The document discusses the claims of Jesus regarding his identity, emphasizing his assertion of equality with God as presented in John 5. It argues against the notion that Jesus merely claimed to be a good teacher or prophet, detailing various biblical references to support his divine nature and role as the Messiah. Additionally, it addresses the requirements for salvation, emphasizing faith in Jesus' words and identity.

1. The Deity Claims of Jesus; Who Did Jesus
Say He Was?; “Jesus Never Said He Was
God”;
5 Requirements For Salvation; Liar,
Lunatic, or Lord; All May Honor The Son;
Easy-believism; Unwilling to come to
Jesus;
John 5

3. Who Did Jesus Say He Was?

4. Jesus Never Said He Was God
Many people these days will
acknowledge Jesus as “a good teacher,”
“a prophet,” “one of the masters” but add
that Jesus never said he was God.
Let’s examine what Jesus said about
himself.
John 5 gives us some profound insights
into who Jesus said He was.
Here, Jesus leaves no room for anyone
to not see his claim of being God

5. John 5:1-2
John 5:1 Some time
later, Jesus went up
to Jerusalem for a
feast of the Jews. 2
Now there is in
Jerusalem near the
Sheep Gate a pool,
which in Aramaic is
called Bethesda and
which is surrounded
by five covered

6. John 5:2, The Sheep Gate
John 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep
gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda,
having five porticoes.
Nehemiah 3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest arose
with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep
Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They
consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred
and the Tower of Hananel. (Nehemiah 3:32 also)
Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the
gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to
destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
John 10:1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not
enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but

7. Sheep Gate The Christ in Prophecy Journal, By Nathan Jones
“Just inside the Lion's Gate, where the Sheep Gate once
stood, is the Church of Saint Anne and the healing Pools of
Bethesda (Jn. 5:1-15). Judy shows off the beautiful
gardens that lie outside.”

8. Lion's Gate, Saint Stephen's gate, Sheep
Gate, Sheepfold Gate The Christ in Prophecy Journal, By Nathan Jones
“On the way to our bus we went through the Lion's
Gate in the Arab Quarter. See the little lions? It's also
known as Saint Stephen's gate, the site where Stephen
was stoned to death and became the first Christian
martyr (Acts 6-7).”

9. Bethesda

10. The Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem
 “Until the 19th century, there was no evidence
outside of John's Gospel for the existence of
this pool. Skeptical scholars said that the
gospel was written later, probably by someone
who did not have first-hand knowledge of the
city of Jerusalem, and that the pool had a
metaphorical or symbolic, rather than actual,
significance. Then in the nineteenth century,
archaeologists discovered the remains of a
pool exactly matching the description in
John's Gospel. Yet again, archaeology
confirms that the Bible talks about real people

11. Five Covered Colonnades

12. John 5:3-9
John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of sick
people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving
of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain
time into the pool and stirred up the water; then
whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the
water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity
thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying
there, and knew that he already had been in that
condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want
to be made well?"
7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to
put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but
while I am coming, another steps down before me."
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and
walk." 9 And immediately the man was made well,
took up his bed, and walked.

13. Jesus Was Fulfilling Prophesies
He referred John the Baptist to these
prophesies.

14. John the Baptist
Was in prison or
dead.

15. John the Baptist
Matt 11:2-6 When John heard in prison
what Christ was doing, he sent his
disciples 3 to ask him, "Are you the one
who was to come, or should we expect
someone else?" 4 Jesus replied, "Go back
and report to John what you hear and see:
5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk,
those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the good
news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is
the man who does not fall away on account
of me."

16. Signs of the Messiah
These works clearly indicated that Jesus
indeed is the Messiah
Isa 35:2-6…they will see the glory of the
Lord, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen
the feeble hands, steady the knees that give
way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts,“ Be
strong, do not fear; your God will come, he
will come with vengeance; with divine
retribution he will come to save you." 5
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and
the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will
the lame leap like a deer, and the mute

17. John 5:10-15
and so the Jews said to the man who had
been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law
forbids you to carry your mat." 11 But he
replied, "The man who made me well said to
me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" 12 So they
asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you
to pick it up and walk?" 13 The man who
was healed had no idea who it was, for
Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that
was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the
temple and said to him, "See, you are well
again. Stop sinning or something worse may
happen to you." 15 The man went away and

18. John 5:9-16, Work On The Sabbath,
Chester McCalley
The Pharisees splitting hairs over what was
considered work on the Sabbath
For example, one could swallow vinegar for
a sore throat on the Sabbath but could not
gargle with it, for that would be work; and a
woman should not look in a mirror on the
Sabbath because she might see a gray hair
and pluck it out—that would also be work.” -
John Commentary, pg 27 - Chester McCalley
Exodus 31:15 'For six days work may be
done, but on the seventh day there is a
sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD;
whoever does any work on the sabbath day

19. John 5:16-18
16 So, because Jesus was doing these
things on the Sabbath, the Jews
persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them,
"My Father is always at his work to
this very day, and I, too, am working."
18 For this reason the Jews tried all the
harder to kill him; not only was he
breaking the Sabbath, but he was even
calling God his own Father, making
himself equal with God.

20. Jesus Was Doing These Things On
The Sabbath
Intentionally on the Sabbath?
Or by mere happenstance?
Matt 12:8 “…For the Son of Man is Lord
of the Sabbath."

21. The Deity Claims of Jesus
I’m going to start “Our List of Deity
Claims in John 5”
You should at least highlight them in
your Bible

22. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v.
18

23. Whatever The Father Does The Son
Does
John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I
tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by
himself; he can do only what he sees his
Father doing, because whatever the Father
does the Son also does.
If I said, “whatever God does, I do” what
would you think?
Liar
Lunatic
Lord

24. Liar, Lunatic, Lord
“In his famous book Mere Christianity,
Lewis makes this statement, "A man who
was merely a man and said the sort of
things Jesus said would not be a great
moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic
- on the level with a man who says he is a
poached egg - or he would be the devil of
hell. You must take your choice. Either this
was, and is, the Son of God, or else a
madman or something worse. You can
shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His

25. Liar, Lunatic, Lord
I’ve always believed that “Liar, Lunatic,
Lord” were the only 3 options, until I
studied apologetics. Then I came to the
realization that there was a 4th. Possibility;
Legend
….A legend is a story, that is probably
about someone that did exist but has
been twisted to seem more interesting and
fascinating. This story is passed down
generation to generation….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend

26. Liar, Lunatic, Lord
We know that the N.T. revelation is not a
legend because legends take centuries
to develop
….A legend is a…story….passed down
generation to generation….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend

27. Liar, Lunatic, Lord
We know that the N.T. revelation is not a legend
because the Gospel was in creedal form in less
than 30 years after the resurrection.
1 Cor 15:3-8 For what I received [A.D. 55
approx. date of writing] I passed on to you as of
first importance: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter,
and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared
to more than five hundred of the brothers at the
same time, most of whom are still living, though
some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to

28. To Early For “Legend”
IVP Bible Background Commentary says,
"Handed on to you . . . what I had received"
(NRSV) is the language of what scholars call
"traditioning": Jewish teachers would pass on
their teachings to their students, who would in
turn pass them on to their own students. The
students could take notes, but they delighted
especially in oral memorization and became
quite skilled at it; memorization was a central
feature of ancient education. In the first
generation, the tradition would be very
accurate; this tradition may even be a

29. To Early For “Legend”
Christian Apologetics & Research
Ministry says, “1 Cor. 15:3-4 is
considered by many scholars to be an
extremely early creed of the Christian
church. A creed is a statement of belief.”
http://www.carm.org/questions/1Cor15_3
-4.htm

30. The Gospel Was Established In Less
Than 30 Years
I was a junior in high school when John
Kennedy was killed, way back in 1963,
53 years ago.
Let me tell you how it happened.
I was there in Denver when it happened.
I saw it. He was shot in the head with an
arrow by an Indian on horseback.
Would never buy this version of my story
of John F. Kennedy because it was too
recent in history and that's not how it

31. Let’s Return To Our List of Deity
Claims

32. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v.
18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son
also does,” v.19

33. John 5:20, Shows Him All He Does
John 5:20 For the Father loves the Son
and shows him all he does. Yes, to
your amazement he will show him even
greater things than these.
If I said, “Yea, God shows me all He
does.”
Liar, Lunatic, Lord
Profound, but it doesn’t quite make our
“Deity Claims List.”

