FROM M_______: Pete, Regarding your comment “The sum of the Scriptures make clear we have no free will and that it is GOD, not us, working in us to will and to way according to His good pleasure….” If that’s the case what’s this scripture about?
Deu 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
Deu 11:27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
Deu 11:28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Sure sounds like God is giving us a choice. What’s your take on these scriptures? What is God saying to us?
Dear M_____
The carnal mind has a hard time putting Phil 2:12 together with Phil 2:13. How can we be told to work out our own salvation and at the same time be told it is God, not us, working in us to will and to way according to His good pleasure.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Working out our own salvation statement by no means negates the hundreds of Scriptures that tell us what Phil 2:13 tell us that the Lord is sovereign and is working ALL THINGS for the counsel of His will. Working out our own salvation is us learning and being taught by the righteous judgment of God against our rebellious carnal mind and lustful flesh. God made us that way and it is by HIS process, that comes when HE decides it comes, that we learn righteousness and are remade into the new man. So us working out our own salvation is another way of saying this.
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
It is a process, not a 10 second sinners prayer that we enter into the kingdom and learn the truth. We have nothing to do with it in all actuality as our every move is orchestrated by the Lord and we will learn this looking backwards in time once salvation truly comes to us.
So I have a longer answer to your question and will address what Deut 11 is talking about. But before I answer the specific question we must review a few macro truths that carnal minds tend to always forget when reading Scripture.
1) The SUM of God’s word is true. We can’t take specific Scriptures and invent or create an interpretation to support our false beliefs on things like eternal hell. Scripture defines Scripture and we are to only use that, not even thinking beyond what is written (1 Cor 4:6) and we certainly must not rely on the traditions of men and the apostate churches which we were all born into.
2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture at all is becoming its own explanation.
Psa 119:160 The sum of Your word is truth
When we take a Deut 11:28 and try to use that to contradict scores of other Scriptures that tell us ALL SHALL BE SAVED but in the appointed order and that the Lord’s mercy endures forever and that salvation actually comes by the process of us being judged; we are guilty of ignoring the sum of God’s word and have created another gospel.
2) The OT is not a history lesson even though it contains history. The words of the OT were not written for anyone, they were not even written for the flesh Jews who lived back then; those words and all the OT were written for God’s Very Elect in each generation that would follow. So says the Scripture.
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the AGE are come. (Written for Gods Elect)
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us (GODs ELECT) they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
3) All the words of Scripture are spirit. Scripture is the word of God and it is all written in parable, in types and symbols, not to make the meaning clear to the masses of Christianity but to hide the meaning from all except for God’s Elect.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Hos 12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
Eze_17:2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
Psa_78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark (SECRET, HIDDEN) sayings of old:
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
It is either given to one to know these things or it is not given. I can only speak the truth but the Lord must give the ears to hear and be the one to prepare the heart to receive the truth.
Psa 10:17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
And that M_____ is God’s plan and purpose as many are called and few are chosen. Only the few are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, the rest are blinded. That is what the Scriptures foretell from front to back.
Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
His words shall never pass away and this is true to this very day in May 2014 just as sure as they day Paul penned Romans 11. When Christ comes to us, this is why He comes and what He does.
Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
So with this in mind, your question is easy to answer. Here was the Scripture and the question you posed again.
Pete, Regarding your comment “The sum of the Scriptures make clear we have no free will and that it is GOD, not us, working in us to will and to way according to His good pleasure….” If that’s the case what’s this scripture about?
Deu 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
Deu 11:27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
Deu 11:28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
*** Sure sounds like God is giving us a choice. What’s your take on these scriptures? What is God saying to us?
God is giving us a choice M____________. We do make choices, nobody denies we make choices every single day. But what the carnal mind cannot grasp is GOD is CAUSING all those choices. We are truly clay in His hands. How does He do this? Well, I can only tell you what Scriptures say and the Scriptures tell us God is among other things:
1) Gives us our every single thought (Amos 4:13)
2) Directing our every step (Jer 10:23, Prov 20:24, prov 16:9)
3) Supplies every word we every speak (Prov 16:1, Exod 4:11, ISA 57:19)
4) Works all things in our lives, apart from Him we do nothing (John 15:5, Eph 1:11, Rom 11:36, ETC)
5) Has already determined our lives in the flesh and what we do and don’t do (Psalm 139:16, ISA 46:10, Job 14:5, ETC)
So it simply takes the GIFT OF FAITH to believe the Scriptures. Few are given to believe the sum of thy word.
Yet Deut 11:27-28 are great Scriptures telling those that can hear and see (God’s Elect) a very true statement. We learn these truths over time. We learn that if we walk in obedience to the law of Christ (loving our enemies, not judging men in the flesh, not partaking of the world’s holidays, etc) then we are blessed. The new man is given a blessing and is strengthened in faith, understanding and ability to stand in the fire of God’s word as an alien and stranger in this world.
