The justice of God's sending of humans into the darkness and the fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels is that this is a preferred choice (though unaware of the full implications of this choice) and will remain so throughout all eternity. They will not have God, and therefore in the profoundest sense of the word, they will not have Him as they wish.
If Christians think in any degree that God is unrighteous in this judgement, it is because we have not yet considered how great the weight of sin is. We must come to see that God's Son is so precious in his sight that He will crush as with a rod of iron those who are opposed to his Son's glory and honor.
The real question believers should ask is not how can a loving God condemn sinners. The really amazing question is why would a holy God save sinners at such infinite cost to his own dear Son?
Some also ask, "Why is it then that God who saves some does not save all?" The Bible is clear that He does not. Yet, we are told in Scripture that Jesus did for the sins of the whole world. So, why are not all people saved? Certainly God is able to have elected every human to salvation and only had the devil and his angels inhabit the lake of fire.
Perhaps all are not saved (Universalism) because God us glorified both in His grace and mercy and also in His wrath and judgment on sinners. So that in electing a portion of humanity rather than all, He is more fully glorified than if He saved all and no human would receive His wrath and just judgment that comes from His hatred of all that is unholy.
As believers, it is so very important for us to know and believe that this would be our judgment, too, if God had not chosen us and drawn us to Christ by His mercy. We should ever express our gratitude and praise to God for the glory of His mercy and grace given to us when we were yet sinners.
To men who have refused to change in their attitude towards God, it will mean there will be no prospect or desire for change and repentance before him, and to those who have never loved Jesus Christ as Savior, it will mean they will go throughout all eternity never knowing what it means to know Christ's love nor to love Christ as Savior in grateful response, and therefore experiencing a loveless eternity.
In this life, God's mercy is "new every morning", but unregenerate humans are too blind and sin-numbed to experience it. But to those He elects to salvation, His mercy in redeeming them will last throughout eternity. Without God giving grace of regeneration and faith, no human would know God's redeeming mercy. But, He has brought that mercy to those He chose for salvation before the beginning of the world. Believers should be so thankful for having been chosen and drawn to Jesus through God's mercy and grace!
With God's grace and mercy being freely given, why will God still judge unregenerate sinners? How is His severe and eternal judgment appropriate to the sins committed against Him?
1. It is appropriate because it has been freely chosen. No human being has ever been, will ever be damned against their will. They choose it.
2. It is appropriate because what men and women know the righteous decrees of God about disobedience to Him and choose break His commands and even flaunt their disobedience before God. ( Romans 1:32)
3. It's appropriate because humans have consistently ignored God's providences.
4. It's appropriate because humans have despised the offer of Christ, who is able to save all those who come to God through Him.
5. It is appropriate because it is universally true of the natural man that he seeks a heaven devoid of God's throne and empty of God's presence.
Our heavenly Father is always merciful. And the Bible even calls His throne, "the throne of grace where we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16)
Whereas Romans Chapter 1 tells us why God's wrath is upon sinners, Paul appeals in Acts 14 and in Acts 17 to the patience of God among the nations, to the way in which He has favored us with his general providences, and has set in the very created universe hints for man that show His glory, to indicate to us that He is to be worshiped and glorified, and how it is that throughout the course of history, He has been patient in the outworking of his plan and also in the present, remains patient before the final judgment in order that every opportunity may be given for men and women to repent.
He has not sent us immediately to hell. He has been patient for all of His planned events to occur and He has filled our lives with blessing, upon blessing, upon blessing. He's given to humanity the gift of the Scriptures that speaks God's words to man in all its power and glory. And, as the ultimate mercy, He has sent his own dear Son who will come again to judge the elect and the unbelievers.
Humans are condemned not because they have hated God's holiness only, but because they have hated His patience, His grace, His loving-kindness, His offer of mercy, all of which is free to us! But as Paul says in Romans 10:3, humans have rejected these free gifts from God in exchange for desiring to establish their own righteousness before Him and refuse to submit to the righteousness offered in Jesus Christ.
To men who have turned from communion with God, it means they shall have no communion with God. To men who have not seen the significance of the blessings of the earth, it means they will never enjoy the blessings of the new heaven and the new earth.
Psalm 103:1-20 highlights how good God's mercies are to us.
103:1 "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word."
There is One who is in heaven, whose throne is there, who rules all the affairs of men and sees everything that we do. He is not sometimes merciful to His elect.
God, as the only God, who is sovereign above all, is utterly free to show mercy to whom He will - and He has chosen to be merciful to His people who have been elected, called, and reborn in the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Mercy of God made human. He himself was, and is, the mercy of God to us
In ( Exodus 34:6-7) God again highlights to Moses that He is gracious and merciful.
God is not unjust; by no means will He clear the guilty and simply ignore or sweep sin under the rug. Yet, as these verses show, the first and greatest truth for His people to know about Him is He is "a God merciful and gracious."
