Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "justification"
Justified. What's that?
There's this TV show about U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of Kentucky. The name of the show is Justified. No, the TV show has nothing to do with the topic of this post, so go back to your widescreen if that's what you're looking for.
Consider another TV show which is more appropriate for our topic, viz., Perry Mason. I know, it's a bit dated and some of you young whippersnappers might not have a clue. But it IS more apposite for our subject than the other TV show is.
Picture in your mind's eye this imaginary courtroom. The defendant is accused of killing his wife. His defense attorney is none other than the famous Perry Mason himself. Mason's P.I. sniffs around the crime scene a while and does his stuff elsewhere, coming up with a goodly number of clues. Perry Mason does his stuff and figures out who the real culprit is.
At the conclusion of the trial the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and roars in thunderous pronouncement, "NOT GUILTY!" Guess what? The defendant has just been justified. The word justification is a legal term which means "not guilty". It is really that simple, no matter how many paragraphs and chapters some theology textbooks use up in explaining it.
In Scripture we are taught by Judge Jesus that the absolute ONLY way to be justified is by grace through faith. The word grace refers to what God did all on His lonesome, and He freely bestows it on any person who will accept it by faith. The word faith has reference to what God teaches in the Bible. When we believe the Word of God in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we have Biblical faith.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, that there is salvation—in our case justification—in on one but Jesus Christ. Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection out of death is the basis for man's "not guilty" verdict regarding sin. When we believe the Bible regarding this matter, believe it in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we are justified. All our sins become judged on the cross circa 30 A.D., and we are thenceforth "not guilty" regarding them.
Isn't God marvelous? Isn't He awesome? I'd much rather depend on Him for salvation than on myself. Me get to heaven? Not a chance! But me "in Christ" get to heaven? Without a doubt.
Consider another TV show which is more appropriate for our topic, viz., Perry Mason. I know, it's a bit dated and some of you young whippersnappers might not have a clue. But it IS more apposite for our subject than the other TV show is.
Picture in your mind's eye this imaginary courtroom. The defendant is accused of killing his wife. His defense attorney is none other than the famous Perry Mason himself. Mason's P.I. sniffs around the crime scene a while and does his stuff elsewhere, coming up with a goodly number of clues. Perry Mason does his stuff and figures out who the real culprit is.
At the conclusion of the trial the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and roars in thunderous pronouncement, "NOT GUILTY!" Guess what? The defendant has just been justified. The word justification is a legal term which means "not guilty". It is really that simple, no matter how many paragraphs and chapters some theology textbooks use up in explaining it.
In Scripture we are taught by Judge Jesus that the absolute ONLY way to be justified is by grace through faith. The word grace refers to what God did all on His lonesome, and He freely bestows it on any person who will accept it by faith. The word faith has reference to what God teaches in the Bible. When we believe the Word of God in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we have Biblical faith.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, that there is salvation—in our case justification—in on one but Jesus Christ. Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection out of death is the basis for man's "not guilty" verdict regarding sin. When we believe the Bible regarding this matter, believe it in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we are justified. All our sins become judged on the cross circa 30 A.D., and we are thenceforth "not guilty" regarding them.
Isn't God marvelous? Isn't He awesome? I'd much rather depend on Him for salvation than on myself. Me get to heaven? Not a chance! But me "in Christ" get to heaven? Without a doubt.
Like being sanctified...
I remember a popular song back in the day with the lyrics, "like being sanctified". No, that song hasn't a thing to do with this post. So if you want to discuss the song, go to your mp3s!
Imagine a person who commits a crime and is hauled before the judge to stand trial. The evidence against him is inconclusive so the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and thunders, "Not guilty!" The man has just been justified. Trouble is, he IS guilty of the crime. In fact his life is filled with guilt for breaking the law.
This is where sanctification enters the picture. The guilty person has been freed from guilt for his crime. Double jeopardy prevents him from being retried for it. However, he does have a penchant for committing crimes. Will he return to his life of crime, or will he turn over a new leaf?
