The "poor in spirit" of verse three refers to those who realize that they do not possess enough spirit to get them to heaven. These are the ones who repent of having a sinful spirit and humbly call on God to give them His perfect Spirit so that they can go to heaven.
Jesus taught in verse seven that whosoever displays mercy will obtain mercy. This verse applies to anyone, not just Christian believers. Any mercy that has ever been displayed by anyone will either gain rewards for Christian believers in heaven or be recovered by God to be used in His recreation of a new race of men to live on His recreated earth.
The "pure in heart" of verse eight can only refer to Christian believers since only God can purify and recreate the sinful souls and spirits of men.
Verses 10-12 can only refer to Christian believers because only Christians have been persecuted for the cause of Christ.
In verses 25-26, Jesus taught that God's purpose for hell is to use it to separate man's goodness which God put into him from his total evil put into him by Satan. God will recover all of His goodness in man to be recreated, and He will consign man's total evil to the lake of fire forever. Christ is the adversary of sin, and those who agree with Him that they need His salvation will be spared from the "prison" which symbolizes hell. Those who do not agree with Christ that they are sinners in need of His salvation, God will judge them to be cast into hell. But God will use the fires of hell to separate His goodness that He put into them from their rebellious evil which He will cast into the lake of fire. For this reason, God will judge only the dead who are totally evil at the Great White Throne Judgment. At that time, God will have already separated all His goodness from all their deadness. God will recreate their recovered goodness into new men to live on His recreated earth, and God will cast their deadness into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount part two
Jesus taught His disciples, but He allowed the multitude to overhear His sermon. He addressed His disciples, except for Judas Iscariot, as His children destined for heaven. He demonstrated in verse 19 that His disciples can be imperfect and still get to heaven. This revelation also comports with what He taught in Matthew 21:32. The difference between the hell bound and the heaven bound is that the former practice excessive pride in that they refuse to come out of the darkness to the Light while the later humble themselves to God and admit that they are weak sinners in need of God's mercy and grace. Luke 18:9-14; John 3:17-21.
At times, Jesus directed His sermon more to the multitude than to His disciples. In verse 4, Jesus taught that anyone who has ever mourned will be comforted. In verse 5, He taught that the meek will inherit the earth. In verse 9, Jesus seemed to address both His disciples and the multitude when He taught that the peacemakers would be called the children of God. Clearly, Jesus addressed two different types of children of God in His sermon, those who would inherit the earth and those who would inherit heaven. In Revelation 21:3-5, God describes His recreated people who will inherit the earth. God will strip them of all excessive pride; they will be comforted, and they will live together in perfect peace and harmony forever.
In verses 38-47, Jesus taught again about the impossibility of man to make himself good enough to get to heaven. Jesus is the only person who ever completely loved His enemies to the extent of dying for them on the cross. Jesus went the extra mile when He carried His cross to Calvary. Jesus is the only person who gave His life to save all mankind. Jesus died for the imperfect, but He also revealed in verse 48 that one had to be as perfect as His Father to get to heaven. Clearly, Jesus meant that He would be the perfection for all who would humble themselves to Him, repent, and put their faith in His ability to save them and take them to heaven. But for all those whom God does not bring to heaven, He will recover all His goodness that He ever put into them and use it to recreate a new human race to live on His new earth. God will also consign all total evil within man to the lake of fire forever. Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8.
At times, Jesus directed His sermon more to the multitude than to His disciples. In verse 4, Jesus taught that anyone who has ever mourned will be comforted. In verse 5, He taught that the meek will inherit the earth. In verse 9, Jesus seemed to address both His disciples and the multitude when He taught that the peacemakers would be called the children of God. Clearly, Jesus addressed two different types of children of God in His sermon, those who would inherit the earth and those who would inherit heaven. In Revelation 21:3-5, God describes His recreated people who will inherit the earth. God will strip them of all excessive pride; they will be comforted, and they will live together in perfect peace and harmony forever.