34. John 5:21, The Son Gives Life
John 5:21 For just as the Father raises
the dead and gives them life, even so
the Son gives life to whom he is
pleased to give it.
This one definitely makes our list!

35. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v.
18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son
also does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the
Son gives life” v.21

36. John 5:21, Who Gives Life?
John 5:21 …the Son also gives life to whom He
wishes.
John 6:33 "For the bread of God is that which
comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the
world."
John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh
profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to
you are spirit and are life.
2 Corinthians 3:6 …the letter kills, but the Spirit
gives life.
Romans 4:17 (as it is written, "A FATHER OF
MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the
presence of Him whom he believed, even God,
who gives life to the dead and calls into being that
which does not exist.
1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of

37. John 5:22, All Judgment To The Son
John 5:22 Moreover, the Father judges
no one, but has entrusted all judgment
to the Son,
If I said, “God doesn’t do ……. but I do,”,
would you think Liar, Lunatic, Lord?

38. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v.
18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son
also does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the
Son gives life” v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22

39. John 5:23, All May Honor The Son
John 5:23 that all may honor the Son
just as they honor the Father. He who
does not honor the Son does not honor
the Father, who sent him.
Where’s that list!

40. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v.
18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son
also does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the
Son gives life” v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22
#5, “honor the Son just as they honor the
Father,” v.23

41. John 5:24, Whoever Hears My Word
John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever
hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life and will not be
condemned;
If I said, there are three conditions for
gaining eternal life, what would you say?
NAU Mark 2:17 And hearing this, Jesus
said to them, "It is not those who are
healthy who need a physician, but those
who are sick; I did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners."

42. 5 Requirements For Salvation
John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever
hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life and will not be
condemned;
You must be a sinner; Mark 2:17 …I did
not come to call the righteous, but
sinners.”
John 3:3 …unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 8:24 …unless you believe that I

43. John 5:24, 6:47, Easy-believism
John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he
who hears My word, and believes Him
who sent Me, has eternal life, and does
not come into judgment, but has passed
out of death into life.
John 6:47 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he
who believes has eternal life.

44. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v.
18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son
also does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the
Son gives life” v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22
#5, “honor the Son just as they honor the
Father,” v.23
#6, “whoever hears my word…. has

45. John 5:25, The Dead Will Hear The Voice
John 5:25 I tell you the truth, a time is
coming and has now come when the
dead will hear the voice of the Son of
God and those who hear will live.
The dead will hear His voice and live.
That makes it.

46. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v. 18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son also
does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the
Son gives life” v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22
#5, “honor the Son just as they honor the
Father,” v.23
#6, “whoever hears my word…. has eternal
life,” v.24
#7, the dead will hear His voice and live, v.

47. John 5:26, The Son Has Life In
Himself
John 5:26 For as the Father has life in
himself, so he has granted the Son to
have life in himself.
As the Father, so the Son has life in
himself, would definitely make the Jews
say, “He’s making himself equal with
God.” (MHEWG)

48. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v. 18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son also
does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the Son
gives life” v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22
#5, “honor the Son just as they honor the
Father,” v.23
#6, “whoever hears my word…. has eternal
life,” v.24
#7, the dead will hear His voice and live, v. 25

49. John 5:27, Son of Man=Authority
John 5:27 And he has given him authority
to judge because he is the Son of Man.
This is a direct O.T. quote out of Dan 7;
Dan 7:13-14…son of man…14 He was given
authority, glory and sovereign power; all
peoples, nations and men of every
language worshiped him. His dominion is
an everlasting dominion that will not pass
away, and his kingdom is one that will never

50. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v. 18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son also
does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the Son
gives life” v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22
#5, “honor the Son just as they honor the
Father,” v.23
#6, “whoever hears my word…. has eternal life,”
v.24
#7, the dead will hear His voice and live, v. 25
#8, As the Father, so the Son has life in himself,

51. John 5:28-29, The Graves Will Empty
John 5:28-29 "Do not be amazed at this,
for a time is coming when all who are in
their graves will hear his voice 29 and
come out — those who have done good
will rise to live, and those who have done
evil will rise to be condemned.
His voice will trigger the resurrections.

52. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v. 18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son also does,”
v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the Son gives
life” v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22
#5, “honor the Son just as they honor the Father,”
v.23
#6, “whoever hears my word…. has eternal life,”
v.24
#7, the dead will hear His voice and live, v. 25
#8, As the Father, so the Son has life in himself,
v.26

53. John 5:30-32
John 5:30-32 By myself I can do
nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my
judgment is just, for I seek not to please
myself but him who sent me. 31 "If I
testify about myself, my testimony is not
valid. 32 There is another who testifies
in my favor, and I know that his
testimony about me is valid.
This won’t make our list.

54. John 5:33-37
John 5:33-37 "You have sent to John and he has
testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human
testimony; but I mention it that you may be
saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave
light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John.
For the very work that the Father has given me to
finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the
Father has sent me.
Jesus said in Matt 11:11 “…among those born of
women there has not risen anyone greater than
John the Baptist…” yet He rejects his testimony in
favor of God’s. Evidenced by His “work.” Not on

55. John 5:37-40 Come To Me To Have
Life
John 5:37-40 And the Father who sent me has
himself testified concerning me. You have never
heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does
his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the
one he sent. 39 You diligently study the
Scriptures because you think that by them you
possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures
that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to
come to me to have life.
The Jews would have heard this as 2 Claims of
Deity;

56. John 5:40, Unwilling To Come To
Me
NAU John 5:40 and you are unwilling to
come to Me so that you may have life.
Matthew 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
who kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to her! How often I wanted
to gather your children together, the way
a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, and you were unwilling.
NAU Acts 7:39 "Our fathers were
unwilling to be obedient to him…

57. John 5:40, Unwilling To Come To Me
Matthew 16:24 …If anyone wishes to
come after Me…
“God does not have to come and tell me
what I must do for Him, He brings me into
a relationship with Himself where I hear
His call and understand what He wants me
to do, and I do it out of sheer love to
Him… When people say they have had a
call to foreign service, or to any particular
sphere of work, they mean that their
relationship to God has enabled them to
realize what they can do for God.”

58. Unwilling

59. Acts 28:26-27, Why Doesn’t God
save everybody?
"'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever
hearing but never understanding; you will be ever
seeing but never perceiving." 27 For this people's
heart has become calloused; [it wasn’t completely hard
already] they hardly hear with their ears, and they
have closed their eyes [who closed them?] . Otherwise
they might see with their eyes, hear with their
ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I
would heal them [God would, 2Pe 3:9] .'

60. Unwilling Not Willing, Would Not
Believe
NAU Isaiah 30:15 For thus the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In
repentance and rest you will be saved, In
quietness and trust is your strength." But
you were not willing,
NAU Ezekiel 20:8, 3:7 yet the house of
Israel will not be willing to listen to you,
since they are not willing to listen to Me.
Surely the whole house of Israel is
stubborn and obstinate.
NAU Acts 28:24 Some were being
persuaded by the things spoken, but
others would not believe.
 1 Co. 7:12, 1 Co. 14:24, 2 Co. 6:15, 1 Tim. 5:8

61. John 5:41-47
"I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know
you. I know that you do not have the love of God in
your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name,
and you do not accept me; but if someone else
comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44
How can you believe if you accept praise from one
another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise
that comes from the only God? [Who or What is
that?] 45 "But do not think I will accuse you
before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on
whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed
Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about
me. 47 But since you do not believe what he
wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

62. So, In Summation
Before I Wave Bye, Bye

63. Our List of Deity Claims in John 5
#1, “Making himself equal with God,” v. 18
#2, “whatever the Father does the Son also does,” v.19
#3, “just as the Father…gives…life…the Son gives life”
v.21
#4, “all judgment to the Son,” v. 22
#5, “honor the Son just as they honor the Father,” v.23
#6, “whoever hears my word…. has eternal life,” v.24
#7, the dead will hear His voice and live, v. 25
#8, As the Father, so the Son has life in himself, v.26
#9, Claiming authority to judge & he is the Son of Man,
v.27
#10, all who are in graves will hear his voice & rise,
v.29
#11, the Scriptures testify about me , v.39

64. When Someone Says Jesus Never Said He
Was God
Say, “Let me read
to you what He
said to His critics
after He healed a
man who had been
lame for 38 years.”
Then turn to John
5.

