RESULTS OF OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE LIFE-Part 7

Now, the generally accepted view of Faith, is that, It is the instrument, by which The Sinner is united to Christ.
Being united to Christ, is understood by those, who adopt that view, to mean, One has been born again.

However, Since Saving Faith is God's Gift, The Effect cannot affect, or change the effect.
Simply stated, Saving Faith is not The Cause of Itself.
No One can believe, except by means of Grace-ACTS 18;27-[Turn].

''The Spirit of Faith,'' which is a Living Faith, comes from The Spirit of Regeneration.
The Un-Regenerated Person DOES NOT POSSESS A Living Faith.

Spiritual Activity is as impossible, for One, Dead in trespasses and sins. as Physical Activity is for One, Physically Dead.

Order in Salvation must be observed, with reference, to both God and Man.
This Order is seen in the vessels of The Tabernacle [Exodus 25-40]] and in The Offerings
[Leviticus 1-5].
God's Order is Election,Redemption, Regeneration and Calling, which brings Faith into operation.

Man's Order is reversed, in his understanding.
Man's Order begins with God's Effectual Call, which brought ''The Spirit of Faith'' into action.
He is then made to realize that he couldn't have heard The Call, apart from Regeneration.

At this point, he learns that Regeneration is the product of Jesus Christ's Redemptive Work at
Calvary.
Finally, he is taught by God, that Redemption is The Fruit of Divine Election.

Election is The Highest, and Faith is The Lowest Rung on The Ladder of Man's Salvation, from Sin's Curse and Penalty.

And then, Man's Faith would be The Highest, and God's Sovereign Choice would be the lowest in Man's Salvation.
Now, THAT VIEW OF SALVATION IS BLASPHEMY; it deifies Man, and humanizes God.

Thus, ''THE WORTHLESS MIND'' is manifested-Romans 1;28; 2 Thessalonians 2;11-[Turn].

Modern Day Psychology is one of Christianity's WORST ENEMIES. One of Psychology's
Foundational Principles, is to give to Man, Self-esteem.
Its Philosophy is Man's self-respect, by making him feel, that by nature, he is worthless, because of Depravity, he is driven to a reckless and sinful life.

Now, LISTEN;
Gospel Regeneration is the next thing to the heretical teaching on Baptismal Regeneration.

NUMBER 1-Those who believe in Gospel Regeneration affirm that, withour active faith, One is condemned.
They, then question, ''How can a person live, because of Regeneration, and be condemned at the same time, since some claim that One must have life, in order to believe/

ANSWER;
[1] GOD CHOSE THE ELECT IN ETERNITY,BEFORE HE CHOOSES THEM IN TIME--
EPHESIANS 1;4; I PETER 1;2-[TURN].

[2] GOD GAVE THE ELECT TO CHRIST, IN ETERNITY, BEFORE HE GIVES THEM TO CHRIST IN TIME--JOHN 17;6, 9, 11-12, 24; JOHN 6;37-[TURN].

[3] GRACE WAS GIVEN THE ELECT BEFORE THE TIMES OF THE AGES, AND IS BROUGHT TO THE ELECT IN TIME--2 TIMOTHY 1;9;; TITUS 2;11-14-[TURN].

[4] THE ELECT WERE JUSTIFIED IN THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS BY FAITH--ROMANS 3;
24-26; 5;1-[TURN].

[5] THE ELECT WERE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD, WHILE THEY WERE THE CHILDREN OF WRATH-EPHESIANS 2;1-3-[TURN].

Justification, in the sight of God was on The Ground of IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS.
And Justification by Faith is on The Premise of IMPARTED RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Now, if this is hard, for you to understand, ask yourself, this question;
''How could Jesus Christ be made A CURSE, When He was PERFECT/''
Christ was made a curse, even though He was Perfect, in order that, The Elect could have A Justification before God, while they were walking, according to The Spirit, now working in The Sons of Disobedience.

NUMBER 2-THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GOSPEL REGENERATION ARGUE THAT, A PERSON BECOMES A SON OF GOD BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST-
GALATIANS 3;26-''For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.''

THEY ASSUME that One must hear The Gospel, Repent and Believe, in order to become A Regenerated Son of Good.
They ask, ''What shall those, who believe in a time lapse between Redemption and Conversion, do with Ephesians 1;13/''
EPHESIANS 1;13-''In whom ye allso trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
Promise.''

ANSWER, LISTEN CAREFULLY, NOW.
ANY ONE WHO TEACHES, THAT AN UNREGENERATED PERSON CAN BELIEVE ON CHRIST, AND BE BORN OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, DENIES DEPRAVITY.

In the first place, Regeneration and Salvation DO NOT MEAN THE SAME EVENT, OR THING.
Regeneration IS NOT the making of The Old Man into a better Person.
The Spirit produces A New Man, or Creature- 2 Corinthians 5;17-[Turn].

