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Believing then; believing now.



Mark 9:23-24 [AKJV]:  "Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth". And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

I have heard from various individuals over time use this as a go-to verse in adversity.  I to was of the same mind, it sounded good to me.  But now after further understanding Christ's redemptive work on the cross for me I see it as a cop-out.  Looking back I now see it as self-righteousness if not a proud spirit.  I knew in my spirit I couldn't do this or that so I'd pray this verse looking for guilt relief.  I had not as of yet been taught that it's all Him and none of me.  I had failed by not getting into the scripture and seeing for myself what God had said to me about this and that [Romans 10:17].  I took other persons experiences that sounded good and tried to make them mine.  After all, they claimed to be this and that and were well-liked by both the clergy and the laity of the fellowship so, their belief must be correct.  I was becoming a vagabond and not a Berean (Acts 17:10-15).  No different today, when one will ask a question with scripture references, then are ridiculed, mocked, slandered (1 Corinthians 14:36-38).  Example would be like John 3:16 vs 2 Corinthians 5:17.  Most all know John 3:16 but very few know 2 Corinthians 5:17.  John was for them [given by Jesus to Jews Matt 10:1-15] then, or for times past.  But now "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."  2 Corinthians 5:17.  Also, John 3:16 hasn't a reference to Paul's writing of 1 Corinthians 15:17.  To me being born again then is a whole different entry into salvation as we are to enter now.  Either I would have been "born again" then [dispensation of law, faith + circumcised, keep the whole law, baptized for the remission of sin, believe that Jesus was the awaited Messiah].  On the other hand, [Dispensation of the grace of God Eph 3:2] "but now" by faith + nothing; believe the gospel.]  

What is that gospel that saves today?  "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

What happens at belief?  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17.  "For as the body [fleshly] is one, and hath many [physical parts] members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit [His Spirit] are we all baptized into one body [Christ's body, spiritually], whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made ["made" His work, Philippians 2:13] to drink [placed] into [which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27-29]  "made to drink into one Spirit."  1 Corinthians 12:12-13.  Where do the twelve teach this doctrine given to Paul, the mystery revealed Galatians 1:11-12.

sidebar:  Was Jesus to be and will be [future event, thousand-year reign] Israel's King prophesied in times past {Isa 9:6-7, 11:10, 44:6, 60:16, 65:9 there are too many to list where Jesus of Nazareth, is Christ and Israel's King].  Or are we His church, His body and He is our "Head"?  "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." Ephesians 5:23.  "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." Colossians 1:18.  " Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."  Colossians 2:18-19.  So is Jesus the Christ, King of the church or Head of the body?

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."   "which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;"  1 Timothy 1:17 and 6:15 respectfully.  Paul here by the Holy Spirit writes of God, Jesus, being King in eternity of Revelation 19 and 21.   This is most hard to understand for those who have been taught and learned apart from "2 Timothy 2:14-26. I have no purpose to write of these things but that you would search and study on your own, not to re-enforce what you have been told but to see "What saith the Scripture"  "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."  Ephesians 3:14-21  

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