…eternal life to
those who by patient continuance
in doing good seek
for glory, honor,
and immortality; but
to those who are
self–seeking and do
not obey the truth,
but obey
unrighteousness––indignation
and wrath,
tribulation and anguish,
on every soul of man
who does evil,
of the Jew first and
also of the Greek;
but glory, honor, and
peace to everyone who
works what is good,
to the Jew first
and also to the
Greek.
Romans 2:7–10
Our God
does not speak to us in words that are not human, that is: words that can be
taken, in more than one-way. Some think so, and even attempt to use words of
Scripture out of context and are not the words or intent of God. God speaks to
us in propositional and those words disseminated propositional are to be dealt
with, as those words are that which must be dealt with, affirmed or denied, and
by doing so those words are determined to be of a character as either false or
true. We have that work so that we must study His word and this in context,
context, context; furthermore, it is important to understand the language in
which it was written. If in Hebrew or in Greek, and in some small cases,
Aramaic, if those words written are not understood grammatically, then we are
apt to misuse Scripture and allow false teaching and unrighteousness to enter
into our thoughts, our lives, and in our Churches. An example is one of the
most famous verses: John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life” (John 3:16). Does God love the “whole” world? Some say
yes, and they believe that everyone can be saved, if they so desire; that is,
that man has enough good in him so that if he so wishes and wills to be saved,
he will be saved. Is that what the Bible teaches? Does this Scripture meet the
standard of what the Bible teaches that man is elected, drawn, and enabled by
God? Some say yes, and that when they hear the word of God and certain
circumstances surround a person they are then drawn by God, they believe and
they are saved. Faith does come by hearing the word of God: “So then faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). If one
believes that man has enough good in him to believe God when hearing the Gospel
and be saved is to ignore that man has original sin, and that a sinner deserves
death due to the justice of God. So man is not totally depraved, he has some
remnant of good that was not destroyed by Adam’s sin and that sin passed down
to all of his progeny. So, then, by this man is not totally bad, and if not
totally bad then really does not deserve the punishment of God, death. Let us
again look at John 3:16 in the Greek and see if this is what is taught: I will
insert the English transliteration:
Οὕτως so γὰρ for ἠγάπησεν
loved ὁ the θεὸς
God τὸν
the κόσμον world ὥστε so as τὸν the υἱὸν
son τὸν the μονογενῆ
only begotten ἔδωκεν
He gave, ἵνα
in order πᾶς
all ὁ the πιστεύων
believing (note: this word is: nominative, singular,
masculine, participle, present tense; so then it is the one presently
believing, and not anyone far off or future) εἰς
into αὐτὸν
Him μὴ
not ἀπόληται
perishy ἀλλὰ but ἔχῃ
have ζωὴν life αἰώνιον etemal.
It
is then by the grammar that the one who is saved is presently believing now,
and in the future; this is conversion. The word “world” seldom means the entire
world, and often is used to mean the evil world, or some special people. Does
this meet then context and Scripture? Peter says: “To the pilgrims of the
Dispersion in Pontus, Galata, Cappadocia, Asia, and bithynia, elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for
the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 1:1b–2; cf.
Romans 8:28–29; Ephesians 1:4). So, then, according to Scripture you did
not choose God, God chose you, and this before you were born, before you did
anything good, or bad, God chooses His elect; therefore it is not the “whole”
world, as in everyone, it is those who God chose, elected who hear the word of
God and believe due to the faith that was freely given them: “For by grace
you have been saved through faith, and that not yourselves; it is the gift of
God,, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8). It is then
our disposition that determines, whether or not our conversion to God or only
believe in God that is only a hope that you will be saved, even if you are
sincere. Sincerity and $1.50 might get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks for
people all over the world are sincere in their beliefs. Yes we are sincere, and
yes we believe, and yes we hope, as do all the world, and yet we have that one
thing that is missing in all other beliefs: we have the sure word of God. It is
this written word whereby God revealed Himself to man; first to the Jews a
special elected people to demonstrate to the world the glory of God. They
failed, God will judge failure, and we too must be concerned that we are not
failing by allowing false teaching to disrupt our faith and teach us to do
things that are not of God. So often, we look for the thrilling, and this is so
opposite of God’s word and is an intense failure and form of selfish interest.
This self–interest assumes what God does not teach and we then allow
unrighteousness in our lives and Churches. Self–seeking is not to obey the
truth: God will allow this, and God will judge this on the Last Day before the
judgment seat.
Live today for Christ; live for the
truth; stand for the truth, in every circumstance. This is the will of God, and
those believing and are converted do not fear man, they fear to disobey their
Father and His Only Begotten Son, and fear to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Your
blessing is not just in this world, for we have the greatest of all blessings:
WE WILL LIVE ETERNALLY WITH GOD!
O that blessed
birth , a virgin gave birth to our salvation,
with giving birth
pregnant with the holy Ghost,
the Redeemer of
the world and the boy revealed His sacred face .
These will be the height of heaven, all the angels sing,
These will be the height of heaven, all the angels sing,
sing to the
praise of God anywhere , whatever there is of virtue :
there is no
silent tongues , the voice , and all the consonant .
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Be
In Prayer Today: Communicate With Your God
Richard
L. Crumb
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