If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This verse is rich.  Many times it seems as if we, including myself, look at things and point out all the bad things that are going on.  Politics today are as corrupt as they have ever been and I don’t know who to trust or believe.  I look at it and say surely I could do better or any one would be better than what we have. 

Let us consider the verse above.  First I want to point out who it is talking to.  I think this is always important to consider when we read something.  Is it talking to me or someone else?  Here it is clearly talking to his people.  Those that go by his name, those that He chose before the foundation of the earth, those that have faith in him, those that feel themselves in need of a Saviour, that is who He is talking to.  Is that you?  I don’t know but I think the only person that each individual can apply this verse to is to is themselves.  If you feel like YOU fall under the afore-mentioned category then lets move to the next section. 

If I will humble myself.  Humble is an amazing word.  What does it take to humble ourselves.  To be humble is marked by meekness and modesty, it means to see ourselves as less than something else.  This is saying that we need to realize that God is ALMIGHTY God!  We shouldn’t claim things or powers as our own that have been given to us as gifts.  The same person that has blessed this country for so many years, (GOD), has the ability to take those blessings away.  Read Romans 13:1-5, it tells us our rulers are ministers of God.  Romans 13:4 But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid: for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.  I bring this up because, we live in a nation of freedom.  We vote in our rulers so we naturally think that they are under us.  I seem to always want to look at what is going on and blame it on the rulers when the Bible clearly tells us that it is our own fault.  To truly humble ourselves we need to quit trying to place the blame on others and take it upon ourselves and say this is what my actions are bringing upon me. 

Then it tells us what to do next.  It says to pray and seek my face.  What does it mean to seek my face.  I desire that there be a healing in  the land, but am I willing to give up the things necessary in order to see his face here in this land.  We as Americans are so blessed that we allow our blessings to be a god, or idle to us.  Christmas time to me is the perfect example of this, if we look at what Christmas is, in action, not words, then we would see that we are laying gifts down to a tree so that we get things that our flesh desire.  We are teaching our kids that when it comes to “CHRISTmas” as so many want to call it that it is all about kids getting what they want.  The premise was to help those in need, I’m sorry to say that we are at a point in time that we, Americans, want way more than we need.  Yes I’m sorry that things is what we want, why do we import way more than we export, because we want everything that everyone else has.  Sounds like coveting to me.  So the way that Christmas has become is that it is okay to covet.  I don’t like it.  Are we willing to give up things that our flesh desire in order to see HIS face.  Are we willing to give up ourselves in order to bow down to HIM and worship HIM.  It is a hard saying, but if we are unwilling to do it now I believe with all my heart that we are in for some chastisement.  But if we do these things I believe that he will keep that which He has promised and He will heal our land. 

Lets all quit trying to place blame on our leaders and take the blame upon ourselves individually and pray and seek his face, ask Him to heal our land and repent of our sins.  It is not going to be easy but I am ready to see a land that seeks him and his righteousness willing to forgo the things of this world to be closer to Him.

Okay, I don’t believe that all (if any) babies, young children, deaf, blind, incompetent, or even people that don’t get the opportunity to hear the good news is going to hell.  But I don’t believe the Bible teaches that you have to hear the Gospel in order to make the sacrifice of Jesus effectual either.  I believe we are saved by GRACE.  Even most Baptist today will say salvation is free, not of works, and all you have to do is.  WAIT if all you have to do is _____ then you are saying you have to do something, and you just said it is not of works.  GRACE is doing nothing.  Jesus gave himself a sacrifice for his people’s sins, the sacrifice was made to GOD, God accepted it.  He paid it all, he loved his people to make sure of there salvation.  You can accept that and live a life fulfilling to God and he will bless you, or you can continue to try and work for your salvation.

One last thing, if anyone wants to give me a chapter and verse on age of accountability please do.

I will start by saying I don’t believe that any thing I do here on earth is predetermined.  I believe God created me with a will free to do anything I so choose to do.  If I choose to jump off a cliff tomorrow, I have the freedom to do so.  It was not determined by any one except myself that I sit here and write this article.  It is not predetermined that I study or that I pray or that I spend time with my family.  I have the freedom to make those choices by myself.  I also have the freedom to decide if I want to follow the lord or chase sin for the rest of my life.  Everything that I do here on this earth is my choice just as everyone else has the same freedom to make these choices.  On the other hand there are many things that I have no control over.  I did not choose to be Philip Blankenship.  My parents chose that for me.  I didn’t choose who my parents are, I would have to say that God gave me my parents.  I have been blessed to have wonderful parents.  I did not choose to how tall I am, or how I look or what color my hair is or how big my feet are.  All these things are traits that are passed down to me from my parents.  I have no control over that. 

