Binding Demons……is it biblical??

July 16, 2012 Lee Anne Ferguson

I’ve been thinking, since “pleading the blood” for protection is closely related to the Word of Faith concept of “binding” Satan and “loosening” blessings, I thought it might also be helpful to go over Matt 18:18 where Jesus said, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Wolves in sheep’s clothing interpret this to mean Jesus wants us to “bind” Satan, his demons, sickness, poverty, etc. and “loose” health, wealth, etc. Yet, Scripture never supports such interpretations. They are taking this verse (and many others) out of context.
To understand what Jesus is saying it’s important to pray for discernment concerning these wolves…. who cherry pick “proof texts” to make them mean one thing, when in fact they mean another. The context of this text actually begins in Matt. 16:13 where Christ was telling Peter that He was about to establish the New Testament Church and that the gates of hell couldn’t prevail against it. In vs 19 Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” The “keys” referred to has to do with the new covenant gospel of grace, which is the only entrance into God’s kingdom, not thru legalistic works such as “binding” Satan. Even in Mark 16:18 where it says “They shall take up serpents”….we have a perfect example of God’s promise of protection, rather than a command to perform.
God’s people are already given authority to proclaim His eternal plan of redemption without having to worry about “binding” evil first. For the gates of hell can’t thwart God’s plan or the people God chose before time began (2 Tim.1:9) for noone can snatch them out of His hand (John 10:29). As far as Christians are concerned, Jesus has already reduced Satan and his demons to mere scorpions and slithering serpents that we can simply trample upon, for our feet are to be prepared with the gospel of Jesus Christ whereever we go (Luke 10:19-20, Eph.6) and we can rejoice when our focus is on the kingdom of heaven….. rather than the kingdom of darkness.
This is great news, for we can rest in Jesus knowing that Satan was bound by Him at the commencement of this church age! Jesus said, “How can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then He will spoil his house”(Matthew 12: 29). And in reference to His pending death on the cross….Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12: 31). Satan was bound by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (Matthew 12:28-29, Luke 10:17-20). There the serpent’s head was crushed and the forces of evil were triumphed over!!
Therefore, Satan has already been restricted at the cross!! (Matt 28:18-20). While he still has certain power—-like a dog on a short leash, he can’t prevent God’s chosen people from being added to the Church. And though he still “seeks who he may devour,” the key word here is “may,”….he must gain access thru sin and God would have to allow it. For God alone has reserved the right to have Satan bound or loosed, allowed or disallowed. Therefore, if we insist on rebuking and binding Satan ourselves …….we are actually usurping God’s authority!……Extremely dangerous ground!! Jude 9

Actually, the words “bind” and “loose” were used by the Jews back then, in the sense of “forbid or allow.” Likewise, the apostles laid down the “law of the Spirit of life in Jesus” (Rom. 8:2) under the new covenant of grace, defining what was prohibited and permitted. For example, in Acts 15:20 they kept new believers “bound” to abstain from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, things strangled and from blood…… but they “loosed” them from the law of sin and death and the old covenant burdens that were no longer nessessary (such as tithing, which was replaced by free-grace giving).

For,”where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”!!! (2Cor.3:17)

John 20:23 also reveals that the church is given authority to “remit or retain” the sins of congregants thru church discipline (ex-communication), with the goal of restoring fellowship and purging the church of leaven that could leaven the whole lump. But since it’s rarely practiced today, “doctrines of devils” that shipwreck faith and bring legalistic bondage, are infiltrating the church. Which may be one reason God’s judgement has come upon modern churches that promote them. By doing so they’re actually hindering the spread of the true gospel by mixing it with lies.
Case in point, Christians don’t have to bind Satan because Christ has already bound him. And what Christ has already attained for us, we don’t have to try to conjure up on our own, ….which only attracts demonic attacks thru unbiblical practices that focus more on Satan and ourselves than upon God …..who alone deserves all the glory. Therefore, since God is in control and our only protection….. a more biblical way to address the issue of evil is to pray the way Jesus taught us to pray in the first place…..