On the other hand, One can be saved;
By Faith-Luke 7;50; By Fire-I Corinthians 3;15; By Preaching-I Corinthians 1;21; By Endurance-
Matthew 10;22; By Calling-Acts 2;21; By Christ's Life-Romans 5;10; By Himself-Acts 2;40; By
Childbearing-I Timothy 2;15; Through Water-I Peter 3;20.
In these matters, God's Word is a means of a salvation or conversion experience.
But, IT IS NOT The Means of Life.

Now, The Scriptures are profitable for teaching, reproof and instruction in righteousness;
but The Word of God DOES NOT MAKE ONE ALIVE IN CHRIST.

Furthermore, God's Word enables The Passive Person, who has been made alive by The
Sovereign Spirit, to know by His Spiritual Activity, in his Bible Study, that he's alive in Christ-
I JOHN 5;13; I THESSALONIANS 1;5; 5;12-13-[TURN].

RESULTS OF OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE LIFE-Part 6

Now, having seen, ETERNAL LIFE FOR THOSE GOD LOVES, We come to our second division;

2. NO JUDGMENT ON THOSE GOD LOVES-JOHN 3;17-21-[TURN].
God didn't send His Son to Mankind, To judge The World of The Elect, but, that, The World of The
Elect MAY BE SAVED.
The Elect are saved through The Agency of The Lord Jesus Christ.

Some people say that John 3;17 means that Christ did not judge, the 1st time, that He came;
but will, at The 2nd Coming.
But He did judge, manifested by His driving the money-changers, out of the temple.

In John 3;18, The Person believing, because of Him, is not being judged.
Unbelievers stand judged, because they REFUSE to believe that Jesus Christ is The Person, His
Name declares Him to be, The Only Given Son of God.

The only 2 major divisions of people, in The World of Mankind are believers, and unbelievers.
There is no 3rd category, composed of unbelievers, who, at one time were believers. . .
Those who accept the possibility of Christians becoming Unbelievers. ask about those, who believe for a brief time, and in the time of trial, become Apostates-
LUKE 8;13-''They on the rock are they, which when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away''. [Temporal or Superficial Faith.]

There are 5 kinds of Faith, that do Man no good-Superficial, Historical, Satanic, External and
Commercial Faith.
NOW, Get This Truth; APART FROM A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE LIFE, ONE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO
HANDLE THE SCRIPTURES, WHICH SEEM TO CONTRADICT.

Those who do not have The Subjective Life of The Spirit in Regeneration, may believe for a short time with human [superficial or temporal] faith-Luke 8;13-[Turn].

And they may believe, in the same manner, as those, who saw the miracles Christ did-External Faith-John 2;23-25-[Turn].

Simon Magnus had Commercial Faith; He heard Philip's Preaching, and wanted to buy the power, he saw in Peter's working of miracles-Acts 8;12-23-[Turn].

The devils believe [Satanic Faith]-James 2;19-[Turn]. The difference between Religionists and devils is that Religionists do not tremble, or shudder.

So, we see that believing apart from The Regenerating Spirit is a faith, that WON'T ENDURE
THE TEST.

Now, The One, who consciously lays hold of Jesus Christ, because he has been consciously laid hold of, by The Regenerating of The Holy Spirit, HAS SAVING FAITH.
The ''Spirit of Faith'' [2 Corinthians 4;13], is a part of The Subjective Life of The Spirit in
Regeneration, and that which is a part, CANNOT BE THE CAUSE of The Whole.

Since no fact can be known BEFORE Its existence, then, One can't know by faith, that he has been Regenerated, UNLESS HE HAS BEEN REGENERATED.

I JOHN 5;1-''WHOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.''
Faith, apart from The Spirit of Regeneration is only Unregenerate Human Faith.

The Elect are capable of objectively laying hold of Christ by Faith, because having been legally crucified with Christ at Calvary, we have been subjectively laid hold of in Regeneration.

I JOHN 5;9-13-[Turn].

Now, I want to say, ANY PERSON WHO CANNOT SEE THAT ''BORN OF GOD'' PRECEDES
''BELIEVING'' IS EITHER SPIRITUALLY BLIND, or He is so filled with such prejudice, that he cannot see The Forest of God's Truth, for the trees of Human Tradition, and Denominational Customs.

Some people feign what they are not.
Simulation, The Act, or Process of Pretending, is popular Today.
A Simulator is a person, or thing, that simulates, as we have simulated Diamonds.

The Average Church Member cannot distinguish between a simulated Church Member, from One, born of God, because he has so little knowledge of God's Word, which enables One, to make A Righteous Judgment, according to God's Word-John 7;24-[Turn].

RESULTS OF OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE LIFE-Part 5

3. DOES GOD OPEN THE HEART OF ONE PERSON, AND NOT THAT OF ANOTHER/
The Arminian reply completely ignores The Bible, by saying, ''No, that would destroy the freedom of the Will.''
But, let's look at The Bible's Answer-ACTS 16;14-[Turn].
Also, God didn't open the heart of Simon Magnus.

