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Salvation, Doctrine and Rightly Dividing - MAD


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Can We Lose Our Salvation By Grace?
 
 
 
 
 

In order for us to lose something we must have the responsibility for keeping it secure. Otherwise, we did not lose it, someone else did. We must be very careful as we study the Scripture to sort the mail according to whom it was written. We must not read into a verse what is not there, and must interpret a verse in its proper context. This is what makes dispensational Bible study so helpful to our understanding God’s will and purpose.

 

 

In regards to our salvation in the dispensation of grace, we can clearly see that we receive through Paul the message of ‘salvation by grace’. Romans is a wonderful book to illuminate our understanding of salvation by grace in this age.

 

 

We learn in Romans 1-3 that men are desperately wicked. In fact, Paul calls them reprobate, sinners, wicked, evil, and deserving of anguish and God’s wrath. Every man, Jew and Gentile has broken God’s law of righteousness and is guilty before a just God who will judge our works in this life, whether they be good or evil.

 

 

It is through the use of appealing to man’s conscious and the law of God that Paul identifies every man unworthy and incapable of obtaining righteousness through their own efforts. He concludes in Romans 3:10 by saying, ‘There is none righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.’

 

Since God demands perfect righteousness for salvation and eternal life, we are all condemned to death and judgment in hell.

 

 

However, Paul is given a special revelation from God that explains that now we can receive righteousness and salvation apart from the law (Gal 1:11, 12). In fact, the purpose of the law was never to save anyone, but to show that they were guilty.

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” – Romans 3:19

 

The law was to bring the ‘knowledge of sin’. But now the righteousness of God can only come through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:” – Romans 3:22

 

Today, we are justified ‘freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 3:24).

 

 

Knowing how we obtained our salvation is crucial to understanding whether we can lose our salvation. Paul clearly teaches that our salvation is by faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ who was made to be our substitution for death, sin, and judgment (2 Cor 5:21, Romans 3:25, Romans 3:23). Since he paid our fine, and we trust in Christ, God can fairly declare us righteous and give us salvation (Eph 1:13).

 

 

Trying to ‘keep’ our salvation

The reason that God sent Christ to die on the cross for our sins, was because we could not live lives worthy of obtaining righteousness ourselves. 

 

Why then would we think that once we are saved, we can now live lives worthy of God’s righteous judgment without Christ?

 

 

Paul speaks to the Galatians about this issue in Galatians 3:3 and 5:4. After having received the grace of God for salvation, the Galatians were now trying to go back under the law to live their lives for God. Paul says ‘Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.’

 

 

This seems to be a severe statement but is repeated in 1 Corinthians 1:17 to those who were debating over Paul’s baptism. Paul replied regarding these rituals,

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” – I Corinthians 1:17

 

Paul repeatedly teaches that it is not by our own works of righteousness that we are saved. If it were by our works then Christ died in vain! It follows that if we are not saved by works of righteousness then we can not lose our salvation because of a lack of them.

 

 

Because we are saved by God’s grace, the sole responsibility for producing the works meet for our salvation lies upon Christ and the efficacy of his death on the cross. Our faith alone would be of no effect for salvation only if God was not able to fulfill that which he promised (Romans 4:21). This of course is unbelief of the first degree!

 

 

The whole basis of our salvation is by faith in Christ’s full payment for sins (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:22)!

 

 

Therefore, if we are saved by grace and then determine that we can lose our justified status simply by not acting obediently or following after righteousness, then we are in essence rejecting the cross, ignoring what Christ came to do! We are also denying our present position in our crucified flesh combating its temptations daily.

 

 

As Paul told the Galatians, ‘Christ is become of no effect unto you’. You would have just as much success trying to save yourself without the cross as you would trying to stay saved without the grace of God operating on your behalf.

 

 

This discussion will most likely bring up many other questions that you should also find responded to on our question page.

 

 

The topic of what happens in salvation is an important topic shrouded with confusion by the powers of darkness of this world. If there are questions that are not answered cleary in this article or on our question page, please submit them through our online form.

