The Benefits of Salvation!!

TEXT:  John 3:17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

The Gospel of John (shows Jesus Christ as God, as Jehovah’s Messiah and Son, God made flesh).  

John’s name means, “Whom God loves”.  Love is the dominant theme of all his teachings and writings.   John was also a successful fisherman, he was in Jesus’ inner circle, and Christ surnamed him “son of Boanerges’, because of his prophetic zeal and resolution to witness for Christ. 

BENEFIT out of Webster is defined as anything contributing to improvement (of one’s wellbeing); that which is advantageous and that can be applied to every area of life (spiritually and naturally).

SALVATION is from the Greek root word soteri’a, meaning rescue or safety (physically or morally); deliver; health.  It denotes deliverance and preservation.  Soteri’a is a derivative of soter’, meaning, a deliverer, God or Christ; Savior.  Then it goes to another root word, so’zo, or “saved”, defined as to be safe; to save; deliver or protect; heal; be (make) whole; preserve; do well.

The world was and is yet in need of a Savior.   God said to the house of David, Isaiah 7:14: The Lord himself shall give you a sign; “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel”. 

·         Matthew 1:20-21: While he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife:  for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:  for he shall save his people from their sins”. 

·         Vs 23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 

So the Savior IS COME already and has saved and delivered us from “sin”.

DELIVERANCE FROM “SIN” [is a benefit of salvation]:

SINS in Matthew 1:21, is from the root word hamarti’a, meaning offense.  It means “a missing of the mark” (a deviation from God’s law which is love).  It is a principle or source of action or an inward element producing acts.  It’s a governing principle or power. 

·         Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified (impaled or pierced through) with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

In relation to “the body of sin” here, “sin” is spoken of as an organized power, acting through the members of the body:  though “the seat (cite) of sin” is in the will (the power of making choices or controlling one’s actions), “the body” is the instrument sin uses.  But look at what Paul said:

·         Romans 6:12: Let not sin therefore reign (rule) in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Vs 13: Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:  but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.  Vs 14: For sin shall not have dominion over you:  for you are not under the law, but under grace.

So when Jesus the Head died on the cross, His Body (the Church) died with Him, and when He,  Christ the Head got up out of the grave, “His Body called Christ” (the Church), got up with Him!  MY GOD!!!

·         1 Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many are one body:  SO ALSO IS CHRIST!

·         Colossians 1:18: And he is the head of the body, the church!

Back to sin in Matthew 1:21: Sin is “missing the mark”!   What mark? 

·         Philippians 3:13-14: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:  but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The “mark” (scopos’) is a goal; an end (completion; fulfillment) of something one strives to attain.  The GOAL is  Ephesians 4:13: Till we all come in the unity (oneness; identity; agreement) of the faith (persuasion; assurance), and of the knowledge [recognition, full discernment; acknowledgement] of the Son of God (the body that’s one, but has many members), unto a perfect (complete) man, unto the measure (the same degree of anointing of God’s Spirit without measure that Jesus had) of the stature (maturity) of the fullness of Christ!  [NOW]

This all happens through the new birth after which we cannot sin!  The majority of Christians do not believe that they can live sin free.  But whose report are we going to believe?  I believe the Word of God!

·         Romans 10:9: If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (not born).

Saved means to be delivered, rescued, and forgiven, but the birth hasn’t taken place yet.  When a woman becomes pregnant she doesn’t give birth the next week or the next month.  There is a process of development of that embryo, through the fetal stage, before the birth, after which he or she is called a baby.  There are processes of growth we have to go through before we come to birth in God, being formed into His image and after His likeness.  We actually become “regened” in God and become Him in the earth, as Jesus was and still is, in us, His body, the Church!  We are his flesh and bones in the earth (Ephesians 5:30).  Once the new birth takes place we cannot sin!

·         1 John 3:9: He that is born [regene-rated) of God doth not commit sin; because his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God!

2 Peter 1:1: Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ:

RIGHTEOUSNESS [is a benefit of salvation]:

This righteousness of God and Jesus Christ that Peter is speaking of is the white (light) raiment that God want us clothed in spoken of in Revelation 3:18, which is the “robe of righteousness” that is the covering of the bride the Lamb’s wife, which we are.