65. If You Need More
John 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish;
John 10:30 I and the Father are one."
John 10:36 you accuse me of blasphemy because I said,
'I am God's Son'?
John 10:38 the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
John 12:32 when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men to myself.
John 14:7 If you really knew me, you would know my
Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have
seen him."
John 14:9 Anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father

66. THE
END
AMEN!
Stay Tuned For
More

67. Today is October 17, 2012

Verse of the Day -- John 5:16

. . . the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It's never the wrong day to do good.

MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
John 5:2-17 outlines Jesus' healing of the crippled man at the Pools of Bethesda on a Sabbath. The
Jews were persecuting Jesus because they felt it was wrong to do ANYTHING on the Sabbath. Their
legalism had exceeded their senses. Even today, many Jews, and all Orthodox Jews, cease all work on
the Sabbath—to the point of not tying their shoes, not using push-button phones or pushing buttons on
elevators (most hotels in Israel have a special "Shabot elevator" that continues up and down, one floor at
a time, so Jews can get on and just wait for the desired floor).
To make His point that they had carried the Sabbath rest too far (Exodus 20:10), Jesus made an
interesting observation:
My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working. —John 5:17In other statements, Jesus said to
the hypocrites:
. . . does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead him away to
water him? —Luke 13:15Which of you shall have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately
pull him out on a Sabbath day? —Luke 14:5
Jesus makes the point that even though God has completed creation and rested on the seventh day, He

68. John 5:2 John 10:1 Nehemiah 3:1
(Nehemiah 3:32 also) Matthew 7:13,
Sheepfold Gate
 Explorations in Antiquity Center: Sheep From the Goats
 Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:55 AM PST
 By Dr. David R. Reagan
 Why are the sheep separated from the goats?
 This question was posed to Dr. James Fleming, one of the most knowledgeable teachers of Biblical Archaeology, on our show Christ in Prophecy. Dr. Fleming lived and taught in Israel for 37 years at Jerusalem
University College and at the Hebrew University. His first claim to fame is that he discovered the ancient Eastern Gate buried beneath the current one. Dr. Fleming has walked or motorcycled about every square mile of
Israel, and is so familiar with Israel past and present that Israeli tour guides come to him for training.
 He now operates the Explorations in Antiquity Center in LaGrange, Georgia, an interactive museum where people here in the U.S. can experience the life and times of Jesus Christ in the First Century. It's a fascinating
place, and so in this series we're going to tour the facility to glean new insights into the Bible by understanding the manners, customs and times of the Bible.

 Temporary Sheepfold
 Dr. Reagan: Tell me about what this temporary sheepfold is all about.
 Dr. Fleming: Right, when you're grazing overnight you have to have a place to protect the sheep at night. You get sharp sticks or thorns and you have to make an enclosure with a removable gate. Predators of course
feed at night. So, the most dangerous time for the protection of the sheep is at night. You're trying to find a place where there's a few little caves if you can, particularly because the desert is cold at night and hot in the
day. You try to have a sheepfold in the area of your encampment even if you only go part of the year in one location and then come back to a permanent sheepfold, particularly for the winter.
 A sheepfold needs to be sufficient to keep the sheep in. What happens is not only to keep the sheep in, but it's also to keep the predators out. You have sharp stick pointing out of the walls at the top. Even though some
could jump over the wall, they won't because they know they can't pull the animal out over the sharp sticks.
 Dr. Reagan: This is rather like putting glass on top of the walls like can be seen today in Jerusalem.
 Dr. Fleming: Exactly. The soft underside of the predator doesn't like those spears, so they keep them out.

Permanent Sheepfold
 Dr. Reagan: Let's step inside and see what a permanent sheepfold looks like. First of all, why is it divided?
 Dr. Fleming: It is because of the difference between the sheep and the goats. Goats are much more sure footed and need a higher wall. Their wall is higher than the sheep wall. For sheep, a lower wall is fine. When you
come in there is a little slide gate. You separate the sheep from the goats because they'll need a higher and more secure sheepfold.
 Dr. Reagan: In the back it looks like a cave.
 Dr. Fleming: Yes, you have two mangers, one for feeding and one for watering. In Bethlehem it can get to 20 degrees in the winter and 120 in the summer. If you have a cave at least 10 feet deep, it will remain 69
degrees year round. That's the insulation factor. There are also mangers and sheepfolds inside the caves. The earliest traditions from the Second Century AD and the Gospel of James which didn't make it into the
cannon, but it mentions that Jesus was born in a cave. If you were to ask people in Jesus' day where one would most likely to find a manger, well 90% of the mangers were inside caves again because of the insulation
factor.
 Dr. Reagan: I often wondered about that because I'd always heard about a cave being the place of Jesus' birth, but I didn't know why that would have been the reason for using a cave.
 Dr. Fleming: Yes, caves are where you would keep the animals, especially in the fall and winter time. You are going to keep them in there due to the temperature, as well as for the health of a mother and the new born
babe, you see. When there is no place in the guest room, there would still be a constant temperature in a cave for a guest, so caves are good for a mother and baby as well.

In the fourth part of this series with archaeologist Dr. James Fleming at his Explorations in Antiquity Center, we'll glean some biblical insights by learning what life in the First Century was like when it came to building with
stone.
 John 10:1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
 Nehemiah 3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of
Hananel. (Nehemiah 3:32 also)
 John 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.
 Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

69. Luke 5:31-32 John 5:14, 11:4 1
Corinthians 11:30, Sin And Sickness
 1 Corinthians 11:30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
 QUESTION FOR THE DAY
 Dear Compass,
 I have heard several Bible teachers refer to sin causing people to be sick. Are sin and sickness actually tied together?

ANSWER:
 Jesus did tie health directly to sin when He said to the Jews under Law:
 . . . do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you —John 5:14For those living in the Church Age, the Bible warns us
about unrepentant sin, that we risk being in a "sickness unto death." (John 11:4, 1 John 5:16). There are also consequences of sin,
but sickness is just one of many possibilities. For instance:Homosexuality/promiscuity may result in AIDS.and in the same way also
the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing
indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. —Romans1:27
 Committing adultery may cause marriage problems.
 Stealing may cause you to end up in jail.
 You were born with a sin nature.For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. —1 Corinthians 15:22That's why you
won't live forever on this earth. And your sin nature causes you to have sickness and disease unrelated to any physical actions or sin
on your part. Therefore, you can't say that just because someone is sick, they are in sin. And never forget that even though we have
a sin nature ("If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. —1 John 1:8), we are clean before
God.As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us. —Psalm 103:12having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees
against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. —Colossians2:14
 Our sins have been paid for on the Cross (See Colossians 2:14 above).
 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account. —Romans 4:8


70. Psalm 69:28 Philippians 4:3 John 6:35 5:24 John 10:28-
29 Revelation 3:5 1 John 5:5, Eternal Security,
Overcomers, book of life
 QUESTION FOR THE DAY
 Dear Compass,
 I just read in Revelation 3:5 where Jesus said, "He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his
name from the book of life . . ." Does this mean if we don't overcome we will go to hell or not get into heaven? Sounds like we can
lose our salvation—please clarify.

