The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Read the Parable of the Sower in Matt 13:3-9, 18-23. Overall, four classes of people heard the Word of God, but only the last group (1/4) actually received by faith that sound Bible doctrine. The other 3 groups represented lost souls —but who all heard the Word! Furthermore, after concluding the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautioned Israel not only to “hear” His words but “do” them, Matt 7:24-26. Now, also read this remarkable passage is Acts 24:24-27. Governor Felix heard the Gospel of Grace from Paul —and literally shuddered when he realized he was a lost, Hell-bound sinner! But, Felix procrastinated in receiving the gospel. For 2-years, he had more "Bible discussions" with Paul, but he remained undecided and lost, keeping Paul in chains.  Like so many people, it was far better had Felix heard nothing, than to have heard so much from God and yet believed none of it! So, to recap thus; hearing the Word of God is insufficient. We must respond to it in faith! ______________ Joi...

In Gal 1:11-12 Paul wrote, "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Then in Gal 1:15-17 he added, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen (the Gentiles); immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia,...".  Paul makes it very clear that his gospel came to him through direct revelation from the ascended Christ. It did not come from the other Apostles or any other person. I often hear people say, "I go by what Jesus said, not by what Paul said." The problem with this reasoning is that Paul's doctrine DID come from Jesus, after He ascended to heaven. So, if they are not going by Paul's doc...

  Just like Zechariah's prophecy in the image, there are dozens of other Old Testament prophecies that combine Christ’s two comings without any gap between them for our dispensation. Prophecy foretells two great events, (1) the meek and lowly advent of the Messiah as the Son of man, and (2) the defeat of Israel's enemies and the Millennial kingdom on the earth in which Israel would be preeminent. The Old Testament prophets didn't know of two additional comings of Christ to divide the two prophesied comings —one coming to start our grace dispensation (saving Saul) and one to end it (the rapture). These are the two comings according to mystery, that “which was kept secret since the world began” (Rom 16:25-26). Nothing in the Old Testament indicated God would delay the prophetic program for 2,000 years, but God delayed His judgment and extended His grace so Jews and Gentiles can be saved by faith alone in believing Paul's gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This is grace! ____...

Faith is not emotions or feelings. Faith is knowledge of the truth. In other words, if the Bible says, "God is near you" (Eph.2:13), then faith believes that, irrespective of emotions and feelings. If your emotions rule you, then your life will be like a roller coaster, constantly tossed between the highs and the lows. Emotions cannot provide you any stability in your relationship with God. However, if you stand on faith, then no matter what your emotional state, you have a firm grounding, and God will be near, because truth says so, not because you think you feel Him. How do you learn to have faith? Well, remember that your whole being, your flesh (or human reasoning), defaults to emotions and feelings. Your default response to everything is feelings since you are conditioned on these since you were born. But faith comes by the Word. You grow in faith by learning the Word, studying the Word, gaining knowledge in the Word. As the Word starts to fill your thoughts, you will st...

If Judas was a disciple of Jesus but lost his salvation as prophesied when he betrayed Jesus, what is the chances that I can lose my salvation? Salvation under the Kingdom gospel was not secure because their salvation was based on their own faith and endurance. Jesus preached that kingdom believers had to pick up their cross and follow Him, and the one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not fit for the kingdom, and they had to endure to the end in their faith, Matt 24:13; Mk 13:13. In this regard, Judas lost his salvation. In the Tribulation, if one turned from faith in God, it meant that one was turning in allegiance to the Antichrist, and to eternal damnation! Thus, in this time one's salvation is also not secure. Our salvation in this dispensation of grace is eternally secure! Why? Because our salvation is not based on our own works and endurance, but it is based on the perfect faith and work OF Christ. It's because of Christ that we are sealed into the Body u...

  In 2 Cor.5:16, Paul says an incredible statement! "Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer" . You might think that Paul is blaspheming! How could Paul say this? Well, it's not that we forget Christ. Never! Paul means that we do not know him in his earthly ministry, which was under prophecy and to the Jews only (Gal.4:4; Matt.10:6; Matt.15:24). Today, we recognize Jesus "according to the revelation of the mystery", Rom.16:25. Jesus' earthly ministry, teachings, and signs, were for the Jews, to prove His identity and prepare them for their earthly inheritance. We can read the 4-gospels today and receive nuggets of truth, but none of it is directed to us. Our instructions are written in Paul's 13-epistles, and these are the commands addressed and directed to us today. Paul's epistles help us to know Jesus according to the revelation of the mysteries. We must study the Bible dividing prophecy and mys...

