Sat, Jul 30th - 12:44AM

COMPLETE SALVATION or THE TRIUNITY OF MAN

 Man is triune, and since man is made in the image of God we should expect to find that God is triune and vice versa. (Genesis 1:26,27; I Thessalonians 5:23; Matthew 28:19; I John 5:7) Salvation is in three parts or stages. (I Thessalonians 5:23)

 Past salvation (salvation of the spirit) is deliverance from the penalty of sin. (John 3:3-5,13-18; Romans 4:6-8; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3) The spirit gives man God-consciousness. The spirit is the part of man which "knows." (I Corinthians 2:11) In Scripture the spirit is often synonymous with the mind. (Job 32:8; II Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:23) The regenerated spirit is the part of a born again Christian that does not sin. (Romans 7:15-17; I John 3:9)

 The soul gives man self-consciousness. The soul is apparently shaped like the body and fits in it. (Luke 16:23,24; Revelation 6:9-11) The soul is the seat of the emotions, the desires, the personality, the "heart" in Scripture. (Matthew 26:38; John 12:27) Present or continuous salvation or sanctification (salvation of the soul) is deliverance from the power of sin. (Psalm 19:7; II Corinthians 4:16; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:21)

 The body gives man world-consciousness and sense-consciousness. The body is the seat of the carnal adamic nature and remains unsaved until the resurrection. (Romans 6:6,12; 7:18,23-25) Future salvation (salvation of the body; physical resurrection) is deliverance from the presence of sin. (Romans 5:10; 8:23; II Corinthians 1:10)

-Arnold J. Saxton

Fri, Jul 8th - 12:51AM

Church Membership

  Joining a church will not save you, but it is important for a believer to unite with a Bible-believing church. The redeemed can collectively be referred to as a church (Matthew 16:13-18; Hebrews 12:22-23; etc.), a called out assembly, but in the New Testament a church normally means a local body of Christians. The terms "church member" and "church membership" are not explicitly stated but the teaching or concept is implied, indicated, and taught. (Acts 2:41,47; 5:14; 6:7; 9:31; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 16:1-16; I Corinthians 5:1-13; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:24-25; 13:17; I Peter 5:1-5; etc..)

-Arnold J. Saxton

Tue, Jul 5th - 11:04AM

Christians Do Not Worship Three Gods

The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that only The Father is Jehovah, that Jesus Christ is a created angel, that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force, and that the Trinity is a pagan teaching and "Not a Bible teaching." (Reasoning From The Scriptures, p.405)

The Trinity is not a pagan doctrine. Ancient pagans did not worship any trinity, they worshipped triads. A triad is three distinct gods, while the Trinity is one God existing in three persons.

The word Trinity is a combination of the word "trine," which means threefold or three times, and the suffix "-ity," which means state, character, or condition. In other words, God is not triplex (1+1+1), God is triune (1x1x1). (I John 5:7)

Our English word person comes from the Latin word "persona," which is literally a face mask used by actors, and hence a person, character, etc.. One God eternally existing in three persons is one God and not three Gods.

The terms Father, Son, and Holy Ghost each refer to an aspect of God's nature and activity in relation to man. (II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18,22; I Peter 1:2) Salvation is an example of this: As the Father, God originates salvation and made provision for salvation;as the Son, God paid the penalty for sin; as the Holy Ghost, God applies salvation.

Whether any of us completely understand or even accept a Bible truth does not determine if it is a Bible truth, and since God is our Creator and is so much higher we should not be surprised to find difficulties in understanding His nature. God reveals Himself to man through words, words in His Word. As the Spirit of God reveals truths to us through the Word of God He becomes more majestic to us, not simple. (Psalm 97:2)

Watchtower errors on this and other subjects can often be exposed by merely examining Watchtower proof texts, considering the relation of each passage to context and the whole Bible, and considering the meaning of words and grammar.(consider I Timothy 1:5-7 & II Timothy 2:15)

-Arnold J. Saxton