Νot under Law but under Grace

 BY Argie Simonis

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace." Rom. 6:14 

The Law strengthened sin by producing guilt that condemned us and also brought the wrath of God against our sins: 

"Because the law works wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression."

Rom. 4:15 

However, once we accept the atonement of Christ for our sins, we no longer need to fear the wrath of God; that was placed on Jesus. We also don’t need the Law to condemn us and kill us. We have already come to Christ for salvation, which is what the Law was designed to do: 

"Why the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Gal. 3:24 

The Law was declared to be our “schoolmaster,” bringing us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith in Him. A schoolmaster is the one who supervises the life and morals of the child until he or she reaches maturity by strict enforcement of rules and regulations.

So, until Christ came, the Law was like someone trying to make us behave. The Law presented to us true holiness, in order for us to realize that it is something we cannot achieve on our own. This prepared us for the message of Christ bringing salvation as a gift.  We now relate to God on the basis of what Christ has done for us and our faith in Him:

"But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

Gal. 3:25 

When do "all things work for good" ?

 BY Argie Simonis

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28 

This is one of the most abused verses in the Bible. Many people have quoted this to say that whatever happens to us works out for our good. Let's take a closer look.

First of all, this verse begins with the conjunction “And.”  This means everything that is being said here is dependent on the previous verses:

"Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Rom. 8:26-27 

If we are not letting the Holy Spirit help us with intercession, then all things do not work together for good.

Another very important thing that this verse DOES NOT say is that everything comes from God. What it simply means is that when we pray in the Spirit and allow the Spirit of God to intercede for us with "groanings which cannot be uttered" then whatever the devil throws into our lives, the Lord will make it work for good.

If we interprete this verse that everything that comes our way is from God, then we become passive  and embrace problems which the Lord explicitly commands us to resist:

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 

And this is also very importand:

All things work together for good to them that love God. Don't forget that not everybody loves God. And it only works for those who are the called according to His purpose:

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1John 3:8

Those who are not resisting the problem but submit to their problems are not operating in the same calling that Jesus did.

So, whatever comes our way works for our good, only if:

- we cooperate with the Holy Spirit,

- we love God and

- we resist the devil and we are out to destroy the works of the devil.

Amen!

Who Are You?

 BY Argie Simonis

"And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Acts 19:15 

I think this is a very good question that we should all ask in front of the mirror. 

Who are you?

The seven sons of the Jewish high priest Sceva tried to become "exorcists" thinking that the name of Jesus is "magical" and works wonders when you use it. Peter explains that this is done only through faith in His name:

"And his name through faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yes, the faith which is by him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." Acts 3:16 

Faith in the name of Jesus is what will make this work. Of course the devil and the demons know Jesus, who has the keys of hell and death (Rev. 1:18) and who publicly defeated them (Col. 2:15)

Have you ever wondered why the demons know Paul and not the seven sons of Sceva? Jesus answers that when His 70 disciples returned:

"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through your name." Luke 10:17 

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20 

There are many references in the Scriptures to the Book of Life, that is, God has a book that lists the names of those who really follow Him. (Phil. 4: 3, Rev. 3: 5, 13: 8, 17: 8, 20:12, 22:19) This book identifies those who will be saved from the times of trouble spoken by the prophet Daniel:

"and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Daniel 12:1

Those found in the Book of Life, the Lord Jesus Himself, will confess their names before the Father and His angels:

"He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." Revelation 3:5

and will enter the New Jerusalem:

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Revelation 21:27 

There is also a very strict warning:

"And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation 22:19 

I will close here by repeating the same question: 

Who are you?

Do you want your name to be known in Heaven and  hell? For celebration in Heaven and for terror in hell? Do not postpone the salvation of your soul for "some time in the future". Eternal life begins here and now:

"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Rom. 10:9-10 

Amen!

Dead Churches

 BY Argie Simonis

When Paul writes his second letter to Timothy, he refers to the last days and speaks of people who will be 

" lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God..." 2 Tim. 3:2-4

Observing today's society, we see how timeless these words of the apostle Paul are. The sad thing is that the church today is no exception to this picture and this is where I would like to focus. I understand how easy it is for a person without Christ to fall into these traps, but when this happens to a great extent within His own church, it causes me great concern.

The key to understanding the problem is in the next verse:

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Tim. 3:5 

Paul here refers to these religious people, whose religion is simply a "form of piety." There is no reality or truth in this.

Paul advises us to avoid such hypocrites. The question is, what do we do as believers? Should we avoid those who deny the power of the Gospel? There are millions of Christians living in "dead" churches in the hope of changing them.

What is certain is that there are no perfect churches or perfect people. There is certainly room to extend grace to brothers and sisters in Christ, but there is a fine line between "acceptable" and "intolerable," that is, where there is no room for compromise. This "intolerable" is what I believe Paul advises Timothy when he says "avoid them."