ANSWER:
 It cannot mean you can lose your salvation because that would contradict scores of other verses that say you cannot. Always
remember, a person who is a Christian today, remains a Christian tomorrow.
 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment,
but has passed out of death into life. —John 5:24Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger,
and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives
Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. —John 6:35-37
 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given
them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. —John 10:28-29
 Revelation 2 and 3 are letters to actual churches/congregations who were meeting around 95 AD in what today is called Western
Turkey. The verse you referred to was addressing the church at Sardis. The verse confirms that because they were true Christians,
their names would not be erased from the Book of Life.All of God's creation is recorded in the Book of Life.
 May they be blotted out of the book of life
And may they not be recorded with the righteous. —Psalm 69:28Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who
have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are
in the book of life. —Philippians 4:3
See also Revelation 21:27
 Jesus promised true believers that they will remain in the Book of Life. If you do not overcome (by the blood of Christ), your name
will be removed.And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? —1 John 5:5

71. http://int.icej.org/news/special-reports/jerusalem-finds-
validating-gospel-john , JERUSALEM FINDS
VALIDATING GOSPEL OF JOHN, John 5, 9
 JERUSALEM FINDS VALIDATING GOSPEL OF JOHN
 2nd Temple Period
 By:
 John Black
 Posted on:
 Sat, 09 Mar 2013 +0100
 When we study the life of Jesus, most Christians turn to the pages of the New Testament and the four canonical gospels. These include the three synoptic (chronological) gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, plus the book of John, which is a considerably different
work.
The distinctive nature of John has led many modern scholars to conclude that John was the last gospel compiled, dating to the second century A.D. and, as such, is irrelevant for historical Jesus studies (known officially as Jesus Research since 1980).
These scholars argue it is of later authorship because John is dependent upon the synoptic gospels and it was written specifically to offer a much more theologically advanced and sophisticated literary work that served to complement the earlier gospel accounts.
Secondly, the Gospel of John is viewed as having a later origin because it reveals some ignorance of Jerusalem. That is, the author of John knows little about first-century Jerusalem because he was never there and the Romans thoroughly destroyed it in 70 A.D.
Therefore, he invented places like the Bethesda Pool having five porticoes (John 5) and the Pool of Siloam (John 9), investing in them heavy symbolism as he crafted his theological masterpiece.
However, a paradigm shift in Jesus Research has taken place in recent years. It is a shift that is challenging the skeptical scholars while proving to be edifying for the believers in Christ. What is the catalyst for this shift? In a word – Archaeology! More specifically –
Biblical Archaeology!
To be clear, it is not that biblical archaeology proves or disproves the Bible. As Avraham Biran, Director of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, attests, “the Bible, as a book of divine inspiration, needs no proof.” Yet,
it is the marriage of both disciplines, archaeology and biblical studies, that is rocking the boat of modern scholarship.
In a recent lecture in Jerusalem, James H. Charlesworth, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project at Princeton Theological Seminary, outlined some of the new archeological finds in the environs of Jerusalem
that are challenging the detractors of the Apostle John being the author of the book by his name. Charlesworth contended that recent finds demonstrate convincingly that the Gospel of John was probably written much earlier than often suggested and is, therefore,
valuable for the study of the historical Jesus — in recreating his time, place and social environment, and in helping us understand his life, actions, teachings and agenda.
For instance, John chapter 5 records the story of the healing of an invalid man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. The pool is said to have consisted of five porticoes, or porches.
For hundreds of years, people believing the pool did not exist read this text symbolically and theologically. ‘Bethesda’ means ‘house of mercy’ and was interpreted to be a symbol for the mercy Jesus showed the disabled man. ‘Five porticoes’ symbolized the
Pentateuch (Five Books of Moses), since there has not been found a pentagon (5-sided structure) in antiquity. And what the Pentateuch could not do, Jesus will do. Verse 8 reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up!’” – providing a beautiful explanation of what Jesus does.
Spiritually speaking, he makes people upright!
Beginning in the late 1800s and continuing in stages since then, archaeological excavations have been carried out in a location in the northeast quadrant of Jerusalem’s Old City based upon literary evidence in Josephus (War 2.15.5 §328) and Eusebius (Onomasticon
58.21–26). The Copper Scroll text discovered in 1947 at Qumran also describes a hidden treasure “in the Bet ‘Eshdatayin (pool precinct) in the pool at the entrance to its smaller basin” (3Q15 11.12).
Bet ‘Eshdatayin is in the dual Aramaic form and refers to two basins for the pool. Excavations have revealed sections of two massive pools, covered colonnades and a segment of Herodian steps in the general area described in John 5 and in Josephus’ writings.
Rather than a pentagon shape, the five porticoes mentioned in John 5 surrounded the pools on the north, south, east and west, with the fifth portico dividing the 2 pools east to west (as seen in the photograph).
The photo depicts an artist’s rendition of the two pools – north and south – surrounded and divided by porticoes. The artist’s model of Second Temple Jerusalem can be viewed today at The Israel Museum.
The Herodian steps in the Pool of Bethesda (see photo) can be seen today and are believed to extend for the length of the southern pool, or approximately 100 meters. It is a massive pool that is mostly covered by a parking lot today. The repetition of steps-landing-
steps-landing can be easily seen and is typical of a mikvah, a pool or bath used to perform purification rites in Judaism.
In order to enter the courts of the Temple, located a little over 100 meters from the Pool of Bethesda, one had to be pure. In order to be pure, one had to be fully immersed in ‘living water.’ Thus a host of scholars today believe that the Pool of Bethesda was a first-
century mikvah that served this purpose for tens of thousands of Jerusalem residents and for the thousands more that visited Jerusalem during the three annual pilgrimage feasts.
It has been estimated by some that over 100,000 Jews were in Jerusalem during the feasts. That is a lot of ‘living water’ needed for purification. It is likely the massive Pool of Bethesda helped to serve this purpose, along with other ritual baths surrounding the Temple.
The requirement was that the worshipper must dip himself or herself in a mikvah before entering the courts of the Lord.
Re-reading John 5 with the pools, colonnades and steps in view, one can now easily envision the disabled man lying on his mat on the landing trying, with great difficulty, to immerse himself in the water just below. One can also envision another individual racing past
him as the water is stirred up.
Now we can begin to understand that what the Gospel of John describes is precisely what had happened. The surviving literary records, such as the Copper Scroll, Josephus, Tacitus and the New Testament, refer to the water systems of Jerusalem, but none except
John specifically mentions the Pool of Bethesda. That is to say, no other literary record but John and the Copper Scroll appear to have been aware of the pools which were likely destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
This is especially important because the Gospel of John is the only gospel that claims to have an eyewitness. Luke interviews the eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4), but John actually claims to have been an eyewitness to the miracles of Jesus (John 1:14; 19:35; 21:24-25).
Therefore, the story in John 5 was not a later creation of Christology (explaining the divinity of Jesus), but a real historical event that took place in a real time at a real place. That is how he knew the details about the pool, its name, its function, the age of the disabled
man and the fact he was lying on a mat. All of these incredible details of the account attest to the eyewitness testimony of John, thereby adding to the credibility of its author and the early date of its authorship.
Visitors to Jerusalem today can enter the premises of St. Anne’s Church in the Muslim Quarter and see the real place where Jesus healed the invalid, perhaps on the very steps that you can observe today.
Meanwhile, John 9 tells the story of Jesus healing a blind man by smearing mud on his eyes and telling him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The old paradigm in Jesus Research interpreted this passage on a very Christological basis, since they concluded there was no
Pool of Siloam nor a relationship between the Gospel of John and actual history. The invented story simply shows how Jesus is the “light of the world” (verse 5) by showing the progression from first receiving physical eyesight followed eventually by receiving spiritual
eyesight.
But in 2004, archaeologists discovered an ancient pool in the southern portion of the City of David excavations, south of the Temple Mount, which had been hidden since 70 A.D. The 50-meter northern edge and part of the eastern edge of the pool have been
excavated while the remaining pool is on property owned by the Greek Orthodox Church.
Like the Pool of Bethesda, one can easily see the pattern of steps and platforms allowing pilgrims to easily enter the pool for full immersion in preparation for entering the Temple located 700 meters to the north. That is to say, like the Pool of Bethesda, the Pool of
Siloam was also likely a mikvah, according to many archaeologists. These two pools represent the largest mikvaot (plural form) that have been discovered to date in the Land of Israel. Also, like the Pool of Bethesda, it is conceivable that Jesus immersed himself at this
pool before entering the Temple.
The discipline of biblical archaeology and its resulting discoveries are forcing Jesus Research to undergo a paradigm shift. It is challenging the skeptic scholar because the recent discoveries of the Pool of Bethesda and Pool of Siloam demonstrate that the author of
the Gospel of John knew intimate details of pre-70 AD Jerusalem that even Josephus failed to know or mention. He also knew things about Jerusalem that we did not know ten years ago.
“The accuracy of the Johannine information is clearly established,” writes Urban C. von Wahlde, Professor of Theology at Loyola University of Chicago, in his work Jesus and Archaeology. John can no longer be read as strictly a theological work comprised of invented
stories to illustrate its theological truths.
Moreover, biblical archaeology is proving edifying to the passionate believer who can now point with confidence to the excavated Pool of Bethesda and say, “Jesus healed a disabled man here.” Or, they can sit on the steps of the Pool of Siloam, read John 9 and
imagine how the story unfolded before their very eyes, bolstering their faith in the Light of the world.


