Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday,
May 8, 2019
They were directed towards our Lord’s teaching on salvation and our Lord’s teaching on what the “new spiritual life” is and what one must do to live in it.
Joh 15 = The attack dealt with salvation, not concerning how a person is saved but concerning whether or not if a person who was saved could lose their salvation.
He has changed his mind and doesn’t want to be saved anymore but wants to give God His salvation back — revealing the arrogance of rejecting our Lord; 1PE 1:3-5.
Two main verses that Satan and his kingdom will use to cause believers to live in fear and worried about concerning one’s salvation; Joh 15:2; 15:6.
Fruit — karpos = intrinsic good or a good that is naturally spiritual and a manifestation a high quality of life from the inner resources of divine good.
It is the presentation of divine good that demonstrates a believer’s love and respect towards God.
This type of believer displays the problem-solving devices and the relax mental attitude which illustrates the life of a winner believer.
Winner believer = someone who relies on the inner strength that comes from the power of the Spirit and the Word of God; Zec 4:6b.
ZEC 4:6b ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts or Jehovah of the armies.
The second problem says a believer can lose their salvation and in JOH 15:6, they say that it is teaching that a believer can lose or even give back his salvation; JOH 15:6.
JOH 15:6 “If anyone does not abide in Me [fellowship], he is thrown away as a branch and they teach God will throw away the believer who does not bear fruit.
and dries up [alienated from the life of God]; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
“and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” = they teach a believer can become lost and never find what they once had, salvation and the abundant life .
The apostle Paul warned the believers in Ephesus about concerning divine discipline, not losing your salvation; Eph 4:18-19.
One (blessing) glorifies the Lord as He releases escrow blessings to the winner believer while the other (suffering or divine discipline) is a manifestation of the “love of God as a Father.”
Apostasy = fallen away from the faith (doctrine), whereas reversionism means that if a believer does not go forward then he is automatically going backward.
No one ever stands still, they either go forward in the spiritual life or backward as they are drawn away from living the spiritual life or remaining stagnant.
Many believers will fall away from the Christian Faith (Doctrine) and they will pay attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 1TI 4:1).
1TI 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
PSA 101:3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It (that is fallen away) shall not fasten its grip on me (explain separation).
In EPH 4:18, the Apostle Paul writes “being darkened in their understanding” = their soul is filled with darkness and counterfeit in the light of blackness;
The believer is said to be “excluded from the life of God” = cut off from fellowship with members of the body of Christ.
How the Vine and the branches relate to the believer who has been disbarred because of ignorance and arrogance and failure to use the problem-solving devices.
”because of the ignorance that is in them “= the false doctrine that they have been receiving.
because of the hardness of their heart; = the hard-heart filled with apostasy.
EPH 4:19 and they, having become callous [scar tissue is built upon scar tissue and around the soul].
”have given themselves over to sensuality” = they are controlled by their emotions and feelings.
for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness = resulting in the fulfillment of lust built upon lust.
Our Lord provided for all of us because we are in union with the Lord Jesus Christ and we have been elevated above all angels, chosen and elect, fallen and condemned.
Our Lord’s victories gave us the absolute confidence that we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us and has provided for us the “All Things” we need to glorify our Lord.
JOH 14:27 “Peace He leaves with us; A peace that He gives us; not as the world gives, does He give to us but a peace that He says “Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
JOH 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
In ACT 9:31 it is a peace that believers enjoy, as they are being built up; and, going on in respecting the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.
In ROM 12:18 it is a peace that If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
It is a peace according to the Word of God” that is “alive and powerful” or even “alive and Cooking.”
It is also a peace that is revealed in two major chapters in the book of Hebrews, chapters one and two; Heb 1; Heb 2.
Now, just reading this section of the word of God is a phenomenal manifestation of the grace of God elevating members of the human race above angelic creatures.
We do acknowledge that there are also “guardian angels” who have been assigned to believers who will inherit salvation as well as receive divine blessings as a part of their inheritance.
Angels have been assigned to protect and provide for members of the human race as they did for our Lord Who desires to glorify our Lord; Mat 4:11.
Mat 4:11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
Mat 13:39 — Angels also will separate the wicked from the righteous as they get the “Millennial Reign” ready to be ruled by our Lord Jesus Christ for the next 1,000 years.
