Arrived early. Will sit in the shadows and continue reading until my allotted time.

Thanks @Dboy for ur posts on Alwaystrue's presentation, though, I expected d law/grace mixture and I was not disappointed. U've covered most areas i'd love to av sm clearifications but @Alwaystrue, pls can u explain further this ur 'law is control' and its place in d finished work of Christ? Do u really think that 'Grace teaching encourage sin, why? And why do u insist on grace/law mixture? Bless u.

DrummaBoy:

You have very well conveyed the mind of the organizers of this convention in your paper.

My question:

If true Christian unity is displayed in the act of love: loving God and our neighbour, can it be said that many a Muslim, Agnostic, Buddhist, etc, shall be saved at the last day as they have fulfilled God's law of love (see Paul in Romans 2 about Gods law written on hearts); while a good number professing Christians shall be damned for holding the name Christ on lips alone but denied him in action? Shall men not professing Christ today be truly united with him because they walk in love?

I think that we should start from here: if anyone walks in true Love, they will naturally accept Christ upon hearing of Him, will they not? Like attracts like. It's very curious to imagine that someone will walk in Love and still reject Love Himself.

Having said that, it may be necessary to ask what we think Love looks like. I think that what we hold is a romantic concept that is not necessarily true. We call it Love when people are compassionate and when they are liberal with gifts of various sorts. However, what did Love look like when He walked the earth? What did Jesus do? There were situations in which He deliberately did not intervene? There were times that He still acting in Love gave people cause to leave Him and abandon following after Him. He came to die for our sins yet before the Cross there were times that Death came calling and He went the other way.

There was at least one time that someone asked a favor of Him and He practically refused the person their request. He eventually gave what they asked when they persisted but the point is that He refused. He Himself also instructed us to be careful with our gifts sometimes, He said that we should not cast our pearls to swine or give holy things to dogs lest they trample them underfoot and turn around and rend us.

If Jesus walked the earth in the flesh today, do we really think that he would fulfill our romantic notion of Love? What does Love really look like? I don't think there are any Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists who walk in Love that will refuse Jesus if they ever heard of Him. In fact, I believe that when we walk in Love and have not hears of Jesus, we will have a subconscious imperative to seek Him out just like the Magi who sought Him out when they saw His star.

We're enjoying the Spirit of the convention, of love and Grace.

I am so sorry for not keeping to time, there was a mix-up and I sent Drummaboy a message yesterday which was not delivered. I will make my post now if it okay with the organizers.

Thanks for your understanding, God bless you all.

CHRISTIAN MINISTRY: THE LIFE AND THE MESSAGE

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
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.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
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 Corinthians 5:17-21(KJV)

The hallmark of the Christian ministry is reconciliation, we became Christians on the premise that God forgave us in that while we were yet sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us and reconciled us back to fellowship with the father. Thus we received the ministry of reconciliation, though Jesus died and reconciled the whole world back to fellowship with the father, but the unfortunate thing is that not very many accepted that, and the responsibility now falls on us (individually and collectively) to bring the message of reconciliation to the world that all thing (man and every other thing inclusive) might be reconciled to the father as that was His original intention after the fall. But before we can perfectly execute our ministry of reconciling the world back to the father, we ought to understand that God has called us collectively and individually and this work could only be actualized thus.

Christ didn’t die just to have individual believers scattered round the world, but to have a ‘body’ which comprises of every individual believers in every nations and languages of the world. The individual believers’ makes up the body of Christ, which we normally term the church, and interestingly it is in this body that God intends to execute His work and manifest Himself in and the world. The church which is the body of Christ can be seen from two perspective, the universal church which compromises of all believers in every nations and languages of the world, and the local church which compromises of believers in the vicinity where the local church is situated and fellowship together to worship the father. Though it is very sad to note that not all believers have this understanding and act thus, and even the ones that do have and want to work accordingly are limited in the local churches they attends. The concept of the universal church does not in any way negate the idea of having local churches, because it will be very impossible for every believer around the world to converge in a place to worship God. Because we have been called individually and collectively, we have also been given instructions how we are to conduct ourselves in the church that we might fulfil purpose.

In this write up, as we look at our collective calling as the church, we will also be looking at our callings individually because it is the individual believers that makes up the church (both universal and local) 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. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular 1 Corinthians 12:12&27.

THE CHURCH (THE BODY OF CHRIST)
The church which is the body of Christ started on the day of Pentecost, actually this is not exactly so (when we consider the local church also) because the disciples were meeting together in a place after the death of Jesus Christ. But it was certain that the church universal only started on the day of Pentecost. Though their meetings was also birthed out of fear of the Jews, but it was certain that they were meeting and also for prayers because it was while they pray that the Holy Spirit descended on them on the day of Pentecost. When the church started on the day of Pentecost it enforced the New covenant making the Old obsolete, but it is to be noted that the old covenant was very much active as at this point in time prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, because the New was yet to come When he says, A new agreement, he has made the first agreement old. But anything which is getting old and past use will not be seen much longer Hebrew 8:13 (BBE). Even after the advent of the Holy Spirit to permanently reside in the lives of the ‘New believers’, it still took some time to fully separate from the old (reasons we still have many today that still hold on to the Old to direct their lives). So the traditions and ways in which things were done was still being upheld, the synagogue of the Jews still remained the only acceptable place of worship, even for the early church (though they gradually begin to meet in homes). The death and resurrection of Jesus was what actually birthed the church (which was His glory), it was not until Jesus died and resurrected that the Holy Spirit was able to come and make His residence in the lives of the believers (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified) John 7:39 (KJV). For during the Old covenant no one enjoys this benefit, even those that walk closest to the father and the ones whom He really used during the dispensation of the Old covenant. The most they enjoyed was the Spirit coming upon them, even this was not continual thing but occasionally when God intends to the miraculous in their midst. This makes it impossible for God to have a church (the body of Christ), whereby the Spirit indwelling them individually (irrespective of where they were or their nations and languages) to make them one and not just converging in a place. Unfortunately the scope of this write up would not permit to go more into that, so I will not be able to continue with this thought.