72. John 5:39
 In John 5:39 Jesus explained that the Jewish leaders
were searching the Scriptures looking to find
themselves in there. Thinking that it somehow
revealed how they could gain eternal life by following
what it said about what they must do. So, when the
Jews read the story of Jacob in their Bible they saw his
story as their story. Since he was there ancestor they
believed they could have eternal life through him. As
an heir of his, even though Jacob had failed because
of his duplicity and deceit, some how, they gain could
from his inheritance. They would keep the law, in their
own effort and that would bring them the blessing, and
promise to Abraham.

73. Matthew 7:7 John 5:39 Colossians
1:9, The Knowledge Of His Will
 Today is September 9, 2013, Verse of the Day -- Colossians 1:9 . . . ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge of His will . . .
 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
 To know God's will you must first know what God has willed.
 MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
 How do you know God's will for you personally? In the verse above, the Bible says we are to
"ask" God. And He will talk to us through the Holy Spirit's illuminating of Scripture.
 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the
depths of God. —1 Corinthians 2:10The Bible is God's communique (2 Peter 1:21) to us for
complete direction.for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by
the Holy Spirit spoke from God. —2 Peter 1:21For the Word of God is living and active and
sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of
both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. —
Hebrews 4:12
 God knows us intimately.You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. —Psalm 139:3He knows us inside out.The
LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath. —Psalm 94:11And for you to have a personal relationship with
God, you must seek to know God as well as He knows you. And the details about our Creator
are there in our Bibles to read whenever we make it a priority. But the initiative is left up to
us.Search the scriptures . . . it is these that bear witness of Me. — John 5:39Ask, and it shall
be given to you; seek and you shall find; — Matthew 7:7

74. What does Hebrew mean in
Hebrew? (Insight from Dr. Eli)
 Way before we called the people of Israel “Jews” (which happened long after the
Babylonian exile was over), the Bible called them “Hebrews”. The very first
“Hebrew” was Abraham – the father of all those who believe.
But what does “Hebrew” actually mean in the Hebrew language?
The word "hebrew" comes from the verb LaAVoR, which means “to cross over.”
On the one hand, Abraham crossed over from Mesopotamia (Modern Iraq) into
Canaan, which is modern-day Israel. On the other hand, he crossed over from the
world of idol worship that was familiar to him and his family to a new realm, one in
which one true God was worshiped instead. In both senses Abraham became
forever an IVRi (a Hebrew) – one who has crossed over.
I invite you today to cross over into the world of Hebrew. It’s a life-changing
experience. To begin this journey today, click HERE.
Yours,
Dr. Eli
Eli.Lizorkin@eteachergroup.com

75.  Today is January 8, 2014

Verse of the Day -- John 5:16

. . . the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
 It's never the wrong day to do good.

MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
 John 5:2-17 outlines Jesus' healing of the crippled man at the Pools of Bethesda on a Sabbath. The Jews were persecuting Jesus
because they felt it was wrong to do ANYTHING on the Sabbath. Their legalism had exceeded their senses. Even today, many
Jews, and all Orthodox Jews, cease all work on the Sabbath—to the point of not tying their shoes, not using push-button phones or
pushing buttons on elevators (most hotels in Israel have a special "Shabot elevator" that continues up and down, one floor at a time,
so Jews can get on and just wait for the desired floor).
 To make His point that they had carried the Sabbath rest too far (Exodus 20:10), Jesus made an interesting observation:
 My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working. —John 5:17In other statements, Jesus said to the hypocrites:
 . . . does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead him away to water him? —
Luke 13:15Which of you shall have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day? —Luke
14:5
 Jesus makes the point that even though God has completed creation and rested on the seventh day, He continues to maintain His
work and provide for His creatures—seven days a week! And even though we, as Christians, rest on Sundays from our week's work,
sometimes, for various reasons, there ARE exceptions.


76. John 5:24, 6:47, Easy-believism
 Today is January 24, 2014

Verse of the Day -- John 6:47

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
 God doesn't make it difficult for us to be saved.

MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
 This is one of the clearest and most succinct verses in the Bible describing the way of salvation. It's not by works, not by law-
keeping, not by church membership, not by being good, but simply by believing by faith that Jesus paid for your sins on the cross.
 The simplicity of the gospel is accentuated even more in the following verses:
 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may have eternal
life. —John 3:14-15The Biblical account of the snakes biting the Israelites in the wilderness is very simple (Numbers 21:6-9). Moses
was told to put a bronze snake high on a pole. When someone was bitten, all they had to do was "look" at the pole with the snake
and they would not die. In the same way, anyone who sees that they are sinful (snake bite) and by faith looks to Jesus for salvation
from his/her sin, will be saved.
 And PTL, you can't have eternal life today and not have eternal life tomorrow!
 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to
Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may
remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it
on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze
serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he
lived. —Numbers 21:6-9

77. John 5:24, 6:47, Easy-believism,
monergism.com
 70. What is “easy-believism”?
 The term “easy-believism” is a usually derogatory label, used to characterize the faulty understanding of the nature of saving faith adhered to by much of
contemporary Evangelicalism, most notably (and extremely) by such Dispensational authors as Charles Ryrie and Zane Hodges. The term was popularized in an
ongoing debate between Hodges, to whose theology the label “easy-believism” was affixed, and John MacArthur, to whom the term “lordship salvation” came to be
applied.
 Essentially, the teaching of “easy-believism” (which proponents prefer to call “free grace,” or some similar term), asserts that the faith which saves is mere
intellectual assent to the truths of the gospel, accompanied by an appeal to Christ for salvation (at the end of his life, Hodges embraced the even more extreme
position that salvation requires only an appeal to Christ, even by one who does not believe the most basic truths of the gospel, such as his death, burial, and
resurrection [which he clearly taught, for example, in “The Hydra's Other Head: Theological Legalism,” printed in the Grace In Focus Newsletter]). According to
proponents of the “free grace” movement (i.e. “easy-believism”), it is not required of the one appealing for salvation that he be willing to submit to the Lordship of
Christ. In fact, at least according to some proponents, the person appealing for salvation may at the same time be willfully refusing to obey the commands of Christ;
but because he has intellectual faith, he will still be saved, in spite of his ongoing rebellion.
 “Easy-believism” is usually connected with Dispensationalism, which serves as a foundational theological support for it. According to classic Dispensationalism, the
gospel which Jesus proclaimed on earth was a gospel for the ethnic Jews alone, promising them earthly rewards in the Jewish millennium for their works of
submitting to and following Christ; and this “gospel of the Kingdom” is categorically different from the Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone which
Paul later proclaimed. In this way, all of Jesus' teachings that, if anyone is not willing to leave father and mother and take up his cross and follow him, he cannot be
his disciple, do not apply to the gospel of grace, but only to the gospel of the Kingdom. But contrary to this flawed method of interpretation, there is only one gospel
in the New Testament, which Jesus proclaimed on earth, and which his apostles likewise proclaimed throughout the whole world after his ascension. And this
gospel declares that all who repent (that is turn from sin and rebellion to Christ the Lord) and call upon the Name of Christ in true faith will be saved. Even in Paul's
writings, moreover, it is clear that anyone who perverts the gospel of grace alone, and uses it to continue presumptuously in sin, is bringing just damnation upon
himself (Romans 3:8).
 In much of Evangelicalism, the flippant sort of “once saved, always saved” mentality, which denies that true grace will always prove itself in faith and works, is
closely related to an “easy-believism” mindset, which suggests that intellectual belief alone, which does not go on to pursue a life of true holiness, is the kind of faith
that saves (see questions 66-68 above). When the gospel is understood biblically, it becomes clear that both faith and obedience assume the prior existence of
spiritual life. As J.I. Packer wisely commented, "sinners cannot obey the gospel, any more than the law, without renewal of heart." Understanding this as
foundational biblical truth, we know that salvation not only saves us from the guilt of sin but from its power.

