What Does It Mean To Be Saved By Grace?

Ephesians 2:8

"For by grace you are saved through faith and this not of yourselves [it is] of God the gift." (Greek Interlinear Bible)

First of all let's define the words 'grace' and 'saved'.

1) Grace - Strong's Concordance

Charis: grace, kindness
Original Word: χάρις, ιτος, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: charis
Phonetic Spelling: (khar'-ece)
Short Definition: grace, favor, kindness
Definition: (a) grace, as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ, (b) favor, (c) gratitude, thanks, (d) a favor, kindness.

2) Saved - Strong's Concordance

Sózó: to save
Original Word: σῴζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sózó
Phonetic Spelling: (sode'-zo)
Short Definition: I save, heal
Definition: I save, heal, preserve, rescue.

Ok, now that we have the meaning of the two words we can begin to understand what Paul was saying to the Ephesian saints.

The first thing we need to understand is that Paul preached to some disciples in Ephesus on one of his missionary journeys and they were converted to Christ by believing the word Paul spoke and then being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:1-7

"And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all." (NKJV)

Now we can also understand that the epistle to the Ephesians was initially written to those who were already converted to Christ by obeying the New Covenant ordinances of baptism in water and the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:1

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:"

Now let's come back to Ephesians 2:8 and apply the definitions of 'grace' and 'saved', and apply what we have learned above to this text so we can understand what Paul wrote.

"For by grace you (Ephesians) are saved through faith and this not of yourselves [it is] of God the gift."

Paul is saying, 'brethren, by God's favor, and His kindness, He saves you, you are healed, you are preserved and rescued from danger, death, and His wrath'.

Nowhere in these scriptures is Paul telling the Ephesian saints what they should DO in order to be saved or converted to Christ like he told the disciples he met when he entered Ephesus! (Acts 19:1-7)

So those who quote Ephesians 2:8 today, as proof text of their salvation are in error and should repent!

To be saved (healed, preserved, rescued), by God's grace (favor, kindness), is a daily blessing and provision for those who have been truly converted to Christ, who abide in Him, and are faithful to Him everyday.

The salvation of the soul is also a future blessing for those who endure until the end.

Matthew 24:13

"But he who endures to the end shall be saved"

There are many who say 'I got saved at this time', or 'I've been saved for x amount of years', etc... those are cliché phrases that are taught and quoted by those who do not understand what it really means to be 'saved by grace!'

In Jesus,
Tyrone

Ask For Terms Of Peace!

Luke 14:28-32

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace."

Whether or not one believes in Jesus or obeys His gospel, He's coming back to establish His kingdom upon this earth and it will last forever. Although right now we see the world full of atheists, unbelievers, scoffers and mockers, the word of God will be fulfilled.

Jesus, the King of Kings is coming back soon to judge and make war against His enemies and take vengeance on all those who do not obey the gospel of God. 

2nd Thessalonians 1:6-8

"Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

God is merciful and He will give time for all nations to hear the gospel, repent, and enter His Kingdom before the Great King returns with all His army of angels and saints. There will be time to cry out and ask the King for conditions of peace while He is still a long way off.

But there will come a day, some-time in the near future when we will hear the last trump of God and every eye will look to the Heavens and see with their eyes, the return of the King!

Revelation 19:11-16

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS."

In Jesus,

Tyrone

Jesus And Judas

 Luke 22:47-48

"And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

We all know this written testimony of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, but I want to point out a few things that amazed me and has taken me years to understand and put into practice in my own life.

1) After praying all night to God, Jesus called and chose twelve men out of the many disciples who followed Him and appointed them to be apostles, one of the twelve was Judas Iscariot.

Luke 6:12-16

"Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor."

**Remember that the gospels were written at least twenty years after the resurrection and they did not know at the time that Judas would betray Jesus!**

Question: Why did Jesus choose Judas when He knew Judas would end up betraying Him?

John 6:70-71

"Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve."

Question: How was it possible for Judas to be with Jesus everyday for three and a half years and still be a devil?

What I learned from this is that it did not matter how holy, righteous, and loving Jesus was, because the heart of Judas was hardened, his mind was closed, and all that Jesus said and did had no effect on him.

I am amazed at the fact that we can be absolutely holy and full of the love of Jesus and there will be those who are the complete opposite of us, yet we are able to co-exist with one another and in some cases like Jesus and Judas, sleep under the same roof!

2) Jesus gave Judas power to cast out demons, raise the dead, heal the sick and to preach the gospel.