·         Revelation 19:7: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him:  for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready.

·         Vs 8: And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white (light):  for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

This is the covering, the righteousness of God, the Adam race of people had on in Genesis when they had dominion, authority and power over the creation!   But they lost it after the fall in Genesis 3, listening to the lie of the enemy and partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

·         Genesis 2:16-17: The LORD God commanded the man saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat:  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:  for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die”.

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression (1 Timothy 2:14).  Even though the woman (the church) had partaken of the fruit (a lie) (not an apple), the creation was still intact.  But when her husband, the one with the command not to eat of the fruit (Genesis 2:16-17), partook of the fruit, it led to the fall of creation.  He wanted to keep fellowship with the woman (the adulteress) and his disobedience brought on the demise of mankind.  They lost their righteous covering.  But God has recovered us with His righteousness and restored us back to the place of dominion, authority, and power in Him through Jesus the Christ.

·         Isaiah 61:1-3: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

If the Prophet Isaiah, was clothed with the garments of salvation, and covered with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), BEFORE the “resurrection” how much more we being clothed with the garments of salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness, AFTER the “resurrection”?

·         2 Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Peter 1:1: Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:  vs 2: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.

GRACE:  [is a benefit of salvation]:

·         Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace you are save):  vs 8: For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God.

Grace in the Old Testament Hebrew is chen (khane), meaning graciousness, kindness, favor or beauty: pleasant; precious; well-favored: / and chanan’, meaning to bestow; to favor; entreat; considerate.

In the Greek it is the root word char’is, meaning graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act; the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; favor; thanks; pleasure; acceptable; benefit; gift; joy; liberality.

 Grace indicates favor on the part of the giver and thanks on the part of the receiver.  Grace removes guilt [sin; fault; misdeeds]; mercy removes misery [distress; anguish]!

Grace in Old Testament is chen, God’s “unmerited favor” unto man, despite his ways.  This is God’s unconditional love at work towards man.

Exodus 33:1-16: [Renewing of the covenant]:  (Vs 17-23) [Moses sees the glory of God]: 

·         Vs 17: And the LORD said unto Moses, “I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken:  for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name”.  Vs 19: And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy”.

Grace in the New Testament is “char’is”, used as “favorable regard” toward others; gratitude; and “for the sake of a thing”.

But it wasn’t until the coming of Christ that “grace” took on its fullest meaning.  His self-sacrifice is “grace itself”: 

·         2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be rich.  

This doesn’t mean that Jesus was penny-less or broke:  (Luke 8) [As Jesus goes through Galilee teaching parables]

·         Vs 2-3: And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

There were people that followed Him that had money and ministered unto Him with “their substance”.

·         Luke 16:19-21: There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table:  moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

This “beggar” was Jesus desiring those that He ministered to, to have faith (that was the crumbs) and believe in Him which was His brethren.  He came to his own and his own received him not (St. John 1:11).  The “rich man”, the Pharisees, religious sects that continually opposed Him and they were the “dogs that licked His sores”:  the chief priest, elders, and scribes as they watched the crown of thorns pressed onto His head, the scourging (the stripes put on His back), Him being delivered to be crucified, being stripped of His seamless robe, spat on, smote with reeds, nailed to the cross, speared and mocked, saying to Him, “Hail King of the Jews, save thyself, if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross” Matthew 27:26-49.

Jesus becoming “poor” had nothing to do with money or His physical needs being met, but it was Him putting on flesh as a man and dying as a man, becoming sin for us, to restore mankind back to God!

·         2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them:  and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

·         Philippians 2:7-8: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus was already “rich” in Spirit, He was the Son of God, He had the Spirit of the Father without measure in dominion, authority, power, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, peace, divine health, eternal life, etc.  He was God in flesh form!  Jesus Christ being “rich” was and is the basis of our salvation and is why we are rich:  Romans 5:12-21:

·         Vs 19: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

·         2 Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Contained in God’s righteousness is the total of His self.  The total of the Father is contained in us through Jesus Christ the Son, by the power of the Holy Ghost:  eternal life, divine health, perfect peace, revelation knowledge, dominion, authority and power! 

