In response to Lewis B about dispensationalism. You are absoultely correct concerning this. The churches are so divided today because they have falied to "rightly divide the Word". This is why the article by 1 Cor 10:31 is so mis-leading. So the rest will be a reply to 1 Cor 10:31.

 

I appreciate your profession of love for Jesus. As you are trying so hard to please him and count yourself worthy so that you may enter heaven. You are absoultely correct in the verses you quoted. I will quote a couple of them again.

 

John 14:15

¹⁵ If ye love me, keep my commandments.

1 John 2:3

³ And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Revelation 12:17

¹⁷ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 14:12

¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

 

The above verses are absolutley correct and must not be thrown out. You are so right. They are in the Bible and we cannot argue that they are not. But let us not forget the following verses also.

Matthew 5:42

⁴² Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Matthew 6:14-15

¹⁴ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:¹⁵ But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:25

²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Luke 18:22

²² Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Acts 2:45

⁴⁵ And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

 

These are just a few more verses we are to follow to enter heaven. Now we cannot throw those out can we? Oh let me not forget the next verse.

Mark 16:17-18

¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

 

I imagine this is a verse Jim Jones told his congregation to read as they drank the deadly poison.

 

You see these verses you quoted and I quoted were to be followed. These were written to the Jews who were still under the law.The ones about the snakes and poison drink were "sign gifts" that were to prove the Word being spoken were from God. We now have the Bible which is completed and I do not think you or me would want to go pick up some rattle snakes today or drink any poisnous drinks.

 

It is one thing to say you are not preaching law but another thing to do it. A person in our "dispensation" is saved by faith alone. The Apostle Paul ,the apostle to the Gentiles, is our spokesperson.  Romans through Philemon are written for us to follow. The Gospel of grace says once we Believe we are "SEALED" with the Holy Spirit. The four Gospels and the first part of Acts are written to the Jews. The Jews were still under the law and were to believe and be water baptized to be saved. Once Stephen was martryed God called the Apostle Paul to be "vessel to the Gentiles". He wrote the next 13 books of the Bible to us Gentiles. After the rapture the people living during the tribulation will be reading Hebrews through Revelation to get their instructions on what to do. Mainly to love and help their neighbor by NOT turning any brother away. Also to love God by NOT taking the mark of the beast. The unforgivable sin is to take the mark of the beast during this time. The bible says that their is a sin that people committ that prayer will not help. Do not go to them. That is taking the mark of the beast. It will be a completely different time to live where a Christian cannot buy or sell during the last 3.5 years. Maybe they will be warned and they can store up food for the last 3.5 years. A lot of Christians will have their head cut off and be killed. The things they will need to do are spelled out to them from Hebrews forward. It is really interesting to read and understand the Bible.

 

The bible is so much easier to understand if you divide it properly.

Ephesians 1:13

 

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

 

We cannot through out any verses of the Bible. Again you must know who the spokesman is and whom he is writing to.

 

thanks

Mike W