4. WHO MAKES MEN TO DIFFER/
The Arminian answers, ''It always remained in the power of Free Will, to reject God's Grace, that is given, and to refuse that which follows;
Grace is no almighty action of God, while Free Will cannot exist.''

But The Bible says, God makes the difference-I CORINTHIANS 4;7-[Turn].

5. HOW DOES GOD SUBDUE THE WILL OF THE SINNER/
The Arminian answers that man is neither a robot, nor a puppet, on a string.
He does not realize that there is a vast difference between A Depraved Sinner and A Robot.

You see, The Sinner CAN MOVE; AND HIS WILL ACTS;
But All his actions are wrong. . .
JOHN 5;40-''And ye will not come to me, that you might have life.''

Now Get This Truth; THE ONE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE WILL OF MAN IS
DEPRAVED, DOES NOT BELIEVE IN DEPRAVITY.
And if he doesn't believe in Depravity, HE DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GRACE.

God DOES NOT overpower The Sinner's Will, as a policeman would overpower a criminal, and put him into jail, against his Will.

Now, the first Work of The Holy Spirit in The Passive Sinner, is to impart The Principle of Life in Regeneration [John 3;1-8], called ''The Spirit of Grace'' in Hebrews 10;29.
Hence, The Regenerated Man, into whose heart, God has imparted The Principle of Life, has a new heart, a new spirit, and a new understanding.
This may be called The Beginning of God's Good Work in His Own [Philippians 1;6];
and what God has begun in His Own, He will bring to fruition.

The Bible's Answer to those who oppose Irresistible Grace is portrayed, in the following five
Truths;
NUMBER ONE-God's Purpose guarantees Love.
NUMBER TWO-Election is the proof of God's Love.
NUMBER THREE- Christ's Incarnation and Death manifests God's Love.
NUMBER FOUR- Regeneration enables The Loved to experience God's Love.
NUMBER FIVE- Glorification is the climax, or the ultimate fruition of God's Love to The Elect.

You see, The Will of Man makes absolutely, no contribution to The Good Work, by The Sovereign God.
Man is passive, to that which is Spiritual.
Internal Grace is The Operation of God.
Therefore, The Operation of God, gives new light, to the understanding, and new thinking, which produces new affections.
We love What God loves, and we hate, What God hates.
God's Hatred is as perfect as His Love;
when we hate What God hates, our hatred is as perfect as our love, when we are loving the things, God loves.

The Operation of God gives new inclinations to The Will.
Our preferences are no longer self-willed;
but His Will is our desire.

The Biblical Order is God, first, others, second, and self, LAST.

The Irresistibility of Grace should not be viewed as violating, or beating down, The Will of Man.
But we can't ignore The Truth, that no one can resist God's Will-
Romans 9;19-''Thou wilt say then unto me,Why doth he find fault/ For who hath resisted his will/''
Acts 11;17-''Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God/''
No One can stop God's Purpose with ANYONE.

Grace can't be stopped by a hard and rebellious heart, because the entrance of Grace in
Regeneration, softens the heart, making it receptive to The Truth, and The Will to obey Truth.
Therefore, Paul was Severe, but Compassionate.

Grace enters by The Sovereign God's Act, and by that act, we are new people, with a new understanding, new thinking, and new desires.

RESULTS OF SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE LIFE--PART 4

GOD DOES NOT THINK SUCCESSIVELY, BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY.
The 7 things, we closed with, in our last post, all went simultaneously in His Mind in Eternity.
their execution will be in the same order in Time.

God has a special Purpose, but universal Power.
He gave Christ universal power, in order that His Purpose might be brought to fruition-
John 17;3-''And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.''
God's Universal Power enables Him, to accomplish His Eternal Purpose.

The Possibility, that Man could prevent God from accomplishing His Purpose, would signify that
Man is bigger than God, thus humanizing God, and elevating Man.

Arminians assume, that they work in conjunction with God's Grace, in The Regeneration of A
Passive Sinner.
Their Idol, ''Free Will,'' is extolled, because they attribute Free Will, as the instigating act, that causes God to respond to Man's Act.
Hence The Arminian idea is that, if the sinner will come to Christ in faith, Grace attains its purpose.
But if he wills to resist, The Purpose of God is defeated.

Listen now, to some questions, that prove the fallacy of The Arminian answers to them;

[1] When 2 men hear the same message, and only one is saved, but the other dies in his sins, Did God purposed to save only the One/
The Arminian answers, ''No, because the same operation of the Spirit always accompanies The Word.''
In contrast, to The Arminian answer, Paul addressed Christians, when he stated, that The Gospel
came to them in power, in the Holy Spirit, and much assurance [I Thessalonians 1;5].
The Same Word Preached DOESN'T ENTER WITH POWER, INTO THE UNREGENERATED
PERSON.

[2] Did God work more powerfully, in the heart of One, than the Other/
The Arminian answers negatively.
On the contrary, One hears, has assurance, and appropriates what he has heard, and is active, for the Things of The Lord.
But The Other, hears, goes away, and shortly forgets what he has heard.

