Category: Paul’s salvation

Satan and Dispensationalism #16

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:” (Ephesians 3:1,2 KJV).

Satan knows that Dispensational Bible Study is the key to understanding God’s Word. Thus, he denies it and corrupts it every chance he gets!

While Acts is certainly not easy reading, theology has complicated it. Historical rather than doctrinal, “The Acts of the Apostles,” simply documents Israel’s overwhelmingly negative response to God’s Word preached by the Apostles.

In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus spoke a parable. Please read it in your own time. We can only interpret it here. Father God planted a fig tree (Mosaic Law) in His vineyard (Israel’s land). For three years, Christ’s earthly ministry, God sought any righteousness in Israel. But, no spiritual fruit was there! The Law could only identify and condemn sinners—it had no power to make them right before God. Father God was ready to destroy Israel’s religious life. Jesus intervened, “Father, give them one more year before You cut it down.”

Confirming the parable, Israel ignored Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, and demanded His crucifixion. But, Jesus intervened at Calvary, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). So, Father God gave Israel a one-year opportunity to repent, to think differently, and turn from their vain works-religion. That one year was Acts chapters 1-7. The 12 apostles preached their hearts out, desperately trying to convert stubborn Israel. It was useless. Finally, in Acts chapter 7, Stephen, filled with the Holy Ghost, accused Israel of persistent unbelief and rebellion. He was stoned to death! Jesus Christ was arising in the third heaven, to return in wrath and destroy those apostates (Acts 7:55,56; Psalm 110:1)! Israel had blasphemed the Holy Ghost, and could not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31,32). She had nowhere to go now but hell!

Leading Israel’s rebellion against Jesus Christ was Saul of Tarsus, one of Stephen’s challengers. Saul would become the Apostle Paul. The only way to save such a wicked man as Saul was for God to radically depart from Israel’s program and covenants. The Dispensation of Grace came to save Saul first (1 Timothy 1:12-16)!

Satan and Dispensationalism #8

Monday, October 12, 2015

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is one of the six key areas that Satan has found to be advantageous regarding confusing God’s people in this Dispensation of Grace, the Church the Body of Christ!

Satan wants ignorant Christians. After all, he can only rule over people who are unaware of what really matters. As one dear brother often says, “Ignorant brethren are the world’s largest denomination!” To add insult to injury, the exact six instances where Paul says not to be ignorant of some doctrine, they are the very doctrines of which Christendom is totally ignorant today! Awful! Shameful! Awful!

The second exhortation not to be ignorant is in today’s Scripture. We find this verse in the last chapter of a three-chapter section where Paul answers the questions, “What happened to Israel in the past?” (chapter 9), “Where is Israel today?” (chapter 10), and “Does Israel have a future?” (chapter 11). Paul explains that the prophetic program that God had been operating since the world began (Acts 3:21) is now delayed because of his conversion in Acts chapter 9 and his ministry thereafter. Today, God is operating the mystery program, a program He had kept secret until He revealed it to Paul (Romans 16:25,26).

There is still a satanic agenda today to deceive Christians and make them think they are Israel and/or that they must behave like Israel to receive God’s blessings. Friends, let us ever be mindful of it. Salvation is come to us Gentiles through Israel’s fall (Romans 11:11,12). We the Body of Christ have not replaced Israel. National Israel is spiritually blinded (lost) today, no spiritual status before God. But, God is not through with Israel. Our Dispensation of Grace is not forever. Israel will rise to kingdom glory! Yet, Christians are ignorant of these dispensational changes. They say we have to bless Israel so God will bless us. They talk about Israel and the 1948 “budding of the fig tree.” Nonsense! Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are largely ignored… thus, Christendom is largely ignorant!

Paul and Dispensationalism #14

Friday, August 21, 2015

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11 KJV).

What else can the Apostle Paul teach us about dispensational Bible study?

