Are We Chosen by God? - Pastor David

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Quite frequently we hear a Child of God quote Romans 8:28, especially when some sorrow or disappointment has been experienced. But it is interesting to note the “FOR” that CONNECTS this verse with the three verses that follow. Note Romans 8:28 and the three verses that follow, Romans 8:29-32:

“AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. FOR, (there it is), WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE, TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. MOREOVER WHOM HE DID PREDESTINATE, THEM HE ALSO CALLED: AND WHOM HE CALLED, THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIED: AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED. WHAT SHALL WE THEN SAY TO THESE THINGS? IF GOD BE FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US” ROMANS 8:28-32.

Here we note that God had, and has, a purpose. Note the words of Acts 15:18: “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” Surely if God is omniscient, He knows all things. God not only knew the end from the beginning, but God had a secret, or hidden, purpose from BEFORE the foundation of the world.

Note Ephesians 3:9, Ephesians 3:11, and Ephesians 1:12. “And to make all men see what is the dispensation (fellowship) of the Mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.”

Then note 2 Timothy 1:9 and Ephesians 1:4-5. “God Who hath saved us and called us with an Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

So, God’s Word tells us very definitely that God purposed in Christ BEFORE the world began that which He has revealed in the Epistle to the Ephesians. Look at Ephesians 1:9: “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself.”

God has made known the secret of His will. Then all Children of God should diligently search the Scriptures and learn that now REVEALED Divine secret. The sons of men in other ages and generations did NOT have this wonderful privilege; for God did NOT choose to disclose His eternal purpose to them, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill 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.

Now go to Ephesians 3:5 and Ephesians 3:8, “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; 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, or rather un-traceable riches, of Christ"

God wants all members of The Body of Christ to see this glorious truth...NOW, and to know the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17-18.

Again in Ephesians 1:11, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. An inheritance, being predestinated according to God’s purpose."

We should know, and be well studied in, God’s revealed secret, the Mystery of His will, His eternal predestinated purpose. And if we honestly endeavor to walk worthy of our calling, as members of the Body of Christ, and constantly endeavor to make others see the Dispensation of the Mystery, we can know and say positively, that all things work together for good for such Children of God who love God and are the called according to God’s purpose. For....for what? “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29.

Now, look at the questions in Romans 8:31: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” What blessed truth to know. BUT, what appalling ignorance among Children of God concerning God’s purpose and grace given us in Christ before the world began. Most of the Children of God in this age and generation, are as ignorant of this glorious Divine Truth as were the sons of men in other ages and generations to whom it was never revealed.

Perhaps you have observed that the Children of God who are opposed to the Doctrine of Eternal Security actually HATE the Doctrine of Predestination, for the two truths are inseparably connected. No Child of God should ever hate the Word of God. And every Child of God who really knows and believes the truth concerning God’s predestinated purpose believes in the eternal security of the believer.

“All things work together for good.” Note it, “for good.” To whom? To those who are the CALLED according to God’s purpose. And note the good things that God has on deposit for those who are called according to His purpose, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ: According as He hath CHOSEN us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Ephesians 1:3-4

We can never appreciate either of these facts until we know both of them, namely, that those who are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ, were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Ephesians 1:5.

When we learn these facts then we will begin to comprehend “with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with ALL the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19.

How many Children of God are filled with all the fullness of God? How many Children of God even know what is MEANT by the fullness of Christ in Ephesians 1:23: “Which is His Body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all?”

Note the climax of the wonderful Mystery of God’s will. The magnificent purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Ephesians 4:12-13 says: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of The Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a Perfect Man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

We shall come to the fullness of Christ in the unity of faith. There is ONE Faith. Ephesians 4:5. God will permit no Child of God to see this glorious profound truth until that Child of God will receive the truth from the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures, that there is but ONE Body, even as there is but one Head of the Body, that there is ONE baptism (and it is NOT water), for this dispensation, even as there is but ONE Spirit. Children of God have been blinded by sectarianism, denominations, and traditions of men, and have made very little earnest effort to keep the unity of the Spirit on the basis of the seven-fold unity of Ephesians 4:3-7. Therefore, they could not obey Ephesians 3:9 even if they wanted to!

