“Cross-check your salvation experience scripturally” by the SON OF MAN (APOSTLE PETER ODOEMENA) WHERE DO YOU BELONG TO: MOSES OR CHRIST LAW OR GRACE WORKS OR FAITH? By the SON OF MAN (APOSTLE PETER ODOEMENA)
CHAPTER 1
SALVATION IS BY GRACE AND NOT BY WORKS
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:29, KJV).
2. “And now that we are Christ’s we are the true descendants of Abraham, and all of God’s promises to him belong to us.” (Gal 3:29, LB).3. “And you belong to Christ (are in Him who is Abraham’s seed), then you are Abraham’s offsprings and (spiritual) heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29, AMP).
4. Every true Christian—whether man or woman—is called a seed of Abraham, and is an heir according to the promise of God.
5. That is, he will share or inherit all that God promised Abraham. Abraham is considered to be the father of our faith.
6. “You can see from this that the real children of Abraham are all the men of faith who truly trust in God.
7. What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would save the Gentiles also, through their faith. God told Abraham about this long ago when he said, I will bless those in every nation who trust in me as you do.
8. And so it is: all who trust in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received.” (Gal 3:7-9, LB).
9. “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
10. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
11. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” (Gal 3:7-9, KJV).
12. “Know aid understand that it is (really) the people (who live) by faith who are (the true) sons of Abraham.
13. And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous, put in right standing with Himself) the Gentiles in consequence of faith, proclaimed the gospel (foretelling the glad tidings of a Saviour long before hand) to Abraham in the promise, saying, In you shall all the nations (of the earth) be blessed.
14. So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favoured by God (as partners is fellowship) with the believing and trusting Abraham.” (Gal. 3:7 — 9, AMP).
15. Whoever that is holding the faith of Christ today is holding the faith of Abraham.
16. “And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
17. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
18. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
19. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
20. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
21. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
22. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
23. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
24. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:1-9, KJV).
25. “As Jesus was passing through Jericho, a man named Zacchaeus, one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business (and, of course, a very rich man),
26. Tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds.
27. So he ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree beside the road, to watch from there.
28. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name! Zacchaeus! he said, Quick! Come down! For I am going to be a guest in your home today!
29. Zacchaeus hurriedly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
30. But the crowds were displeased. He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled.
31. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, Sir, from now on I will give half my wealth to the poor, and if I find I have overcharged anyone on his taxes, I will penalize myself by giving him back four times as much!
32. Jesus told him, This shows that salvation has come to this home today. This man was one of the lost sons of Abraham.” (Luke 19:1-9, LB).
33. “And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
34. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
35. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
36. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
37. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
38. And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” (Luke 13:11-16, KJV).
39. “He saw a seriously handicapped woman who had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to straighten herself.
40. Calling her over to him Jesus said, Woman, you are healed of your sickness!
41. He touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised and thanked God!
42. But the local Jewish leader in charge of the synagogue was very angry about it because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. There are six days of the week to work, he shouted to the crowd. Those are the days to come for healing, not on the Sabbath!
43. But the Lord replied, You hypocrite! You work on the Sabbath! Don’t you untie your cattle from their stalls on the Sabbath and lead them out for water?
44. And is it wrong for me, just because it is the Sabbath day, to free this Jewish woman from the bondage in which Satan has held her for eighteen years?” (Luke 13:11 — 16, LB).
45. From the above Scriptures, one can notice that Zacchaeus was a seed of Abraham and the sick woman was also a daughter of Abraham and they found grace in the sight of God.
SALVATION IS A GIFT FROM GOD
WHAT does it mean to obtain salvation by grace and not by works?
2. “For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favour) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through (your) faith. And this (salvation) is not of yourselves (of your own doing it came not through your own striving) but it is the gift of God.
3. Not because of works (not the fulfilment of the Law’s demands) lest any man should boast. (it is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself).” (Eph. 2:8—9, AMP).
4. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
5. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8—9, KJV).
6. “Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God.
7. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.” (Eph. 2:8-9, LB).
8. From the beginning of Creation, nobody has ever laboured to obtain salvation from God.
9. Noah who was declared righteous only believed God. And that was not of his own making, for he found grace in the sight of God.
10. “But Noah found grace in the eyes on the Lord.” (Gen. 6:8, KJV).
11. “But Noah found grace (favour) in the eyes of the Lord.” (Gen. 6:8, AMP).
