Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.
Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!
Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).
1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [your unknown or forgotten sins] ." NKJV [New King James Version] [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND
If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.
John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]
Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV
Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:
Study to show yourself approved to God!
Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
Descriptions of the New Spiritual Life we are to live.
Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.
Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!
Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).
1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [your unknown or forgotten sins] ." NKJV [New King James Version] [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND
If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.
John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]
Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV
Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:
Study to show yourself approved to God!
Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
Descriptions of the New Spiritual Life we are to live.
We have been noting some of the unique aspects of the Church-age. Important different aspects of the Pre-designed Plan of God (PPOG) and the personal sense of destiny for each believer.
Let’s look at a few different descriptions of the New Spiritual Life that we are all called to learn, live, and enjoy. Part of the privileges that our Lord left behind for all of us.
1. We are known as the Last Adam and the New Creation; 2Co 5:17, Gal 6:15. When He was crucified, we were crucified with Him.
Rm 5:17-6:7, For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin or the sin nature.
These all are different descriptions of the New spiritual life that we are called to learn, live, and enjoy the privileges that our Lord left behind just for us.
2. The Head and the Body is another description that is used to identify the closeness and the intimacy we can all have with our God if we desire. The Head = the Lord Jesus Christ. The Body = every believer in the Church-age.
1Co 12:7, But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
Notice the manifestation or the indication of the gifts of the Spirit in 1Co 12:7, where each one of us are given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. All believers have been given a spiritual gift to the Church for the Church to work together with one another.
1Co 12:8-21, For to one is given the word of wisdom [the ability to have a gift that is filled with wise thoughts] through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge [interpretations of the true meaning of a verse or the passage] according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
3. The Shepherd and the Sheep. Our Lord is really our Shepherd. As our shepherd, He promises to take care of all of us in spite of our ignorance and rejection of Bible doctrine or the Word of God which promises logistics for all of His sheep by means of logistical grace.
What us logistical grace?
Logistics is a military word which refers to the military science of supply, provision, and planning of troop movement. Logistics is the provision, movement, and maintenance of all resources and services necessary to sustain military forces. And, if you don’t know by now, you have been enlisted in the Lord’s army. And this is one more principle to consider, 2Ti 2:1-5, You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.
The right thing must be done in the right way, according to the rules. Logistics involves the national economic capacity and the nation’s capability to support its military forces. Logistics is also defined as the military science of planning, handling, and implementation of personnel under every possible military condition.
Logistics is a technical military term for sustaining troops in every form of military activity and maneuver, i.e., in the barracks, in the field, in the battle, before the battle, and after the battle. Logistics always plays a very important and dramatic part in warfare, but logistics plays an even greater part in your life as a believer.
Therefore, Logistical grace is defined as divine planning, divine support, divine provision, and divine blessing for the execution of the PPOG by the royal family for the fulfillment of God’s will, purpose, and plan for your life.
1Pe 2:25, For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
As our Great Shepherd, our Lord feeds us and as our Guardian, He watches and takes care of us by guarding our souls. Whether or not you partake of the divine nature that the Lord provided for all of us in logistical grace, He does so NOT because we deserve Him to do so but because that is one of His desires for all of us as our guardian is to partake of His divine nature.
2Pe 1:4, For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature.
It is here that our Lord supplies every truth that we would ever need and the power of logistical grace. Logistical grace is defined as divine planning, divine support, divine provision, and divine blessing for the execution of the PPOG by the royal family for the fulfillment of God’s will, purpose, and plan for your life.
Logistical grace includes three factors of divine provision.
1. First of all, life support is provided for every Church–age believer. This explains how and why we are alive every moment. The only reason we are alive is because of our Lord’s mercy and grace. We do not earn it or deserve it; there’s no work we can accomplish to keep ourselves alive.
2. Secondly, logistical blessing is provided for every Church-age believer, both winners and loser. This dramatizes the justice of God in that the justice of God sends life support and blessing to the indwelling righteousness of God in both winners and losers and time. This emphasizes grace.
Now, listen to this statement: Winners utilize logistical grace, losers coast on it, but never utilize it.