Did you know that Matt.5-7 is the inside scoop on how the Millennial Kingdom will be governed. Read it with this context and note its uncompromising laws. It is clear that righteousness is on a WHOLE new level.  Now, if you wonder how in the world one can abide by those laws; know that the Jews will be perfect examples of this righteousness, having the laws written on their hearts and empowered by the Spirit to walk in these ways, Jer 31:31-34. Second, Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit, Rev 20:3, thus temptation and deceit in the Gentile nations will not be prevalent and education in the law will keep them in the ways of righteousness, truth, and peace. We are not in this Kingdom today and we are still subject to temptation and deceit, but we have the Grace doctrine. As we grow in knowledge of God's Word and submit to obedience to it, 2Co 10:5, we can mortify the deeds of the body, walk in the spirit, and learn to please God, Rom 8:1-17.

In Rom.16:25-26, Paul refers to the gospel as 'his gospel', by saying, "...according to my gospel...". Paul differentiates the gospel he received from the Lord, the Grace Gospel, from the Gospel of the Kingdom, proclaimed by the 12-apostles. These two gospels were both valid during the Acts period, but the Kingdom gospel was suspended by Peter at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15:11 when he said, "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even [in like manner] as they." This is why Paul was able to explicitly proclaim that there was NO OTHER VALID GOSPEL but his grace gospel in Gal.1:8-9. Based on this clarification, Rom.2:15 follows on nicely when Paul proclaims boldly, "in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel". Since Paul's gospel is the only gospel in operation during this grace dispensation, it stands to reason that men would be subject to faith in its ...

When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he praised them for their strong growth in faith, (2Thes.1:3). How did he know they were growing spiritually? Because of 3 important things: Paul commended them for their love and kindness to one another (2Thes.1:3). They displayed patience, They had unwavering faith in persecution and tribulations they faced for the sake of Christ (2Thes.1:4).  Without true love, there can be no real spiritual growth, (1Co.13:1-8). Also, staying positive in tribulation is a clear sign of spiritual growth. These attributes demonstrated their spiritual maturity and their reliance on Christ's indwelling life.  So, what caused them grow spiritually? Only one thing! They received the Word of God as the truth, not just the words of men (1Thes.2:13). They had genuine interest in the scriptures and allowed the truths they learned to transform their lives. From the above we can learn, 'What is true spiritual growth', and also, 'How does it come about'.

Paul's Credibility #2 1Co 4:15  For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. In our first reference on this topic, 1Cor 3:10, Paul mentions that he, as a wise master builder, has laid the foundation. Now, let's continue investigating some more incredible claims Paul made in his writings that proves his validity as the apostle to the Gentiles and the one who received the mystery doctrine for the Body of Christ. The above verse ties in with our key verse today, 1Cor 4:15, and validates why Paul could say that he had begotten us (or 'fathered' us) as converted grace believers, through the gospel (of grace). As Abraham was the first man to become a Jew, and from him came the Jewish nation in the flesh, so Paul became the first member into the Body of Christ (1Tim 1:16) and from the gospel message given to him by the glorified Lord, he begot, (or fathered, in spirit), all grac...

An interesting flow in Paul's epistles Some of Paul's epistles flow into each other by ending off with a specific topic, and then continuing that topic in the beginning of the next epistle. Considering that the chronology of Paul's letters is not its Biblical order, this fact adds credibility to the curriculum in the church epistles. At the end of 2 Corinthians, Paul warns against false teachers who preach another gospel (2Cor 11:13-15). Galatians begins with Paul expressing his astonishment that the Galatians have so quickly turned away from the true gospel (Gal 1:6-7). Galatians concludes by emphasizing the concept of the “new creature” (Gal 6:15). Ephesians starts to educate believers on the new creature when Paul writes about their new identity in Christ and the spiritual blessings they have received (Eph 1:3-14).