Further Resources:
Lordship of Christ @Monergism.com
 http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/qna/easybelieve.html

78. OSAS And John 5:1-15, 6:37-40
 OSAS And John 5:1-15
 Monday, March 3rd, 2014Once Saved Always Saved
 Q. In John chapter 5 after Jesus healed the man with the infirmity, he said “…: sin no more…”. I believe in
OSAS, but I have a friend that takes this to mean if you continue to sin after being saved you can lose your
salvation. You have to live a holy life to keep your salvation, which I do not believe. But, what exactly did
Jesus mean when he said “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee”,
because sinning no more is just not humanly possible. Please explain.
 A. There is no reason to interpret John 5:14 as Jesus telling this man he could lose his salvation. In John
3:16, John 5: 24, John 6:28-29, John 6:37-40 andJohn 10:27-30 Jesus made it clear that we are saved by
believing that He came to die for our sins, that this belief is the only thing God requires of us, that He will
never drive us away or lose us, and that no one can take us out of His hands. For your friend to be
correct, John 5:14 would have to contradict all these other statements the Lord made.
 According to some accounts of John 5:1-15, people believed that an angel would periodically come and stir
up the waters of the pool of Bethesda. The first one into the pool when this happened would be
healed. Translations that don’t include this explanation eliminate verse 4 from the text but may mention it as a
foot note. This explains why a great number of disabled people gathered there (John 5:3).
 The lesson of John 5:1-15 is that the crippled man was relying on a religious tradition for healing rather than
the One who could heal him. Attributing the work of God to anyone or anything other than Him is a sin that
can put us out of fellowship with God and expose us to the enemy’s mischief. This is what the Lord was
telling the man to stop doing because, as you have said, it’s impossible for man to stop sinning altogether.
 http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/osas-john-51-
15/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThru
Faith%29

79. Hebrews 11:35 1 Corinthians 15:20 John 5:21, 5:25
Matthew 27:52, Sample Of The Harvest, tombs opened
 Sample Of The Harvest
 Wednesday, March 12th, 2014Interpreting Verses
 Q. Matthew chapter 27:52 says that the graves were
opened and the saints were raised. My question is: Who
were those saints?
 A. They were Old Testament believers in a coming
Messiah. While they didn’t live to see Him come, they
believed that He would and when He did, He would save
them from their sins. Their faith was credited to them as
righteousness and when Jesus came out of the grave he
brought them along with Him.
 They are sometimes referred to the fulfillment of the wave
offering, or sample of the harvest, that was part of the Feast
of First Fruits ceremony (Lev. 23:9-11).

80. Unwilling Not Willing, Would Not
Believe
 NAU John 7:39, 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that
you may have life.
 NAU Matthew 22:3, 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the
prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I
wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers
her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
 NAU Isaiah 30:15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,
has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness
and trust is your strength." But you were not willing,
 NAU Ezekiel 20:8, 3:7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to
listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the
whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.
 NAU Acts 28:24 Some were being persuaded by the things
spoken, but others would not believe.
 1 Co. 7:12, 1 Co. 14:24, 2 Co. 6:15, 1 Tim. 5:8

81. NAU
Philippians
4:13 I can do
all things
through Him
who
strengthens
me.
NAU John
5:30 "I can
do nothing
on My own
initiative…

82. Acts 28:24, Apologetics Again But;
“would not believe”
…tried to convince them about Jesus from the
Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 Some
were convinced by what he said, but others
would not believe.

83. Faith Comes By Hearing, Rom 10:17
Acts 26:15-18 "'I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting,…. I am sending you to them 18 to
open their eyes and turn them from darkness
to light, and from the power of Satan to God,
so that they may receive forgiveness of sins
and a place among those who are sanctified
by faith in me.‘
Acts 28:27-28…they have closed their eyes
[arorist active indicative, not a passive]…
God's salvation has been sent to the
Gentiles…

84. Acts 2:38-39, Gen. 17:10; Col. 2:11-
12; 1 Cor. 7:14, first resurrection
 New post on DR. RELUCTANT
 A WORD ABOUT PROOF-TEXTS
 by Paul HeneburyThis is one which came out a couple of years back. Thought it deserved a rerun:
When one is associating a belief with the text of Scripture it is never wise to choose texts from obscure, debated or overly figurative portions of the Bible. Why go to a vision of Zechariah when you can go to an epistle of
Paul for the same doctrine?
 When tying a doctrine concerning the Church to Scripture we find good men like F. Turretin running to the song of Solomon. Surely it is unwise to appeal to the Song of Solomon, since the assumption that the Song is
actually speaking about the Church is a decided long shot.
 A Dispensationalist who thinks he has proven the pre-tribulation rapture by just citing 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is not paying enough attention to the passage. I have seen this done many times. Someone says, “the pre-
trib rapture is there in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15.” Not in those passages it isn’t. Yes, 1 Thessalonians 4 speaks of the rapture. No, it says nothing about the timing of the rapture. More passages need to be
brought in to help.
 Likewise appealing to certain verses in the Prophets and applying them indiscriminately to the present state of Israel, or extrapolating OT warnings of judgment upon Israel for her idolatry and wickedness and applying
them to the United States often entails lack of respect for the context.
 Is it a fait-accompli to refer to Jn. 5:25 for proof that the first resurrection of Rev. 20 is the new birth and not physical resurrection? The verse right before Jn. 5:25 famously refers to regeneration as “passing from death to
life.”
 It is a good bet then that the “dead” who hear and “live” are the spiritually dead. Then again, the word “resurrection” is not in the passage. It is there in verse 28-29 where Jesus is referring to “those in the tombs” – i.e.
corpses! – being raised at the end-time judgment, but not in first century Israel. Thus, the resurrection in Jn. 5:28-29 supports the idea of physical resurrection in Rev. 20. The new birth in Jn. 5:25 has nothing to with Rev.
20. Notice also that the context of Rev. 20 refers to those who had been “beheaded” (20:4), and who are contrasted with “the rest of the dead” in verse 5.
 When trying to prove that infants of believers should be baptized and admitted to membership in the visible church, the Shorter Catechism (Q.95) uses Acts 2:38-39, Gen. 17:10; Col. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 7:14. Acts 2:38-39
says:
 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children,
and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.
 Notice that repentance is necessary to receive forgiveness and the Holy Spirit; something which infants cannot do because they do not understand repentance, nor indeed what there is to repent of. But if it is pressed
that only the hearers of Peter had to repent and the promise would automatically include all their children, then clearly there would be no need for any of the children to repent, because they would have already be
forgiven through the promise. If individual repentance is necessary to receive forgiveness then infants would need to show repentance before being baptized according to the order of Peter’s instruction (nobody thinks it
would have been alright for these Jewish hearers to have been baptized before showing repentance!). Thus, Acts 2 really has nothing to do with why infants ought to be baptized.
 What about the Catechism’s next proof-text: Gen. 17:10? Well Genesis knows nothing at all about baptism. The reference is to male circumcision. Yes, infant males were to be circumcised, but that was so they would be
included under the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant as descendents of Abraham and Isaac to inherit the promised land (17:8). There is no Church in view here, so again, how is this a proof-text for baptized infants
being church members? We start to see the presuppositions in the next two references which were given as comparisons. First up, Colossians 2:11-12:
 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also
raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
 Nothing here about infants or church membership. The “circumcision made without hands” relates to the new birth, so those to whom Paul is writing had believed the gospel. How do I know that? Simple, verse 6 says,
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” These are believers! The context was ignored by the Westminster men. Please notice that these believers were said to have been “buried with Him
in baptism,” which is surely Spirit-baptism not water baptism. So water baptism isn’t in the text either!
 The final proof-text resorted to is 1 Cor. 7:14:
 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
 This passage has to do with marriages where the father is an unbeliever and the mother is a believer. In such a situation it is comforting to know that God regards the children as “clean” in the sense that the marriage is
“clean.” Notice that if used to prove infant regeneration this would not require anything else (belief, repentance, consecration) from the children. they would be saved already! And without baptism too!
 These are examples of poor proof-texting. In each case the context was ignored because it wasn’t important to the formulation of the doctrine. The doctrine was presupposed and forced upon the verses.
 It is also not good to choose proof-texts which could quite easily and legitimately be interpreted in a way which would not lead to one theological conclusion. We ought to find the clearest, most unequivocal verses to
prove our beliefs. When employing these base-texts careful attention should be paid to those passages which most closely match the doctrine or interpretation we are setting forth.
 Paul Henebury

