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Happy Sunday!! #biblestudy #thecouplethatreadstogetherstaystogether #lovemyhusband @shermanreed #sundayfunday #learningthebible

Apostasy As used here, apostasy refers to a departure from or denial of the Christian faith by someone who once held to it. There are several views about what happens to someone who leaves the faith. Some say a true Christian will never apostasize. Some say a true Christian can leave the faith, but he or she loses salvation. Others say a true Christian can depart from the faith, perhaps never return, yet never lose his or her salvation, but suffers other consequences. Apostasy is clearly seen in the Bible. It is easy to demonstrate that apostasy is taught or seen in the Bible. Consider these passages: Peter denied the Lord. Luke 22:34, 54-62 God's chosen nation, Israel, stopped believing. Rom. 3:1-3; 10:16-21. The apostle Paul predicts apostasy in later times. 1 Tim. 4:1-3 The warning of First Timothy 4:16 implies a Christian can depart from the faith. There were widows in the church who "turned aside to follow Satan." 1 Tim. 5:14-15 The apostle Paul describes false teachers who strayed from the faith. 1 Tim. 6:20-21 Those who deserted the apostle Paul and opposed him (2 Tim. 1:15; 4:9-10, 14-16) are to be gently instructed so that they can escape the snares of Satan. 2 Tim. 2:24-26. Hymenaeus and Philetus strayed from the truth. 2 Tim. 2:17-18 -Those in error can overthrow the faith of others. 2 Tim. 2:18 The book of Hebrews addresses those who were in danger of leaving the faith. Heb. 2:1-3; 3:12; 6:4-6; 10:26-39; 12:25 True Christians can leave the faith. It is clear from the passages listed above that those who apostasize are true Christians, otherwise the descriptions, warnings, and exhortations are empty and meaningless. The very idea that someone strays from something implies they once adhered to it. A person cannot desert something or some place that he or she has never experienced. True Christians cannot lose salvation. None of the examples listed above names hell or the loss of salvation as the result of leaving the faith. That conclusion can only be theologically driven. The punishments facing those who would depart from the faith in Hebrews are severe, but do not refer to hell. There are too many Bible passages that teach salvation can never be lost. While some think that any continual or serious sin causes a Christian to lose salvation, others say salvation is only lost if the person ceases to believe the gospel and the Christian faith. They say that the present tense of the verb "believe" in salvation passages like John 3:16 and John 20:31 implies that eternal life is conditioned on continual belief. But this is not an accurate understanding of the present tense. The present tense can be used of a singular act (e.g. John 6:33, 50; Acts 9:34). Besides, belief as the condition for eternal life is sometimes stated in the aorist tense, which implies completed action (Acts 2:44; 4:32; 8:13; 16:31). The present tense in John 20:31 may also emphasize the ongoing experience of God's eternal life that Jesus referred to as abundant life (John 10:10) or knowing God (John 17:3). Initial faith in the gospel brings eternal salvation. Continual faith is not a condition for salvation, but for enjoying God's life in us (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 2:20). True Christians can leave the faith and suffer severe consequences. This view is well supported in the Bible. Many passages speak of God's discipline of the believer who departs from the faith (such as the warnings in Hebrews). One of the most helpful passages is 2 Timothy 2:11-13. This is a faithful saying: 11 For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. Verse 11 obviously speaks of our union with Christ that is a consequence of our salvation (Rom. 6:3-5; Gal. 2:20). Those who are saved will live forever with Christ. This speaks sufficiently to the impossibility of losing salvation. Verse 12, however, speaks of a different condition and a different consequence. The condition is endurance, which is often exhorted of Christians (e.g., 2 Tim. 2:3; Heb. 10:23, 36; 12:1; James 1:2-4, 12) and refers to perseverance in trials and suffering. The consequence of reigning does not refer to salvation, but to the reward for faithfulness - reigning with Christ in His kingdom. This reward is clearly taught in many other passages (Luke 19:1119; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; Rev. 22:3-5). If we deny Christ by not enduring faithfully in trials, then He denies us His approval and reward (cf. Matt. 10:33; Luke 19:20-27). Verse 13 then speaks of another circumstance altogether. If we are "faithless" (apisteuo, without faith, unbelieving; cf. Rom. 3:3), God remains "faithful" (pistos). What is God faithful to? He is faithful to His promise that we will live with Him forever, as stated in verse 11 (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 11:24-26). This does not refer to verse 12 because it is intended as a comfort. It would be incongruous to appeal to the positive attribute of God's faithfulness to affirm God's negative discipline. Second