Paul's Credibility #1 Paul made some incredible claims in his writings. In 1 Cor.3:10, Paul mentions that he, as a wise master builder, has laid the foundation. He claims this after Jesus had already laid the groundwork of the Kingdom program in Matt.16:18.  Are these claims valid? YES! Paul could stand by these claims because he was separated to be 'the' apostle to the Gentiles, Rom.11:13, by the risen and glorified Jesus Christ, Act 9:15; Gal 1:1. The reason why Paul had to lay a new foundation is because the Kingdom program belonged to the Jews and it was a different body of doctrine under a different dispensation. Paul was sent to the Gentiles, and he received a completely different doctrine for the Gentiles, Rom.16:25-26. This mystery doctrine under grace required a new foundation, and no other foundation apart from this one would be valid, —even the gospel, Gal.1:8-9.

We don't feature in all of the 6000-years of Bible history! When we study the Bible, we discover that God interacts with people differently according to the progression of His redemption plan. The moment this truth becomes real, it completely changes your understanding of scripture. In Matthew to John, we find the earthly ministry of Jesus for Israel. In Acts, Israel falls, and salvation goes to the Gentiles via Paul's ministry. Romans to Philemon contains our doctrine for this present dispensation. Lastly, Hebrews to Revelation focus on Israel's purpose in the ages to come, when God will fulfil His plan for both Israel and the Body of Christ. All of the Bible is for us, but it's not all to us, nor all about us. We are not the only people God's redemption plans. People in other ages needed scripture to instruct them in God's dealings with them, just as we do. If we fail to recognize this, we will never be able to properly understand what God is doing today, nor ...

COMMENT: Jesus gave His disciples a commission, Matt 28:19-20. As the church, we are responsible to teach Jesus’ word, make disciples, and baptize. These things are to be done in all nations until the end of the age. REPLY: In 2Tim.2:15, Paul instructs us to rightly divide the Word. This instruction tells us to divide Israel's prophetic doctrine from the mystery doctrine for the Body of Christ. These two dispensations cannot be merged together because they are distinct and contradictory. Mixing these doctrines will cause false narratives and skewed doctrine. The instructions you quote in Matt.28 is the commission for Israel. Our commission today is different. It is to reconcile people to God through Paul's mystery doctrine, 2Co.5:18. Paul tells us that we do NOT know Jesus according to His earthly ministry, 2Cor.5:16, and that we should preach Jesus Christ according to the mysteries, Rom.16:25-26. We should take care not to mix up the doctrines.

There are many CONTRADICTIONS between the prophecy and mystery doctrines. Take for example: Are we under prophecy or mystery? – Act 3:21, Rom 16:25-26. Is Christ’s blood shed for many or for all? – Mat 20:28, 1 Tim 2:6 Are sins imputed against us? – Act 5:1-10, Rom 4:8 Works for righteousness? – Jam 2:24, Tit 3:5 Is forgiveness conditional or not? – Mat 6:14-15, Eph 4:32 Does the gospel include water baptism? – Mk 1:4, 1Co 15:1-4 Are we under the law or not? – Mat 5:19, Rom 6:14 Gentiles blessed through Israel’s rise or fall? – Act 3:25, Rom 11:11 etc… These contradictions are right there in the Bible, and plain to see. They ARE NOT ERRORS, just 2 different programs in God’s redemption plan. If you merge them, you get contradictions, but kept apart, they are distinct doctrines, one for Israel (prophecy), the other for the Body of Christ (mystery). In 2Tim.2:15, Paul tells us to study the Word. The result of careful study leads to understanding the need to rightly divide the Word of tru...

The reason why we rightly divide, 2Tim2:15 God gives different instructions to different people regarding the same thing. Why? God has different programs in His redemption plan; one for earth and one for the heavens. Both prophecy (Israel) and mystery (All under grace) are correct doctrines within their dispensations. Just as with the dietary laws below, we cannot mix prophecy and grace, else it contradicts. We carefully exercise the instructions given for OUR dispensation. Adam: Gen.1:29 – Every herb bearing seed and fruit yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Noah: Gen.9:3 – Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. Israel: Lev.11:2, 47 – 2 These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 47 This is the law of the beasts... Paul: 1Tim.4:4 – For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God a...

