Quote:
Originally Posted by Bottom_Rung  What God did before we were aware was to speak His Word. What he spoke included all of the blessings and all of the curses possible (as contained in scripture) for us. What we are receiving here and now is a mixture of blessings and cursings. |
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isa 55:11
How much of His written Word of which we are aware did God speak after we were born either naturally or 'born again'?
Quote:
|
In accord with all of what God has already said and how we respond to what He has said we will be blessed more or cursed more.
|
"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matt 12:37
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18
Quote:
|
When we are cursed it is because we choose to be cursed (by our response to the curses promised). Such curses may cause the removal of blessings that we have already received.
|
"And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians." Exo 18:10
Even Korah and all of the men that appertained to him were blessed by God and brought safely out of Egypt. Then as a result of their rebellion the earth swallowed them up. This was their curse. This was the removal of their blessing.
"And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation." Numbers 16:32-33
Quote:
|
We all started out with certain blessings from God when were born naturally to our natural mothers. By moving in the right direction [toward God] we can receive more blessings.
|
"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for
all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." I Chron 29:14
Quote:
|
God does not change and His Word does not change, but our response to His Word will change according to blessings or cursings that we already have and according to how our whole beling responds to that Word. Salvation is not set in concrete, but rather it is one of those blessings God has for those that respond to His Word continuously in the manner that He desires.
|
"For I am the LORD, I change not..." Mal 3:6
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isa 40:8
"Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." I Peter 1:9
Apparently, we are not completely and finally saved until faith comes to an end. Since we are stilll living by faith that is certainly not yet!
First we must
confess and
believe in the manner prescribed:
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom 10:9
If we truly believe "in our heart" will we not always do the following in order to obey Him?
"Pray without ceasing." I Thess 5:17
"Rejoice in the Lord
alway: and again I say, Rejoice." Phil 4:4
Quote:
Some blessings we received before we were even able to make any decisions. This is most certainly unwarranted or unearned favor from God. Such grace continues to be given.
We are unable to respond to God as He would desire without help. He made available to us all of the help that is needed to do all that He would have us to do. All we have to do is ask:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" Matt 7:7
|
"When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Matt 19:25-26