Now when the day of Pentecost was fully come, the Holy Spirit descended on the saints as they prayed in the upper room, interestingly there were ‘having church’ before the advent of the church, the body of Christ Acts 2:1-2. They were actually gathering and meeting even before the descends of the Holy Spirit, in other words there was the local church before the church universal which is a reversal of the original plan of God (though this was okay because the transition was in process and that was the instruction of Jesus Christ that they should tarry for the coming of the Holy Spirit). But funny enough some under the New covenant still hold on to this way of worship, whereby they are gathering without the Holy Spirit (a discussion for any other day). Also because men tends to relate more with what they can see and the activities, so activities in most gathering today have been substituted for the Holy Spirit.

Now we should never forget that the only reasons we are Christians is because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, for the bible says Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his Romans 8:9c. Also this fact was established in the first converts by the preaching of Peter on the same day of Pentecost when after hearing the preaching and was cut to the heart had asked, what must we do that we might be saved? The response of Peter was simple Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Act 2:38. They were supposed to repent first having accepted Christ, be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ and as a result of being a Christian would receive the gift of the Spirit. And Jesus Himself had earlier promised that anyone that accepts Him, Him, the father and the Holy Spirit would come and make their residence in him John 14:23.
Though it has been established that we became Christians as a result of the Holy Spirit in us, there is a misconception among us whereby some people believes that if one is not baptised with the Holy Ghost then he is not saved, while some other claim to have the Holy Spirit thereby no need for the baptism of the Hoy Spirit. I will briefly go into this so we can really understand our ministry collectively and individually that we might represent the father the way we ought to and fulfil purpose on this side of eternity.

BabaGnoni, your great and thorough job is much appreciated. Thank you sir! !!

Just as it has established that it is the Holy Spirit in our lives that makes us Christians, it is also very true according to the scriptures that the moment we give our lives to Christ we receive the Holy Spirit which makes His residence in us, but this should never be misconstrue as to mean the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The function of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers can be seen in two forms, the spirit within and the spirit upon.

The spirit within
Ezekiel 36:27-28, John 14:23, 1 Corinthians 3:16
The spirit within a believer is the spirit we receive when we gave our lives to Christ; in fact it is this spirit that seals us as children of God Ephesians 1:13. The spirit of God came and take up residence in our lives at salvation and had been as long as we remain Christians, there is so much to be said about the spirit within, but because this is not a teaching on the Holy Spirit, we just look at an aspect of the spirit within which is to make us like Christ.

Jesus said I am come that they might have life and have it to the fullest John 10:10b, for us to have this life to the fullest, the Holy Spirit works out the new character traits in us, for we are not familiar with the new life and can’t live that life ourselves. What the Holy Spirit does in us is to make us like Christ, by bringing out of us the fruit of the spirit, as it is found in the book of Galatians 5:22-23. Those fruits are in the seed form and needed to be watered for them to come to maturity, so this calls for our cooperation as we allow the spirit to produce in us these subsequent fruit that will last for all eternity. The Holy Spirit gives us the power as well as the grace to live right, as the gifts of the spirit is being manifested in us.

As we daily live for Christ, we represent Christ, and the bible says Christ is not a minister of sin, Galatians 2:17, so there is every reason we live as children of the light as we fulfil the ministry. When the fruit of the spirit is evident in our lives, then we will not live contrary to what we proclaim, because we represent Christ both in actions and speech. In essence, the spirit within gives us the power to live right, as the fruits of the spirit comes to fruition in us.

The spirit upon

Joel 2:28-29, Mathew 3:16; 12:18, Luke 4:18, Acts 2:17
It is not like the spirit upon is a different spirit from the spirit which is within you, it is that self same Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit is within us to bear Christ like characters, He also comes upon us for service, occasionally or frequently depending on the individual Christian commitment and love for the father. The Spirit within is for the fruit of the spirit, while the Spirit upon us is for the gift of the Holy Spirit for service as found in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 28-31. The Spirit of God comes upon us to be able to serve according to the Spirit, because that is the only service that is acceptable by the father Romans 8:8. The Spirit also comes for empowerment for service, for we would not be able to do anything in the body of Christ without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, for the grace of God being released in our lives is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
For us to be able to minister successfully, we need the spirit upon, to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, Jesus told the disciples never to venture out till they be endue with power from on high, that is, when the Holy Spirit has come upon them they will be empowered to witness Acts 1:4-8. The Holy Spirit gives us the enablement and ability to be able to do that which we will not be able to do naturally; He puts the supernatural touch in everything we do for God.

When a man gives is life to Christ, the Spirit comes within him automatically (many at times he doesn’t even realize it), but for the Spirit to come upon a man, he needs to move beyond the ordinary. The spirit is for service, so for the spirit to come upon a man, he must be ready to serve which is the first criterion for the spirit coming upon him. Though a man after receiving Christ might be willing to serve and be a candidate for the spirit upon or the infilling of the spirit as it is also known in the scriptures, he must be willing to pay the price. Paying the price include tarrying in His presence as Jesus instructed His disciples, the aspect of paying the price seems to be the most difficult part for us Christians, but the truth still remain that if we do not tarry, we would not receive the spirit upon which empowers us to serve.

