Who Did Jesus Come to Save?

Who are the promises of salvation made to, and who did Jesus come to save?

Matthew 15:24 NKJV

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

John 4:22 NKJV

You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

Acts 5:31 NKJV

Him God has exalted to His right hand to  be  Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Since Jesus obviously came for Israel, it is good that we allow God to define who Israel is.

Romans 9:6-8 NKJV

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are  they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

Romans 2:28-29 NKJV

For he is not a Jew who is  one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he  is a Jew who is  one inwardly; and circumcision is  that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

II Corinthians 1:20-22 NKJV

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Propitiation for the Whole World.

You know why it says that Jesus is the propitiation for the whole world? Because Jesus is THE ONLY acceptable payment. That is why. Not because all people are to be saved. There is NO OTHER payment that can ever satisfy. God says that the consequence of sin is death. Only a Life can fill that debt. Jesus IS the Life. Either He paid paid your debt or He didn't. Period. Any man who drinks of the wrath of God will not recover from it.

I John 4:10 NKJV

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to  be the propitiation for our sins.

Acts 4:12 NKJV

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

I John 2:2 NKJV

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

I Timothy 2:5-6 NKJV

For there  is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

II Corinthians 5:17-21 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he  is  a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to  be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Here Paul is obviously not talking of every man, because if He does not "impute their trespasses to" every man their would be none who drink of the wrath of God as judgment.

Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his  mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

What is Fruit?

What is the "fruit" that Jesus speaks of? Remember... A tree doesn't produce fruit because it wills itself to do so. A tree produces fruit because it is a fruit tree. Likewise, the fruit the tree bears is not contingent upon the will of the tree, but simply the result of the kind of tree it is.

Matthew 7:16-20 NKJV

"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Good fruit:

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Bad fruit:

Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Salvation

In 2011 I was sitting in ICC, the Idaho private prison, and a year into my genuine search of knowing God. I didn't have anyone to hold my hand and tell me what to believe. I had God and the Bible.

I had just tried to read Isaiah, but found the book was still concealed to me. I was at a place where I was searching out my salvation with fear and trembling. Was my salvation something I could lose, or was it secure? When God was with me in the past, did He then leave me when I had turned my back on Him? I had been baptized with the Holy Spirit before all of the drugs, sex, and guns, so had God withdrew His Spirit from me when I was in rebellion after that?

Since I couldn't understand Isaiah, I went to Jeremiah, still seeking the answers to my questions. What is the truth about my salvation? It was through the book of Jeremiah that God profoundly answered the questions I so desperately needed.

He showed me that I had always been His. He had created me to come to Him, and for this purpose I was born.

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

John 3:34 NKJV

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

John 18:37 NKJV

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Jeremiah 1:9-10 NKJV

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”

It was at this time that the faith given to me, that which is commonly called Calvinism, became solidified in my heart. God had created me for Him, and I had always been His. I was nothing more than His chosen vessel brought forth by Him and for Him, and He has pursued me with an everlasting love.

Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 1:11-12 NKJV

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”

Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

From this point forward no man would ever move me from these truths, and God has only continued to build on them. It was with this understanding that I came to know who I am in Christ. After this God opened up the book of Isaiah to me, and I was able understand everything I read.

Romans 9:6-8 NKJV

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are  they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

Divine Providence

When I was 16 years old I was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. There were many times around that same time of my life that I knew what it was to have a heart of worship.

After I graduated high school I started drinking, doing drugs, sleeping around, and all kinds of other things that went with that lifestyle.

Within two short years I was on a retained jurisdiction program with two felony convictions and over 21 misdemeanor convictions. I had gotten 3 formal disciplinary actions taken against me when I ended up getting a forth. A out that same time I received paperwork that four more felonies were being filed against me.

The main thing the courts wanted to see during this six month retained jurisdiction was that I was rehabilitative. All of my crimes were drug related, I was an I.V. drug user of meth, and so they wanted me to complete a 30 day inpatient class offered while I was incarcerated. I had to attend every class to pass.

My forth disciplinary write up landed me in the hole for 3 days. I went in on a Saturday, and wasn't supposed to get out until Tuesday. The substance abuse class started that Monday. I was going to miss two days of class. I was going to prison if I missed class.

The hole was right next to the Chapel, and I remember hearing the church service that night. I was 20 years old with no kids, no job, no plans, and nothing to lose. I had four new felonies I was facing, and I was about to fail my retained jurisdiction program. I was going to go to prison. I remember I started to sing with the service. I lifted my heart in surrender before my God, and I worshiped Him in complete submission. (I remember that surrendered feeling 11 years later when God determined it was time to reveal His Son in me.)

I went to sleep that night with tears of comfort and peace on my face. I knew God had me. I woke up at 7:30 the next morning to the sergeant opening the cell door. He looked at me and said "Better hurry up McDonald or you are going to be late for class". I looked at him in wonder.

