Who is a Christian? Who Can be Saved?

And the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants.
For they have transgressed laws;
they have passed by statutes;
they have broken the everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 24:5 (LEB)

I enjoy engaging with strangers on social media to discuss religious topics because there is no shortage of opinions and willingness to debate. I am exposed to many belief systems that otherwise would be unknown to me. Leaving the religious echo chamber is something I strongly recommend because when everyone thinks they believe exactly the same way about God, discussion about God ends, and the conversation turns to such things as sports and the weather.

One has to be thick-skinned in the social media religious world because when someone disagrees they will often damn a person to hell or say hurtful things “out of love” and concern. Perhaps this is the reason people are less likely to engage in person anymore. The more tolerant people supposedly become, it seems the less tolerance society has for dissenting opinions. This is especially true if the opinions are against the narrative being projected from government, media and religious institutions. Society is becoming more programmed with less ability to critically think and discuss thought openly. Authoritarians love this trend as it makes the population, congregation, or organization member easier to control and swindle. I suppose this is why discussing politics and religion is considered taboo.

This week in the social media world, I was told that I was not saved because I did not believe ultra-dispensational theology, I allegedly deny Paul, and I do not believe Jesus is God the Father. I have discussed hyper-dispensationalism and ultra-dispensationalism in my blog many times, and there are whole groups of people that believe this way. Granted, no one will introduce themselves by saying, “Hi I am a hyper-dispensationist”, but it is easy to spot after a little conversation. Hyper-dispensationalists believe that Paul’s letters are the only part of the Bible that apply to believers today. One cannot quote any scriptures from the Old Testament, the Gospels or any other letters to those in this belief system because they supposedly were written to people that were in a different dispensation, and do not apply to people living currently in the “age of grace”. The particular group of people I bumped into apparently also believe that anyone that does not believe this way has not experienced salvation.

Ephesians 3:1–5 (KJV 1900): For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ³ How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, ⁴ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

The phrase “dispensation of grace” is right here in the King James Bible, so it has to be true, right? I suppose this is one of the reasons there are “King James only” people. We loose the word “dispensation” if we dare to read a different version of the Bible.

Ephesians 3:1–5 (LEB): 3 On account of this I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles ² —if indeed you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace given to me for you. ³ According to revelation the mystery was made known to me, just as I wrote beforehand in brief, ⁴ so that you may be able when you read to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ ⁵ (which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit):

One cannot assume Paul was discussing John Darby’s 19th century dispensationalism theology in these verses based on the King James Bible’s translators choice of the word “dispensation” in this verse. This belief system, that Paul was the only apostle that believers should listen to, started with a first century heresy called Marcionism, named after its founder, Marcion.

The reason I am bringing all this up right now is to ask the questions, “Who is saved?” and “What is a Christian?” Are these Ultra-dispensationalists the only people that are saved as they claim? What about the idea the Jesus is God the Father? Some will say one cannot be saved without believing this way, yet Paul spells out the roles quite plainly.

1 Corinthians 15:20–28 (LEB): ²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since through a man came death, also through a man came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming, ²⁴ then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be abolished is death. ²⁷ For “he subjected all things under his feet.” But when it says “all things” are subjected, it is clear that the one who subjected all things to him is not included. ²⁸ But whenever all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, in order that God may be all in all.

I am not claiming to understand the complete nature of God, but there are clearly reading comprehension problems in Christianity. Out of all of the denominations, sects and theologies, who believes enough of the “right stuff” to be saved? There are people that never contemplate their belief system and “believe what they believe”, then there are people that only believe what their denomination tells them, their favourite evangelist says, or that which is accepted by current societal norms. Has anyone ever wondered what God, the Creator of heaven and earth, may have to say about all of this? The only words we have directly from the mouth of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, come through Israel. This is true even if someone says that they only come from Paul now. God did not simply address Israel, He addressed the whole world through Israel.

Isaiah 24:1–6 (LEB): 24 Look! Yahweh is about to lay the earth waste and is about to devastate it, and he will twist her surface, and he will scatter her inhabitants. ² And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the female slave, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the one to whom he lends. ³ The earth shall be utterly laid waste, and it shall be utterly plundered, for Yahweh has spoken this word. ⁴ The earth dries up, it withers; the world languishes, it withers. The elevated of the people of the earth languish, ⁵ and the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants. For they have transgressed laws; they have passed by statutes; they have broken the everlasting covenant. ⁶ Therefore a curse devours the earth, and the inhabitants in it suffer for their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth burn, and few men are left.

This is the reason I have seemingly turned my back on organized religion. No one appears to be concerned about what God says He wants us to do. People are making things up as they go, and this is prophecy, if we choose to read it.

Jeremiah 23:16–22 (LEB): ¹⁶ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “You must not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you with visions of their mind, They do not speak from the mouth of Yahweh. ¹⁷ They are continually saying to those who disregard the word of Yahweh, ‘Peace it will be to you,’ and to each one who walks in the stubbornness of his heart they say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’ ¹⁸ For who has stood in the council of Yahweh, that he has seen and heard his word? Who has listened attentively to his word and heard it? ¹⁹ Look, the storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath, even a whirling tempest. It will whirl upon the head of the wicked. ²⁰ The anger of Yahweh will not turn back until his doing and until his keeping the plans of his mind. In latter days you will look closely at it with understanding. ²¹ I have not sent the prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. ²² But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have caused them to turn from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.

My goal is to do as much as God said to do that I possibly can in light of what Yeshua taught us. “Who has listened attentively to his word and heard it? ” God tells us exactly what he expects from us if we listen attentively.

Isaiah 56:1–7 (LEB): 56 Thus says Yahweh: “Observe justice and do righteousness, for my salvation is close to coming, and my justice to being revealed. ² Happy is the man who does this, and the son of humankind who keeps hold of it, who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.” ³ And do not let the foreigner who joins himself to Yahweh say, “Surely Yahweh will separate me from his people.” And do not let the eunuch say, “Look! I am a dry tree!” ⁴ For thus says Yahweh, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose that in which I delight, and who keep hold of my covenant. ⁵ And I will give them a monument and a name in my house and within my walls, better than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. ⁶ And the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him and to love the name of Yahweh, to become his servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath, so as not to profane it, and those who keep hold of my covenant, ⁷ I will bring them to my holy mountain; I will make them merry in my house of prayer. their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,”

Many people use religion for control, while many people are deceived into thinking that Paul said we don’t have to do what God said anymore; however, this was prophesied long ago, and even Peter, in one of his letters, warned us that there would be those who twist the words of Paul. God will always want us to do what He said, and Yeshua reinforced this by making it possible for those who have “broken the eternal covenant” to return to the covenant and be part of the family of God. Therefore, repent and believe the gospel!

Featured photo is by Hal Cooks on Unsplash.

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