85. 2 Corinthians 3:15 Romans 10:2 John 5:39, Zeal
For God, The Scriptures Testify About Jesus, A
Veil
• NAU John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is
these that testify about Me;
• NAU Romans 10:2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with
knowledge.
• THOUGHT FOR THE DAY, Jesus must be in your heart, not just in your head.
• MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
• The Jewish religious leaders always studied the OT with great diligence. They believed that if one
could understand the words of the text, he would be included in the world to come. They
considered anyone who didn't know and understand the OT law to be under a curse.
• The Pharisees said, "But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed." —John 7:49
• Today is not much different as too many people think Bible study is an end to itself, rather than a
function leading to a mature, personal relationship with Christ. But it's not what you know in your
head that counts, but rather faith that trusts Jesus as the Messiah—something these Jewish leaders
were unwilling (or unable: "But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart" —2
Corinthians 3:15) to do.
• if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from
the dead, you shall be saved; —Romans 10:9
• But in the future, following the tribulation, things will be different, and the Jewish leaders will
receive Jesus' love in their heart:
• I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from
your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. —Ezekiel 36:26
85

86. Jesus is coming again John 5
The father sent Yeshua
86

87. Life, prokaryotes, eukaryotes
87
NAU John 5:26 "For just as the Father has life in
Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have
life in Himself;
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “A
prokaryote is a single-celled organism that lacks a
membrane-bound nucleus (karyon), mitochondria,
or any other membrane-bound organelle.[1] The
word prokaryote comes from the Greek πρό- (pro-
) "before" and καρυόν (karyon) "nut or
kernel".[2][3] Prokaryotes can be divided into two
domains, Archaea and Bacteria, with the
remainder of species, called eukaryotes, in the
third domain Eukaryota.[4],,,”

88. Life, prokaryotes, eukaryotes
88
NAU John 5:26…Son also to have life in Himself;
TODAY'S CREATION MOMENT
THE INCREASINGLY TANGLED TREE OF LIFE
in
Evolution's Mistakes
audio/mpeg iconListen
John 1:3
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Researchers studying genetics have concluded that the evolutionary tree of life does not reflect the facts of
biochemistry.
Cell structure of a bacterium, one of the two domains of prokaryotic lifeBy the 1960s, biochemists had concluded that
living things could be grouped into two distinct types based on their basic structures and genetic information.
Eukaryotes have one or more cells and a true nucleus. Prokaryotes have smaller cells with no true nucleus. They are
so different from eukaryotes that researchers concluded that they must have developed separately from non living
matter. By the late 1970s, a third type of life was recognized – the archaea. Archaea favor extreme environments
such as undersea vents. Their biochemistry is unlike prokaryotes or eukaryotes. According to evolutionists, life may
have had to develop from non-living material three times. Further, to explain the biochemistry of these three types of
creatures, biochemists have to assume that at points these separate types had to exchange genetic material with
each other, and with a fourth, unknown and extinct type of living thing!
One logical conclusion of this new evolutionary approach is that life had to arise from non-life many times. Yet,
modern biochemistry still has not explained how life could arise from non-life even once. However, this is exactly the
pattern we might expect if all living things are the product of a wise Creator Who used similar designs to solve similar
problems.
Prayer:
Dear Father, great and glorious is the work of Your hands! Amen.

89. 1 Corinthians 5:5, OSAS
• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:5 I have decided to
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction
of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in
the day of the Lord Jesus.
• Even a Christian who has been delivered to
Satan, and his flesh destroyed, will be saved.
89

90. Romans 4:17, Who Gives Life?
• NAU Romans 4:17 (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS
HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even
God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does
not exist.
• John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the
words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
• 2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new
covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but
the Spirit gives life.
• John 6:33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of
heaven [Jesus, the true bread out of heaven] , and gives life to the world."
• John 5:21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
• 1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to
all things…

91. Romans 8:17, 4:14, Heirs are OSAS
• NAU Romans 4:14 For if those who are of the Law are
heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;
• NAU Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our
spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs
also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we
suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
• Joy Dawson said,“To have a nodding acquaintance with the
Creator of the universe is no small thought. But to be on
intimate terms with Him is enough to give us heart flutters
for the rest of our lives.”

92. Romans 8:17, 4:14, Heirs are OSAS
• NAU Romans 4:14 …heirs, faith is made void …
• NAU Romans 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and
fellow heirs with Christ…
• Christians become children of God/heirs, by grace through faith,
however, once we are justified, and a born again Christian, “faith is
made void.”
• It is not our faith that keeps us born again.
• NAU Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive
the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are
you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being
perfected by the flesh?

93. Romans 4:16, Our Assurance, OSAS
• We can have assurance of our salvation
because Paul says in;
• Romans 4:16, "For this reason it is by faith, in
order that it may be in accordance with grace,
so that the promise will be guaranteed to all
the descendants, not only to those who are of
the Law, but also to those who are of the faith
of Abraham, who is the father of us all..."
93

94. “easy believism” carnal Christians,
Berean Call
• Beware, then, of taking a simplistic approach to the failures of professing
Christians today that explains it all in terms of unscriptural evangelistic
methods (e.g., “easy believism”) and denies that they are saved at all on
the basis of their carnality. True, a false gospel is in many instances being
preached, and there are false methods that produce false converts who
are a plague in the church. Yet we dare not deny that “the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians:5:17). This is
as true today as it was in the first century and will continue to be true of
every Christian until the redemption of our bodies!
• "What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth,
Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."
• —Philippians 1:18
• http://ow.ly/Tm8Dr
94

95. John 5:17, Father
• Why the emphasis on father in John's Gospel?,
By Bill Feiss, page 24. "John's Gospel uses the
term father a whopping 250 times! That's about
12 uses per chapter.
• John five, 13 uses
• John eight, 19 uses
• John 14, 21 uses
• NAU uses “father” 100 times, more than any
other book except Genesis and it has two long
genealogies. 95

96. • On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural
Selection
• or
• the Preservation of Favoured Races in the
Struggle for Life.
96

97. John 1:12, 5;24, “believe”
• NAU John 20:31 but these have been written
so that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you
may have life in His name.
• The root of this Greek word is used 86 times
and John.
• The Gospel of John does not use the words
“pray,” “prays,” “prayed,” “prayer,” or
“praying” even once.
97

98. John 1:12, Receive Him
• John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, even to those
who believe in His name,
• John uses “receive” 14 X’s in NASU, and “received” 11
X’s, “receiving” 2 X’s, “receives” 3 X’s for a total of 30
uses. John would have you “lambano” Him!
• John 5:40-43 …"I have come in My Father's name, and
you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own
name, you will receive him.
• John 13:20 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives
whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me
receives Him who sent Me."

