What is the difference between God's wrath and God's discipline?

QUESTION:

What is the difference between God's wrath and God's discipline?

ANSWER:

Wrath

The concepts of God’s wrath and God’s discipline are distinct in the Bible, and understanding their differences can provide deeper insight into God’s character and His relationship with humanity.

God’s wrath is His righteous anger and judgment against sin and evil. It is a response to persistent disobedience and rebellion against His will. This divine wrath is depicted as a final and severe punishment for those who reject Him.

Romans 1:18 states, 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

Similarly, John 3:36 warns, 

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

(Part 2) Various questions concerning the difference between the ministries and doctrine of Peter and Paul

Various questions concerning the difference between the ministries and doctrine of Peter and Paul (Part 2)

See Part 1 here

Question #1

• In regard to Matthew 25:31–46, you assign that as before the 1000-year reign starts, but what about at the end of the 1000-year reign when for a small season, the devil will be released from the pit for a last rebellion? You do not think that reference may apply to that time as that would be when the Great White Throne Judgment is at when all the dead are raised up and judged by their works.

Matthew 25 does not reference the time that Jesus refers to as the Sheep and Goats judgement. This judgement is specifically enforced to determine which Gentiles will enter the Millennial kingdom. Without this judgement, no Gentiles will exist in the kingdom, which does not line up with prophecy which tells that the Jews will be the preeminent nation in the kingdom and that the Gentile nations will seek the counsel of the Jews and abide by the law administered by the Jews as the kings and priests in the kingdom.

As you rightly identify, the release of Satan will deceive many at the end of the Millennial reign and both Satan and those deceived will be quickly ended when God sends down fire from heaven. Both Satan’s captivity in the pit, and the Sheep and Goats judgement occur before the beginning of the 1000-years.

(Part 1) Various questions concerning the difference between the ministries and doctrine of Peter and Paul

Various questions concerning the difference between the ministries and doctrine of Peter and Paul (Part 1)

Question #1

• So, is Peter & the 11 were really preaching an earthly kingdom when Jesus wasn’t here?

The statement Jesus used in Lk.17:20 in answering the Pharisees is that the kingdom of God was ‘within’ Israel, or ‘amongst’ them at that moment. To those who could discern it, the King was there in their midst. At this time, during Jesus earthly ministry, the kingdom would not come in a physical way, as it would come at His second coming, and demand the attention of the world. The first advent of Jesus was not yet to physically save Israel, but rather to prophetically announce and prepare Israel for the imminency of the Kingdom and ratify the New Covenant. It was a work of faith.

After Jesus ascended, the early Acts church continued the work that Jesus started; to preach and prepare Israel for the imminency of their Kingdom. The physical kingdom had not yet arrived, but they were fully expecting it when Jesus came back. See Acts 1:6.

Question #2

• Below in regard to Matthew 25:34 in context, this reads like the event of the Great white Throne Judgment, because of verse 40 in relation to verse 31.

Matthew 25:31-46 is not the Great White throne judgement. This White throne judgement occurs after the 1000-year (Millennial) Kingdom of Christs rule. The judgement in Matt.25 is the “Sheep and Goats” judgement which is upon the Gentiles at the end of the 7-year Tribulation. After Jesus has destroyed the armies of the Antichrist in Armageddon, this judgement occurs to determine who of the Gentiles will enter the Millennial Kingdom. This Gentiles who supported Israel (Jews) during the tribulation would find justification to enter the Kingdom. Conversely, those Gentiles who did not support Israel in the tribulation would be cast into the fire. The description of support for Israel that Jesus uses in this passage is clear. 

If Peter did not preach Paul's grace gospel, why does he speak of grace, the cross, and of faith and hope in his epistles?

If Peter did not preach Paul's grace gospel, why does he speak of grace, the cross, and of faith and hope in his epistles?

