The confusion would disappear if people would “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Read Galatians 5:4: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Does the expression “fallen from grace” mean that some of the Galatians lost their salvation? Of course not, because Paul calls these Galatians “brethren” nine times (Galatians 1:11, 3:15, 4:12, 4:28, 4:30, 5:11, 5:13, 6:1, 6:18)!

Galatia was being pummeled with false teaching and works-religion (Judaism). Some of these poor believers had been deceived to the point where they were now laboring under the Mosaic Law to receive salvation… salvation they had already received by grace through faith without works (Galatians 3:2,3). “Fallen from grace” simply means that some of the Galatians gave up on the grace system—being rewarded on the basis of Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary—because they preferred legalism—being rewarded on the basis of their works/performance (cf. Romans 4:1-8; Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Galatians 2:16-21; Titus 3:5).

For those who are unfamiliar with dispensational Bible study (mid-Acts dispensationalism / Pauline dispensationalism), Hebrews 6:4-6 can be quite confusing. Let us look at that passage: “[4] For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, [5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, [6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

The goal of dispensational Bible study and right division is to determine the audience of the particular Bible passage. In this case, obviously, the writer is addressing Jews—after all, it is the epistle to the Hebrews. The people being addressed in the above passage are the nation Israel.

All of Israel saw Jesus Christ’s miracles. They saw the supernatural events on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. If the miracles, signs, and wonders of Christ’s earthly ministry and Acts chapter 2 were not enough proof to win the Jews to salvation, there was nothing else to convince them. Jesus told Israel, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). These Jews saw the power of the Holy Spirit, but they rejected God in unbelief. Consider Hebrews 2:3,4: “[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; [4] God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?”

Again, the “we” is the nation Israel—it was the Jews, not us. We see the reference to Christ’s miracles and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom during His earthly ministry (“the great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord;” Matthew 4:17). Obviously, the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” is a reference to Pentecost and Acts chapter 2, the power of the Holy Spirit being manifested (see Luke 24:49). Recall that we examined Hebrews 6:4-6, which mentioned “the powers of the world to come.” When Jesus Christ and His apostles performed miracles, they were demonstrating the power that was coming in the kingdom: when Christ will establish His kingdom on the earth, the curse would be lifted from creation and there would be no more sickness or unclean spirits (devils (Isaiah 35:1-10; Zechariah 13:1-2; et al.).

Acts chapter 2, Hebrews chapter 2, and Hebrews chapter 6 have nothing to do with anyone reading this. These passages describe Israel’s program, which is not the program that God is operating today. Period. At this point, we will look a related matter that many people have confused. Do you ever wonder if you are guilty of committing the “unpardonable sin” of Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, and Luke 12:10, the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost? Let me assure you that this has nothing do with us today; this special sin of blaspheming against the Holy Ghost relates to the nation Israel (see our study “Have I blasphemed against the Holy Ghost?”).

Can we be “more saved” one day, and “less saved” another day? Do good works somehow “enhance” our salvation? Philippians 3:12-15 has been wrested and twisted to promote this absurd teaching. First, here is the passage: “[12] Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. [13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

This has absolutely nothing to do with us working for our salvation. The Apostle Paul is talking about spiritual maturity/spiritual growth (notice “perfect;” verses 12 and 15). Once we gain a better understanding of God’s Word, we should put forth an effort to seek more sound doctrine, and desire to allow that sound doctrine to mature us in the inner man. Paul admits in verse 13 that he has not yet reached the level of spiritual maturity that he needs to, but that he is putting forth the effort in allowing God’s Word to work effectually in him, as he believes it.

Philippians 2:12 is another one false teachers like to twist, but notice what the verse actually says in the King James Bible: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Again, there is no working for salvation here: the verse does not say “work for your own salvation,” the verse says “work out your own salvation.” This is talking about your lifestyle and testimony—if you claim to be saved, then act like it (do not fall prey to pride, which is the context)! (Another verse often misunderstood in this regard is 1 Corinthians 9:27.)

The next verse (Philippians 2:13) says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” This means that you, as a Christian, should be yielding yourself to the Lord’s will so that He can do His work in you, so that your life will reflect God’s working in you (cf. Galatians 5:1-26). Recall that Paul forbade the Galatians from working for salvation (cf. Romans 4:1-5; Ephesians 2:8,9).

