5 Phases of Salvation

5 Phases of Salvation!

11.       The promise: Before the foundation of the earth was laid GOD the Father knew that humanity would sin and need salvation so He ordained that Jesus, His only Begotten Son, would go to the cross to redeem humanity, giving His life and shedding His Blood to redeem us to our Creator.

22.       Jesus’ birth by a virgin, His life of overcoming sin and every temptation that is common to humanity by only doing the will of His Father as the Son of Man.

33.       Jesus’ death on the cross becoming sin for us and removing our sin from us. His resurrection from the grave defeating death and hell and taking the keys of their dominion. His commission to all believers (the Church) to do as He did in the world.

44.       Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of the Throne of GOD from where He directs His Body (the Church) in the earth, the Father’s sending of Their Spirit (Holy Spirit) to indwell His earthly temples (our bodies) to teach, guide, comfort and direct all believers.

55.       We come to the place in our life that we know we cannot save ourself and recognize that only GOD’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ can save us from eternal damnation into eternal life. We confess we are a sinner in need of salvation and ask GOD to forgive us in Jesus’ name and by His shed Blood, to live in us by His Holy Spirit and to take control of our life (be LORD of our life). We confess to others our faith in GOD and salvation in Jesus and do only His will.

Warning

 To our family and friends who believe that they are Christians; you go to church fairly often, give money to the church, participate in some type of mid-week meeting, you may belong to the men’s or women’s group in your church. To all of you who believe you are born again and going to Heaven someday I want to give you a warning.

Please read this all the way through, I was one of you for over 30 years. I became a Christian on my 23^rd birthday. Over a period of 20 years I went to Bible College for 3 years, I read and studied the Bible (for my own reasons usually to prove my point), Charlene and I tithed, we were children and adult Sunday school teachers, we were home group leaders, we supported missionaries in Mexico and in YWAM, I taught Bible studies, I spoke from our pulpit when our Pastor was away, I went on a church planting trip to Russia, I was on the board of our Church for a few years,. We were busy and happy Christians.

But, I was not fully surrendered to GOD, I had secret sin, I served GOD the way I wanted as much or more that the way He wanted. This led to 17 years of walking away from GOD, leaving the church family that we loved and who loved us, of my going deeper into sin, of our marriage almost being destroyed, of health issues for Charlene. 6 years ago we started going to a small church where our old pastor was teaching, we liked the church and we kept going. I repented of my sin to GOD and Charlene and started seeking to serve GOD.

This is the warning: For all of that 37 years I prayed, I read and studied the Bible, I was used by GOD to teach and minister to others but as stated above there were times that I acted upon my own agenda instead of GOD’s. Was I a saved – born again believer? Yes I believe I was! Did GOD use me for His purpose? Yes He did when I agreed or allowed Him to! Was it possible for me to be excluded from Heaven? Yes, not because I had secret sin or even because I did not always do what I knew GOD wanted me to do. But because out of not yielding my life (the one that Jesus purchased back to GOD) I had rebellion in my heart. The rebellion led to the secret sin and not always doing what GOD wanted me to do. Rebellion is lawlessness and is what leads to not entering into GOD’s Eternal Heavenly Kingdom! “Not everyone who says to Me (Jesus), ‘LORD, LORD,’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ’LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

After 40 years of being a Christian and reading and studying the Bible one day these verses jumped out at me and made me realize that many in the church were in this position, then it dawned on me that I was one of those who could be left out of heaven. This leads to a discussion on salvation that I am not going to start at this time since it will be more of a booklet than a paper.

So how can a Christian be left out of Heaven? There are many parables in Jesus’ teachings that emphasis this teaching, Matthew 17:24-27, chapter 25; Luke 9:57-62, 11:37-54, chapter 12, 13:22-30, 14:25-33 and there are many more. Some of these are hard to take because Jesus is calling for our full surrender to GOD. The Bible is clear that GOD wants our full undivided life. So how does that work and why.

The why first: GOD created everything that exists, the earth, sky, seas, universe, etc. They are His because He made them. GOD formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed His breath of life into him, then GOD gave that man dominion over all that He had created in the earth to care for and use. That man, Adam, the progenitor of all humanity then took and gave that dominion to Satan, a fallen angel who had rebelled against GOD. How did Adam do that, he disobeyed the only law GOD had given him, to not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before Adam’s decision to disobey and be lawless there was no sin or death in the earth. Since Adam gave his dominion to Satan there has been continual sin and death and it will continue until Christ Jesus Returns.

