From: "David Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Judy wrote: "Not that I have ALREADY ATTAINED or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended but one thing I do, forgetting those things that lie behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phillippians 3:12,13) So what is going on here? Do you know something that Paul was ignorant of?
DavidM: Please rightly divide the Word of God. You should have started the quote with the immediately preceding verse, which says: "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." (Philippians 3:11 KJV) So when he says, "not that I have already attained" he is talking about the resurrection. Judy: Yes - the resurrection of the dead is the promise given to Abraham which is also our 'blessed hope' so one who is already "signed, sealed, and delivered" would not be writing "If by any means I MIGHT ATTAIN unto the resurrection of the dead" He would be writing that he had already attained and was just waiting for it to happen. At least this is Kevin Deegan's testimony. DavidM: Just two verses after your quote, Paul writes: "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." (Philippians 3:15 KJV) Judy: He is talking about maturity; the Gk Word is telios and refers to being mature in various stages of growth in character but is hardly 'signed, sealed, and delivered' because he has already said in Vs.11 that he had not already attained. DavidM: So in some ways believers are perfect when they walk in faith toward Christ, and in some ways they are not perfect. We are not perfect in regards to attaining the resurrection. We are perfect in regards to morality and not continuing to sin. When I say "We," I mean those who have believed upon Christ in truth and have experienced Jesus Christ delivering them from the power of sin. There are many who call themselves Christians who have never experienced this grace of Christ. Judy: We could speculate forever but the bottom line is - either we are 'signed, sealed, & delivered' right now as soon as we say our prayer because of what Christ did (ie He did it all and nothing is expected of us) or we are not. The apostle Paul who wrote 2/3 of the NT says in his own words that he is not... so are we deceived or what? Grace and Peace, Judy ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