From Genesis chapter 12 (call of Abraham) until Acts chapter 9 (salvation of Saul of Tarsus), JEHOVAH God dealt almost exclusively with the nation Israel, promising them various covenants, the backbone of their prophetic program. Romans 9:4,5 comment: “[4] Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; [5] Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

When God dealt with Gentiles prior to Acts chapter 9, He did so through or related to the nation Israel. The Abrahamic Covenant described how God blessed Gentiles who blessed Israel and He cursed Gentiles who cursed Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). Ultimately, God would convert and commission Israel to bring His Word to all nations in His earthly kingdom (Exodus 19:5,6; Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23). At Calvary and during early Acts, Israel refused to become that kingdom of priests!

Ephesians 2:11-13 explains how prophecy gave way to mystery: “[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; [12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: [13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Verse 13 is true now that we have come to Paul’s ministry!)

God’s grace that brings salvation “appeared to all men” once the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ saved and commissioned Saul of Tarsus. Now, God’s Word and the Gospel of His Grace have come to us Gentiles through Paul’s ministry without Israel (Romans 11:11-13). That grace message is Israel’s rejected Messiah Jesus and His finished crosswork can save Gentiles (including lost Jews) into a body of believers who are alive with God’s life!

Paul and Dispensationalism #13

Thursday, August 20, 2015

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9 KJV).

What else can the Apostle Paul teach us about dispensational Bible study?

Previously, Paul explained why Jesus Christ commissioned him as our apostle: “[7] Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. [8] Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;” Continuing with today’s Scripture: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”

The risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ had information to tell all nations, information that He had not revealed during His earthly ministry. So, He took wretched Saul of Tarsus, leader of Israel’s apostasy and the world’s rebellion against Him, saved him by His mercy and grace in Acts chapter 9, and commissioned him to testify to all nations of the divine knowledge he had received and would receive later on. Firstly, Paul was to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” This was spiritual wealth found in Christ, apart from Israel and her kingdom program, not spoken of in her Old Testament Scriptures. Secondly, Paul was to “make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery.” This secret (verse 6) is how believing Jews and believing Gentiles are saved into the Church the Body of Christ, apart from Israel and her prophetic program—Saul of Tarsus being first (1 Timothy 1:11-16).

Lost people today are to see us members of the Body of Christ (believing Jews and Gentiles harmoniously) living according to the grace doctrines revealed to Paul. Saints, our dearly beloved brother Paul has since moved on to heaven, but we are still here, and until Christ comes for us, let us, in word and deed, carry on the divinely-ordained ministry he left behind (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Was Luke a Jew or a Gentile?”

Paul and Dispensationalism #4

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” (Colossians 1:25-27 KJV).

What else can the Apostle Paul teach us about dispensational Bible study?

From Genesis chapter 1 until Acts chapter 9, about 4,000 years, God was revealing the prophetic program… that “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). When Saul of Tarsus was saved, the ascended Lord Jesus Christ began to reveal to that man a body of information that was previously kept secret in God… that “which was kept secret since the world began” (Romans 16:25). The Bible is a progressive revelation—God does not immediately reveal everything.

God had many special tasks for Paul. Chiefly, he was His “apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13). Today’s Scripture tells us that Paul had another role—“to fulfil the word of God.” Little by little, God had revealed the prophetic program, but He had withheld a gigantic chunk of information: that hidden wisdom is called the “mystery,” or doctrine which God had hidden in Himself until He decided to reveal it to man. By direct revelation, Jesus Christ communicated that doctrine to Paul (Galatians 1:11,12; Acts 26:16-18). For the 35 years Paul was an apostle, God’s Holy Spirit moved him to write 13 epistles, Romans through Philemon. Now, the Holy Spirit uses those written words to teach us exactly what Jesus Christ taught Paul (Ephesians 3:1-5)—“even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.”

The “mystery of [God’s] will” is now disclosed (Ephesians 1:9). There is no “secret will of God” for us. He revealed it all in a Book—that book is preserved, our completed King James Bible. We do not need circumstances, hunches, opinions, and “angelic appearances” to learn from God. We have a completed Word of God!