To the person, whose heart has been prepared by God's Grace in Regeneration, The Word enters his heart, remains, and works effectually in those, who believe -I THESSALONIANS 2;13-[TURN].
[to be continued].

RESULTS OF SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE LIFE--PART 3

IF PARTICULAR REDEMPTION IS DENIED, ON WHAT GROUND, DO UNBELIEVERS DIE, IN THEIR SINS/
Surely, No One would be so foolish, as to say, Christ died for their sins, which were expiated in Christ's Death.
That would be double jeopardy.
But, worse yet, it would DENY CHRIST'S INFINITE SACRIFICE.
The Bible teaches that Christ's Death and Advocacy are of the same extent.

Now, Get This Truth; Both those who teach free will, and those who teach free grace, limit
Redemption.
Redemption is limited, but we must discern, WHERE it is limited.

Those who teach Universal Redemption, LIMIT ITS VALUE.
Those, who say, that Redemption is restricted to those, The Father chose, and gave to Christ, in
The Eternal Covenant of Grace, restrict Redemption to The Elect.
THIS LIMITS ITS EXTENT...Thus Christ's Redemptive Work is not devalued.

Since He died, as A Substitute, His Redemption IS NOT MEANINGLESS.
The Truth of Particular Redemption can be meaningless only if there's incongruity between
''died for,'' and the limited object;
and there is none, whatsoever.
No One can say Christ died for all Mankind.

And the teaching of universal Redemption contradicts ALL THE MAJOR FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD;

1. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION WOULD BE CONTRARY TO GOD'S PURPOSE-ISAIAH 46;
10-[TURN].

2. IT WOULD DISCREDIT GOD'S WISDOM, for, He would have formed A Redemption, failing to accomplish its intended conclusion.

3. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION WOULD REVOKE GOD'S LOVE, because it would oppose what God says, in Romans 9;13-''Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.''

4. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION WOULD INVALIDATE GOD'S JUSTICE, because it would make God guilty of double jeopardy.
If God paid for the sins of every person without exception, and some are in Hell, today;
they would be paying throughout Eternity for their sins, when Jesus Christ would have already paid for them.

5. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION WOULD NEGATE GOD'S POWER, because failure must be either of want of Will, purpose, or power.
Since Arminians say, God's Will is that all without exception, be saved, they attribute the failure to want of power.

6. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION WOULD NULLIFY GOD'S IMMUTABILITY, because His Love would turn to hatred for the unbelievers, who die in their sins, and that would make God
Mutable;
but God is Constant. He's always The Same.

7. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION WOULD NEGATE GRACE, because God's Love would have motivated Him to die for all without exception, and yet withhold His Grace from some.

8. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION WOULD DENY JESUS' DEATH, because He would have died in vain for some.
It would separate His Death from His Intercession.
But those, for whom He died, equal in number, those for whom He intercedes.

The Scriptural Teaching, concerning God and the order in which, He works Salvation is, as follows;
NUMBER 1-God Purposed to save some; He was The Ransom for many, not all--
Ephesians 1;4-[Turn].
2 Timothy 1;9-[Turn].

NUMBER 2-God Purposed to redeem those, He purposed to save-
I Peter 1;18-21-[Turn].

NUMBER 3-He Purposed to regenerate those He purposed to redeem-
John 3;8-[Turn].
Titus 3;5-[Turn].

NUMBER 4-He Purposed that those He regenerates will believe-Acts 13;48-[Turn].

NUMBER 5-God Purposed that those who believe, will be holy-Ephesians 1;4-[Turn];
I Thessalonians 4;3-7-[Turn]; Hebrews 12;14-[Turn].

NUMBER 6-God Purposed that those, who will be holy, shall persevere-
Matthew 10;22-[Turn].
Hebrews 10;39-[Turn].

NUMBER 7-God Purposed that those who persevere, shall be glorified-Romans 8;30-[Turn].
All this was done, in God's Mind, Eternally, At Once.
[continued]

RESULTS OF SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE LIFE--PART 2

It is A Biblical Heart, that God's Love MUST BE POURED OUT in The Elect, by the Spirit of
Regeneration, BEFORE they can reciprocate, by loving God.

The Wonder is not that God hates some, but that, HE LOVES ANY.
Jesus Christ represented The Divine Being, as the father, who yearned for the return of The
Prodigal, The Good Shepherd, who saw His Own, lying in His wounds, and came to save him, at His own expense.


Those, Who believe in Universal Redemption [Atonement] are in error, for the following four
reasons;
NUMBER 1-An Atonement that fails to atone for all that God Purposed, is of no value. In His
Redemptive Work, JESUS DID NOT MAKE Provision for all people, without exception.

NUMBER 2-A Redemption that comes short of delivering all, for whom it was intended, is worthless. CHRIST DID NOT PURPOSE TO REDEEM ALL.

NUMBER 3-A Sacrifice that does not release all for whom, it was offered, is invalid.

