Category: Paul’s salvation

Household Rules #7

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

“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” (Colossians 1:25 KJV).

And, just what is this “dispensation of God which is given to [Paul] for [us]?”

You will recall that “dispensation” appears four times in the King James Bible (1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25). It is the noun form of the verb “dispense,” meaning “to distribute or supply.” Friend, if it helps, think about when a pharmacist dispenses medication as per a doctor’s orders. In the Bible, a “dispensation” is a particular set of instructions (or “household rules”) that God gives to mankind for his faith and obedience during a particular time. God has not always dealt with man in the manner in which He deals with us today. Over time, God’s instructions to man change because man—not God—changes; we would do well to recognize and respect dispensational (transitional) boundaries.

For example, think about the Dispensation of Law God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was dispensed to Israel to govern her social and religious life for over 1,500 years. Those strict “household rules” were temporary. Law faded off the scene during the Acts period, as our Dispensation of Grace was being given to Paul—see today’s Scripture and Ephesians 3:2. (There are other dispensations in Scripture, but we have neither time nor space to discuss those right now. Our purpose here is to simply see two dispensations—Law (given to Moses for Israel to follow) and Grace (given to Paul for us, all nations/Gentiles, to observe).

As with the rest of the Bible, God progressively revealed the Dispensation of Grace. In fact, all the information contained in the Books of Romans through Philemon was given to the Apostle Paul during a 30-year period. Jesus Christ first spoke to Saul of Tarsus at his conversion in Acts chapter 9, and ended that revelation a few years after the Book of Acts closed. The capstone of Pauline revelation is 2 Timothy, his final epistle, penned just before his execution. We had better be sure we are following the latest revelation from God. If we are giving attendance to Pauline doctrine, we are observing our “household rules….”

A Life That Will Please

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

Today’s Scripture tells us who alone can live a life pleasing in God’s sight!

Everyone does “good” deeds. Yet, doing “good” is not necessarily good. For instance, people often do “good” just to receive praise/reward, make up for their wrongs, feel good, et cetera. Furthermore, despite our “good” deeds, we have plenty more bad ones! Pride, lying, evil thoughts, being a false witness, and being contentious are some of the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Mankind cannot even keep 10 simple rules from God. However, religion continues to urge us to keep seven sacraments, utter various prayers, give assorted offerings and “tithes,” attend numerous feasts and festivals, and perform sundry other tasks to “hopefully” please God and avoid hellfire. Whether we attempt to keep a church’s laws, our laws, or God’s laws, our flesh is far too weak to ever measure up. Just look at what God’s religion did to Israel—how much worse some man-made religion does to us!

As Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee, a religious leader of Israel. He was a nitpicker concerning Law-keeping, and yet, after his soul salvation, he admitted that all of his religion was “but dung” compared to Jesus Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:3-11). Even for the Christian, to live a perfect life is impossible (read of Paul’s miserable existence in Romans chapter 7). Paul had to forsake his vain religion and learn today’s Scripture: the Christian life is NOT the performance of the Christian, but the Lord Jesus Christ living and working in the Christian, as the Christian walks in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to him or her!

If we trust a Saviour who will save—the Lord Jesus Christ—and trust a Book that will teach—the King James Bible—we can redeem the year for the great God and our Saviour, “who loved [us], and gave himself for [us]!” 🙂

Blind, Having Never Seen Clearer

Thursday, February 11, 2016

“And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink” (Acts 9:8,9 KJV).

A blind man… who can see!

Saul of Tarsus, filled with religious pride and hatred, eager to persecute Messianic Jews, was heading toward Damascus. A bright light from heaven suddenly shown about him; he said many years later in Acts 22:11, “I could not see for the glory of that light.” That light was “above the brightness of the sun” (Acts 26:13). He was blind for three days. Mysterious “scales” (flakes) covered his eyes (Acts 9:18)—they might have had some permanent impact (Galatians 4:13-15)?

Verse 11, after today’s Scripture, says that Saul, now blind, prayed. We can only wonder what he prayed. Surely, he had never prayed so fervently in all his life! Messianic believers throughout Palestine had been so fearful of him. He could imprison them, torture them, and even sentence them to death (cf. Acts 9:13,14; Acts 8:1-4; Acts 26:9-11). Now, for the first time ever, Saul was helpless, unable to see, needing people to lead him around. He was also humbled, now a saved man, having realized that the Jesus of Nazareth he hated was the Son of God and the Saviour his religion could not be.

For several years, Saul of Tarsus was a religious fanatic. Enjoying physical sight, he was completely blind concerning spiritual matters. Satan used religious works to blind his mind, preventing him from seeing God’s light and believing the Gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3,4). Like so many today, Saul thought he could find his righteousness in the Mosaic Law, thereby not submitting to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:1-3). One day, God zapped his physical sight, and Saul never saw things clearer. He finally realized that all of his righteousness was a filthy rag, dung, worthless waste, useless (Philippians 3:3-9).