BEING SPIRITUALLY RICH [is a benefit of salvation]:

Our being rich is all in Christ!  Though He cares about and supplies our physical needs in abundance, yet He wants us to have all the spiritual blessings as well, first and foremost! 

·         Mt.6:33: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

·         Matthew 19:27: And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Having “everlasting life”, is not when you get up to heaven as religion teaches it, we can have “everlasting life” here and now!  Listen, if the people in Genesis 5, lived for nine hundred years after the fall, we certainly should be living nine hundred plus, after the resurrection!

·          Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.  [Vs 4-14].

·         Romans 10:12: For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek (Gentile):  for the same Lord over all IS RICH unto all that call upon him.

There are many that are “rich” financially, and materially, but very “poor” spiritually – having no time for God, can’t explain too much to anyone in relation to scripture.

God want us “rich spiritually”!

·         Revelation 3:18: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou may be rich (wealthy: rich; be increased in goods):  and white (light) raiment (the robe of righteousness):  that thou may be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness (not having on the robe of righteousness) do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou may see.

See what?   See in the Greek  is blep’o, meaning, that God’s people need to take heed, behold, perceive (discern; observe; notice) the wiles of the devil, so to beware of men religiously spoiling them through philosophy, and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8).  Once our eyes come open spiritually and we put on God’s white (light) raiment, the robe of righteousness, it will dispel the darkness of ignorance, misery, destruction, and death so that we can “live”!!  This is as RICH as it gets, “having divine health, perfect peace, and eternal life” in these bodies we are in right now!

 PEACE [s a benefit of salvation]:  

Peace is the Greek root word eire’ne (i-ray’-nay), meaning, to join (glue; cleave; cement); prosperity; quietness; rest.

·         1 Corinthians 6:17 states, “He that is joined (glued; cleaved; cemented) unto the Lord is one spirit”. 

Meaning we have become “one unit” with Christ.  Being “one unit” with Christ means we have “perfect peace”, because our minds are stayed (propped; leaning upon; established; set; rested) on him, because we trust him (Isaiah 26:3).

 Peace in this verse is the root word shalowm’, meaning to be safe; well; happy; health; prospered; rest.  This alone tells us that as we live in the “peace of God” the total of man’s well-being, heart, soul, mind, and body can dwell in harmony, flourish, succeed, and thrive walking in safety, and divine health.

·         Ephesians 6:15: Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Remember PEACE (eire’ne), means to join (be glued or cemented to); prosperity; one; quietness (tranquil; serene; restrained); rest (balanced; relaxed). 

There are many that have “PEACE WITH GOD” through salvation:  Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  but not the “PEACE OF GOD”.  That’s why many have restless and sleepless nights.

·         Philippians 4:6-7: Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

When we have the “peace of God”, and not just “peace with God”, regardless of the situation or circumstances surrounding us, we know we’re coming out victorious!

·         Isaiah 43:2: When thou pass through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:  when thou walk through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

 This is when you have “THE PEACE OF GOD”!  This is a benefit!

·         2 Peter 1:3: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that PERTAIN UNTO LIFE and godliness, through the knowledge (full discernment) of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

LIFE [is a benefit of salvation]:

"Life” in this verse is gained through “knowledge” (epig’nosis), defined as recognition, full discernment, and acknowledgement.  This means we must have the complete comprehension of God and Jesus Christ in us, [not out in the sky] which causes us to become better acquainted with “all things that pertain unto life”.  What life?  The life which we had with the Father and the Son before the world was! The truth that we were with God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost in the beginning!

·         St. John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God:  vs 2: And the same (that’s US) was in the beginning with God:  vs 14: And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (that was Jesus). 

But as he is, so are we, in this world (1 John 4:17).  We the sons of God (male & female) the true Body of Christ is now His flesh and bones in the earth (Ephesians 5:30).  That’s why God said in Genesis 1:26, “Let US make man”!  We were there and God was including us in His plan of decision making as well.  The “life” spoken of in 2 Peter 1:3, is Zo’e, meaning “life eternal”, which is the life that God Himself is, which He gave to His Son Jesus Christ. 

·         John 5:26: For as the Father hath life (Zoe) in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life (Zoe) in himself.  