Timothy 2:11-13 is a serious affirmation of our eternal salvation which cannot be lost (unlike the reward of reigning with Christ). Even if we were to stop believing or become unfaithful, God will always be faithful to His promise to save us eternally. A good example of this is Israel, who now rejects Christ and is under God's discipline, but will one day be restored because God is faithful to the promises He made to Israel's patriarchs (Rom. 3:3-4; 11:25-32) and His gifts are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). Conclusion As Christians we can depart from the faith, deny the faith, or stop believing in Christ as our Savior. But since the security of our salvation depends on God's faithfulness, not our own, we can never lose eternal life. A Christian may leave the faith, but God never leaves the Christian. Apostasy from the faith does not forfeit salvation, though it will forfeit future rewards. #EternalSecurity #BibleStudy #Theology

John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. - John 15:6 What do the branches represent in John 15:6 and what is their fate? One popular interpretation says the branches are superficial followers of Jesus Christ who never go on to do good works. These unsaved individuals are burned in hell. This interpretation makes fruit a test of true faith and an indicator of who is truly a Christian. Another interpretation sees this passage relating to true believers and hell is not in view. The argument for superficial followers Those who say this passage refers to unbelievers and their fate interpret the word "abide" as a synonym for "believe." They interpret the term "takes away" (airo) in verse 2 as a removal to judgment in the fire of hell described in verse 6. It is assumed in this interpretation that "fruit" refers to visible and measureable works. In summary, this view says that those who have only a superficial relationship with Jesus Christ and do not show fruit prove that they are not Christians and will perish in hell. Making fruit (works in their understanding) a test of true faith is problematic since faith is simply the confidence or persuasion that something is true. According to the Bible there cannot be any infringement of works on faith itself (Rom. 4:4-5; Eph. 2:8-9), although faith should produce works (Eph. 2:10). But that is different from saying that faith must produce works, and that those works will be visible or measureable. An examination of the passage and context yields a better interpretation. Contextual observations It is easily recognized that chapters 13-17 form a distinct unit in John. After His evangelistic presentation to the world in chapters 1-12, Jesus has an intimate conversation with His saved disciples (Unsaved Judas has departed; 13:30). The commandment to love one another frames the discourse of 13:31-15:17. Fruitfulness in the context seems related to the command to love. Clearly, the subject of 15:1-10 is fruitfulness, not salvation or eternal condemnation. In light of His imminent absence, Jesus' purpose is to encourage the disciples to keep this commandment to love and thus bear the fruit that love engenders. Jesus would not tell his disciples that they are in danger of losing their salvation or that they were never really saved. On the contrary, He implies that they are in Him as branches of the true vine (v. 2). This speaks of their union and close relationship to Him. They are also "already clean," which speaks either of their justification (cf. Peter in 13:8-11), or possibly their sanctification experience (pruning, v. 2) as they continue to sit under Jesus' Word (cf. 17:17). Either way, it confirms that they are saved. Lexical considerations Abiding leads to fruit-bearing (15:4-5). Some take abide as a synonym for believe. But why would Jesus tell his saved disciples that they need to believe in Him? And if Jesus means believe, why doesn't He use the word believe as He does so many times in this Gospel in relation to salvation? That abide can't mean believe is clear by the statements that Jesus abides in the disciples (v. 4, 5) and that His words can abide in them (v. 7). That it speaks of a deeper relationship for those already saved is indicated by the fact it is a condition for answered prayer in verse 7 and is a result of obeying Christ's commandments in verse 10. To abide means to continue or remain and refers to a close relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a term of intimate fellowship and is a condition of discipleship not salvation. In John 8:31 Jesus tells believers to abide in His Word in order to become true disciples. Abiding is a Christian responsibility. The fact that it is commanded allows the possibility that a believer may not comply (vv. 4, 5, 6). Those who say verse 6 speaks of the judgment fire of hell interpret "takes away" (from the Greek verb airo) in verse 2 as a taking away to judgment. But airo is better translated "lifts up" (used similarly in John 5:8-12; 8:59; 10:18; 11:41) describing the tender care of the Vinedresser who lifts the fruitless branches off the ground so they can absorb more sun, are less susceptible to damage, and thus become fruitful. This is more consistent