FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH

GOAL OF EVERY BELIEVER=BECOME EXACTLY LIKE CHRIST IN HIS HUMANITY(ROMANS 8 V29. PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON.)

THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE IN THE SPHERE OF THE SPIRIT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IN THE FLESH. (ALTHOUGH MANY ARE TRYING!) 4 THINGS A BELIEVER SHOULD KNOW BEFORE ANY SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS POSSIBLE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

IT IS FUTILE TO SEEK TO GROW BY MEANS OF THESE TRUTHS, THEY ARE FOUNDATIONAL, BUT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE GROW UPON THIS IMPERISHABLE FOUNDATION

1: BORN AGAIN

2: ACCEPTED IN CHRIST

3: ETERNALLY SECURE

4: POSITIONAL TRUTH

NO GROWTH TO MATURITY IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WILL BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT A KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THESE FOUNDATIONAL FACTS.IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES WE WILL LOOK AT EACH OF THESE POINTS AND DISCUSS THEM IN MORE DETAIL.

1: BORN AGAIN. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN?JESUS TOLD NICODEMUS HE HAD TO BE BORN AGAIN. JOHN 3V5. NICODEMUS QUESTIONED,” CAN A MAN ENTER THE WOMB A SECOND TIME?” TO THE NATURAL MAN THIS STATEMENT WOULD SEEM TO SUGGEST JUST THAT. LETS START AT THE BEGINNING AND LOOK AT WHAT IS MEANT BY BORN AGAIN. GENESIS 2V7 THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE EARTH AND BREATHED INTO HIM THE BREATH OF LIFE AND MAN BECAME A LIVING BEING. IN THIS VERSE THE WORD LIFE IN THE HEBREW (THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE) ACTUALLY MEANS LIVES, PLURAL. MAN WAS CREATED “TRICOTOMUS”. THREE PARTS. BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT. BODY-FLESH FORMED FROM THE DUST. SCIENCE HAS PROVED THIS.SOUL-MANS BEING. WHAT HE IS AND HOW HE THINKS. (5 COMPARTMENTS) 1: Mentality2: Self-conscience3: Volition4: Emotion5: Conscience SPIRIT-THAT PART WITHIN RELATED TO, WORSHIP, COMMUNION, DIVINE INFLUENCE. WHEN ADAM SINNED BY DISOBEYING GOD HE DIED. NOT PHYSICALLY BUT SPIRITUALLY. THUS HIS SPIRIT DIED. NOW MAN IS BORN DICHOTOMOUS. BODY AND SOUL.IT IS THE SPIRITUAL DEATH THAT SEPARATES US FROM GOD. AND EACH PERSON THAT IS BORN INTO THIS WORLD IS SEPARATED FROM GOD, BY GOD, BY THE IMPUTATION OF ADAMS ORIGINAL SIN TO THE GENETICALLY PREPARED OLD SIN NATURE, AT THE MOMENT OF PHYSICAL BIRTH. THUS WE ARE SINNERS BEFORE WE EVEN SIN. (ROMANS 5 V 12 THEREFORE, JUST AS THROUGH ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, AND DEATH THROUGH SIN, AND SO DEATH SPREAD TO ALL MEN…) WE NEED TO BE RECONCILED BACK TO GOD BY THE MEANS THAT GOD HAS PROVIDED. THAT IS, THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. HE DIED ON THE CROSS-. FOR 3 HOURS GOD THE FATHER IMPUTED EVERY SIN THAT EVER HAS BEEN OR EVER WILL BE TO HIS SON, THUS PAYING THE PRICE THAT GOD’S ABSOLUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS DEMANDS. GOD THE FATHER IS COMPLETELY SATISFIED (PROPITIATED) WITH THE PAYMENT THAT JESUS PROCURED. JESUS WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT COULD SATISFY GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS BECAUSE HE WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, SINLESS. THAT’S WHY SALVATION IS NEVER ANYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT MAN CAN DO FOR GOD, BECAUSE MAN CAN DO NOTHING TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF TO GOD. IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS CHRIST AND WHAT HE HAS DONE. GOD THE FATHER’S JUSTICE HAS BEEN SATISFIED AND FROM HIS LOVE GOD HAS SAID THAT “ WHOSOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM (JESUS CHRIST), SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” THUS A SIMPLE ACT OF FAITH BY BELIEVING ON JESUS CHRIST, TRUSTING WHAT HE HAS DONE, IS WHAT SAVES A PERSON. AT THIS MOMENT OF BELIEF, THE PERSON IS “BORN AGAIN” OF THE SPIRIT. 1 PETER 1 V 23 BORN AGAIN NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED BUT OF INCORRUPTIBLE SEED…. BEING BORN AGAIN IS NOT A FEELING OR AN EXPERIENCE FELT IN THE BODY. IT IS FAITH IN THE WORD OF GOD. “GOD SAID IT AND I AM GOING TO BELIEVE IT BECAUSE GOD SAID IT AND I AM GOING TO TRUST IN WHAT HE SAYS.” THERE MAY BE, AND OFTENTIMES THERE IS EMOTION FELT AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION, JOY, GLADNESS, RELIEF, FEELING OF BURDEN BEING LIFTED ETC. THESE MAY BE THE RESULT BUT NEVER THE PROOF.