Once you are born again you have the spirit dwelling inside of you, but that is not enough for you to be able to fulfil purpose on this side of eternity, you need the baptism and the continuous infilling of the spirit. The infilling of the spirit or the spirit upon, is the power of God for service and the supernatural, and it is meant to be a continual thing. We are meant to be constantly filled with the Holy Ghost individually and collectively if we want to remain relevant in the Christendom and the world at large to fulfil ministry, or we will only remain dormant and the spirit of lethargy might even set in and we will be at risk of losing out of God’ best for our lives.

THE MINISTERIAL GIFT

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:11-13&16 (KJV)

As we have seen that the Holy Spirit comes upon us for service in the kingdom and endues several of us with different gifts as He pleases that we might fulfil ministry. This different gifts varies, but of all (though more than the ones listed), we have the ones we mostly call the ministerial gifts (the fivefold ministerial gifts) which is identified and recognized in the church. All these gifts (others also could be found in 2 Corinthians 12:4-14) are for the ministry and the benefits and growth of the church which is the body of Christ. For the sake of less complication and time and space, I will be limiting the ministerial gift to this five.

God has blessed the Church with different gifts for the ministry, establishment, growth and sustenance of His church here on earth, but unfortunately these gifts has been streamlined and structures has been placed to better suit certain modes. We are meant to have this fivefold ministry in the church, but only one or at most two seem to be functioning and recognized while the others are stifled. The two mostly regarded are the Pastors and Evangelist, while the other gifts to the church had been absorbed into these two. Any and every other gift that does not fit into this two is not accepted by the majority or at most condemned by the present church leaders. Pastors seem to be the only gift giving to the church in this present dispensation, and it is that you are a Pastor or just a member in the church; and if you try to go against this structure you will be termed a rebel and be cast out of the church (at least the local church). The church has now be structured such that Pastoral ministry is the only functioning ministry in the church while the other ministerial gifts are meant to come under the gift or are cast out. True our God is a God of orderliness and the gifts are not meant to be contrary even in the local assembly, but it is also true that He had made it in such a way that it is very possible for all the gifts of the ministry should function collectively in the local church to fulfil ministry. In other to understand how these ministerial gifts are to function, we ought to understand that God has not just given individuals one gift and that is it. It is possible for us all to possess even all the ministerial gifts, but we should understand that there are different services and office as the spirit gives us grace. Though there seems to be a hierarchy of the gifts, it does not necessarily mean one is superior to the other, it is just positional to describe the individual services given (truth be told, the responsibilities differs which might make one look superior to another).

So to better grasp the ministerial gifts given for the growth of the church that there might not be schism, we briefly (time and space would not permit to really look deeply) look individually at these gifts and their offices in the church.
Apostles
An Apostle is a delegate, specifically an ambassador of the gospel, a commissioner of Christ with miraculous power as we saw in the lives of the early Apostles like Paul and the rest. He often moves from place to place establishing churches wherever he went; this is accompanied with the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit which is a sign of his Apostleship. Any and every spirit filled believer can also do this (in fact we should all aspire to do this for the expansion of the kingdom), but there are some who are specifically called to do this. This is where the office for this various gifts comes in, for the fact that one is an ambassador of the gospel and by the grace of God fulfil the ministry of an Apostle, does not necessarily make him one. The bible says no one take this honour upon himself, he must be called just as Aaron was Hebrews 5:4.

Prophets
A Prophet is a foreteller, by analogy an inspired speaker and by extension a poet. A prophet foretells the future or distant past as the case maybe, and most of the time the mind of God concerning all these. He does this in the church making the mind of God known in every situation for the future, His will concerning the present situation and what happened in the distant past that might have been lost history (as in the case of Moses writing the book of Genesis and the others, even having not been there).

Evangelists
An evangelist is simply a preacher of the Gospel, they are simply empowered to preach the gospel with such unction that many would be cut to the heart just as the day of Pentecost and come to Christ.

Pastors
Pastors are simply shepherd, a keeper of the flock, there is no need to write much about Pastors because we have examples all around us and are more familiar with.

Teachers
A Teacher is an instructor, a doctor or even a master of the word, God has blessed some with such grace and empowerment in the dissemination of the word in the body of Christ that they might bring much understanding as to the will of God concerning the scriptures and their lives in extension.

It does not mean that one cannot manifest these different gifts in the Christendom, we all can, but there are some specifically called into these different office and they manifest with great unction in their calling. Even some called into a particular office could and many at times manifest the gift of these other offices which does not necessarily put them in that office. For instance all other functioning in the offices of these gifts are supposed to be able to teach the scripture to an extent in other for the authenticity of the word be preserved, thus an Apostle, a Prophet, an |Evangelist, and a Pastor are all supposed to be able to teach. This is where the different of being called into an of office and just manifesting the gifts comes in, and understanding of this would give free flow of the Holy Spirit in the church as we all fulfil ministry collectively and individually.

The message

All these gifts are given for the ministry, growth and sustenance of the body of Christ that every part sufficiently supplying its portion for the nourishment of the body as a whole. This is the intention of Christ as concerning his body, but as we saw from the beginning that His intention is to reconcile everything back to Himself, He ‘tries’ to make the church a perfect picture of Himself that this (reconciling the world back to Himself) would become possible.