with the practice of viticulture, the caretaking responsibility of the Vinedresser mentioned in verses 1-3, and the desire for fruitfulness in verses 2 and 6. Verse 2 goes on to say that once fruit arrives, the branch is pruned to produce more fruit. God's responsibility is to care for His people in a way that encourages fruitfulness (vv. 1-3), but the Christian's responsibility is to cooperate by abiding (vv. 4-8). Interpretational assumptions Too often when fire is mentioned in the Bible, the reader assumes it speaks of hell fire. But fire is used more often literally of temporal judgment or figuratively of God's discipline, anger, zeal, or jealously. Fire is also used of God's future revealing judgment of a Christian's life at the Judgment Seat of Christ where good works are rewarded and unworthy works are burned up (1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). The fire that burns the non-abiding branches in verse 6 is in an allegory or figurative story that illustrates a point. Jesus is comparing some branches of a vine that are not abiding (implying they are not fruitful) to the possible fate of believers who do not abide. Jesus does not say that all unfruitful branches are burned, because all branches (Christians) are at some time unfruitful (because some must be "lifted up" to become fruitful; v. 2). Vine branches that continue to be barren have no practical purpose, so they are gathered and burned. We do not need to find an antecedent for who "they" are. That is trying to make too much of the details of the allegory at the expense of the main point. The main point is that non-abiding fruitless branches are useless. In verse 6 it is not people who are burned, but branches (signified by the neuter pronoun auta). Neither is it necessary to interpret the fire as literal, because the vine, branches, and fruit are all figurative. Jesus' point is that Christians who do not abide and bear fruit are useless. This is similar to the illustration in Ezekiel 15:1-8 of Israel as a useless vine that is burned. If significance is attached to the fire in verse 6, it may compare to the burning of useless works at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:15). Practical implications If someone argues that a Christian must bear fruit to prove his or her salvation, then there must be a way to measure that fruit. But of course, that is impossible given our human inability to know for certain what comprises genuine fruit. It also assumes that all fruit is observable when that is not always true. In the context, fruit seems to refer to loving one another. The command to love forms bookends for this section, and 1 John 3:24 also relates loving to abiding. Nevertheless, love is not a proof of salvation, but an indication of intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ and of discipleship (13:35). Conclusion In John 15:6 Jesus is not teaching that fruitless superficial followers will be cast into hell. The interpretation that makes fruit-bearing a test of salvation in John 15:1-8 ignores the larger and immediate contexts as well as how words are used in the context. The result is a vague interpretation that can't actually be applied without defining objectively what fruit is and how much fruit is necessary to pass the test. A better interpretation yields a passage that deeply challenges Christians to become more intimate with the Lord Jesus Christ as a condition for bearing much fruit for His glory. #BibleStudy #Theology

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4 What does it mean to fall from grace, especially as that phrase is used in Galatians 5:4? The interpretation of that verse has important implications for the Christian. Some Misinterpretations Unfortunately, Galatians 5:4 is misunderstood by some. One faulty interpretation is that it describes the action of an unbeliever who rejects the gospel. Yet it is clear that the apostle Paul is writing to Christians in this epistle. In the immediate context, he declares that they have been set free by Christ (5:1) and calls them "brethren" (5:11). The New King James translation, "you who attempt to be justified," does not refer to unbelievers trying to be saved, but acknowledges that under the law the most a person can do is attempt to be justified, because ultimately "no one is justified by the law" (3:11). Another inadequate interpretation, the common Arminian one, is that Paul is addressing believers who lose their eternal salvation. Not only is this against the whole tenor of scriptural teaching about the security of salvation, it misunderstands the concept of grace in relation to salvation as well as the argument that Paul sets forth in Galatians. Below is a brief exposition of this verse in its context. The Context Developed The context shows that Paul assumes the readers' saved status from the beginning of the epistle (1:2-4). He reminds them that they were called "in the grace of Christ" (1:6). The concept of grace is at the heart of the proper interpretation of Galatians, and at the heart of the Galatians' misunderstanding of their relationship with God. Apparently they did not understand all the implications of their salvation by grace