I finished that class, came home and plead guilty to two of the four new felonies, and then was granted probation by all four of the district court judges even though I had four serious disciplinary write ups. Act of God.

Get to the Meat.

Some just don't continue to search things out. It is not that they are not saved, but they remain on the milk.

I Peter 2:1-3 NKJV

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that  is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

I Corinthians 3:2-3 NKJV

I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to  receive  it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there  are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

Why is Doctrine Changing?

If you are involved in new beliefs of doctrine, or a largely accepted religion, beware. Those who adhere to sound doctrine will continue to become a minority. In fact, only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be safe from the great delusion. All the rest of the world will be taken by false doctrine. Any other proclamation is of the beast as it is blatantly contrary to the Word of God.

Revelation 17:17 NKJV

For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Revelation 17:8 NKJV

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Matthew 24:24-25 NKJV

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.

Revelation 13:7-8 NKJV

It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

II Thessalonians 2:11-12 NKJV

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The Word

The difference between a Spirit filled believer and the rest of the world is that a believer is in complete submission to the Word as absolute Truth, evidencing that Jesus Christ is Lord, and interpret scripture with scripture.

The spirit is the Word, Jesus is the Word, the Word is truth, Jesus is the Truth, we are sanctified by the truth, which is the Word. I am not confining Jesus to the written Word, as He is in a physical body right now in Heaven, but as scripture interprets scripture, the written Word is absolutely a part of Him.

I Peter 1:2 NKJV

elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

John 6:63 NKJV

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

John 17:17 NKJV

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

John 14:6 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 1:1 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Matthew 4:4 NKJV

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV

Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.

Revelation 10:8-11 NKJV

Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

The Day of the Lord is at Hand

This is the day of the Lord. When Jesus came into the world, bringing the spiritual with Him, it exposed both. That is when these verse were realized, and is not speaking of a time yet to come.

Revelation 12:7-12 NKJV

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Jesus affirms this here too.

Matthew 11:12 NKJV

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

This is why Paul uses a military term in this verse, and then confirms that we are at war.

Philippians 4:7 NKJV

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you. may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

This is further confirmed by the author in Acts. He is telling the church to be careful less what the prohet warned of happen to us.

Acts 13:40-41 NKJV

Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: ‘Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you.’ ”

If we go find of what we should make sure doesn't happen to us, we find that the author is referencing Habakkuk. Here is the thing though... When the book of Acts was written all of Chaldeans had been wiped off the face of the earth. Obviously He was referring to physical Chaldeans. This is the demonic host, the wrath of God being poured out on the unrighteous.

Habakkuk 1:5-11 NKJV

“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I  will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that  are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. “They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.”

Here is another place that the time we live in is called the day of the Lord.

Joel 2:1-11 NKJV

Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array. Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is  the  One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord  is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?

This time NOW is the refining and testing time of the Lord. That testing is not something that lies ahead.

Ezekiel 21:1-17 NKJV

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord : “Behold, I am  against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you. Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north, that all flesh may know that I, the Lord , have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’ Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God .” Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord !’ Say: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished! Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As  it  does all wood. And He has given it to be polished, That it may be handled; This sword is sharpened, and it is polished To be given into the hand of the slayer.’ “Cry and wail, son of man; For it will be against My people, Against all the princes of Israel. Terrors including the sword will be against My people; Therefore strike your thigh. “Because it  is  a testing, And what if the  sword despises even the scepter? The  scepter shall be no more, ” says the Lord God . “You therefore, son of man, prophesy, And strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, The sword that slays the great men, That enters their private chambers. I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, That the heart may melt and many may stumble. Ah! It  is made bright; It  is grasped for slaughter: “Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left— Wherever your edge is ordered! “I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the Lord , have spoken.”

The Day of the Lord is the outpouring of the wrath of God, and that wrath is being poured out.

Romans 1:18 NKJV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

John 3:36 NKJV

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Revelation of Truth

I don't hold fast to any doctrine of man. God gave me an analogy once. He showed me a vision of Jesus and I walking down this winding path, like Tha path of knowledge of Him, and as we were walking He was showing me all of these awesomely amazing things (For this is what was happening to me through the Word. Every day was an eureka moment.)

As we were walking we passed men who sat on the side, holding beautiful flowers in their hands that represented some of the Truths God was revealing in His Word. These men had grabbed ahold of these truths, closed their hands around them, and then camped out. Their sanctification was stunted until they would let go of that truth and keep walking with Jesus, letting Him show them more great and mighty things which they do not know.

There have been times I have been just as guilty, but Jesus patiently waits for the Holy Spirit to bring me under conviction and set me moving once again. We must give each other grace in this walk. God is infinite, and we are finite. I continue on that path today. The Truths I have been given, no man can take, but I eagerly wait for more great and mighty things which I do not know.