As it is known after the fall, man (being the head of all things at creation) and every other thing became the enemy of God. God lost the control of earth as a result of the treason Adam committed, so everything was turned over to the devil, but thank God the death and resurrection of Christ brought about a reversal (and better) to all that it became possible for everything to be restored. The final restoration would only be fully accomplished in the dispensation of forever and ever and everything would be according to the original intention of God at creation, but there is a temporary restoration on ground which will prepare us for the final one. Though this is the good news, not very many are aware of this, and even as many as are aware outrightly rejected the opportunity for that. So God intend to manifest Himself to the world through the church that they might see a perfect example portrayed and all be reconciled to Him.

I am sorry once again, though there was no time to edit. Bt i am here to answer all questions for clarification.

[size=18pt]An Emerging Nigeria via the Gospel[/size]

Common among the league of more advanced Nations is the drive to succeed, fuelled by the insatiable lust to maximize the 'selfish motive'; which can be used positively to affect growth and development. The successes they have achieved for themselves did not come on a platter. They have all had their fair share of disappointments and failures which, I must say, they have been very slow to learn from, but learn they did. Their learning, though slow, was unhindered and uninterrupted hence their level of development.

This process of evolving and learning was sadly deprived Africa but one. Imagine an Africa where the people were left to develop at their own pace, allowed to make their own mistakes and learn from them if they so choose, no matter how long it takes. Imagine an Africa where the cultures and influences of the more advanced Nations were rejected and cut short lest they are allowed to germinate, sprout and gain the firm hold they have on us all today.

Some argue that this untamed Africa would have developed beyond our wildest imagination. Others hold the view that allowing Africa to go solo would have spelt doom for the continent; arguing that it is not just about the Continent of Africa but about the naivety and gullibility of the black man. Whatever side of the divide we may find ourselves, one thing is certain: the influence of foreign culture is very real in Africa and more so in our dear Country Nigeria.

This influence sadly has not only had some negative impact on our socio-cultural environment, it has also gone beyond that to impact negatively on the way the gospel is perceived and preached in Nigeria. Instead of the undiluted word of God, what we now have, for the most part, is the word of God in accordance with the style and practices of the West. Though some level of socio-cultural mix is needed and indeed desirable, it should not be allowed to dilute the efficacy of the Gospel.

The Gospel is unique and quite unlike what was experienced in the Old covenant. In the Old we had a situation where there was no clear-cut delineation between the Word of God and the socio-cultural interactions of the Jews. We had cases where Moses was allowed to 'dilute' the word to suit the 'whims and caprices' of the Jewish people because they were headstrong and practically impossible to teach, as revealed by Christ himself:

Mark 10:2-5 - King James Version (KJV)

10 2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.


Quite unlike the Old, the Spirit of Truth is the vessel through which the Word of the Father is passed on 'directly' into the hearts of men. Hence, there is no room for half measures where the Gospel is preached to suit our socio-cultural influences, as the Holy Spirit, the Comforter is now our designated Teacher and Guide:

John 14:26 - King James Version (KJV)

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


We are in the era of Grace, the era of the New covenant, the era where the 'Laws' of God, made manifest in his Word, are not only taught to us but are also firmly enshrined in our hearts as dictated by the Spirit of Truth:

Jeremiah 31:33 - King James Version (KJV)

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

In this era, God has deemed it necessary to take away the stubbornness in our hearts by renewing it through the influence of His Spirit.

Ezekiel 36:26King James Version (KJV)

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.


Thence, this is the era where the Word is expected to be preached and practiced, devoid of every material socio-cultural influence. It is either we accept the word of God, pure and undiluted, or we reject it. There is no middle ground. Even at Capernaum where some of the disciples of Jesus abandoned him because the Truths he taught were not fine-tuned to suit their cultural upbringing, He never asked them to come back. He stuck to the Word because it must be preached undiluted:

John 6:58-60King James Version (KJV)

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

Jesus never preached a Gospel that is in sync with the customs and practices of the Jews; he never asked his Apostles to preach a gospel that is influenced by their socio-cultural environment like it was done in the Old. The Gospel is meant to influence culture and our social interactions, not the other way round.

Nigeria is described by many as a consuming Nation because of our high propensity for consumption, especially the consumption of foreign made goods as against the use of our locally made products. This unhealthy trait is also true as regards our acceptance and practice of the Gospel, preferring to consume almost every teaching that is thrown at us by the West, irrespective of whether those teachings have a sure footing in the Gospel or not.

Nigeria has attained that stage where she should no longer be seen as a baby in Christ via the Gospel but an adult. Nigeria has gotten to that stage where she should not just be a consumer of the Word but also seen as a catalyst, through Christ, in the propagation of the Gospel. It is time for Nigeria to rise above the committee of Nations and re-evangelize the evangelizers.

In order to attain that height there is the need for Nigeria, and indeed Nigerians, to re-evaluate our reception and practice of the Gospel. The question then is: What exactly is this Gospel? Saint Paul puts it beautifully in his first letter to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4King James Version (KJV)

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Saint Paul's perception of the Gospel is indeed true to the Greek origin of the word "euangelion" which literally translates to the phrase: "good news". The Gospel is the message of hope. The Gospel is God's Word: the revelation of His son Jesus Christ. To preach the Gospel is to take Christ out to the world, just like he commanded:

Mark 16:15 - King James Version (KJV)

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Though some effort have been put in by some Nigerians to take the Gospel out to the rest of the world, in accordance with that Biblical injunction, Nigeria will always be an emerging Nation where the Gospel is concerned instead of taken its rightful place as a Gospel giant, if we do not allow the Gospel of Christ to impact and influence both our home grown and adopted Western cultures.
As I conclude, I leave us with this passage to meditate upon:

Hebrews 4 King James Version (KJV)

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Thank you!

We say big thanks to our teachers for today. God bless you both greatly. PastorOluT and striktlymi, good job.

