sovereignty

YHWH is sovereign in all His dealings with humanity.

Joshua 24:15 Comments

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

This verse does NOT say nor implies that mankind has a “free will “, it does however mention something NOT being addressed. What do you do with other “gods”. Are we to assume then that there ARE other gods? He said choose this day is a command, a command does NOT IMPLY any sort of universal ability, a command is a command, and they were called to serve God or other gods freely, and they did, they were NOT forced. I believe a remnant were and are faithful but the most are not faithful as we discover in Judges, they went on to worship the Canaanites false gods and were worse. 

We MUST admit that there is a REVEALED will of YHWH and a HIDDEN/ SECRET will of YHWH. Deuteronomy 29:29.  

If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.

Joshua 24:5

Both sides of the fence in articles 1 & 4 acknowledge total inability but one ADDS a so-called PREvenient grace, where is that in scriptures? 

I see it like this, Joshua wasn’t able to bring them out of bondage but our Jesus being greater than Joshua is able to and has brought us out of bondage. YHWH makes us willing and thus we are given the ability to choose to obey and choose. Some will, some will NOT we don’t know which are able to, except and only after the command given reveals those who have this ability or are deficient. If you’re looking for fairness of YHWH He doesn’t work in the way of fairness. He is Holy and works all things according to council of His will. 

Scripture teaches that we choose. In Hebrews 11:24-26, Moses is said to have made a choice: “By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” 

Do all people have faith? We are given the gift of faith to serve along with Gods people choosing freely we are not forced. Without faith it IS impossible and those without faith will and never choose to obey. Both choose willingly freely. 

This is NOT a refutation or a debate but just my understanding of what I believe scripture teaches. No one seeks after God. If God gives ability to you the person you will inevitably come to Him, serve Him and obey Him faithfully. We are sustained and persevere by YHWH.  

James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

Adam and Eve

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness

Saved or Not Saved, that is The Question

THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

In the book of Genesis chapter 3 we read YHWH saying, “…and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15. Let me first come out and say I believe our first parents Adam and Eve are SAVED in with our Lord because they died in faith. In a short conversation I had mentioned that Adam named his wife Eve, her name means “Life”, she is the mother of all the living. Adam honored his wife by calling her Eve. Adam could have called her another name meaning the opposite but he didn’t, he named her Eve which leads me to believe Adam had to believe in the mercy of YHWH because of what YHWH said in Genesis 3:15.

That very day they both ate of the fruit they died spiritually and started to die physically by decay. YHWH could have destroyed them both, but He didn’t, He showed mercy by allowing to live.

It Has Always Been Grace

Immediately what do we see? We see YHWH giving them a covering, not just a covering to protect them from the environment but a covering, an atoning covering. Later we see these animal skin sacrifices in Numbers 4:6, Leviticus 4:11 just to name a couple. These sacrifices served as a foreshadow of the One perfect and final sacrifice for the true covering of atonement for the redeemed.

After Being Cast Out of the Garden

We see by example that Their children in Cain and Able, they offered sacrifices to YHWH which tells me that Adam must have taught them to do so. Genesis 4:3-4 So it happened in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering.

Adam in the Lineage and What About Eve?

I want to close this with this one last point, Adam is included in the lineage as head to those redeemed up to Joseph! Adam is not only head of the fallen race but also of the redeemed race. He is not numbered under the cursed of Cain but of the redeemed of Able. Eve had a faith just by seeing the names she named their children. Enough of the subject for now. Hope this helps. Blessings.

To Know God

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THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

It is important to know God because He is the One who created us. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than ours so says the book of Isaiah 55:8–9. Our faith as Christians is a religion of revelation, and, Yahweh is a God who reveals himself through His Word. Sometimes we may not experience God in our darkest moments as if He was distant or maybe even not involved, but He hasn’t left us.

God makes Himself known to mankind in two ways. The first is general revelation or natural revelation Romans 1:20. It’s just a basic knowledge of who God is, His expression in all of his works. Through His creation we see a reflection of something of Himself, no created reflection is exactly like our God. The other way that God reveals Himself is through what we call special revelation II Timothy 3:15. This is where we see God through the Holy Scriptures, we read the story of how God condescended to our level as a man the incarnation of The Son of God, our Lord and Savior. Isaiah 9:6

I have spoken with some brothers about not being known by God, and they would say that only applies to false prophets those who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they’re like ravenous wolves. My response is this, yes, it applies to them of that time, but not them only, it applies to a future age, our age. It says in there not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not done this or that, and then He will declare to them, “I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness”. Matthew 7:21-23 Mankind has been practicing lawlessness since the beginning of time after the fall, it hasn’t stopped since then so, it is applicable in this age. Genesis 6:5;Jeremiah 17:9-10

To Be Known By God

To know God, or to know of God is important for sure, but to be known by God is even more important. God knows us much better than we know ourselves Jeremiah 1:5 He knows our thoughts, our past, present, and our future there is nothing that can surprise Him. Psalm 139: 1-2. He knows it all! in spite of what he knows about us, he loves us deeply, and took upon himself the consequences of our sinfulness our failures upon himself and secured us. John 3:16.

I believe it is equally, if not more important, not only to know, God, but to be known of God, that is where the relationship is. He knows us intimately, He knew us before we were born. We know Him through His Word, intimately, and one day we will know Him fully just as He has always known us fully, this is a holy righteous and eternal relationship. Secured in Him. Romans 8:38-39. Blessings.

Is Your Profession of Faith True?

Published on by Slave Of Righteousness
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE

When we engage with others who profess faith in Jesus most of us take it for granted that it’s genuine. A sincerer profession may be true but a sincere profession does not equate to a genuine confession. Your profession of faith is contingent on your understanding of who Jesus is.

When Jesus was talking to His disciples He asked them “who do they say that The Son of man is?” Matthew 5 16:13 & 17. Later on Jesus directly asks Peter the same question “But who do you say that I am?”, Peter then responds, “You are the Christ, The Son of the living God.”. later we see that Jesus say, “flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven….”.

Jesus has claimed His being in John 8:58, Colossians 2:9, Isaiah 7:14. There are many other verses that confirm His being and who He is but for now this will suffice. The name Immanuel is literally “God with us” or “with us is God”.

Who Accepts Who?

When we engage with other professing “believers” and they say that They’ve “accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior” it rarely gets questioned and passed over. In John 15:16 Jesus said “I chose you”. He chose and appointed them at that time to bare fruit and in this age He has appointed us to bare fruit. Jesus is the one who accepts a repentant sinner upon confession and It is the sinner who receives forgiveness…Jesus is the one who does the accepting.

Your Faith Is Only Valid If The Object Of Faith Is Valid.

What is a valid faith? What does that mean? It means exactly what it sounds like. If the faith that you place is on any other Jesus then what has not been revealed in scripture, is not faith. It is not a dead faith it is no faith at all. Proverbs 3:5-6 , Hebrews 11:6. People say they know Jesus or know of Jesus, the first being Fiducia referring to personal trust and reliance and the other refers to an Assensus referring to a knowing of the content of the faith and yet not believing it to be true. Blessings and hope this clears some things for you.