The present Divine program concerning the Body of Christ the hope and calling of its members was not prophesied by the men of old. Therefore the Apostle Paul speaks of this distinctive ministry as “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Ephesians 3:8. “Unsearchable” means “untraceable” and has the meaning of “un-prophesied,” NOT made known to other ages and generations.

So the Body of Christ, and the heavenly position and possession of members of this Body, were NOT prophesied; but they were PREDESTINATED, “According as He hath CHOSEN US in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having PREDESTINATED us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Ephesians 1:4-5.

“Moreover whom He did PREDESTINATE, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Romans 8:30.

So, we see that all the way from foreknowledge to glorification, Salvation is of God, and is by His Grace from beginning to end, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2 Timothy 1:9

However, there is also the human responsibility!

Note Romans 10:13-14, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

And 1 Corinthians 3:8, “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR US, THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM ALL INIQUITY, AND PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF A PECULIAR PEOPLE, ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS.” Titus 2:11 and Titus 2:14.

How often have we heard, “How are we to reconcile the ‘predestination’ message, with the ‘whosoever’ message?” Look, they are BOTH the TRUTH of GOD! They are both Bible doctrines. JUST preach them, and teach them, and let the Holy Spirit do the reconciling!

***

In Ephesians 1:13 the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and BELIEVING the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. Therefore, here, now, is declared unto you the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. BELIEVE today. The time is short.

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide.

Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.

In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry

Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Judas' Betrayal: Predestinated or Not? - Pastor David

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The question has often been asked, “did God predestinate the fate of Judas?” If by this we mean “did God arbitrarily foreordain that Judas could not believe and be saved”, we are sure that no one who knows the God of the Bible would believe in such predestination. We DO believe the statement of Acts 15:18, “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”

This question has been asked because of the words of Christ in John 17:12, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the SON OF PERDITION (Where else is this phrase found in the Bible); that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

A few preachers have coupled this Scripture with Romans 9:15 and Romans 9:21-23 to prove that the fate of Judas was foreordained. We quote the verses in Romans 9, “For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have com­passion (Romans 9:15). “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” (Romans 9:21-23).

Again, concerning Judas we read in Acts 1:16 and Acts 1:25 these statements, “Men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus, that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might GO TO HIS OWN PLACE (hmmm, what does that phrase mean? But that’s a separate message)”

Here we learn that the Scriptures foretold the infamy and destiny of Judas the traitor. In the light of 1 Timothy 2:4 and many other such Scrip­tures, we know that God certainly did not influence Judas to betray the Lord Jesus and refuse His gift of eternal life. Note the words of 1 Timothy 2:4, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Now there is not the slightest suggestion in any Scripture that Judas was a saved man. In fact, the very contrary is taught. In John 6:64-65 we read, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”

Here we learn that Judas, with the others, was an unbeliever, and then the Lord Jesus adds in John 6:70-71 these words, “Jesus answered them, Have not I CHOSEN you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.”

Here we learn that Judas is called a devil. Therefore it is altogether contrary to sound doctrine and plain Scriptural teaching to say that Judas was a saint and became a sinner, losing his salvation. Such a position is taken by some Christians who teach AGAINST the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer.

***

In Ephesians 1:13 the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and BELIEVING the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. Therefore, here, now, is declared unto you the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. BELIEVE today. The time is short.

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide.

Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.

In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry

Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Predestination and Free Will, Romans 8 - Pastor David

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Quite frequently we hear a Child of God quote Romans 8:28, especially when some sorrow or disappointment has been experienced. But it is interesting to note the “FOR” that CONNECTS this verse with the three verses that follow. Note Romans 8:28 and the three verses that follow, Romans 8:29-32:

“AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. FOR, (there it is), WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE, TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. MOREOVER WHOM HE DID PREDESTINATE, THEM HE ALSO CALLED: AND WHOM HE CALLED, THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIED: AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED. WHAT SHALL WE THEN SAY TO THESE THINGS? IF GOD BE FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US” ROMANS 8:28-32.