You will often hear of “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” That phrase appears in the Bible three times: Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:13, and Mark 13:13. Do not let someone (mis)quoting these verses make you doubt your salvation. The context of each of these verses is the seven-year Tribulation, Daniel’s 70th week. See for yourself; do not take my word for it. These verses are Israel’s program, and they have no relation to us today in this the Dispensation of Grace. (The Church the Body of Christ will be absent from earth during the Tribulation anyway!) This salvation is actually a physical salvation; “and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

In Old Testament Israel, it can be quite difficult to establish how salvation worked. We do know that it was always by faith in what God said. Still, there was no permanent indwelling Holy Spirit, and He sometimes came to and went from people. In fact, King David writes in Psalm 51:11: “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” (Another verse people twist today to promote loss of salvation.) In light of 2 Samuel 7:15, we do not know if King Saul was saved or if he went to hellfire. Or, we know all of Israel was delivered out of Egypt, yet some Jews died in unbelief in the wilderness before they reached the Promised Land (Jude 5). But, remember, there was no permanent indwelling Holy Spirit back then. What we do know is that those Old Testament saints in Hebrews chapter 11 were saved.

None of those verses I just mentioned have anything to do with us—this is Israel’s program. We are under a new dispensation (grace) under a new apostleship (Paul), in a new program (mystery), and in a new agency (the Church the Body of Christ). We will discuss this more fully in a moment.

Okay, let us look at one final passage. Read 2 Peter 2:20-21: “[20] For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. [21] For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”

The context is false teachers. It relates to what discussed earlier in Hebrews chapters 2 and 6. Peter is referring to those who saw all the miracles of Acts chapters 2, but opposed God’s working and used false teaching to encourage other Jews to rebel against God’s purpose and program for Israel. Let me also say that anyone who fully understands the Gospel of Grace and how to be saved, and they reject it in unbelief, then yes, they are not saved. But they never had salvation to lose, so this is not loss of salvation!

Today, in this the Dispensation of the Grace of God, the Bible says that God accepts those who are “in the beloved,” in His Son Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:6). How do we get “in Christ?” Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins: see Paul’s Gospel of Grace in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day for our justification.” Salvation from sins and hell and salvation unto justification (right standing before God) is instantaneous, not a lifelong process. If a true believer in Christ ever lost his/her salvation, that would mean God rejected His Son! You would have to throw away all the verses that Paul says confirms the believer’s salvation forever (Romans 5:1,2; Romans 8:29-39; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Ephesians 1:13,14; Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:12).

The Corinthians were the least spiritual and the most immature believers in Scripture. Yet, the Apostle Paul wrote that God would confirm (preserve) them unto the end so that they would be blameless at the rapture (1 Corinthians 1:7-8). Verse 9 tells us why—“God is faithful.” Believers in Christ make mistakes, but “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Colossians 1:14 says that “we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

We have been forgiven of all trespasses and sins for Christ’s sake (Ephesians 4:32). Our salvation is not gained by our efforts, so our salvation cannot be maintained by our efforts (see Romans 11:6; Galatians 3:3; Colossians 2:6,7). How can sinful people go to heaven? When a person believes the Gospel of Grace, the blood of Jesus Christ and His righteousness are imputed (applied) to them (Romans 4:1-5). When a believer in Christ sins today, God does not see the sin, He only sees the blood of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Once we have salvation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the rapture (Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30). God does not want you as a believer in Christ doubt your salvation. Our salvation does not depend on our performance or our faithfulness; the salvation we enjoy today as believers is solely dependent upon what Christ did for us already at Calvary!

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SUPPLEMENT

By the way, you should be aware of the heresy in modern English Bibles—NIV, NASB, NKJV, et al. promote progressive salvation!! In 1 Corinthians 1:18 and 2 Corinthians 2:15, does your Bible say “are being saved” rather than the ’s “are saved?” In 1 Peter 2:2, does your Bible say you can you “grow into salvation” rather than the ’s “grow [in maturity]?” Indeed, if you do not have God’s Word, you can promote false teaching. The Bible versions debate is a serious matter, so I suggest you get a King James Bible… it is the only solid ground in regards to God’s Word in English!

Also see:
» What is lordship salvation? (UPCOMING)
» Are we saved by faith alone, or by faith and works? (UPCOMING)
» What is the sin of presumption? (UPCOMING)

GRACE (CHRISTIAN) LIVING, Must I tithe 10% of my income?, Must I tithe 10% of my income?, TITHING

Must I tithe 10% of my income?

Are we obligated to tithe 10% of our income? WILL GOD BLESS ME IF I GIVE A LOT? WILL HE CURSE ME IF I GIVE TOO LITTLE, OR NOT AT ALL?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Preachers urge us to tithe regularly in order to gain God’s blessings and favor. Some will even go so far as to say that if we do not tithe, then we are “cursed.” Are we obligated to tithe today as members of the Church the Body of Christ? How much money should we give God? Ten percent of our income? Ninety percent? Will God curse us if we do not give, or if we give too little? Will God bless us if we give a lot? We need to search the Scriptures, and be Bereans, not naïve sheep that believe preachers and church tradition (Acts 17:10,11)!

