Gospel Thoughts

Webers.Home · Sep 16, 2023

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● John 6:53 . . Truly, Truly, I say to you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son
of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.

The kind of life about which Jesus spoke is not of this world, i.e. it's
supernatural.

● John 6:54 . . He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life

Eternal life is far and away superior to human life. It never gets old, it never
wears out, it never wears off, nor does it ever need replenishing because it
can't be used up with any more ease than God can be used up.

● 1John 1:2-3 . .The life was manifested, and we have seen and bear
witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and
was manifested to us

Ergo: it's only necessary to obtain eternal life one time and one time only
because it's perpetual, viz: eternal life always was, it always is, and it always
shall be.

The grammatical tense of John 6:54; it's present tense rather than future;
indicating that when people correctly dine upon Jesus flesh, and correctly
imbibe his blood, they obtain eternal life immediately: no delay and no
waiting period.

NOTE: Eternal life and Immortality are not synonymous, viz: they are not
two ways to say the same thing. The two are juxtaposed in 2Tim 1:10;
where the terms are connected with a conjunction. They aren't connected
with a verb, so that you can't say eternal life is immortality; no, eternal life
and immortality are two distinctly different subjects.

For example: Jesus had eternal life when he was here (John 5:26) but he
didn't obtain immortality till after his resurrection. (Rom 6:9, Rev 1:18)

And according to John 6:54, the apostles had eternal life too; but it didn't
prevent their demise; they're all gone.

The possession of eternal life is very crucial because every Christian lacking
eternal life is also lacking unity with God's son, i.e. they are quite literally
christless Christians.

● 1John 5:9-13 . .We accept human testimony, but God's testimony carries
more weight because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about
His son. . . . And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in His son. Whoever has the Son has the life; whoever who does
not have the life, does not have God's son.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 17, 2023

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Some years ago, a two-bit substitute Sunday school teacher wasted the hour
by sitting us thru a Hollywood movie based upon the life of Joseph. At the
conclusion of the "show" I raised my hand and asked the teacher if he
thought Joseph was born again.

I wish you could've seen the look on his face as his mind instantly went into
oscillating vapor lock trying to understand what I meant. He was baffled by
my question.

Well; I explained, Jesus said that no one can enter the kingdom of God sans
the Spirit birth he spoke of at John 3:3-7. The language and grammar of his
statement strongly suggests there are no exceptions, viz: the birth isn't
optional, rather, it's mandatory-- not just mandatory for some, but for
everyone.

One day I asked an experienced Jehovah's Witness if he was born of the
Spirit. He answered no, and added that he did not expect to undergo a Spirit
birth in either this life or the next because his hope isn't in Heaven.

The JW was somehow unaware that Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus wasn't
about things in Heaven, rather, things on Earth.

● John 3:12 . . . If I have told you earthly things and yet you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

In other words: the kingdom of God, and the Spirit birth requirement,
pertain to Messiah's theocratic world down here on the ground rather than
the supreme being's celestial world up in the sky.

It's both tragic and ironic that the Watchtower Society's rank and file
missionaries go worldwide advertising a kingdom that they themselves will
never be allowed to enter: not because they didn't work hard enough to
deserve it, but simply because they were led to believe themselves exempt
from the Spirit-birth requirement.
_

Webers.Home · Monday at 11:05 AM

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The love that God extends to mankind in general per John 3:16 is a
nondescript love that anybody can practice because it's merely benevolence,
e.g. kindness, sympathy, generosity, tolerance, charity, courtesy, and
keeping a civil tongue in one's head.

The love that God extends to His son's friends per John 16:27 goes beyond
benevolence. It's an emotional love that expresses itself in feelings like
fondness and affection.

The love per John 3:16 is typically extended without passion or prejudice;
whereas that of John 16:17 mirrors 1Sam 18:1 & 2Sam 1:26.

I grew up in a dysfunctional home. Consequently the thought of God actually
liking me, instead of only tolerating me as a nuisance and/or an inconvenience,
is nigh unto impossible for me to comprehend.
_

Webers.Home · Tuesday at 10:01 AM

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● 1Tim 5:24-25 . . Some people lead sinful lives, and everyone knows they
will be judged. But there are others whose sin will not be revealed until
later.

Some folks are so shamelessly, unabashedly, outrageously, and defiantly
wicked that there's no doubt in any rational person's mind that those kinds
of people are headed into really big trouble down the road. Whereas others
haven't a clue that not only will their good conduct be evaluated for flaws,
but so will their sensibilities; which are typically influenced by customs and
culture rather than molded into suitable condition by the supreme of all
beings.

I think it can go without saying that some very decent folks are going to be
very surprised to discover that many of their concepts relative to good and
evil were evil quite often and they didn't know it.
_

Webers.Home · Wednesday at 10:17 AM

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FAQ: Was it really necessary to restore Jesus' crucified dead body to life?
Why couldn't it remain deceased and him taken Heaven in spirit form?

REPLY: Jesus' crucifixion was an adequate atonement for people's sins, but
by itself wasn't enough for someone to obtain exoneration.

● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was restored
to life for our justification.

The Greek word translated "justification" is dikaiosis (dik-ah'-yo-sis) which
means acquittal; defined as an adjudication of innocence.

People merely forgiven still carry a load of guilt; viz: they have a criminal
record. The resurrection of Christ's crucified dead body allows God to wipe
their records clean so that on the books, it's as though they've never been
anything but 100% innocent so that when the books are opened per Rev
20:11-15 there will be nothing found in them with which folks may be
accused.