“Lead us not to temptaton, but deliver us from evil, …..for thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.” (Matt.6)

“Standfast therefore in the liberty where Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage” Gal.5:1

Hope and pray this helps someone.

Charismania

Pleading the Blood for Protection…..is it biblical??

July 16, 2012July 16, 2012 Lee Anne Ferguson

I remember this teaching very well—-“pleading the blood” over everyone, everyday…..exhausting and a fearful way to live—in case you forget to plead it that day!!

Since Jesus’ blood was shed for His sheep—indefinitely—despite whether Christians “plead” it or not, we are only to pray that God will soon bring those who are His into the fold—and He will. That’s why we proclaim the gospel, for those who are truly His will be given the grace to respond in true faith and repentance.
God does all the work and Jesus is the only mediator who pleads His blood for those who are His—- for He intercedes for them and saves them to the uttermost (Heb.7:25). He entered the holy of holies and has sprinkled His shed blood on the mercy seat and continues to plead its value, worth and sufficiency to pay our sin debt “in full”—to appease the Fathers wrath, so we could be reconciled to the Father. We don’t have to legalistically plead it over others or ourselves, we are only instructed to pray unceasingly that God’s word will have free reign, so people will be born again —-by regeneration of the Holy Spirit…. rather than being distracted by legalistic rituals.

Jesus’ blood was splattered all over the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Him. Were they all saved simply because the blood fell on them??—..No. Jesus’ blood is not actually applied to people’s hearts unless God Himself applies the merit of Jesus’ sacrifice to their account. We can’t “speak it into existence.” Only God creates a new creature in Christ.

I realize this teaching is so wide spread and common today in Word of Faith circles, but “pleading the blood” is not a magic formula (for loved ones to be saved, warding off evil, disasters, death, etc.), but only distorts its true biblical application and meaning. It’s no small thing that Jesus’ blood was for the cleansing and forgiveness of sins, for without this there is no protection, deliverance, etc…. Eph.1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” If it wasn’t for His sacrifice we’d still be under old covenant “blood on doorposts” practices….. Galatians 4:9 “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, where unto ye desire again to be in bondage?”

Christ’s blood is precious, incorruptible, eternal and holy. Its cleansing power for man’s ultimate problem, sin, is not insufficient…it paid His peoples sin debt “in full.” …..an actual payment, not a hypothetical payment that is only applied if we “name it and claim it”…… God freely bestows the grace necessary for His people to be able to respond in true repentance and faith in the gospel, for the merits of Jesus’ sacrifice has already been applied to their lives….. Without them having to earn, perform or speak any of it into existence, for it was actually applied before we could have had anything to do with it. Jesus already pleaded it for His people on the cross over 2,000 years ago and He said, “It is finished.”

When we struggle with guilt, hardships, etc. we need to remember the cleansing power of the blood, nothing more, and nothing less. That alone is a Christians only plea–as in a courtroom plea. In that sense, Christians can and should plead the blood, NOT thru “positive confessions” or by asking God to do it, but by remembering that Christ has already done it for us on the cross and the only way to realize this is by “having the Witness in our spirit that we are His”……. Nowhere in scripture does it teach us to “plead the blood” legalistically as a means of gain, protection, fighting the devil, etc…… For then it becomes like a magic charm that is borderline blasphemy, manipulation and witchcraft. This may sound harsh, but it is what it is. Pleading the blood as taught by Word of Faith teachers…Joyce Meyer, Joel Olsteen, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Jack Hayford, Bill Johnson, T.D. Jakes, etc. ….is NEVER taught in scripture and can have serious implications…..bondage, error, superstition, demonic attacks, etc…… Which happened to the “sons of Sceva” in Acts, who also used the name of Jesus un-biblically….and happened to me until God brought me out of all that and showed me the truth thru His word.
The Bible tells Christians how to overcome the accuser of the brethren in Eph. 6 and Phil.4:6 tell us how to pray…. Neither place mentions the practice of “pleading the blood” for protection from evil, etc……. James 4: 7 says to submit to God and resist the devil. That is, resist his temptations to sin by submitting to God (casting down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ) just as Jesus did in the wilderness, not just by quoting Scripture, but by being full of the truth against Satan’s lies. He is to be our example, rather than conforming to the world. God’s word contains all we need for life and godliness when the Holy Spirit opens our understanding to it… not just when we quote it. And this can only happen if the merits of Jesus’ blood have been applied to our account by God Himself thru Jesus’ actual atonement….. Not some potential atonement based on our performance.

