I want you to spend a bit of your time considering these two bible passages, when you have a quiet moment to contemplate them.
Read them carefully and attentively and see if you can spot the points of interest that I highlight in the small list below.
First, read the passages....slowly 😉
There is no doubt that Paul was Jewish and a
committed and fervent Pharisee in the nation of Israel (Phil.3:5-7), yet just
before he is martyred, he writes to Timothy and says the following,
2Tim.4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
So, what is significant about this
statement? Well, notice the location of the kingdom Paul confesses he belongs
to. The heavenly kingdom. Is this strange? Yes, but also no.
Php 2:12-13 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. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
To keep this short, let me get straight to the point. “Working
out our own salvation” is not us doing good works to justify our salvation. It
is not acts of kindness. It is not giving money to the church. It is not
activities of any kind that make us feel we did something right or good. To put
it bluntly, it is not any type of ‘physical’ actions that we do in this world that
‘works out our salvation’. How can I know this and confirm this? Well, consider
this to start with. If our salvation is ALREADY SECURE in Christ
(Rom.3:21-28), just by us believing in Jesus and trusting His death, burial,
and resurrection (1Cor.15:1-4), then what is this ‘work’ I must do in fear and
trembling? What can this ‘work’ do to contribute any more to a salvation I have
that is ALREADY 100% SECURE? That does not make sense! In this regard, the ‘work’
being mentioned here has a different context than, to earn, or contribute to,
or justify, salvation.
In order to understand the proper context of scripture, it
is of critical importance to recognize the division between two programs which
God predestined and is executing in His wisdom. These two programs will
eventually be brought together in the fulness of the times, Eph 1:10.
(Notice the word, ‘times’. It is plural, meaning there is more than one time,
age, dispensation, program.)
The Bible is FULL of scriptures that indicate a division between Israel and the Body of Christ. This post will examine only one passage of scripture as an example. Please read the following passage below, which is part of Peters discourse to the Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 3. The bolded parts will be compared to what Paul writes to us today in this grace dispensation.
At the very moment you believed the grace gospel, you were regenerated in spirit, and you were placed into Christ, becoming an adopted son, seated with Christ in the heavenlies. What a contrast to what you were before this! Before salvation by God's grace, you were a dead sinner, living out a vain existence that would end with the wrath of God. You were of no value to anything going on in this earth. Paul said,
Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others [who are outside of Christ].
Answer Request:
Is Christ's Church built on Peter or all living stones of truth? Did God reveal the truth to Peter that Jesus is The Rock?
The Greek word translated "church" in the New Testament is ekklesia. A literal translation of ekklesia would be "a called-out assembly". Thus, when God calls one out, to separate them, it is for a purpose. In other words, there is a specific function that this entity should fulfil. For example, God separated the nation of Israel for a purpose. Israel can be identified as an ekklesia, (or church in modern English).
Deut.7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Num.23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people [Israel] shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
As with all the saints that continued in Paul's ministry to receive the gospel of Christ; who make up the fledgling 'body of Christ', so it would be with those 'far hence' Gentiles who are saved by the gospel of grace. They too are added to the Body of Christ and would have their destination to be in the heavens, meeting the Lord in that place of light, either through death or by the pre-tribulation rapture of the body of Christ.
I'll keep this post short and not repeat content already discussed. The point is that the gospel of Christ and the gospel of grace are the same gospel with the same result; membership into the Body of Christ and a destiny fulfilled in the heavens. The only difference is that the two gospels identify two different people groups; (1) those Jews and Greeks who believed the message of Christ through the cross, proved from scripture, and (2) those Gentiles who were unassociated with Israel and without hope —but for the grace gospel which saved them without the instrumentality of Israel and by utter grace alone, unsearchable in the scriptures.
Eph.3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
As a side note, the book of Thessalonians provides us with another great view into how Paul brought believers into the gospel of Christ. Notice the references in the verses below regarding the gospel of God,
1 Thess.2:2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. ...... 8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
To quickly recap on my views regarding salvation in the Kingdom gospel, I believe that when saved into this gospel and one passed away, their inheritance and destination would be similar to the Old Testament saints who died in faith according to the good news God had made known in their day. Since these Kingdom believers, just like all Old Testament believers before them, placed their faith in a coming Redeemer and Messiah, they all, at death, would be asleep in Christ, and would experience resurrection at the sound of the trumpet* during the last stage of Christ's second advent. This means that they will awake in resurrection just before the Millennial Kingdom which they will inherit.
The scripture makes it clear that Jesus was born a Jew and His entire earthly ministry was towards His brethren, the Jews, ONLY!
Gal.4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, (planned, ie: everything was in place) God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, (born into the flesh nature; taking on flesh) born under the law (born a Jew, under Jewish custom and constraints), 5 to redeem those who were under the law (Israel) (Israel first, and then the Gentile),
Matt.15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Rom.15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision [Jews] for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
Before we tackle this question, let's just define the Kingdom and the Grace programs so as to maintain context through the rest of this post.
So, our question remains if Paul was saved into the Kingdom or Grace program. Let me share with you my conviction of this interesting question.
Where Would You Go
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Where Would You Go If You Were To Die Right Now?
Heaven or Hell?
What caused you to answer the way you did?
Are you sure you are
correct?
Alex Balingit walks us through just how simple salvation is, what it takes for a person to become a member of Christ's body, and what guarantees that you will enter Heaven once this life is over.
Have you ever noticed that Old Testament and Gospel saints were NOT PROMISED HEAVEN as a destination? Instead they were promised an everlasting kingdom on earth. As a matter of fact, these saints never even had a concept of "going to heaven" when they died. The reason is because all through the Old Testament and prophecy it was spoken of a glorious new earthly kingdom; one which would be restored and refreshed as it was before.
