[Pchris]

What comes to mind when I think of the “second coming of Christ” .
I must say that during the course of study of this course , It became an eye opener to me , I remain expectant, excited and in awe of meeting my Lord and king.
Here are the few things that comes to mind in the presence of this thought
1. The honor of been recieved by Christ. John 14:3
It is a day I await in joy that my Lord will receive me to himself. The thought of this alone, leaves butterfly in my belly , more like a bride that awaits her groom in excitement. What a great privilege it is going to be.
2. It creates a sense of reflection and self examination. The coming of Christ also involves rewarding His faithful servants, I begin to ponder if indeed I have been a faithful and fruitful servant. I reflect on how involved I have been in body of Christ. This thought helps me to be more watchful and involved in the things of God. What a great honor it will be to be rewarded by my master.
3. I think of the end of evil, suffering and wickedness in the world. As the coming of Christ marks the end of evil in the world . The coming of Christ will bring various physical changes to the earth . Isaiah 11:1-9, the scripture shows that the earth will yield her increase as the redemption of the earth from the curse in Eden. The earth will be restored to its perfection and glory. Oh what an honor it will be to be able to witness this. like Pastor Sola would say, the sizes of oranges for example , will be massive and not like anything ever seen .

[Pchris]

My reply to Paul
I totally agree with you, that no matter the position you take it doesn’t affect your salvation.
The bride used in the scriptures is used as a symbol which is a visible reference to an invincible thing. Believers should live their lives not void of anticipation and preparation for the coming of the bridegroom (Jesus) who has gone to prepare a place for us.
Jesus’ultimate sacrifice, ushered the old testament saints into heaven, their sins were wiped away and no longer atoned for. The description of the church in feminine terms is indeed appropriate as the sacrifice of Jesus in its uniqueness symbolizes the union of the church with the Lord, for we are one with the Lord

[Pchris]

I will like to clearly state that I disagree with this belief, the following statements further buttresses my stance.
The bride is the symbol of the church. A symbol means a visible reference for an invisible thing. The church is Jesus’ bride, “wife of the lamb” and when we admire a man, respect him , appreciate him, and reference him, we are careful what we say about his wife and all the more so , in public. We check out suspicions, we are vigilant not to let personal disappointments fester into a global cynicism towards her.
We go out of our way not to regard her , speak of her, or criticize her in his presence in any way that would puzzle or dishonor her husband. We show little esteem for a groom when we insult his bride.
So, those who genuinely admire and worship Christ will not only reverence his person but also His perspective.
In Ephesians 5:31-32, Apostle Paul describes the relationship between Christ and the church as a mystery as revealed in the relationship between a husband and wife.
The beautiful picture of a bride and a groom is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church.
The bride, which is somewhat a futuristic symbol, symbolizes
a. The depth of love and acceptance that the church enjoys from the Lord. This love is seen in the huge sacrifice Christ paid .
b. It symbolizes the union of the church with the Lord , for we are one with the Lord.
The great groom’s choice of his bride is remarkable not only is she ” a chosen race” (1 Peter 2:9) but he chose her in her ungodliness, not because of any beauty she possessed. Not only did Christ choose the church for her salvation, but also to be an instrument of divine revelation world. Not just an instrument, but the central vessel in making God known in this world and in this age.
In Ephesians 3 when Paul offers praise to God the father, he says ” to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus “. We expect ” in Christ Jesus” as the focal point through which God’s glory is displayed but here she is , his bride , side by side with Christ himself, the bride groom : “to him be glory in the church” , this echoes the centrality of the church in making God known
Jesus loves the church as his own body, he emphatically does not hate his own flesh, but he nourishes it and cherishes it ( Ephesians 5:29).
It is important to note that it is the church in the scriptures that stand as the bride not each individual believer. “I” am not the bride , “You” are not the bride , however we are part of the church universal and we are the bride.
The old testament saints went to a place of comfort and rest called “sheol” which is translated “the grace” or “the realm of the dead” when they died. The old testament taught life after death and that everyone departed from this life went to a place of conscious existence.
The new testament equivalent of sheol is Hades. Luke 16: 17-31 shows that prior to Christ’s resurrection, Hades was divided into two compartment: a place of comfort where Lazarus was (Abraham’s bosom) and a place of torment where the rich man was. Until Christ sacrifice himself on the cross , heaven was not open to the old testament saints . Their sins were covered up, atoned for but they were not taken away. The death of Christ is what took away sin and allowed these saints to go to heaven . At his ascension, Jesus brought them to where they could not go before ( heaven). It is very important to note that a bride and a groom are not invited to their own wedding , so obviously there are attendees at the marriage supper who are neither the bride or the groom . The old testament saints will be the guests at the marriage supper in heaven. This alone reinforces the special privilege we have in the Holy nation that is the church of Jesus Christ, his bride.

