Hi Everyone,
May I suggest that not everyone who goes to church is a Christian?
If this is true, then we must realize that while the writings of Paul, John, and the other authors of the books in the New Testament were addressed to both believers and unbelievers, those writers at times wanted to convey different messages to the separate groups. For example, if a preacher says to a congregation "You need to be saved", he is addressing unbelievers who are not currently saved, whereas if the same preacher were to say "You needed to be saved", he is addressing believers who have been saved.
May I suggest that not everyone who goes to church is a Christian?
If this is true, then we must realize that while the writings of Paul, John, and the other authors of the books in the New Testament were addressed to both believers and unbelievers, those writers at times wanted to convey different messages to the separate groups. For example, if a preacher says to a congregation "You need to be saved", he is addressing unbelievers who are not currently saved, whereas if the same preacher were to say "You needed to be saved", he is addressing believers who have been saved.
I know this is ridiculously simple, but that's the problem. We have not heard a clear separation of messages in the writings contained within the Bible. Therefore, believers are receiving messages meant for unbelievers, and thus losing confidence in their reality in Christ. Likewise, unbelievers can be receiving misinformation about their condition.
We simply want recognize that there are those who visit church communities who have not yet placed their faith in Christ, and the proper message should be given to the proper group for which it is intended. This is a true situation today, as it was for the churches to which Paul and others were writing. Among the receivers of all these letters were also unbelievers who were investigating Christianity.
Paul, for example, urges unbelievers to not neglect salvation (Hebrews 2:3), or in the case of 1 John 2:9, John targets the unbeliever, that he should not claim to be in the light and thus be lying. We need to differentiate in this epistle those who "claim" and "say" from those who "abide" and "are".
We simply want recognize that there are those who visit church communities who have not yet placed their faith in Christ, and the proper message should be given to the proper group for which it is intended. This is a true situation today, as it was for the churches to which Paul and others were writing. Among the receivers of all these letters were also unbelievers who were investigating Christianity.
Paul, for example, urges unbelievers to not neglect salvation (Hebrews 2:3), or in the case of 1 John 2:9, John targets the unbeliever, that he should not claim to be in the light and thus be lying. We need to differentiate in this epistle those who "claim" and "say" from those who "abide" and "are".
Consider the following fact that the Bible states about Christians: We are ALWAYS in the light.
Ephesians 5:8 "…you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord…"
Thessalonians 5:5 "…you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness"
1 Peter 2:9 "…so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
Additionally, in the first chapter of 1 John, John speaks to people who say (claim) they neither have sin nor have sinned. These particular people are not Christians, but rather Gnostics who are associating with the believers to whom John is writing. In other words, he is telling the unbelievers to recognize their sin condition and sinning, just as much as he tells his little children—the believers in chapter 2—that they are secure and have an advocate when they sin.
The fact that multiple audiences can be addressed by the same letter is seen in other places, for example, Hebrews 6:4-8. Here the writer speaks to people who have not been saved, only enlightened. This means that they have heard the truth of Gospel: that they should place their faith in the once-for-all perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ instead of the sacrifices of lambs, bulls, and goats, but they have not done so.
In the next verse, Hebrews 6:9, the writer makes it clear that he changes his audience and is now addressing a different group of readers--those who have salvation.
My point is this: don't confuse and apply to yourself what was addressed in these letters to unbelievers who were among the Christians, for there were certainly differing messages to those who were in differing conditions.
If we confuse Paul's admonition to unbelievers (or the admonition of any other writer in the Bible) with instructions to believers, then we will certainly experience confusion in our secure position in Christ, including that we would begin thinking that we are a sinners, and not saints. This is, in part, what is meant when we are to "rightly divide the word of truth".
In my next email I will cite a few more applications of this issue. Just remember: if you are a Christian, then there are certainly messages in the Biblical writings that no longer pertain to you. (If you've been saved, do you really need to be saved again? Or, if God has completely forgiven you of all your sins, past, present and future, do you really need to be forgiven again?)
Grace=Peace,
Jeremy
Ephesians 5:8 "…you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord…"
Thessalonians 5:5 "…you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness"
1 Peter 2:9 "…so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
Additionally, in the first chapter of 1 John, John speaks to people who say (claim) they neither have sin nor have sinned. These particular people are not Christians, but rather Gnostics who are associating with the believers to whom John is writing. In other words, he is telling the unbelievers to recognize their sin condition and sinning, just as much as he tells his little children—the believers in chapter 2—that they are secure and have an advocate when they sin.
The fact that multiple audiences can be addressed by the same letter is seen in other places, for example, Hebrews 6:4-8. Here the writer speaks to people who have not been saved, only enlightened. This means that they have heard the truth of Gospel: that they should place their faith in the once-for-all perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ instead of the sacrifices of lambs, bulls, and goats, but they have not done so.
In the next verse, Hebrews 6:9, the writer makes it clear that he changes his audience and is now addressing a different group of readers--those who have salvation.
My point is this: don't confuse and apply to yourself what was addressed in these letters to unbelievers who were among the Christians, for there were certainly differing messages to those who were in differing conditions.
If we confuse Paul's admonition to unbelievers (or the admonition of any other writer in the Bible) with instructions to believers, then we will certainly experience confusion in our secure position in Christ, including that we would begin thinking that we are a sinners, and not saints. This is, in part, what is meant when we are to "rightly divide the word of truth".
In my next email I will cite a few more applications of this issue. Just remember: if you are a Christian, then there are certainly messages in the Biblical writings that no longer pertain to you. (If you've been saved, do you really need to be saved again? Or, if God has completely forgiven you of all your sins, past, present and future, do you really need to be forgiven again?)
Grace=Peace,
Jeremy
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