But if we do not walk in obedience and follow after other gods (and idols, like holidays, staying in Babylon, following other jesuses like one that burns people in eternal torment) then we learn we are cursed and that the wrath of God will remain on us. We are cursed. What this means is we will be walking in spiritual death.
But M_____, this does not change the rest of God’s word. The rest of God’s word still makes clear a number of things including:
- All men shall be saved in the appointed time
- God directs our every step, giving us even our very thoughts (amos 4:13)
- We must live by every word God spoke and He spoke Deut 11, so we will walk in disobedience before we will walk in obedience.
- Being cursed does not mean eternal torment, what it means is that those briars and thorns (THE FALSE DOCTRINES) we believe, will be burned up by the fire of God’s word, but only in our day of judgment.
Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Being cursed is walking in death, spiritual death, not knowing the true Jesus Christ and His Father. That is where we all are first, before it is granted to us to have AIONIOS (Eternal) LIFE. It comes to very very few in this age, only the Elect.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Until we come to know Christ in the SPIRIT, we don’t know Him and we are cursed, disobeying God in ignorance and in willful rebellion, separated from Him. And that is God’s plan for the multitudes, until the day appointed for our judgement arrives. Eternal torment believers try to force Hebrews 6:8 to be talking about eternal hell, so sad that they don’t understand the purposes of thorns and briars nor do they believe the gospel or even understand the Scriptures.
The burning is actually how salvation comes. It is how the lies are burned up and the sin is purged from our hearts and minds. This is what a loving God does M___________. The scourging is the FIRE. This is what true grace is.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
True grace causes us over time, as we LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS thru judgment to obey God. That is why Christ said this when speaking of the promise of the new covenant. No free will in Ezek 36, it is all I WILL SAYS THE LORD. What is the catalyst of us obeying God?
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
One has to ignore hundreds of plain Scriptures and take only some of thy word to arrive at the conclusions you are inferring with Deut 11. They mean no such thing.
Jesus Christ is the first Adam and the Second Adam. We are all His brethren and like Jesus Christ, we will all be the first adam before we are ever to be the second Adam. We all will first be a vessel of dishonor before we are made into a vessel of honor by the process of judgment.
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
We are blessed indeed when that judgment falls upon us and the Lord begins to show us the self righteousness we walked in and that we were indeed blind, miserable and naked even though we thought we had arrived and took joy in pointing fingers and heaping judgment and condemnation upon others. It is a great day when Judgment comes upon us as that is when we will be shown for what we truly are, a marred vessel of clay, believing in briars and thorns, an abomination causing desolation in the temple of God whose end thank God is to be burned.
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
This blessing falls upon VERY FEW in this age. For most, this blessing will not come until the lake of fire. You see M_____, the judgment is a paradox. It is the blessing, it is how the new man is brought forth, as the old man is destroyed by fire. We don’t do it, this is all the work of God in us and it happens in the appointed times.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
SUMMARY
So Deut 11 as we have seen and like for ALL SCRIPTURE, is written only for God’s Elect. It is not even applicable to the multitudes (the billions of professing Christians) nor does it apply to outward jews. I showed that clearly with two corroborating Scripture witnesses. What Deut 11 is saying is that once we are chosen of God, we either walk in obedience or else we are scourged with fire. The Lord says choose to obey or disobey, and why we will choose in the moment, those choices will be caused for us as they were already written in our book as the Potter molds and shapes us on HIS TIMELINE for our life. When we rebel we are chastened which is the function of true grace.
Almighty God gets His will done and when He says He wants all men to come to repentance, when your time comes, you will come to repentance. Psalm 23 says HE MAKES me lie down in green pasture, there is no asking you nicely. You have no real choice in the matter. That is what being cursed and enduring the fire of God will do to you. It will burn up the sin and rebellion, this is the path of salvation. Once you realize you cannot get away with disobedience and that you will indeed reap what you sow, you will then be caused to begin obeying. That is how we are saved by grace.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned (judged later with everyone else in the lake of fire) with the world.
And yet when learn thru this grace, to obey God and are caused by the Spirit in us and the love for God that grows in us by that spirit, then we are blessed beyond comprehension.
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
This blessing speaks not of physical things, we may well have horrible diseases, be broke, need jobs and be enduring all kinds of outward calamities. The blessings of God are inward, they are a peaceful heart and and meek and gentle spirit. That is what Deut 11 is speaking about. We are saved by grace thru faith and this working of the Lord is indeed a mystery, a secret HIDDEN from the eyes of those that are yet carnal.
1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery/SECRET, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 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.
I hope this answers your question but what I really hope is the Lord would have mercy upon you and remove from your eyes the logs of eternal hell and free will that prevent you from seeing the truth.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
This question was even further pursued in a later FAQ that can be accessed below.