"About Grace"

[BanjoPicker]

PURPOSE OF GOD IN THIS DISPENSATION

The purpose of God in this age is not the conversion of the whole world (for He knows that all men will not accept of Hs grace and the benefits of salvation), but the "calling out" of all nations a people for His name. It is God's will to save all if all would believe (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9), but all will not believe (1 Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 2:14, 15; 4:7-16). Those that do believe are saved and comprise the church that Christ came to build. Christ said, "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of He11 shall not prevail against it" (Mt. 16:18). The present church is being "build upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22).

 

[BanjoPicker]

The purpose of this age is plainly expressed in Acts 15:13-18 thus: "God at the first did visit the Gentiles, TO TAKE OUT OF THEM A PEOPLE FOR HIS NAME. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, AFTER THIS [after the church age and after building the church and translating it to Himself, as in Eph. 5:25-27; 1 Thess. 4:13-17] I will return, and will BUILD AGAIN the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will BUILB AGAIN the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name if called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

 

[BanjoPicker]

this passage says that after building the church God will BUILD AGAIN the nation of Israel. When Israel as a nation rejected Jesus and the message of God it was then predicted that they would be rejected and scattered among all nations until the second advent of Christ and until "the times of the Gentiles" be fulfilled (Matt. 21:33-46; 23:37-39; Lk. 21:20-24; Rom. 11:25-29). Jesus spoke of Himself going into Heaven to come again after a long time to set up His kingdom over Israel and all nations forever. He illustrated this truth by a certain man who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return Lk. 19:11-27). When Christ comes at the end of this age, He will come with an expeditionary force from Heaven to defeat the governments of this world in one day and take over the whole Earth and reign forever (Zech. 14:1-21; Jude 14; Rev. 11:15; 19:11-21; 20:1-15; Rev. 21:1-22:5; Dan. 2:44, 45; 7:13, 14, 18, 27; Isa. 63:1-8).

The masses of people will not be saved during this age. The tares and the wheat will continue to grow together until the end of this age, and then the angels shall separate the good from the bad and cast the wicked into eternal He11 (Matt. 13:36-43, 47-52; 24:45-51; 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:7-12; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-20:10; Zech. 14). Even during the tribulation judgments at the end of this age the majority will reject God's love and grace (Rev. 9:20, 21; 19:9, 11, 19-21). Because men will not receive the love of the truth in this age as it draws to a close, God will send them "strong delusion, that they might believe a lie: that they all might be dam-ned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:7-12; Matt. 24:15-26; Rev. 13:1-18).

 

[formula1]

Grace, thankfully, is not defined by a man! I’ll hold my hope fully in it! The One who guarantees Grace is endless!

 

[BanjoPicker]

GOD'S MEANS IN ACCOMPLIHING HIS PIURPOSE IN THIS AGE

The means of God accomplishing His purpose in this age, in "calling out" a people for His name and in saving all that believe is preaching of the true gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:17-25; 2 Cor. 4:4). God uses men who are called, anointed, and ordained to preach the gospel to all nations and the head the work of the church (1 Cor. 12:1-31; Eph. 4:7-11). He also uses all other believers to witness and live the truth as an actual demonstration of the fruit of the gospel of grace (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:9-15; 12:1-31 Rom. 12:4-21; 2 Cor. 3:1-18; 6:1-18; Eph. 4:1-16; Col. 3:1- 17). These are the visible means but there is the ministry of the Spirit and angels as the invisible agencies energizing the believer for such work (Jn. 14:12-17, 26; 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; 10:38; 1 Cor. 12-14; Heb. 1:14).

The whole work of God in the redemption of the race in the various phases whether it be the work or man, the work of angels, or the work of God through the Holy Spirit, is all done because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The cross is the only basis of God's redemptive processes.

 

[BanjoPicker]

THE FAILURE OF MEN IN THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE

The failure of men throughout this age to date is recorded in history as being like the failure of men in all other ages. History records one failure of men after another in every part of this ages, not the failure of every man, but that of men in general. there have been men in every age that have been true to God. But there has not been one age yet in which all men proved true to God. The failure of the church in this age runs parallel to that of the failures of Israel in the last age. Israel failed God and God took the gospel work from them and gave it to the Gentiles (Mt. 21:33-46). The Gentiles are now failing God and will continue to do so until God will have to reject them and turn the gospel work back to the Jews in the next age, the Millennium. Then and not until then will the Earth become full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). Note the failure of the various classes of people in this age: The Failure of Israel, The Failure of the Early Church, Failure of the Post-apostolic Chruch and to our day.

 

[StriperAddict]

Grace, thankfully, is not defined by a man! I’ll hold my hope fully in it! The One who guarantees Grace is endless!

That One, the great "I AM", is the Author AND Finisher of our faith. What great assurance His promises are to the saints!