His grace and mercy shine as the apex of his glory. He is "slow to anger" - He is patient and yet, even in such justice, he is slow to anger. Wrath is his righteous response to evil, but it is not his heart.
Romans 9:22-24 gives us the deepest glimpse into God's heart, and what we find at bottom is mercy. This is perhaps as deep as the Bible goes in explaining to us why God governs his creation as he does. Paul puts it in the form of a question, not because he's unsure of the truth, but for rhetorical effect, because it is awesome and sobering to contemplate.
"22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"
God does, indeed, show his righteous wrath. He is holy. To not demonstrate wrath in a world of sin and rebellion against Him would be untrue to Himself and unloving to His people. God is able to do just as He promised concerning unregenerate humanity. Severity in God always serves his heart of mercy - "to make known the riches of his glory to his people, who are the vessels of his mercy."
Every sinner is in need of God's mercy. When one realizes this and cries to God for mercy we admit to deserving eternal punishment for our sins as well as being undeserving of His mercy. By rights, we should be under his impending wrath, like all mankind ( Ephesians 2:3) - but for "the tender mercy of our God" ( Luke 1:78), in which Jesus took god's wrath in our place and allows for our sins to be forgiven.
In Titus 3:4-7, the apostle Paul gives us one of the best descriptions of God's mercy as revealed in Jesus Christ:
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
God's mercy forgives and saves us specifically because He withholds the punishment, condemnation and wrath we deserve.
Romans 5:9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thessalonians 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Exodus 33:19 reveals a great glimpse of God's mercy. In one of the most important passages in all the Bible, after Moses has asked God to show him his glory, God answers, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The Lord.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."
When asked to show his glory, God puts his goodness in grace and mercy on display - and his utter freedom in showing his mercy to whomever he chooses.
In regards to you question about the serpent on a pole that Moses lifted up in the desert which Jesus referenced, here are a few thoughts of mine.
When the Lord instructed Moses to raise the serpent in the wilderness, anyone of people of God (the chosen) could look to the serpent and be healed. The context of that account was not an action to be taken for the whole of humanity, but for the people God selected to be His people, a holy nation. So, we are dealing with the people God had set aside for Himself just as the elect are those God set aside before the creation to receive salvation.
My own question is: did every person among the Israelites who were bitten by the fiery serpents look to the raised serpent for healing? The text said that many had been bitten and died prior to the raising of the bronze serpent. And the text does not say that everyone who was bitten id look to the serpent to be healed and remain alive. But in this text, the whosoever are those who were bitten and did look to the bronze serpent for healing and life. They had faith to believe what the Lord had said would happen through Moses.
Similarly, in a much grander way, Jesus saying that He would be lifted up as the serpent was for people to have life, He meant that anyone who did who believed in Him through the Word of God in the Gospel will also be saved and have eternal life. The whosoever in this case are those who do believe in Jesus, not the ones who did not believe. Otherwise, everyone would be saved whether they believe or not. I do not think that the Bible teaches such universalism.
Over the course of church history, many millions or even billions have heard the call of the Gospel, but only those who belie3ve will receive salvation and eternal life. I pretty much think that we both agree on this point. So, where we differ is perhaps on who the elect are, how they become elect. Perhaps even other aspects of this topic. I will consider this and post later.
God so loved the world. He loves His creation and is benevolent in administering His reign over it.
I believe that God loved the elect from before the world began and works in the life of the elect to bring them to faith and salvation. I do not believe that He begins t love us after we are saved. Jeremiah 3:13 says that God has loved us (His chosen) with an everlasting love.
As to your point about the "whosoever" of John 3:16 and the availability of salvation to all I believe that the Gospel is to be preached to every nation, tongue, and people. It calls people to be reconciled to God. Unregenerate people cannot believe the Gospel because they do not want to. They are unable to respond to the call of the Gospel because they are dead in sin and cannot please God or seek Him. Unless God does a work of grace in an unregenerate person, they will to reject the Gospel call and will to be at enmity with God. They are truly hopeless to come to Christ. I believe that only those who God regenerates are able to obey the call of the Gospel and that these people are the "elect".
For now, this is all I wish to write in this post addressing some of your questioning of what I have posted. I appreciate your response and will spend some time considering your other points.
I would like to ask one thing of you, though. Would you explain what you think about the topics I posted on, not to query me but to explain your position as I have done. That will help me understand more fully your viewpoint. Thanks in advance.
Pray for my international allies that the Lord will ameliorate their living situations, cleanse their conduct of spots and wrinkles, heal their recent bitter memories, find good connections, confess their sins to Jesus, fix up their sluggish progress and come to church. Amen.
2 Corinthians 3:15-16But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
( The it mentioned here is their heart!)
It is Israel that was blinded because they sought righteousness by the Law. Romans 9:31-32 and other places.
Also Romans 11:6-11 reads
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the ELECTION hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
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.