·         John 10:10: The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:  I am come that they might have life (Zo’e), and that they might have it more abundantly.

This is the life that Jesus Christ manifested to the world:

·         1 John 1:2: For the life (Zoe) was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that ETERNAL LIFE (Zoe), which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.

The “life” that was manifested and seen by the apostles that they bore witness to, and their hands handled of the Word of life, and could show to the people, was “Jesus Christ Himself”, that was in flesh form!  Jesus Himself said, John 14:6: I am the way, the truth, and the life!  He didn’t just have life, but He was life!  We too as Jesus must believe that we don’t just have life, but we are life!  If you just “have life” someone can take it from you, but if you are life, they can’t take it from you.

·         John 10:17-18: Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life (soul), that I might take it again.  No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of my Father.

Briefly, this “life” in this verse was the “soul” of Jesus that went through the purifying “judgment fire” process of God in hell (the unseen world) that He didn’t leave in hell nor let His flesh see corruption (Psalm 16:10), so that our soul’s would be saved (Hebrews 6:19; 10:38-39) and our bodies would not have to see corruption (1 Corinthians 15:54).

·         Vs 28: I give unto them eternal life (Zoe).

 No one can kill “life”!

This is “the life” that Adam lost in Genesis and man became alienated (estranged), not annihilated (exterminated) from, but through Jesus the Christ, we have been restored back to this “eternal life” and "everlasting life".  This life is “eternal life” because it’s stressing quality life, meaning grade A: (John 3:15): That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE:  and this life is “everlasting life”, because it’s stressing its length, which is unending life:  (John 3:16): For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.

·         2 Peter 1:2: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through THE KNOWLEDGE of God, and of Jesus our Lord:  vs 3: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM that hath called us to glory and virtue:

KNOWLEDGE [is a benefit of salvation]:

Knowledge is from the root word epig’nosis, defined as recognition, full discernment, and acknowledgement of who we are in God and who He is in us.

·         1 Corinthians 13:11: When I was a child, I spoke as a child I understood as a child, I thought as a child:  but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Child is the root word ne’pios (nay’-pee-os), meaning, an infant (minor); a simple-minded person; an immature Christian; babe. Paul was speaking in relation to when he was known as Saul, a Pharisee, bound by law, persecuting Christians.  But after his encounter with the “Light” on the Damascus road, that’s when he became a man and had more zeal for Christ than as a Pharisee.  Being “childish” is caused by the bondage of the teachings of religion.  During those times we were seeing through a glass, darkly (vs 12).  Darkly in the Greek denoting a fixed position or state, so you can’t see the light. It’s defined as an ainigma (ah’-ee-nig-ma), meaning an obscure saying; obscureness (covered over; dim; hidden).  It’s like stain glass windows that you can’t see into nor out of.  That’s where Paul was at one time, blinded by religious laws, knowing in part.  So were many of us blinded by the vain deceit and traditions of men through religious teachings, only knowing in part, until our encounter with the “Light Christ”, and now we see face to face because we know now, even as we are known (vs 12).  Through revelation knowledge, we know that when we look at one another, we are looking into the face of God, the face of Jesus Christ, because we are His body in the earth!  There are those screaming they can’t wait to see His face and they’re looking at Him every day when they look into the mirror.  They just don’t recognize Him because they’re looking through a glass darkly.  But I see Him every day in His people and when I look in the mirror!  That’s because we know now who we are!  Glory to God!

Jesus’ flesh is no more except in us now:  2 Corinthians 5:16: Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh:  yea, though we have known (past tense) Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth (from hereon) know we him no more!  We must know Him by the Spirit!!

This is a “benefit”, knowing that we are more than human, as being sung by many, “I’m only human, I’m just a man”!  People can sing a lie as well as tell one.  We’re flesh, but we’re also spirit!  Jesus was God in flesh form, so are we God in flesh form.  1 John 4:17: As he is, so are we, in this world!

 Acts 9 in relation to Saul’s encounter with the Light, we know how Saul helped persecute the Christians and that’s where he was on his way to on the Road to Damascus, to persecute some Christians.  But he had an encounter with the Light, who was Jesus: 

·         Vs 3: And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus:  and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  vs 4: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, “Saul, Saul, why persecute THOU ME”?  Vs 5: And he said, “Who art thou, Lord”?  And the Lord said, “I am JESUS whom thou persecute:  it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks”. 

