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Actually, everyone is in Christ, as scripture plainly tells us, here:
Gen 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
Col 1:15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,
Col 1:16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things have been created through him, and unto him,
Col 1:17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
Act 17:28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being, as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
These scriptures unequivocally state that everyone was created in Christ. And not only created, but rather we all live, move and have their being in Him. However, all as yet have not been united together in Him. But this does not diminish the fact that all are in Him now through creation. For all things have been created in Him, through Him and for Him.
The will of God is to unite all things in Christ in the fullness of times: To sum up, gather together and unite as one (Gk: ανακεφαλαιωσασθαι) all things in Christ, that Paul spoke of here:
Eph 1:9 making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
Eph 1:10 unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth,
This uniting of all as one in Christ will happen according to God's will and good pleasure.
Not according to Eph. 2:12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ…
The scriptures you quoted are written to the Church.
Not according to Eph. 2:12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ…
The scriptures you quoted are written to the Church.
We were separate from Christ spiritually in us. Not us created in Christ. Here is the text:
Eph 2:12 that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Although Paul's epistle is written "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ", the application and statement of the text is truthful to "all things" being created in, through and for Christ. This is simply undeniable.
I'm not sure why anyone would choose to dispute this unless you have a particular dogma that you hold in higher esteem than scripture itself.
As for Act's, Paul gave his sermon on Mar's Hill to pagans, and Paul used the terms "your", "you" and "we" when doing so:
Act 17:23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.
Act 17:28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being, as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.
If you'll notice, Paul quotes their own pagan poets and it becomes part of his sermon, and by doing so it becomes part of inspired scripture.
All means all my friend, including pagans and unbelievers. And, in Him we live.
Actually, everyone is in Christ, as scripture plainly tells us, here:
Gen 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
Col 1:15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,
Col 1:16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things have been created through him, and unto him,
Col 1:17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
Act 17:28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being, as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
These scriptures unequivocally state that everyone was created in Christ. And not only created, but rather we all live, move and have their being in Him. However, all as yet have not been united together in Him. But this does not diminish the fact that all are in Him now through creation. For all things have been created in Him, through Him and for Him.
The will of God is to unite all things in Christ in the fullness of times: To sum up, gather together and unite as one (Gk: ανακεφαλαιωσασθαι) all things in Christ, that Paul spoke of here:
Eph 1:9 making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
Eph 1:10 unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth,
This uniting of all as one in Christ will happen according to God's will and good pleasure.
Adam and Eve left off from being in the image of God (Christ) when they partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
I'm not a traditional universalist, but I thought the video was a good primer on the subject. I've seen it before and I didn't see where it denies the basic tenets of the gospel. Do you have a time marker on the video to show where this occurs? I would be interested in watching that part.
Justice and mercy under law are quite different than justice and mercy under grace. It might be that the presenter was comparing those two aspects of the covenants as such.
It was somewhere near the beginning of the second half of the message (about 50 minutes into the video).
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Jesus was speaking of the flesh that works iniquity in us , in Him. That's why Jesus said: "Depart from me". Everyone's fleshly nature will depart from Christ in judgment and be met with destruction. And it happens together, for all.
Job 34:15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall return unto dust.
This is why Paul tells us not to know anyone according to the flesh:
2Co 5:16 Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh; even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
When Jesus said "I never knew you", He was speaking of our flesh. The flesh that Paul speaks of in Rom 7:18, here:
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to do that which is good I find not.
That is a nice sentiment, but I think that it is along the lines with teaching that is heaped to those who have itching ears.
When Jesus says, depart from me, ye that work iniquity, I never knew you, He is not talking about everybody's flesh.
He is talking about whole people who did not do the will of His Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).
In order not to be counted among those people, we must overcome the flesh.
Gal 5:24, And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Adam and Eve left off from being in the image of God (Christ) when they partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Not true.
Man still bears the image of God, for having been created in Christ.
This is why the death penalty was stipulated by God (after Adam sinned and died), why Jesus affirmed the death penalty under certain circumstances to be valid, and why man is still said to be the image and glory of God:
Gen 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man.
1Co_11:7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled,forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.
Notice the Gk. verb "υπαρχων". Present tense participle. It's now. This is indisputable.
We were separate from Christ spiritually in us. Not us created in Christ. Here is the text:
Eph 2:12 that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Although Paul's epistle is written "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ", the application and statement of the text is truthful to "all things" being created in, through and for Christ. This is simply undeniable.
I'm not sure why anyone would choose to dispute this unless you have a particular dogma that you hold in higher esteem than scripture itself.
As for Act's, Paul gave his sermon on Mar's Hill to pagans, and Paul used the terms "your", "you" and "we" when doing so:
Act 17:23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.
Act 17:28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being, as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.
If you'll notice, Paul quotes their own pagan poets and it becomes part of his sermon, and by doing so it becomes part of inspired scripture.
All means all my friend, including pagans and unbelievers. And, in Him we live.
Greetings again Guru. Seeing you is always a joy!
All indeed radically means all! The tag team of Dumb & Dumber don't believe it due to hearing and seeing problems.
The Scriptures declare "as a man thinks in his own heart, so is he."
We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." ~A. Nin
That is a nice sentiment, but I think that it is along the lines with teaching that is heaped to those who have itching ears.
When Jesus says, depart from me, ye that work iniquity, I never knew you, He is not talking about everybody's flesh.
He is talking about whole people who did not do the will of His Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).
In order not to be counted among those people, we must overcome the flesh.
Gal 5:24, And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
My ears don't itch, and the context of the passage is given in the metaphor of the two trees. One tree yields evil fruit (iniquity), the other good fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree is not able to yield evil fruits, nor a bad tree to yield good fruits.
Mat 7:19 Every tree not yielding good fruit is cut down and is cast to fire:
The two trees are a metaphor of the soul (within all of us, both believers and unbelievers), they represent flesh (the fleshly sin nature of the body) and spirit. The flesh works iniquity, not the spirit. The spirit of man is the very breath of God within us. Jesus does not cast God's breath (the spirit of man) into fire for the purpose of destruction.
Believers in Christ have crucified the flesh, however the flesh is not yet dead, and still works iniquity. As Paul tells us, here:
Rom 7:14 for we have known that the law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by the sin;
Rom 7:15 for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do.
Rom 7:16 And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the law that it is good,
Rom 7:17 and now it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me,
Rom 7:18 for I have known that there doth not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and to work that which is right I do not find,
Rom 7:19 for the good that I will, I do not; but the evil that I do not will, this I practise.
If you'll notice, Paul uses the present tense verbs to describe the works that he does. And then, Paul goes on to say "who will deliever me from the body of this death". Jesus does.
Rom 7:24 Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Man still bears the image of God, for having been created in Christ.
This is why the death penalty was stipulated by God (after Adam sinned and died), why Jesus affirmed the death penalty under certain circumstances to be valid, and why man is still said to be the image and glory of God:
Gen 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man.
1Co_11:7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled,forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.
Notice the Gk. verb "υπαρχων". Present tense participle. It's now. This is indisputable.
That’s not the same as being “in Christ”.
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