● 1Cor 15:17 . . If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your
sins.

This clearing of one's guilt that I'm talking about is obtained via the kindness
and generosity of God through belief in the resurrection of Christ's crucified
dead body. If the Devil can succeed in convincing people that Jesus' crucified
body is still dead or, even better yet, make them question whether the man
even existed at all; then they will fail to obtain an acquittal, and consequently
end up coming out on the wrong side of things.
_

Webers.Home · Thursday at 9:30 AM

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● Rom 3:23 . . All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

In other words: God has made His own personal sinless perfection the
standard by which everyone is evaluated. Obviously then; no one among the
Jews or the Gentiles-- except for Christ --has ever, nor will ever, measure
up; not even the holiest people that one can imagine, e.g. Noah, Daniel, or
Job; and those were some very righteous guys. (Ezek 14:12-20)

The thing is: Christ's crucifixion and resurrection satisfies justice for people's
sins, and gives them a rating of innocence and exoneration that they could
never in a million years attain on their own. But if the plan of salvation were
to be wrapped at that point, they would still be short of the glory of God,
viz: the ultimate goal of salvation is God's own personal sinless perfection
which, again, is something that people could never in a million years attain
on their own.

Now then with justice satisfied and out of the way by means of Christ's
crucifixion and resurrection; the supreme being is at liberty to become
extremely benevolent with a remarkable act of God that when fully
completed will equip folks with a personal sinless perfection comparable to
His own.

● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life
and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory
and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious
promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and
escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (cf. Ezek 36:24-27)
_

Webers.Home · Friday at 9:25 AM

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Jesus' crucifixion, and the subsequent resurrection of his dead body, are
sometimes called substitutionary. But according to the Bible, he took people
along with him into those events, which makes his crucifixion and
resurrection joint actions wherein his believing followers participated.

● Rom 6:3 . .Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

● Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him

● Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ

● Col 3:1-4 . . For you died when Christ died

● Rom 6:4-5 . .We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in
the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

● Eph 2:6 . . God raised us up with Christ

● Col 2:12 . . Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him

It's no doubt possible to allegorize the above passages, but I strongly
suggest taking them as-is. I don't know how God went about making Jesus'
followers joint participants in his crucifixion and resurrection, but then to this
day I still haven't a clue yet how God went about making Adam's posterity
joint participants in the forbidden fruit incident per Rom 5:12-21.

There is an obvious benefit to all this. Jesus went to the cross bearing guilt,
but was restored to life without guilt (Rom 6:10-11). So then, all those
unified with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection are also back from
the dead without guilt, i.e. they came back with him 100% innocent.

● Rom 8:34 . .Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the
one who died for us and was raised to life for us.
_

Webers.Home · 2023-09-23T09:21:43-0400

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● Heb 4:14-16 . .Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we
profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with
our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just
as we are; yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace
with frankness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in
our time of need.

Now the thing is: the high priest in Heaven despises rote. So it would be
wise to put prayer books away in storage, step away from the Wailing Wall,
and voice one's concerns from the heart with free, candid, forthright, and
sincere expression because frankness stresses lack of shyness or
secretiveness or of evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience;
ergo: frankness implies transparency, i.e. unbridled freedom of speech and
the liberty to speak your mind without fear of ridicule, shame, disgrace,
retribution, or retaliation, viz: with Messiah on the job, people may speak to
Heaven just as we'd speak with their wives and/or their best friends, like
this:

"Come now, let us argue this out-- says The Lord. No matter how deep the
stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen
snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as
wool." (Isa 1:18)

That promise is just as good today as it was back in Isaiah's day; made
possible by Jesus' crucifixion.

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we
are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to
his own way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:5-6)
_

Webers.Home · 2023-09-24T08:28:19-0400

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FAQ: Isn't Judaism equally as useful as Christianity for sinners seeking God's
forgiveness? Isn't that the whole purpose of Yom Kippur, a.k.a. the Day of
Atonement?

REPLY: Pinning one's hopes on the Day Of Atonement is futile. For one
thing: there's no one to perform the ritual seeing as how there is neither a
Temple nor a fully functioning Aaronic high priest on duty in Jerusalem at
this time. In point of fact, neither of those two essential elements of the Day
of Atonement have been in Jerusalem since 70 AD. But that's not the worst
of it.

The original sacrificial system was effective-- to a point --for addressing the
peoples' actions, and for sanitizing their bodies, but totally ineffective for
addressing the people themselves, viz: their persons, the core of their being.

For example: when Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, his perception of
decency underwent a radical change. Whereas before, he was comfortable
seen undressed; afterwards he was uncomfortable seen naked even by his
wife.

The thing is: Adam's moral compass went awry, i.e. his conscience became
humanistic.

● Gen 3:22 . . And The Lord God said: The man has now become like one of
us, knowing good and evil.

In other words: Adam began looking to his own intuition for moral direction
instead of looking to his maker, viz: Adam became a tin God.

Point being: none of the Levitical system's rituals address the corruption
inherent within the human conscience that came about by means of the
forbidden fruit incident.

● Heb 9:13-14 . .The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they
are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our
consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living
God.

The Greek word translated "consciences" basically pertains to mental activity
especially as it pertains to moral perception. So we're not talking about
outwardly sinful behavior here. (cf. Rom 2:16 and Heb 4:12)

Bottom line: no matter how perfectly pious somebody attains, they will
never be completely ready for God until they avail themselves of Christ's
crucifixion to atone for their defective internal mechanism that discerns
between good and evil, right and wrong, and wise and unwise.
_

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