HOW SHOULD THE SAINTS, THE ELECT OF GOD, TREAT UNCONVERTED PEOPLE

 When Christ was dying on the cross he said, “FATHER forgive them for they know not what they do.”   Luke 23:34  Surely the people who crucified Christ were not converted but Christ did not rail against them or rebuke them for their false beliefs.  In direct discussions with the unconverted as Jesus went about preaching the gospel it was necessary for Jesus to be stern at times and made some shocking statements.  

There is an undeniable truth in scripture that only GOD can open the human mind to understand HIS truth.  No human pastor, preacher or minister can teach the truth to anyone, it is GOD that must give the increase.  1 Corinthians 3:6,7,8   Paul and Apollos could not give understanding, they could only preach not teach.  How do you think this information applies to how the saints should treat the unconverted ?  

It is written that GOD has predestined the calling and choosing of all humanity each in an order determined by GOD.  The unconverted of today will be the converted of tomorrow.  At a time in the past we were all unconverted and in those days how would you have wanted a converted person to treat you ?  

What is the purpose of degrading, rebuking or debunking people who have not been blessed as we have been ?  Would we consider these types of actions Christian ?  Jesus was created by the FATHER to be the messiah and the chief commandment he preached was love.  Love GOD and love your neighbor as yourself, your neighbor, converted or not.  We are to live in peace with all people.  Romans 12:18   It says, as much as it depends on you because the unconverted do not have the help that we do.  The saints are to know their masters will but the unconverted do not.  Who will receive the most stripes for not loving? Luke 12:45,46,47,48   Should Christians attack the Jewish people for their beliefs or the Catholics ?   We cannot even reason with the unconverted in an attempt to convert them because GOD only converts people and HE alone adds to the church.  Acts2:39,47   There is something called the golden rule that we all should follow. Matthew 7:12   Romans 13:8,10   Galatians 5:14   We should not cause people to stumble or be offended as we do not know what plans GOD may have for them and even though not yet converted we are responsible to speak the truth to them in love, bear the weak. Romans 14:21  Romans 15:1,2,3  This attitude may well be able to win over a person in the same way Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:16 and Peter in 1 Peter 3:1   Our loving patient conduct is far more preferable than attacks against the unconverted.  Even if we personally experienced evil from some false Christian groups we should not seek vengeance but follow Paul’s admonition, Romans 12:19,21

So then, given this information, we all need to search ourselves,  2 Corinthians 13:5 ,  and ask if what we do would be acceptable to GOD and Christ.  

LAMENTATIONS 3:27 BEARING THE YOKE IN YOUR YOUTH

 

 

Lamentations 3:27    The yoke in this verse is the law.  The law is the Ten Commandments and the law of Moses.  It is difficult to explain to someone what it is like to live under the law.  It is something you must experience to understand.  While the law could not provide salvation it was designed by GOD to lead a person to GODS son, the Christ.  Galatians 3:24   Anyone who has experienced living under the law has an advantage over others who have not.  Romans 3:1,2  The law was a shadow of the work of Jesus and his preaching of the gospel.  Hebrews 10:1   The worlds view of the law differs; some say you must keep the Ten Commandments, some say you must keep the Ten Commandments and parts of the law of Moses, some say you must keep the Ten Commandments and the law of Moses completely and some say the Ten Commandments and law of Moses have been totally abolished by the sacrifice of Christ.  What is the truth ?  

Jesus did not come to abolish the law or the prophets but rather to fulfill them.  Matthew 5:17   The law defines sin for the carnal mind.  How then can carnal people sin if the law was abolished ?  Jesus fulfilled the law by the love of GOD.  Romans 13:10  GODLY love is not natural to humanity but is a gift of GOD to the converted person by the indwelling of GODS spirit in a person.  Romans 5:5   Because of another gift of GOD, faith, the converted person is given GODS own righteousness, the righteousness of GOD by faith rather than trying to keep the law on our own.  Philippians 3:9   The law served to teach those under it the shadows of what would become the Christ and his gospel.  All the law was symbolic and used physical things to symbolize the spiritual reality Christ brought.  Therefore the saints, the church, is no longer under the shadow of the law but the light of Christ.  The saint is declared righteous by GOD because they believe the message of the gospel and are no longer under the law but under grace.  The saints are now righteous but not by their own righteousness but by imputed righteousness from GOD, therefore  the law is no longer for them.  1 Timothy 1:9   The saints have passed over from the old covenant into the new covenant.  

All of the shadows of the law were in the Ten Commandments and the law of Moses and people that were under these laws performed carnal rituals that pointed to the future messiah.  People who have lived under the law and then come to Christ have a salvation experience that is unique and gives them an advantage over those who did not experience the law.  This is why it is good for a person to bear the yoke of the law when young and to have a beginning in the old covenant, the oracles of GOD.  Romans 3:1,2    

People that have been told the law was abolished by Jesus have been cheated out of an experience that would have been of great benefit.  The Apostles taught the law to the Gentiles, not so they should keep it but to learn from it as the law is a teacher, a schoolmaster, designed by GOD to lead us to HIS son.  Galatians 3:24   Gentiles were given a knowledge of how the law operated and how it was a shadow.  Gentiles were taught the failings of Israel by their improper use of the law. Romans 9:30,31,32     Some have mistaken these things to mean that the Apostles were telling the Gentiles that they had to keep the law but this idea was totally refuted very early on.  Acts 15:1,2,5,6,24    While the law is an excellent tool to explain the need for a messiah it is not nor has ever been the way to salvation, it can only lead a person to Christ and then it is abolished.   Attempting to keep the law while claiming to be in Christ is mixing the old and new covenants together and alienates you from Christ.  Galatians 5:4  The law is not evil or wrong rather holy, just and good.  Romans 7:12  The law is to produce GODLY sorrow in a person by showing them their sins and the message of the gospel is the light to do this.  Then we repent of these sins and are baptized in the name of Christ receiving forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 2:38  

Anyone who comes to Christ must have understood these things and this is why the Apostles taught the law to the Gentiles but for the one who was truly under the law and practiced it in great detail there was an advantage of bearing the yoke of the law in their youth.   