In verses 38-47, Jesus taught again about the impossibility of man to make himself good enough to get to heaven. Jesus is the only person who ever completely loved His enemies to the extent of dying for them on the cross. Jesus went the extra mile when He carried His cross to Calvary. Jesus is the only person who gave His life to save all mankind. Jesus died for the imperfect, but He also revealed in verse 48 that one had to be as perfect as His Father to get to heaven. Clearly, Jesus meant that He would be the perfection for all who would humble themselves to Him, repent, and put their faith in His ability to save them and take them to heaven. But for all those whom God does not bring to heaven, He will recover all His goodness that He ever put into them and use it to recreate a new human race to live on His new earth. God will also consign all total evil within man to the lake of fire forever. Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount part one
In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus directly taught His disciples, but He indirectly taught the multitude. In Matthew 5:19, Jesus informs us that one does not have to be perfect to get to heaven. Yet, in verse 48, He commands everyone to be perfect. This seeming contradiction can only be resolved by Jesus' teaching in verse 17. Jesus taught that only He could fulfill the law. and therefore, only He could be perfect. Jesus did for man that which man could not do for himself. Jesus lived on earth in perfect obedience to the law. Jesus has become man's perfection, and God accepts nothing less than perfection.
In Matthew 5:21-37, Jesus taught about the complete impossibility of any person to save himself from hell. Jesus' purpose in these teachings reflected His Father's purpose when He allowed Moses to write a whole set of intricate laws into His Word. The clear message in both cases was the impossibility of man to make himself perfect by keeping the law. Man's utter weakness prevents him from keeping the law. Yet, man must keep the law to be perfect, and God will only accept perfection. But in verses 17 and 48, Jesus taught that He would fulfill the law for man, and He would be man's perfection so that men could be accepted by God.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus clearly demonstrated His compassion for the weakness of man. John 8:11; Luke 22:61-62. But He also demonstrated His intense intolerance for the rebellion of man. Matthew 12:31-32. All through God's Word, He demonstrates His compassion for the weakness of man, but also His complete intolerance for the rebellion of man. In verse 20, Jesus clearly demonstrated this division in God's attitude toward man's sin when He taught that man's righteousness had to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees in order to get to heaven. The scribes and Pharisees lived in a state of rebellion toward God because they thought they could make themselves righteous by their attempted, strict obedience to the law. They had made their own efforts to obey the law their god instead of the righteous and merciful person of God Himself. Matthew 23:23. They refused to believe the instructions of God through Moses and Jesus that the weakness of man made his ability to obey the law impossible. God will only accept those who, like Abel, confess to God that they are hopeless and lost sinners, and who offer to God the right sacrifice. God requires humility, and He totally rejects excessive pride. Luke 18:9-14. Excessive pride allies itself with Satan, and God will never forgive Satan. Any refusal to humble oneself to God demonstrates a state of total rebellion against God, and a sin which God can never forgive.
