Phillip...How could they have fallen? Was it Christ who was unfaithful?
_________________Jer 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
Galatians 4:4-9 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?Albert Barns notes on the bible;Bondage, they left their first love to go back into the weak and beggarly elements. To the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law, imposing a servitude really not less severe than the customs of paganism. On the word elements, They are called "weak" because they had no power to save the soul; no power to justify the sinner before God. They are called "beggarly," (Greek, ptwca, poor,) because they could not impart spiritual riches. They really could confer few benefits on man. Or it may be, as Locke supposes, because the law kept men in the poor estate of pupils from the full enjoyment of the inheritance, Ga 4:1-3.Whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage. As if you had a wish to be under servitude. The absurdity is as great as it would be for a man who had been freed from slavery to desire again his chains. They had been freed by the gospel from the galling servitude of heathenism, and they now again had sunk into the Jewish observances, as if they preferred slavery to freedom, and were willing to go from one form of it to another. The main idea is, that it is absurd for men who have been made free by the gospel to go back again into any kind of servitude or bondage. We may apply it to Christians now. Many sink into a kind of servitude not less galling than was that to sin before their conversion. Some become the slaves of mere ceremonies and forms in religion. Some are slaves to fashion, and the world yet rules them with the hand of a tyrant. They have escaped, it may be, from the galling chains of ambition, and degrading vice, and low sensuality; but they have become slaves to the love of money, or of dress, or of the fashions of the world, as if they loved slavery and chains; and they seem no more able to break loose than the slave is to break the bonds which bind him. And some are slaves to some expensive and foolish habit. Professed Christians, and Christian ministers too, become slaves to the disgusting and loathsome habit of using tobacco, bound by a servitude as galling and as firm as that which ever shackled the limbs of an African. I grieve to add, also, that many professed Christians are slaves to the habit of "sitting long at the wine," and indulging in it freely. Oh that such knew the liberty of Christian freedom, and would break away from all such shackles, and show how the gospel frees men from all foolish and absurd customs!End.They had left their first love. Repent! Return to Christ.In Christ: Phillip
_________________"Christ in you the Hope of Glory" "The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God."
Phillip, You continually teach about a "faith of Christ" which is different than what the Scriptures teach. Your belief that there are two different types of faith, one demonstrated by Abraham and the other being "faith of Christ." You say that Paul taught a gospel superior to anyone before him. Well if the Ephesians were ministered to by Paul, and their faith was superior to Abraham's why do we hear this testimony by Christ of the Ephesian church?Rev 2:4 "Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love.Rev 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.Rev 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." 'How could they have fallen? Was it Christ who was unfaithful?
Galatians 3:21-28 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, (((((that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.))))) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, (((((shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.))))) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.Is Christ in us, have we put on Christ, Is Christ now our life? If Christ is in us and Paul says we are some 160 times plus, then the Faith that has come is the Faith of Jesus Christ unto salvation. We are justified by the Faith and righteousness of Jesus Christ that is in us, lest how could any believe a mystery never before revealed. The mystery is "Christ in you the Hope of Glory", which the mystery is now revealed to His saints.Colossians 1:26-29 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.The Word of God, not my words.In Christ: Phillip
Phillip wrote "(((((that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.))))) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, (((((shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.)))))" Abraham lived 430 before the law was given to Moses...so what you wrote does not apply. According to your understanding of Scripture, how could Christ say this to the Ephesians...Rev 2:4 "Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love.Rev 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.Did the "faith of Christ" cause this to happen in the Ephesian church?
Quote;Did the "faith of Christ" cause this to happen in the Ephesian church?No, that is why we need to return to our first love, which is Christ, He has never left us, but we, week in the flesh need the faith of Christ to keep us in our walk. If we have our faith only we cannot. What faith of a mustard seed is Jesus saying if we had? It must be of God or nothing can be accomplished for what Jesus did on the Cross.If we live by Christs wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, made unto us by the Father, why is it so hard to see it is the "Faith of Jesus Christ", that keeps us and we need to know this to believe we are truly saved by His works not ours or Abrahams.In Christ: Phillip-
Phillip wrote"No, that is why we need to return to our first love, which is Christ, He has never left us, but we, week in the flesh need the faith of Christ to keep us in our walk."Paul teaches this to Timothy...2Ti 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.2Ti 2:11 [This is] a faithful saying: For if we died with [Him], We shall also live with [Him].2Ti 2:12 If we endure, We shall also reign with [Him]. If we deny [Him], He also will deny us.2Ti 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.Yes Christ is faithful. Yet Christ has the right to deny us, if we deny Him. This is clearly testified of by Christ himself when He says this to the Ephesian church...Rev 2:4 "Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love.Rev 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.Rev 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." 'What did Christ teach us in the book of John as to how we are to love Him?
Quote:"""Yet Christ has the right to deny us, if we deny Him. This is clearly testified of by Christ himself when He says this to the Ephesian church..."""Jesus has lost none the Father gives Him, except the son of perdition Judas and that was to fulfill scripture.If we deny Him we are none of His to start with.I cannot deny my birth, I cannot deny my rebirth, God is my Father, Jesus is my Lord and Savior, the Seed of my rebirth, infact Jesus is my all in all. We are nothing without Him.In Christ: Phillip
Quote:"""What did Christ teach us in the book of John as to how we are to love Him?"""As He has loved us.
Phillip wrote:"If we deny Him we are none of His to start with.I cannot deny my birth, I cannot deny my rebirth, God is my Father, Jesus is my Lord and Savior, the Seed of my rebirth, infact Jesus is my all in all. We are nothing without Him."Christ specifically told the Ephesian church that they once loved Him, and that they must repent. So what does Christ require of them? Jhn 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.Jhn 14:24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent MeFor those who deny His voice, these He will deny before His Father. This precept Jesus demonstrated to the apostles all the days of His ministry. Jesus always did what the Father told Him. This "faith of Jesus" was demonstrated to us so that we too might learn to walk in the paths of righteousness.