In order to answer this question about tithing, we need to look at God’s Word rightly divided. According to the Apostle Paul, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This is the way God has designed His Word to be studied—“rightly divided.” What does that mean exactly?

According to God, He has “divided” His Word into two programs: one of these programs is focused on the heaven, and the other program is focused on the earth (Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 1:9,10; Colossians 1:16-20). God’s program focused on the earth is known as the “prophetic program,” or that “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). The “mystery program,” that “which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest” (Romans 16:25,26a), is God’s program for the heaven.

These two programs have their unique assembly of believers: the prophetic program belongs to the nation Israel, and the mystery program belongs to the Church the Body of Christ. God’s Word gives doctrine for Israel (Law), and gives another set of doctrine for the Body of Christ (Grace). We must never confuse the nation Israel with the Church the Body of Christ. Never should we combine instructions that God gave to Israel with instructions God gives us as members of the Body of Christ. When studying the Bible, it is extremely important to keep these distinctions and differences in mind. With that said, we can now address tithing.

When you ask the average church member about tithing, he or she will explain tithing as his or her denomination/church defines it, but most church members do not have a clear understanding of how God defines tithing. For instance, when I asked a pastor to explain the tithe to me, he described tithing as his denomination defines it—the poor brother could not tell me what the tithe is in the Bible. How sad, and this was supposed to be a church leader who guides Christians!!! How can he guide them into God’s truth when he did not even know what God’s truth was?!?

The first time “tithe” appears in the Bible is in Genesis 14:20, where Abraham gives one-tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek the king of Salem. For the next 500 years or so, the Bible does not mention tithing. Finally, in Leviticus 27:30, with the establishment of the Mosaic Law (God’s set of rules and regulations for Israel’s religious, social, and moral life), the LORD instructs Israel to tithe.

GIVING UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES (TITHE)

  1. THE TITHE WAS A MANDATED OBLIGATION. Because the tithe was part of the Mosaic Law, it was a mandated tithe, and the Jews were forced to give (notice the JEWS were instructed to give the tithe; Amos 4:4,5).
  2. THE TITHE GIVEN TO SUPPORT PRIESTHOOD/GOVERNMENT, NOT LOCAL CHURCH. The tithe was to be given to the Levites, Israel’s priesthood. Aaron’s sons had no inheritance or land because they served as Israel’s government and served in the temple (see Numbers 18:21-32, Nehemiah 10:37,38, Nehemiah 12:44, Nehemiah 13:5, and Hebrews 7:4-9 to find out about Israel’s theocracy). Essentially, the tithe was a tax paid to Israeli government.
  3. THE TITHE DID NOT ALWAYS INVOLVE MONEY. Leviticus 27:30-34 mentions tithing, but says nothing about money. So, what were they tithing? The Jews gave ten percent of seed (grain), fruit of the tree, tithe of the herd, the flock, and so on. If a Jew had ten sheep, he had to give one-tenth of that—one sheep. Or, if he had forty goats, he gave four goats. If he wanted to convert that animal and sell it for money and then bring the money to the temple, he would have to add 20% to the price and give the entire amount to the priest.
  4. THE TITHE WAS BROUGHT TO TABERNACLE/TEMPLE. Malachi 3:8-11 commanded Israel to bring their tithes into the “storehouse,” the warehouse of the Temple. This is where the priests stored the tithed grain and other crops. Israel’s priests would then live off of that storage. The command to bring the tithes to the Tabernacle/Temple can be found in other places such as Deuteronomy 12:6, 11; Deuteronomy 26:12; and 2 Chronicles 31:11,12.
  5. ADDITIONAL TITHES. The “ten percent” was just one type of tithing in Old Testament Israel. Jewish males were required to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem three times a year, for three feasts (or holydays) of Judaism: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Exodus 23:14-19; Deuteronomy 16:16). In order to fund their trip and pay for their accommodations in Jerusalem, God instructed them to set aside an additional ten percent of their net income (after they paid the first tithe; see Deuteronomy 14:22-26): this second tithe was optional. There was a third type of tithe that supported the welfare system in Israel (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; Deuteronomy 26:12); it was also voluntary, but was given every three years. So, had a Jew been giving all three tithes annually, it was not just ten percent, but an additional ten percent plus three and two-thirds percent (or an additional 13.33% to the 10%)! It was a total of 23.33% to 25% tithe every year!

That is a simple overview of the Old Testament tithe. Surely, you see that the tithe was a burden for Israel. In this the Dispensation of Grace, we as members of the Church the Body of Christ are separate from God’s covenant people the nation Israel. What God told Israel to do then does not necessarily apply to us today. So, why is tithing unnecessary today? Compare each of the numbers below with the numbered points above.