 

 

Understanding what Christ did on the cross for you is the key to changing your life for eternity! Without the grace of God, every man would have no answer for God on judgment day, but would spend eternity in the lake of fire. Don’t rest until you know that you are saved by the grace of God and have eternity secured through the blood of Christ.

The question should not be ‘Can we lose our salvation by grace?’ Instead it should be, ‘Am I saved by my trust in God’s grace?’

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”- Gal 2:21

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I am ending this thread or I should say that I will no longer be posting in this thread. Thank you to all who studied with me and used this thread to come closer to Christ Jesus. This is a great thread to study.

Mid-Acts dispensational Bible study recognizes the importance of the mystery of Christ revealed to the apostle Paul as doctrine particular to the church in the present dispensation (Rom 16:25, Col 1:25-27, Eph 3:2-4).

While most Bible students would make the most important division in the Bible to be between Israel and the Church or the Old and New Testaments, mid-Acts Bible study teaches the most important distinction in your Bible to be the right division between God’s Mystery purpose, “kept secret since the world began”, and God’s Prophecy purpose, which had been “spoken since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21 vs. Rom 16:25).

Understanding the mystery of Christ revealed to Paul for us clears up the theological confusion that is created by blending Prophecy and Mystery doctrines. Some controversial doctrines resolved by Pauline right division include:

Jesus instructs us to identify Paul as our pattern (1 Tim 1:16; 1 Cor 4:16; 1 Cor 11:1). A failure to operate according to the Lord’s revelations to Paul often leads to frustration with denominational traditions, including:

If you have been confused by some of these doctrines or frustrated by empty Church tradition, consider the Lord’s revelation to Paul and get some answers (2 Tim 2:7).

Basic teachings of Mid Acts Dispensational right division
– Jesus, in his earthly ministry, ministered to the circumcision. (Rom 15:8, see here)
– The mystery of Christ was first revealed to Paul (Col 1:25-26, 1 Tim 1:16, and here)
– Prophecy and mystery are different (Acts 3:19-21 vs Rom 16:25)
– Peter and Paul taught different messages (Peter prophecy, and Paul mystery: See here)
– Prophecy has been interrupted. (See here)
– The gospel of the kingdom is not the gospel of the grace of God (See here and here)
– Israel’s Church and the Church, the body of Christ, are different. (See here)

Further study:
Common Responses to mid-Acts dispensational right division.
Contradictions resolved by mid-Acts dispensational Bible study.
What is the Mystery information?
What is the Prophecy information?
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about mid-Acts.

 

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I am ending this thread or I should say that I will no longer be posting in this thread. Thank you to all who studied with me and used this thread to come closer to Christ Jesus. This is a great thread to study.

 

Why Do You Call It Mid-Acts Pauline Dispensational Right Division?

http://graceambassadors.com/midacts/why-do-you-call-it-mid-acts-dispensational-right-division

If you are like most people, when you heard “mid-Acts Pauline dispensational right division” for the first time you were overwhelmed. “What does it mean?!”, “That’s got to be a cult”, or “Why is it so long?”


Truthfully, I wish we could drop the whole thing. No where in the Bible are we told to name ourselves apart from the name of Christ. Yet, when we live in such a present evil world and a diverse marketplace of ideas we must carry some distinction to describe our doctrine as separate from the rest. 


If we must identify ourselves the obvious preference would be to identify ourselves with the Lord Jesus, but it seems people can easily confuse us with the Catholics, Jehovah Witnesses, and Universalists who also name the name of Christ.


Though the mid-Acts description is tedious it does have its advantages: it communicates ‘we are different’, it is honest, it gets peoples’ attention, and it makes a nice satirical jab at denominational nomenclature (we are not trying to start a denomination).


This page seeks to explain exactly why we use each word in our verbose name.
For a better summary of the basics of mid-Acts teaching go here.
Mid-Acts

  •  
  • ‘Mid-Acts’ refers to when in Scripture the current dispensation of Grace began (Ephesians 3:1-2).
  • This present age began when the mystery information was revealed to the Apostle Paul in the middle of the book of Acts (1 Corinthians 9:17).
  • Often referred to as the ‘church age’, many Bible students wrongly believe this present age began at Pentecost, when Christ died, or even Acts 28.


