In John chapter 6 Jesus tells His disciples, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life."
The flesh profits nothing.
Via Veritas Vita. When Christ said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." He meant exactly that.
His sacrifice. His Life. His words are spirit and life.
That is exclusive. Singular. No matter how many emotionally WISH that there were some other avenue for Salvation, those without Christ have no hope of Heaven.
Some friends and I watched "Fiddler On The Roof" the other night and it is a wonderful play, with great songs and touching drama and humor. The play centers on Tevye the milkman, a humble Jewish man who considers himself religious and a friend of God.
How horrible a person am I for suggesting that the Tevyes of this world who live for God have no part of God and no hope of Heaven?
I'm not horrible. Or 'anti-Semitic'.
I'm pro-Christ, the Jewish Messiah Who was rejected by the religious Jews of His day because their religion was not of His Spirit, but of flesh.
The Jewish believers who were of His Spirit came to be known as "Christians".
All other Rabbis/teachers from that day until now have been perpetuating a fleshly 'religion' which excludes Christ.They have much wisdom, but it is earthly wisdom. They know, teach and learn from Scriptures but it is not spiritual but flesh because "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.".
If I'm not in trouble yet, read on.
Here is another way in which the flesh profits nothing: it is the Spirit who gives life, not anything we do or can touch or make happen or put faith in apart from God's Spirit.
Someone who goes through an agonizing horrible event, whether it is being blown up by a roadside bomb or having the worst forms of Cancer---all is flesh and happens to the flesh.
There is no piety in suffering; a person can not 'win' Heaven by going through hell on earth.
I mean no disrespect to the woman above who was a victim of the Boston Marathon terrorist bombing. But her terrible pain and suffering, while making her a stronger person, has not had one whit of effect on her eternal destination. I hope that she's a Christian, just as I hope that Heaven will be filled and hell empty. But if she is a Christian it is through Christ and His suffering on her behalf, not through anything she has experienced.
The flesh profits nothing.
3 comments:
In short: ALL who do not have Christ have no hope of Heaven. None. No loopholes, no chance.
So who has Christ?
Only those Who are called by His name who ALSO have been chosen by God.
Catholics I pick on often because they put faith in a church that promises them Heaven if they follow certain spiritual/legalistic rules.
They claim Christ, but have no part in Heaven because they have not been chosen by God. How can I say that?
Because they, along with every other false religion in the world think that they have God. And that God can only be approached through their way, their faith, their rules and religion.
Their faith is flesh, and their piety is tied to what they do:say prayers, light candles, pray the rosary, confess sins, seek unction, etc.
Like the Jewish faith apart from Christ, they have relics and rituals but they do not have God's Spirit because if they did, they would reject ritual and relics which are a paper mache` simulation of true faith.
We do not need or want ritual, because we have God's Spirit.
And that is the difference between chalk and cheese.
Hello Lu-this might be a long answer, but please bear with me.
How do I reconcile this quandary?
Let's ask the Apostle Paul, who, inspired by the holy Spirit, wrote about the Jews who reject Christ:
"1I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,
2that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
3For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
4who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
5whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
7nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.”
8That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants." Romans 9:1-8
Please remember that Christianity came into being first among the Jews and then Gentiles were grafted in. In Romans chapter 11 we read:
"1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin."
Paul's dissertation concerning Israel is found all through Romans, especially chapters 9 through 12.
God does indeed have all of Israel saved; after the Rapture of the church, there will be 144000 Jewish witnesses sealed by God for His service on the earth, 12000 from each of the 12 tribes as reconstituted. Revelation chapter 7. We can't understand how God does this, except that He does it.
There is more from the Old testament in Zechariah and Isaiah, but the gist of it is that those saved may only be a remnant,but that 'remnant' will be all that is left of Israel. So when they are saved, all Israel will be saved.
Thanks. Happy Easter.
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