Paul and Dispensationalism #2

Sunday, August 9, 2015

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;” (Ephesians 3:1-5 KJV).

What else can the Apostle Paul teach us about dispensational Bible study?

Protesters of dispensational Bible study often resort to the ridiculous claim, “Dispensationalism was invented in the late 1800s-early 1900s by Darby, Larkin, and Scofield.” Bless their dear hearts—they need to hush and study today’s Scripture in their 1611 King James Bible. The Bible term “dispensation” existed long before the 1800s!

Beloved, we do not recognize, believe, and teach dispensational Bible study to be different (although we are different for recognizing, believing, and teaching it). Friends, we do not recognize, believe, and teach dispensational Bible study to be ridiculed (although we are ridiculed for recognizing, believing, and teaching it). Brethren, we do not recognize, believe, and teach dispensational Bible study to be shunned (although we are shunned for recognizing, believing, and teaching it). So be it! Let us be different, ridiculed, and shunned! Praise our Lord Jesus Christ that we are in the same predicament as the apostle He sent to us Gentiles!

Unless someone did not want to see, he or she would understand that “the dispensation of the grace of God” was given to the Apostle Paul (today’s Scripture). Jesus Christ revealed to Paul a secret, “the mystery of Christ.” Verse 6 elaborates: “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” The secret was that He would form a body of believing Jews and Gentiles, the Church the Body of Christ, separate and distinct from the nation Israel. This Body of Christ was to be formed, strengthened, and manifested to all, through Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. God delayed Israel’s program to form this new agency!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Is prophecy being fulfilled in the Dispensation of Grace?”

Paul and Dispensationalism #1

Saturday, August 8, 2015

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:15,16 KJV).

What can the Apostle Paul teach us about dispensational Bible study?

God’s wrath that was about to fall on Jesus-rejecting Israel in Acts chapter 7 never came. For 2,000 years now, that prophecy has been delayed. Today, sinful mankind continues to rub God’s nose in his sin. They marry whomever they want, worship whatever they want, steal whatever they want, kill whomever they want, oppress whomever they want, say whatever they want, and do whatever else they want. They replace Jesus Christ’s crosswork with their (meager) “righteous deeds.” Haughtily, they ask, “Just what are You going to do about it, God? Not saying or doing anything about what I am doing? You must not exist, then!”

Paul plainly declared in today’s Scripture what happened to the wrath that was literally moments away in early Acts. As Saul of Tarsus, Israel’s leader in arresting, torturing, and executing Messianic Jews, he was the primary character in God’s crosshairs. God’s wrath could have literally crushed Saul of Tarsus! He was “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious” but he “obtained mercy,” because he “did it ignorantly in unbelief” (verse 13). Saul instead experienced “the GRACE of our Lord [that] was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (verse 14).

Saul’s worthless ministry was finished, permanently suspended. Now, he would be the first member of the Body of Christ. Saul would be the prime specimen of God’s longsuffering. Why has God’s wrath not yet fallen on this evil world? Look at Paul the pattern! The program that allowed Paul to escape God’s wrath is now operating today, that others may also escape that impending wrath. Oh, friend, may you not delay another second. Come by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s shed blood, His death, His burial, and His resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins. Follow Paul your pattern!

Peter and Dispensationalism #3

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

What can the Apostle Peter teach us about dispensational Bible study?

In early Acts, Peter preached that Messiah Jesus would return to destroy those Jews who incessantly rejected Him (Acts 2:32-40; Acts 3:19-26). The Prophet Stephen said he saw Jesus Christ standing at His Heavenly Father’s right hand in the third heaven, ready to come and judge apostate Israel (Acts 7:55,56). In a fit of rage, unbelieving Israel killed Holy-Spirit-filled Stephen… with Jesus-hating Saul of Tarsus encouraging and approving (7:57–8:3). Saul, along with the other Israeli Jesus-haters, should have been immediately consumed, burned up in God’s wrath. Yet, no wrath came! Why?