Saul was persecuting the Christians but that Body of people he was persecuting was “JESUS”, the many-membered Body!

·         Romans 12:5: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one, members one of another.

·         1 Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many are one body:  SO ALSO IS CHRIST! 

There are other scripture that supports this truth, but this one in Acts 9, should clarify the fact and make it very clear that we are Jesus’ body in the earth that is called “Christ”!   What better benefit can we have than being Christ’s Body in the earth?  There is none.

Knowledge in 2 Peter 1:5: And beside this, giving all diligence (speed; eagerness; earnest care), add to your faith (persuasion; conviction of truth) virtue (valor; excellence; praise); and to virtue KNOWLEDGE (discovery of truth; discernment): 

Vs 6: And to knowledge temperance (self-control; restraint); and to temperance patience (endurance; fortitude); and to patience godliness (holiness).

Vs 8: For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren (inactive; unemployed; useless; idle; slow; yielding no return) nor unfruitful (infertile; sterile) in the knowledge (complete [perfect] understanding) of our Lord Jesus Christ.   

And may I also add that we shall be fruitful in the knowledge (complete understanding) in the discovery of our own true or original existence in God.  All these things are “benefits of salvation”!

“Knowledge” in these three verses are from gno’sis, defined as knowing (the act); to discover (to be the first to find out; to learn of the existence of) /ginos’ko, is to “know” (absolutely) [completely]; perceive, understand, allow, be aware (of), feel, have knowledge, be resolved, can speak, be sure. 

So after discovering and learning of the existence of our origin from the beginning and who we are in God now and who He is in us, we must totally absorb the “KNOWLEDGE” (epig’nosis) that’s defined in 2 Peter 1:2-3, the “KNOWING” (recognizing; discerning completely; acknowledging) that Jesus said He would and has given us eternal and everlasting life, and we can have it now while we’re alive!  Remember what God said through the Prophet Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge. 

·         John 17:2-3: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.  And this is life eternal, that they might KNOW (ginos’ko) thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

·         Ephesians 3:19: And to know (ginos’ko) [understand completely] the “love of Christ”, which passes knowledge (gno’sis), that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Being filled with the “fullness of God” is a benefit!

 Therefore “KNOWLEDGE” is power and life!

·         Philippians 3:10: That I might KNOW (ginos’ko) [to know absolutely (completely; perfectly)] him and the power (du’namis) [miracle working] of his resurrection (anas’tasis) [a standing up again; resurrection from death; a moral recovery (of spiritual truth); raised to life again.

This being “raised to life again” is not getting up out of the grave in the graveyard, but being raised to life right now in these bodies we have now through Christ Jesus!

·         Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead (past tense) in trespasses and sins:  vs 5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved):    vs 6: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together (established; made steadfast; unmovable) in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

We’re already in “heaven” in Christ, and didn’t have to die physically to get there as religion preaches!

·         2 Peter 1:4: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust:  vs 7: And to godliness brotherly kindness (love of the brethren) and to brotherly kindness CHARITY (unconditional love).

GOD’S DIVINE NATURE IS “LOVE”: [This is a benefit of salvation]!

·         John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give unto you, “That you love (agapa’o) one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another”.  “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love (aga’pe) one to another”.

·         1John 4:7-8: Beloved, let us love (agapa’o) one another:  for love (aga’pe) is of God; and everyone that love (agapa’o) is born of God, and knows God.  He that love not, know not God:  for God is love (aga’pe).  [This is “unconditional love”]!

·         Vs 19: We love him, because he first loved us.

·         Vs 20: If a man, say, I love God, and hate his brother, he is a liar:  for he that loves not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

The revelation in this is:  John 4:24, “God is Spirit”.  You can’t see spiritual things without spiritual vision.  When we love one another, automatically we love God, because we are Him in the earth!  John 10:34: Have you not read in your law, where I said, you are gods (the’os) [a deity; the supreme Divinity; God; god; godly].  Again, Jesus was God in flesh form (St. John 1:1, 14).  We the Church are the flesh of Jesus in the earth now, called Christ (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 5:30).  So that makes us God in flesh form.  1 John 4:17: As he is, so are we, in this world.  We know to stay in our place as “elohiyms”, because God is “Elyown” (el-yone'), the Most High God (Psalm 82:6; Acts 7:48).