In the Book of Acts we read:

"And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spoke evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus." Acts 19:8-9 

Here we see a specific example from the life of Paul, who, while in Ephesus, "separated the disciples" from those who denied the Gospel. There are other instances where Paul asked his disciples to stay away from ungodly people:

"Now I beseech you, brothers, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; and avoid them." Rom.16:17 

"But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortionist; with such an one no not to eat." 1Cor. 5:11 

"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." 2Thes. 3:6 

"Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw yourself." 1Τim. 6:5 

As long as the people of the synagogue were open to receive teaching, Paul remained and shared the Gospel. But when they started to oppose him and speak evil of him, he left taking his disciples with him.

So what is Paul's message regarding us?

The synagogues in Paul's day allowed both members and visitors to minister (Acts 13: 5).

In most churches today only the pastor (and in some the "special priest") have this privilege, so church members do not have the opportunity to contribute or influence to the extent that Paul could do back then. From what I see so far, it really takes a miracle for change to come to such a church. And this change comes only from the pastor or the person in charge and not from the ordinary members.

If you feel that you are a member of such a "dead" church, Paul advises you to leave and go where you can be fed, and nourished and grow by the Word of God, where you can  contribute to the spiritual growth of other people and bear fruit.

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Faith produces good works

BY Argie Simonis

 "Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:17 

Just as the air we breathe saves us from death, the same way faith works according to James. The air is what saves us, but we are the ones who have to breathe it.

So faith is what saves us,

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Rom. 3:28 

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"  Eph. 2:8 

but true and genuine faith must have actions to be alive. Acting according to our faith is like breathing. This is what makes faith come alive and enables it to produce and bring to the natural realm what exists in the "invisible", the spiritual realm.

Keep on reading:

"You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19

This I believe is one of the most sarcastic statements in the Bible. If you believe in the existence of the one and true God, you are doing well, but you have done nothing more than what the demons have done, who know very well who God is and that He exists. But the demons are not saved. All their actions are against the Lordship of Jesus. They are completely antichrist.

What distinguishes us, believers in Christ, from the devil and his demons is that our actions correspond to our faith in the Lord. In other words, our actions are the fruit of our faith in the Lord. James tries to explain this here by saying that "faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone."

Simply acknowledging the existence of God without corresponding acts of submission to His Lordship puts us in the same category as the devil and his demons. Hell will be full of people who have acknowledged the Father and Jesus, but who have never acted on that faith in humble submission.

Amen!

God and Destiny

BY Argie Simonis

"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1Τιm. 2:4 

Here we see clearly that it is God's will for all people to be saved. Nevertheless, this does not happen, because it is our choice as to whether God's will comes to pass in our lives. The Lord does not exercise sovereign control over us. He has a plan for our lives,

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11 

but it is up to us to accept it or not. Although the Lord wants everyone to be saved, Jesus reveals to us that this will not happen:

"Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it." 

Μat. 7:13-14

God's will does not happen automatically and that is because there is the factor of "free will" that he has given to man. The Lord will not decide for you, but neither can the devil force you to go to hell. Its your choice:

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live" Deut. 30:19

Teachings that claim that God predetermines who will be saved and who will be lost are demonic and extremely dangerous! Peter tells us the same thing:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2Pet. 3:9 

The reason the Lord delays His Second Coming is to give mankind the opportunity to repent. He wants everyone to be saved. He does not want anyone to be lost.

The Lord does not control everything. God is Allmighty, but He does not choose to use His power in a way that abolishes the right of free will given to us. It is not His will for anyone to be lost, but it happens. Why; Because of their choice, not God's.

Teachings like "nothing happens except what God wants or allows" are completely wrong. The fact that God "allows" things to happen in the world means that He has given mankind power over this earth and their own lives. So God allows what we allow.

We live in a fallen world with a roaming devil, who hates us deadly.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour" 1Pet. 5:8 

We need to learn to recognize whose fingerprints are at the scene of each crime. The Lord is in complete control and will fulfill all His promises, but we cannot blame Him for all evil that exists.

It is not only His will for all to be saved, but He also wants all to come to the knowledge of the truth. Your personal relationship with the Lord is more than just being saved. As a believer you must renew your mind through the truth of the Word of God, so that the salvation that exists within you may be seen on the outside and you can bear fruit.

Amen!

Amazing Grace

BY Argie Simonis

"O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" Gal. 3:1 

If we truly understand the message of the Cross, then we also understand Divine Grace. The sacrifice of our Jesus was not just a symbolic act. He paid for it all! There is no sacrifice we can make that will add to or replace the sacrifice of Christ. The sermon that our holiness is required to receive from God voids the sacrifice of Christ:

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Gal. 2:21 

However, it is a common mistake for people who come to the Lord "as I am because God loves me and forgives me" to fall back into the delusion that they must be holy enough for the Lord to answer their prayers. This is exactly what Paul points out here.

We often extend grace to drunks or prostitutes who are not born again. We tell them about God's love and how He wants to help them. But let them be born again and then sin again, and the very people who told them how much God loved them before they were saved, are ready to stone them for the slightest transgression they will commit. This is not the true gospel. We are not saved by grace and then we are maintained by works.

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8 

Beware of this insidious and demonic spirit of religion! The only way to recognize and deal with it is to study and know  God's Word.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Amen!