Matthew 10:1-4

"And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

This shows me that it's possible to be called, chosen, and given gifts by God but still end up falling away or being cast into outer darkness as an unprofitable servant in the end.

3) Jesus loved Judas with a love that surpasses human understanding.

John 13:1-5

"Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded."

What an amazing love! Jesus washed the feet of His own betrayer, knowing beforehand exactly what Judas would do!

Jesus left us the perfect example to follow, He showed us how to love our enemies, and to serve those who hate us.

1st Peter 2:21

"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:"

In Jesus,
Tyrone

The Cross

Romans 5:8

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

My wife and I watched the Passion Of The Christ yesterday, and it was only the second time in our almost nine year marriage.

It helped to remind us of why we suffer persecution and rejection on a daily basis, and it helped me to see how focused Jesus was on finishing the work that God gave Him to do.

It also helped us to realize that what we go through every day, doesn't come close to being compared to what Jesus went through for us. Paul helps us to keep our sufferings and afflictions in proper perspective.

2nd Corinthians 4:16-17

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,"

What Jesus suffered through and did on the cross for all man-kind is the greatest act of sacrifice, self denial, and obedience that can ever be done. He was holy, perfect, without sin, righteous, full of grace and truth, yet He was treated as a common criminal, a blasphemer, beaten beyond recognition, and crucified by sinful men.

Isaiah 52:13-14

"Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;"

Isaiah 50:5-6

"The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting."

Let us never forget why we follow Jesus, let us never forget why we bear the name Christian!

In Jesus,
Tyrone

There WILL Be Revival!

Revelation 7:9-17

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,  and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.  They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

"I The Lord Will Save A Great Multitude", That's what the Lord said to me about five years ago.

A great multitude of souls are going to be saved when the Lord pours out His Spirit during His final harvest, and they will come from ALL nations on the face of the earth! Including America!

In Jesus,

Tyrone

The Pre-Trib Rapture Is A FALSE Teaching!

"Pre-tribulation rapture theology was popularized extensively in the 1830s by John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren and further popularized in the United States in the early 20th century by the wide circulation of the Scofield Reference Bible." (Wikipedia)

Jesus Himself refutes the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine with the parable of the wheat and the tares.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

"Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Jesus said clearly, 'Let Both Grow Together Until The Harvest', so this tells us plainly that the righteous and the wicked will be on this earth together until the end of this age!

The Parable of the Tares Explained

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Do You Have Ears To Hear?

In Jesus,
Tyrone

The Mark Of The Beast?

Revelation 13:16-17

"He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." 

It's amazing to me how time reveals truths from the bible, that years before we had no understanding about. One of those time revealed truths is the mark of the beast, in times past we would read the scriptures about the mark, be we couldn't imagine what the mark of the beast would look like, or be.

Then comes the RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip technology that has the potential to replace all forms of identification, credit cards, and cash. 

"Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically stored information. Some tags are powered by electromagnetic induction from magnetic fields produced near the reader. Some types collect energy from the interrogating radio waves and act as a passive transponder. Other types have a local power source such as a battery and may operate at hundreds of meters from the reader. Unlike a barcode, the tag does not necessarily need to be within line of sight of the reader and may be embedded in the tracked object. RFID is one method for Automatic Identification and Data Capture." (Wikipedia)

So basically the day is coming when the false prophet, with the approval of the beast will FORCE all mankind to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and anyone not having this mark will not be able to buy anything (food, clothes, etc..) or sell anything. 

Could the RFID chip be the mark of the beast? I think so, and I also think that if it's not in the exact form of the RFID chip, the technology for the mark is here and ready to be implemented when the time comes.

And it will not matter what a person believes or the opposition to this mark, if the mark is refused, the person refusing will be killed, it's as simple as that. And if that person dies in their sin without being converted to Christ, their immortal soul will enter Hell to await judgment day. The bottom line is, Jesus is our only hope!

The majority of the people who will not worship the beast or take his mark will be those in Christ, true Spirit-filled, born from above, children of God. It will be very similar to the first century when the Christians were martyred for their faith in Jesus and their belief in the word of God.

The first century Christians rejected the worship of Caesar in Rome and the religious traditions of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Jerusalem. And it will be no different today as the world grows darker and the laws are changed to appease the perversion of the ungodly.

Revelation 20:4 

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Here is a video of what the mark could look like being used in a grocery store.

If you want life, repent and turn to Jesus, He is the only way that your soul can be saved!

In Jesus,
Tyrone