[Pchris]

My reply to Paul.
I totally agree with your statement ” salvation is not dependent on our good works whatsoever “. If the plan and process of salvation were from ourselves, based on our good works , then when we achieve the necessary level of goodness to warrant salvation, we would boast. We would say things like “I did it” , also statements like ” I gave it my all and overcame obstacles and I have finally ascended to the highest levels of goodness and holiness and God gave me what I deserved”. We could also look down those who did not make it . Those who failed because they lacked the fortitude, insight and piety that I cultivated.
Boasting would surely abound , if the plan and process of salvation were based on human works. We would elevate ourselves over other people and even in some sense over God himself because our salvation was our own doing not His. Ephesians 2: 8-9 says an emphatic ‘No’ to this .
The plan and process of salvation is from God, a gift . It is by grace and it is accessed through faith. We are not saved by doing good works , but we are saved for the purpose of doing good works.

[Pchris]

My reply to Paul.
I totally agree with your statement ” salvation is not dependent on our good works whatsoever “. If the plan and process of salvation were from ourselves, based on our good works , then when we achieve the necessary level of goodness to warrant salvation, we would boast. We would say things like “I did it” , also statements like ” I gave it my all and overcame obstacles and I have finally ascended to the highest levels of goodness and holiness and God gave me what I deserved”. We could also look down those who did not make it . Those who failed because they lacked the fortitude, insight and piety that I cultivated.
Boasting would surely abound , if the plan and process of salvation were based on human works. We would elevate ourselves over other people and even in some sense over God himself because our salvation was our own doing not His. Ephesians 2: 8-9 says an emphatic ‘No’ to this .
The plan and process of salvation is from God, a gift . It is by grace and it is accessed through faith. We are not saved by doing good works , but we are saved for the purpose of doing good works.

[Pchris]

Ephesians 2: 8-9 says ” For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves ; it is a gift of God , not of works , lest anyone should boast .
The popular notion is that God accepts good people and rejects the unqualified people. Most people usually operate under the idea that God accepts or rejects people based on some level of religious performance or goodness .
The whole book of Ephesians rejects this premise , and Ephesians 2:8-9 specifically refutes it. God has chosen to save sinners, not based on their goodness but on His kindness.
He does this to demonstrate His grace , that is to say His undeserved favour.
Grace is a gift given freely based on the kind intentions of the giver to a recipient who has no claim to it. If we are saved by grace, this means that it is not because we are good or deserving, rather it is because God is good and gracious. Also, we are saved “through faith “. In order to be saved , there is a necessary human response to God’s grace. The response is not trying to be “good enough” to be saved , but it is simply trusting ( faith) in God to save on the basis of Christ’s goodness.
It is important to state that faith is not a good work in itself that God rewards, faith is simply casting our unworthy selves on the mercy of our kind , merciful and gracious God.
The whole plan and process of salvation comes from God as a gift, not from ourselves as the reward of the works or good things we have done . The result of the process is “so that no one can boast” . This should be a sobering thought for every believer that we are what we are or attained a certain height in life not because we earned it but by the grace of God .
The statement ” Good works that stem out of a relationship with Christ Jesus are witnesses for Jesus” shows that we are not saved by doing good works , but we are saved for the purpose of doing good works.
If we go further to look at Ephesians 2:10 (Nkjv) ” For we are His workmanship , created in Christ Jesus for good works , which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them ” . We see that good works are a vital part of the Christian life because doing good is one of the reasons God saves us. God has things for us to do here on earth but the sequence is all important. Good works are not the cause of salvation but the purpose of it. God saves us so that we can go into the world , doing good works in His name and this brings Him more glory.
Matthew 5:16 ” Let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