Here we note that God had, and has, a purpose. Note the words of Acts 15:18: “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” Surely if God is omniscient, He knows all things. God not only knew the end from the beginning, but God had a secret, or hidden, purpose from BEFORE the foundation of the world.

Note Ephesians 3:9, Ephesians 3:11, and Ephesians 1:12. “And to make all men see what is the dispensation (fellowship) of the Mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.”

Then note 2 Timothy 1:9 and Ephesians 1:4-5. “God Who hath saved us and called us with an Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

So, God’s Word tells us very definitely that God purposed in Christ BEFORE the world began that which He has revealed in the Epistle to the Ephesians. Look at Ephesians 1:9: “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself.”

God has made known the secret of His will. Then all Children of God should diligently search the Scriptures and learn that now REVEALED Divine secret. The sons of men in other ages and generations did NOT have this wonderful privilege; for God did NOT choose to disclose His eternal purpose to them, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill 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.

Now go to Ephesians 3:5 and Ephesians 3:8, “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; 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, or rather un-traceable riches, of Christ"

God wants all members of The Body of Christ to see this glorious truth...NOW, and to know the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17-18.

Again in Ephesians 1:11, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. An inheritance, being predestinated according to God’s purpose."

We should know, and be well studied in, God’s revealed secret, the Mystery of His will, His eternal predestinated purpose. And if we honestly endeavor to walk worthy of our calling, as members of the Body of Christ, and constantly endeavor to make others see the Dispensation of the Mystery, we can know and say positively, that all things work together for good for such Children of God who love God and are the called according to God’s purpose. For....for what? “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29.

Now, look at the questions in Romans 8:31: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” What blessed truth to know. BUT, what appalling ignorance among Children of God concerning God’s purpose and grace given us in Christ before the world began. Most of the Children of God in this age and generation, are as ignorant of this glorious Divine Truth as were the sons of men in other ages and generations to whom it was never revealed.

Perhaps you have observed that the Children of God who are opposed to the Doctrine of Eternal Security actually HATE the Doctrine of Predestination, for the two truths are inseparably connected. No Child of God should ever hate the Word of God. And every Child of God who really knows and believes the truth concerning God’s predestinated purpose believes in the eternal security of the believer.

“All things work together for good.” Note it, “for good.” To whom? To those who are the CALLED according to God’s purpose. And note the good things that God has on deposit for those who are called according to His purpose, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ: According as He hath CHOSEN us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Ephesians 1:3-4

We can never appreciate either of these facts until we know both of them, namely, that those who are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ, were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Ephesians 1:5.

When we learn these facts then we will begin to comprehend “with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with ALL the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19.

How many Children of God are filled with all the fullness of God? How many Children of God even know what is MEANT by the fullness of Christ in Ephesians 1:23: “Which is His Body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all?”

Note the climax of the wonderful Mystery of God’s will. The magnificent purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Ephesians 4:12-13 says: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of The Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a Perfect Man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

We shall come to the fullness of Christ in the unity of faith. There is ONE Faith. Ephesians 4:5. God will permit no Child of God to see this glorious profound truth until that Child of God will receive the truth from the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures, that there is but ONE Body, even as there is but one Head of the Body, that there is ONE baptism (and it is NOT water), for this dispensation, even as there is but ONE Spirit. Children of God have been blinded by sectarianism, denominations, and traditions of men, and have made very little earnest effort to keep the unity of the Spirit on the basis of the seven-fold unity of Ephesians 4:3-7. Therefore, they could not obey Ephesians 3:9 even if they wanted to!

The present Divine program concerning the Body of Christ the hope and calling of its members was not prophesied by the men of old. Therefore the Apostle Paul speaks of this distinctive ministry as “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Ephesians 3:8. “Unsearchable” means “untraceable” and has the meaning of “un-prophesied,” NOT made known to other ages and generations.

So the Body of Christ, and the heavenly position and possession of members of this Body, were NOT prophesied; but they were PREDESTINATED, “According as He hath CHOSEN US in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having PREDESTINATED us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Ephesians 1:4-5.

“Moreover whom He did PREDESTINATE, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Romans 8:30.

So, we see that all the way from foreknowledge to glorification, Salvation is of God, and is by His Grace from beginning to end, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2 Timothy 1:9

However, there is also the human responsibility!