Pauline

  • Pauline refers to Paul being the Apostle of the Gentiles, and having the pattern of salvation that we are saved by today (Romans 11:13;1 Timothy 1:16).
  • Paul was given a revelation from Jesus Christ about information that had been ‘kept secret since the world began’ (Romans 16:25, Ephesians 3:1-5).
  • The information revealed to Paul contained an unprophesied ‘new creature’ called the Body of Christ that is saved by grace through faith and will reign with Christ in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:17, Eph 2:7).
  • Paul was NOT one of the twelve apostles of the prophecy program (1 Cor 15:5-8).
  • Though Paul was an evangelist, he was not ONLY an evangelist. A gospel dispensation was committed to him about about a secret part of God’s plan for salvation by grace through faith alone (1 Cor 9:16-17).
  • Paul taught a message that was about Jesus but in a different perspective. It was Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Romans 16:25).


Dispensational

  • A dispensation is when further information was given by God about how we are to relate to Him and the world around us.
  • Though God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, His instructions for mankind’s operation by faith has been revealed progressively at sundry times and in divers manners (Hebrews 1:1).
  • Dispensational Bible study recognizes the different messages and methods that God uses to deal with mankind throughout history according to His purpose (1 Corinthians 12:5).


Right Division

  • Right Division is a method of studying the Bible in the light of recognizing God’s distinct dispensations and programs (1 Corinthians 12:5).
  • Understanding God’s distinct dispensations, we must divide or discern Scripture according to his separate purposes for the heaven and earth (2 Tim 2:15).
  • All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, and yet we must discern our instructions from the instructions given by God to other groups at other times (2 Timothy 3:16).
  • Today as members of the Body of Christ we must carefully apply those doctrines that are specifically for us in the dispensation of Grace.


We would much rather simply be called ‘Bible believers’, ‘those people who teach the gospel of Christ’, or ‘those grace ambassadors of the Lord’. Whatever you want to call us or the doctrine, we know it makes the Bible a whole lot easier to understand when you obey the Lord’s instructions to Paul.
A rose is a rose, and by any other name would still fade away, but the word of the Lord stands forever (Psalm 119:89).

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I am ending this thread or I should say that I will no longer be posting in this thread. Thank you to all who studied with me and used this thread to come closer to Christ Jesus. This is a great thread to study.

 

Controversial Doctrines Resolved by the Pauline Pattern

http://graceambassadors.com/midacts/controversial-doctrines-resolved-by-the-pauline-pattern


By Justin Johnson

Many times the doctrines that cause Christians the most confusion are easily resolved by Mid-Acts right division.

Tongues
This interreligious practice continues to cause no small disgrace in the congregations who do not recognize that the supernatural multilingual ability was a power needed for the remnant of Israel in Acts II who were going to minister into the worldwide kingdom reign of Christ. 

By the way, this same reasoning applies to snake handling and poisonous water drinking. They are all listed in the same series in Mark 16 referring to the bizarre events that will occur during the tribulation. Acts 2 does not describe the church today.


Baptism
Since there has been such a lack of agreement regarding this doctrine within Christianity many are now chalking it up as a meaningless tradition. It is time that we recognize that there are at least a dozen different baptisms in the Bible and yet Paul speaks of only one in operation for the Church today. Jesus was baptized twice and if had to pick one it would not be the one with water.


Prayer
Sometimes it seems that no doctrine has caused more harm and yet is most needed as Prayer. The solution is simply to rightly divide Jesus’ earthly ministry to his covenantal people from the ministry he gave to Paul for the church today. Being strangers of the covenants means that you cannot get whatever you ask. Neither does it mean that prayer is ineffective. Paul gives the proper instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.


Faith and Works
It is past time that we stop judging whether men are good enough to be saved and rid ourselves of the confusion about what should be the simplest teachings in the Bible. Faith salvation in the cross work of Christ is only found in the wisdom of God revealed first to Paul. 