When the Bible talks about predestination it only speaks of our eternal salvation.  Ephesians 1:5 “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”.  You can read the verses surrounding this one if you like.  They are very good as well.  When did he predetermine this, before the beginning of time (verse4).  Who’s will is it that he determines it?  It’s God’s will.  According to the good pleasure of his will.  Most people will take these verses and say he chose his people because he knew who would choose Him.  I have a real problem with that theory.  1 John 4:19,  “¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us.”  If you say that he chose those that He loved based upon who He knew would choose Him then that would be God loving us because we love Him.  Would it not?

Another thing that I would like to point out is that He did not predestine any to go to hell.  Man going to hell is the work of Adam.  “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:“  If we were to say that God predetermined that Adam sinned then we would have to say that God caused sin.  I would have to say that would be blaspheme.  God gave man the will to do freely as he willed.  Adam chose sin just as each everyone else does.  Sin sends man to hell. 

God sent his Son to ransom his people on the cross and to fulfill the promise that he made before the world began and rest assured his promise was fulfilled when Christ died on that old rugged cross.  God did not leave our eternal destiny up to us.  He promised his people a place in Heaven.  Do you believe he fulfilled that promise?  If you believe you are one of God’s elect and you should be thankful and follow after him, worship during your time here on earth.

What do I mean by those that has ears to hear it?  Am I saying that deaf people can’t hear the gospel.  Of course not.  I’m saying that only those figuratively that have ears to hear it, will have any joy in it.  Jesus while he was here on earth often times said, “He that hath ears to hear, let them hear.” Matt. 11:15, Matt 13:9, Matt 13:43.  Those people who are dead in tresspasses and sin can not hear the good news of their salvation, because Christ died for a particular people.  No one knows who those people are, except God.  He said that knowing that not all would get the effect of what he was saying.

If some one bears fruit then he must be a child of God.  All of God’s children will bear fruit, at some point in there life and the gospel is sort of like a fertilizer that helps make the fruit grow.  Kind of like miracle grow.  The fruit is not the cause of some one being a child of God, only proof there of.

Many would like to say that you must hear, and believe the gospel in order to have eternal salvation.  Let us think about that.  To say that you must believe that Christ died for you in order for him to have died for you.  That doesn’t make any since at all.  To say that you must believe that something happened in order for it to be true is impossible.  If Christ died for your sins then how can you believing it make it a reality.  He either did or he didn’t whether you believe it or not.  Man has walked on the moon.  All I have to prove that, is that man says that they did.  I believe that man walked on the moon and by believing that it becomes exciting and seems like an amazing feet for man.  If I didn’t believe that man walked on the moon it would not change the fact that it happened.  The same is true with our salvation.  Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  He “purged” our sins.  He took our sins away.  He cast them as far as the east is from the west.  The power of our almighty is God is infinately stronger than man could even imagine.  To purge means, “to rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; cleanse; purify. “  God by himself purged our sins.  Whether you want to believe this good news or not does not change the fact that he did it.  If it was necessary to hear and believe the gospel then it limits the work of God to the ability of man.  Only the people that man could get to and persuade to believe would have the opportunity to go to heaven.  My God is a gracious god.  He promised his people a place in heaven before the foundation of the earth and He can not deny himself.

There is great joy and comfort that comes to me in hearing the good news, knowing that I’m a sinner unable to please my God.  Romans 3:11 says that there are none that seeketh after God.  Without the help of the spirit that is placed in us upon regeneration we have no way of doing any good.  There is none righteous, know not one.  We are all born sinners, we are born of the seed of Adam.  Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

I hope these thoughts help to appreciate the things that the Lord our God has done for you.

Philip

By A.W. Pink

APPENDIX C,
THE MEANING OF “KOSMOS” IN JOHN 3:16

It may appear to some of our readers that the exposition we have given of John 3:16 in the chapter on “Difficulties and Objections” is a forced and unnatural one, in as much as our definition of the term “world” seems to be out of harmony with the meaning and scope of this word in other passages, where, to supply the world of believers (God’s elect) as a definition of “world” would make no sense. Many have said to us, “Surely, ‘world’ means world, that is, you, me, and everybody.” In reply we would say: We know from experience how difficult it is to set aside the “traditions of men” and come to a passaGen. which we have heard explained in a certain way scores of times, and study it carefully for ourselves without bias. Nevertheless, this is essential if we would learn the mind of God.