The bottom line is that the Bible contains no record of this phrase ever being used by anyone in the Bible. Paul and the other apostles encountered much evil but never once recited this phrase. It has become a legalistic practice that causes the lost to get a faulty view of salvation and opens the door to doctrinal error, fanaticism, mysticism and spiritual bondage. Worse yet, it actually attracts darkness by being used un-biblically and reveals a severe lack of knowledge and understanding of the truth of God’s Word. Only by God’s grace can anyone be free from this and other Word of Faith teachings that “promise liberty but bring into bondage” (2Pet.)

I hope and pray this helps someone —Jesus said “whoever the Son sets free is free indeed.

Charismania, discernment column, Newspaper Articles

Discernment Column (article 2)

February 13, 2012August 25, 2012 Lee Anne Ferguson

“as we have received mercy……..

we faint not, but have renounced ….

the hidden things of dishonesty” 2Cor.4:1,2

Theological Thoughts

Biblical theology: anhonest understanding of God based upon His Word, revealed by the Holy Spirit to those who are His

Occult means hidden; dishonest views of God, based on metaphysics, revealed by “spirit guides” to those who are “enlightened”

Yoga: defined as a “yoking” or “union;” an occult catalyst for unequally yoking and uniting with Christianity

Today theological thoughts are being distorted by “New Thought,” a movement that mixes occult concepts with Christian terminology, to try to infiltrate and corrupt Christianity from within, rather than direct opposition. We see this with yoga meditation slipping into many evangelical churches under the guise of “Soaking Prayer,” where the subconscious mind is “soaked” in repetitive music or “Word” mantras in order to “connect” to God. Like yoga, this practice induces a mild trance that subtly dulls reasoning abilities so “new thoughts” can be implanted. Perhaps this is one reason Jesus commands in Matt.6:7 not to use vain repetitions in prayer as the heathen do. For “tapping into God” subconsciously, undermines actually knowing God thru His Word and consciously communing with Him in worship and biblical prayer (humble, sincere appeals and requests, with thanksgiving) Phil.4:6. In fact, these mystical man-mediated “connections” to God shipwrecks faith in Christ-mediated reconciliation with God.

A move away from the moral to the mystical always presents another way to God that dilutes the fact that only Jesus’ blood can make us near Eph.2:13, and that God is near all who call upon Him in truth Ps.145:18. For the “connection” mystics seek is not in truth, but in error, seeking to be “as God,” as an actual possessor of His divine nature, despite the fact that God says He will not give His glory to another Isa.42:8. Yet, those who are saved reflect His glory and are partakers of the divine nature by His gift of grace thru faith in Jesus 2Pet.1:4. For His grace is sufficient to draw us to Him without occult techniques that cause altered states of consciousness and spiritual bondage, or else Christ died in vain Gal.2:21.