Are there consequences to my sins if I am saved? (Part 2) As believers, the consequences of our sins are the results of our actions on earth, such as imprisonment for breaking the law or suffering physically if we abuse substances. These consequences are a result of our own actions and not God judging us for disobedience. God is not counting sins against us today, 2Cor.5:19. He has already freed us from sin's eternal penalty, but the temporary consequences of our fleshly behaviours are of our own doing and part of the law of reaping what we sow. Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  Though we have God's grace, our connection to God and our spiritual well-being is harmed each time we obey sin. God would prefer that we obey righteousness and grow spiritually. To overcome sin, we should renew our minds with the Word and obey its internal influence...

REACTION: You claim: “The only thing that removes God’s wrath and allows Him to justify us is to believe in the cross of Jesus.” Let's test it! If it's true then Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, etc are all gonna burn in hell because they failed to believe in the cross of Jesus. REPLY: They do not belong to this dispensation. How could they believe in the cross when it was not yet made known. The gospel for Noah was to believe God and build the ark. Because he did, he and his family were saved, Heb 11:7. Similarly, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc… all obtained righteousness for believing the words that God spoke to them. Read Heb.11. In our dispensation, the gospel is to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. By this we are imputed the righteousness of Christ, and we have peace with God. Any other way to obtain righteousness will fail because that is not what God instructed. Thus the ‘claim’ I wrote above stands, not because I say so, but because it is recorded as such i...

  REACTION: You misrepresent the Lord. Your illustration of the Lord dangling a sinner over hell is not the nature of our Lord. REPLY: My post was an allegory. Your reference to Isa.42 is a beautiful prophecy of the meekness of Christ in His earthly ministry. Meekness is one part of God’s character, but God is not only love and meekness. He is also just, and righteous. God will sooner throw us in hell than defile His righteousness. Yet, He does not because of the cross of His Son. See Rom 3:25-26; Rom 4:5. Through Jesus, God is in the unique position to justify the ungodly, Rom 3:26. God can remain just and righteous yet justify ungodly people! Why? Because of the cross of Christ. However, as much as God reveals his love, He also reveals His hatred and wrath towards unrighteousness and ungodliness. Just read Romans 1. Thus, we cannot only rely on God's meekness and love, because His righteous wrath still remains over us. The only thing that saves us from God’s wrath is the cross wo...

QUESTION: If God picked you up by your ankles and held you over hell and said, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t drop you in right now!”, what would your answer be? Only ONE answer from the following list will save you . Please note that all other entries are deceiving lies and empty vanities of men that have no power to save!   God, I tried to live a good and honest life. God, I joined a good church and worshiped you. God, I confessed Jesus as Lord and did miracles in his name. God, I love you so much, I adore Jesus Christ and I seek to please the Holy Spirit. God, I walked the church aisle and gave my heart to Jesus. God, I have my water baptism certificate folded in my Bible at home. God, I helped the local Jewish community and fixed their synagogue (acc. to Mat 25:31-46). God, I am filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. God, I believe that Jesus died for my sins and was raised for my justification. God, your word says you are faithful and just to forg...

QUESTION: When we die, what will we do in heaven? ANSWER: The Bible does not provide exact details about what we will do, but it does mention the Judgment Seat of Christ and the rewards we will receive.  In the heavenly kingdom, there are hierarchies of power, Col_1:16, like an earthly government. As the Body of Christ, our position and power in this kingdom will be according to our knowledge of Paul's mystery doctrine, Rom_2:16. Some will rule over domains, while others will carry out the orders of those in higher positions. In unity we will serve Christ and bring honour to Him by fulfilling His will and desires. While we don't know much about this time, we can be certain that it will be beyond our imagination, 1Co_2:9, we will live in perfection, and be in the presence of our Saviour. MARANATHA! For more details see, https://thebigpicturelink.blogspot.com/2024/01/dm25-every-mans-work-shall-be-made.html https://thebigpicturelink.blogspot.com/2024/01/dm26-results-and-reward-of-...