[Pchris]

My reply to Ben
Your point that Jesus prayed according to the will of God is very important for every believer to pray according to God’s will. First off, we were created to do God’s will here on earth, we must let our will override God’s will. Jesus set the perfect example of what prayer is not, prayer is not a way of getting God to put a stamp of approval on your plans and coercing Him to agree with your will and way.
Jesus also set a great example that you can be vulnerable before God, it is not a sign of weakness but it shows total submission, you have come to Him just as you are and just as you feel. There is no need to pretend before God. Just as you said, we do not need to deny the reality of what God requires of us , we should surrender willingly to God.

[Pchris]

PRAYER- Means communication, Fellowship (koinonia) with God. Prayer is what gives God pleasure and throughout Jesus’ stay here on earth, we see Him practice different types of Prayer . A believer is encouraged to live a life just like Christ and the aspect of Prayer is worthy of emulation.
The main purpose of the life we received is to get to know God more and more everyday . We get to know God’s deepest desires for us in the place of prayer.
Now focusing on Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, here are lessons one can learn.
1) Jesus prayed based on relationship – In verse 39′ He referred to God as “My Father” , this showed that He was praying from a place of intimacy and close relationship. “my” is translated “mou” which means mine(own), my. Every believer should strive to build intimacy with God. Intimacy with God , reveals who He is and His will for you at all times. “It is not a luxury to hear from God” ( in reference to Pastor Nkechi) , every believer should be familiar with the voice of God and your voice should also be consistent in God’s ears.
2) He Prayed the right Prayer at the right time.
There are different kinds of prayer and it is important for one to pray the right kind of prayer at the right time to enable it to be effective and produce result. Jesus prayed the prayer of Concencration to submit to God’s will. He knew the will of God for Him was to be made a sacrifice for sin , He was asking if it can be accomplished in some other way than the way He could see ahead. This is because Jesus was in flesh and had feelings and emotions but He didn’t let how or what he felt deprive Him of fulfilling God’s will.
We should learn to concencrate and submit ourselves to the will of God because in any situation, God is faithful to give you something even better than your desires as well as change your desires to line up with His will. This is one prayer where can’t pretend before God, you come to Him just as you are.
3) Jesus was conscious of God’s supremacy
Jesus remained conscious of God’s supremacy over all things. Even when there was a tendency for Him to be overwhelmed by the situation, He remained conscious, that God is sovereign. We should learn from Jesus as a good example , despite the great suffering that laid ahead of Him , He was never carried away but remained conscious that God is supreme.
4) Jesus emphasized on the importance of Prayer
The importance of prayer in the life of a believer cannot be overemphasized. In verse ’41 ” Watch lest you fall into temptation” . A believer should ensure that prayer is not an occasional practice but a frequent, consistent and intentional act. Jesus admonished His disciples for sleeping at such a crucial time and urged them to pray even if they do not feel like it. Prayer should be a consistent and deliberate act where even if you do not feel like it, you push yourself to start and let the Holy spirit carry you on. Sometimes you can start off weak and tired and feel you can’t pray past 1 hour, but as you continue , you find out that you have exceeded the time you expected and you are even more energetic.
5) Pray until something happens
Jesus stayed at the place of prayer until His appointed time came . We are enjoying the gift of salvation today because of the sacrifice of Jesus . He knew , that though the task was not going to be an easy one , it was going to be worth it in the end . He prayed until His purpose was fulfilled here in earth. As believers, we should constantly communicate with God to ensure we are still on the right track of fulfilling our God given destiny. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ” Pray without ceasing” . In good times or bad times we are expected to pray. Your situation should not determine when you should or should not pray.

[Pchris]

My reply to Ben
Faith in the finished work of Christ is truly a guarantee and an assurance to all what God has in store for you as a believer. All one needs to to do is believe and accept. It is really exciting to know that as a believer, you really don’t have to do anything or add anything to what Christ has already done. He bore it all, He became everything negative so we can be partakers of the blessings of God . A clear revelation of Jesus’ sacrifice will unburden you.