MAT 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven = these are elect angels who have been made holy by our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is also true that angels were used as “spiritual ubers” to transport members of the human race from a compartment in Hades (Hell) all the way to mansions in Heaven.
Prin: Spiritual truth is revealed by spiritual convictions.
Prin: Spiritual truth is manifested by the “Divine Inspiration” of the Word of God followed by the Divine Recognition of grace and knowledge which is motivated by the love of God; 2CO 5:14.
2CO 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
Angels also function as “Angelic Conflict Transportation;” LUK 16:22 “Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom;
1CO 4:9 “For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death because we have all become a spectacle or literally we are on a stage for both angels and to men.
We are also told that angels observe both winner believers and loser believers concerning the rules found in the early Church; 1CO 6:3.
1CO 6:3 Do you not know that we [winner believers of the Church-age and the winner believers in this life] that we live shall judge angels?
HEB 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.
EPH 2:6; 1Pe 3:22 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, who is at the right hand of God,
having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
The word descendant is in the singular which refers to our Lord Jesus Christ and then remember that what happened to Him will happen to us.
We all need to be on the alert about concerning the only reason why we have been elevated is because of our union and our position in Christ; 2CO 5:17; Gal 6:15.
2CO 5:17 Therefore if any man is [notice the phrase “en Christou” which means that the believer is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
The apostle Paul is using this passage to reveal the importance of the Cross and the result of what happens to believers concerning the “new spiritual species.”
Joh 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Our position in Christ also gives us the right to walk in the newness of resurrection life; Rom 6:4.
Our position in Christ also deals with dying with Him as He died for us; Rom 6:5.
Our position in Christ is one of the many reasons that we possess eternal life; ROM 6:23.
In Eph 1:4, we have election and predestination because of our union with the Lord.
Eph 2:6 and (He) raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
They distort what JOH 15:2 says that; “Every believer that does not bear fruit, He takes away and He also prunes the believer.”
JOH 15:6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
In Joh 15, this one passage in verse 6, has been so misunderstood by many believers who have good intentions but really cannot grasp the “Finished Work” of our Lord.
JOH 15:6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
You cannot lose your salvation and we will approach this subject very carefully by using the word “Approach.”
By approach = PHI 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
You do not fall away from the Lord but believe that you can live the spiritual life as you forget what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.
PHI 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
- So, our first approach is what we call the Positional Approach: Rom 8:1; Eph 1:3-6; Jude 1. Every believer is in union with Christ; Rom 8:38-39.
If you are “in Christ,” then this verse says you will never be condemned or judged by God no matter what you think, say, or do.
There is conviction by God the Holy Spirit, which is legitimate, but condemnation is not.
Holy Spirit conviction verses satanic condemnation is always a crossroads as to which way we will go.
Holy Spirit conviction always gives us a way out in which the grace of God is magnified, and reconciliation is the goal of God the Holy Spirit.
Whereas satanic accusations condemn a person and has no way out except satanic condemnation.
It is the Spirit verses Satan.
Conviction verses condemnation.
It is life spiritually or death experientially.
We have our Lord’s word on the type of judgment we will face; Joh 7:24.
Even when our Lord had to judge us which was really His way of evaluating the lifestyle that we live; He did do with grace and honor motivated by agape love.
When we are told that we are “in Christ” that is our position and not our condition.
Our position in Christ guarantees that there is no condemnation; Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
That gets right to the point — Because we are “in Christ” we will never lose our salvation.
The apostle Paul stresses that we are in Christ and we can never lose what God has given by means of grace.
We share what Christ has and we share who Christ is.
What a great doctrinal principle backed up by the “Divine Promises” from God; 1Jo 3:1-2.
ROM 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren;”
- Christ is absolute righteousness; 2Co 5:21.
2. Christ is elected, we share His election — Eph 1:4. - Christ has a destiny; we share His destiny — Eph 1:5.
4. Christ is the Son, we are in union with Christ, we share His sonship; 2Ti 2:1.
- Christ is the heir; we share His heirship; Rom 8:16-17.
6. Christ is sanctified, we share His sanctification; 1Co 1:2. - Christ is a King; we share His kingdom; 2Pe 1:11.
8. Christ is the High Priest; we share His priesthood; Heb 10:10-14.