The word sanctification is a theology textbook word for turning over a new leaf. A saint is a sinner who has been justified. He/she has accepted the Lord's provision of forgiveness for sins, based upon the death on the cross of Jesus Christ for man's sins and his resurrection out of death. This acceptance was achieved by grace through faith. This means that the Bible stated this to be true, and he/she accepted in both the head and the heart that the Bible is true and acted accordingly.
The word sanctification refers to the continual present tense of a person's life, the day-to-day actions of a person in rejecting the old life of living for self and instead substitute the new life of living for Jesus. This is NOT a life of doing what seems good in our own estimation. It IS a life of faith, of feeding on the Bible daily in quiet time alone with the Lord to learn what He wants us to do, and then doing it.
Justification is a once-for-all act where we accept God's offer of forgiveness for sins by accepting the Lord Jesus' death on the cross as our substitute death, and receiving His new resurrection life in its place. Sanctification is our day-to-day action of refusing to live the old life of doing what seems right in our own eyes and living for self, but instead living according to what the Bible teaches us to do. This can only be done by quiet time alone with the Lord Jesus daily, in prayer and meditation on the Bible.
Justification is a one time, once-for-all act, with consequences which continue through the present time. In Grammar this is known as the perfect tense. Sanctification, contrariwise, is a present tense affair. It continues day in and day out throughout our lifetime.
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God already worked His salvation in us. That is justification. Our job as those who are born again and therefore kids in God's family is to live like it, to work out what God has already worked in us. This is sanctification.
Imagine a person who commits a crime and is hauled before the judge to stand trial. The evidence against him is inconclusive so the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and thunders, "Not guilty!" The man has just been justified. Trouble is, he IS guilty of the crime. In fact his life is filled with guilt for breaking the law.
This is where sanctification enters the picture. The guilty person has been freed from guilt for his crime. Double jeopardy prevents him from being retried for it. However, he does have a penchant for committing crimes. Will he return to his life of crime, or will he turn over a new leaf?
The word sanctification is a theology textbook word for turning over a new leaf. A saint is a sinner who has been justified. He/she has accepted the Lord's provision of forgiveness for sins, based upon the death on the cross of Jesus Christ for man's sins and his resurrection out of death. This acceptance was achieved by grace through faith. This means that the Bible stated this to be true, and he/she accepted in both the head and the heart that the Bible is true and acted accordingly.
The word sanctification refers to the continual present tense of a person's life, the day-to-day actions of a person in rejecting the old life of living for self and instead substitute the new life of living for Jesus. This is NOT a life of doing what seems good in our own estimation. It IS a life of faith, of feeding on the Bible daily in quiet time alone with the Lord to learn what He wants us to do, and then doing it.
Justification is a once-for-all act where we accept God's offer of forgiveness for sins by accepting the Lord Jesus' death on the cross as our substitute death, and receiving His new resurrection life in its place. Sanctification is our day-to-day action of refusing to live the old life of doing what seems right in our own eyes and living for self, but instead living according to what the Bible teaches us to do. This can only be done by quiet time alone with the Lord Jesus daily, in prayer and meditation on the Bible.
Justification is a one time, once-for-all act, with consequences which continue through the present time. In Grammar this is known as the perfect tense. Sanctification, contrariwise, is a present tense affair. It continues day in and day out throughout our lifetime.
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God already worked His salvation in us. That is justification. Our job as those who are born again and therefore kids in God's family is to live like it, to work out what God has already worked in us. This is sanctification.
Now that is glorious!
We've spent the last two posts vetting the theological concepts of justification and sanctification. The concept of justification occurs throughout the New Testament.
For example, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus [ Romans 3:26]. God can justify the sinner and still be just because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind for all of time. His death on the cross served that purpose. The wages of sin is death [Rom.6:23]. Jesus had no sin because He is God. Ergo, His death wasn't for His own sins but for everyone else's. Consequently God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus as their personal substitute sin offering.