QUESTION:

Read 1 Peter 1:10-12, 14-21. Within the first chapter of Peter’s first letter, he speaks of the grace of God that would come to them. Not only did He speak of this, but He also spoke of faith and hope they would have by being in God. He also referred to the cross of Christ when he said his recipients were redeemed with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

It sounds to me that Peter is preaching the grace gospel since he spoke of the grace that would come to the Jews and the blood of the cross being shed for them which is what Paul preached day to day.

Peter was the apostle to the circumcised and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, Galatians 2:8. This does not mean the gospels they preached were different, it only means their assignments were different.

Once again, these words were written by the apostle you said never preached the grace gospel of Paul. Please explain.

ANSWER:

Your questions are valid. I appreciate you asking. Let me take them one at a time and clarify with my perspective.

In Luke 20 you ask which gospel was Jesus' preaching.

The answer is that He was preaching the only gospel that existed at that time, the gospel of the kingdom that pertains to the Jews. Paul has not yet been saved, so God’s revelations concerning the grace gospel have not yet been made known.

DM#24: I have laid the foundation

Doctrine of the Mysteries #24

I have laid the foundation

1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

In our key verse above, Paul tells us that he is a master builder who has laid the foundation for the new dispensation of grace that God started through his ministry. This foundation is based upon the mystery doctrine that God revealed to Paul and which he wrote about in his epistles. However, before we discuss this foundation, we must take note that there is another foundation which God had previously laid. Furthermore, it is of great importance that we are aware of both, what the significance of each is, and that we know which foundation is the one we should build upon.

God’s previously laid foundation

The writer of Hebrews informs us of this previously laid foundation. It is a foundation that belongs to Israel. It consists of their doctrine and is the base upon which their faith and services to God ought to be built. Let’s have a look at the passage,

DM#2: Prayer in our current mystery program

Doctrine of the Mysteries #2

Rom 1:9-10  For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;  (10)  Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

Prayer in our current mystery program

Israel’s suspended prophetic program was physical. God worked with Israel in the physical realm. Jesus’ ministry was confirmed by physical miracles. The physical enemies of Israel will be vanquished. Israel will inherit a physical, earthly, kingdom. On the other hand, the current mystery program of the Body of Christ is spiritual. We do not inherit a physical land. We are not a nation, but a spiritual body. We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Our ultimate vocation will be in the spiritual realm. 

If Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, why were the 12-apostles also told to go to all nations?

If Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, why were the 12-apostles also told to go to all nations?

Mat.28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

It is true that the Jewish commission was to go to all nations, but a very important point to make is that this was to happen only AFTER the nation of Israel itself had been saved. If one looks at the verses on the commission, there is an order of precedence,

Luk.24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Act.1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Do you have to be saved to get forgiveness for your sins?

Do you have to be saved to get forgiveness for your sins?

QUESTION:

Do you have to be saved to get forgiveness for your sins?

INCORRECT AND UNSCRIPTURAL ANSWER:

The best way to be forgiven sins is to try and make amendments for all you have done that weighs on you. If you cannot make things right in particular instances then try and sort out what is happening around you, being helpful and loving making things better in the here and now.

The fact is that no form of words will wipe out your ‘sinful’ past only ‘good’ actions from now on. There’s no-one floating about elsewhere who can alter the past.

SCRIPTURAL ANSWER:

First John is not a book for New Converts (as many pastors and preachers suggest)

First John is not a book for New Converts (as many pastors and preachers suggest)

In our modern denominational churches today, most pastors and preachers will point new converts and uninformed believers to the first epistle of John because it speaks of loving one’s brother, obeying the commandments, walking in the light, and that we are to overcome the world.

Dear friends, even though there are a few trans-dispensational truths in John’s epistle, that we can relate to in this dispensation of grace, the greater majority of first John is an intensely deep book, filled with Kingdom doctrine, which is specifically written for Jews living during the 7-year Tribulation and under the reign of the Antichrist. The advice and commands in this book are absolutely not relevant or appropriate to new converts or uninformed Christians in this age of grace. The content will throw most believers today for a wild loop and place them on a course that is definitely not suitable for grace living today.