·         Vs 21: And this commandment, have we from him, that he who loves God love his brother also.

Matthew 22:34-40 [in relation to the great commandment]:

·         Vs 34: But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

·         Vs 35: Then one of them which was a lawyer, asked him a question tempting him and saying,

·         Vs 36: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law”?

·         Vs 37: Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”.

·         Vs 38: “This is the first and great commandment”.

·         Vs 39: “And the second is like unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”.

·         Vs 40: “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”.

The first and greatest commandment to “love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”, wasn’t given till Deuteronomy 6:5.  This commandment was not included in the Ten Commandments.  Exodus 20:1-17, lists the Ten Commandments, and the first of those were vs 3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

When Jesus said it was the first and greatest commandment that was because it was a Spiritual commandment or an “Alpha (first) commandment” from the beginning before anything was written.  1 John 4:8 “God is love”!  John 4:24 “God is Spirit”!  So “love is Spirit”.  In reality, we can read Genesis 1:1: And “LOVE” created the heaven and the earth.  Jesus Himself was the “love” of God walking around on two feet and He said in Revelation 1:8: I am Alpha and Omega.

“First”  in Matthew 22:38 is the Greek root word pro’tos, meaning foremost (in time, place, order, or importance); chief; first day; former; before; beginning:  and also pro, meaning, fore; in front of; prior; superior to;  above; ago; or ever.  Alpha in the Greek, is “A” (al’fah), (of Hebrew or the first letter of the alphabet); meaning “the first”.

God is “love”, so when He made Adam (male & female) and created them in His own image after His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27), He made them with His love in them also. 

·         Genesis 1:11-12: And God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth”:  and it was so.  And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind:  and God saw that it was good. 

God’s word states that whatever the earth brought forth it yielded seed after his kind, whose seed was in itself, after his kind.  How much more God’s seed (sper’ma) [offspring; remnant; issue], which is His Word, Luke 8:11, yielding seed after His kind?  Acts 17:28c: We are also his offspring (gen’os) [kin; kind; nation; stock; generation].  

God creating and making man in His own image after His likeness, His “love” had to be in him as well, because it was “Love” doing the creating in the beginning.  (1John 4:8) God is love.  Man (Adam - male and female) were created and made "to love" or "with love" in them and did "love" one another.  Adam was not one man but a group of people, composed of both male and female.

·         Genesis 5:1-2: This is the book of the generations of Adam.  In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him:  male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

So according to Revelation 2:4-5, “love” was the “first commandment” (order or specified authority):  Vs 4: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy FIRST LOVE:  vs 5: Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.    

So when “man” (Adam) [male and female] died, the image and likeness of God that he was died also.  But God restored that “unconditional love” (agape’) through Christ!

·         Galatians 3:19: Wherefore then serve the law?  It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.  [We know that that SEED was CHRIST] (Galatians 3:16).  Christ was the "love" of God walking around on two feet.

The "law", the torah, was a precept or statute or yarah', meaning, to point out as if by aiming the finger, so to direct us back to Christ.

Galatians 3:24-25: Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster (boy-leader) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  Faith has liberated us from the law.  Romans 8:14: As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The “first works” spoken of in Revelation 2:5 is to “love God” and His people: Mark 12:30: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:  this is the first commandment.  Vs 31: And the second is like namely this, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor (the other members of the body of Christ) as thyself".  There is none other commandment greater than these.

·         Romans 13:8: Owe no man anything, but to love one another:  for he that loves another hath FULFILLED THE LAW.

·          Galatians 5:13: For, brethren, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love, serve one another.

People of God, let us enjoy our “benefits of salvation”:  deliverance from sin, righteousness, grace, being spiritually rich, peace, life, knowledge, and the divine nature of God, that’s readily available to and for us now, so we can live “life” in its fullness through Jesus the Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost!!!

Pastor Gracie Perry