[Pchris]

FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST
Faith- Faith is defined as a strong conviction based upon hearing. Faith is our positive response to God’s Grace , it is what gives us access to God’s Grace.
The Finished Work Of Christ – The finished work of Christ refers primarily to the death of Jesus on the cross. That’s where the judgement of God against our sin was endured by Christ .
Jesus was not our savior untill He suffered and died for our sins on the cross. The death of Jesus brought salvation into the world. Salvation is both free and costly at the same time . On one hand , salvation is a free gift to anyone who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, but on the other hand, salvation is very costly because it required the sacrificial death of the son of God. ( John 3:16)

Faith in the finished work of Christ is accepting, understanding, appreciating and walking in all that it entails. It is what gives a believer full access to God’s Grace.

What the Finished Work Of Christ Entails
1) RECONCILIATION / PROPITIATION
Hebrews 2:17
It means reconciliation between a Holy God and us. In reference to the finished work of Christ, reconciliation is the act by which God brings mankind into a completely changes relationship with Himself , from hostility and alienation to harmony and intimate fellowship . It is a one way act of God , made by God alone.
In the old testament people were punished for there sin , but in the new testament, God poured all His wrath on Jesus.
The ancient Greeks used the word propitiation when they spoke of appeasing the anger of their pagan gods or doing something to obtain favor from their pagan gods. But this is not the idea of propitiation in the Bible, The Bible teaches that God is love, He loves His people and He wants to have fellowship with us, however God is also Holy , just and righteous, so He can’t just sweep our sin under the rug. This is precisely where Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins. He took humanity’s sin upon Himself and suffered the righteous judgement of God. Jesus not only died to take away man’s sin, He satisfied and propitiated God’s anger against sin.
The death of Jesus Christ was sufficient to take care of all the sins of the whole world , it’s unlimited in its coverage and provision. That does not mean that everyone has salvation, the finished work of Christ is only effective for those who believe and put their trust in Him .
2) REDEMPTION
Titus 2:4, 2 Peter 2:1
To redeem is the Greek word ” luthro” which means to release, actual deliverance, the setting at liberty.
The finished work of Christ brings/ brought about redemption for all who believe. Redemption deals with our enslavement by sin . In this context, redemption refers to the sacrifice of Christ in setting us free from the bondage of sin’s slavery.
In redemption, we have been bought back and set free from the slave market of sin and we have been placed in the family of God. Although we did not pay silver or gold ( 1 Peter 1:18), we must remember always that the cost of our redemption was high. The ransom price was the precious blood of Christ. If you must be redeemed, then you must agree to be redeemed because you have a role to play.
3) SUBSTITUTION ( EXCHANGE)
2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24
The finished work of Christ was the perfect exchange , Jesus is our perfect substitute because He became sin that we maybe righteous. Everything Adams sin brought upon us, Jesus became.
He became sickness that we might be healed, He was rejected so that we can be accepted, He became everything negative that we maybe all that God has designed for us.
4) REMISSION
Acts 2:38, Hebrews 10:18
Where there is remission there is no longer sacrifice for sin.
Atonement was used in the old testament as a management arrangement, a stop gap measure , a temporary measure to cover sins.
The finished work of Christ was more than atonement but remission, which means He erased , separated, cleansed and wiped our sin forever thereby signifying permanent freedom forever.
There is nothing that can be added to what Jesus has done, His work was a finished one.
HOW TO UTILIZE THIS FAITH
A believer can utilize this faith by fully realizing and resting on the finished work of Christ. This can only happen when
1) One ceases from the work of trying to be worthy and accept that God has made you worthy.
2) Cease from trying to merit or earn the blessings of God , realize that you cannot add to what Christ has already done.
3) Agree with God that you already have it when God spoke it , not when you receive it.
There is no other kind of Faith, however the only kind of faith available to the believer is the faith in the finished work of Christ.

[Pchris]

My reply to PaulPraize
You gave a very good example using the parable in the book of Matthew. A legalistic mind is one to always judge , they tend to place a measure on what you can receive from God based on how much you have worked. Truthfully, I was guilty of this in the past but I thank God for the revelation of His Grace. Many believers are guilty of legalism, it is necessary for believers to examine there lives to be sure that they are still on track because it is possible to start off right and miss it eventually. Let God’s Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, let the Grace of God labor through us. A daily reminder that you are who you are only by the Grace of God.