Anywhere else you see justification, it accompanies the law system of the Jewish covenants. Don’t believe me? Take out Paul’s books and see how you fare.


God’s Will
Books have been written about how to determine God’s will for your life. Most of them teach some sort of self-assessment, mysticism, or shear intuition. The motivation for spontaneous action is attributed to a ‘leading of the Holy Ghost’ and the consequences are blamed on God. 

When we realize that God is no longer setting up a holy nation or an earthly kingdom, we can begin to study what he actually says about his will today in Ephesians 1:3, 3:9, and 1 Timothy 2:4. Notice all have been revealed through the Apostle Paul.

Mid-Acts right division resolves these confusions while keeping the clear reading of every passage of scripture in its context. Learn more about Mid-Acts right division and get some answers to your questions.

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I am ending this thread or I should say that I will no longer be posting in this thread. Thank you to all who studied with me and used this thread to come closer to Christ Jesus. This is a great thread to study.

 

5 Most Common Responses to Mid-Acts Dispensational Right Division


http://graceambassadors.com/faq/5-most-common-responses-to-mid-acts-dispensational-right-division

 

While attempting “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery” (Eph 3:9), people commonly ask the same questions in response. These responses can be grouped into the “5 Most Common Response to Right Division”. They are:

1. The Heresy Response 
Also called the ‘argument of extremism’, this response asks “Do you teach heresy?” or “Are you a cult?” This response tries to place a pejorative label upon you because you are not in the status quo.
Read more about the Heresy Response.

2. The Credibility Response 
Who else teaches this? This appeal to the authority of church tradition attempts to give more credibility to history books than God’s Word.
Read more about the Credibility Response.

3. The Arrogant Response 
This response asks “Why have I never heard of this before?” or “Where did you go to school?” This is the common response of the ‘trained professional’. It also reflects that a person is trusting in their own scholarship, or the scholarship of others to determine truth.
Read more about the Arrogant response.

4. The Popularity Response 
How can so many people be wrong? This response shows a greater reliance upon what is popular than what is right. “Let God be true, but every man a liar” Romans 3:4.
Read more about the Popularity response.

5. The Peace Response 
This ecumenical appeal to compromise in the name of peace is all too common. Does sticking to sound doctrine cause more division? Can we all just get along?
Read more about the Peace response.

In every response a common issue is reflected – our final authority. Many people, sometimes unknowingly, find their truth in the authority of the status quo, scholarship, tradition, church structure, or even within themselves. If we believe the Bible to be God’s Word then we must make it the sole authority of truth above all else.

Formally replying to these responses may help others understand that Mid-Acts Pauline Dispensational Right Division is simply another way of saying, “The Bible is our final authority.”

 

We must “let God be true, but every man a liar” in order to better understand God’s Word.

 

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15

 
 
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We Have Christ’s Atonement Now

 

 

By Justin Johnson

 

http://graceambassadors.com/salvation/we-have-christs-atonement-now

 

 

 

 

Quote

“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” – Romans 5:11

 

 

Romans 5:11 in the King James Bible is under constant attack for using the word atonement instead of reconciliation. An attack was recently republished by the Berean’s email list originally written by the late Pastor Sadler.

 

 

The usual attack is to say that the word atonement means something less than the complete satisfaction of sins through a just reparation.

 

 

Instead it is taught that atonement means to merely cover or hide from view, while reconciliation means to clean and remove. While it is true that we have the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:20), this error makes atonement insufficient to deal with sins.

 

 

This causes problems with the clear interpretation of other passages of scripture, and, more importantly, means either Christ did not atone for sins or his substitutionary atonement was

 

incomplete.

None of these are acceptable.

 

 

Defining Atonement

The common argument presented in our recent example says:

 

“The Hebrew word kaphar, translated “atonement” in the Old Testament meant ‘to cover.’ Hence, the blood of bulls and goats merely covered the sins of those in Old Testament times; it didn’t have the efficacy to remove them.”

