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Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word
Before we begin, only 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) John 3:16, John 6:47 as a few examples; it is very important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so the Holy Spirit can teach you as to what your reading or hearing is true or false. To be taught by the Holy Spirit you must be filled with the Holy Spirit which means abiding in Christ. To place yourself in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit [also called abiding in the Christ], take a moment to simply name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father). Why? Because you cannot grow spiritually if you’re not abiding in Christ [in fellowship with Him] when you take in bible truth.
1 John 1:9, says: “If we confess [meaning to simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known unconfessed sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins];” NKJV (New King James Version); we call this REBOUND; read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. Left click the following link to learn more and fully understand the doctrine of Rebound; which answers the question, why do I need to keep confessing my sins all the time? 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
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:
Weekly Bible Study, December 5, 2022, Election: The highest value in the Universe.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. (Eph 1:3-4)
We continue in our exegesis of Ephesians.
The Greek phrase just as is kathos = even as, in conformity with the fact. His blessings in verse 3 are in conformity with divine election. God the Father is the author of all blessings and the elector of every believer in Christ. Kathos unites every spiritual blessing with election. This is because our election is an election into union with Christ and He has been given the best that the Father has to offer.
God desires to bless His creatures and God found a way through Christ. Believers in the CA are the beneficiaries of all the blessing that was earmarked for Christ.
God the Father is the Author of this amazing plan of grace. The author came before the plan and the author is perfect just as the plan is. It is God’s desire to bless every member of the human race in conformity with election in Christ. Faith from the free will of the creature limits the number of creatures who benefit.
The phrase He chose is the aorist middle indicative of Greek word eklego = to pick out, to choose, or to elect. Middle voice = for Himself. The aorist tense is a gnomic aorist which means that this is the standard of God. Gnomic aorist = God’s election of the believer is absolute without equivocation. The standard of that election is the standard of Christ. The implications are that you cannot lose your salvation and that all the blessings that come from being elected in Christ are given as an absolute standard to every believer. Every believer is the owner of everything that belongs to Christ through election in Christ. The reason why some believers enjoy the fruit of their election while other believers suffer the loss of blessings that come with election is because some tap into the storehouse of blessing and others ignore it.
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (1Ti 1:18-19)
God has chosen us, we have not chosen Him. And when we chose something else that God has not chosen for us then we insult God.
Satan would love to fool you into thinking that he has something better for you in his world system than what God has chosen for you under election.
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.” (Mat 4:8-9)
Having all the blessings and authority of the world sounds a lot better than the suffering that is about to come Christ’s way, but He made the right decision. Satan is going to offer all believers a way that seems easier and seems filled with blessing, but it’s all smoke and mirrors and none of it has any value. There is only one thing in this world that has surpassing value and that is the Father’s election in Christ. God is not a God of confusion. He is going to make it very clear to you what is from Him and what is not from Him if you stay under the tutelage of His doctrines.
Therefore, this is not just any choosing or picking or election, this is a very unique election because it is an election in Christ. When God the Son willingly became a man so that He might humble Himself to the point of death so that God’s justice could be satisfied with the result that God’s love would be open to the human race He was chosen by God to the highest honor, blessing, and privilege.
Now, to not get off track with false doctrine here, you have to understand the hypostatic-union.
Jesus Christ is undiminished God and true humanity in one person forever. It is the humanity of Christ that has been elected of God to the highest position of blessing, honor, and authority.
But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. (Heb 10:12-14)
He has been given all authority and therefore there is no one over Him who can challenge the believer’s perfection or sanctification.
And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Rev 19:11-16)
This is the third Royal Warrant of Jesus Christ which secures the seat of greatest blessing as well as greatest authority. You possess all that Christ is and has been blessed with.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross. Therefore, also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:5-11)
And here is introduced His power at the right hand of God. His power has been given to you under election. If you are a believer, you are elected in union with this One, and that brings a whole new dimension to your election - authority, blessing, and power.
Isa 42:1 "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isa 42:1) 
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