The same old lie in the Garden of Eden that seemed good with the promise to “be as gods” is still alive today disguised as a new thought, for in this regard “there is no new thing under the sun” Eccl.1:9. We still reap what we sow, despite good intentions and its still forbidden fruit to mix mercy with merit, grace with works, or truth with error. So dear friend, ask God to grant you love for the truth, so that you may be saved 2Thess.2:10 and given the grace needed to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty. Sister Lee Anne —–

Charismania

Spiritual Abuse top 40

January 27, 2012November 7, 2019 Lee Anne Ferguson

40 Identified Forms of Spiritual Abuse in a “Christian” Crisis Pregnancy Center

Documented by: Lee Anne— former volunteer Christian counselor

Persistent persuasion to focus only on the set agenda (political, ecumenical, heretical), while frequently induced with paranoia over minor threats to the Center, (such as the Planned Parenthood org.) rather than the major threat of Gods impending judgment upon the heresy that’s being propagated
Portraying a political illusion of successfully reaching abortion minded clients, when in fact, CPC clients are predominantly “Earn While You Learn” only, (who were never abortion minded in the first place)
Inordinate preoccupation with the public image of the “ministry,” appealing to peoples nobler motives
Distraction and diffusion of congregational resources, using political pleas w/ lip service to the gospel, yet acting independently from authoritative oversight or discipline from gospel-centered congregations
Parading psychiatric, humanistic, (PACE, EWYL, etc.) legalistic and cultic interventions, devalues and demeans the God-given commission of those who proclaim the gospel, especially those who are free labor
Hidden, heretical agendas revealed only to those who have been indoctrinated thru various stages of “enlightenment” (such as Catholic mysticism, Word of Faith/River, New Age, Purpose Driven/Interfaith)
Repeatedly refusing to answer the question, “Do you believe Jesus is God in the flesh?”
Promoting false teachers who say they can do the same miracles as Jesus for they teach that He was only a spirit-filled man who lost His divinity and had to be “born-again” in hell for our sins (also distorts blood atonement)
Disrespect to the rules of biblical interpretation became a license for the leaders to twist Scripture in order to create “proof texts” for heretical doctrines (e.g. using Acts 2 to excuse “drunk in the spirit” manifestations)
Claims of being a “seer,” played out in the giving of “personal prophecies” or “seeing” things that consequently distract, intimidate or silence those who attempt to meekly confront heretical issues
Mentally traumatizing by indoctrinating with fears of demonization, (spirits of fear, religion, reasoning, etc.) ends up silencing those who try to speak truth and plays out in the vulnerable becoming dependent upon “spiritual guidance” or “deliverance,” which only a “seer” can provide
Staff “Bible study” sessions heavily mingled with heretical interjections, which mind controls the unsuspecting and over time, deprograms the “old wine skins” of a conservative mindset
Expertise in using Christian terminology, in attempts to bridge the heretical language barrier
Denominational chameleon mentality, being “all things to all people,” gave them the ability to infiltrate “traditional” churches, using smooth, ecumenical speeches and appeals for “unity”
Uniting false religions outside of biblical Christianity, and considering biblically exclusive claims as divisive, yet encouraging “love” with inclusive tolerance while “honoring their paradigm”
“Unity” of faiths, allows practicing Muslims, Mormons, etc., who “claim” a relationship w/Jesus (whoever “Jesus” is to them)-to spiritually counsel clients, yet suppresses free reign of the faith
Center used as a catalyst for promoting cultic churches, (such as “the River,” an off branch of Bethel in Redding, CA) false teachers and authors, with the stated goal of “pollinating the region”
If gently reasoned with about false doctrines (Dominionism/Deism, Latter Rain, SOZO, etc.), they are then spitefully promoted that much more or much more subtly, keeping undercurrents of heresy flowing
Sowing seeds of discord and division by planting “River” workers who promote a different gospel and a different Jesus, which perverts, marginalizes and hinders the spread of the true gospel
Indirect attacks hinder the gospel, thru private “training sessions,” where seeds are sown against those who have escaped from error, with encouragement to censor them and deprogram their clients
