SAVED

                

          When someone says, “I am saved,” what is the biblical foundation for his or her statement?  The apostle, Paul, had written in Ephesians 2:5 & 8 the following:                                    

                                (5) “Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ (by          grace you are saved);” and

                                (8) “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the          grace  of God:”

{Notice: the Greek word for the word “saved” in the above verses is “σεσοσμενοι”, sesosmenoi, perfect, passive, nominative, plural, masculine.  The word in context means “to bring within the pale [or rights and limitations] of saving privilege.”  The Analytical Greek Lexicon (and others)}.  In other words, salvation (of the human spirit) is a process.  1 Corinthians 15:1 & 2 CJB) teaches the reader: “Now, brothers, I must remind you of the Good News which I proclaimed to you, and on which you received, and on which you have taken your stand, and by which you are being saved – provided you keep holding fast to the message I proclaimed to you.  For if you don’t, your trust will have been in vain.”

                Paul had taught that the Ephesian metropolitan church had been “saved” by an act of God’s grace, combined with their faith or trust.  So, what had they been saved from?  Verse one teaches the reader that they had been saved from “trespasses and sins,” which they had committed.  Yes, their lives had been unproductive, lawless and hopeless; which way-of-life they had traded for a fresh start.  So they had been reconciled or made to have peace with God through Jesus Christ, and their unfeigned or sincere faith in him when they (in effect) raised their right hands in an oath in agreement to the Father, saying, I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; I believe that God has raised him from the dead.”  This in agreement with Romans 10:9, which reads, “that if you shall confess [Gk. “όμολογησης”, homologeses, to speak an oath] with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.”  Yes, they had become JUSTIFIED or acquitted or accredited with righteousness; i.e. given a right standing or become redeemed or given a fresh start; again, Colossians 2:14 reads: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [; i.e. against us do to our failings concerning the requirements of the regulations], and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”….  PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT!  This act of deliverance from their past condition had been perfect (a complete past action with its results being in full effect) and passive (; i.e. an act of God).  Consider further, since they had been saved from their past condition and had been given a fresh start, what was then their responsibility?  How were they then to live?  Certainly, a conversion from their former life-style had been in order: they had lived according to the system of the world – would they not, now, live according to the system of heaven?  Cf. verses 2, 11 & 12 of ch. 2: ² “My purpose is that they may be encouraged, that they may be joined together in love, and that they may have all the riches derived from being assured of understanding and fully knowing God’s secret truth which is – the Messiah.”  ¹¹ “Also it was in union with him that you were circumcised with a circumcision not done by human hands, but accomplished by stripping away the old nature’s control over the body.  In this circumcision done by the Messiah, ¹² you were buried along with him by being immersed; and in union with him, you were also raised up along with him by God’s faithfulness that worked when he raised Yeshua [or Jesus] from the dead.” 

                The heavenly system required, and does require, living a life of holiness: holiness or SANCTIFICATION or consecration or devotion means conducting one’s life according to a new system of works – which if persevered in, s/he would experience the full reality of their salvation unto eternal life.  Romans 11:22c reads, “…provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you will be cut off! (CJB)” Now, we know that no “unrighteous [person]…fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9 & 10 KJV).” 

                A person may certainly conclude that the above verse is complementary to God’s moral law-word.  Paul, in Romans 8:4, teaches the reader that Jesus had died so that “the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.”  While a person may be reconciled through faith, that same person is ultimately saved or brought to the full realization of SALVATION through God’s system of (good) works.  So, s/he is required to live a life of trusting faithfulness before the Lord in terms of his covenant conditions.  Cf. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are of God’s making created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.” (See, also: Philippians 3:9-16; 2 Corinthians 44:1; Exodus 39:42.)

                A final view: From an act of repentance a person is acquitted of past sins; hence, s/he is at peace with God and given a new beginning to live righteously before him, and that in terms of his law-word or code of law.  In regeneration, a person works out his/her salvation or runs the race or perseveres to the end.  Through a life of trusting faithfulness, justification and salvation become fully realized; moreover, eternal life is awarded.

                If you are looking for a fresh start in life; I invite you to become devoted to Jesus and live your life in liberty, which is provided through his law-word.  Like the Ephesians had done, raise your right hand to the Father, and speak this oath: I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; I believe that God has raised him from the dead…and you shall be saved. 

Analysis of Matthew Chapter Twenty-four

Ì Matthew 24: 1-4, "As Yeshua left the Temple and was going away, his talmidim [disciples] came and called his attention to its buildings. But he answered them, '"You see all these? Yes! I tell you, they will be totally destroyed -- not a single stone will be left standing!"'"

"When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the talmidim came to him privately. '"Tell us,"' they said, '"WHEN WILL THESE THINGS HAPPEN? AND WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING, AND THIS PRESENT AGE IS ENDING?"'" "Yeshua replied: [vss. 4-51; Luke 21:22]..."'"

Jesus began to answer the three-fold question presented by the disciples: it is one question with three components. Verses 4-14 cover the time; verses 15-29 cover the “sign” of his coming (this term is only used by Matthew) or the conditions; and, verses 30-51 cover the end of the [age].

[“Parousia” versus “elthonti”

Both words are rendered “coming” in English.  “Παρουσια”, Parousia, derived from the radicle “pareimi”, means:  “presence, a coming, arrival or advent.”  (Take note of how the meanings are worded!)  “Ελθοντι”, Elthonti, derived from the radicle “erchomai”, means “to come, to go, to pass.”   