 

 

The failure of animal sacrifices to take away sins is recognized from the teaching in Hebrews 10:4 and Heb 10:11.

 

Quote

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” – Heb 10:4.

 

 

But why was it not possible?

 

 

If it were true that God-ordained sacrifices never satisfactorily dealt with sins then why is sacrificial blood described as cleansing, reconciling, purging, sanctifying, and forgiving people of sins? (Lev 14:19; Lev 16:30; Eze 43:20; Num 35:33; 1 Sam 3:14; Heb 9:22-23)

 

 

Under the law of Moses, God ordained animal sacrifices as a means through which sinful Israel could receive forgiveness, cleansing, reconciliation, and satisfaction before God. It was part of their covenant.

 

 

This is contrary to the false idea that atonement does not cleanse, but reconciliation does. This kind of error leads to saying wrong and dangerous things such as:

 

 

“In other words, the blood of Christ doesn’t atone for our sins, it actually cleanses them forevermore.” – Sadler, In What Sense Did Christ Atone?.

 

 

The truth is that the blood of Christ does atone. it is the final atonement for a nation who needed atoned continually every year, the only propitiation for my sins (Rom 3:25), and is how I receive now the atonement (Rom 5:11).

 

 

The Yearly Day of Atonement for Israel

Each year Israel was commanded to have a day of atonement complete with animal sacrifices that would cleanse them from all their sins.

 

Quote

“For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.” – Lev 16:30

 

 

According to Hebrews 10 the problem with animal sacrifices was that they were offered continually, repeatedly, over and over, each year. This problem of time and frequency is what Hebrews 10 and Romans 5 addresses, as we shall see.

Why was it not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins? (Heb 10:4)

 

Quote

“But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.” – Hebrews 10:3

 

 

Despite the thousands of sacrifices they offered throughout the year, the final day of atonement would bring to remembrance all of those sins and send them out of the nation. Rinse and repeat (Lev 16:34).

 

 

When would their sins be taken away once and for all?

Waiting for Atonement

 

 

Prophetically, these holy days for Israel spoke to the future time of their promised salvation. Passover was a shadow of Christ’s death. The feast of unleavened bread his burial. The feast of firstfruits his resurrection. The day of atonement was a shadow for the day in Israel’s future when their sins would be atoned once and for all.

 

 

Daniel’s seventy weeks prophesied of the final reconciliation for iniquity that would occur at the end of those weeks (Dan 9:24).

 

 

Peter preached that since Jesus was Israel’s final sacrifice they had the opportunity for their sins to be blotted out in the future when he returned with the times of refreshing.

 

Quote

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord…” – Acts 3:19

 

 

 

Even Paul mentions the future time of fulfillment of their final day of atonement when “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26).

 

Quote

“For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” – Romans 11:27

 

 

 

By using the word “atonement” in Romans 5:11 the KJB draws our attention to the subject of Israel’s promises, but by using the word “now” it stands in contrast to their future day of atonement, providing the benefits of atonement to us now in the present dispensation of grace.

 

 

The Mystery of Atonement

Israel waits for the fulfillment of their prophesied day of atonement when Jesus will be recognized as their final and better sacrificial Lamb, but Paul describes a mystery in Romans 5 about salvation offered freely to all men now.

 

 

By the riches of God’s grace we have many things now as a present possession that Israel has only in a future promise or covenant.

 

 

According to the revelation of the mystery, the dispensation of the grace of God, we have peace now with God by faith (Rom 5:1).

 

 

We are “now justified by his blood” (Rom 5:9).

Reconciliation is a done deal, as the present benefits of his death; salvation from wrath is guaranteed by his resurrection life (Rom 5:10).

 

 

Israel is waiting for their future reconciliation and fulfillment of their day of atonement at the times of refreshing, but now we joy in God because we have NOW the atonement.

 

 

Romans 5:11 is correct in saying we have “now the atonement”, because it draws attention to this important mystery truth.

 

 

Christ is my atonement, providing all its benefits to me now by his grace.