A temporary blindness! Romans 11:25-26.
Quoting you!
Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
That's very clear. The Gospel, "The Good news, or A good message "
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; Romans 9:30-32.
Father God I ask that You Bless my finances and Bless me have money to pay my bills and the finances to make it to the next check. I ask for increase in the area of finances so I can be able to have more room to buy things that are not my needs. I ask for increase in debt cancellation. I ask for all of these things in Lord Jesus Christ Name, amen.
Day 8 January 8,2025 Romans 12:2 KJV West Angeles Church Consecration Calendar
Me being a member at West Angeles Cogic Church Cathedral Los Angeles, California
Romans 12: Verse 2
My interpetation: REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY
"Putting God first and only God no other. Loving God with your heart first. Mark 12:30 KJV, Matthew 6:33 KJV.Jesus Christ is the only way to divine healing.
Letting God control you by listening and following instructions of his voice and word.Allowing your body to become like Jesus- holy, righteous,holiness."
Me identifying myself as Christian before and member at West Angeles Cogic Church Cathedral I conformed to God Romans 10:9-10 KJV having faith Hebrews 11:1 KJV and practice reading my Holy Bible Trusting God.
I stated, In the context of your posting, God so loved the world should be kept in John 3:16.
Gigi the reason I say that is because you contributed "WHOSOEVER" to only the elect when I mentioned it to Carlton as salvation being an invitation to all.
Whosoever thirst in Revelation 22:17 is the same whosoever in John 3:16.
God so loved the world is uniquely cosigned to John 3:16 because of what follows! "That he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
Let's examine that verse and include the previous verses.
14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
My questions to you would be, Jesus gave the example of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness.
Was that to emphasize an elect or was it for the whole congregation?
And if God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that only the elect might be saved. When did he began to love them "after" he chose them or before?
If you're saying he loved them "before" he chose them then that would include "ALL" being that there was no difference between them all.
So, the whosoever is an invitation to All!
If he loved them after he chose them.
Are you saying God is partial?
It is getting late. See part 3 over the weekend as I read over a few more postings.
2 Corinthians 4:9 - Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
He says I'm persecuted. The word persecuted in the Greek means to chase or to pursue. When Satan persecutes a Christian, he chases that person. There's nothing Satan can do except chase people, which is why Paul goes out of his way to say "Stand in Christ. Don't run. You have the armor of God on!
2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
For our light affliction, again THLIPSIS/Stress, which is but for a moment. So, he says in this earthly life, I see that the hardships that we have to go through, it's like compared to eternity, it's just a minute.
It works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; So, when you compare this affliction, or stress for now, compared to the glory that we're going to experience in the future, there's no comparison!
2 Corinthians 5:1 - For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Interesting that he calls his body a tabernacle, or more literally a tent, SKENE in Greek. When this tent dissolves, and it is also interesting that he's a tentmaker. But when this tent dissolves, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Please catch this: It wasn't Satan that blinded their minds that made them unbelievers. It says Satan hath blinded the minds of those who believe not. So, the unbelief came first. And secondly, Satan comes, and he blinds their minds, and the word mind is not PSUECHE (the psyche), but the NOEMA, the perceptive processes of the mind. Satan made it so that they could not perceive the truth of Christ any longer.
And he does this, lest the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine in them. So, he prevents it. They disbelieved the word. They're in the process of unbelief and Satan comes and blinds their minds.
2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
But we have this treasure, and that would be God's Spirit, in earthen vessels, and the word earthen is making reference to dirt or clay. It's the same word is used for the potters that mix and make clay. But it's basically the word dirt.
2 Corinthians 4:8 - We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
We are troubled on every side, and that's the word THLIPSIS, which has to do with pressure and stress. We are pressured and stressed on every side yet not distressed. It's not the end!
Secondly, we are perplexed. The word perplexed means the sense you get when you come to a fork in the road and you don't know which way to go, left or right. You are perplexed. Which way do I go? I don't know! But then he says but not in despair. Despair means there's no way out. We might be perplexed but we know there's a way out. We just don't know what it is yet.
2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, or mirror, the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. The word changed is actually the word transformation, metamorphosis. It is a transformation that takes place, that when we're fellowshipping with the Lord, and we look into the mirror, or the glass, and we're looking into the glory of the Lord, is that we are changed into that image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. He performs a transformation in us, a change. And Paul describes that for us in Chapter 5 about a new creation.
2 Corinthians 4:2 - But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Where it says, "nor handling the word of God deceitfully," this is a good one. The word handling and deceitfully are all one word. It's actually a pharmaceutical term that means unmixed. You don't mix the word of God with something else.
In fact, Paul in his first letter, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, he says when I came to you, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. He didn't use any human manipulations. He just preached and it was the demonstration of Spirit and power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
Paul says I minister so that your relationship with the Lord will be on the basis of faith, not human manipulation. And so, he says here, we have not handled the word of God deceitfully. We haven't mixed it with anything else. We just give you straight word.