2: ACCEPTED IN CHRIST. OUR FATHER IS ABLE TO ACCEPT US FULLY IN HIS SON. EP1V6 TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE. WHEREIN HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED. MOST BELIEVERS REASON WRONGLY THAT, WHEN ALL IS GOING WELL, AND GOD SEEMS TO BE BLESSING THEM, IT IS THEN THAT THEY FEEL HE LOVES, AND ACCEPTS THEM. BUT WHEN THEY ARE STUMBLING, AND EVERYTHING SEEMS DRY AND HARD, THEN THEY FEEL THAT HE DOES NOT LOVE AND ACCEPT THEM. (QUOTE BY MILES STANFORD). THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY SO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE BUSY DOING GOOD WORKS AND LOTS OF SERVICE FOR JESUS. THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEMSELVES ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. WHILE GOOD WORKS AND SERVICE ARE PART OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THEY ARE NEVER THE “MEANS” BUT ALWAYS THE RESULT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT MANS WAYS. HE HAS ACCEPTED US IN HIS SON, AND UPON THIS FACT WE MUST REST OUR FAITH. AS IN JUSTIFICATION, OUR ACCEPTANCE IS BY GRACE ALONE. GOD ACCEPTS YOU FULLY. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PAST, NO MATTER HOW BAD YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN OR HOW BAD YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE OR HAVEN’T GOD ACCEPTS YOU. NOT BECAUSE OF YOU BUT BECAUSE OF CHRIST IN YOU. WHEN YOU ARE BORN AGAIN GOD FULLY ACCEPTS YOU ON THE BASIS OF HIS SATISFACTION WITH HIS SON. YOUR “GOOD WORKS OR LACK OF GOOD WORKS” CAN NEVER CHANGE GODS ACCEPTANCE OF YOU. THIS IS A FACT, WHICH FAITH MUST BE RESTED UPON BY THE BELIEVER. WE HAVE NOTHING GOOD IN US TO BE ACCEPTED BY GOD. BUT IN HIM ALONE COMES OUR ACCEPTANCE. J N DARBY WRITES- “WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT REASONS WITH MAN, HE DOES NOT REASON FROM WHAT MAN IS FOR GOD, BUT FROM WHAT GOD IS FOR MAN. SOULS REASON FROM WHAT THEY ARE IN THEMSELVES AS TO WHETHER GOD CAN ACCEPT THEM. HE CANNOT ACCEPT YOU THUS; YOU ARE LOOKING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN YOURSELF AS A GROUND OF ACCEPTANCE WITH HIM. YOU CANNOT GET PEACE WHILE REASONING THAT WAY.” ISH 64V6 ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE AS FILTHY RAGS. (THE ORIGINAL HEBREW MEANS “MENSTRUAL RAGS”) TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND GODS ACCEPTANCE OF YOU IS TO BE AT GREAT PEACE WITH GOD. ROMANS 5V1 …WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.ROMANS 5V8 GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE PEACE WITH US THROUGH HIS BELOVED SON. COL 1V20 HAVING MADE PEACE BY THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS. “THERE BEING NO CAUSE IN THE CREATURE WHY GRACE SHOULD BE SHOWN, THE CREATURE MUST BE BROUGHT OFF FROM TRYING TO GIVE CAUSE FOR HIS CARE. HE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED IN CHRIST, WHO IS HIS STANDING. HE IS NOT ON PROBATION. AS TO HIS PAST LIFE, IT DOES NOT EXIST BEFORE GOD. HE (the old man) DIED AT THE CROSS AND CHRIST IS HIS LIFE. GRACE ONCE BESTOWED IS NEVER TAKEN AWAY: FOR GOD KNEW ALL THE HUMAN EXIGENCIES BEFOREHAND. HIS ACTIONS WAS INDEPENDENT OF THEM NOT DEPENDENT ON THEM.” “TO BELIEVE, AND TO CONSENT TO BE LOVED WHILE UNWORTHY, IS THE GREAT SECRET.” WILLIAM R NEWELL. ROMANS VERSE BY VERSE.