NUMBER 4-A Reconciliation that does not reconcile all for whom it was decreed, is deficient.

RESULTS OF SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE LIFE--PART 1

In this section, we shall look at;
1. Eternal Life for those God loves.
2. No Judgment on those God loves.

1. ETERNAL LIFE FOR THOSE GOD LOVES-JOHN 3;16 [Quote].
The Conjunction ''For'' points back, to What has been already said.
The word ''so'' is HUDATOS, and means, ''in this way,'' and points to What follows.

God's Love had no beginning--it is eternal-JERE 31;3[TURN].
God has always loved those, He chose in Christ Jesus.

How shall we view God's Love/
He loved The World [''kosmos'']. This doesn't refer to the extent of God's love. It doesn't refer to Quantity, but to Quality.
It speaks of THE DEPTH of God's Love, The Character of that Love.

The Word for World, ''KOSMOS'' can be used many ways.
For instance, it is used 3 times in John 1;10, and has a different meaning each time--
1st Time-Inhabited World
2nd Time-Material World
3rd Time-World of Unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 5;18-19-[Turn].
Here ''KOSMOS'' refers to those, The Father gave to The Son, in The Covenant of Redemption.
Everyone without exception will not be reconciled to Jesus Christ.
Only those, The Father gave to The Son, without the loss of one, will be reconciled.

Jesus Christ was sent from The Father, because He loved us eternally.
He came down, to where we were.

The Holy Spirit imparted to us, The Work, Christ accomplished at Calvary, and The Love of God, has poured out, in our hearts.

As a result, Christians love One Another.
This Love is expressed BY ALL ITS RECIPIENTS, and It goes back up in Praise, Honor, and
Glory, to The One, Who loved us, with Eternal Love-''For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.''

GOD CANNOT LOVE US, APART FROM THE DEATH OF HIS SON, WHO BECAME OUR
SUBSTITUTE.
He loved us in Christ;
Christ's Death is just as Eternal, with The Father, as His Love.
The Depth of God's Love is based on Christ's death-
REVELATION 13;8-[TURN].

''He gave his only begotten Son''-''BEGOTTEN'' in the Greek is ''MONOGENES.'' meaning
''Unique.''
There is none equal with Him.
There has never been, and will never be, one like Him.
He stands alone, in Quality.
He is the embodiment of unique characteristics.
Jesus Christ walked on Earth, as The God-Man, Who alone, is The Substitute for those, chosen by The Father. JOHN 3;16-[QUOTE].

Now, Get this truth; NO CHRISTIAN HAS THE AUTHORITY TO TELL A LOST PERSON,
THAT GOD LOVES HIM, AND THAT CHRIST DIED FOR HIM.

The Book of Acts records the early history of The Church. And not once, in the entire book, is anything said, about God loving you, and Christ dying for you.
No Servant of Christ told people, that God loves them.
Paul did not carry a Placard saying, ''Smile, God loves you.''
All the servants were doing, What God commanded.
They were sheep-hunting, and that is all, we are commanded to do.

Now, to tell a lost sinner, that God loves him, is a failure, to distinguish between The Ones, God loves, and the Ones, He hates.
You see, GOD DOES NOT LOVE EVERYBODY; ''Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated''
[ROMANS 9;13].

John 3;16 must be seen in the light of its context. According to the context, there is no appreciation for God's Love in the non-regenerated heart.
To tell people, Who love the darkness, rather than light, that God loves them, is like casting pearls before swine-
MATTHEW 7;6-'' Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.''
Now, This doesn't mean, that a lost sheep, may not act like a hog, or, a dog. Saul of Tarsus acted like a hog, and he attacked people, before God's Grace, came into his heart and life.
The lesson is one of revering God's Truth, and discretion in witnessing, and in admitting people into Church Fellowship.

After the subject of Lawful Judgment in Matthew7;1-5, Christ showed the importance of discerning false prophets coming in sheep's clothing, when they are wolves, seeking to destroy with false doctrine.

Christians must be capable of properly discriminating between dogs, or hogs, and sheep.
PHILIPPIANS 3;2-''Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.''
Dogs were regarded as unclean animals-
MATTHEW 7;6-[TURN].
REVELATION 22;15-''For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.''
Gentiles were considered unclean, and were called Dogs by the Jews.

Paul retorted on the Judiazers, by using their own epithet.

Peter spoke of those who had been exposed to a full human understanding of spiritual things-and then turned away from them, and went back, thus showing that they were apostates-

Now, this is not to say, that some, who are loving darkness, and hating light, are not God's elect.

THE OBJECTIVE ASPECT OF LIFE--Part 10

III. OBJECTIVE LIFE REALIZED
JOHN 3;14-''And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.''

This is The Foundation of The Gospel Message-Christ's Message began in The Eternal Covenant of Grace;
from God's Perspective, The One speaking to Nicodemus, was The Lamb, slain from The Foundation of The World.