2 Corinthians 3:13 - And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Now in that last little phrase "Look to the end of that which is abolished," in the Greek, it basically tells us something that the Old Testament doesn't tell us.
If you remember Moses, actually seven times went up and down the mountain and conversed with God about various things. And when he would come down, his face was radiating because he had been conversing with God. And so, he put a vail over his face so that the people wouldn't be distracted or could see this glow.
This text tells us that the vail was put over his face so the people could not see the glory fading off of his face and become disheartened. But it faded away. The Greek text says so that the people could not see it fading away. After a while it went away. He put the vail over his face so that they couldn't see it disappear.
But he says we're not like Moses. We're very bold. Moses was very withdrawn and had to hide it so the people wouldn't get discouraged and wonder what was going on when the glow went away. Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: The word "that" is literally the. The Lord is (the) Spirit. Talk about deity! We're not talking about oneness in person. We're talking about oneness in essence. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they are all one God, equal.
2 Corinthians 2:17 - For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:
The word corrupt is a Greek word that would be equivalent to our term swap-meet. The word of God is not for a swap-meet. We don't merchandise it. We don't compromise to get something back, or trade. We are not those who peddle the word of God!
But as of sincerity, and again, that's the word transparency, but as of God, accountability, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Wow, what a statement to make! Whether a person receives or rejects, our conscience is that we're going to be transparent, we're going to be accountable to God, and we're going to represent Him properly in Christ Jesus to people. Wow!
2 Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
The word sufficient means capable. Not that we are capable of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2 Corinthians 3:6 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; (in contrast): not of the letter, but of the spirit:
Now I think that's very interesting. A person can know the bible backwards and forwards but not have the ministry of God's Spirit ministering that word. For the letter killeth, or kills, literally Present Tense. The letter is killing, but the Spirit gives life.
He's making reference to the Old Testament law. He says you can keep it all you want to, but it's not going to give you eternal life. The law was given to show us our need for Christ. If somebody tries to keep the law in order to inherit eternal life, they will die in their sins, because only the Spirit of God can give life.
I'm finally getting a chance to sit down to read a few more of your postings.
I haven't been able to keep up so I'm starting from the most recent and going backwards.
Here's something that caught my eye, You stated "believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the "HEAVENLY REALM" because we are united with Christ.
"We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are"
Then you referenced
Acts 15:11.
Look at this verse in its proper context!
Acts 15:7-11 "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that THE GENTILES by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
And put no difference between US AND THEM, purifying THEIR hearts by faith.
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ WE shall be saved, even as THEY.
Gigi, Peter is making a distinction between Himself and the other Jews (Kinsman of the flesh) and the Gentiles.
Peter is saying the Jews shall be saved apart from the law like the Gentiles.
Here's another very impressive issue that concerns me.
You Stated;
God rains down grace on all mankind. He gave us the beauty and wonders of nature that we see each and every day. He gives us near misses when accidents are heading our way. He often brings us the right thing just in time. And He also gave us an innate conscience to know right from wrong. All these things are common graces, and everyone born on the earth has the benefit of them BECAUSE GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD.
In the context of your posting, God so loved the world should be kept in John 3:16.
Please pray for my return to The LORD.Please pray for me. Please pray that The LORD helps me through the trials I am going through; for deliverance & protection from my enemies; for provision for my spiritual, material and financial needs. Please pray for healing for my backsliding and body and deliverance from the devil.
Hello Cheryl . Some things to keep in mind as we read the Bible . Many events from the old testament are deeply connected to events in the new testament . I find it helpful to keep this scripture in mind Acts chapter 15 verse 18 . It's a profound statement .
Adam is a foreshadow of Jesus in a way , 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verses 12 through to 57 . We are , or rather shall be , the bride of Christ , so in a way we are Eve . Revelation chapter 19 verse 7 to 9 and the whole of chapter 21 . John chapter 19 verse 34 and 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 18 through 21 . Matthew chapter 22 verse 1 through to 14 and finally 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 1 to 3 . Through the death and resurrection of Christ , we come into being , we are born again , notice how God caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam ( Jesus died but was ressurected by God ) God opened Adams body at his ribs , a soldier pierced Jesus's side and blood and water came out . Christ is our righteousness , our clean white wedding garment which covers our nakedness , remember the leaves that Adam and Eve used to try to cover their shame ? God Himself sacrificed a lamb to make skins for Adam and Eve to wear , God provided Jesus who was willing to give up his life that we might be reconciled to God by his innocent blood . We have been bought with a very high price .
This comment in particular. Salvation is a gift to each person that believe without partiality.
Just being born on this planet includes many benefits. But when someone becomes a believer in Christ, that person receives even more graceful benefits from God reserved only for God's elect. In fact, believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm because we are united with Christ. Amen!