The how: Jesus the Son of GOD was born as a human from a virgin mother, no earthly father was involved because the sin nature of humanity would be passed on. GOD created His only begotten Son in the womb of Mary and Jesus Christ was born the son of man and the Son of GOD. He then lived a sin free life overcoming or resisting every type of temptation that humanity faces, He then in obedience to His Father went to the cross and died in our place for our sin. He became sin for us and was separated from His Father which is our eternal punishment. He then defeated death and hell taking the keys of their dominion and by the power of His Holy Spirit He rose from the grave and ascended to the right hand of His Father in Heaven where He waits for His Church to complete His work of salvation on the earth (the great commission). When we ask GOD to forgive us our sin because of what Jesus did and confess to others that we have given our life to GOD we are born again; saved by grace; redeemed.

What do these terms mean? Born again – we are no longer children of humanity and the world, we are now children of GOD, joint heirs of His eternal Kingdom with Jesus. Saved by grace – we did not do anything to deserve or earn our salvation other than to ask GOD in Jesus name to forgive us and save us. Redeemed – Jesus purchased us from the devil back to GOD by His blood.

So the how is that we no longer belong to the devil, we never have belonged to our self because Adam gave us to the devil in his lawless act of rebellion over GOD’s one command. We are now the possession of GOD as we were intended to be from creation. Since we are the possession of GOD reinstated as the inheritors of His eternal Kingdom we no longer have the right to disobey GOD (we have the freedom of choice, but not the right), as our creator and Heavenly Father He expects us to obey and serve Him. As Jesus taught His disciples and later prayed Himself, “Father, not My will but Yours!”

If you do not want to be with those to whom He says, “I do not know you, you lawless one, you are not allowed in My Kingdom.” Then stop living according to your own will and desires and start obeying GOD in everything you say and do.

Mark of the Beast

The Mark of the Beast is Blasphemy!

In September of this year (2017) I wrote a paper on what blaspheming Holy Spirit is. The point being that this is the unforgivable sin because it calls Holy Spirit unclean, which denies His sovereignty based on Mark 3:22-30, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 1 John 5:16-17. Today (12-15-17) while I was watching an episode of the Jim Bakker Show he and his guests were talking about there being no forgiveness for those who take the mark of the beast and it hit me (40 years after the first time I ever heard this) that it is the blasphemy because Holy Spirit is the mark of GOD and to take another mark is to deny Him and His sovereignty.

Most of us know that Holy Spirit is the seal or mark of GOD on believers. “In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory…And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of GOD, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the Living GOD. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our GOD on their foreheads.’” (Ephesians 1:7, 13-14, 4:30; Revelation 7:2-3 NKJV) (Emphasis mine) Also study these scriptures 2 Timothy 2:14-20; Revelation 3:7-13, 7:2-8, 9:4, 14:1-5, 22:1-5.

If you’ve been a Christian for awhile you know there is much discussion and questioning about what the mark of the beast is, here is what the scriptures say, “He (the false prophet) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.” (Revelation 13:16-18) (NKJV emphasis mine) It does not matter what the mark is. People will be desperate to be able to buy and sell to feed their families and many Christians will be tempted to take the mark. The sad thing is that many who call themselves Christians will take the mark thinking that GOD will understand because they have not been taught the truth and have not taken the time to study the scriptures themselves. It will be obvious to those who love GOD and obey Him when the mark of the beast is offered as a replacement to the mark of GOD.

This is the unforgivable sin, to reject Holy Spirit for the mark of the beast. Taking on his name or the number of his name will cause Holy Spirit to depart and the person’s name to be removed from the Book of Life. “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worshiping the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of GOD, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV) (Emphasis mine) Also study Revelation 14:14-20; 20:4-6, 11-15.

So what is a believer to do? “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death…Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of GOD and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the LORD from now on.’ ‘Yes’, says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’…And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and the judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of GOD, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 12:11, 14:12-13, 20:4 NKJV) (Emphasis mine)

Study Jesus’ teachings especially Revelation. Just going to church, paying tithes, and being involved is religious works and is not salvation. Salvation is repentance and obedience. You must ask GOD to forgive your sins because Jesus became sin for you and you must give your redeemed life to GOD. That means to stop living as the world and religious people live and live as GOD directs you. You can only do this if you have a personal relationship with GOD and study His Word the Bible.

Only those who have the mark of GOD, His Holy Spirit, have their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and will live and reign with Him in His eternal Kingdom. Study these scriptures also, Luke 10:17-20; Philippians 4:1-7; 2 Timothy 2:11-19, 3:1-9, 16-17, 4:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:9-23.

Other times of marking by GOD: The first time a man is marked by GOD is Cain in Genesis 4 as part of his punishment so that no one kills him. In Genesis 32 Jacob is marked and renamed Israel. In Exodus 12 the children of Israel mark their homes so that the Angel of Death passes over their household. In Joshua 6 Rahab of Jericho and her family are marked to be saved. In 1 Samuel 16 David son of Jesse is marked to be the future king of Israel. In Ezekiel 8 & 9 the prophet has a vision of GOD’s judgment where those in Jerusalem who mourned over the sin of Israel were to be marked so they would be saved from its judgment. Study these events and think about the presence of Holy Spirit and His work in each situation.

