A STUDY on EIGHT BIBLICAL WORDS Regarding Salvation: Part 2

~ By James Fire

Rob Bell, a liberal (and former) pastor of Mars Hill church, and ‘the hero of heresies’ regarding the Bible and the Person of GOD, made the following statement:

“Our words are not absolutes. Only God is absolute, and God has no intention of sharing this absoluteness with anything, especially words people have come up with to talk about him.” 

And this includes words we find in the Bible, Rob? Seems this man is trying to ‘rob’ us of biblical truth, right?

He claims GOD is absolute, so it’s impossible to convey truth about GOD through words “people have come up with to talk about GOD.” Well, does that include you Rob? If so, then just stop talking OK? The rest of us would appreciate it!

What about the very words of JESUS, GOD made flesh, that dwelled among us – He conveyed the truth about Who the Father is, what He is like, what His plans and objectives and desires are, with the words He spoke!

GOD created reality; the Bible contains words that also correspond to reality, words like sin, righteousness, truth, deception, holy, evil, salvation and condemnation. We know that these words contain truth about the reality we live in.

When we read words like All-powerful, and holy, All-knowing, Creator, Redeemer, etc. we understand that these words are attributable to GOD, and that through such words we can understand Who GOD is.

We continue to examine biblical words; Sonny did eight important words in his examination, so I also selected eight words and all of them have to do with salvation.
“Salvation” is a word that includes a wide range of blessings, gifts and ministering by the LORD Jesus to the repentant sinner, turned saint. This study is known as soteriology – the study of salvation. The Compelling Truth website has a very good article on soteriology; you can view it here (NOTE: TTUF doesn't necessarily agree with everything as taught by this ministry).

These eight biblical words, their definition, according to the NT Greek that the Bible was written in, and usage in Scripture are as follows: 1) Justification (2) Imputation (3) Sanctification (4) Glorification (5) Redemption (6) Atonement (compare w/ propitiation) (7) Glory and (8) Grace.

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A STUDY on EIGHT BIBLICAL WORDS - Part 1

~ by pastor Sonny Islas

Most words that we go over tonight are very basic but still serve as great reminders.

The first thing that we must realize and appreciate is that words and their meaning are a gift from God. Especially the words in the Bible.

I like to look at the B.I.B.L.E. (which means “book” by the way or: Biblical Instructions Before Leaving Earth). I like to look at the Bible as a huge treasure chest filled with diamonds (filled with words to reveal and describe the most important things on Earth and in Heaven – mainly God and His precious ways). For those of you who are more about flavor and taste, instead of beauty and value, the chest is filled with Skittles because you can’t eat diamonds.

You can watch this on Facebook video: DEFINING BIBLICAL WORDS Part One  https://www.facebook.com/ELWchurch/videos/413714839251059/

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10 GREAT REASONS TO GO TO CHURCH

Church attendance is not just a “good suggestion”; it is God’s will for believers. Hebrews 10:25 says we should “not neglect gathering together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Church is the place where believers can love one another (1 John 4:12), encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13), “spur” one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), honor one another (Romans 12:10), and be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32).

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church (1 Peter 2:6), and we are “like living stones . . . being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). As the building materials of God’s “spiritual house,” we naturally have a connection with one another, and that connection is evident every time the Church “goes to church.”

Listen as Pastor Sonny Islas expounds on just how important it is to gather together in God's house and be with His people.

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Obedience? Or Sacrifice?

Bobservations Column
by Pastor Bob Lawrenz


The Prophets of the Old Testament were set as Watchmen over the nation of Israel. The Watchmen over a city were always strategically placed to be able to see enemies approaching, and to sound the trumpet to alert the inhabitants of the city, and prepare to do battle. The Officers on board a military ship do the same: spotting a threat, the alarm sounds, and “Report to battle stations” echoes throughout the ship. Cities and ships all have Watchmen, and with the Prophets, they were told they were assigned as Watchmen over the nation of the Israelites.

Ezekiel 3:16-21 speaks of the gravity of the position of watchman; one that calls to arms, and an advanced warning system, all from God’s loving provision towards those that are His. 

"And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."

The Prophet Samuel was sent to King Saul, to give direction concerning the Amalekites! (1 Samuel 15). Saul had disregarded the word of the Lord and failed obliterate and destroy all the descendants of Amalek, and their possessions. After his victory over the Amalekites, pride set in and he decided that a spoil of the Amalekites’ goods was in order. Saul saved the best of their flocks of sheep and oxen. And by failing to obliterate all memory of Amalek, some Amalekites escaped the judgment of God. Later on, it was an Amalekite that slayed Saul!

So by ignoring the warnings of God’s Watchmen over the nation, the King’s fate was set. It was only a matter of time before Saul’s judgment would come.

For the Church, Jesus said, “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that, miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” 1 Cor. 12:28 and Eph. 4:11. Among others in the church, God has set prophets to warn, Watchmen to give His Word and to sound an alarm! Remember to heed to Word of the Lord, when the Prophets speak and prophesy.

“Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” -- 1 Samuel 15:22

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GENESIS – An Expositional Overview of the Beginning of God’s Revelation: Chapter TWENTY ONE

Contributing commentaries by Sonny Islas and James Fire

Studies by Ray Steadman: GENESIS 21 – Ishmael Must Go! 

GENESIS 21 – “The Birth of Isaac” by Sonny Islas

THE ULTIMATE PROMISE KEEPER 

Introduction: In verses 1, 2 Moses highlights the fact that our God is the God of His Word: i.e., “as He has said,” “a He has spoken,” and “at the set time of which God had spoken to him.’’ In just those two verses we read “God is faithful, faithful, faithful” – believable, trustworthy, and reliable. We’re going to park here on this point for a moment.

Here and in many other places in scripture we find that our God is the Ultimate Promise Keeper. He promised, He would never flood the earth again (GEN 9:13-16), He promised a son to Abraham and Sarah (GEN 15:4), He promised to give them the land of Canaan (GEN 15:7-9); He promised David he would be King (2 SAM 7). He promised to give Israel and Judah over to captivity (ISA 5:13); He promised to bring them back (JER 15:7). He promised to build His church (MATT 16:18), He promised to come back for His church as well (JOHN 14:1-3). He promised that Eve’s seed (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (GEN 3:15; Satan) and behold the Cross of Christ! Yahweh is “Faithful and True” – it’s His Name (REV 19:11). If He said it, He will do it!

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