 

[BanjoPicker]

Failure of Israel

In the beginning of this age Israel was the custodian of the gospel and of the covenants, promises, and calling of God Rom. 1:16; 3:1-8; 9:4, 5; Mt. 10:5, 6; Jn. 1:11. Israel was given her last chance to prove true to God before she was to be rejected and scattered among the nations. In other words, for over 2,000 years Israel had been the ministers of God in the Earth, and when Christ came, they were given their last chance to prove true to God and to evangelize the world. By this time Isarel was so full of hatred against God that they rejected the preaching of John the Baptist Mt. 3:7; 21:23-27; Jesus Mt. 11:11-27; 12:1-50; 23:1-39; Luke 4:28-30; John 5:16-18; and the early disciples Acts 4:1-31; 6:8-7:59; 8:1-4; 12:1-5; 16:19-38; 17:1-18:18; 22:1-28:29. For this rejection of the gospel and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ their Messiah, Israel was rejected by God and destroyed as a nation and scattered among all nations of the world Mt. 24:1-3; Lk. 21:20-24; Rom. 11. God has not dealt with them as a nation since then, until very recent months. Now Israel is being restored as a nation, and God is again dealing with them for the purpose of fulfilling the everlasting covenants made with their fathers.

 

[tell sackett]

That One, the great "I AM", is the Author AND Finisher of our faith. What great assurance His promises are to the saints!

He is faithful who promised

 

[Artfuldodger]

Failure of Israel

In the beginning of this age Israel was the custodian of the gospel and of the covenants, promises, and calling of God Rom. 1:16; 3:1-8; 9:4, 5; Mt. 10:5, 6; Jn. 1:11. Israel was given her last chance to prove true to God before she was to be rejected and scattered among the nations. In other words, for over 2,000 years Israel had been the ministers of God in the Earth, and when Christ came, they were given their last chance to prove true to God and to evangelize the world. By this time Isarel was so full of hatred against God that they rejected the preaching of John the Baptist Mt. 3:7; 21:23-27; Jesus Mt. 11:11-27; 12:1-50; 23:1-39; Luke 4:28-30; John 5:16-18; and the early disciples Acts 4:1-31; 6:8-7:59; 8:1-4; 12:1-5; 16:19-38; 17:1-18:18; 22:1-28:29. For this rejection of the gospel and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ their Messiah, Israel was rejected by God and destroyed as a nation and scattered among all nations of the world Mt. 24:1-3; Lk. 21:20-24; Rom. 11. God has not dealt with them as a nation since then, until very recent months. Now Israel is being restored as a nation, and God is again dealing with them for the purpose of fulfilling the everlasting covenants made with their fathers.

Romans 11 says a remnant of Israel was chosen by God's grace and not for anything they did.
What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
Because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles.

It seems like Paul is revealing a part of God's plan. Part of God's plan was Jesus and his death. Israel played a major part of making this happen exactly as God wanted it to happen.

Romans 11 also reminds us of how the remnant was chosen. Thus the topic at hand of what grace is.

 

[BanjoPicker]

Failure of the Early Church

Failure in the early church is seen in the days of the apostles. Disobedience of the faith is seen as early as Acts 5 and 6, when Christians began lying, and having divisions and strifes over various questions. The failure continued by the Christians being divided over false teachings Acts 15. The epistles really give the failures in the various churches. The facts that many believers failed God either in their personal conduct or in their doctrines. The false ideas of the Jews in mixing the laws of Moses with the doctrines of grace are seen in nearly every epistle. The epistles were really written to correct false doctrines among Christians and to teach personal holiness in life and conduct. Then too, the false idea of the Jews that they were better than the Gentiles and were the special people of God had to be corrected. Early Christians had to learn that God was no respecter of persons and that in every nation he that worketh righteousness is accepted to Him.

In the epistles we read of divisions, strifes, heresies, unclean living, wrong marriage relationships, disorders in the ordinances, and false teachings on meats, drinks, spiritual gifts, the resurrection, and many Christians doctrines. The record shows that the church started out prefect, powerful, and full of faith and unselfishness; but soon many Christians became careless, indifferent, faithless, and backslidden, until churches were admonished to contend for the faith and life once delivered to the saints (1 Pet. 4; 2 Pet. 2; Jude 3; Eph. 4; Gal. 5; Col. 3; Rev. 2-3).

 

[BanjoPicker]

Failure of Post-apostolic Church and to Our Day

History reveals that the apostasy beginning in the apostolic period continued to grow worse until a few centuries apostolic living and power was almost a thing of the past. Christendom entered the DARK AGES OF SPIRITURAL DARKNESS AND OPPRESSION WHEN popes, and bishops RULED THROUGH CIVIL GOVERNMENTS AND MURDERED MILLIONS BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT CONFROM TO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION. This sway of the papacy continued until Martin Luther and other reformers started the Protestant movement. Since then, God has been bringing men out of spiritual darkness, revealing again the great truths of the Word of God, and giving men again the experiences of the early church.