 

 

  1. -The Message and the Mystery of Salvation 
    -Atonement Now 
    -Atonement and Propitiation 
    -Is Everyone Forgiven? 
    -The Baptism Gospel 
    -Promise in Christ or in a Covenant 
    -Asking for Forgiveness 
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Works Never Saved Anyone

 

http://graceambassadors.com/salvation/works-never-saved-anyone

 

By Justin Johnson

 

There can be no doubt that the works of the law were required for Israel to obey. If they disobeyed they would not receive the blessing or righteousness of God (Deut 6:24-25).

 

Further it can be understood that Jesus in his ministry to Israel taught obedience to the law (Matt 5:19).

 

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” – Mat 5:17

 

Even beyond the death and resurrection of their King, the twelve apostles were taught to continue in obedience to the covenants (James 2:24, 1 John 2:3). As far along as Acts 20, James is zealous of the law.

 

“Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:” – Acts 20:21

 

Yet, we know that works cannot save a man from sin (Rom 3:20).

 

The Mystery Truth

Before the dispensation of grace men would plead for God’s mercy and grace to forgive their sins (Psalm 51:11). God responded with appropriate forgiveness when asked with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). 

 

Yet, they did not understand how God could be just and the justifier.

 

 

It was not until the revealed mystery of Christ to Paul that all men could know how God could be just and the justifier (Rom 3:26,4:5). Through the manifold wisdom of God, Paul explains what was kept secret since the beginning of the world: how God would impute free righteousness unto all men upon all who believed in the cross of Christ (2 Cor 5:21).

 

 

Paul makes it clear when he says:

 

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” – Eph 2:8-9

 

 

All Saved by Grace

The mystery of Christ explains how all men at all times can only be saved by grace through faith, not of works. However, only in this dispensation grace stands unaccompanied by any required works. This is because of the substitutionary nature of Christ’s work applied to you.

 

 

Though Old Testament saints were never saved by their works, they had no knowledge of the mystery of Christ. They could not put their faith in something that was a secret. Their faith was in the testament. The testament required obedience to works.

 

 

The New Testament saints could also never be saved by their works; however, they too had no knowledge of the mystery and placed their faith in a better testament (Heb 7:22). The better testament required obedience to works to remain in the covenant (Heb 10:23-26).

 

 

Future Salvation Comes

Israel’s salvation is yet in the future as it is there that the testament will be fulfilled.

 

 

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” – Rom 11:26-27

 

It was not until Peter heard Paul disputing in Jerusalem about his God given authority to teach the mystery dispensation of grace that he makes the comment:

“But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” – Acts 15:11

 

They have a covenant, we do not. They will be saved in the future even as we are presently, by grace, but not yet. Peter says to his remnant:

 

 

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” – 1 Peter 1:13

 

Their time of perfection will come (James 1:4). You stand complete in Christ now (Col 2:10).

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A Rightly Divided Eschatology

 

http://graceambassadors.com/prophecy/a-rightly-divided-eschatology

 

By Justin Johnson

 

Postmillennialists look at prophecy and say things will get better and better in the world.

 

Premillennialists look at prophecy and say things will get worse and worse in the world.

 

 

One sees prophecy being fulfilled by bringing in the kingdom. We are responsible to change the world.

The other sees prophecy being fulfilled in times of trouble, and we should guard ourselves from the world.

 

 

Both are looking in the wrong place to see what God is doing in the world.

 

 

Prophecy does not describe this mystery dispensation. The events of prophecy do not describe the end of this dispensation, but the end of Israel’s.

 

 

One sees the prophetic cup and says it is half full.

 

The other sees the prophetic cup and says it is half empty.

 

 

According to Pauline right division we are not drinking from that prophetic cup. We are looking up where our life is hid with Christ according to the mystery (Col 3:1-3).

 

 

How We View the Future

While students of prophecy argue back and forth about which current event was God sent, we understand that God is not fulfilling prophecy in our present circumstances.

 

 

What will happen in Israel’s prophetic program in the future has no affect on our present ministry, circumstances, or salvation.

 

 

The greatest eschatological division is not where you put yourself in the millennium, or when you think the rapture will happen.

