First Fruits Beliefs

1. First Fruits Beliefs An attempt to reconcile different views that people argue about in Biblical Doctrine based on an in depth study of the Scriptures. Our goal should be to rightly divide the Word of Truth similar to the way of the 1800’s Biblical writers.

2. Try to do the following: • Keep an open mind, and be teachable! • Read the scripture exactly without any prior conviction leading you. • Remember that the Bible, being God’s Word, has no conflict in it. It is just that we do not yet fully understand the truth.

3. Remember! • The Holy Bible is not a dinner buffet. We cannot reject any part of it based on our paradigms. • As Christians we must strive to understand the Bible, including all of the things that appear to conflict with other. • The harmony of the Bible is a fact, but perseverance in study is necessary for us to gain essential knowledge to resolve items that we think conflict with each other.

4. What is the Christian’s Mission? • 2Ti 2:15* Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

5. The Christian Must Understand: • I Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. • We should therefore know that the lost do not have access to the understanding of God’s Word. • One reason why is as follows.

6. So What is the Reason • Ro 12:3* For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. • Therefore, only believers have the measure of faith, ala, the gift of the spirit. I feel no unbeliever can understand God’s Word.

7. Meat In Due Season • Mt 24:45* Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? • Lu 12:42* And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

8. Thought for Today Your relationship with Christ will never be any greater than your relationship with His Word! Author: Nancy Leigh DeMoss

9. A Warning from God • Hosea 4:6 ¶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. • A fact for the Jew, an application for the Christian.

10. Items Considered • Comparison of God, Man & Satan. • Concept of man’s spirit, soul and body. • Predestination. • The three aspects of salvation. • Calvinism versus Arminianism. Again, both points of view use Scripture to back them.

11. The Image of GodA Holy Trinity

12. Scriptures About God • John 4:24 God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. • I believe this is in reference to God the Father.

13. Man, Created in the Image of God

14. Scriptures about man • Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. • Ge 1:27 So God created man in his ownimage, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

15. Spirit versus Soul • Ro 11:6* And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. • 2Ti 1:9* Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

16. Satan, The Unholy or False Trinity

17. Do you believe that Jesus, The Son of God Was and/or Will: • Born of a virgin. God the Son came to earth? • Witnessed upon the earth for 42 months? • Died for the sins of the called and chosen? • Rose on the third day to return to heaven to prepare a place for the chosen and called? • Will return again to claim his birthright, the earth, and destroy Satan and his angels? • Will judge mankind and renew the earth to its former state before sin was introduced into the world.?

18. About Predestination • Eph. 1:4* According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: • 5* Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, • 6* To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

19. Predestination • A fact that cannot be ignored, if you study the Bible faithfully. • John 17:6* ¶ I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. • John 18:9* That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. • There are at least 3 pages of scriptures speaking to this subject.

20. Predestination • Romans 8:28* And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. • 29* ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

21. Predestination • Romans 8:30* Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. • 31* ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? • What is missing from verse 30? Obviously sanctification. It is our job.

22. Predestination • Romans 8:32* He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? • 33* Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

23. Facts of Spirit + Soul Salvation • Jesus death on the cross was a perfect work. Every one that the Father gave him will be saved by God’s Grace. • Man, once his spirit is saved , is forever saved. Hence, Once saved, always saved. • Man must kill his own soul and do works to save his soul. The reality of backsliding. Destroy our flesh nature.

24. Spirit Salvation Scriptures • Eph 2:8* For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: • Eph 2:9* Not of works, lest any man should boast. • What is the gift that God gives?

25. Soul Salvation Scriptures • Eph 2:10* For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. • How does verse 10 differ from verses 8 and 9?

26. Soul Salvation Scriptures • 1Thessalonians 5:23* And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. • Why do you suppose sanctifying and the completeness of spirit, soul and body is to be prayed for?

27. Soul Salvation Scriptures • Philippians 2:12* ¶ Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. • Since this verse is written to the Philippian Church, why are they warned to work out their salvation with fear and trembling? • Are they not saved by grace? • What salvation is Paul speaking of?

28. Soul Salvation Scriptures • 1 Cor. 3:11* ¶ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. • 12* Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; • 13* Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

29. Soul Salvation Scriptures • Romans 11:6* And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

30. Matthew 25:1-13 • 1* ¶ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. • 2* And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. • 3* They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

31. 4* But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. • 5* While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. • 6* And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. • 7* Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. • 8* And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

32. 9* But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. • 10* And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

33. 11* Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. • 12* But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. • 13* Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

34. The Question Is! Are all ten virgins Christians? Yes or No

35. Matt. 25:1* ¶ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. • Obviously, the answer is YES!

36. The Next Question! How did the five wise virgins enter in to be with the bridegroom?

37. Obviously, through an open door!This is the narrow way! • Matt. 25:10* And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

38. Now let’s look at another Scripture referring to The Open Door.

39. Revelation 3:7-13 • 7* ¶ And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; • 8* I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

40. 9* Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. • 10* Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

41. Note in verse 8 that the Philadelphia church is promised an open door just as the five wise virgins entered through.Again, this is the narrow way! • 8* I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

42. What else is the Philadelphia church promised that the other six churches are not promised? • To be spared the hour of temptation coming upon the world. The 42 months of persecution under Antichrist. • Revelation 3:10 • 10* Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

43. Note John the Apostle’s entry into heaven in Revelation 3:1-2 • 1* ¶ After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. • 2* And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

44. The Narrow Way Is The Open Door or Paul’s Better Resurrection

45. So what happens to the five foolish virgins?

46. Lets look at scripture for the answer! II Timothy 2:8-13 • 8* ¶ Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: • 9* Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. • 10* Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

47. 11* It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: • 12* If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: • 13* If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

48. The Ten Virgins • 1 Peter 4:17* For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? • I believe the separation of the five wise virgins from the five foolish virgins is the first end time judgment made by Christ.

49. He denied, for 42 months, the 5 foolish virgins! • At the end of the 42 months, he calls them up to meet him in the air above the earth. • 1Th 4:17* Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. • This is the broad path to heaven!

50. Another entry into heaven is described in Revelation! • Rev 7:9* After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; • Rev 7:10* And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.