OUR GREAT GOD AND HIS SON

 

1.  Jesus is not GOD.  JESUS is the messiah and son of GOD.  Many scriptures prove this fact.

2.  Jesus was not the angel Michael.

3.  Jesus was incapable of sin and could not be tempted with evil.  This is how Jesus was the image of his GOD AND FATHER.  The mind of Jesus in this way was as the mind of GOD.  GOD did not gamble with our salvation but sent us HIS perfect son who was one with HIM in righteousness and love and demonstrated this to us in his defeating Satan in the wilderness proving he could not be tempted with evil.  

4.  Jesus did indeed come from heaven, we all come from heaven and when we die we go back to heaven.  GOD created the human spirit of Jesus and the human spirits of all humanity.  Jesus was a soul and so are we all.  Upon death the real you and I , our human spirit, goes back to GOD totally inoperative and is not dead.  The difference with Jesus was that after his ascension he was glorified and became a life giving spirit being.  The rest of the saints must wait for this to happen to us when Jesus returns.

5.  Jesus was not raised from the dead glorified but was glorified at his ascension.  There is no such thing as glorified flesh.

6.   Jesus was “sealed” by his GOD AND FATHER while in the womb of his mother.  This seal is the same seal that the saints receive, living or dead , in Revelation 7:3   The living saints at that time will be identical to what Jesus was when he was on this earth.

7.  When the saints are glorified they will no longer be human beings but spirit beings, a totally new creation, transformed into what Jesus is, a life giving immortal spirit being. 

8.  In that kingdom of GOD the saints are kings and priests under Jesus.  Each saint will be given rulership over a part of the earth based upon how well they used the power of GODS spirit while humans.  From cities to nations to continents and hemispheres the saints will rule over the former positions of Satan and his demons who now currently rule.  The nations and kingdoms of this evil world will become the kingdom of GOD.  

9.  Human beings alive in the millennium and second resurrection are not in the kingdom of GOD but are ruled over by the kingdom of GOD.  In a time and manner determined by GOD each human in the millennium will be given opportunity to enter the kingdom just as the elect saints did a thousand years before.  Then in the second resurrection this process is repeated.  There will always be humans on earth to continue this process into infinity of infinity never ending, the increase of the kingdom shall have no end.

10.  When the Apostle Paul said, 1 Corinthians 2:9 ,  and Isaiah 64:4 , and David  Psalm 31:19   Therefore, Hebrews 12:28

THE YOKE

 

According to the statistics on this blog the most read article concerns Christians and the law, that is the Ten Commandments and the book of the law of Moses.  Many that claim to be a Christian think they must keep the Ten Commandments and some also think parts of the law of Moses.  At one time I too thought this way.  Then I realized that the Ten Commandments are inferior to the two great commandments Christ gave; to love GOD and your neighbor.  This love is not something humans have naturally, it is a gift of GOD to true believers, those who have GODS HOLY SPIRIT.  This GODLY love empowers the saints to begin to love as GOD loves.  If a true Christian loves this way then there is no way that they can sin, GODS love fulfills the law.  When a person thinks they need to keep the Ten Commandments this GODLY love is not present in them, they are on their own.  

The frustration over law and grace is caused by unconverted people that cannot understand how not to sin without keeping the law.  The law is kept and fulfilled in the people who have GODS love in them by GODS HOLY SPIRIT.  THE LAW IS THE OLD TESTAMENT, GRACE IS THE NEW TESTAMENT.  Forgiveness, mercy, justification, righteousness and faith does not come by the law but by grace.  The faith to believe this gives the grace we need.  We are saved by grace through faith and not by law keeping.  The Ten Commandments can only show us, teach us, that we are sinners because no one can keep them and this is how the law is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.  Then we become GODS workmenship, GOD works in us with HIS love to fulfill that law in us.  Either we work on our own to death or in faith submit to GOD working in us to life.  Philippians 2:13   Ephesians 2:10   Philippians 1:6   We need GODS righteousness in us and not our self righteousness by the law.  Philippians 3:9   Yes, if you try to keep the Ten Commandments you are self righteous but if it is GOD who works in you then it is GODS righteousness by faith.  Keeping the Ten Commandments alienates you from Christ.  Galatians 5:4   The righteousness of GOD is by faith in GOD and Christ and this righteousness does not come by the law.  Galatians 2:21   Keepers of the law will not be justified by GOD.  Romans 3:20   There was no mercy or forgiveness for law keepers.  Hebrews 10:28.   

The law is not a bad thing, it is holy, just and good.  Romans 7:12  It was given to humanity by GOD to act as a spiritual mirror that we view ourselves in to see our sins.  Unconverted people without the Holy Spirit are under the law but the saints are not under the law.  

Ancient Israel used the law to become self righteous just as many are doing today.   They place a very heavy yoke on their necks,  Acts 15:10  ,  when Jesus offers his yoke instead.  Matthew 11:28,29,30

The yoke here is the law in Acts 15:10 but the yoke of Jesus is faith and grace.  Isaiah 58:6,9   Isaiah 10:27