12. Abraham only believed God, and it became his righteousness. Believing God means being ready to obey God’s instructions, even if it is to the hurt of ones soul.
13. “And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.” (Gen. 15:6, KJV).
14. Abraham believing God was not of his own making. It was a gift from God.
15. If God does not give a man a believing heart, he must reject all the counsels of God.
16. Always remember that the truth men reject, has remained the truth that sets them free.
17. Moses found grace in the sight of God, in the wilderness. Even the people in the wilderness found grace in the sight of God.
18. For their toils and labour of their hands could not give them the Promised Land, but grace.
19 “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.” (Exo. 33:13, KJV).
20 “Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.” (Jer. 31:2, KJV).
21. “Thus says the Lord, The people who survived the sword found favour in the wilderness (place of exile) – when Israel sought to find rest.” (Jer. 3 1:2, AMP).
22. Zerubbabel found grace in the sight of God, and even acknowledged that it was God’s grace alone that saw him through and not his own efforts.
23 “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” (Zech. 4:7, KJV).
24. “For who are you, O great mountain (of human obstacles)? Before Zerubbabel (who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him) you shall become a plain (a mere molehill). And be shall bring forth the finishing gable stone (of the new temple) with loud shoutings of the people, crying grace, grace to it.” (Zech 4:7, AMP).
25. “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
26. But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:7—8, KJV).
27. “Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
28. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
29. Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people.” (Deut. 9:4 — 6, KJV).
30. God loved the people and decided to them victory in all their ways, so that they would not boast that they tried and got it by their efforts.
31. Many Christians behave as if God is saving them because they are good enough. Or can contribute anything to their salvation.
32. I want to make it clear that a man can contribute nothing to his salvation.
33. He is saved because God loves him, and has decided upon Himself, to save him not that a man does anything to merit it.
34. “Now do you see it? No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.
35. But now God has shown us a different way to heaven – not by being good enough and trying to keep His laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago).
36. Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us not guilty—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.
37. Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal;
38. Yet now God declares us not guilty of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in His kindness freely takes away our sins.
39. For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from His wrath. In this way he was being entirely fair, even though he did not punish those who sinned in former times. For he was looking forward to the time when Christ would come and take away those sins.
40. And now in these days also he can receive sinners in this same way because Jesus took away their sins. But isn’t this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins.
41. Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him.
42. So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do.” (Romans 3:20-28, LB).
43. “For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like His Son, so that His Son would be the First, with many brothers.
44. And having chosen us, he called us to come to him; and when we came, he declared us not guilty, filled us with Christ’s goodness, gave us right standing with himself, and promised us His glory.
45. What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can ever be against us?
46. Since He did not spare even His own Son for us but gave him up for us all, won’t he also surely give us everything else?
47. Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? Will God? No! He is the one who has forgiven us and given us right standing with Himself.
48. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ? No! For he is the one who died for us and came back to life again for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us there in heaven.” (Rom. 8:29-34, LB).
49. “For those whom He foreknew (of whom He was aware and loved beforehand), He also destined from the beginning (foreordaining them) to be molded into the image of His Son (and share inwardly His likeness); that He might become the first born among many brethren.
50. And those whom He thus foreordain, He also called, and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted made righteous, putting them into night standing with Himself).
51. And those whom He justified He also glorified (raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or
state of being).
52. What then shall we say to (all) this? If God is for us, who (can be,) against us? (Who can be our foe, f God is on our side).
53. He who did not withhold or spare (even) His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all (other) things?
54. Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect (when it is) God who justifies (that is, who put us in right relation to Himself?
55. Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, who acquits us?)
56 Who is there to condemn (us)? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), who died, or rather who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?” (Rom. 8:29 — 34, AMP).
57. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
58. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
59. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
60. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
61. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
62. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Rom. 8:29 — 34, KJV).
63. “Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose us to be His very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with His love.
64. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!” (Eph. 1:4—5, LB).
65. “Even as (in His love) He chose us (‘actually picked us out for Himself as His own) in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.
66. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will (because it pleased Him and was His kind intent).” (Eph. 1:4—5, AMP).
67. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
68. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (Eph. 1:4— 5, KJV).
69. “For God had said to Moses, If I want to be kind to someone, I will. And I will take pity on anyone I want to.
70. And so God’s blessings are not given just because someone decides to have them or works hard to get them. They are given because God takes pity on those he wants to.
71. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was an example of this fact. For God told him he had given him the kingdom of Egypt for the very purpose of displaying the awesome power of God against him, so that all the world would hear about God’s glorious name.
72. So you see, God is kind to some just because he wants to be, and he makes some refuse to listen.” (Rom.9:15 – 18, LB).
73. “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
74. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
75. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” (Rom. 9:15 —18, KJV).
76. “For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion (pity) on whom I will have compassion,
77. So then (God’s gift) is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God’s mercy (it depends not on ones own willingness nor on his strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God’s having mercy on him)
78. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying my power in (dealing with) you, so that my name may be proclaimed the whole world over.
79. So then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens (makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of) whomever He wills.” (Rom. 9:15— 18, AMP).
SALVATION IS BY PREDESTINATION
FELLOW Saints of God, I am not going to repeat the whole Scriptures because of time and space, but I strongly believe that a verse of the Scripture is even enough for a Christian that has the Holy Spirit.
2. “He is the one who has helped us tell others about His new agreement to save them.
3. We do not tell them that they must obey every law of God or die; but we tell them there is life for them from the Holy Spirit.
4. The old way, trying to be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives them life.
5. Yet that old system of law that led to death began with such glory that people could not bear to look at Moses’ face.
6. For as he gave them God’s law to obey, His face shone out with the very glory of God—though the brightness was already fading away.
7. Shall we not expect far greater glory in these days when the Holy Spirit is giving life?
8. If the plan that leads to doom was glorious, much more glorious is the plan that makes men right with God.
9. In fact, that first glory as it shone from Moses’ face is worth nothing at all in comparison with the overwhelming glory of the new agreement.
10. So if the old system that faded into nothing was full of heavenly glory, the glory of God’s new plan for our salvation is certainly far greater, for it is eternal.
11. Since we know that this new glory will never go away, we can preach with great boldness, and not as Moses did, who put a veil over His face so that the Israelis could not see the glory fade away.
12. Not only Moses’ face was veiled, but his people’s minds and understanding were veiled and blinded too.
13. Even now when the Scripture is read it seems as though Jewish hearts and minds are covered by a thick veil, because they cannot see and understand the real meaning of the Scriptures.
14. For this veil of misunderstanding can be removed only by believing in Christ.
15. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings their hearts are blind and they think that obeying the Ten Commandments is the way to be saved.
16. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord from his sins, then the veil is taken away.
17. The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom from trying to be saved by keeping the laws of God.” (2 Cor. 3:6 — 17, LB).
18. Anybody that is confused about the essence of the Law should better resign from this Faith. Because he is not born into it.
19. Salvation is by predestination. Anybody counting on keeping the Ten Commandments as a way of getting saved has missed the whole idea.
20 “We know that it was Adam’s sin that caused this because although, of course, people were sinning from the time of Adam until Moses, God did not in those days judge them guilty of death for breaking His laws—because he had not yet given His laws to them nor told them what he wanted them to do.
21. So when their bodies died it was not for their own sins since they themselves had never disobeyed God’s special law against eating the forbidden fruit, as Adam had.
22. What a contrast between Adam and Christ who was yet to come! And what a difference between man’s sin and God’s forgiveness!
23. For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s mercy.
24. Adam’s one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead.
25. The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to be king over all, but all who will take God’s gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life because of this one man, Jesus Christ.
26. Yes, Adam’s sin brought punishment to all, but Christ’s righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live. Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God because he obeyed.
27. The Ten Commandments were given so that all could see the extent of their failure to obey God’s laws.
28. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God’s abounding grace forgiving us.
29. Before, sin ruled over all men and brought them to death, but now God’s kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:13-21, LB).
30. “(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
31. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
32. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
33. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
34. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
35. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
36. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
37. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
38. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5:13 — 21, KJV).
39 “(To be sure) sin was in the world before ever the Law was given, but sin is not charged to men’s account where there is no Law (to transgress).
40. Yet death held sway from Adam to Moses (the Lawgiver) even over those who did not themselves transgress (a positive command as Adam).
41. Adam was a type (prefigure) of the one who was to come (in reverse) the fprmer destructive, the latter saving.
42. But God free gift is not at all to be compared to the trespass (His grace out of proportion to the fall of man. For if many died through one man’s falling away, (his lapse, his offence) much more profusely did God’s grace and the free gift (that comes) through the undeserved favour of the one man Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for ((the benefit of) many.