and were easily confused by false teachers (1:6-9; 3:1; 4:17; 5:7,12). Paul is seeking to dissuade the Galatian believers from trusting in the Old Testament law as a means of sanctification. That would be contrary to the principle of salvation by grace. That is why he criticized Peter for not being consistent with grace (2:11-14) and explained "I do not set aside the grace of God" (2:21). Since the Galatians began their Christian lives "in the Spirit" they should not think they could grow to maturity by their own fleshly efforts at keeping the law (3:2-3). The law only brings a curse (3:10). As believers who have been justified through faith, the Galatians are now "sons of God" (3:26) and no longer slaves to the law (4:5-7). They need to "stand fast" in their liberty and not become entangled in the bondage of the law (5:1). If they revert to legalism, Christ will not profit them in sanctification (5:2), because keeping the external requirements of the law by fleshly efforts cannot bring anyone closer to God. To be acceptable to God, hey must keep the whole law perfectly (5:3), an impossibility. Interpretation of Verse 4 In verse 4, Paul explains that believers who revert to the law are estranged from Christ." "Estranged". translates the verb katargew, which means to be separated or loosed from something, or to render something ineffective, inoperative, or powerless. Paul uses the same word in 2:21 in the sense of set aside.. His readers have been estranged in their relationship with Christ (not cut off in their position as Christians) in that His grace is inoperative for them if they go back under the law, which is what circumcision signifies (5:2). They are in Christ, but not living by the power of His grace. The verb translated "fallen" is ekpiptw which has a broad range of meaning, but usually means to fall from something or to lose one's grasp of something. The Galatians had lost their grasp of grace, not Christ, salvation, or justification. A believer can not be un-justified (cf. Rom. 8:30), but a believer can certainly live in contradiction to Godís principle of salvation and sanctification by grace. At the essence of Paul's argument is the contrast between grace and law. They are opposites which do not mix; they are mutually exclusive. One either trusts in the grace of Christ for righteousness, or the law. Adherence to one system repudiates the other. It is only through faith in God's provision that both positional (3:24) and practical righteousness (5:5) is obtained, not through the works of the law. Therefore, with the phrase "fallen from grace" Paul is not addressing the Galatians' position in Christ; he is addressing their practice, or their Christian walk. The position of the Christian is sure: Every believer stands in grace (cf. Rom. 5:2) as a child of God (3:26) set free from the bondage of the law (5:1). But Christians can compromise their position with inconsistent practice by trying to keep the requirements of the law or some other external system in their own efforts. Application If we as Christians live in outward obedience and submission to the externals of any law or religious system, we do not elevate our spirituality, but lower it. Such legalism can not make us closer to God, but creates a chasm in our relationship to Him. We fall from grace. Perhaps we could say we have a "falling out" with God, because we spurn His gift of grace - the same grace that saved us - in favor of our own achievements. This spirit of legalism goes beyond adherence to the Old Testament Law. For example, if we worship to impress others, we do not "impress" God. If we have daily devotions only to satisfy a schedule, we do not "satisfy" God. If we trust in our sacrificial service to earn God's favor, then we ignore God's sacrificial gift to us. Only life in the Spirit under the grace of God can produce the righteous life that God desires. #FreeGrace #IBelieveInGrace #BibleStudy

Is the word Rapture in the Bible? The short answer is yes. The English word rapture is derived from the Latin word Rapio (verb) or Raptus (noun). The rapture is from the Latin rapio (meaning caught up).It is the belief that the church will be caught up (Greek harpazo, 1 Thess 4:17) and united with Christ at his second coming. here is 1 Thessalonians 4:17 in the Latin Vulgate translation: deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus. The Latin word rapiemur is the first-person plural future passive indicative of rapiō. The Latin word rapio is translated into English as rapture, which means to seize or carry off. The Koine Greek word harpazo means to seize be caught up. in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Shall be caught up (Greek ἁρπαγησομεθα [harpagēsometha]) is a Second future passive indicative of the Greek ἁρπαζω [harpazō], which is a verb to seize, to carry off like Latin rapio. So, we have the English word rapture, the Latin word rapio, and the Greek word harpazo, three words meaning to seize or carry off. It's just a translation issue. What language do you want to translate 1 Thessalonians 4:17 into? German, Spanish, Chinese, it will always have the same meaning, to seize or carry off…rapture. #BibleWordStudy #Bible