Sanctification also fills the pages of the New Testament. By way of example, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God lives in the saved person, the born again person, the person who has been justified by faith in Christ Jesus.
The Christian has God's new life already in him/her. Our job is to mature spiritually so that we learn how to allow God control over our life. Instead of living in the power of our old life according to what we think, we live in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God . This maturing process is known as sanctification, and it lasts throughout our time here on earth. The old life remains inside the Christian and he/she has to choose to submit to it or else heed the Holy Spirit.
The third stage of salvation occurs when Christians are raptured, that point of time when the Lord Jesus calls us to meet Him in the clouds. At that time God's kids will be clothed in their new resurrection bodies, and this is their state through all eternity. This resurrection body is like that of the resurrected Christ. He is totally without sin, and so will we be thenceforth. No longer will temptation find a home in us. We will nevermore commit sin.
An example of glorification in the New Testament is in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Behold, I tell you a )mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
In Scripture the number "3" often typifies the superlative degree. For instance, we drive a car, someone else drives a better car, and then there is the best car. "Car" is the base degree, "better car" is the comparative degree, and "best car" is the superlative degree. Consider that there is the thrice holy God, and He is holy, holy, holy. This is Scripture typology to mean that God is the MOST HOLY GOD, the holiest God. No one can compare with Him.
By the same token man's salvation is comprised of three stages: the past or perfect tense stage, the continuous present tense stage, and the future tense stage. Biblical typology reads this as meaning that our salvation is the most complete in every way. Nothing can be added to it. It is lacking in nary a thing. Praise the Lord!Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book I: Chapters 1-16, Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book II: Chapters 17-34, Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesNumbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesExodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book II: Chapters 17-34: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book I: Chapters 1-16: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesHeavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes: An Exposition of the Scriptures for Disciples and Young Christians: Volume 1: GenesisGenesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes
For example, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus [ Romans 3:26]. God can justify the sinner and still be just because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind for all of time. His death on the cross served that purpose. The wages of sin is death [Rom.6:23]. Jesus had no sin because He is God. Ergo, His death wasn't for His own sins but for everyone else's. Consequently God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus as their personal substitute sin offering.
Sanctification also fills the pages of the New Testament. By way of example, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God lives in the saved person, the born again person, the person who has been justified by faith in Christ Jesus.
The Christian has God's new life already in him/her. Our job is to mature spiritually so that we learn how to allow God control over our life. Instead of living in the power of our old life according to what we think, we live in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God . This maturing process is known as sanctification, and it lasts throughout our time here on earth. The old life remains inside the Christian and he/she has to choose to submit to it or else heed the Holy Spirit.
The third stage of salvation occurs when Christians are raptured, that point of time when the Lord Jesus calls us to meet Him in the clouds. At that time God's kids will be clothed in their new resurrection bodies, and this is their state through all eternity. This resurrection body is like that of the resurrected Christ. He is totally without sin, and so will we be thenceforth. No longer will temptation find a home in us. We will nevermore commit sin.
An example of glorification in the New Testament is in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Behold, I tell you a )mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
In Scripture the number "3" often typifies the superlative degree. For instance, we drive a car, someone else drives a better car, and then there is the best car. "Car" is the base degree, "better car" is the comparative degree, and "best car" is the superlative degree. Consider that there is the thrice holy God, and He is holy, holy, holy. This is Scripture typology to mean that God is the MOST HOLY GOD, the holiest God. No one can compare with Him.
By the same token man's salvation is comprised of three stages: the past or perfect tense stage, the continuous present tense stage, and the future tense stage. Biblical typology reads this as meaning that our salvation is the most complete in every way. Nothing can be added to it. It is lacking in nary a thing. Praise the Lord!Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book I: Chapters 1-16, Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book II: Chapters 17-34, Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesNumbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesExodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book II: Chapters 17-34: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesDeuteronomy Book I: Chapters 1-16: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesHeavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes: An Exposition of the Scriptures for Disciples and Young Christians: Volume 1: GenesisGenesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes
When Perfect Is Not A Good Thing – Part 1
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [John 3:16-18].
