[ A work in progress]
Today, the concept of Salvation by Grace is very difficult to properly understand. There are those who, for over 200 years, have been teaching multitudes of God’s children, that to believe is not a work. As a result, it has become common for people to easily dismiss their faith as an act which justifies a person as being worthy to recieve salvation. But scripture says otherwise;
Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified …
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith …
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith …
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith[fulness] of Christ …
First and foremost, Salvation is by Grace.
Secondly, salvation by works is also by grace.
Jam 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
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Buried with Christ into death, so that we might be raised to life. (Romans 6) |
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| Regeneration Born of Water Eating His flesh Live Forever Solely By Grace |
I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; AND he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) |
Conversion Born of Spirit Drinking His blood Hath Eternal Life By Faith & Works |
| Except a man be born of water AND of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) |
Days of Creation vs Days of the Earth
The story of creation provided to us in Genesis chapter 1 reveals many wonderful things to us concerning God and His sovereign power. But many things in this historical account have been either overlooked or misunderstood, and some even greatly confused, with things that, when studied, are found to be in error.
In this study of Genesis 1, I ask that you give consideration to the order in which things are created as well as any descriptions and purposes for which they were created.
In this study of Genesis 1, I will demonstrate why the days of creation should not be confused with what we know as earth days. I will not in any way define the length of a creation day. The length of a creation day cannot be determined because that information is not provided any where in the Word of God. Any attempt to define a creation day would be pure speculation and would be to add to that which is spoken of God.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
This first passage may be the most misunderstood passage in the book of Genesis. Its true meaning should be easily determined as one reads the rest of this chapter. This is merely a summary of the events that are about to be revealed in this story of creation.
Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
In the passage above, the earth is described as being without form and void. Without form means that the earth at this time had not been shaped. It was neither circular, square, triangular, jagged nor any other shape. Void means that it had no content, contained no matter, or simply an empty space. When these two descriptions are combined together as they are used in this passage, it should become evident that this is describing the earth as having not yet been created. This is further confirmed by passages 9 & 10 below since they describe how the earth was created on the third day of creation.
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
After having established that the earth, nor anything else except water, had yet been created, we are told how light was created. This passage intentionally does not mention the existence of darkness. There was no darkness left.
Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And so God created a division so that the light and darkness could coexist with each other.
Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Now we come to where God names the light Day and the darkness Night. God defines the first recorded day as the completion of an evening and morning as determined by this light and darkness which was divided. It is by this Day that the duration of creation is measured. At this point the earth, sun, and moon have yet to be created. But those things will be created in just two days from now.
Genesis 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.
God now gathers the waters which were present into water bubbles. This is the same thing that occurs when an astronaut pours water out in nongravity space. The water collects together to form a ball. The is how the earth will be shaped in the next passage.
Genesis 1:10 And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.
Out of the water bubble, God commands dry land to appear. The earth has now become a solid mass having taken its shape from the previous ball of water. No longer is the earth without form or void.
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
God is preparing to create a second set of lights. This is to be what we know as human beings as the Sun and Moon. It should already be a proven fact that by the Sun and the Moon we have days, years, seasons, and signs.
Genesis 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
In this passage, God determines the location and purpose for which this second set of lights will be used. This passage clearly defines these lights as being for the purpose of giving light upon the earth.
Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.
And so He did as He determined above. He made the second set of lights and further defined their purpose.
Genesis 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
And so He did as He determined above. He set them in the heavens in such a way that they would give light upon the earth.
Genesis 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.
These two lights, created in this fourth creation day, were in like fashion divided from each other so that both could coexist upon the earth.
Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Therefore, as set forth in these passages from Genesis 1, God created three lights. The first light, whose purpose is not clearly defined, was used to measure the length of the days of creation. A second light, defined as the greater light to rule over the day of the earth, and a third lesser light to rule over the night of the earth. The second and third lights being created in the fourth day of creation, the fourth evening and morning of the first created light.
In this study of Genesis 1, I ask that you give consideration to the order in which things are created as well as any descriptions and purposes for which they were created.
In this study of Genesis 1, I will demonstrate why the days of creation should not be confused with what we know as earth days. I will not in any way define the length of a creation day. The length of a creation day cannot be determined because that information is not provided any where in the Word of God. Any attempt to define a creation day would be pure speculation and would be to add to that which is spoken of God.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
This first passage may be the most misunderstood passage in the book of Genesis. Its true meaning should be easily determined as one reads the rest of this chapter. This is merely a summary of the events that are about to be revealed in this story of creation.
Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
In the passage above, the earth is described as being without form and void. Without form means that the earth at this time had not been shaped. It was neither circular, square, triangular, jagged nor any other shape. Void means that it had no content, contained no matter, or simply an empty space. When these two descriptions are combined together as they are used in this passage, it should become evident that this is describing the earth as having not yet been created. This is further confirmed by passages 9 & 10 below since they describe how the earth was created on the third day of creation.
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
After having established that the earth, nor anything else except water, had yet been created, we are told how light was created. This passage intentionally does not mention the existence of darkness. There was no darkness left.
Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And so God created a division so that the light and darkness could coexist with each other.
Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Now we come to where God names the light Day and the darkness Night. God defines the first recorded day as the completion of an evening and morning as determined by this light and darkness which was divided. It is by this Day that the duration of creation is measured. At this point the earth, sun, and moon have yet to be created. But those things will be created in just two days from now.
Genesis 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.
God now gathers the waters which were present into water bubbles. This is the same thing that occurs when an astronaut pours water out in nongravity space. The water collects together to form a ball. The is how the earth will be shaped in the next passage.
Genesis 1:10 And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.
Out of the water bubble, God commands dry land to appear. The earth has now become a solid mass having taken its shape from the previous ball of water. No longer is the earth without form or void.
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
God is preparing to create a second set of lights. This is to be what we know as human beings as the Sun and Moon. It should already be a proven fact that by the Sun and the Moon we have days, years, seasons, and signs.
Genesis 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
In this passage, God determines the location and purpose for which this second set of lights will be used. This passage clearly defines these lights as being for the purpose of giving light upon the earth.
Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.
And so He did as He determined above. He made the second set of lights and further defined their purpose.
Genesis 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
And so He did as He determined above. He set them in the heavens in such a way that they would give light upon the earth.
Genesis 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.
These two lights, created in this fourth creation day, were in like fashion divided from each other so that both could coexist upon the earth.
Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Therefore, as set forth in these passages from Genesis 1, God created three lights. The first light, whose purpose is not clearly defined, was used to measure the length of the days of creation. A second light, defined as the greater light to rule over the day of the earth, and a third lesser light to rule over the night of the earth. The second and third lights being created in the fourth day of creation, the fourth evening and morning of the first created light.
John 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
In this passage, Jesus teaches that not just any man has seen the Father. He points out that only those, which are of God, or rather the converted, have seen the Father. Some may be mislead to assume that Jesus is speaking of Himself, saying that no human being has seen the Father, but this would be contrary to His teaching in chapter 14.
John 14:7-9 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?
Jesus goes on to teach many things concerning ones ability to see the Father. If you believe that Jesus is in the Father and that the Father is in Him, then you know the Father. If you love Christ, then you will obey His commandments and He will ask of the Father and the Father will fill you with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost consists of both the Father and the Son. If the Holy Ghost dwells in you, then also do the Father and the Son. Therefore, not just any man can possess the Holy Ghost, and as a result, not just any man is able to see the Father. In John 3:3, Jesus teaches that unless a man is born again, or rather converted, and having received the Holy Ghost, he does not have the ability to see spiritually. From this, it is easy to conclude that no unregenerate man is able, since they do not even have the capacity to recieve the ability. God is spirit and all things of God are spiritual. Without the Holy Ghost, spiritual discernment is impossible. As Jesus also taught in John 3:5, not only must a person be born by the washing of regeneration, but also must be born anew, through the renewing of the Holy Spirit. The more one is renewed, the more one is able to see the Father, as well as spiritual things. As this spiritual awakening occurs, the closer a person walks with God, and the more intimately he is able to see the Father.
John 14:7-9 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?
Jesus goes on to teach many things concerning ones ability to see the Father. If you believe that Jesus is in the Father and that the Father is in Him, then you know the Father. If you love Christ, then you will obey His commandments and He will ask of the Father and the Father will fill you with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost consists of both the Father and the Son. If the Holy Ghost dwells in you, then also do the Father and the Son. Therefore, not just any man can possess the Holy Ghost, and as a result, not just any man is able to see the Father. In John 3:3, Jesus teaches that unless a man is born again, or rather converted, and having received the Holy Ghost, he does not have the ability to see spiritually. From this, it is easy to conclude that no unregenerate man is able, since they do not even have the capacity to recieve the ability. God is spirit and all things of God are spiritual. Without the Holy Ghost, spiritual discernment is impossible. As Jesus also taught in John 3:5, not only must a person be born by the washing of regeneration, but also must be born anew, through the renewing of the Holy Spirit. The more one is renewed, the more one is able to see the Father, as well as spiritual things. As this spiritual awakening occurs, the closer a person walks with God, and the more intimately he is able to see the Father.
John 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash [his] feet, but is clean every whit
A man that has been cleansed, by the washing of regeneration, needs only to wash his feet, although he is clean as a whole.
The word "but" is used here to imply that the later is true even though there are obstacles or opposing conditions such as needing to wash ones feet.
The feet are used for walking and are the part of the body which carries us down a path. If our feet are not clean, then filth will be left in our tracks. Until our feet are cleaned, we will carry this filth with us where ever we go.
The word "but" is used here to imply that the later is true even though there are obstacles or opposing conditions such as needing to wash ones feet.
The feet are used for walking and are the part of the body which carries us down a path. If our feet are not clean, then filth will be left in our tracks. Until our feet are cleaned, we will carry this filth with us where ever we go.
Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
This passage is directly related to following passages, which are often misunderstood.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
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 labour.
1 Corinthians 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
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 labour.
1 Corinthians 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
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