Let's see, What He said, to the Two, on The Road to Emmaeus-
LUKE 24;26-''Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory/''
''OUGHT''=MUST-NECESSARY.

There was necessity, but not compulsion in Christ's Death-
JOHN 10;17-18-''Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.''
God was not bound absolutely, but conditionally, to give His Son to die, because His Death supposes the entrance of sin, and the only way, the guilt of sin could be settled.

God's Wisdom decreed that sin should enter into His Universe, for the purpose of His Own Glory.

God created Man mutable, with the possibility of sinning, because A Immutable God CANNOT
CREATE IMMUTABILITY-God cannot create Himself.
Thus, Whatever God creates, must of necessity, be inferior to Himself.

Thherefore, Man was created mutable, but he wasn't created Sinful;
man is the author of his own Sinful Nature. . .
[ECCL. 7;29--[TURN].
[Created Upright-not innocent--mutable-free agency].

NOW, GOD'S PURPOSE THAT EVIL SHOULD COME INTO EXISTENCE, IN MUTABLE MAN,TO FULFILL HIS ETERNAL PURPOSE, IS NO ARGUMENT THAT HE DOESN'T HATE EVIL AS EVIL.
Sin demands Death, for sin against An Infinite God, is Infinite Crime.
Infinite punishment equal to infinite crime is Justice. . .

Since God was not obligated to prevent Man's Fall, He wasn't obligated to redeem man, after The Fall.
However, to redeem those, the Father chose among sinful men, Christ had to die, to provide, an infinite sacrifice.

CHRIST IS GOD'S SACRIFICE, NOT MY SACRIFICE;
HIS BLOOD WAS SHED TO APPEASE GOD.
God, out of His Good Pleasure, having elected some to be redeemed, regenerated, converted,
progressively sanctified, and glorified, was under obligation, to accomplish it, through The Sacrifice of His Son.
The Covenant of Grace made mandatory Christ's Death, for The Elect, and The Breathing of Life into them, by The Holy Spirit.

The Analogy of JOHN 3;14-15, must not be overlooked, in its use, in the life of Israel, in Her Wilderness Journey, nor in Its relationship to Regeneration in John 3.
As The Brass Serpent had nothing to do, with God's Deliverance of Israel from Egypt, so believing in The Uplifted Christ, has nothing to do with Good Redeeming A Passive Sinner.

Now, although an analogy is a partial similarity between like features of 2 things, One doesn't have the liberty, to let his imagination run wild, and go beyond the contexts of each feature, when making a comparison.
Israel's Deliverance by Blood in Egypt, was not her looking at The Brass Serpent.
Furthermore, The Regenerated Sinner, is not born from Above, by believing in Jesus Christ, but he believes in Christ, as a result, of his having been born of God.

The Principle of Spiritual Life is implanted in Regeneration.
Its Fruits, Repentance and Faith are called into action, by The Effectual Call of The Holy Spirit.

Everyone believing The Truth regarding Christ's Death, for The Sins of The Elect, is interested in What Christ DID FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE.

One's Believing does not enable him, to attain Spiritual Life, provided for him, but his God-Given
Faith enables him, to experience The Life, Christ provided for him, at Calvary.

Attaining and experiencing life differ--Therefore. The Subjective Spiritual Life causes The Regenerated Person to hunger and thirst for Objective Spiritual Life, which is experienced by believing The Objective Message of Christ's Person and Work.

You see, Spiritual Life must be imparted to The Passive Sinner, before He can experience The Objective Life of Christ's Work at Calvary.

You see, being born again and believing in Christ are completely different aspects of Eternal Life;
[1] Regeneration is subjective; Conversion is objective.
[2] Regeneration is Righteousness imparted to God's Elect;
Conversion is belief by The Regenerated One in imputed Righteousness.
[3] Regeneration is actual apart from One's Consciousness of it;
Conversion is his conscious experience of believing in Judicial Righteousness.

Now, There is a common Un-Scriptural statement made today; ''The Sin of Unbelief is the only hindrance to One's Salvation.''
FALSE-for Unbelief is caused by depravity. Its direct cause is One's depraved Will.
You see, If One is not of Christ's Sheep, He will never believe;
thus proving that The Salvation Experience is not left to the ability of depraved people, to decide if Christ should have any objects of lover, or not.
Now, people are not believing because they are not God's Sheep-
JOHN 10;26-''BUT YE BELIEVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF MY SHEEP, AS I SAID UNTO YOU''

Saved Sheep are always Sheep;
no where does The Bible say that a goat, hog, or dog, can be changed into a sheep.

Christ's Sheep, for whom He died, were crucified with Him-GALATIANS 2;20....
3 Things are taught in Galatians 2;2o;
1. Judicial-''I am crucified with Christ''-The Cross came in between me and God [Theme of
Romans 6].
2. Spiritual-The Cross came in between me and my old sin nature [Theme of Romans 7].
3. Practical-The Cross comes in between me and The World [Romans 8].