3. Thirdly, divine provision is provided for every Church-age believer to execute the PPOG or to live the spiritual life that God has provided for all of us. And what is the most important principle in this analogy? The most important principle is: “All doctrine comes from the prepared pastor-teacher.” And if you have persistent positive volition, you will find doctrine and your right pastor-teacher.
Logistical grace is brought out in that very famous Psalm, Psa 23.
Psa 23:1, (A Psalm or a song of David) “The Lord is the one shepherding me, I cannot lack for anything.”
Why?
Psa 23:2-4, He makes me lie down in green pastures of choice food [that’s life support]; He leads me beside quiet waters or waters of refreshment and rest [that’s life support]. He restores my soul [rebound]; He guides me in the paths of righteousness [this is imputed righteousness and the problem-solving devices] For His name’s sake means because of His reputation.
Grace depends on God’s reputation, not ours, or others. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [dying grace], I fear no evil.
You do not fear anything under dying grace.
Psa 23:4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [dying grace], I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy going in rod [divine discipline] and your staff [divine deliverance], they comfort me.
The rod was used to “spank” the sheep for discipline. The staff was used to rescue sheep from danger. And both discipline and deliverance are a comfort to the believer who knows doctrine.
Psa 23:5-6, Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies [logistical grace]; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; [promotion]; My cup [escrow blessings for time] is overflowing. Surely goodness [prosperity from escrow blessings] and lovingkindness or grace [logistical grace] will follow me or shall pursue me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
As long as you live, logistical grace will pursue you and following into the cosmic system. It is impossible for anyone who has imputed divine righteousness who cannot lack anything because the justice of God sends life support and blessing to all believers, both winners and losers. And this falls under the principle of equal privilege and equal opportunity. The testimony of Paul concerning this principle is found in Php 4:19, “My God shall supply all your needs [logistical grace support] according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
The Logistical Grace Rationale is really found in Mat 6:25 34, the “not to worry” passage.
Mat 6:25-34, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, {as to} what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, {as to} what you shall put on. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and {yet} your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of greater value than they? And which of you by worrying can grow eighteen inches? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe the lilies of the field and how they grow. They do not work, neither do they spin. yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God keeps clothing the common grass of the field [and He does], which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not do much more for you, believer of a little faith? Therefore, do not worry, thinking `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness [that’s the basis for logistical grace possessing the righteousness of God], and all these things [logistical grace – food, air, clothing, etc.] shall be provided for you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself [under logistical grace]. Each day has enough evil of its own.”
Now, notice that in this passage, there are some commands that teach us not to worry. We are commanded NOT to worry because God, in logistical grace, will provide for us, regardless of our spiritual status. Remember that logistical grace is both for winners and losers. This principle from the grace of God is one of the first commands in verse 25 is that there is no meter on God’s grace. This means that you cannot measure God’s grace.
Jn 3:22-29, After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and they were coming and were being baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into prison. There arose therefore a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with the disciples of our Lord John a Jew about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.” John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but,’ I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full.
John the Baptist is still teaching and in Jn 3:30-36, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has seen and heard, of that He bears witness; and no man receives His witness. He who has received His witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He [the Lord] or the [Baptist] gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Now, back in Mat 6, are you more important than a bird? If so, then not to worry! As Mat 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Fear, worry, anxiety, apprehension is rejection or ignorance of God’s logistical grace provision. Yet God continues to support even those who worry. And that is because God provides logistical grace support for winners as well as losers. Losers worry.
Worry is a fear that very few believers ever overcome. And, the more things you surrender to fear, the more things you will fear. The more things about us which try to get us to worry, the more we need to apply the problem-solving devices to deal with the worry. It’s just like fear, the extent to which you surrender to fear, you increase the power of fear in your life. And to the extent to which you surrender to worry, you increase the power of worry in your life; yet God still keeps you alive. The more things that acquire the power of fear in your life, the greater your capacity for arrogance and becoming a loser.
And the more you acquire the power of worry in your life, the greater your capacity for worry and becoming a loser; yet God still supports you. Grace gives you the ability to live one day at a time, not handicapped by the past and not distracted by the future.
