The Holy Spirit who wrote the Bible foresaw the execution of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60, and wrote John's gospel is such a way that it could apply to the Jews and Israel if they did the right thing, and it could also be broken off and given to the Church Age if they did not.
From time to time, I will see Christians posting about the gospel of John, and attempting to make the case that John's gospel was written to the Jews as doctrine, and if so, that would mean that no one in the Church Age would be born again or have eternal security. How can that be, is such a thing even possible? No, it's not, and a quick comparing of scripture with scripture with a little rightly dividing thrown in will clear things up rather quickly.
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5 (KJB)
When we rightly divide the 4 gospels, we see that Matthew, Mark and Luke walk together in virtual lockstep, while the gospel of John takes a markedly different path. In the first three, we read all about events related to the time of Jacob's trouble and the great Tribulation in Matthew 24:3-41, the ministry of the 144,000 in Mark 16:15-18, the armies of Antichrist overtaking Jerusalem in Luke 21:20-24, and even get to see the constitution of the Millennial Reign of King Jesus in Matthew 5:1-12. But the gospel of John doesn't mention any of those things. Why not?
It's because the Holy Spirit who wrote the Bible foresaw the execution of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60, and wrote John's gospel is such a way that it could apply to the Jews and Israel if they did the right thing, and it could also be broken off and given to the Church Age if they did not. Either way there would be zero contradiction and perfect scriptural harmony. So with that, let me give you just a few examples of how the gospel of John and the gospel of Paul, the apostle for the Church Age, are in complete harmony!
Being born again is for the Church Age:
How do I know that the gospel of John is for the Church Age? Because John tells us that no one can enter into the kingdom of God unless they are born again. What did our apostle Paul preach? Paul preached the kingdom of God. See for yourself.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:3,5,6 (KJB)
And this is what Paul preached.
"And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not." Acts 28:23,24 (KJB)
Eternal Security Is For The Church Age:
Another one of the differences between John's gospel and the other three is that John shows us that the sheep of the Lord Jesus have eternal and everlasting life. You will not find that in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Just coincidentally, Paul teaches eternal security for Church Age believers.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10:27-29 (KJB)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (KJB)
What does Paul say about being eternally secure when you got saved? Plenty!
"That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 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, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:12-14 (KJB)
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 (KJB)
There are dozens of more examples of the incredible harmony between the gospel of John and the writings of Paul, but once you establish that being both born again and eternally security are unique to the Church Age, yet also contained in the gospel of John while being conspicuously absent in Matthew, Mark and Luke, it becomes an open-and-shut case.
No comments:
Post a Comment