In Matthew 5:21-37, Jesus taught about the complete impossibility of any person to save himself from hell. Jesus' purpose in these teachings reflected His Father's purpose when He allowed Moses to write a whole set of intricate laws into His Word. The clear message in both cases was the impossibility of man to make himself perfect by keeping the law. Man's utter weakness prevents him from keeping the law. Yet, man must keep the law to be perfect, and God will only accept perfection. But in verses 17 and 48, Jesus taught that He would fulfill the law for man, and He would be man's perfection so that men could be accepted by God.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus clearly demonstrated His compassion for the weakness of man. John 8:11; Luke 22:61-62. But He also demonstrated His intense intolerance for the rebellion of man. Matthew 12:31-32. All through God's Word, He demonstrates His compassion for the weakness of man, but also His complete intolerance for the rebellion of man. In verse 20, Jesus clearly demonstrated this division in God's attitude toward man's sin when He taught that man's righteousness had to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees in order to get to heaven. The scribes and Pharisees lived in a state of rebellion toward God because they thought they could make themselves righteous by their attempted, strict obedience to the law. They had made their own efforts to obey the law their god instead of the righteous and merciful person of God Himself. Matthew 23:23. They refused to believe the instructions of God through Moses and Jesus that the weakness of man made his ability to obey the law impossible. God will only accept those who, like Abel, confess to God that they are hopeless and lost sinners, and who offer to God the right sacrifice. God requires humility, and He totally rejects excessive pride. Luke 18:9-14. Excessive pride allies itself with Satan, and God will never forgive Satan. Any refusal to humble oneself to God demonstrates a state of total rebellion against God, and a sin which God can never forgive.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Commentary on Numbers 15:27-31
In Numbers 15:27-31, the Lord makes a distinct difference between those who sin in ignorance and those who practice deliberate sin. The Hebrew word for "ignorance" does not mean that one does not know the law, but rather that one errs through weakness in disobeying the law. This weakness reflects two levels of sin that inhered to Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God. The lowest level of Adam and Eve's sin was that they knew God's commandment, but, like Lucifer, they deliberately disobeyed God. In this respect, they joined with Satan in his rebellion against God. This level of sin can only be totally evil and can never be forgiven by God. The highest level of sin in Adam and Eve was that they simply disobeyed because of weakness. Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was good to eat, and she believed it would give her a better life. Adam sinned because he wanted to be on the same level with his wife. Both were tempted and sinned because of weakness. God always forgives sins of weakness when one repents. God has compassion for sins of weakness, but only eternal condemnation for deliberate sins. Genesis chapter 3.
Throughout the Word of God, He displays compassion for sins of weakness, even among His own people. But He also displays severe wrath and judgment against deliberate and rebellious sins. God can always distinguish the difference between these two levels of sin because He can see the heart of man. I Samuel 16:7; John 2:24-25.
In Numbers 15:27-29, God reveals that He always forgives sins of weakness when a sacrifice has been made for them. Sins of weakness happen because deliberate sin attaches itself to some good qualities that God has put into man for the attempted purpose of forever ruining that goodness. In other words, Satan seeks to destroy some of God's goodness in order to cause the eventual destruction of God Himself. Deliberate sin is the attempted murder of God. John 8:44.
Deliberate sin nailed Jesus to the cross. But Jesus willingly suffered for man's sins in order to separate the goodness that God put into man from ever being eternally ruined by deliberate sin. In this way, God vindicated His Love, and He rescued man from eternal damnation because of the ruination caused by deliberate sin by forgiving his sins of weakness. On the cross, God separated deliberate sins from humans for eternal condemnation, and suffered the eternal punishment for sins of weakness in order to cleanse and forgive them. John 1:29; Luke 23:34.
In Numbers 15:30-31, God reveals that He will forever separate the total evil of deliberate sins from the goodness that He has put into people. The goodness in people that has been tainted by deliberate sin will eventually destroy both man and God. But God will cleanse and forgive sins of weakness because of the sacrifice of His Son. In the end, God's project is to cleanse and forgive His people either by the blood and water from Jesus' body or by His consuming fire, and His separation of total evil from man by its eternal consignment to the lake of fire. Both of these methods of salvation were accomplished by Christ's sacrifice because He also descended into hell to suffer man's eternal separation from God in man's place. Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8; I Corinthians 3:12-15; Hebrews 13:10-13.
Throughout the Word of God, He displays compassion for sins of weakness, even among His own people. But He also displays severe wrath and judgment against deliberate and rebellious sins. God can always distinguish the difference between these two levels of sin because He can see the heart of man. I Samuel 16:7; John 2:24-25.
In Numbers 15:27-29, God reveals that He always forgives sins of weakness when a sacrifice has been made for them. Sins of weakness happen because deliberate sin attaches itself to some good qualities that God has put into man for the attempted purpose of forever ruining that goodness. In other words, Satan seeks to destroy some of God's goodness in order to cause the eventual destruction of God Himself. Deliberate sin is the attempted murder of God. John 8:44.