Note Romans 10:13-14, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

And 1 Corinthians 3:8, “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR US, THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM ALL INIQUITY, AND PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF A PECULIAR PEOPLE, ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS.” Titus 2:11 and Titus 2:14.

How often have we heard, “How are we to reconcile the ‘predestination’ message, with the ‘whosoever’ message?” Look, they are BOTH the TRUTH of GOD! They are both Bible doctrines. JUST preach them, and teach them, and let the Holy Spirit do the reconciling!

***

In Ephesians 1:13 the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and BELIEVING the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. Therefore, here, now, is declared unto you the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. BELIEVE today. The time is short.

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide.

Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.

In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry

Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Is Your Will Free to BELIEVE God? - Pastor David

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We here at the Lion and Lamb Ministry get asked this question quite frequently, so, here is the big question that divides many Christians: Does it lie within the power of the will of man to BELIEVE the record that God gave of His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, an accomplished redemption, a perfect salvation?

So...when the Gospel of Grace is preached to the sinner, does it, ultimately, lie within the power of that person’s own will to resist or accept and BELIEVE God’s plan of Salvation?

It is how we answer THIS very question that establishes what and how we understand the Fall of Man. That man, in his natural state, is fallen...to this the great majority of Christians will agree. Romans 5:12 says, "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". Now, here’s where it gets sticky. Very few today even know what “fallen” means! How far down is “Fallen”? To determine a Christians understanding of "fallen” is often a very difficult task.

Now, what a good deal of religious people believe is that Man is no longer in the condition that he was in when in the Garden of Eden, "So God created man in his Own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" Genesis 1:27, "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good" Genesis 1:31. But now, after Man sinned, (and the Bible tells us, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" Genesis 2:17; "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it..." Genesis 3:17), many of the religious have the general idea that Fallen means that man is no longer immortal, that he gets sick and contracts diseases, and that man from one generation to the next inherits evil “tendencies” and sins, BUT, that if he uses his strengths to the best of his ability, somehow, SOMEHOW, he will be able to want to accept God’s plan of Salvation, and attain eternal life in God’s Heaven.

Wow! How WRONG that is! Diseases, sickness, and even death, are nothing in comparison with the moral and spiritual effects of the Fall of Man! Our conception of the terrible calamity of the Fall of Man should be based on the Holy Scriptures, and not on what we want to think or how we feel about the issue. When the Scriptures say that man is totally fallen, lost, and helpless, The Scriptures are saying that the entrance of sin into humanity has affected every part and ability of a man’s being. Psalm 51:5 tells us, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me", and then in Psalms 58:3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies". Now go to Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?", and Mark 7:21-23 tells us, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man". And of course Romans 3:10-11, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God".

Total Fall, Full Fall, No Climbing Back Up Fall, means that man is, in spirit and soul and body, the slave of sin, (..."Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" John 8:34; "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23), and the captive of the Devil, "...according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" Ephesians 2:2. And so..."the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead" Ecclesiastes 9:3

As a result of all of the Fall, man is not able to attain his “dreams”, have his grand ideals materialize, and THEN hold onto them. The natural man cannot do the things that he wants. Why? Because SIN...making up the very essence of man’s being...is manifesting itself in moral inability, thereby paralyzing him and stifling his efforts. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23; "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" Romans 5:12. And most importantly, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh CANNOT please God" Romans 8:7-8; "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither CAN he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14.

So, what we have before us is that Fallen Man, Natural Man, is NO Free Man, but instead, the servant of Sin and Satan. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" John 8:44.

You see, Sin is more than an act or a series of actions. Man is not a sinner BECAUSE he sins, Man sins BECAUSE he IS a sinner.

Since The Fall, Sin is Man’s very make up. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Psalm 14:1-3; "For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their INWARD part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue" Psalm 5:9; "For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity" Psalm 10:3-7. Sin has blinded man’s understanding, “there is none that understandeth”, Sin has corrupted the heart, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”, and Sin has alienated the mind from God, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God”.