[Pchris]

My reply to FEMI
I Totally agree with your last point, unfortunately we have Ministers in this time and dispensation who have become so creative in the sense that they instill fear in the minds of gullible Christians through there work based teachings. It is very common in the area of giving / tithing, some would go as far as saying that God will curse and bring all sorts of calamities your way if you do not pay your tithe.That is certainly not the God I serve. This is totally wrong and you find believers giving out of fear. Do not get me wrong, giving is not a wrong practice for believers infact we are called to give and giving is works. Our works is our service and labor in the body of Christ which we will be judged and rewarded for( Hebrews 6:10), not just the works but the motive /attitude in which the work is done. These works is not for you to earn God’s goodness in any way.

[Pchris]

THE SUBTLETY OF LEGALISM

Legalism can be defined as an opposition to Grace. It is another gospel ( an attempt to add to the finished work of Christ). In other words the gospel of Christ is antithetical to legalism.
It is when the truth of the gospel is misinterpreted. When Grace is taken away, all you have is do’s and don’ts, rules and regulations with no relationship.
Another term for legalism is “works”.It is important to note that Our works has nothing to do with our being saved.
Believers sometimes unconsciously tend to think that in order to attain blessings from God, we have to to work or earn it. Legalism comes off of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it is the human attempt to be good.
To a legalist mind , everything boils down to what’s necessary, they tend to think that they have to do some kind of work to retain their salvation, salvation that they literally did nothing but to receive in faith. They find it hard to accept/ comprehend that all you have to do to receive God’s Grace is to believe ( Romans 1:16). This is because there is something selfish in man that wants to take credit and if believers are not careful they may slip into legalism ( Acts 20:24).
How to avoid living a work-based life as a believer
1) A believer must know when to draw the line, he/she must learn to guard and watch. Always remembering that Jesus holds you till the very end. You don’t start in the spirit and continue in the flesh. The work of God starts in the Spirit and ends in the Spirit. ( Galatians 3:1-3 , Philippians 1:6)
2) When you walk with God as a believer,it is important to examine your life for it is possible that you started off with the right motive and somehow missed it and slipped into legalism . Do so by checking the principles that brought you into the Grace of God in the first place. You heard, you recieved the word in faith and you keep on hearing in other to grow in the Grace of God available to you . Anything else added to salvation, nullifies it because God is a jealous God and doesn’t need your help.
3) Be sure that every self effort must be by the Grace of God.it is important for a believer to know that their help comes from God and you are who you are and have attained the height you are only by the Grace of God.
4) Never become too proud and expect God’s blessings based on your effort/ entitlement. Your inheritance is too expensive for your works to be the purchasing price
5) Engage God’s favour and Grace to work. For it is God’s Grace that labours through you. God judges not just the works but the motive in which the work is / was done . Men judge outwardly but God sees inwardly.

[Pchris]

REPLY TO FEMIONAS
Angels were busy ministering to people after the time of Christ. As we look at the history of the early Church, we also find angels ministering to God’s people .

1) An angel appeared to Philip and directed him toward the Ethiopian eunuch ( Acts 8:26).

2) When a gentile believer named Cornelius wanted to know more about the Lord , an angel was sent to him ( Acts 10:1-3). We find an angel coming to Cornelius as an answer to his prayer. the angel instructed him to send for Simon Peter who would tell him the message of Jesus Christ.

3) An angel encouraged Paul when he faced a storm on his way to Rome. ( Acts 27:23)

[Pchris]

REPLY TO WECHIE
To further add to your first point, Philips acceptance to the angel’s message should remind us that when we receive in our prayer an inspiration to do an act of charity or to speak a word of comfort , we should always respond with trust . in this way , we become instruments of God’s love. it in most cases comes with an impact that goes well beyond anything we could imagine . Even a single inspired word might be the first step in bringing about a conversion.
The liturgy in which the Angels participate and from which they serve as models and from which flows the Grace of God, is one of our greatest resources for evangelization . Over and over again , we realize in the course of our lives that when we’re more concerned about our Father’s business than the trifling things that too often fill the hours of our day, God makes us instruments of His love to touch the hearts of others and draw them closer and closer to Him.

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