Please pray for me to get close to the Lord and full with a double dose of the Holy Ghost and that I walk in the gift that the Lord God have blessed me with and over my family members.
Pt. 7
The justice of God's sending of humans into the darkness and the fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels is that this is a preferred choice (though unaware of the full implications of this choice) and will remain so throughout all eternity. They will not have God, and therefore in the profoundest sense of the word, they will not have Him as they wish.
If Christians think in any degree that God is unrighteous in this judgement, it is because we have not yet considered how great the weight of sin is. We must come to see that God's Son is so precious in his sight that He will crush as with a rod of iron those who are opposed to his Son's glory and honor.
The real question believers should ask is not how can a loving God condemn sinners. The really amazing question is why would a holy God save sinners at such infinite cost to his own dear Son?
Some also ask, "Why is it then that God who saves some does not save all?" The Bible is clear that He does not. Yet, we are told in Scripture that Jesus did for the sins of the whole world. So, why are not all people saved? Certainly God is able to have elected every human to salvation and only had the devil and his angels inhabit the lake of fire.
Perhaps all are not saved (Universalism) because God us glorified both in His grace and mercy and also in His wrath and judgment on sinners. So that in electing a portion of humanity rather than all, He is more fully glorified than if He saved all and no human would receive His wrath and just judgment that comes from His hatred of all that is unholy.
As believers, it is so very important for us to know and believe that this would be our judgment, too, if God had not chosen us and drawn us to Christ by His mercy. We should ever express our gratitude and praise to God for the glory of His mercy and grace given to us when we were yet sinners.
See Pt. 8
Pt. 6
To men who have refused to change in their attitude towards God, it will mean there will be no prospect or desire for change and repentance before him, and to those who have never loved Jesus Christ as Savior, it will mean they will go throughout all eternity never knowing what it means to know Christ's love nor to love Christ as Savior in grateful response, and therefore experiencing a loveless eternity.
In this life, God's mercy is "new every morning", but unregenerate humans are too blind and sin-numbed to experience it. But to those He elects to salvation, His mercy in redeeming them will last throughout eternity. Without God giving grace of regeneration and faith, no human would know God's redeeming mercy. But, He has brought that mercy to those He chose for salvation before the beginning of the world. Believers should be so thankful for having been chosen and drawn to Jesus through God's mercy and grace!
With God's grace and mercy being freely given, why will God still judge unregenerate sinners? How is His severe and eternal judgment appropriate to the sins committed against Him?
1. It is appropriate because it has been freely chosen. No human being has ever been, will ever be damned against their will. They choose it.
2. It is appropriate because what men and women know the righteous decrees of God about disobedience to Him and choose break His commands and even flaunt their disobedience before God. ( Romans 1:32)
3. It's appropriate because humans have consistently ignored God's providences.
4. It's appropriate because humans have despised the offer of Christ, who is able to save all those who come to God through Him.
5. It is appropriate because it is universally true of the natural man that he seeks a heaven devoid of God's throne and empty of God's presence.
See. Pt. 7
Pt. 5
Our heavenly Father is always merciful. And the Bible even calls His throne, "the throne of grace where we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16)
Whereas Romans Chapter 1 tells us why God's wrath is upon sinners, Paul appeals in Acts 14 and in Acts 17 to the patience of God among the nations, to the way in which He has favored us with his general providences, and has set in the very created universe hints for man that show His glory, to indicate to us that He is to be worshiped and glorified, and how it is that throughout the course of history, He has been patient in the outworking of his plan and also in the present, remains patient before the final judgment in order that every opportunity may be given for men and women to repent.
He has not sent us immediately to hell. He has been patient for all of His planned events to occur and He has filled our lives with blessing, upon blessing, upon blessing. He's given to humanity the gift of the Scriptures that speaks God's words to man in all its power and glory. And, as the ultimate mercy, He has sent his own dear Son who will come again to judge the elect and the unbelievers.
Humans are condemned not because they have hated God's holiness only, but because they have hated His patience, His grace, His loving-kindness, His offer of mercy, all of which is free to us! But as Paul says in Romans 10:3, humans have rejected these free gifts from God in exchange for desiring to establish their own righteousness before Him and refuse to submit to the righteousness offered in Jesus Christ.
To men who have turned from communion with God, it means they shall have no communion with God. To men who have not seen the significance of the blessings of the earth, it means they will never enjoy the blessings of the new heaven and the new earth.
See Pt. 6
Pt.3
Psalm 103:1-20 highlights how good God's mercies are to us.
103:1 "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word."
There is One who is in heaven, whose throne is there, who rules all the affairs of men and sees everything that we do. He is not sometimes merciful to His elect.
See Pt. 4
Pt. 2
God, as the only God, who is sovereign above all, is utterly free to show mercy to whom He will - and He has chosen to be merciful to His people who have been elected, called, and reborn in the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Mercy of God made human. He himself was, and is, the mercy of God to us
In ( Exodus 34:6-7) God again highlights to Moses that He is gracious and merciful.