4. The fourth title and analogy of the Church is the Vine and the Branches which we already noted in some detail. It is based upon Jn 15:4-5, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
5. The Cornerstone and the building.
Eph 2:14-22, For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
6. The High Priest and the Royal Priesthood.
The title given to us is that the Lord is the “High Priest” and He made us all priests, male or female, Jew or Gentiles, bond or free. Gal 3:26-28, For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
7. The Groom and the Bride analogy. We will see the manifestation of our real spiritual marriage that we will be presented as the Bride to our Lord.
8. The King of kings and the Royal Family of God; 1Pe 2:5; 2:9; Rev 1:6. This title entails us to be Royalty for our Lord forever.
1Pe 2:1-10, Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
This was all made possible because in Rev 1:6-7, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.
Now, I gave you all a glimpse of what we are called by the Lord so that you can be trained to function as the Bride of Christ and also see the intimacy that exists between all of us with each other and all of us with the Lord. This also led us to the principle that this verse says there are some believers who are vessels unto honor and other believers who are vessels unto dishonor. Some believers are being prepared through progressive sanctification or through the Spirit and the word and have a great impact in history. On the other hand, other believers through negative volition are becoming vessels unto dishonor. Whether you are a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor depends on one thing in your life = Your free will or volition concerning what you choose to follow. These believers are the biggest drag on our nation today. Now why is the word vessel used?
It is the noun skeuos and it means vessel because a vessel is something that is empty and all born again believers are empty when they first become saved and they need to be filled by the power of the Spirit and the intake of doctrine. Therefore, if the believer makes decisions under perception, metabolization and application of Bible doctrine, he will add the mind of Christ to his empty vessel.
Now, the point is in spite of the fact that God begins the work and completes it, we do have a part in it if we desire! Ultimately we are all going to be glorified by God the Father as a part of Him completing the absolute good work that He began in us. This is why we read in Php 1:6 {For I am} confident of this very thing, that He [God the Father] who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
This is one of the many reasons that the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians in 2Co 13:5, Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test?
I can give you three basic tests that a believer can take to find out if God the Father has begun an absolute good work in them.
1. The first test is when our faith is operative or functioning as God desires us to follow His plan, Php 2:6; Jm 2:14-19.
Jm 2:14-19 is a very misunderstood passage because of what James wrote and people misunderstood. Jm 2:14, What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
Right away it seems like James is taking about needing to have works to be saved. However, this is one of those passages that the early church would disagree with faith alone in Christ alone and teach that works are needed, or you are not truly saved. However, this is talking about the word sozo as it relates to deliverance not salvation according to the principles of ICE.
Jm 2:15-17, If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for {their} body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead faith, {being} by itself.
Dead works result in dead deeds because of operating in the power of the flesh and not the power of God.
Jam 2:18, But someone may {well} say, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
2. A second test you can take to see if God the Father has begun a good work in you when your love is laborious, 1Jo 3:14-18.
1Jo 3:14-18, We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Our love is not to be in words only but in deeds and in truth.
3. A third test you can take is if your hope and confidence in the plan of God remains and you don’t quit, Heb 6:17-19, In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a {hope} both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
There will be many things that will come in to try and shatter your hope and confidence concerning the plan of God for your life. And that is one of the main doctrinal principles where they have to completely quit because it seems like a contradiction. However, I’m not saying they were never saved, I’m simply saying no one really knows except the Lord. No matter who it is, do not get shocked at those who are with you and those who are not.
1Jo 2:19, They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us.
Remember a lot of people live with a Mat 13:20-21 attitude where they say that; Our Lord is the person who hears the word of God and immediately receives it with joy or happiness; And Yet he has no firm or solid root of doctrine in himself, but is {only} temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. You see, as a communicator and student of doctrine, you can be confident that there are certain people who are going to advance with their PVTD whereas there are others who have already. These are some groups of people who have perseverance and self-determination with regard to their intake of doctrine. And no matter how many setbacks, or problems or areas, of carnality or any other factor that might be a hindrance to them for a moment, they are able to overcome if they desire to. These people inevitably push on through and reach all of the divine objectives designed by God, especially those who have P.V.T.D [positive volition towards doctrine].
The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.
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