What is the significance of the two words as one analyses them?  “Elthonti” denotes a physical arrival by someone, where as “parousia” denotes an event within time.  

Strong’s definition (#G3952) adds: “(by implication) physical aspect: -- coming, presence.”  -- “by implication”?!  An “indirect suggestion”, “logical relation”?!  The “Second Coming of Jesus Christ” that is advocated by futurists has no evidence outside of human reasoning.  It is propagated upon conjecture!] 

Observe, verses 9, 16, 21, 23, 30 and 40 begin with the words: “then”, “when” or “that time” (Gk. “to'te”); these are Subordinate Conjunctions. Also, verse 15 uses “When, therefore”, [(“‘'otan”) adverb of time + (“oun”) particle.]. These words do not diminish from the context!  The words that follow the subordinate conjunctions or adverbs are additional, descriptive information emphasizing what has been previously spoken about them.
Moreover, Jesus continued into chapter twenty-five with two parables that qualify what he had spoken of in chapter twenty-four. Verses 1, 7, 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 44, and 45 begin with the use of subordinate conjunctions.
Matthew speaks of the great tribulation (“θλιψις μεγαλη”, thlipsis megale cf Revelation 2:22 & 7:14: these verses use the same words) in verse twenty-one. See also: Mark 13:19 & Luke 21:23.

Likewise, in Luke 21 the disciples asked: "Rabbi, if this is so, when will these events take place? And what ‘sign’ will show that they are about to happen (vs. 7)?" Luke recorded two of the three components of their question. Jesus answered in three parts: verses 8-19; verses 20-23; and, verses 24-27. Luke proceeded with different parables than Matthew.
Luke defined the ABOMINATION THAT CAUSES DESOLATION as being the Roman armies (vs.20 cf Matthew 24:15 & Mark 13:14).
Luke used adverbs in verses 9 and 20; he used subordinate conjunctions in verses 10, 20, 21 and 27.

Mark, in chapter thirteen, recorded the three-fold question. "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what ‘sign’ will show when all these things are about to be accomplished (vs.4)?" Jesus answered in three parts: verses 5-13; verses 14-25; and verses 26, 27.
Mark used adverbs in verses 7 and 14; and, subordinate conjunctions in verses 14,21,26,27.
Mark also continued with the parable of the fig tree as Luke did.

John, in his Gospel, did not speak of the destruction of the Temple and the ascension of Jesus; however, he elaborated on them in his second volume: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ". What is the link? See, John 19:37 and Revelation 1:7.

The "second" return of Jesus Christ was in A.D. 70. It was recognized not as a physical return; but, in terms of an event: the destruction! 

Undoubtedly, “the ‘sign’…” was concerning the destruction of the temple and the consummation of the Old Covenant age. 

Where is Noah's Ark?

It is traditionally accepted that the resting place of the physical remains of Noah’s ark is on an unknown elevation of Mount Ararat which is located in Eastern Turkey, the northern neigbour of Syria. In our present day, there are scientists, and other interested parties, combing the mount in their attempt to discover even a trace of evidence of the legendary ocean-going vessel that saved civilization from annihilation from the catastrophic effects of a global flood 1656 years after the creation of Adam. I believe that that traditionally accepted location is erroneous. Let us reason from the Holy Scriptures.

Genesis 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. “The ark rested” or the ark settled down from being tossed about by the waves of the waters of the flood which now covered the earth; because, no part of the land was seen until “the tenth month (8:5)”. The place where the ark rested over was the mountains of Ararat. Scripture does not tell us that the ark rested on the physical surface of Mt. Ararat; but, over the mountains (note that the plural is used here) which were in the vicinity of Mt. Ararat. Water is fluid, that is, it is always in motion. It is likely that the ark had moved from its present location during the forthcoming three and one half months. Verse five further informs us that from “the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen”. It is a plausible argument, therefore, that the ark had moved to a distant vantage point. Let us advance to verse thirteen below to affirm or refute this conclusion.

8:13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year [of Noah’s life], in the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It was the Year 1657. Now, Noah’s view is of the ground: that part of the surface that Noah could scan with his eyes for a distance as he looked outward from the ark. It is a plausible argument that as the waters abated the ark came to rest at the base of the mountains, perhaps, in a valley or on a plain. This would afford an easy exit of all the animals that Noah had brought with him. In this context, as one observes the topography of the region, it would be plausible to surmise that the area occupied by the modern day country of Azerbaijan would be the location where God would guide the ark; because, it has fertile slopes that provide grasses for grazing, and it is a fruit-bearing region. Thus, it is a region that is capable of sustaining both human and animal life. And, being among the lowlands, it would afford easy access to both man and beast. This would be important, because the animals were nine months in their beds and they would have succumbed to muscular atrophy. In this weakened state, they would not be able to navigate over difficult terrain safely, and some animals would not have had the natural capacity to navigate difficult terrain due to their anatomical design. A further historical note, if, perhaps, God left it to His pleasure to humour the observer, Azerbaijan is next to the country of Armenia. Armenia, in A.D. 301, was the first country to declare Christianity as its national religion. As there were no national borders after the cessation of the flood, Armenia and Azerbaijan were one within the same geographical region. Here civilization may have had its second beginning in its development in or near the location where Christianity received its first national recognition.