God is not unjust; by no means will He clear the guilty and simply ignore or sweep sin under the rug. Yet, as these verses show, the first and greatest truth for His people to know about Him is He is "a God merciful and gracious."
His grace and mercy shine as the apex of his glory. He is "slow to anger" - He is patient and yet, even in such justice, he is slow to anger. Wrath is his righteous response to evil, but it is not his heart.
Romans 9:22-24 gives us the deepest glimpse into God's heart, and what we find at bottom is mercy. This is perhaps as deep as the Bible goes in explaining to us why God governs his creation as he does. Paul puts it in the form of a question, not because he's unsure of the truth, but for rhetorical effect, because it is awesome and sobering to contemplate.
"22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"
God does, indeed, show his righteous wrath. He is holy. To not demonstrate wrath in a world of sin and rebellion against Him would be untrue to Himself and unloving to His people. God is able to do just as He promised concerning unregenerate humanity. Severity in God always serves his heart of mercy - "to make known the riches of his glory to his people, who are the vessels of his mercy."
See Pt. 3
GOD'S MERCY IS NEW EVERY MORNING AND NEVER FAILS
Every sinner is in need of God's mercy. When one realizes this and cries to God for mercy we admit to deserving eternal punishment for our sins as well as being undeserving of His mercy. By rights, we should be under his impending wrath, like all mankind ( Ephesians 2:3) - but for "the tender mercy of our God" ( Luke 1:78), in which Jesus took god's wrath in our place and allows for our sins to be forgiven.
In Titus 3:4-7, the apostle Paul gives us one of the best descriptions of God's mercy as revealed in Jesus Christ:
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
God's mercy forgives and saves us specifically because He withholds the punishment, condemnation and wrath we deserve.
Romans 5:9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thessalonians 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Exodus 33:19 reveals a great glimpse of God's mercy. In one of the most important passages in all the Bible, after Moses has asked God to show him his glory, God answers, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The Lord.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."
When asked to show his glory, God puts his goodness in grace and mercy on display - and his utter freedom in showing his mercy to whomever he chooses.
See Pt. 2
In regards to you question about the serpent on a pole that Moses lifted up in the desert which Jesus referenced, here are a few thoughts of mine.
When the Lord instructed Moses to raise the serpent in the wilderness, anyone of people of God (the chosen) could look to the serpent and be healed. The context of that account was not an action to be taken for the whole of humanity, but for the people God selected to be His people, a holy nation. So, we are dealing with the people God had set aside for Himself just as the elect are those God set aside before the creation to receive salvation.
My own question is: did every person among the Israelites who were bitten by the fiery serpents look to the raised serpent for healing? The text said that many had been bitten and died prior to the raising of the bronze serpent. And the text does not say that everyone who was bitten id look to the serpent to be healed and remain alive. But in this text, the whosoever are those who were bitten and did look to the bronze serpent for healing and life. They had faith to believe what the Lord had said would happen through Moses.
Similarly, in a much grander way, Jesus saying that He would be lifted up as the serpent was for people to have life, He meant that anyone who did who believed in Him through the Word of God in the Gospel will also be saved and have eternal life. The whosoever in this case are those who do believe in Jesus, not the ones who did not believe. Otherwise, everyone would be saved whether they believe or not. I do not think that the Bible teaches such universalism.
Over the course of church history, many millions or even billions have heard the call of the Gospel, but only those who belie3ve will receive salvation and eternal life. I pretty much think that we both agree on this point. So, where we differ is perhaps on who the elect are, how they become elect. Perhaps even other aspects of this topic. I will consider this and post later.
I will speak to your last pint first.
God so loved the world. He loves His creation and is benevolent in administering His reign over it.
I believe that God loved the elect from before the world began and works in the life of the elect to bring them to faith and salvation. I do not believe that He begins t love us after we are saved. Jeremiah 3:13 says that God has loved us (His chosen) with an everlasting love.
As to your point about the "whosoever" of John 3:16 and the availability of salvation to all I believe that the Gospel is to be preached to every nation, tongue, and people. It calls people to be reconciled to God. Unregenerate people cannot believe the Gospel because they do not want to. They are unable to respond to the call of the Gospel because they are dead in sin and cannot please God or seek Him. Unless God does a work of grace in an unregenerate person, they will to reject the Gospel call and will to be at enmity with God. They are truly hopeless to come to Christ. I believe that only those who God regenerates are able to obey the call of the Gospel and that these people are the "elect".
For now, this is all I wish to write in this post addressing some of your questioning of what I have posted. I appreciate your response and will spend some time considering your other points.
I would like to ask one thing of you, though. Would you explain what you think about the topics I posted on, not to query me but to explain your position as I have done. That will help me understand more fully your viewpoint. Thanks in advance.