 

 

The greatest division to make about the end times is between Prophecy and Mystery.

 

 

When prophecy speaks of the kingdom come, we know according to the mystery of Christ that it is not our duty to bring in God’s kingdom to the earth.

 

 

When prophecy speaks of the trouble to come before the end, we know according to the mystery of

 

Christ that we have no divine instruction to run to the hills.

 

 

Our view of the future is not driven by prophecy, but by the instructions of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Rom 16:25, Col 1:25-27).

 

 

Our hope does not come from the current events of postmillennialism, nor do we need prophetic disasters to give us warning.

 

 

We have families to feed, souls to save, and jobs to perform. We respond to the future with the Bible rightly divided, faithfully doing these tasks as long as God’s grace will last.

 

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;” – 1 Thess 4:11

 

 

Determining our Eschatology

Often people start with an eschatological (end times) position and then build their doctrines of the church, salvation, and ministry from there. This is exactly backwards.

 

It should be our doctrine of the church, salvation, and ministry that determines our view of the end times.

 

 

When we rightly divide Prophecy from Mystery there is only one relationship to prophecy we can take: prophecy does not describe the present time in which we live, whether it be for the better or the worse.

 

 

The millennium, tribulation, restoration of Israel are all parts of God’s prophetic purpose for his chosen nation and not the church. They describe the end times spoken about in prophecy.

 

 

The pretribulational premillennial non-prophetic imminent return of Christ is seen as a weak position. It is only weak from the position that does not recognize the difference between Prophecy and Mystery.

 

 

A failure to rightly divide Prophecy from Mystery will end up with a failed eschatology.

Not in the End Times

 

We are not living in the times of prophecy, but in a mystery dispensation. Therefore, we are not living in the end times.

 

 

We will not go through the millennium; we are not looking for Israel’s tribulation; nor are we looking for Israel’s restoration.

 

 

Instead we operate according to the mystery of Christ, doing our ministry as ambassadors and waiting for the mystery coming of the Lord to remove the church so that he can fulfill his prophecy and promises with Israel.

 

 

These are not the prophetic last days for us. Every day is a new day of opportunity to be God’s grace ambassadors in a world that has rejected him. For the sake of ministering the gospel, we should hope there are a million more days.

 

 

Our hope is in his appearing sometime in the future, unknown to us (Titus 2:13). Til then, we have work to do.

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On 3/26/2018 at 6:27 PM, patrick jane said:

Why Should God Accept You?

By Justin Johnson

 

I am about to say something that at first will sound extremely hard, but will end up being very simple.
You can accept God, Jesus Christ as Lord, and the Bible as the word of God and not be saved.

Salvation is not a matter of you accepting Christianity, Christ, God, or the Bible. Salvation is given to those accepted by God. The difference is huge!

Who Must Be Accepted
You accept Christ? So, what does that have to do with your being accepted by Him? You can accept God, but why should He accept you? He is not trying to be accepted by you.

Is Christ standing in your judgment line, along with everything else you consider and evaluate to be worthy, holding his resume, and hoping that he is accepted by you?

Of course not! We are the ones standing in the judgment line of Christ. It is exactly backwards to think we must accept God, when really we need God to accept us!

The difference concerns who is the judge. Are you the judge of all things, or is God?
Our consumer driven culture has painted God as a divine politician campaigning for your vote. Political debates encourage us to decide who we deem worthy of high positions. Not so, with God. Truth is not a democracy.

God cannot be judged. The Lord Jesus Christ is not up for reelection. The Bible is not determined to be the word of God by majority vote.

The Lord is Not Trying to Be Accepted

The Lord is not trying to be accepted by anyone. The Saviour is not asking, “Is my salvation acceptable to you?” The Judge does not turn to the criminal and ask, “Do you accept my judgment?” The Truth does not beg the question, “Do you accept me to be true?”

Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour and there is none else beside him. All men are destined to die, and we need Him to live. We need to be accepted by God. God does not count it a worthy thing to be accepted by you.