John 3:16 is one of the most recognized Bible verses ever. It can be seen displayed on signs and placards at fooball games and other sports. Even the simple chapter/verse identification is well known, being akin to a slogan. The phrase “John 3:16” by itself is equivalent to the words of the verse.
But those words are not our topic of discussion for today. They are included because it is awkward to separate v.16 from verses 17-18. We need the context of vv.16-17 to understand where v.18 is coming from, you see. Verse 18 is our topic for discussion.
Let’s read v.18 together, shall we?
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Notice in those words two classifications of people. On one side is the only begotten Son of God, on the other is mankind. Notice the two categories of humans. Some of us believe in Him, while others do not believe.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, brings separation to the ranks of mankind. He causes division within families, within churches, within marriages, between friends and neighbors. Jesus Christ first separates the wheat from the chaff, the dross from the molten metal, before He brings peace with God to man. This perforce must occur on an individual basis. Each person is required to make his own choice of his own free will.
How does this transpire? Well, first Jesus proclaims the Gospel, which includes the truth that all men and women have sinned and are separated from God. It also includes the truth that Jesus is the only way for man to return to God. Jesus makes this possible in Himself because He died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind.
Any person who accepts this Word of God (i.e., has faith or belief), and receives Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins, has the penalty for his sins paid. Ergo, he no longer stands guilty before God’s tribunal. He is not judged.
Any person who does not receive Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins—i.e., has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God—does not have the penalty for his sins paid. He does stand guilty before God’s tribunal. But here is the detail we must understand: such a one has been judged already. He won’t stand before God’s tribunal to be judged because God already declared him guilty. He will stand before God’s tribunal for sentencing.
Contrast the two categories of mankind created by the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
• believes in Him
• does not believe
Add to this the contrast in the result of believing or not believing:
• is not judged
• has been judged already
I of necessity must talk a tad about Greek tenses here. But not to worry. I will keep it short and simple. The first result leads to a present tense verb. This means it is a continuous occurrence, a continuous present existence. In other words the believer is currently and continuously NOT JUDGED. He doesn’t have to wait until he stands before God’s tribunal to hear His verdict. The verdict is already given as an established fact, with the result being that the person who believes in the Lord Jesus as His substitute sin offering is not ever called before God’s tribunal to stand trial. He is NOT JUDGED! Rather, he is already justified (i.e., declared “not guilty!”).
The second result is not such a pleasant thing to discuss, but it is utterly real and needs our full attention. The second result stems from the past, not the present or the future. Still, it is not a past tense verb, which in the Greek is known as the aorist tense. No! It is a perfect tense verb.
But time to take a breather and sip on some spiritual Gatorade. I will explain the distinction in the next study. You won’t want to miss it because it is deeply revealing.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
John 3:16 is one of the most recognized Bible verses ever. It can be seen displayed on signs and placards at fooball games and other sports. Even the simple chapter/verse identification is well known, being akin to a slogan. The phrase “John 3:16” by itself is equivalent to the words of the verse.
But those words are not our topic of discussion for today. They are included because it is awkward to separate v.16 from verses 17-18. We need the context of vv.16-17 to understand where v.18 is coming from, you see. Verse 18 is our topic for discussion.
Let’s read v.18 together, shall we?
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Notice in those words two classifications of people. On one side is the only begotten Son of God, on the other is mankind. Notice the two categories of humans. Some of us believe in Him, while others do not believe.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, brings separation to the ranks of mankind. He causes division within families, within churches, within marriages, between friends and neighbors. Jesus Christ first separates the wheat from the chaff, the dross from the molten metal, before He brings peace with God to man. This perforce must occur on an individual basis. Each person is required to make his own choice of his own free will.