Evading confrontations by denial or convenient amnesia, while seemingly adapting and agreeing w/in the context of the conversation, making it difficult to address heretical beliefs and practices
Tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, the constant changing of heretical beliefs and ideas to keep from being “pinned down,” always on the cutting edge of “new revelation knowledge”
Spiritual elitism and the illusion of power w/ “lying signs and wonders” (promotion of corny “gold dust” miracles, angel feathers, etc.) See: Bethel Church in Redding CA for these “miracles”
Denying “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” by making God out to be a sugar “daddy,” a Holy Ghost “bartender” who should never be feared, creating an idol the world is more comfortable with
Showing contempt for the gospel by insisting upon leaving out the “negative,” (2 Cor. 5:11) which consequently sugar coats, silences, suppresses and perverts the gospel with a more palatable, and “positive,” all love philosophy, which distorts the full counsel and nature of God (Col. 2: 8, 18)
Prompting others to be open to strange doctrines and spiritual experiences (e.g. barking like a dog and using other such subjective experiences to try to prove conversions, which minimizes the need for the gospel. Promoting “sacred,” “anointed” places people or things, along with the leaders blasphemous claims of smoking “Jehovajuana” to get a spiritual high….ugh!
Portraying supernatural experiences (visions, “angel encounters,” etc.) as having higher eminence over the revealed Word of God, such as claiming Muslims are being saved thru “Jesus encounters”
Close adherents to the authority of God’s Word (and lining experience up w/ Scripture) are falsely accused of being close-minded, in bondage to fear, Spirit quenching, judgmental or too literal
Unreceptive, and demeaning toward sound doctrine, biblical correction, and accountability, leading to the discarding of “non-essential” doctrines of Christ, (involving His deity and character)
Condescending toward those with a “sensitive conscience,”—(a conscience not seared) 1Tim.4: 1-2
Safely surrounded by “yes” people who never question or “test the spirits,” who seemingly become Jezebelian eunuchs by compromising and violating their own God-given conscience
Opposition to Scriptural warnings about false doctrine and the Scriptural mandate to expose it and the false teachers who promote it, which conveniently protects “God’s anointed” from “gossipers”
False ideas that Christians can no longer be doctrinally deceived or that logic keeps one from experiencing spiritual things, which results in subtly suspending God-given reasoning abilities
“Super Apostle” belief of a sinless nature (this side of glory), leading to the presumption that all thoughts, teachings, “personal prophesies” and supernatural experiences are automatically from God—- and ultimately— believing one can actually become Christ incarnate!! (twisting 2 Pet.1:4)
Promoting an experience-based, felt faith, and the lie that faith is a “force” that can be conjured up by formulaic “confessions,” rather than a gift from God that comes through hearing the gospel
Dabbling in the occult, believing sins can be forgiven or past wounds healed by a psycho-mystical means (e.g. requiring a SOZO “mediator” to help summons a spirit guide (posing as Jesus) into ones memories to receive a “prophetic word,” via mild trance), in lieu of gospel centered repentance and guidance
Indoctrination of those in the “inner circle” on how to use spiritually dangerous counseling and prayer techniques with clients, that were identical to occult practices that cause “Kundalini” (e.g. soaking prayer, fire tunnels, TheoPhostics/SOZO)…. Then there were threats of divine retribution toward any who dared to break the code of silence.
Fostering a victim mentality in clients by emphasizing “self-esteem” rather than humility, “healing of memories” (initiating False Memory Syndrome), rather than putting the hand to the plow, forgiving and not looking back. Also emphasizing “generational curses,” rather than taking up one’s own cross
“Immature Christians” supposedly inhabited by demons that are conveniently blamed for ongoing sins, rather than promoting biblical repentance, accountability and Holy Spirit indwelling of true Christians. Christians who’ve already been truly born again cannot be inhabited by demons!
Unrepentant leadership, with only superficial adjustments, which resulted in hardness against further admonition…..which forced me to have to appeal to local churches to exercise biblical discernment before allowing any more of their resources to be stripped by such phony fleecers of the flock.