GIVING IN THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE (NO TITHE)

  1. MOSAIC LAW INAPPLICABLE TO BODY OF CHRIST. We are not under the legalistic economy of Israel in the Old Testament—we are “not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:1,2,14,15). Paul also emphasized that throughout the book of Galatians. The tithe was part of the Mosaic Law, and the Mosaic Law was put to death with Christ (Colossians 2:14)!  The system of tithing is Law, legalism, performing to get God’s blessings. However, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will not lead us Christians to go back under that performance-based acceptance system. Read what the Holy Spirit through Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” And Galatians 5:18: “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” Again, the Spirit of God will not place us under law, we are under grace (Romans 6:14). We are not forced to give money today because this would be in complete opposition to the Apostle Paul’s instructions for the Body of Christ: “do not give grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). “Cheerfully” means “giving whole-heartedly.” God wants believers to give willingly, giving excitedly and eagerly. I give money to my local church, not as a mandated tithe, but as a free will offering to further the Church the Body of Christ and the Gospel of the Grace of God! Interestingly, Paul never once uses the word “tithe!” He only uses the term “collection” (1 Corinthians 16:1-3). Also, I give what I want; no specific amount. In fact, the Bible says we should have nothing to do with Christians who are extortioners, and denominational preachers who force people to tithe are in fact extorting money from them! Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:11: “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
  2. THERE IS NO PRIESTHOOD IN ISRAEL TODAY! In His Word, God told Israel to give a tithe to their priests; God does not instruct us to give a tithe to our pastor or to our church. When the Temple was destroyed under the Roman invasion of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), the Israeli priesthood disappeared. Technically, in order to give a tithe today, you would have to find a Levite, and give him your tithe—and you would have to give him crops and livestock, not money. Unfortunately, some Jews do not even know to which tribe they belong anyway, so even finding a Levite is unlikely!
  3. MOST CHRISTIANS DO NOT HAVE LIVESTOCK AND GRAIN TO OFFER. Today’s Christians have money, but how many of us have goats, sheep, and other types of livestock that we can give to our local church? We do not all have access to wheat, corn, and other grains like Israel did under her agrarian economy. The only thing we have to give to our local church is money, and this is not Biblical tithing! Thus, giving money to a local church has no relation to Israel’s tithe.
  4. ISRAEL’S TEMPLE HAS BEEN DESTROYED FOR 2,000 YEARS. There is no functioning Temple in Jerusalem today, for it was destroyed in A.D. 70! Where would I bring a tithe? Again, God never tells us to bring a tithe to our local church.

Oftentimes, pastors force their members to give tithes by quoting from Malachi 3:8-11. Actually, that is extortion! “This whole nation” in Malachi 3:9 is NOT America. “This whole nation” is a reference to Israel; Malachi is writing to Israel under the Mosaic Law, not the Body of Christ in grace (Malachi 1:1). Malachi chapter 3 has absolutely nothing to do with you today! Pastors are scared if they tell their members there is no such thing as a mandated tithe today, people will no longer support the local church financially. However, they need to leave that in God’s hands: He is the best fundraiser and His grace motivates us to give “cheerfully!” People need to be set free from the legalistic burdensome tithe today!

Strangely, those who uphold the tithe today refuse to adhere to stoning people because when they break the Sabbath: why? According to the Old Testament, a Jew was put to death if he or she worked on the Sabbath—it was Saturday, not Sunday, by the way! The Mosaic Law commanded Sabbath day observance (the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:8-11). The penalty for gathering a few sticks for firewood on the Sabbath was DEATH BY STONING—and God commanded Israel to stone one particular Jew who infringed the Sabbath Day law (Numbers 15:32-36)! Why do people hang on to the tithe of the Old Testament, but avoid upholding capital punishment as a penalty for the breaking the Sabbath? Why do some uphold the Sabbath Day, but refuse to do Temple worship, or adhere to kosher food laws but deny the physical circumcision. Beats me… I will never know…. Religion never makes sense anyway.

No, tithing is not for us. Paul addressed giving in our dispensation in 2 Corinthians chapters 8, 9, and 10. Thus, God’s grace is not against giving; it is against tithing.

Will God curse us if we give too little or not at all? Will God bless us if we give a lot? God does not deal with us on the basis of performance-based acceptance. We are not Israel. God told Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 28 that if they wanted His blessings that they had to obey all of His laws; they would receive curses if they disobeyed Him. We are under no such system today. We are under grace, not law (Romans 6:14).

God has already given us everything He can give us, in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” We have received those blessings based on what Jesus Christ did, not because of anything we did or because of what we do! Philippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:32: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Now that God has done so much for us, God wants to prove just how much we love Him! Are we going to give of our resources to further His ministry? That is what grace giving is all about!

Also see:
» How do I give under grace?
» Must I observe the Sabbath day?
» Must I be water baptized?