Kudos@PastorOlu. But I expected sm tots on d Nigerian 'church' ie are we on track, and what's d duties of today's church to Nigeria as a nation. Bless u sir.

@ Drummaboy,
I am glad to have abided by the laws you laid down with the fruit of the Spirit of self control.

On all the points you raised, please summarise your questions.

It would be nice if you dont assume what i did not mean by playing judge and jury at the same time. Ask your questions please and let me answer then draw your conclusions...

For the record when Jesus said he did not come to abolish the law but fulfil it, it is not the same as 'law of commandments contained in ordinances which he abolished IN THE FLESH'. I really wish you understand this.

Also while pasting your questions, do make it short and straight to the point. Then i will answer. Thanks.

christemmbassey: Thanks @Dboy for ur posts on Alwaystrue's presentation, though, I expected d law/grace mixture and I was not disappointed. U've covered most areas i'd love to av sm clearifications but @Alwaystrue, pls can u explain further this ur 'law is control' and its place in d finished work of Christ? Do u really think that 'Grace teaching encourage sin, why? And why do u insist on grace/law mixture? Bless u.

As usual you come with a mindset. No wonder u r not dissappointed. Lol. I will answer you later. I hope the moderators are seeing this and work on it.

Alwaystrue:

As usual you come with a mindset. I will answee you later.

why? Are u afraid ? Ok, i withdraw d questions, don't bother answering. Have a blessed wkend.

Alwaystrue:

As usual you come with a mindset. No wonder u r not dissappointed. Lol. I will answer you later. I hope the moderators are seeing this and work on it.

Sorry for any discomfort. Like i said, don't bother answering. Peace.

Isyncronizing time difference to be sure...

@All,
Thanks to all the presenters, i have had a quite busy week and been unable to check up your presentations. Infact i was out when i quickly checked and saw the questioms to me. I will go through and gain as much as I can.

Alwaystrue:
As usual you come with a mindset. No wonder u r not dissappointed. Lol. I will answer you later. I hope the moderators are seeing this and work on it.

As I gave my word to @christembassey and in the few minutes i will like him to understand that what i meant by law as control is what Paul ended Romans 7 with.

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Paul simple said thank God for Jesus, the grace of God, so he servea the law of God in his mind but when in the flesh, the law of sin. Whenever he allows his flesh overide his Spirit, he allows the law of sin rule over him which makes him to come to Christ for grace to help which helps him overcome in the future. That is what i meant by control.

The bible said that those who walk in the Spirit are not under the law meaning those who walk in the flesh are under the law...Christians walk in the flesh when they are not subject to the Spirit of God and that is how anger which leads to fighting which is against the law of the letter occurs. They need to run to the throne of grace to receive mercy and help.
Paul said he would not have know lust if not for the law and affirmed the law is good for its points us to our ever constant need for the Saviour.

I do not insist on law and grace. Scriptures do, i only say it please. The same gospel preached to Israel was preached to us but they didnt mix it with faith.

The finished works of Christ wasnt about going against the law but enabling the righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in us who walk after the Spirit not the flesh....it made it that plain.

It has been said grace is not lawlessness and if its not lawlessness its lawful...there is no middle ground...that is why i described at length the law of the Spirit which Christ fulfilled thus showing us exactly what His Father meant by the law of the letter.


I await Drummer's summarised questions.

Thank you Ihedinobi for your answer.

I have no more questions.

@Alwaystrue,
Great submissions as earlier pointed out, since we have you on standby for Q&A, please, enumerate more on law, grace and righteousness

Please give responses keeping in mind, in the context of Eden before the Fall (e.g law for Adam and Eve, and grace for Adam, Eve and maybe animals like birds etc)
and then righteousness in the beginning, as in Eden and the correlation with 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 3:22.
If possible, also the Hall of Faith, what exactly was the act/task done by each recipient, that it was credited or counted for each as righteous? Any reason(s) for this
(i.e. noting that each believers seems to be enjoying as per 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 3:22 a fast track righteous status, courtesy of what happened on the Cross)
Sorry, but we're all learning from all this.
Thanks in advance for the replies
PS: This can be declined without danger of repercussions

Good evening Brethren, the message "The Wonders of God's Grace" is forthcoming...

BabaGnoni: @Alwaystrue,
Great submissions as earlier pointed out, since we have you on standby for Q&A, please, enumerate more on law, grace and righteousness
Please give responses keeping in mind, in the context of Eden before the Fall (e.g law for Adam and Eve, and grace for Adam, Eve and maybe animals like birds etc)
and then righteousness in the beginning, as in Eden and the correlation with 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 3:22.
If possible, also the Hall of Faith, what exactly was the act/task done by each recipient, that it was credited or counted for each as righteous? Any reason(s) for this
(i.e. noting that each believers seems to be enjoying as per 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 3:22 a fast track righteous status, courtesy of what happened on the Cross)
Sorry, but we're all learning from all this.
Thanks in advance for the replies
PS: This can be declined without danger of repercussions

Thanks @babagnoni,
I will respond later as i have a fellowship to attend now.
On your PS: i wonder what repercussions I should be scared of on NL. Lol. Glad you know we all have a choice to do whatever we want. Thanks for the reminder.

Added: apologies Mark, didnt know you were about to post.