A response to the article called: How do we live according to Christ?

A response to the article called: How do we live according to Christ?

RESPONSE

The Bible provides several explicit teachings on how to live like Christ. Here are some key principles and instructions:

Love God and love others: Jesus taught that the greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). This emphasis on love is foundational to living a Christ-like life.

Follow Jesus' example: Jesus is the perfect example of how to live a righteous and holy life. Believers are called to follow His footsteps, imitate His actions, and adopt His attitudes (1 Peter 2:21, Philippians 2:5-8).

Christ in You vs. You in Christ

Concerning believers in the grace gospel, Paul says these two things: (1) you are in Christ, and (2) Christ is in you.

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:" – Colossians 1:27-28

The phrase "Christ in you" is found in Col 1:27, and in the next verse every man is presented perfect "in Christ Jesus" (Col 1:28).

What do these seemingly opposite but similar sounding statements mean?

What's the difference between 'you in Christ' and 'Christ in you'?

 

The song ‘Midnight Cry’ blends the the pretribulation rapture of the Body of Christ with the second coming of Jesus Christ making it doctrinally wrong!

The following is a slightly modified extract from an article posted at "Now the End Begins".

"I hear the sound Of a mighty rushing wind, And it's closer now than it's ever been. I can almost hear the trumpet, as Gabriel sounds the call; at the midnight cry we'll be going home!"

The incredibly beautiful and soul-stirring song 'Midnight Cry', sung by John Starnes, —from a spiritual perspective, is wonderful and one could never get tired of hearing it, but from a rightly dividing perspective it's a hot mess.

"While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." Matthew 25:5,6 (KJB)

How the religion of men confuses basic details of God's Word

The following is portions of an article published in an online UK newspaper.

Priest quits after his baptisms found invalid because he said the wrong words

Andres Arango, of the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona, who has been a pastor since 1998, and has since performed thousands of baptisms, was forced to resign his position. According to the diocese, the priest would say "we baptise you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" instead of "I baptise you…" up until June 2021. Because of that, all of the baptisms that he performed are presumed invalid.

In an announcement, the diocese calls people to check their files for a baptismal certificate, or even photos and videos of the baptism to see if they were baptised by Arango.

And if they can’t find the files, the diocese urges people to contact their parish to look up their certificate and find out whether they need to book for a new baptism.

An announcement read: "It may seem legalistic, but the words that are spoken (the sacramental form), along with the actions that are performed and the materials used (the sacramental matter) are a crucial aspect of every sacrament ... If you change the words, actions, or materials required in any of the sacraments, they are not valid."

Original article here.

This is a sad, and even shocking, state of events. It is heartbreaking to see how far religion has veered away from the truth. Such religion of men is so distorted that it's hard to understand how people can be steered into such fables. It is hard to fathom how clergy can miss the target by the proverbial mile. Then again, I can understand that if the Word is not rightly divided, things like baptism and other ordinances can become misunderstood and terribly misapplied. 

Let's clear up the air and bring proper biblical context to what baptism is all about, and prove that this whole mess presented in the article above is so unnecessary and unbiblical.

The interesting differences between the ministries of Peter and Paul

The interesting differences between the ministries of 

Peter and Paul

The book of Acts revolves primarily around 2 apostles, Peter and Paul. One could divide the book of Acts as follows. Chapters 1-12 focus on Peter as the main apostle to the Jews, and chapters 13-28 focus on Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles.

