I just wanted to add an observation that I have....it seems here on this forum that being one of the few chosen is equated to those who have been given to understand more of the truths of God than the rest of Christendom.....and yet we have these verses:
1Co 13:1 I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell.
1Co 13:2 I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains---but if I have no love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned ---but if I have no love, this does me no good.
Lauriellen, where do the few chosen get their understanding? Yes it comes from Scripture... well that's where the church quote from all day long, so what's the difference? As far as that matters what about the patriarchs and prophets, they had the OT given and they were faithful to God. So what is the determining factor?
It's Jesus Christ! After He ascended into heaven it is His Spirit. That is the only way to have spiritual understanding, is His Spirit indwelling, it came to the Apostle and believers at Pentecost and has come in every chosen believer since. That is the key determining factor of understanding truth, Christ must give it to you.
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
The Spirit leads into truth, and Christ has provided us with many of His own words and those of the Apostles to give us guidance. Ray's articles were replete with the Scripture, and most importantly he showed us how to use it, using multiple witnesses to establish a truth and understanding translation errors. So we here on the forum certainly want to use Scripture as a base for our understanding and where we find unity. Our opinions or just that 'our' opinion, but it does help in our discussions.
John 6:62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?
v. 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
1John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
v. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and
eternal (eonian) life.
Though the chosen are the "base things" the "nothings" of this world "that no flesh should glory in His presence," (1Cor 1), but when the Spirit comes indwelling, then they are one of Christ's sheep and He will keep His own and teach them how to come out of the world and bear His fruit, "the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Eph 5:9).
John 15:14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
v. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
v. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
v. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
Eph 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
v. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
v. 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
v. 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
v. 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
I see so many selfless acts of love by so many people 'out in the world', and I think that surely THEY must be Gods elect. I recently read the account of a man who selflessly shielded his co-worker during the recent terrorist attack. He laid his body over hers, and held her tightly under him. She said that she would never forget him whispering to her, "I've got you" just before he died. Gods word says Joh_15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. There is no amount of faith or knowledge that compares to the LOVE that this man displayed for his co-worker. Should we not esteem this man as one of God's elect? I just wonder about these things.
Well what about all the good works of the church or that anybody in the world does, that must count for something and it does. A person is building a character in this life whether good or bad, when Christ returns and judgment comes they must give account and every good character trait is to their advantage then.
1Cor 3:12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
v. 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
v. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
v. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
It is good to come up in the resurrection of the dead with good deeds to your account, God will certainly recognize the good in people. We can suppose that there will be many people come up in the resurrection that are 'good' (as far as human standards go) people, think of the patriarchs and prophets... there is a Scripture about them in the next age.
Mat 8:11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
That does not seem like such a bad place to be when Christ's kingdom is set up on earth. The world will then be transformed and it will be a good place for those who have served and obey Him. Crime and corruption will not be the order of the day anymore, Christ's righteousness will be.
Rev 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
v. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
v. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
v. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.
mercy, peace and love
Kat