Obeying how many laws will save you? Have you encountered people who say that obeying the law of Moses is necessary for salvation? Asking them why, they typically respond... 'It's in the Bible'. But, did you know there are 600+ laws in the Mosaic law, not just the 10 commandments? So, what else does the Bible say about the law? According to James, if you choose to keep just one law, you are obligated to keep them all, and breaking just one law means breaking them all. Galatians says that the law is NOT of faith (but works). Ephesians says that salvation is by “grace” through “faith”. Furthermore, Paul clarifies that the purpose of the law is to point out sin, not to save. To be saved from God's wrath, Paul writes that you place simple trust in the completed cross work of Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. Thus the law shows your need to be saved, but only faith in Christ can actually save. So, how many laws do you believe you are keeping? I'm sorry, but th...

COMMENT: Matt 25:41-61 clearly says that if we don’t do any good works, God will send us to hell. REPLY: The verse mentioned is referring to the ‘Sheep and Goats’ judgement at the end of a 7-year tribulation period. During this horrendous time, believers are required to support Israel in order to gain salvation. However, this passage, and its resulting judgment, is not applicable to the current dispensation of grace, where salvation is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ alone, without the need for good works. It is important to interpret scripture according to the correct times. One cannot take scripture from one dispensation and apply it to another; else you create confusion and false doctrine. Our ‘Mystery’ dispensation ends at the catching up of the Body of Christ to heaven. The scripture you quote is about 7-years later and is part of the ‘Prophecy’ dispensation which does not apply today.

COMMENT: Why did Peter command the Jews in Acts 2:38-39 and the Gentiles in Acts 10:48 to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost? REPLY: That was the only means of salvation then. The grace gospel that Paul taught had not been revealed yet. During the majority of the 40 years, between Jesus' ascension and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, there were two gospels; the Kingdom gospel (only for Jews) and the Grace gospel (for all men). This is the transition period described in the book of Acts when both the 12-Apostles and Paul were preaching; the ministry of the 12 diminishing and the ministry of Paul increasing. By the time Jerusalem fell, the Kingdom gospel was fully suspended due to the blinding of Israel and only Paul’s grace gospel could save. Paul’s gospel will continue to save until the we are raptured, bringing a close to the Grace program. Thereafter, the Kingdom gospel will reactivate for the first half of the...

Jesus, taught Jews that they had to endure to the end; being His second advent. He instructed them to pick up their cross and follow Him, saying that no one is fit for the kingdom of God if they put their hand to the plough and look back, Lk.9:62. These are conditions for their salvation. In our dispensation, salvation is not dependent on endurance. While Paul encourages us to endure in our service to God and the Body of Christ, our salvation is not based on works or endurance. When we respond in faith to the grace gospel, we are saved and sealed eternally into Christ. The blood of Christ provides the surety of salvation without works or performance. Paul writes in Eph.2:8-9, "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." Our salvation is a gift given to us by God's grace. We cannot boast! God saved us through the endurance of Christ, even unto death on the cross. Unlike Israel, it's b...

Every man's work shall be made manifest: 1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  (13)  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Many of us believe that our good works in this life will determine how we are judged when we stand before Christ's judgment seat. This is not true! What you did in this life has little bearing on that day. It's all related to what you know. The knowledge of Christ within you is what's represented by the gold, silver, and precious stones. In essence, it's a judgment of your understanding of Paul's doctrine and your development within it.  It is the degree to which the wisdom and knowledge you have gained from studying the Word has formed Christ in you, Pro 24:3-5. For details, see: https://thebigpicturelink.blogspot.com/2024/01/dm25-every-ma...

Did you know that Jesus rightly divided the Scriptures? Jesus was a dispensationalist during His earthly ministry, carefully handling Scripture to ensure its validity for His time. Rather than quoting any Scripture, He knew which parts were valid and which were not. For example, verses applicable to His Second Coming could not be forced into His First Coming, as this would be out of context with His current purpose. Psalm 91 and Isaiah 61 were Scripture, but not all of it was to be fulfilled during His First Coming. Jesus understood that it is not enough to be Scriptural; we must also be dispensational.  Those who profess to only follow Jesus in His earthly ministry should therefore take note how He correctly divided the Scriptures, quoting verses in their proper dispensational context. Then, taking this hint, they should conclude that by right division, we follow Paul's doctrine today, as the rest of Scripture, though for our learning, is not for our application today.