Charismania

Dysfunctional Discernment

January 12, 2012November 6, 2019 Lee Anne Ferguson

I realize that since I grew up being reprimanded for reasoning and questioning our family dysfunction, I learned not to trust my God-given discernment. My family would even get so mad at me for questioning our family dysfunction that they would tell me I was imagining things. If that’s not a concoction for cultism I don’t know what is!! No wonder I went from cult to cult, trying to pass off my discernment as just my imagination!

I remember for years I had to play dumb around my family so they wouldn’t hate me (they’d never call it that of course). Because my insight threatened our family facade. But over the years I’ve been able to lean on God more so that their hate no longer hurts (not as much anyway). I’ve had to just submit to their judgment and hatefulness toward me because I realize I can’t ever earn their love or approval.

Thankfully I don’t even care anymore about what they think of me. If I still tried to please people I would no longer be a servant of the Lord. I’m only concerned now with God’s approval and I know I can’t earn that either. I look for His grace and mercy instead. And I also realize that only God can cause my family to love me biblically. Perhaps God wanted me to be afflicted, so that I would have no choice but to lean on Him. Besides, He has worked it all out for my good!! And He gave me the ability to forgive my family!!!

I can truly say with the psalmist David “It is good that I was afflicted, so that I could learn God’s statutes” Psalm 119: 71

Charismania, discernment column, Newspaper Articles

Discernment Column (article 1)

January 11, 2012May 7, 2019 Lee Anne Ferguson

Theological Thoughts

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God”—–. “rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Tim. 2:15

Theology: the study of God that recognizes all His works as being systematic and orderly, revealing that theology is to the Bible what science is to nature, proving God’s word to be a consistent, harmonious system of Christian belief and practice

We live in a day where theological thoughts are subtly being distracted by a worldly system of non-thought. Our vocabulary is even being dumbed down for the sake of “texting,” or other forms of empty chatter, when God says our conversation is only worthy of the gospel, Phil 1:27. Yet, desensitized by media, opinions, doctrines of men, and legalistic do’s and don’ts, our mind may become passive to the point of just believing whatever we are told, rather than going to God’s word ourselves. In fact, lack of reasoning is why so many are ending up in cults today. “The simple believeth every word; but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” Prov. 14:15

Acts 17: 11-12 tells us of Apostle Paul’s encounter with noble minded Bereans. These men and women were not only ready to receive God’s word, but they also searched the Scriptures daily for themselves, to see if all they were being told was true. Not only does this scenario show us that women are to be involved in theological matters too, but that we all need to “test the spirits” with sound doctrine and discernment to keep from being deceived by “seducing spirits and doctrines of devils,” which are sadly shipwrecking the faith of many today, 1 Tim. 4:1.

The Bereans applied themselves to know the truth, as God was drawing them thru His word and by His grace granting them belief in Jesus, with the Holy Spirit enabling them to respond in faith.

So dear friend, by God’s grace search the Scriptures daily and ask Him for firm belief in Jesus, so that you too may respond in true faith and repentance. For now is the day of salvation!

freewill vs. Sovereignty of God

Forbidden Fruits of Freewill

January 6, 2012May 7, 2019 Lee Anne Ferguson

Why on earth did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden—-KNOWING they would eat of it???

For one, He already had the plan of salvation in place to cover their sin……ultimately to show the glory of His mercy. In fact, the whole scenario was all about God’s glory. Think about it, Adam and Eve learned obedience by the things that they suffered, (an O.T. antitype for what Jesus would do for us).

Jesus died for His people, “learning obedience by the things that He suffered” Heb. 5:8. Showing that this is how God changes our will so that our conscience is purged from dead works so that we can serve the living God–Heb. 9:14

Only after God covered them w/ animal skins (the first blood sacrifice)—could they then serve God w/ fear and godly reverance. Their eyes were not only opened to how terrible sin is but opened to the goodness of God, which they may have taken for granted had He not allowed them to choose and to suffer as a result.

Like Adam and Eve, we may think that we want freewill, but realize its freegrace we really want.