Many people suppose they already know the simple meaning of John 3:16, and therefore they conclude that no diligent study is required of them to discover the precise teaching of this verse. Needless to say, such an attitude shuts out any further light which they otherwise might obtain on the passage. Yet, if anyone will take a concordance and read carefully the various passages in which the term “world” (as a translation of “kosmos”) occurs, he will quickly perceive that to ascertain the precise meaning of the word “world” in any given passaGen. is not nearly so easy as is popularly supposed. The word “kosmos”, and its English equivalent “world”, is not used with a uniform significance in the New Testament. Very far from it. It is used in quite a number of different ways. Below we will refer to a few passages where this term occurs, suggesting a tentative definition in each case:

1 “Kosmos” is used of the Universe as a whole: Acts 17:24 —

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth.”

2 “Kosmos” is used of the earth: John 13:1 Eph 1:4, etc., etc. —

“When Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end.” “Depart out of this world” signifies, leave this earth.

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” This expression signifies, before the earth was founded — compare Job 38:4 etc.

3 “Kosmos” is used of the world system: John 12:31 etc. “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the Prince of this world be cast out” — compare Matt. 4:8 and 1 John 5:19, R.V.

4 “Kosmos” is used of the whole human race: Rom. 3:19, etc. —

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

5 “Kosmos” is used of humanity minus believers: John 15:18; Rom. 3:6

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” Believers do not “hate” Christ, so that “the world” here must signify the world of unbelievers in contrast from believers who love Christ.

“God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world.” Here is another passaGen. where “the world” cannot mean “you, me, and everybody”, for believers will not be “judged” by God, see John 5:24. So that here, too, it must be the world of unbelievers which is in view.

6 “Kosmos” is used of Gentiles in contrast from Jews: Rom. 11:12 etc.

“Now if the fall of them (Israel) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them (Israel) the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their (Israel’s) fulness.” Note how the first clause in italics is defined by the latter clause placed in italics. Here, again, “the world” cannot signify all humanity for it excludes Israel!

7 “Kosmos” is used of believers only: John 1:29 3:16,17 6:33 12:47;

1 Cor. 4:9 2 Cor. 5:19. We leave our readers to turn to these passages, asking them to note, carefully, exactly what is said and predicated of “the world” in each place.

Thus it will be seen that “kosmos” has at least seven clearly defined different meanings in the New Testament. It may be asked, has then God used a word thus to confuse and confound those who read the Scriptures? We answer, No! nor has he written his Word for lazy people who are too dilatory, or too busy with the things of this world, or, like Martha, so much occupied with “serving”, they have no time and no heart to “search” and “study” Holy Writ! Should it be asked further, But how is a searcher of the Scriptures to know which of the above meanings the term “world” has in any given passage? The answer is: This may be ascertained by a careful study of the context, by diligently noting what is predicated of “the world” in each passage, and by prayerfully consulting other parallel passages to the one being studied.

The principal subject of John 3:16 is Christ as the Gift of God. The first clause tells us what moved God to “give” his only begotten Son, and that was his great “love”; the second clause informs us for whom God “gave” his Son, and that is for, “whosoever (or, better, `every one’) believeth”; while the last clause makes known why God “gave” his Son (his purpose), and that is, that everyone that believeth “should not perish but have everlasting life.” That “the world” in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers (God’s elect), in contradistinction from “the world of the ungodly” (2Pe 2:5), is established, unequivocally established, by a comparison of the other passages which speak of God’s “love.” “God commendeth his love toward us” — the saints, Rom. 5:8. “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” — every son, Heb 12:6. “We love him, because he first loved us” — believers, 1 John 4:19. The wicked God “pities” (see Mt 18:33). Unto the unthankful and evil God is “kind” (see Luke 6:35). The vessels of wrath he endures “with much longsuffering” (see Rom. 9:22). But “his own” God “loves”!!

We can look at Romans 5:12 to prove that man by nature is a sinner.  Man is born a sinner, that is the fruit that natural man bears, the fruit of a sinner.  Romans 5:12 reads, “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”  Because of Adam we are born sinners.  We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners.  That is something that is passed down to us from Adam.  That was the choice our earthly father made that has effected his whole family.  We don’t have a choice that we are sinners, that is not to say that we can’t choose not to sin.  Even if we chose never to sin we are still a sinner, and because of that we are bound for hell.

Verses 6-8 are still talking about the sacrifices under the law but how God was not pleased in them.  There was no pleasure because the sacrifices had no effect on the sin.  It only brought a remembrance of sins to those who made the offering.  It goes on to say that Christ our Saviour came to fulfill the law and that he, not being born of Adam but of God, could live a rightous and perfect life and follow the law to a T.  His body could be offered to take away our sins.  Verse 10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”  This verse says a lot.  We are made perfect by the offering of Christ’s body for all.  The all under consideration here would have to be found in verse 14 where it says, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”   Them that are sancitfied are them that he made holy through the offering of the body of Christ.