43. Nor is the free gift at all to be compared to the effect of that one (man’s) sin. For the sentence(following the trespass) of one (man) brought condemnation, whereas the free gift (following many transgressions) brings justification (an act of righteousness).
44. For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offence)death reigned through that one, much more surely, will those who receive (God’s) overflowing grace (unmerited favour) and the free gift of righteousness (putting them into right standing with Himself) reign as kings in life through the one man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
45. Well then, as one man trespass (one man’s false step and falling away led) to condemnation for all men, so one man’s act of righteousness (leads) to acquittal and right standing with God and life for all men.
46. For just as by one man’s disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners so by one man’s obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him) but then Law came in, (only) to expand and increase the trespass (making it more apparent and exciting opposition).
47. But where sin increased and abounded, grace, God’s unmerited favour has surpassed it and increased the more and super abounded.
48. So that, (just,) as sin has reigned in death, (so) grace (His unearned and undeserved favour) might reign also though righteousness (right standing with God) which issues in eternal life through Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) our Lord.” (Rom. 5:13—21, AMP).
49. The Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by the Lord Jesus Christ.
50. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17, KJV).
51. It is God’s grace that has saved us. He knew from the beginning how weak and frail human beings are and decided to blot out all the charges that are laid against us, as a result of not obeying His Laws.
52. “You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then He gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for He forgave all your sins,
53. And blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of His commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.
54. In this way God took away Satan’s power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole world Christ’s triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away.” Col 2:13-15, LB).
54. “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith?
55. Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, then he would have something to boast about.
56. But from God’s point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. For the Scriptures tell us Abraham believed God, and that is why God canceled his sins and declared him not guilty.
57. But didn’t he earn his right to heaven by all the good things he did? No, for being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn’t be free—but it is!
58. It is given to those who do not work for it. For God declares sinners to be good in His sight if they have faith in Christ to save them from God’s wrath.” (Rom. 4:1-5, LB).
59. “But now you need no longer worry about the Jewish laws and customs because you died while in their captivity, and now you can really serve God; not in the old way, mechanically obeying a set of rules, but in the new way, with all of your hearts and minds.” (Rom. 7:6, LB).
CONTINUE IN THE FAITH AND GRACE OF GOD
Please, let every Christian be hostile to Me if at anytime I try to lead you back to Egypt by asking you to go back to the old and impossible road that leads to doom and destruction, which our opposers or enemies wants us to do even though they are guilty of the same Laws they want to protect.
61. You should depend on God’s grace to see you through. But anytime your faith drifts away from the grace of God, I assure you that you must perish.
62. In other words of Paul, I want you to continue in the faith and grace of God.
63. “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” (Acts 15:11, KJV).
64. “Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.” (Acts 13:43, KJV).
65. “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32, KJV).
66. If any of you seems to be contentious about this matter, let him acknowledge that I am HE that is in the bosom of the Father and I know His mind.
67. “So Christ has made us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get all tied up again in the chains of slavery to Jewish laws and ceremonies.
68. Listen to me, for this is serious: if you are counting on circumcision and keeping the Jewish laws to make you right with God, then Christ cannot save you.
69. I’ll say it again. Anyone trying to find favor with God by being circumcised must always obey every other Jewish law or perish.
70. Christ is useless to you if you are counting on clearing your debt to God by keeping those laws; you are lost from God’s grace.
71. But we by the help of the Holy Spirit are counting on Christ’s death to clear away our sins and make us right with God.
72. And we to whom Christ has given eternal life don’t need to worry about whether we have been circumcised or not, or whether we are obeying the Jewish ceremonies or not; for all we need is faith working through love.” (Gal. 5:1 —6, LB).
73. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
74. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38 — 39, KJV).
75. “Brothers! Listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins!
76. Everyone who trusts in him is freed from all guilt and declared righteous—something the Jewish law could never do.” (Acts 13:38-39, LB).
77. “So let it be clearly known and understood by you, brethren that through this man forgiveness and removal of sins is now proclaim to you.
78. And that through Him everyone who believes (who acknowledges Jesus as his saviour and devotes himself to Him) is absolved (cleared and freed) from every charge from which he could not be justified and freed by the Laws of Moses and given right standing with God.” (Acts 13:38—39, AMP).
79. A man is not saved by being good enough or bad enough, but by having faith in the finished work of Calvary where sins demands were met.
80. Anybody thinking that he can work out his salvation in any other way is fooling himself and he is out of the way. Amen.