Deliberate sin nailed Jesus to the cross. But Jesus willingly suffered for man's sins in order to separate the goodness that God put into man from ever being eternally ruined by deliberate sin. In this way, God vindicated His Love, and He rescued man from eternal damnation because of the ruination caused by deliberate sin by forgiving his sins of weakness. On the cross, God separated deliberate sins from humans for eternal condemnation, and suffered the eternal punishment for sins of weakness in order to cleanse and forgive them. John 1:29; Luke 23:34.
In Numbers 15:30-31, God reveals that He will forever separate the total evil of deliberate sins from the goodness that He has put into people. The goodness in people that has been tainted by deliberate sin will eventually destroy both man and God. But God will cleanse and forgive sins of weakness because of the sacrifice of His Son. In the end, God's project is to cleanse and forgive His people either by the blood and water from Jesus' body or by His consuming fire, and His separation of total evil from man by its eternal consignment to the lake of fire. Both of these methods of salvation were accomplished by Christ's sacrifice because He also descended into hell to suffer man's eternal separation from God in man's place. Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8; I Corinthians 3:12-15; Hebrews 13:10-13.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Commentary on Matthew 3:11-12
John the Baptist, like all good Baptists, could only baptize with water. God had commanded him to baptize with water. But John's baptism simply symbolized a supernatural baptism which only Christ could provide for all who would repent of their sins and put their faith in Him.
John preached that Christ would provide a miraculous baptism for those who repent and believe in Christ. John baptized only those who repented, and so John must have also meant that Christ would miraculously baptize with the Holy Spirit only those who repented and believed in Christ. John's prophecy could only mean that Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called by Jesus the "born again" experience, would belong exclusively to the future Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:3.
When a repentant sinner believes in Christ's sacrifice to take away his sins, then the Holy Spirit miraculously washes that believer in the blood and water that flowed from Jesus' body on the cross, recreates his soul and spirit, and that believer becomes a child of God forever. This is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 6:11; Romans 8:16-17.
But John not only preached to believers, he also preached to unbelievers. Matthew 3:7. John preached that Christ would also baptize with fire. God provides this fire baptism for unbelievers. Jesus bore the sins of all mankind on the cross, and when He died, His Spirit descended into hell and left all those sins behind Him in hell. He had to have left them behind because He rose from the dead perfectly immaculate. Jesus suffered man's spiritual death and separation from God in the place of all mankind. When an unbeliever dies, he must descend into the sea, or death, or hell, as judged by Christ, to be purged by God's consuming fire. The unbeliever must personally experience this cleansing by fire that Christ has already provided for him just as the Christian must personally experience the cleansing of his sins by the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Revelation 20:13; I Corinthians 3:12-15; I Timothy 4:10; John 1:29; Numbers 16:30-39.
John further reinforces his teaching about Christ's baptism of all men when he stated in verse 12 that God "will throughly purge His floor," meaning all mankind. The wheat that God gathers can only be 100% good. The chaff that He burns can only be 100% useless. This teaching can only mean that in the end God will recover for His use all of the good that He has ever put into mankind, and He will consign only that which is totally useless and evil to the lake of fire. Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:11-12.
John preached that Christ would provide a miraculous baptism for those who repent and believe in Christ. John baptized only those who repented, and so John must have also meant that Christ would miraculously baptize with the Holy Spirit only those who repented and believed in Christ. John's prophecy could only mean that Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called by Jesus the "born again" experience, would belong exclusively to the future Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:3.
When a repentant sinner believes in Christ's sacrifice to take away his sins, then the Holy Spirit miraculously washes that believer in the blood and water that flowed from Jesus' body on the cross, recreates his soul and spirit, and that believer becomes a child of God forever. This is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 6:11; Romans 8:16-17.