The Wonder of God’s Grace
Genesis 3:16 (KJV) Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Genesis 3:17 (KJV) And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Genesis 3:18 (KJV) Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Genesis 3:19 (KJV) In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

In Genesis 3:16, we see the God of all creation, who is clearly angry because of man disobeying Him, pronouncing judgment upon the first married couple who ever walked upon this Earth, and He put a curse upon the Earth as well. One man’s disobedience affected not just that one man, but the entire world and all of mankind who would be born upon the face of the Earth


Romans 5:12 (KJV) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

God had promised earlier in the creation story, death as the sentence to be carried out should the man and woman partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And just as God promised, the man and woman died that day as a result of disobedience. The immediate death was not physical, but rather it was spiritual.

In 1 Timothy 2:14, we read: And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Eve, being deceived, was in the transgression. At that moment that she partook of that fruit that God had forbidden, God could have struck her dead. He could have removed her life force from the face of the Earth and created another help meet for man. But, because of His infinite mercy, His unfailing love, and the Wonder of God's Grace, He did not.

God allowed the woman to live. He allowed her to give the fruit to her husband. Her husband ate of the fruit, and died spiritually with her. His love for his wife was so strong that he partook of the forbidden fruit, in spite of the fact that he knew he was being disobedient to God.

No doubt, there must have been a change in Eve’s countenance after partaking of that forbidden fruit… a change that caused her husband Adam to know that his wife was, though standing before him with life-giving blood flowing through her veins, now spiritually dead.

Jesus, toward the close of His speaking to the multitudes in what would later be known as “The Sermon on the Mount”, warned of false prophets, stating, “Ye shall know them by their fruits”. Adam must have witnessed something in Eve’s actions or expressions that instant that made him to know that his wife, the woman that God had told him to procreate with, had indeed spiritually died after eating of that forbidden fruit. For the Bible tells us that the man was not deceived, but the woman was deceived. Adam partook of that fruit with full understanding and full knowledge that he too, would die spiritually.

And so He ate, and subsequently hid from God. As God walked in the Garden in the cool of the day, the man and his wife hid in the flora, ashamed because their eyes had been opened to knowledge of good and evil. They realized their unclothedness and were afraid of being seen by God.

God called out to Adam, and Adam answered. In His calling out to Adam, God was revealing the Wonder of His Grace. God, being omniscient, already knew Adam had partaken of the tree that God had forbidden him to eat from. But God, in His infinite mercy and great love with which He loved Adam revealed His Grace by calling the man and his wife out of the bushes and unto Himself. What a perfect picture of the Wonder of God’s Grace so early in the first book of our sacred book, God’s Word.

God, in His infinite mercy, manifested the Wonders of His grace. Instead of destroying man for his act of disobedience, God extended that grace toward man and allowed him to live in a world that was once perfect, but now was cursed with thorns and thistles. Man, through his one act of disobedience had lost the authority to tend the Garden in Eden where the Tree of Life was planted. Man lost the ability to eat of that Tree of Life and live forever. Man lost his privilege to care for and dress the Garden that God had placed him in. But the Wonder of God’s Grace allowed him to continue to live outside the Garden in the now cursed world.

The woman, as our text above shows, did not go unpunished. God said that because of her rebellion she would have great sorrow in childbirth. We are not told whether the man and his wife had any children while he was filling the position of Caretaker of the Garden. However Genesis 1:28 reveals that God did tell them to “go forth and multiply”. God had given them His blessing to have children, thereby showing the Wonder of His Grace even before the fall.



The curse God gave to woman was that where there may not have been great pain in giving birth, she now would be tasked to endure much pain… “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and they conception” Sorrow where joy may have once been. Sorrow, not just because of the stress on her body during childbirth, but also because of knowing the life every child born to her would ultimately have to face because of her being deceived and giving in to the lust of the eyes.

Oh, how it must have torn at her heart to know what she had lost and what her children could have had if she had only been wise to the serpent s words when he beguiled her. And how she must have remembered God’s Words each time she brought forth children and experienced that “great pain” that God said she would experience through childbirth.!

But Oh, the wonders of God’s grace that the woman was given the chance to live a long life, if only outside of the Garden that she once walked with her husband and the Lord God in the cool of the day.

We read in the third chapter of Genesis how that after God sentenced mankind through judgment, God clothed man with coats of skin. We are not told what skin was used to cover the man and his wife. We do know that it was a type and shadow of a future sacrifice and covering that would be offered for all mankind through the death, burial and resurrection of God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

By one man’s disobedience sin entered into the world. And that man’s disobedience brought sin and death upon all men. We are told that because of that one’ man’s disobedience, the world quickly became full of wickedness. The Bible tells us that “man’s heart was only evil continuously.” God set His heart against man and against the Earth that He had created. He decided that the world was useless to Him and that He would destroy it completely.

No doubt, just as He spoke and the worlds were framed, He could have just as easily spoken and made them vanish in an instant of time. But because one man caught God’s attention, the Wonder of God’s Grace was shown to that man and his family.

The Wonder of God’s Grace allowed righteous Noah and his family to enter the ark and stay safe while the rest of the world, mankind, flora and fauna as well, perished in the great worldwide flood.

We are reminded of the Israelites, slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, who witnessed the Wonder of God’s Grace as God poured out plague upon plague upon Egypt. The plagues affected the Egyptians, but the Israelites were not affected. Prior to the last Biblical plague upon Egypt, the death of the firstborn of every Egyptian household and of every firstborn animal in the Egyptian flocks and herds, lambs were slain by Israelite households and the blood from those lambs put upon the doorway of the Israelite home, a type and shadow of the blood sacrifice that Jesus Christ the Righteous gave on Golgotha, the place of the skull, for all mankind.

It was that final plague that caused Pharaoh to release the Israelites and allow them to journey away from Egypt to go worship the LORD their God.

As they were journeying toward the Red Sea, the Wonder of God’s Grace is seen once again as God guided them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night until they reached the Red Sea.

