Post by tlsitd on Jun 26, 2018 18:00:36 GMT -5
The Scriptures speak for themselves. May God give His people the right understanding of His word so that they will not be confused or misled. God's truth and His faith are under a concentrated attack by the spirits of the world (demons), to prepare the world for the acceptance of the antichrist, working through unsaved people and deceived Christians to confuse and deceive the world, but especially to confuse and deceive the saints, in order to topple them if possible during the tribulation by persuading them to fall away from Jesus Christ. (Know that that is what is going on now in the spiritual realm; it is real, and it is purposeful.)
The more of God's truth we embrace, the stronger we are spiritually, and the less of His truth we know, the more vulnerable to deception we are.
If you are one of those confused about this subject, I hope that this post will---if not refute by itself, at least point you to the Scriptures, which collectively refute the suggestion by some that there is any righteousness, any holiness, any blessing, any chosen people today, outside of or apart from Jesus Christ, and those who have been chosen by God from eternity to belong to Him---in whom (Christ) all of the promises and blessings of God described in the Old Testament have their fulfillment.
May the Lord Himself give you all the understanding of His truth that you need, and confirm the same to you.
Who is blessed, and who is cursed?
"...Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." (1 Samuel 2:30)
"Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." (John 5:23)
"...I (Jesus) honor My Father, and you (unbelieving Jews) dishonor Me." (John 8:49)
"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me (Moses) from among you, from your brothers---it is to Him you shall listen...
"I (God) will raise up for them (the people of Israel) a prophet like you (Moses) from among their brothers. And I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And whoever will not listen to My words that He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him." (Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19)
"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
...Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (John 5:45-47)
Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city. (Revelation 22:14 KJV)
Which commandments? The ten commandments? The law of Moses? No; the commandments of the New Covenant, which was inaugurated with the blood of Christ. (See Hebrews 9:15-28)
...All who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them."
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather, "The one who does them shall live by them." (Galatians 3:10-12)
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made...For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:19,21,22)
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in My covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying,
'Know the Lord,'
for they shall all know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."
In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:8-13)
We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. (Hebrews 13:10)
Who are the chosen, holy, people of God?
But you (Jewish believers, Christians) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
(1 Peter 2:9,10)
For this is contained in Scripture:
"Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed."
This precious value, then, is for you who believe, but for those who disbelieve,
"The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,"
and
"A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense";
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (1 Peter 2:6-8)
"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:18)
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)
Kiss the Son, lest He (God the Father) be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him (Jesus). (Psalm 2:12)
For all of the promises of God find their Yes in Him (Jesus). (2 Corinthians 1:20)
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself." (Acts 2:38,39)
"You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up His servant, sent Him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of your from your wickedness." (Acts 3:26)
And so it could go on and on. But hopefully that is enough---if not to refute, then at least to encourage you to search the Scriptures, which are filled with Scripture that refutes the heretical and blasphemous suggestion that there is anyone righteous, or any blessing, or any holiness, or any chosen people today besides those whom God Himself has chosen from eternity to be saved, and in Jesus Christ---who is the end and fulfillment of all that is promised in the Old Testament, which those who accept and obey Him through the gospel will receive and realize, and those who reject Him will not.
"And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:11,12)
If you want to bless the people of Israel (or any other unbelievers), evangelize them. If you want to "curse" them, give them your approval to continue in their unbelief with a vain form of righteousness and tell them that they already worship God and are blessed by Him in their disobedience to the gospel and enmity with God. They've always loved people who do that, and hated people who tell them the truth.
The more of God's truth we embrace, the stronger we are spiritually, and the less of His truth we know, the more vulnerable to deception we are.
If you are one of those confused about this subject, I hope that this post will---if not refute by itself, at least point you to the Scriptures, which collectively refute the suggestion by some that there is any righteousness, any holiness, any blessing, any chosen people today, outside of or apart from Jesus Christ, and those who have been chosen by God from eternity to belong to Him---in whom (Christ) all of the promises and blessings of God described in the Old Testament have their fulfillment.
May the Lord Himself give you all the understanding of His truth that you need, and confirm the same to you.
Who is blessed, and who is cursed?
"...Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." (1 Samuel 2:30)
"Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." (John 5:23)
"...I (Jesus) honor My Father, and you (unbelieving Jews) dishonor Me." (John 8:49)
"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me (Moses) from among you, from your brothers---it is to Him you shall listen...
"I (God) will raise up for them (the people of Israel) a prophet like you (Moses) from among their brothers. And I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And whoever will not listen to My words that He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him." (Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19)
"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
...Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (John 5:45-47)
Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city. (Revelation 22:14 KJV)
Which commandments? The ten commandments? The law of Moses? No; the commandments of the New Covenant, which was inaugurated with the blood of Christ. (See Hebrews 9:15-28)
...All who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them."
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather, "The one who does them shall live by them." (Galatians 3:10-12)
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made...For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:19,21,22)
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in My covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying,
'Know the Lord,'
for they shall all know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."
In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:8-13)
We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. (Hebrews 13:10)
Who are the chosen, holy, people of God?
But you (Jewish believers, Christians) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
(1 Peter 2:9,10)
For this is contained in Scripture:
"Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed."
This precious value, then, is for you who believe, but for those who disbelieve,
"The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,"
and
"A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense";
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (1 Peter 2:6-8)
"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:18)
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)
Kiss the Son, lest He (God the Father) be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him (Jesus). (Psalm 2:12)
For all of the promises of God find their Yes in Him (Jesus). (2 Corinthians 1:20)
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself." (Acts 2:38,39)
"You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up His servant, sent Him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of your from your wickedness." (Acts 3:26)
And so it could go on and on. But hopefully that is enough---if not to refute, then at least to encourage you to search the Scriptures, which are filled with Scripture that refutes the heretical and blasphemous suggestion that there is anyone righteous, or any blessing, or any holiness, or any chosen people today besides those whom God Himself has chosen from eternity to be saved, and in Jesus Christ---who is the end and fulfillment of all that is promised in the Old Testament, which those who accept and obey Him through the gospel will receive and realize, and those who reject Him will not.
"And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:11,12)
If you want to bless the people of Israel (or any other unbelievers), evangelize them. If you want to "curse" them, give them your approval to continue in their unbelief with a vain form of righteousness and tell them that they already worship God and are blessed by Him in their disobedience to the gospel and enmity with God. They've always loved people who do that, and hated people who tell them the truth.