Galatians 2:7-8 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 9 --- Final recap and summary)

Final recap and summary of comparisons of the transitional gospels

In the previous study we discussed how Paul, during the first half of his ministry, —that is, his missionary ministry represented in ACTS, —preached two gospels. The general trend that Paul would follow is;

He would preach the gospel of God to those Jews and Gentiles (friends of the Jews) who came together, typically, but not exclusively, in the Jewish synagogues. The gospel of God in summary was,

• believe in Jesus' resurrection and 2nd coming, repent, be water baptized, receive the Holy Spirit, obey the law, prove your faith with works, and endure to the end.

Then, to those who believed Paul's preaching of the above gospel, he would introduce them to the 'mystery' gospel of Christ.

• that Jesus died for their sins and that they could trust in nothing else but the all-sufficient cross-work of Christ (death, burial, resurrection) for salvation.

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 7)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 7 --- The meaning of Christ's death was unknown)

We continue with the comparison of the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ by looking at key elements that distinguish them from each other. I recommend to start at the beginning of this comparison to gain the necessary context of this series of posts.

The meaning of Christ's death was unknown during the Gospels and early Acts

During Jesus early ministry, His followers did not know that the purpose of His first advent was to sacrifice Himself. According to their prophetic scriptures, Jews believed that when their Messiah would come, He would come as a King and a conqueror. 

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 5)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 5 --- A Future Salvation, Endurance and Being Overcomers)

We continue with the comparison of the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ by looking at key elements that distinguish them from each other. I recommend to start at the beginning of this comparison to gain the necessary context of this series of posts.

Salvation was Future

A simple fact that does not need much proof is that in the gospel of the Kingdom, and the gospel of God, the hope of salvation lay out in the future. This of course is very different to the gospel of Christ (or the Grace gospel), where salvation is not a hope out in the future based on one's works and the conditional requirement to endure to the end, but rather an immediate, factual, and unconditional sealing of one's salvation by the Holy Spirit because of the cross work of Christ.

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 3)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 3 --- By the Scriptures)

In this post we continue with the comparison of the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ. I recommend to start at the beginning of this comparison to gain the necessary context of this series of posts.

By the scriptures vs. Unsearchable 

The gospel of God is the Kingdom gospel with the addition of one HUGE event; the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This gospel, preached by Peter in Acts 2, reignited the hope that the King could come and bring a restoration to Israel through His Kingdom. This narrative had been prophesied centuries before and many aspects of Jesus birth, life, death and resurrection can be found in the scriptures as proof of His identity and purpose.

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 2)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 2 --- To the Jews first)

We continue, from this post, to work through the comparisons, differences, and nuances, between the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ through the transition period.

To the Jews first, then to the Greek vs. to all men or nations

During the Kingdom gospel, Jesus, on multiple occasions, mentioned that He had come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, (Matt.15:24). By saying this, He was excluding the Gentiles from His ministry. This was because of the plan of God to save the Jews first so that they, according to prophecy, could be the light to the Gentiles, (Isa.60:3).

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 1)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 1 --- Introduction)

Preface

This multi-part study continues from the previous study where we discussed how Paul, during the first half of his ministry, —that is, his missionary ministry represented in ACTS, —preached two gospels. The general trend that Paul would follow is;

He would preach the gospel of God to those Jews and Gentiles (friends of the Jews) who came together, typically, but not exclusively, in the Jewish synagogues. The gospel of God in summary was,

• believe in Jesus' resurrection and 2nd coming, repent, be water baptized, receive the Holy Spirit, obey the law, prove your faith with works, and endure to the end.

Then, to those who believed Paul's preaching of the above gospel, he would introduce them to the 'mystery' gospel of Christ.

• that Jesus died for their sins and that they could trust in nothing else but the all-sufficient cross-work of Christ (death , burial, resurrection) for salvation.

The purpose of this study is to familiarize oneself with how the gospel transitioned through the time of ACTS where God was turning from the Jews to the Gentiles in a new dispensation called, Grace. Understanding the gospel iterations will provide you with greater insight into the ministry of Paul, the origin of the Body of Christ, and your purpose and freedom as a grace-age believer today.