 Verse 14, “For by one offering he hath pefected forever them that are sanctified.”  The sanctified must be the chosen of Christ.  Those that were set apart from the beginning of the world, those that God made a covenant to save.  God promised to save His people from there sins, He sent his Son here to earth to accomplish that and Christ left no stone unturned, he left no loose ends, He cast our sins away, our sins and iniquities He will remember no more.  He got the job done and sat down at the right hand of God.

Now were there is no sin there is no punishment for sin.  Heaven is our home.

     Now, can anything but an apple tree bear apples?  That’s a no brainer.  Only apple trees can bear apples, just as only a child of God can bear the fruit of the Spirit.  If you are a child of God, you are a child of God, the fruit that you bear doesn’t change what you are, it only justifies that you are.  Why do people want to say that the fruit you bear makes you what bears the fruit.  You must be an apple tree in order to bear apples, just as you must be a child of God in order to bear love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, which are the fruit of the Spirit.

     Now some may say that some people bear these fruits that aren’t a child of God, such as Judas for instance.  The only thing I can say about that is, man can be deceitful.  We have an arrangement on our dining room table sometimes.  It looks like it has fruit in it.  That doesn’t make it real.  Just because it looks like fruit doesn’t make it fruit.  Sometimes the only way to tell if it is real is to test it.

   Lastly, I’d like to say, just because a tree isn’t in the right environment to grow doesn’t hinder it’s ability to be tree.  It may not be as strong or as healthy, and it may not bear fruit, but it is still a tree.  The same is true for a child of God.  If a child of God never hears the gospel, he may not grow and learn, or bear much fruit, that doesn’t change the fact that he is a child of God and that God reconciled there sins on the cross.

 Philip

 Now the law was sent to show man there sin.  There was no way for man by the law to be justified with out a sacrifice for sin.  In order to put away sin a perfect man, a man without sin needed to die.  Well all man has sinned it passed down from Adam.  The only way to put away sin was for Christ to die.  He did that on the cross and suffered for our sake.  Now if our sins were not put away on that cross, then Christ suffered for nothing.  My Savior suffered more than any man could ever think about suffering on that day.  My sins and the sins of all Gods people were put away on that day.  They were cast away as far as the east is from the west.  My sins are no more.  God can only tolerate me because my savior paid my debt.

Now if my sins were done away with upon that cross then tell me what is going to send me to hell?  You must say nothing.  Whether I believe it or not I still have no sin.  There is nothing that can send me to hell if my sins were paid for on that cross.

Philip

Now, in regard to the Gospel…..

The Gospel is the Good News of the finished work of Jesus Christ.  It has absolutely no value or effect on a man until AFTER he is born again.   Christ said in John 3 that “except a man be born again, he cannot see thekingdom of God.”   The Scriptures say that “the natural man receiveth not the things of God, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.”    Also there is a very, very definitive statement in II Tim 1:10, where it says that God “hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”    Here is a wonderful statement of the utility of the Gospel.    The Gospel NEVER brings life to a person, but it brings that life to light.   There is a profound difference between bringing to life versus making that life known to an individual.A man that is spiritually dead has no ability to receive the Gospel in any fashion.   God must first make him alive before he can even have a heart to be touched by it.   While there have doubtless been occasions where someone has been regenerated while under the sound of the Gospel, the fact that the Gospel was being preached had absolutely no effect upon their regeneration.   Until after they were born again, it was simply foolishness to them.Now, after a person is born again, the Gospel is very important to them, for only in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ can he who has been regenerated and had the law of God written in his heart find any rest, and find any realization of his justification before God.   The Gospel doesn’t make the believer justified before God, it tells the believer that he is justified before God, and therefore provides him justification in the court of his conscience by proclaiming to his lionic accuser that he is clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

By: Adam Green

Another verse I would like to talk about is John 5:24 which says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  Now again most people would use this verse to say that you must hear the gospel and believe on Jesus in order to have everlasting life.  Well lets look at what this verse does not say.  It doesn’t say, “You must hear my word, and believe on Him that sent Me, to have everlasting life, and to pass from death unto life.”  It is in a completely different tense than that.  The result of the hearing of the word, and believing is once again in past tense.  It is saying that the hearing and belief is a sign that you have everlasting life, not a requirement. 

 Now I believe that all of God’s children will at some point in there life be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and that faith will be placed in there hearts.  The fact that He will do that is not in any way left up to man.  Man’s will, will not get him any where because the natural man can not please God.  If ye have the Spirit of God in you, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.  The Spirit of God being in us is what gives man the ability to seek after God.  Romans 8:6-9

So how does man believe, “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”  I say once again that faith is a fruit, an affirmative, not something that man must do.  Eternal salvation is the work of Christ, it was finished on the cross of Calvary.  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.  The death of Christ was sufficient enough to save all that He died for.  He only died for those that the Father gave Him.