Thirty years later, Saul, now the Apostle Paul, reflecting on his salvation experience in Acts chapter 9, wrote in 1 Timothy 1:12-16: “[12] And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; [13] Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. [14] And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. [15] This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save [not punish!!!!] sinners; of whom I am chief. [16] Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

As Peter learned (cf. today’s Scripture), God had given those Christ-rejecters in Israel yet another chance to escape that wrath. Paul was first to be saved into the Church the Body of Christ. As God operates our Dispensation of Grace, grace, love, mercy, and all longsuffering will dominate, thereby delaying divine wrath!

Peter and Dispensationalism #2

Monday, August 3, 2015

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

What can the Apostle Peter teach us about dispensational Bible study?

Once God instated our mystery program, there was such a radical departure from the prophetic program… even the Bible scoffers recognized it! Today’s Scripture is Peter’s response to those who questioned and derided impending divine judgment.

Notice verses 3 and 4: “[3] Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, [4] And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” In other words, “Oh Peter, you and your fellow ‘apostles’ and your ‘Messiah’ Jesus have talked for years about God’s wrath coming upon us! So, where is it? Where is that ‘flaming fire,’ God’s vengeance on our sin?”

You can sense the scorn in their words, the same supercilious attitude in the minds of most people today. “Oh, you Christians, fanatics, have been preaching Jesus’ return in wrath for centuries—yea 2,000 years! He is not coming back! It is bluffing meant to scare us into believing the Gospel!” (Peter was also accused of lying about that wrath of God, “following cunningly devised fables;” 2 Peter 1:16.)

Peter wrote in chapter 3, verse 9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Peter learned from Paul (cf. today’s Scripture) that wrath was delayed. God is longsuffering—His patience postpones that wrath, so He can save people into the Body of Christ before that wrath comes! Peter exhorts his audience to read Paul’s epistles, that they too learn that wrath is real, is still coming, but is momentarily postponed.

*NOTE: You are encouraged to watch the 2015 “Grace School of the Bible” Family Bible Conference here. You will learn much!

Peter and Dispensationalism #1

Sunday, August 2, 2015

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

What can the Apostle Peter teach us about dispensational Bible study?

God’s impending judgment is connected to the Old Testament prophecies of Israel’s coming Messiah (Deuteronomy 32:22-43; Psalm 2:4-5; Psalm 68:1-8; Isaiah 34:1-15; Jeremiah 25:29-33; Joel 1:1–2:32; Nahum 1:1-8; Zechariah 14:12; et al.). Hence, John the Baptist, just before Messiah (Christ) Jesus began His earthly ministry, warned his audience of that “wrath to come,” when Jesus would baptize Israel “with fire,” “to burn up the chaff [lost Jews] with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:7-12). Jesus Himself forewarned of this future “burning,” this “fire,” when angels would gather unbelieving sinners and “cast [them] into a furnace of fire,” a place with “wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:30,40-42,49,50). At that Second Coming of Christ, the Jesus-rejecters (Matthew 24:37-41) and the Jewish-haters would be consumed and tossed into the lake of fire (Matthew 25:30,41-46).

In early Acts, Peter urged Israel—who had just crucified Jesus—to quickly repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Christ because He was coming back to judge His foes—them (Acts 2:32-40)! One year later, Stephen said he saw Jesus standing at His Heavenly Father’s right hand, ready to return and pour out that wrath on still-rebellious Israel (Acts 7:51-55). Literally moments away from God’s wrath falling on wicked mankind, just before Jesus Christ came back in “flaming fire” to take vengeance on rebels (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9), He returned in grace and mercy, to save the leader of Israel’s rebellion—Saul of Tarsus. Yes, God took Satan’s chief man and made him the Apostle Paul!

Writing near his life’s end, Peter did not instruct his audience to read the Old Testament or Four Gospels to learn about that delay in wrath. Why? We only learn the mystery from Paul, which is exactly where Peter directed his readers in today’s Scripture!