COMMENT: If we are saved by grace alone excluding works, I can sit here like a dummy for the rest of my life, and when I die, I'm in the hands of God our Creator. How absurd! REPLY: Your comment suggests childish ignorance of the Word. Rom 12:1-2 tells us that our reasonable service is to present ourselves to God for His purpose and to be transformed by renewing of our minds to the Word; to know God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will. Sure! You can sit like a dummy enjoying God's free gift of justification through Christ, Rom 5:1-2, but to apprehend perfection in Christ and the high calling of God, one must abandon childish things and prioritize the excellency of knowing Christ, Php 3:7-15. Salvation is more than just escaping hell through justification in Christ. This is only the first step. After this, you need to grow up in knowledge of the Word and have Christ formed in you. Attaining to this will determine the portion of Christ's glory and inheritance you will get in...

The phrase "look to Jesus" typically means to follow Jesus' teachings, not men's traditions, ordinances, or church creeds. It involves studying His Word and obeying it. This is the only way to grow in Him, learn from Him, and become more like Him. But, do we look to Jesus' teachings in His earthly ministry, or do we look to the revelation of the mystery that Jesus gave to Paul to teach? Contrary to understanding, we should follow Paul's pattern and the principles of his doctrine. Paul encourages us to follow him and imitate him as a pattern for today. Jesus' earthly ministry was not directed towards us, as He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So, in order to look to Jesus, one must follow the doctrine taught by Paul. His doctrine is given to us by the resurrected Christ and is meant to equip us to fulfill God's will in the present and prepare us for our heavenly purpose in the ages to come. Full article here: https://thebigpicture...

Some may believe in the necessity of water baptism, observing Sunday rest, speaking in tongues, doing good deeds, or obeying rituals, but, if they trust Christ alone and know that their works don't contribute to salvation, then they are saved. On the other hand, if they believe that certain works are required, in addition to faith, they are mixing faith and works, going against what Paul warns in Gal 3:1-3. If you are adding works to your faith for salvation, that faith you exercise implies that Christ's death was insufficient, contradicting faith in the gospel. The grace gospel teaches that salvation is solely by God's grace through faith alone, as Eph 2:8-9 states.  Paul says the following, "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." 1Cor7:19. Similarly, your works are nothing in the light of salvation by grace. Whether you have attempted to work for your salvation or not, know that salvation is availabl...

Just like the 12 disciples of Jesus are the apostles for Israel, Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles (or the Body of Christ, Rom 11:13). Whereas most of the Bible is about the prophetic program for Israel, which was suspended by Israel’s unbelief, Paul established the mystery program and doctrine that is applicable for us today. The 13-epistles of Paul provide all the information that we need in order to know how God is working with humanity today in the grace program.  See the image for a list for just a few mysteries revealed in Paul's letters.

What are life examples of unbelievers' futility of mind in Eph 4:17? Paul's epistles should be understood spiritually. Thus, 'vanity of mind' is not natural futility but rather spiritual futility. So, to provide life examples is not to list useless things men do in their mortality, or man’s inept activities or knowledge in his natural state, but to perceive it in view of his eternal existence. For an example of Paul's spiritual context, notice his attitude towards natural things and their futility, compared to the worth and significance of knowing Christ, here: Php 3:7-11. In summary, ‘vanity of mind’, if one occupies one’s mind on temporary things, is in contrast to the full value and excellency of the eternal things of Christ. To have a mind filled with goals, achievements, and knowledge of a temporary nature, is utter vanity, or futility, (or dung), in view of the knowledge of Christ and the pursuit of winning Christ and the eternal attributes and rewards that fl...

Is smoking a sin for a Christian? Stealing, lying, and murder are sins because the Bible tells us so in black and white. But what about smoking cigarettes for example? Well, the Bible has the answers. The way that God judges us is by our convictions. By our conscience. The interesting thing about this is that our conscience is not on the same level as another person. What we might consider a sin, based on our conviction, does not constitute a sin in another person, because they might not be convicted thereof. This is why we cannot judge each other in these 'grey' issues. Paul says, "Let each be fully convinced in his own mind…”. (Rom.14:5) If I smoke a cigarette and get a gnawing conviction in my heart that its wrong, yet I continue to puff away, then I am sinning! Why? Because I am not fully convinced in my mind that it is right. Does the bible say that smoking is a sin? No. Not directly. But the bible does tell us that doing anything against our personal moral conviction...