The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Philippians 2:12 declares, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” At first glance, this verse might sound like a call to earn salvation, but that’s not what this verse teaches. It’s about living out what Christ has already done for us. Paul begins with “wherefore,” pointing back to Christ’s example in Philippians 2:6-11. Jesus humbled Himself, obeyed unto death on the cross, and was exalted by God. Because of His finished work—not ours—we’re saved by faith in the gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins (1Co 15:1-4). By faith, we are declared righteous and are at peace with God.  “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:1-2 Salvation isn’t something ...

The grace life does not merely teach us to stop doing bad things, but it also instructs us to start doing good things, Titus 2:11,12. If a thief is convicted by the grace gospel, then God expects that thief to stop stealing and find a job so he can provide for his needs and others! God calls work “the thing which is good” . Work is not something to be avoided; it is something to be embraced for the Lord’s glory! When the Lord Jesus Christ put the first man, Adam, on earth, that man had a divine commission. Adam was not to simply loaf around and do nothing: “And the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it”, Gen 2:15 . Adam was to protect that garden, to till its ground, to prepare it for Jesus Christ to come and dwell in it with him and Eve. Friends, may we work to provide for our families, 1Tim 5:8, and may we work to help those who truly are needy. In the words of God, the Holy Spirit, that is, “the thing which is good!” ______________ Join ...

COMMENT: “Salvation is conditional!” ANSWER: I do not argue that salvation is conditional. It certainly is, but that is in respect to the prophetic Kingdom program. As for the Grace program under mystery, all the conditions which were necessary for our salvation were accomplished through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, in essence, there were conditions for our salvation, but those conditions are not upon us to fulfil, because they have already been fulfilled by Christ. This is why our salvation is a FREE GIFT by the grace of God through Christ. In contrast, the currently suspended Kingdom program required conditions to be fulfilled by those believers as part of the works they need to prove their faith, Jam 2:17. All the above scriptures you quote, to prove conditional salvation, speak of conditions to do because all these scriptures refer to the prophetic Kingdom program. We do not belong to this program, so these scriptures do not apply to us. ______________ Joi...