But John not only preached to believers, he also preached to unbelievers. Matthew 3:7. John preached that Christ would also baptize with fire. God provides this fire baptism for unbelievers. Jesus bore the sins of all mankind on the cross, and when He died, His Spirit descended into hell and left all those sins behind Him in hell. He had to have left them behind because He rose from the dead perfectly immaculate. Jesus suffered man's spiritual death and separation from God in the place of all mankind. When an unbeliever dies, he must descend into the sea, or death, or hell, as judged by Christ, to be purged by God's consuming fire. The unbeliever must personally experience this cleansing by fire that Christ has already provided for him just as the Christian must personally experience the cleansing of his sins by the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Revelation 20:13; I Corinthians 3:12-15; I Timothy 4:10; John 1:29; Numbers 16:30-39.
John further reinforces his teaching about Christ's baptism of all men when he stated in verse 12 that God "will throughly purge His floor," meaning all mankind. The wheat that God gathers can only be 100% good. The chaff that He burns can only be 100% useless. This teaching can only mean that in the end God will recover for His use all of the good that He has ever put into mankind, and He will consign only that which is totally useless and evil to the lake of fire. Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:11-12.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
God's Division of Salvation
In John 6:33, Jesus taught that He came to give life, not just to Christian believers, but to all mankind. God cannot fail to accomplish fully anything He purposes to do. Christ said that He came to give life to all mankind and that must be exactly that which He will do. Numbers 23:19.
In John 6:50-51, Jesus taught about this division in His plan of salvation. In verse 50, Jesus taught about those whom He will save by His grace. Those who receive Him as their Savior while still alive in the flesh will never be separated from Him by spiritual death. Physical death has nothing to do with separation from God. Physical death equals total non-consciousness, but one can only be separated from God if one is conscious of it. Luke 16:23. But in the last part of verse 51, Jesus taught that in addition to salvation by grace, He came that through His sacrifice He would also give life to the whole world, meaning all mankind. In order to do this, God must recover and recreate all of His goodness that He has put into every man. Romans 11:36; Revelation 21:1-5.
In John 10:10, Jesus again reveals this division in God's salvation. Christ gives life to the entire sheepfold, symbolic of the world, but He only gives His abundant life to those sheep, symbolic of those saved by His grace, that hear His voice and follow Him out of the sheepfold; that is, separated by Him from the world. John 10:1-5.
Jesus' teaching in John 12:32 seems to reflect that which the Holy Spirit taught in John 1:9. The Holy Spirit draws all men to Christ by supernatural means and not just through the preaching of the gospel. Can Christ miraculously draw all men to Him and yet fail to save them? Can the will of man override the will of God? God's almighty power means he must finish every project He starts. This verse must mean that God will provide some form of salvation for all mankind. Numbers 23:19; Ecclesiastes 3:14.
In John 12:47, Jesus clearly taught that He did not come to judge those who reject His salvation by grace, but He came to save all mankind. Christ never changes. Hebrews 13:8. If Christ did not judge the world then, then He does not judge the world ever. This verse can only mean that God will provide some form of salvation for all mankind either by grace or recreation.
In John 12:48, Jesus did teach that unbelievers will be judged by the Word of God "in the last day." This event can only be the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. But only the dead are judged there, and they are the opposite of the living men that God created in His image. The dead can only be equal to the total evil that has invaded the life of man that God created to be good. The Great White Throne Judgment demonstrates that at that time God will have already separated the deadness of man which is totally evil from the life of man which God created to be good. God will cast only that which is totally evil into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:8; Matthew 25:41.
In John 6:50-51, Jesus taught about this division in His plan of salvation. In verse 50, Jesus taught about those whom He will save by His grace. Those who receive Him as their Savior while still alive in the flesh will never be separated from Him by spiritual death. Physical death has nothing to do with separation from God. Physical death equals total non-consciousness, but one can only be separated from God if one is conscious of it. Luke 16:23. But in the last part of verse 51, Jesus taught that in addition to salvation by grace, He came that through His sacrifice He would also give life to the whole world, meaning all mankind. In order to do this, God must recover and recreate all of His goodness that He has put into every man. Romans 11:36; Revelation 21:1-5.