2 Corinthians 3:15-16But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
( The it mentioned here is their heart!)
It is Israel that was blinded because they sought righteousness by the Law. Romans 9:31-32 and other places.
Also Romans 11:6-11 reads
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the ELECTION hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
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.
A temporary blindness! Romans 11:25-26.
Quoting you!
Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
That's very clear. The Gospel, "The Good news, or A good message "
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; Romans 9:30-32.
Peter sums this up in Acts 15:5-11.
Great study!
God bless.
Me being a member at West Angeles Cogic Church Cathedral Los Angeles, California
Romans 12: Verse 2
My interpetation: REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY
"Putting God first and only God no other. Loving God with your heart first. Mark 12:30 KJV, Matthew 6:33 KJV.Jesus Christ is the only way to divine healing.
Letting God control you by listening and following instructions of his voice and word.Allowing your body to become like Jesus- holy, righteous,holiness."
Me identifying myself as Christian before and member at West Angeles Cogic Church Cathedral I conformed to God Romans 10:9-10 KJV having faith Hebrews 11:1 KJV and practice reading my Holy Bible Trusting God.
Word Spoken and Written by REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY
We are so blessed in our Savior!
Please pray also that the Lord would help me trust Him more and not have so many fears and anxieties about life and my regrets.
Please pray that I could find direction at my job; whether I should stay there or make a change; I want to please the Lord.
Finally, I pray and ask for agreement in prayer that I would be the person meant for me would come forth in my life if that would please the Lord.
Thank you, my brethren, and thank You, Lord Jesus, for your answers!!
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD.
Part 2
I stated, In the context of your posting, God so loved the world should be kept in John 3:16.
Gigi the reason I say that is because you contributed "WHOSOEVER" to only the elect when I mentioned it to Carlton as salvation being an invitation to all.
Whosoever thirst in Revelation 22:17 is the same whosoever in John 3:16.
God so loved the world is uniquely cosigned to John 3:16 because of what follows! "That he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
Let's examine that verse and include the previous verses.
14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
My questions to you would be, Jesus gave the example of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness.
Was that to emphasize an elect or was it for the whole congregation?
And if God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that only the elect might be saved. When did he began to love them "after" he chose them or before?
If you're saying he loved them "before" he chose them then that would include "ALL" being that there was no difference between them all.
So, the whosoever is an invitation to All!
If he loved them after he chose them.
Are you saying God is partial?
It is getting late. See part 3 over the weekend as I read over a few more postings.
Blessings.
2 Corinthians 4:9 - Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
He says I'm persecuted. The word persecuted in the Greek means to chase or to pursue. When Satan persecutes a Christian, he chases that person. There's nothing Satan can do except chase people, which is why Paul goes out of his way to say "Stand in Christ. Don't run. You have the armor of God on!
2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
For our light affliction, again THLIPSIS/Stress, which is but for a moment. So, he says in this earthly life, I see that the hardships that we have to go through, it's like compared to eternity, it's just a minute.
It works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; So, when you compare this affliction, or stress for now, compared to the glory that we're going to experience in the future, there's no comparison!
2 Corinthians 5:1 - For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Interesting that he calls his body a tabernacle, or more literally a tent, SKENE in Greek. When this tent dissolves, and it is also interesting that he's a tentmaker. But when this tent dissolves, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Please catch this: It wasn't Satan that blinded their minds that made them unbelievers. It says Satan hath blinded the minds of those who believe not. So, the unbelief came first. And secondly, Satan comes, and he blinds their minds, and the word mind is not PSUECHE (the psyche), but the NOEMA, the perceptive processes of the mind. Satan made it so that they could not perceive the truth of Christ any longer.
And he does this, lest the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine in them. So, he prevents it. They disbelieved the word. They're in the process of unbelief and Satan comes and blinds their minds.
2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
But we have this treasure, and that would be God's Spirit, in earthen vessels, and the word earthen is making reference to dirt or clay. It's the same word is used for the potters that mix and make clay. But it's basically the word dirt.
2 Corinthians 4:8 - We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
We are troubled on every side, and that's the word THLIPSIS, which has to do with pressure and stress. We are pressured and stressed on every side yet not distressed. It's not the end!
Secondly, we are perplexed. The word perplexed means the sense you get when you come to a fork in the road and you don't know which way to go, left or right. You are perplexed. Which way do I go? I don't know! But then he says but not in despair. Despair means there's no way out. We might be perplexed but we know there's a way out. We just don't know what it is yet.
2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, or mirror, the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. The word changed is actually the word transformation, metamorphosis. It is a transformation that takes place, that when we're fellowshipping with the Lord, and we look into the mirror, or the glass, and we're looking into the glory of the Lord, is that we are changed into that image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. He performs a transformation in us, a change. And Paul describes that for us in Chapter 5 about a new creation.