GOD IS!

The Kingdom of GOD and the Kingdom of Heaven are the same thing; there is only one Kingdom!

GOD created everything that exists; there is nothing that exists that GOD did not create! GOD created everything and GOD maintains everything and GOD redeems everything and GOD does it for His own good pleasure.

So if there is only one Kingdom, the Kingdom of GOD than that means that Lucifer (Satan or the devil) does not have a kingdom of any kind. The devil is a created angelic being that rebelled against GOD, he wanted to usurp GOD and take over His Kingdom. Now he is on the run trying to disrupt GOD’s Kingdom and GOD’s plan for humanity because he is jealous of humanities favored position in GOD’s Kingdom. Enough about the eternally defeated rebellious angelic being for whom there is no redemption, who only wants to harass humans and make our lives miserable and to keep us from GOD’s eternal Kingdom.

GOD who created everything is everywhere (omnipresent), GOD knows everything (omniscient) and GOD lives in us (born again believers, Christians).

STOP and think about that: GOD lives in you!

GOD who created everything and is everywhere and knows everything and is all powerful (omnipotent) lives in every born again believer.

If you prayed and asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins from a sincere heart no matter what words you said, Jesus did it. GOD forgave you your sins and GOD’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) entered into your being (not just your life as some ethereal being hanging around), Holy Spirit entered into your spirit, soul and body as the very presence of the True and Living GOD!

You are born again and GOD dwells in you, you are the Temple of Holy Spirit (GOD)! Stop letting the defeated rebel, the devil, control your life. GOD gave us the victory over him in Christ Jesus! GOD lives in us and we are in GOD’s eternal Kingdom and only we can allow the devil access to our life. He will try to afflict us and he will try to harass us but if we stand in the liberty that Christ gave us when Jesus defeated death and hell and took the keys of their domains then rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven to be enthroned at the right hand of GOD, we will have victory over the devil’s every work.

Review: GOD is everywhere always at all times; GOD knows everything nothing is hidden from GOD; GOD is all powerful, (How can there be anything stronger than GOD who made everything?)! GOD lives in you as a born again believer (Christian, blood washed, redeemed, saved, etc.) So by GOD’s presence in your life stop letting a defeated angelic being defeat you in your life and service to GOD and His Kingdom.

For those of you who have not asked GOD to forgive you for being a sinner or do not really understand what I said above here is a synopsis of the Gospel (Good News) of salvation.

GOD created everything, Lucifer the highest angel in GOD’s Kingdom rebelled and tried to replace GOD, he and all the angels who joined his rebellion were cast to earth until the time of judgment when they will be cast into hell which was created for them. In the mean time man lived in a perfect paradise on earth called Eden, where GOD walked and talked with Adam everyday. There was only one rule, humans were not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One day Lucifer in the guise of a serpent deceived Eve into believing GOD was holding something back from humans by denying them the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So she took and ate it, then she offered it to Adam who knew better but he ate it also and then they knew that they were naked. This was the entrance of sin into humanity and humanity was now part of Lucifer’s rebellion against GOD and therefore condemned to hell for eternity along with Lucifer and his followers of fallen angels.

That is why GOD was born as a man through a virgin (man’s sinful seed [nature] was not used) as Jesus the Christ (savior of humanity and the world). Jesus lived a sin free life overcoming every temptation that is common to man (lust, greed, fear, pride, rejection, hatred, rebellion) and willingly suffered and died at the hands of His creation, becoming sin for us (because Jesus knew no sin) so that in physical death Jesus could defeat death and hell and take the keys of their domains, Jesus then raised Himself from death by the Power of Holy Spirit. After witnessing on the earth during 40 days Jesus ascended into Heaven to be seated at GOD’s right hand until the Church completed the work of GOD’s Kingdom on the earth.

All of what I have written is easily found in the Bible (GOD’s Word to humanity) all that we need to know about GOD and His Kingdom and our salvation and role in GOD’s Kingdom is found in the Bible. Get yourself a good modern language translation of the Bible and a Bible dictionary and a Bible concordance and study the Bible. Read, look up and cross reference key words and phrases, study the different subjects the Bible talks about, learn what the Bible says about you and everything around you. Just know that GOD does not answer all of our questions there are things that will only be revealed in eternity.

But it you are a believer in Jesus Christ as your savior then He is also your LORD and GOD has a plan for your life as you study the Bible, pray asking GOD to show you and patiently wait on Him (GOD is not in a hurry) GOD will speak to you through the Bible, Holy Spirit and other believers and guide your life and bless you and use you for His Kingdom here on earth

Jesus brought the Kingdom of GOD to the earth and left it with those who believe on Him and follow His Spirit. He will not return until we Christians (His Body) have completed the work of GOD’s Kingdom in the earth.