In John 10:10, Jesus again reveals this division in God's salvation. Christ gives life to the entire sheepfold, symbolic of the world, but He only gives His abundant life to those sheep, symbolic of those saved by His grace, that hear His voice and follow Him out of the sheepfold; that is, separated by Him from the world. John 10:1-5.
Jesus' teaching in John 12:32 seems to reflect that which the Holy Spirit taught in John 1:9. The Holy Spirit draws all men to Christ by supernatural means and not just through the preaching of the gospel. Can Christ miraculously draw all men to Him and yet fail to save them? Can the will of man override the will of God? God's almighty power means he must finish every project He starts. This verse must mean that God will provide some form of salvation for all mankind. Numbers 23:19; Ecclesiastes 3:14.
In John 12:47, Jesus clearly taught that He did not come to judge those who reject His salvation by grace, but He came to save all mankind. Christ never changes. Hebrews 13:8. If Christ did not judge the world then, then He does not judge the world ever. This verse can only mean that God will provide some form of salvation for all mankind either by grace or recreation.
In John 12:48, Jesus did teach that unbelievers will be judged by the Word of God "in the last day." This event can only be the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. But only the dead are judged there, and they are the opposite of the living men that God created in His image. The dead can only be equal to the total evil that has invaded the life of man that God created to be good. The Great White Throne Judgment demonstrates that at that time God will have already separated the deadness of man which is totally evil from the life of man which God created to be good. God will cast only that which is totally evil into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:8; Matthew 25:41.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Commentary on John 1:9 part two
God's Light equals His holiness and righteousness. This means that in all these cases God can never lose His Light that represents His goodness that He has put into every man. God will recover all of His goodness that He has ever created, and divide it from the darkness either by using the blood and water that flowed from Jesus' body on the cross or by using His consuming fire, and He will recreate it all. Colossians 1:12-20; I Corinthians 3:12-15; Revelation 21:1-5.
God has accomplished His recovery and salvation of all His goodness He has put into man through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son, the Light. Blood and water flowed from Jesus' side to purchase the salvation of the Church and all those who are ever saved by grace. The burnt offerings of the Old Testament represented Christ's descent into hell in order to separate man from his sins by the use of God's consuming fire. In John 1:29, the Baptist said that Christ would "take away the sin of the world." John did not say that Jesus would take away some people because of their sins. John said that Jesus would separate sin from all the people. God only cursed sin and evil in Genesis 3:14-15, not humans.
A person can be saved by grace only when they put their faith in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection to take away their sins. That repentant sinner must believe that only the shed blood and water that flowed from Jesus on the cross can cleanse them; that is, separate them from their sins so that the Spirit of Christ can recreate their souls and spirits and save them forever. This is the gospel, and only the gospel can save a repentant sinner. Some teach that some sinners go to hell because the Church fails to get the gospel to them. This cannot be possible since Jesus taught in John chapter ten that He knows every one of His sheep and cannot lose a single one of them. Although the Church should certainly obey the command of Christ in Matthew 28:18-20 to preach the gospel to all the world, this preaching cannot be added to salvation by grace. God commanded the Church to preach the gospel simply because He has appointed a time and place for every sinner who will be saved by grace. Only the gospel itself can save, not the preaching of it. Good works cannot be added to grace. Ephesians 2:8-9.
God uses the Church to get His message to mankind that they can choose to be saved by His grace. It is the message of the gospel that saves, not the preaching of it. The Church was afraid to preach the gospel to Saul of Tarsus, but the Spirit of Christ was certainly able to directly preach the gospel to him and save him on the road to Damascus as recorded in Acts chapter nine. This is part of the message of John 1:9. God saves because He gives Light to every man that comes into the world, some by grace and all the others in the end of the world by His recovery and recreation of all of His goodness that he has put into every man. Genesis 1:26-27; John 1:9; Revelation 21:1-5.