The natural man wants the things he or she does, and man’s will chooses those things, as a result of the condition of the heart, AND because “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" Jeremiah 17:9; “There is NONE that seeketh after God" Romans 3:11.

So, we ask again, does it lie within the power of the will of man to BELIEVE the record that God gave of His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, an accomplished redemption, a perfect salvation? The answer is NO! Man’s “will” cannot choose God, on its own. Period!

Man’s will has not escaped the servitude of Sin. Man’s will is the servant of Sin and Satan. Therefore, the will is NOT free. ONLY "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM!" 2 Cor. 3:17.

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In Ephesians 1:13 the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and BELIEVING the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. Therefore, here, now, is declared unto you the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. BELIEVE today. The time is short.

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide.

Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.

In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry

Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Twelve Short Lessons on the Body of Christ, part 1 of 3 - Pastor David

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We have had requests from a number of our friends to present some very simple lessons concerning the Church of this Dispensation of Grace, which is called the “Body of Christ”, and the relation of other Dispensations to the “Dispensation of the Mystery”. Ephesians 3:9 .

We appreciate that this is not an easy task, for the reason that the great majority of Christians do not seem to have the interest or desire to diligently study the Word of God with open hearts and unprejudiced minds. It is almost impossible for loyal denominationalist, (whether they be Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, etc.), to be as the Bereans, and accept as truth that which is contrary to their denominational creeds and the traditions of church fathers. But we are sure going to try in this 3 part message to present very simply some plain facts clearly taught in the Bible.

1) IN THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES WE ARE TAUGHT THAT THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS CHOSEN BY CHRIST TO BE THE APOSTLE, THE PREACHER, THE TEACHER, THE WITNESS, AND THE PRISONER OF THE LORD JESUS TO THE GENTILES. Galatians 1:16, Galatians 2:7, Acts 9:15, Romans 15:16, Romans 11:13, 1 Timothy 2:7, 2 Timothy 1:11, Ephesians 3:1, Ephesians 3:8, Colossians 1:24-28.

2) The Apostle Paul was NOT one of the twelve apostles who companied with Jesus during the years of His ministry on earth, and therefore was NOT present with Christ on earth when Christ committed to Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 16:16-18. Neither was he present with the twelve apostles, after the resurrection of Christ, when the Eleven received from the resurrected Christ, the Great Commission. The Apostle Paul received his “Grace of Christ” message, the Ministry of Reconciliation, the Uncircumcision Gospel, the truth concerning the Mystery and the Body of Christ, in fact all of his commissions, by visions and revelations, AFTER Christ had gone back to heaven. Acts 9:15, Galatians 1:12, Galatians 1:17, Acts 22:17-21, Ephesians 3:3, and 2 Cor. 12:17.

3) IN EPHESIANS 1:22-23 WE READ OF THE CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY. IN COLOSSIANS 1:24 WE READ “FOR HIS BODY’S SAKE, WHICH IS THE CHURCH”. THE EPISTLES TO THE EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS WERE WRITTEN AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS, WHEN PAUL WAS A PRISONER OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Ephesians 3:1. NO OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET EVER FORETOLD ANYTHING CONCERNING THE BODY OF CHRIST. IT WAS PURPOSED IN CHRIST BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.

4) When the twelve apostles were sent by Christ on earth they were specifically instructed to, “go not unto the Gentiles”, but ONLY unto Israel. Matthew 10:5. Some years after the death and resurrection of Christ it was decided in the conference of Apostles that the Twelve would preach the Israelitish Gospel to ISRAEL. Galatians 2:9. Peter preached to the household of Cornelius, a God-fearing, Israel-loving, devout, respectable, religious Gentile, who lived in Israel’s land. But there is NO record in Acts that he preached to any other Gentiles. There is NO record in Acts that any of the Twelve preached outside of the land of the Jews, or to any Gentiles, except the one message to Cornelius. The Apostle Paul was given the responsibility of preaching Grace to the Gentiles. Galatians 2:9.

To Be Continued in part 2.

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In Ephesians 1:13 the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and BELIEVING the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. Therefore, here, now, is declared unto you the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. BELIEVE today. The time is short.

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide.

Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.

In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry

Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)