WBS.048
FUNDAMENTALS
OF DISCIPLESHIP
A KINGDOM HEART – XVIII
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the
performance of the will of IAUE.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift
of IAUE is eternal life through Yahushua Messiah our Master.
Last
week, I made the following statement:
“Salvation is
not the offering of a free gift to mankind; such that all man has to do is
believe in the availability of the gift and express a willingness to receive
the gift; and that will result in a condition of a blissful life forever in the
presence of IAUE. Nowhere in the
Scripture is an invitation given to accept such a free gift.”
In
response to this, a friend asked me how this can be explained to believers of fundamental
denominations who espouse the basic doctrinal belief that salvation is, indeed,
a “free gift.” I consider this a viable
question; so I am dedicating this week’s post to answer this question.
First,
let’s look at the passages of Scripture that contain this word “gift” or “free
gift” in a context that could be understood as relating to “salvation” or “eternal
life.” Both “gift” and “free gift” are
the translation of the singular Greek word, “charisma.” (Which is to say, the word “free” is not the translation of
a Greek word. It is supplied by the
translator.)
It is found 17 times in the New Testament;
but only five times is it used within this context; and all five are found in just
three verses.
Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the
free gift. For if
through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of IAUE, and the gift by grace, which is
by one man, Yahushua Messiah, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not
as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation,
but the free gift is
of many offences unto justification.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of IAUE is eternal life through Yahushua Messiah our Master.
The
rest of the usages of “charisma” in the New Testament pertain to the “charismatic”
gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12; supernaturally endowed enablements),
and the Holy Spirit as the gift of Elohim (2 Timothy 1:6).
So,
let us look at our relevant usages of “charisma” in Romans 5 and 6. What is the gift being identified?
- Romans 5:15 says it is “the gift BY grace;” so we may deduce that the gift is a product of grace.
- Romans 5:16 says “the free gift” is of many offences unto justification; so we may deduce that the gift results in justification. Justification is the imputation of the righteousness of Yahushua to his disciples.
- Romans 6 plainly states the “the gift of IAUE is eternal life through Yahushua.”
Thus,
we may conclude with this simple observation that eternal life is the gift.
It comes to man through the agency of grace; and it results in
justification (the declaring of one being righteous). Lastly, it is through Yahushua.
It
is important, here, to make the distinction between eternal life and
salvation. It is traditional religious
thinking that makes these two words to be synonyms; but in reality they refer
to distinctively different matters. Salvation
pertains to our life on earth, now.
Eternal life pertains to the endless experience of living beyond our
current physical life.
The
Scripture defines salvation as being rescued out of the hands of all our
enemies that have hindered us from being able to obey the will of IAUE, thereby
being freed to do His will now and forever (Luke 1:68-75). This
liberty comes to us free of charge; but that does not mean it has not already been
purchased with a price; nor does it mean that our response in receiving it,
i.e., that we are expected to walk in that liberty, should be considered a
purchase price. If we fail to walk in
obedience to the will of IAUE, “salvation” is not a function of our experience,
no matter what we choose to believe doctrinally. What would be the point of a champion
procuring liberty for us, if we still choose to walk in bondage? Though the liberty has been purchased by our
warrior champion; it is unto no effective result.
Let
me try to illustrate this truth. Imagine
that you live in an oriental village from centuries ago. There is a king who rules over the nation,
who prizes honesty and integrity above all else; but your particular village suffers
under the oppressive control of a warlord.
This warlord has everyone in the village robbing, cheating and stealing
in order to pay his tribute. They must
serve him or be killed. The good king
knows this is happening so he sends a samurai to defeat the warlord. Once the king’s samurai defeats the warlord, the
victory is proclaimed to the people of the village. It is now the responsibility of the villagers
to cease robbing, cheating and stealing and restore honesty and integrity to
their lives. Failure to do so has no
bearing on whether or not the victory has been won. That is an accomplished fact. Failure to walk in the king’s virtues, now,
is failure to walk in the victory he has provided for you. Walking in the king’s virtues in no way can
be perceived as paying for the victory.
Rather, it is glorying in the victory.
This
is where grace enters the picture. Our future
enjoyment of the “gift” of eternal life is predicated upon our experience with
grace in the present. Grace is given to
empower us to do the will of IAUE. If we
walk in His grace, we will actively obey His will and experience His deliverance
(salvation) from that which heretofore had prevented that obedience. If we resist His grace and choose instead to
do our own will, we will fail to experience the salvation provided for us to
enjoy, now; and we will fail to receive the gift of eternal life predicated
upon that salvation. This is plainly
stated in the verse immediately preceding our key verse, today.
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to IAUE,
ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Becoming
a servant to IAUE is a consistently proclaimed condition for this “free gift,” and
only one thing characterizes one who is a servant. He is one who obeys a master.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
There is virtual paranoia surrounding this doctrine of the “free gift of salvation.” It has resulted in thinking that is alien to the Scriptures in order to protect the sanctity of this cardinal doctrine. Here, however, is the problem. Many in the church believe that if you connect anything at all with the receiving of the “free gift,” aside from faith, aside from merely believing in it, you are attempting to be “saved by works.” They quote the following in support of this thinking:
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Yahushua Messiah, even we have believed in Yahushua Messiah, that we might be justified by the faith of Messiah, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of IAUE:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
James, the brother of Yahushua and the first pastor of the church in Jerusalem, dispels this erroneous conclusion in his epistle.
James 2: 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Rather
than attempt to reconcile this epistle with their doctrine, many in the church,
instead, attempt to explain how the book of James really should not have been
included in the canon, that it was a mistake to make it a part of the New
Testament Scripture. Let me say, plainly,
that when once bows his knee to the Master Yahushua, the Master absolutely
expects that you will learn from him how to be obedient to his Father; and to
demonstrate the legitimacy of your faith by living in the power of the grace of
IAUE. If one refuses to behave as an
honorable disciple to the Master Yahushua and follow his instruction to obey
the will of his Father, there is nothing that separates that person from the
heathen of this world.
Is
obedience to the will of IAUE payment for eternal life? No, it is not payment. It is a condition. The payment to make eternal life available
was already paid by the Master Yahushua. It has been purchased; and it is no longer
for sale. It cannot be purchased again
by the actions of any man; however, the one who has procured it may lay down conditions
for it being given.
Imagine
you had a very wealthy relative who passed away. During the course of his life, he amassed
much property and great wealth. On the
day the executor calls the heirs together to read his last will and testament,
you discover that all of your relative’s wealth and property are to be given to
you; but in order for you to receive them, you must remain in your own home while
running the day-to-day affairs of your relative’s business for the next five
years. Would you regard this as payment
for your relative’s property and riches? Would you say that after five years of
managing the business you deserved all of his property and wealth? Of course you wouldn’t. What you would have done in five years’ time
would have paled into insignificance in the face of the value of your relative’s
magnificent estate. It is merely a
condition to receive that which will be bestowed freely upon you if you are
obedient to your relative’s will.
This
illustration is exactly what has happened for us.
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Yahushua
died to bring into force his “last will and testament;” and he was raised from
the dead in order to become the executor of his own will. In bringing his will into effect, he made it
possible for us to become joint heirs together with him of his Father’s estate (Romans 8:17). His life, death and resurrection accomplished
deliverance from our enemies that had prevented our obedience to his Father. That act provided for the deliverance/salvation
of all men everywhere; but only those who disciple themselves to the Master and
learn of the conditions and obey them will receive the ultimate inheritance.