God has accomplished His recovery and salvation of all His goodness He has put into man through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son, the Light. Blood and water flowed from Jesus' side to purchase the salvation of the Church and all those who are ever saved by grace. The burnt offerings of the Old Testament represented Christ's descent into hell in order to separate man from his sins by the use of God's consuming fire. In John 1:29, the Baptist said that Christ would "take away the sin of the world." John did not say that Jesus would take away some people because of their sins. John said that Jesus would separate sin from all the people. God only cursed sin and evil in Genesis 3:14-15, not humans.
A person can be saved by grace only when they put their faith in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection to take away their sins. That repentant sinner must believe that only the shed blood and water that flowed from Jesus on the cross can cleanse them; that is, separate them from their sins so that the Spirit of Christ can recreate their souls and spirits and save them forever. This is the gospel, and only the gospel can save a repentant sinner. Some teach that some sinners go to hell because the Church fails to get the gospel to them. This cannot be possible since Jesus taught in John chapter ten that He knows every one of His sheep and cannot lose a single one of them. Although the Church should certainly obey the command of Christ in Matthew 28:18-20 to preach the gospel to all the world, this preaching cannot be added to salvation by grace. God commanded the Church to preach the gospel simply because He has appointed a time and place for every sinner who will be saved by grace. Only the gospel itself can save, not the preaching of it. Good works cannot be added to grace. Ephesians 2:8-9.
God uses the Church to get His message to mankind that they can choose to be saved by His grace. It is the message of the gospel that saves, not the preaching of it. The Church was afraid to preach the gospel to Saul of Tarsus, but the Spirit of Christ was certainly able to directly preach the gospel to him and save him on the road to Damascus as recorded in Acts chapter nine. This is part of the message of John 1:9. God saves because He gives Light to every man that comes into the world, some by grace and all the others in the end of the world by His recovery and recreation of all of His goodness that he has put into every man. Genesis 1:26-27; John 1:9; Revelation 21:1-5.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Commentary on John 1:9 part one
In John 8:12, Jesus assured us that "I am the Light of the world..." By saying this, Jesus meant that He is the medium by which a person can come to see God spiritually and to know God personally. Those who have repented of their sins, who have put their faith in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection in their place, who have received cleansing of their sins by Jesus' blood, God's forgiveness, and reconciliation with God: they possess the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and salvation by grace while still in their flesh in the world. These are the "born again" believers who possess the Light of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and who know God personally. Salvation by grace constitutes God's highest form of salvation. II Corinthians 4:6.
However, John 1:9 extends God's Light much further than just salvation by grace when it teaches that God "lighteth every man that cometh into the world..." Genesis 1:2-5 records the fact that God created the light, divided it from darkness, called the light Day and the darkness Night. Physical light; that is, electro-magnetic energy, constitutes the medium by which the consciousness of man can experience the world. God did not create the darkness. He divided the light from the darkness which already covered the earth. But God took power over the darkness when He named it Night. God gave the Day and the Night to every man He created. In this way, God demonstrated by His physical creation of light that in the future He would bring all the goodness that He would ever put into man back to the Light, and He would gain power over darkness. John 1:9 reflects God's original creative project.
In the gospels, Jesus taught us a lot about the meanings of Day and Night, light and darkness. Jesus repeatedly associated night and darkness with sin and an inability to be creative in doing good works. In this way, Jesus related sin to the darkness and chaos which originally covered the earth. In John 3:19-20, Jesus taught that those who love darkness, which is symbolic of sin, refuse to come to the Light, which is symbolic of goodness and truth, because they are too proud to have their sins reproved by Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus taught that He is that Light to which men should come by faith in order to get out of the darkness of sin. In John 9:3-5, Jesus taught that God only does creative work in the Day since Christ is the Light of the world. Jesus related the night to a time when no man can do creative works. In John 11:9-10, Jesus taught that the day and the light specify a specific time that God gives to man to come out of darkness toward the light. In John 12:35-36, Jesus taught that those who believe in the light, symbolic of Himself, can see clearly and know what they are doing while those who walk in darkness remain confused and disoriented. In John 12:46, Jesus taught that the only way to get out of darkness is to come to the Light of Christ by faith.