2 Corinthians 4:2 - But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Where it says, "nor handling the word of God deceitfully," this is a good one. The word handling and deceitfully are all one word. It's actually a pharmaceutical term that means unmixed. You don't mix the word of God with something else.
In fact, Paul in his first letter, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, he says when I came to you, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. He didn't use any human manipulations. He just preached and it was the demonstration of Spirit and power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
Paul says I minister so that your relationship with the Lord will be on the basis of faith, not human manipulation. And so, he says here, we have not handled the word of God deceitfully. We haven't mixed it with anything else. We just give you straight word.
2 Corinthians 3:13 - And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Now in that last little phrase "Look to the end of that which is abolished," in the Greek, it basically tells us something that the Old Testament doesn't tell us.
If you remember Moses, actually seven times went up and down the mountain and conversed with God about various things. And when he would come down, his face was radiating because he had been conversing with God. And so, he put a vail over his face so that the people wouldn't be distracted or could see this glow.
This text tells us that the vail was put over his face so the people could not see the glory fading off of his face and become disheartened. But it faded away. The Greek text says so that the people could not see it fading away. After a while it went away. He put the vail over his face so that they couldn't see it disappear.
But he says we're not like Moses. We're very bold. Moses was very withdrawn and had to hide it so the people wouldn't get discouraged and wonder what was going on when the glow went away. Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: The word "that" is literally the. The Lord is (the) Spirit. Talk about deity! We're not talking about oneness in person. We're talking about oneness in essence. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they are all one God, equal.
2 Corinthians 2:17 - For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:
The word corrupt is a Greek word that would be equivalent to our term swap-meet. The word of God is not for a swap-meet. We don't merchandise it. We don't compromise to get something back, or trade. We are not those who peddle the word of God!
But as of sincerity, and again, that's the word transparency, but as of God, accountability, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Wow, what a statement to make! Whether a person receives or rejects, our conscience is that we're going to be transparent, we're going to be accountable to God, and we're going to represent Him properly in Christ Jesus to people. Wow!
2 Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
The word sufficient means capable. Not that we are capable of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2 Corinthians 3:6 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; (in contrast): not of the letter, but of the spirit:
Now I think that's very interesting. A person can know the bible backwards and forwards but not have the ministry of God's Spirit ministering that word. For the letter killeth, or kills, literally Present Tense. The letter is killing, but the Spirit gives life.
He's making reference to the Old Testament law. He says you can keep it all you want to, but it's not going to give you eternal life. The law was given to show us our need for Christ. If somebody tries to keep the law in order to inherit eternal life, they will die in their sins, because only the Spirit of God can give life.
I'm finally getting a chance to sit down to read a few more of your postings.
I haven't been able to keep up so I'm starting from the most recent and going backwards.
Here's something that caught my eye, You stated "believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the "HEAVENLY REALM" because we are united with Christ.
"We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are"
Then you referenced
Acts 15:11.
Look at this verse in its proper context!
Acts 15:7-11 "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that THE GENTILES by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
And put no difference between US AND THEM, purifying THEIR hearts by faith.
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ WE shall be saved, even as THEY.
Gigi, Peter is making a distinction between Himself and the other Jews (Kinsman of the flesh) and the Gentiles.
Peter is saying the Jews shall be saved apart from the law like the Gentiles.
Here's another very impressive issue that concerns me.
You Stated;
God rains down grace on all mankind. He gave us the beauty and wonders of nature that we see each and every day. He gives us near misses when accidents are heading our way. He often brings us the right thing just in time. And He also gave us an innate conscience to know right from wrong. All these things are common graces, and everyone born on the earth has the benefit of them BECAUSE GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD.
In the context of your posting, God so loved the world should be kept in John 3:16.
Please see part 2.
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD..
Adam is a foreshadow of Jesus in a way , 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verses 12 through to 57 . We are , or rather shall be , the bride of Christ , so in a way we are Eve . Revelation chapter 19 verse 7 to 9 and the whole of chapter 21 . John chapter 19 verse 34 and 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 18 through 21 . Matthew chapter 22 verse 1 through to 14 and finally 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 1 to 3 . Through the death and resurrection of Christ , we come into being , we are born again , notice how God caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam ( Jesus died but was ressurected by God ) God opened Adams body at his ribs , a soldier pierced Jesus's side and blood and water came out . Christ is our righteousness , our clean white wedding garment which covers our nakedness , remember the leaves that Adam and Eve used to try to cover their shame ? God Himself sacrificed a lamb to make skins for Adam and Eve to wear , God provided Jesus who was willing to give up his life that we might be reconciled to God by his innocent blood . We have been bought with a very high price .
This comment in particular. Salvation is a gift to each person that believe without partiality.
Just being born on this planet includes many benefits. But when someone becomes a believer in Christ, that person receives even more graceful benefits from God reserved only for God's elect. In fact, believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm because we are united with Christ. Amen!