We all know the story… Pharaoh had a change of heart once again and gathered an army to chase after the Israelites. The Wonder of God’s Grace made a way where there was no way. He parted the waters and they walked across on dry land! The Egyptians pursued them. God caused the waters to fall upon the Egyptian army and they were drowned. The Wonder of God’s Grace had protected the Israelites and destroyed their enemies.

We read of the wilderness wanderings, how that men began to murmur and complain, God provided manna from Heaven, birds brought them food as well. And twice they were given water from a rock. And yet, they did not see the Wonder of God’s Grace even though He had clearly bestowed it.

It is no surprise that Jesus later said, “No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.”

The Israelites murmured and complained, they voiced how they wished Moses had left them alone under the hands and rule of the Egyptians. The Wonder of God’s Grace had provided for them constantly, and yet, they were not focused on God. Had they focused on Him, they would not have complained as they did and would have recognized the Wonder of God's Grace.

Moses went up on the Mount to speak with God and God gave him commandments for the Israelites to observe and follow. There were 613 commandments in all that God told Moses the children of Israel were to observe.

It must be noted that God gave these commandments to Israel alone. He did not give them to Gentile nations.

God’s Word tells us in Exodus 12:49, “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

God was very careful to construct His words as He spoke them to Moses. Notice He said “and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you,” and not “and to you who live among the strangers” This reveals to us that the Mosaic Law was restricted to those living in the Promised Land.

We find further confirmation of this decree in the writings of King David,. In Psalm 147, we read:

Psalms 147:19 He sheweth His Word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel.
Psalms 147:20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.



God’s Law given to Israel, which was in effect from 1450 BC to 70 AD, all 613 statutes, torts and ordinances contained in that Law, was never given to Gentiles.

We have examined only a handful of the accounts of the Wonder of God’s Grace being shown in the Old Testament. There are many, many more. It was the wonder of God’s Grace that was bestowed upon the widow of Zarephath who shared her last meal with the Prophet and we are told that God multiplied what she had. We see the Wonder of God’s Grace in the story of the Hebrew children Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego as they declared to the king “we will not bow to your image, nor worship it”. The Wonder of God’s Grace was seen in a den of lions when the man of God, Daniel, was cast in for praying to Almighty God, disobeying the kings command.

Oh, that we will have that same boldness in the face of tribulation and persecution, that we might witness the Wonder of God’s Grace as the men of God in the Book of Daniel did!

Let us move forward to the year 4 BC. The year that an angel appeared to a young virgin named Mary. We are told how that God sent His Son into the world, made of a woman, to save His people from their sin.

Oh, the Wonder of God’s Grace extended in the giving of His only begotten Son to a sin-sick world! God’s chosen people Israel were still under the Law handed down to Moses from Heaven above. They were bound to the sacrifices, the offerings, ...all ordinances, statutes and torts written in that Law.

The could not deviate from the guidelines that God had established. In Deuteronomy 12:8, we read:

Deuteronomy 12:8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

Man could not just do whatever he chose to do. God did not give those 613 Laws to man so man could simply ignore them and do his own thing. He had to follow the Law precisely in the way that God had prescribed. Where God did allow substitutions, God revealed what those substitutions were to be. It was to be done God's way, not man's.

But after nearly 1,440 years of the the Wonder of God's Grace being displayed in the dispensation of the Law, in an even greater demonstration of the Wonder of God’s Grace, God sent His Son, whose life, death, burial and resurrection would be the catalyst for a New Covenant with Israel. And not with Israel only, but with every nation upon the face of God’s Earth.

Throughout His life on this Earth, Jesus Christ was manifesting the Wonder of God’s Grace everywhere He went. At twelve years old, the child Jesus amazed Rabbi’s in the Temple, answering questions concerning the Holy Scriptures. At twenty-nine He performed the first miracle man had ever seen Him do at a wedding feast in Cana. The wonder of God’s Grace is seen in His raising Lazarus from the dead, His healing blinded eyes, His casting out devils, in multiplying a few loaves and fishes for hungry crowds of thousands who had come to hear Him speak, and in the countless other miracles He performed while walking this Earth as the Son of man.

The Wonder of God’s Grace is seen in His restoring a servant’s ear after Peter had cut it off with a sword in the Garden of Gethsemane.

And then, we come to Golgotha, that horrible hill on which the Saviour was hung. As He was dying, He revealed once again the Wonder of God’s Grace when He said, “It is Finished!”

It is true, as He said in Matthew’s Gospel, that He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. And fulfill it He did. He did what no other man was able to do, He kept every aspect of the Law that applied to Him as an Israelite, born of the lineage of David.

But, we are told in Ephesians 2:14-15 that Christ, in His death, burial and resurrection, abolished the ordinances written in the Law.

Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Cancelled out. Completely! Man, who has trusted and is now married to Jesus Christ, no longer has to be governed by the Mosaic Law.

Romans 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Romans 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Romans 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

In Romans 7:1-4, the Apostle Paul likened a person who submits to the Law, while married to the One who has risen from the dead, to an adulterer married to a spouse, but living in the home of another.

My Brethren, The Wonder of God’s Grace has called us out of the bondage of the Mosaic Law. We have been freed from not only the law of sin and death, but we are told that we have been brought into a New Covenant. The old is ready to vanish away, as the author of the Book of Hebrews said nearly 2,000 years ago.

Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Colossians 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Where Grace abounds, there is liberty. There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Word of God has indeed freed us from the Law, never to be entangled again with its yoke of bondage. We needn’t wear that yoke, Christ wore it for us. We needn’t submit to the ordinances, Christ took them out of the way, nailing them to His cross. As the Apostle Paul wrote in the third chapter of Galatians, it is foolish for one who has begun in the Spirit to subject himself to the Law. How are we to expect Grace and Mercy from the Father, when we turn our backs on the price his Son paid for our freedom and choose to walk in ordinances that God’s Word said belonged to national Israel alone?

So many today are being told that they are lost and in need of a Saviour. This is true. So many are told that eternal life is a gift from God to man, and that the only things man has to do to receive this wonderful gift is to believe on Jesus Christ. This also is true.

The problem arises when we get the new Convert into the Church, the Convert quickly finds that, according to the pastor, there is a price to pay. The new Convert is told to keep certain of the ordinances that were given to national Israel. That God requires these ordinances to be observed by the Church members today. My Brethren, nothing could be farther from the Truth.

My Brethren, cast out the bondwoman and her son. Break away those chains that cause you to be unfaithful to the Lord. It is only when you walk away from the Law, that you will truly know the fullness of the Wonder of God’s Grace.

What is the Wonder of God’s Grace? It is all that I have mentioned this day, and more. It is the recognition of where God found us, what God offered us, what He has given those of us who have accepted that offer, and what He has prepared for us… despite the fact that we are a fallen race, despite the fact that we fail from time to time, despite all of our shortcomings.

The Wonder of God's Grace assure us that we are accepted in the Beloved.

As we come to the close of e-Grace Convention 2014, I want to acknowledge all who have participated in this great event. My prayer is that the messages have spoken to our hearts and challenged us to be more diligent in our studies of God’s Holy Word.
……………………………………………………………………………

For those who may have followed the speakers over the last three days, if you are unsure of your eternal state after this short existence on Earth, do not hesitate to make that decision today. Our Lord’s return is more nigh us that it has ever been. If you should die without Christ, you will miss the Wonder of God’s Grace, If you should die without the Lord, your only hope is to face Him in His wrath.

If you need to talk to someone concerning God’s Holy Word, I am sure any of the speakers of the Convention will be glad to open the Word and share Christ with you.

God bless all who work for His eternal Kingdom!

END

christemmbassey: Kudos@PastorOlu. But I expected sm tots on d Nigerian 'church' ie are we on track, and what's d duties of today's church to Nigeria as a nation. Bless u sir.

Thanks, seriously I wanted to bt space would not permit for I was careful not to exceed the limit n sticked to what ought to.

Bt any question is entertained n would be glad to answer.

God bless all the presenters, may the Lord continue to increase His grace upon your lives. And for the presenters, you guys are born for such a time like this, God bless you sirs. Also those that have made the convection a success with their thought provoking questions and answers, God bless you real good.

God bless us all as we all remain rapturable

Alwaystrue: @All,
Thanks to all the presenters, i have had a quite busy week and been unable to check up your presentations. Infact i was out when i quickly checked and saw the questioms to me. I will go through and gain as much as I can.


As I gave my word to @christembassey and in the few minutes i will like him to understand that what i meant by law as control is what Paul ended Romans 7 with.

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Paul simple said thank God for Jesus, the grace of God, so he servea the law of God in his mind but when in the flesh, the law of sin. Whenever he allows his flesh overide his Spirit, he allows the law of sin rule over him which makes him to come to Christ for grace to help which helps him overcome in the future. That is what i meant by control.

The bible said that those who walk in the Spirit are not under the law meaning those who walk in the flesh are under the law...Christians walk in the flesh when they are not subject to the Spirit of God and that is how anger which leads to fighting which is against the law of the letter occurs. They need to run to the throne of grace to receive mercy and help.
Paul said he would not have know lust if not for the law and affirmed the law is good for its points us to our ever constant need for the Saviour.

I do not insist on law and grace. Scriptures do, i only say it please. The same gospel preached to Israel was preached to us but they didnt mix it with faith.

The finished works of Christ wasnt about going against the law but enabling the righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in us who walk after the Spirit not the flesh....it made it that plain.

It has been said grace is not lawlessness and if its not lawlessness its lawful...there is no middle ground...that is why i described at length the law of the Spirit which Christ fulfilled thus showing us exactly what His Father meant by the law of the letter.


I await Drummer's summarised questions.

I TOTALY DISAGRY WITH THIS but since it appears u were nt ready to defend ur presentations, i'll let it pass. God bless.

Luke 5:37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
Luke 5:38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

In the above passage, Jesus was demonstrating the fact that Law and Grace CANNOT mix. The Old wine representing Law, the New representing Grace. The Old man, upon trusting Christ Jesus, becomes a New man. Grace (New Wine) is bestowed to the New man (New wineskins)

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Many refuse the New Wine, saying, "The Old is better". Yet Christ came to make all things New and in His death on the cross, has done away with the Old.

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

MarkMiwerds: Luke 5:37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
Luke 5:38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

In the above passage, Jesus was demonstrating the fact that Law and Grace CANNOT mix. The Old wine representing Law, the New representing Grace. The Old man, upon trusting Christ Jesus, becomes a New man. Grace (New Wine) is bestowed to the New man (New wineskins)

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Many refuse the New Wine, saying, "The Old is better". Yet Christ came to make all things New and in His death on the cross, has done away with the Old.

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

GOD BLESS YOU FOR THIS UNDILUTED TRUTH. I completly agree with ur submissions. This is sound, i mean very very sound. Not some confused middle road circumlucutions. Clearly written, honestly and passionatly rendered. Bravo, bravo sir. God bless you real big.

Thank you so much @ Markmiwerds. Great job and grace be multiplied unto you sir