There are 3 truths included in our being crucified with Christ--
1. Christ was crucified.
2. We have been crucified.
3. Crucified together with Christ.

The Lord died, We died, We died together with Christ.

Christ paid the penalty, and The Elect were spared. He died in our place

Life in Gal. 2;20 is God's gift to us-Faith is a grace, by which we believe God the Father, Son, Holy
Spirit and The Word, He has given us-Assent-Consent-Trust.

Faith=fruit of life implanted in Regeneration.

-END-

THE OBJECTIVE ASPECT OF LIFE--Part 9

Last time, we ended our comments by saying that Peter said that Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness [2;15]

Let's look now at;
1. Balaam's Counsel-
NUMBERS 31;8, 16-[TURN].
MICAH 6;5-[TURN].

2. His Soothsaying-JOSHUA 13;22-[TURN][.

3. His Curse-JOSHUA 24;9-10-[TURN]-NEHEMIAH 13;2-[TURN].

4. His Way-2 PETER 2;15-[TURN]. Hireling Prophet-market of his gift.


5. His Error-JUDE 11-[TURN].
Reasoning from natural morality, he supposed a righteous God must curse Israel, for their part in it.

6. His Doctrine-REVELATION 2;14-[TURN].
Was his teaching Balak to corrupt people, who couldn't be cursed by leading them to marry women of Moab, and to abandon their pilgrim character.
Union of World and Church=Spiritual Adultery-James 4;4-[Turn].


Balaam made 4 prophecies-but, we will only look at his last one--
NUMBERS 24;15-25-[TURN].

Balaam made some true statements;
Jacob and Israel are mentioned in all his prophecies.

In this last one, he saw a star, coming out of Jacob, whose authority, will destroy all of Israel's enemies, and He shall reign. [Christ is The Bright and Morning Star].

All who love Christ want to see Him return, and take possession of this world, and rule it, in Righteousness and Justice.

THE OBJECTIVE ASPECT OF LIFE--Part 8

Fifth-The 5th type of Christ, as The Son of Man, to supply the need of His people, on their journey was The Star of Jacob, which prefigured provision for our hope--
NUMBERS 24;15-19-[[Turn].

The ''Star out of Jacob'' was a prophecy, given by Balaam, who is described in NUMBERS 22, 23, and 24.
Balaam ''confounding the people''] was a man, who was not only gifted in natural abilities, but he had some knowledge of God.

Now, Get This Truth; UNREGENERATE PEOPLE CAN HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF BASIC
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES.
They can have a intellectual head-knowledge of God's Word.

In Numbers 22-24, The Holy Spirit turns aside from The History and Experience of Israel in The
Wilderness, to discuss the strategies of her enemies,

One would think that after The Serpent of Brass, Israel would have learned to judge The Flesh,
to give place to The Holy Spirit, and to be victorious over the influences hostile to God.
However, God must now, make known to His people, that hostile counsels against Him, were in progress.
Secret plans to curse Israel were in the making.

Can Satan succeed to curse God's people, and prevent their entering into The Promise Land/
The question, now, was neither Deliverance from Egypt, nor Conversion, but Progressive
Sanctification.

Satan works overtime, and uses newly-devised schemes, to keep God's people from their promised possessions.
Hence, as soon as God's people learn about the flesh's weakness, and God's remedy for it, Satan changes his tactics.

He tries to curse what God has blessed.
This is impossible, because God's people have been elected, redeemed, and set apart positionally, in Christ.

Balaam had some knowledge of God, but with him, there was an unholy mixture of good statements with wicked actions.
Some of his good statements--
NUMBERS 22;18-[TURN]
NUMBERS 23;8-10-[TURN].

Some of his evil actions--
NUMBERS 22;23-[TURN].
NUMBERS 23;13-14-[TURN].
Like Balaam, a price is attached to the sermons of some eloquent preachers, who put all their religion in their discourses, and all their pathos, in their voice.

Peter said that Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness in 2 Peter 2;15.

[next blog we will continue looking at Balaam.]

THE OBJECTIVE ASPECT OF LIFE--Part 7

Now, The Events of Numbers 21;7-35, are Great Spiritual Landmarks, WHICH MUST NOT BE
IGNORED;

1. Israel's Conversion [Verses 7-9] came by her looking at The Brass Serpent, because she had already been delivered by blood and power--Exodus 12;1-4-[Turn].

2. Israel journeyed toward The Sunrising [Verses 10-16] because her conversion led her in the right direction, since it pointed to God's Purpose--
JOSHUA 1;15-''Until the LORD hath given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them; then ye shall return unto the land of your possessions, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.''

3. Israel's Conflicts were now, THE WARS OF THE LORD [Verses 11-14].

4. Israel's Song came from HER INWARD SATISFACTION [Verse 17].
Here is the Subjective Experience of The Holy Spirit's expressing Himself in Testimony.