99. John 16:23, 5:29, 6:40, Scripture
speak of an immortal soul? track
• NAU Isaiah 8:13 "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as
holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.
• The Gospel of John does not use the words “soul” or “immortal”
• NAU Matthew 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are
unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell.
• NAU John 5:29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a
resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a
resurrection of judgment.
• NAU John 6:40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who
beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself
will raise him up on the last day."
• NAU John 12:41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and
he spoke of Him. 9
9

100. John 17:25, Know, Known
• NAU John 17:25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not
known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that
Thou didst send Me; 26 and I have made Thy name known to
them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou
didst love Me may be in them, and I in them.”
• NAU 1 Corinthians 8:3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by
Him.
• NAU Galatians 4:9 But now that you have come to know God,
or rather to be known by God… [an intimate personal
relationship]
• NAU Romans 11:2 God has not rejected His people whom He
foreknew… [God predetermined His love for them]
100

101. Acts 4:16,
Unwilling, Would Not Believe
• NAU Acts 4:16 …we cannot deny it.
• NAU John 7:39, 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to
Me so that you may have life.
• NAU Matthew 22:3, 23:37 “…you were unwilling.
• NAU Isaiah 30:15 For thus the Lord GOD…But you were
not willing,
• NAU Ezekiel 20:8, 3:7 yet the house of Israel will not be
willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to
listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is
stubborn and obstinate.
• NAU Acts 28:24 Some were being persuaded by the
things spoken, but others would not believe.
• 1 Co. 7:12, 1 Co. 14:24, 2 Co. 6:15, 1 Tim. 5:8

102. John 5:25, 10:1,
“I tell you the truth”
Jesus’ Words Gave Him Away, J. Warner Wallace
• Jesus’ Words Gave Him Away, “As a detective, I’ve learned to carefully examine the words of suspects (I’ve written an
entire chapter about this in Cold Case Christianity). Killers don’t often willingly confess to murder, but they usually give
themselves away by saying something that is consistent with their involvement as the murderer, or something that
simply cannot be interpreted in any other way than to imply their guilt. When I come out of the interview room, my
partners quickly ask, “Did he confess?” I just smile and say, “Not directly, but he said enough to settle the question for a
jury.”
• Jesus also said enough to settle the question for a jury. Readers of the Gospels sometimes wish that Jesus would have
been more direct in his statements related to his Divine nature. Why didn’t Jesus just come out and say, “I am God” in a
way that is clearer for those of us reading the text in the 21st Century? Jesus was very clearly understood by his
contemporaries, however, and beyond his direct statements related to His Divine nature, I am intrigued by those
occasions when Jesus said something that was less than direct. Jesus made several statements that implied his deity,
even before he made any direct statements. Examine, for example, the way that Jesus spoke, even when He wasn’t
talking specifically about Himself. Jesus often prefaced His teaching in a way that separated Him from other prophets or
important religious leaders. When Old Testament prophets made a proclamation, they would typically begin by saying,
“Thus saith the Lord” or “the word of the Lord came to me” (from the King James Version) or, “This is what the Lord
says” (in modern translations). Here are a few examples:
• Therefore, this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “O my people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the
Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.” (Isaiah 10:24)
• This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Cut down the trees and build siege ramps against Jerusalem. This city must be
punished; it is filled with oppression. (Jeremiah 6:6)
• This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all
around her.” (Ezekiel 5:5)
• This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back {my wrath}. They sell the righteous
for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.” (Amos 2:6)
• This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom— We have heard a message from the LORD : An envoy was sent to the
102

103. John 5:25, 10:1,
“I tell you the truth”
Jesus’ Words Gave Him Away, J. Warner Wallace
• Old Testament prophets spoke “for God” but
Jesus spoke “as God”;
• …the LORD Almighty, says… (Isaiah 10:24,
Jeremiah 6:6, Haggai 1:2)
• …the Sovereign LORD says… (Ezekiel 5:5,
Obadiah 1:1)
• …the LORD says… (Amos 2:6, Micah 3:5,
Nahum 1:12, Zechariah 1:16)
1
0
3

104. John 5:25, 10:1,
“I tell you the truth”
Jesus’ Words Gave Him Away, J. Warner Wallace
• Old Testament prophets spoke “for God” but Jesus spoke “as God”;
• I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest
letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the
Law until everything is accomplished (Matthew 5:18)
• I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself
into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he
says will happen, it will be done for him. (Mark)
• I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will
hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. (John 5:25)
• I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the
gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1)
• (Matthew 11:11, Mark 11:23, 14:9)
1
0
4

105. Question: "What is easy believism?”
http://www.gotquestions.org/easy-believism.html
• Answer: Easy believism is a somewhat derogatory term used by opponents of the view that one needs only to believe in
Jesus in order to be saved. From this they conclude that those who hold to sola fide (“faith alone”) teach that no
corresponding need exists for a committed life of Christian discipleship as proof of salvation; however, that is not what
sola fide means. True faith in Christ will always lead to a changed life. Another common usage of the term easy believism
is in regards to those who believe they’re saved because they prayed a prayer—with no real conviction of sin and no real
faith in Christ. Praying a prayer is easy—thus the term easy believism—but there is more to salvation than mouthing
words.
• Much of the debate over easy believism is unnecessary and is based on a misunderstanding of the Scriptures. The Bible
is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The essence of this doctrine is found in
Ephesians 2:8–9: “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast.” So we see that faith, given as a gift by God, is what saves us. But the next verse tells of the
results of that salvation: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.” Rather than being saved by some easy act of our own wills, we are saved by the
hand of God Almighty, by His will and for His use. We are His servants, and from the moment of salvation by faith, we
embark on a journey of pre-ordained good works that are the evidence of that salvation. If there is no evidence of
growth and good works, we have reason to doubt that salvation ever truly took place. “Faith without works is dead”
(James 2:20), and a dead faith is not a saving faith.
• “Faith alone” does not mean that some believers follow Christ in a life of discipleship, while others do not. The concept
of the “carnal Christian,” as a separate category of non-spiritual believer, is completely unscriptural. The idea of the
carnal Christian says that a person may receive Christ as Savior during a religious experience but never manifest
evidence of a changed life. This is a false and dangerous teaching in that it excuses various ungodly lifestyles: a man may
be an unrepentant adulterer, liar, or thief, but he’s “saved” because he prayed a prayer as a child; he’s just a “carnal
Christian.” The Bible nowhere supports the idea that a true Christian can remain carnal for an entire lifetime. Rather,
God’s Word presents only two categories of people: Christians and non-Christians, believers and unbelievers, those who
have bowed to the Lordship of Christ and those who have not (see John 3:36; Romans 6:17–18; 2 Corinthians 5:17;
Galatians 5:18–24; Ephesians 2:1–5; 1 John 1:5–7; 2:3–4).
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106. John
Believe And Live, Elmer
Towns, Mal Couch and
Ed Hindson, Twenty-
First Century Biblical
Commentary Series,
page
106

107. BIBLE IN FIVE
Pastor Dave Kooyers
Valley Bible Fellowship
Box 433
Boonville CA 95415
http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers
www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org
(707) 895-2325
God bless you as you examine His Word,
Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5
These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ"
(Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and
there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.
Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

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