All posts by Larry

Resistance

John 18:37-38 English Standard Version

37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.”

Pilate insists that Jesus tells him “what is truth”. Jesus resists answering Pilate’s question. What would have happened if Jesus had said, “I am the truth and the way and the life.”? We will never know because at that moment Jesus knew what would happen next.

39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.[or an insurrectionist]

The guilty went free because the innocent died.

Philippians 2:8

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Yesterday it was said that insistence breeds resistance. Now Jesus, being obedient unto death flips the script. 

Now Father God insists that your salvation is based on faith in His Son’s obedience.

Acts 4:12

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 6:65-66 English Standard Version

65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

The lost resist the truth when truth insists on faith alone.

Be wise in what you insist upon when talking to lost souls.

Trinitarian

1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith, hope and love abide together in those who have received Christ into their hearts. The word Trinity is not used but does it need to be used to call this a Trinity, Three in One?

Some Christian denominations do not adhere to a Trinitarian doctrine.

Matthew 28:19 English Standard Version

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[into] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Since the word Trinity is not found in any bible version, does that necessitate the need to deny that we are baptized into three separate identities?

Where we go wrong in insisting on holding to a Trinitarian doctrine is when we insist that it puts their salvation at risk..

Our salvation is based on one and only one aspect for true salvation. 

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Placing our faith in the gracious gift of God is all that is required.

Trinitarian doctrine can be taught as long as we do not insist that it is tied to salvation.

I do not deny the use of three elements of scripture is seen as is listed in the opening verse.

Faith, hope and love abide in us because we received Christ into our hearts. We do not have to teach it as a trinity to admit the benefits of those three elements.

1 Corinthians 13:5

 It (love) does not insist on its own way;

Insistence breeds resistance.