Never in the Bible does God beg men to accept him, but there are many times when men beg God to accept them.
They knew that God was the judge of all, and he must find them worthy if they are to receive righteousness, forgiveness, life, and the peace of salvation.

God is not up for reelection, we are. God is not the politician, we are the publicans begging for mercy (Luke 18:13). We have been given this mortal life, and our term will run out.

Are We Acceptable to God?
So, on what basis does God accept us?
If it is on the basis of our righteous behavior, wise choices, or love toward others, who of us could be worthy unless God grades us all on a curve? We may be esteemed among men, but would we be able to hold our own in the sight of God who knows all our secrets? Certainly not.

The Bible condemns all self-righteousness.


“There is none righteous, no, not one” – Romans 3:10
“by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” – Romans 3:21
“all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23


We must understand that we are totally unacceptable to God. We are all sinners and unworthy to be accepted by a perfectly righteous God. Even if you accept Him. He cannot accept you.

How Can God Accept Us?
Why should God be merciful and gracious to sinners? How can he be merciful to sinners?
The answer is revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for our sins, and rose from the dead so that his righteousness could be imputed to all that believe.

When we trust in Christ’s righteous life, death, and resurrection on our behalf, then God accepts us not for our own sake, but for the sake of Jesus Christ who died for us (Rom 5:8).

While in God’s judgment line Christ lets us use his resume, his work, and his righteousness if we trust that He did it all for us.


“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” – Romans 3:26


Christ is the Judge. Christ is the Saviour. Christ is acceptable to God. We are not. Salvation must be in Christ.
When you face the Lord, it will not be a question of whether you have accepted him, but rather if he has accepted you.

The Lord is not trying to be accepted by you, and there is no way you can be accepted by God without Christ.
Trust Christ and his finished work of dying and resurrecting for your salvation, and you will be accepted in the one God loves: his only begotten Son.


“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” – Ephesians 1:6


Published: July 18, 2015
Last Modified: November 11, 2015Related posts:

  1. -God is Always Right 
    -Does God Punish Sin After I’ve Been Saved By Grace? 
    -How Do I Know I Am Saved? 
    -Can We Lose Our Salvation By Grace? 
    -Am I Good Enough To Get To Heaven 
    -Did Paul Preach A Different Gospel? 
    -How To Be Saved From Death To Life

 

I spoke about this with other people this week, and it became such a debate, authorities even deleted the subject. But I agree with you here, but apparently, from what i have seen, most people here won't agree with you. If they did, then they would agree with me. But the majority here thinks it is of their own will, their own desires, their own work, that they have accepted Christ. And that is not so. All of it is the work of Christ, in no way can we say it was us, or else I find that we could boast. Scripture teaches we are not to boast, and rather God has made salvation in a way that we cannot say we did anything to be saved. That includes accepting Christ. We accepted Christ, but not because of our own personal thoughts, emotions, knowledge, power, belief, or anything while we were yet sinners. A sinner cannot save Himself, a sinner doesn't have a desire for God, but I believe God gives us the faith to believe and the desire to want to accept Him. Therefore, it is all by his works. Would you agree or have I misunderstood you?

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On 3/24/2019 at 11:22 AM, Xethea said:

I spoke about this with other people this week, and it became such a debate, authorities even deleted the subject. But I agree with you here, but apparently, from what i have seen, most people here won't agree with you. If they did, then they would agree with me. But the majority here thinks it is of their own will, their own desires, their own work, that they have accepted Christ. And that is not so. All of it is the work of Christ, in no way can we say it was us, or else I find that we could boast. Scripture teaches we are not to boast, and rather God has made salvation in a way that we cannot say we did anything to be saved. That includes accepting Christ. We accepted Christ, but not because of our own personal thoughts, emotions, knowledge, power, belief, or anything while we were yet sinners. A sinner cannot save Himself, a sinner doesn't have a desire for God, but I believe God gives us the faith to believe and the desire to want to accept Him. Therefore, it is all by his works. Would you agree or have I misunderstood you?

I do agree but only because I have also studied Reformed Theology. You're right that most people think they made a free will choice to believe and it's partly true. We are called. 

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