The Apostle Paul, until his dying day, never forgot his traumatic experience outside of Damascus—his unmatched blindness that came with unparalleled sight!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Do we have guardian angels?”

A Life That Will Please

Monday, January 4, 2016

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

Today’s Scripture tells us who alone can live a life pleasing in God’s sight!

Everyone does “good” deeds. Yet, doing “good” is not necessarily good. For instance, people often do “good” just to receive praise/reward, make up for their wrongs, feel good, et cetera. Furthermore, despite our “good” deeds, we have plenty more bad ones! Pride, lying, evil thoughts, being a false witness, and being contentious are some of the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Mankind cannot even keep 10 simple rules from God. However, religion continues to urge us to keep seven sacraments, utter various prayers, give assorted offerings and “tithes,” attend numerous feasts and festivals, and perform sundry other tasks to “hopefully” please God and avoid hellfire. Whether we attempt to keep a church’s laws, our laws, or God’s laws, our flesh is far too weak to ever measure up. Just look at what God’s religion did to Israel—how much worse some man-made religion does to us!

As Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee, a religious leader of Israel. He was a nitpicker concerning Law-keeping, and yet, after his soul salvation, he admitted that all of his religion was “but dung” compared to Jesus Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:3-11). Even for the Christian, to live a perfect life is impossible (read of Paul’s miserable existence in Romans chapter 7). Paul had to forsake his vain religion and learn today’s Scripture: the Christian life is NOT the performance of the Christian, but the Lord Jesus Christ living and working in the Christian, as the Christian walks in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to him or her!

If we trust a Saviour who will save—the Lord Jesus Christ—and trust a Book that will teach—the King James Bible—we can redeem the year for the great God and our Saviour, “who loved [us], and gave himself for [us]!” 🙂

Satan and Dispensationalism #25

Friday, October 30, 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:” (Colossians 1:25,26 KJV).

Dispensational Bible Study enables us to see and appreciate the final revelation from God. Satan is thus utterly embarrassed!

It is written down forever in the eternal Word of God. Looks were indeed deceiving at Calvary. Satan, appearing victorious, actually participated in his own defeat! Beloved, the preaching of the cross is that God outsmarted Satan. Jesus Christ’s shed blood can deliver sinners—even wretched, uncircumcised Gentiles such as ourselves—from Satan’s domain!

“[12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: [13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: [14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).

That God would take Jews and Gentiles who would simply trust His Son’s finished crosswork, and form one new man, the Church the Body of Christ—completely unheard of in the Old Testament! Even Satan could not and did not figure it out. It was not revealed to Satan, his fallen angels, God’s elect angels, and man until God saved miserable Saul of Tarsus and commissioned him as the Apostle Paul. As God’s apostle of the Gentiles, Paul had a special role. He was given the privilege to finish God’s Word (today’s Scripture).

Through the Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon, God has made known unto us “the mystery of his will” (Ephesians 1:9). God had a secret will, friends. Now that God has revealed His secret through Paul’s writings, Satan has an active campaign to keep it hidden. Dispensational Bible Study is watered down, slandered, and ignored by the religious crowd and the modern English versions, that Satan not be exposed as foolish. Let us not be foolish. Lest we miss God’s latest (and final) revelation, may we recognize and hold fast to by faith the Dispensation of Grace given to us by Jesus Christ through the Apostle Paul.

-FINIS!- 🙂

Satan and Dispensationalism #17

Thursday, October 22, 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!

Israel had a small believing remnant during the opening chapters of Acts. The 12 apostles’ preaching was largely ignored: most Jews persisted in unbelief and rebellion. Lost Israel was hopeless! God’s all-consuming wrath was about to fall on Israel when they blasphemed the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 7.

But, God in His grace suspended Israel’s prophetic program. Consequently, He was able to create a whole new arrangement of how to deal with lost Israel and lost Gentiles. That dispensational change—“the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (today’s Scripture)—occurred especially to save and use Saul of Tarsus, the most defiant sinner at the time, and make his salvation our “pattern” (1 Timothy 1:13-16). Once Saul was saved in Acts chapter 9, he literally became the epitome of God’s grace. The same grace that saved him, he was now to preach as a new Gospel message. It was Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for all people’s sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21). Salvation would reach Gentiles through Paul’s ministry, without Israel (Romans 11:11-13). Also, Paul’s Gospel meant all those lost Jews like Saul had one last chance to escape God’s impending wrath.

From Acts chapters 7 through 15, Israel’s apostles were mostly unaware of any dispensational change. Peter got a glimpse in Acts chapter 10 when dealing with Gentile Cornelius, but he and the other apostles did not fully comprehend it until they met with Paul and Barnabas (chapter 15). Paul’s account of that Jerusalem Council is Galatians chapter 2. Galatians says Israel’s apostles finally discovered the radical dispensational change. See, the dispensational change did not come in late Acts or post Acts. Paul learned about it from Jesus Christ in Acts chapter 9, and Israel’s apostles learned it about 20 years later in chapter 15. Paul taught them, all about that delay in prophecy. Let us heed Paul’s testimony and not get confused ourselves!

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?”