5. Israel sought to pass through enemy territory, PEACEABLY [Verse 22 and 20;17].

6. Israel defended Herself, but she was not the aggressor [Verses 23-32].

7. Israel was victorious because God had delivered the enemy to her [Verses 33-35].

The only other reference to The Serpent of Brass is;
2 KINGS 18;1-4-[Turn].
Here, that which had been designed for a good purpose, became a great evil.
The Serpent of Brass had not been mentioned for almost 800 years.

Hezekiah, the 7th good king of Judah, set out immediately, to restore what Ahaz, his wicked Father, HAD DESTROYED.
Hezikiah has been called a Jewish Iconoclast-One who attacks cherished beliefs and traditional customs, based on error, or superstition;
or, a breaker, or destroyer of images.
Among the things he destroyed was The Serpent of Brass, made by Moses.
He called it ''Nehushtan'' [ a piece of Brass].
The King saw A LIFELESS, SENSELESS, piece of BRASS, that the people accounted as a ''god'' and burned incense to.

The Serpent of Brass WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE AN OBJECT OF WORSHIP.
It was an object lesson, pointing to something greater.

Now every symbol loses its significance and true value, if it is made into an idol.
[Noah's Ark will be found and worshipped in the Tribulation period.]

The Serpent of Brass suggests to us, the danger of going beyond God's command, in what some call, Religious Duty.
God commanded the serpent to be made and used, but there is no record that He commanded its preservation, as He did, regarding, The Golden pot, that contained the manna, or Arron's rod, and the tables of the covenant.

Now, this emphasizes the importance of Christian observances and Duties being fulfilled, according to God's Word, rather than according to peoples' superstitious ideas [Acts 17].
Failure to maintain What God has set forth, to be observed in His Churches, is just as erroneous [ Baptism, Lord's Table, anointing with oil].

King Hezekiah manifested honesty and boldness when he called The Brass Serpent ''Neushtan''.
Why was he so bold'
2 Kings 18;5-7-[Turn].

Things should be called by their correct names;
and no man of God should ever low-key idolatry, heresy, or wickedness.

Calling things by their proper names today, is a virtue.
The Preacher should lift up his voice as a trumpet, to show people their sins-Few do it, today.

THE OBJECTIVE ASPECT OF LIFE--Part 6

NUMBERS 21;1-3-[TURN].

Numbers 21;1-3, is a good introduction to what follows in verses 4-9, concerning The Serpent of
Brass.
Israel's victory over Arad [''wild ass of training''] was soon forgotten.

Now, No One will deny that The King of Material Prosperity has taken away MANY captives.
As Warriors for Christ, we must never become so entangled in life's affairs, that we stop being Good Soldiers--
2 Timothy 2;4-''No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.''

After knowing The deliverance and faithfulness of God for many years, we know the sin principle
REMAINS IN US;
And we're not at liberty TO DO WHAT THE FLESH DESIRES.
Therefore, the battle INTENSIFIES with growth, rather than diminishing.

Israel's Journey from Mount Hor to Edom, caused her to become discouraged, because of the way.

Because of our newly found joy, Christians are prone to overlook trials.
However, before long, the honeymoon experience is over, and we find The Christian Life is no parade, on a level road, that is protected from trials.

The wilderness, through which, we travel, is often very difficult on the flesh.

Although there's nothing in the wilderness, to nourish Spiritual Life, we enjoy Spiritual Blessings, while we are in it.

The hostility and warfare we meet on the way, become very trying, but God's Grace ENABLES US, TO STAND AGAINST EVIL FORCES.
The battle is often hand to hand combat;
thus, we DO NOT COME OUT, without wounds.

One of THE MOST DISCOURAGING THINGS about warfare, is the avoiding of the conflict by some.
Paul knew what it was, to have comrades let him down.

The discouraged Israelites speaking against God and Moses, caused God to send fiery serpents among the people, which caused many to die physically.
The Repentant looked and lived;
The Unrepentant died.

This same tragedy came to some of The Corinthians [I CORINTHIANS 11;30].
Thus, their CONDITION, not their Position in Christ, was affected.

Following The Judgment of The Fiery Serpents, The Israelites came into conditions, common with ''The Land of The Well''--
NUMBERS 21;16-18-[TURN].
The Water didn't come from The Rock;
but from the well, which rose up WITHIN THE ISRAELITES.
The Well had been choked with ignorance, discouragement, and complaint.
God's Judgment had killed some, and caused others to repent, and be converted, by looking at The Brass Serpent.

Now, Get This Truth; DIVINE TRUTH MUST BE KNOWN BY EXPERIENCE, BEFORE IT GOVERNS OUR LIVES.
Therefore, CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE PRECEDES CHRISTIAN PRACTICE.

When The Fountain has been purified, The Stream is pure.
Therefore The Christian Life is represented, not by a stagnant pool, but by living, running water.

GRACE NOT ONLY CONQUERS, BUT IT ALSO FIGHTS.

The converted Israelites were now living in the joy and power of the well.
It was then Israel sang, because they discovered The Rock following them, which was Christ-
I CORINTHIANS 10;1-4-[TURN].