3: ETERNALLY SECURE 2 PRINCIPLES.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF SALVATION, YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF ETERNAL SECURITY.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF ETERNAL SECURITY, YOU DO NOT HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF SALVATION.

WHAT IS ETERNAL SECURITY? KNOWN OTHERWISE AS “ ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED”IT IS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ONCE A PERSON BELIEVES IN CHRIST FOR HIS SALVATION HE CAN NEVER LOOSE IT. NO SCRIPTURE WHEN “RIGHTLY DIVIDED” 2TIM2V15, IS CONTRARY WITH THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER. SALVATION IS BASED ON 1 CONDITION ONLY. “BELIEVE.” FOR BY GRACE ARE YOU SAVED THROUGH FAITH, NOT OF WORKS LEST ANY MAN BOAST.EP 2 V8, 9 JOHN 3V16 …WHOSOEVER BELIEVES…PAUL TOLD THE PHILIP IAN JAILER TO “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED. GOD CANNOT LIE. HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF. WHAT HE SAYS, HE MUST DO. AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION WE ARE SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, EPH 1V4, AND 4V30. THIS IS A GUARANTEE OF OWNERSHIP. YOU NOW BELONG TO GOD. YOU ARE HIS SON FOREVER, GAL 3V26. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE YOU FROM GOD ROM 8V38, 39, NOT EVEN YOURSELF (ERRONEOUS ARMINIAN IDEA THAT BECAUSE YOU HAD THE FREEWILL TO CHOOSE GOD YOU THUS HAVE THE CHOICE TO REJECT HIM IF YOU WANT. THIS IDEA IS REFUTED BY 2TIM 2V13 …IF WE ARE FAITHLESS, HE IS STILL FAITHFUL, FOR HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF.) A PERSONS LIFESTYLE BEFORE OR AFTER SALVATION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION ITSELF. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE WILL BE A RESULT OF SALVATION BUT NEVER THE MEANS OR THE PROOF. (LORDSHIP SALVATION-IF YOU DON’T DO THIS OR THAT YOU NEVER HAVE BEEN SAVED AT ALL) NEITHER WILL IT BE A MEANS OF KEEPING OR ATTAINING YOUR SALVATION. THESE ARE FALSE THEORIES WRONGLY INTERPRETED BY MAN TO ENSURE THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIVES HIS LIFE A CERTAIN WAY. WE CALL THIS WAY “THE ETHICAL STANDARDS OF THE CHRISTIAN WAY OF LIFE”. IT IS A LIST OF DO’S AND DON’TS THAT IS A SO CALLED STANDARD ACROSS THE BOARD THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SAVED AND UNSAVED UNDERSTAND IS TO BE THE CHRISTIAN WAY OF LIFE. EXAMPLES BEING, DON’T DRINK, DON’T SMOKE, DON’T DANCE, DON’T WEAR MAKE-UP, ETC. THE LIST CHANGES FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY, TOWN-TO-TOWN, DENOMINATION-TO-DENOMINATION AND CUSTOM-TO-CUSTOM.DO’S AND DON’TS WILL COME FROM CONVICTION OF THE CONSCIENCE AS YOU STUDY AND APPLY THE WORD OF GOD.BELIEVING ETERNAL SECURITY IS NOT A LICENCE TO SIN, BUT A LICENCE TO SERVE. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO BE LIVED IN THE WAY GOD HAS DESIGNED (BY MEANS OF THE SPIRIT AND NOT THE FLESH) AND WILL BE REWARDED BOTH IN TIME AND ETERNITY. A LIFESTYLE OF SIN WILL RESULT IN DIVINE DISCIPLINE ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN PHYSICAL DEATH. (GOD TAKES HIS PEOPLE HOME)
ETERNAL SECURITY VERSES. ROMANS 8 V 31-39, EPH 1 V13-14, 2 V 19-22, PHIL 1 V 6, 1TIM 1 V 16, JOHN 10 V 27-30, 1 COR 1 V 4-8, 1 THES 5 V 23-24, 2 TIM 2 V 11-13. THIS LIST IS BY NO MEANS EXHAUSTIVE.