In all of His teachings about light and darkness, Jesus demonstrated with spiritual truths the same creative approach that He had when He overcame the darkness and chaos of the earth by His creation of light to penetrate the darkness so that He could do His creative work in the Day. Genesis 1:1-5. Jesus taught that everyone who sees the light can chose to either move toward the light and obtain spiritual salvation or retreat from the light into deeper, chaotic darkness. But John 1:9 also teaches that God will give every human the ability to see the light. God absolutely divided the light from the darkness. This truth can only mean that no matter how far any person may move into the darkness, he will still see the light of God's goodness that He originally put into him, and that his goodness will eventually move back into the Light.
Some will move into the Light while still in the flesh and become Christians. Some will move partly toward the Light and after physical death Christ will judge them to be cast into a place called the Sea. Micah 7:19; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:13. Others will see the Light but will retreat from it into deeper darkness and Christ will judge them after physical death to be cast into a place called Death. Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30; Revelation 20:13. Still others will rebel against the Light and become cruel sinners whom God will cast into a burning Hell. Luke 16:23; Revelation 20:13.
However, John 1:9 extends God's Light much further than just salvation by grace when it teaches that God "lighteth every man that cometh into the world..." Genesis 1:2-5 records the fact that God created the light, divided it from darkness, called the light Day and the darkness Night. Physical light; that is, electro-magnetic energy, constitutes the medium by which the consciousness of man can experience the world. God did not create the darkness. He divided the light from the darkness which already covered the earth. But God took power over the darkness when He named it Night. God gave the Day and the Night to every man He created. In this way, God demonstrated by His physical creation of light that in the future He would bring all the goodness that He would ever put into man back to the Light, and He would gain power over darkness. John 1:9 reflects God's original creative project.
In the gospels, Jesus taught us a lot about the meanings of Day and Night, light and darkness. Jesus repeatedly associated night and darkness with sin and an inability to be creative in doing good works. In this way, Jesus related sin to the darkness and chaos which originally covered the earth. In John 3:19-20, Jesus taught that those who love darkness, which is symbolic of sin, refuse to come to the Light, which is symbolic of goodness and truth, because they are too proud to have their sins reproved by Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus taught that He is that Light to which men should come by faith in order to get out of the darkness of sin. In John 9:3-5, Jesus taught that God only does creative work in the Day since Christ is the Light of the world. Jesus related the night to a time when no man can do creative works. In John 11:9-10, Jesus taught that the day and the light specify a specific time that God gives to man to come out of darkness toward the light. In John 12:35-36, Jesus taught that those who believe in the light, symbolic of Himself, can see clearly and know what they are doing while those who walk in darkness remain confused and disoriented. In John 12:46, Jesus taught that the only way to get out of darkness is to come to the Light of Christ by faith.
In all of His teachings about light and darkness, Jesus demonstrated with spiritual truths the same creative approach that He had when He overcame the darkness and chaos of the earth by His creation of light to penetrate the darkness so that He could do His creative work in the Day. Genesis 1:1-5. Jesus taught that everyone who sees the light can chose to either move toward the light and obtain spiritual salvation or retreat from the light into deeper, chaotic darkness. But John 1:9 also teaches that God will give every human the ability to see the light. God absolutely divided the light from the darkness. This truth can only mean that no matter how far any person may move into the darkness, he will still see the light of God's goodness that He originally put into him, and that his goodness will eventually move back into the Light.
Some will move into the Light while still in the flesh and become Christians. Some will move partly toward the Light and after physical death Christ will judge them to be cast into a place called the Sea. Micah 7:19; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:13. Others will see the Light but will retreat from it into deeper darkness and Christ will judge them after physical death to be cast into a place called Death. Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30; Revelation 20:13. Still others will rebel against the Light and become cruel sinners whom God will cast into a burning Hell. Luke 16:23; Revelation 20:13.
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