As one can see, it wasn’t about how great it was to have a freewill, but one of the main points was God, through this scenario, showing us how thankful we should be that we are not just left to our own devices. The devil is a liar. Did they really become like God??—NO—or else they would have created their own planet to inhabit, etc. etc.

That demonic lie in the garden is still w/ us today. The flesh wants to scream—-freewill—but it is in the fiery furnace of failure that we learn it is really God’s freegrace that we want more than life itself!!

What do you really want?

Just remember that when we follow God, we are automatically going to suffer at the hands and mouths of the wicked, but this is also part of God’s chastening process so that we learn obedience because we are not condemned with the world, but saved out of it. Heb. ch.12

Phil. 1:29 “For it has been granted to you, not only to believe in Him, but to suffer for His name sake”—–What a gift!!!

freewill vs. Sovereignty of God

Theological Thoughts

December 28, 2011February 4, 2012 Lee Anne Ferguson

We need to remember that when Jesus broke the bread, symbolizing His body, He wasn’t eating His own body w/ His disciples. It was in remembrance of what He was about to do for us. It didn’t contain His actual body as some blashphemously proclaim. Same goes for His blood.

Jesus is the door and He explained what that meant—-that He is the only Way to be reconciled back to the Father.

Baptism also is symbolic, or else the water would be how our sins are actually forgiven, rather than Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. The book of Acts makes it clear over and over again that one could only take action and be baptized if they had already been regenerated and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so. Any other view leads to believing our works save us, rather than God’s pure grace thru faith in Jesus alone.
All are summonsed to repent and believe, not because all have the ability to do so, but because those who were preordained before time began—-will respond to the universal call of the Gospel, because God has given them the ability to do so. This all glorifies God, reminding us that salvation is of His mercy alone toward those He has chosen to show mercy (Rom.9). And He chose us before we could have had anything to do with it!!! Wow, mind boggling isn’t it!! Praise Him!!!

freewill vs. Sovereignty of God

Who is —“whosoever will” ??

December 28, 2011February 4, 2012 Lee Anne Ferguson

Revelations 21:6 “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Revelations 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And whosoever wiill, let him take the water of life freely.

Jesus had already preordained those He was dying for. Those chosen of God will have their wills changed by God Himself so that they can “welcome Jesus into their heart” as some call it. God removes the hardened heart and replaces it w/ a new heart to serve Him. He removes the cause of resistance in us—-making His grace truly irrisistible!!

So you see all thru Scripture God makes it clear that His promise of salvation to those who are His is an unbreakable blood covenant (example Heb. 6:17-18). Even Apostle Paul exclaims in Rom 8:39 that nothing can keep us from the love of Christ who died for His own. None who are His will be lost. Jesus Himself explains this in His prayer to the Father in John 17:9…..that He died only for ALL those whom the Father had given Him. He also proclaims that He prays not for the world, only those who are His. The whole chapter explains that He does not lose any of them—-none of those Jesus died for will ever suffer God’s wrath in Hell!!! Praise God!!! Any other view would make it seem as though Christ died and shed His blood in vain for those who perish. That would imply that His blood was not sufficient—–that He was a failure. God forbid!!!! God’s grace IS sufficient. And His grace is the “water of life” that His chosen can take freely….FREEGRACE!

Some say that His death was hypothetical and would only be applied to those who would believe. This not only implies that we can conjure up faith and belief with our own natural abilities but also implies that Jesus didn’t die for the sin of unbelief—–it is a sin you know. His blood covers ALL sins—–even the sin of unbelief. What a thought huh!!

Did Christ really die for people who would finally perish—-making no Divine provisions for their eternal security?? Absolutely not. Heb. 7:25—He is able to save to the UTTERMOST those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make INTERCESSION FOR THEM.

I’m overwhelmed by His glory just writing this!!!

John 3:16 makes it clear who the “world” is in this verse—-those who will believe in Him—the chosen throughout the whole world, from every tribe, tongue and nation. This is all for His glory and causes us to truly serve Him w/ godly fear and awe!!!