4: POSITIONAL TRUTH POSITIONAL TRUTH IN THE SIMPLEST FORM OF UNDERSTANDING IS GODS VIEWPOINT OF YOU THE BELIEVER. IE. HOW GOD SEES YOU NOW AS ONE OF HIS CHILDREN. HOW DOES GOD SEE YOU NOW AS ONE OF HIS OWN? THE REAL ANSWER IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO THE HUMAN FINITE MIND BUT HERE ARE A FEW TRUTHS THAT WE CAN AND MUST STAND UPON.AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION 51 THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU. WHETHER YOU KNOW THEM ALL OR NOT IS IRRELEVANT TO GOD. ONE OF THESE IS IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. THIS MEANS THAT GOD MAKES YOU COMPLETELY RIGHTEOUS. IN HIS EYES YOU ARE AS RIGHTEOUS AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION AS YOU WILL BE FOREVER. THIS IS CALLED,”POSITIONAL TRUTH”. NOW, WE KNOW THAT IN THE FLESH WE ARE NOT RIGHTEOUS BUT THIS IS OUR CONDITION. WHAT GOD SEES IS YOUR POSITION. MAKE THE DISTINCTION. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT. YOUR POSITION WILL NEVER CHANGE, REGARDLESS OF ANYTHING. YOUR CONDITION CAN AND WILL. AS WE TRAVEL THROUGH THIS LIFE, WE MAY SIN, GRIEVE OR QUENCH THE SPIRIT. WE MAY HAVE TIMES WHEN WE FEEL AS FAR AWAY FROM GOD AS EVER. WE MAY FEEL LIKE THE PRODIGAL SON BUT STILL GODS VIEWPOINT WILL NEVER CHANGE. NOW HE WILL DEAL WITH US ACCORDING TO OUR CONDITION, THIS IS CALLED CHASTENING AND DISCIPLINE AS SONS AND THIS IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POSITION AND CONDITION. CONDITIONAL/EXPERIENTIAL TRUTH = THE CHANGING AND IMPERFECT CONDITION OF THE SOUL FROM MOMENT TO MOMENT.POSITIONAL TRUTH = THE UNCHANGEABLE AND PERFECT WORK OF GOD FOR THE BELIEVER. FAITH SECURES OUR POSITION WHILE ADHERENCE TO THE LAWS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE KEEPS US IN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. GOD CAN ONLY FELLOWSHIP WITH PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS. AND BECAUSE JESUS IS PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS AND WE BELIEVE ON HIM, GOD IMPUTES THIS RIGHTEOUSNESS TO US THUS GOD CAN FELLOWSHIP WITH US BASED ON HIS SON.GOD ALSO SEES YOU SEATED WITH CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLIES EPH 2 V 5-6. GOD SEES THE END RESULT HERE A FEW MORE POSITIONAL TRUTHS. GAL 3 V 26 CHILDREN OF GOD V 29 HEIRS OF PROMISE 4 V 7 NO LONGER A SLAVE BUT A SON, AN HEIREPH 1 V 3 SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT V 13 BLESSED WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS (HOW MANY DO YOU LACK THEN?)COL 2 V 9-10 COMPLETE IN HIM1 COR 3 V 16 INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT1 COR 12 V 12-13 BAPTISED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO CHRISTEPH 5 V 18 EVERY BELIEVER HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING FILLED BY MEANS OF THE SPIRIT FOR LIFE AND SERVICE.COL 1 V 27 CHRIST IN YOU2 COR 2 V 5 A NEW CREATION. YOU ARE A NEW SPIRITUAL SPECIES ROM 6 V 6 OLD SIN NATURE HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED THESE ARE THE MAIN FOUNDATIONAL POSITIONAL TRUTHS. ALL OF THESE TAKE PLACE AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION AND ARE NON-EXPERIENTIAL .IE YOU DON’T FEEL A THING. GROWTH TO MATURITY AND THE CHRISTIAN WALK SHOULD BE MOTIVATED FROM POSITIONAL TRUTH.