All the different phases of salvation such as grace, redemption, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, justification, healing in the atonement, the baptism in the Holy Ghost. the gifts of the spirit, and many other wonderful truths and experiences are again as clear as they ever were. In fact, there is not one truth in Scripture but what is clearly understood by men today.

In spite of all this, men in general today are rejecting these same truths and are making the same mistake Israel made at the beginning of this age. This is just another repetition of what has happened in every age. Even multitudes of professing Christians are rejecting some part of truth of God as plainly revealed in Scripture. It is appalling to see the great falling away from the faith in our churches. Thousands of churches are being closed. many thousands of people in the churches are denying the inspiration of the Bible, the virgin birth, the necessity of the atonement, and practically every important phase of scriptural teaching that is fundamental to the salvation of man. Even many thousands in the churches that claim to be orthodox and fundamental in their teachings deny some part or other of the Bible, and they deny that the early church blessings are for us today.

These conditions are what God foretold for He knew that the human heart controlled by demon spirits has been the same in all ages. A great apostasy in the latter days is foretold in Matt. 24:4-26; 25:31-46; Lk. 18:8; 1 Thess. 5:1-4; 2 Thess. 2; 1 Tim. 4; 2 Tim. 3; Jas. 5:1-7; 2 Pet. 3; Rev. 2-3. There is no better outlook for the future. Instead, things will get worse and worse until this age will end in the greatest persecution against God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and true Christians that the world has ever seen, making necessary for God to bring judgment and put down rebellion on the Earth. (Jer. 30:6-9; Dan. 7:20-27; 8:15-25; 9:27; 11:36-45; 12:1-13; Mt. 24:15-31; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:1-12; Rev. 6:1-19:21).

 

[BanjoPicker]

THE JUDGMENT UPON MAN ENDING THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE

The judgment that will come upon man because of his failure to meet the test of this age will consist of the wrath of God being poured out upon Earth, as revealed in the following passages which prove that there is to be a time of trouble and great rebellion against God on the Earth during the very last years of this age, making it necessary for God to bring judgment on man and put down this rebellion, which event will end this age and usher in another--Millennium (Jer. 30:6-9; Dan. 7:20-27; 8:15-25; 9:27; 11:36-45; 12:1-13; Matt. 24:15-31; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:1-12; Rev. 6:1-19:21). Because men have not received the love of the truth but have rather desired sin and have had pleasure in unrighteousness, God will give them over to their own lustful life and permit the devil to have sway over them and bring the destruction that Satan always desired to bring (Rev. 12:12). After the devil torments men for the last three and one-half years of this age, God will bring "sudden destruction" upon the ungodly. This will be the climax of many judgments from God which have been in evidence during the Seventieth Week of Daniel.

 

[BanjoPicker]

Gods Provision Of Redemption Ending This Age
God's provisions of redemption is always the same. It is unchangeable and eternal. It cannot be improved upon. Many people today are in error in teaching that God must take the church through the tribulation at the end of this age in order to get it ready to be present to God.

Such a belief belittles the blood of Christ and suggests a better redemption than by blood, or at least, something necessary in connection with blood at the end of this age that has not been necessary before. If the blood were not sufficient to make the church ready to meet God, then He would be unjust and a respecter of persons. For God to be just in such a case, it would be necessary to resurrect all who have died from the time of Adam to the future tribulation and give them the same chance to be purified and become ready to meet God that the living would have at that time. If God could save men by means of trouble there would have been no need of the blood of Christ, for tribulation could come without the death of God's Son.

The fact is that God has always had a clean and righteous people and always will have, regardless of any tribulation. It is the Spirit, the Word, and the blood, not tribulation, that cleanses from all sin (Ex. 12; Lev. 17:11; Jn. 3:3-5; Rom. 3:4-25; 5:9; 8:1-13; Eph. 5:26; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Jn. 1:7).

Another Gross error is that no redemption is provided for people during the tribulation. That the Spirit will be here during the tribulation is proved in Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21; Zech. 12:10; Jn. 14:16; Rev. 7:9-17). Note the tribulation setting on these passages. Rev. 7:9-17 proves that multitudes will be saved by the blood, and this could not be without the ministry of the Spirit. (Jn. 3:3-6; 16:7-11; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 2:18; 1 Cor. 6:11; Titus 3:5; Rev. 12:11, 17). How could people be saved during this time if the Spirit were gone? (Rev. 13:7-10; 14:13; 17:6; 20:4).

Not only will there be redemption by the blood, but by power, as in the land of Egypt. God is going to send His Son with all the armies of Heaven to redeem His own people from the bondage of the devil, and the Antichrist, and the raging nations gathered against them (Joel 3; Zech. 14; Mt. 24:29-31; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:7-12; Rev. 17:14; 19:11-21).