How does this transpire? Well, first Jesus proclaims the Gospel, which includes the truth that all men and women have sinned and are separated from God. It also includes the truth that Jesus is the only way for man to return to God. Jesus makes this possible in Himself because He died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind.
Any person who accepts this Word of God (i.e., has faith or belief), and receives Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins, has the penalty for his sins paid. Ergo, he no longer stands guilty before God’s tribunal. He is not judged.
Any person who does not receive Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins—i.e., has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God—does not have the penalty for his sins paid. He does stand guilty before God’s tribunal. But here is the detail we must understand: such a one has been judged already. He won’t stand before God’s tribunal to be judged because God already declared him guilty. He will stand before God’s tribunal for sentencing.
Contrast the two categories of mankind created by the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
• believes in Him
• does not believe
Add to this the contrast in the result of believing or not believing:
• is not judged
• has been judged already
I of necessity must talk a tad about Greek tenses here. But not to worry. I will keep it short and simple. The first result leads to a present tense verb. This means it is a continuous occurrence, a continuous present existence. In other words the believer is currently and continuously NOT JUDGED. He doesn’t have to wait until he stands before God’s tribunal to hear His verdict. The verdict is already given as an established fact, with the result being that the person who believes in the Lord Jesus as His substitute sin offering is not ever called before God’s tribunal to stand trial. He is NOT JUDGED! Rather, he is already justified (i.e., declared “not guilty!”).
The second result is not such a pleasant thing to discuss, but it is utterly real and needs our full attention. The second result stems from the past, not the present or the future. Still, it is not a past tense verb, which in the Greek is known as the aorist tense. No! It is a perfect tense verb.
But time to take a breather and sip on some spiritual Gatorade. I will explain the distinction in the next study. You won’t want to miss it because it is deeply revealing.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
When Perfect Is Not A Good Thing – Part 2
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [John 3:16-18].
Let me explain the difference between the aorist tense and the perfect tense of Greek verbs. I believe you will agree with me that sometimes being perfect is not a good thing. You needn’t remember the names of the verb tenses, dear friends, only the difference between them. The Holy Spirit purposely chose the verb tenses to teach us a lot of deep spiritual truth.
The aorist tense means that something happened in the past one time only, and that is the extent of the action. The perfect tense means that something occurred in the past one time only, but the emphasis is on its continuing effect. Whatever occurred continues to remain true up to the present day. “Once upon a time something happened” = aorist tense. “Once upon a time something happened, and now look at the mess we’re in!” = perfect tense.
Here is a for instance to help understand what I just stated. Aorist Tense: “He killed a man two years ago.” Perfect Tense: “He has contracted AIDS and now is incurable.” See! In the first example the person isn’t continuously killing a man. Nor does the sentence refer to anything going on today. Once upon a time two years ago this person killed a man. Period. That’s all the past tense verb states.
In the second example the person isn’t continuously contracting AIDS. Nor does the sentence simply note that at one point in the past he contracted AIDS. The verb being perfect tense, the emphasis is upon the man’s AIDS having the continuing effect of rendering him incurable to the present day. I hope this helps you to understand the distinction because vital spiritual understanding grows out of this field. Let’s harvest it now, shall we?
In John 3:18 anyone who believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not judged. The verb is present tense. We explained five paragraphs prior what this means. In contrast, though, anyone who does not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judge already. The verb is perfect tense. This means that sometime in the past the person was already judged guilty, and the effect of this judgment is that he continues to remain guilty. The emphasis is upon his present condition, which was caused sometime in the past.
A weighty Biblical mystery is revealed by this usage of verb tenses. God created each species to produce after its own kind. It matters not whether it be vegetable, animal, or human. Apple seeds do not grow pears, not thistles produce corn. Monkeys do not evolve into humans either! Apple seeds grow apple trees which produce more apples. Monkeys give birth to monkeys. Humans give birth to humans. It matters not how many surreal ages of evolution we add to the mix of our hypothesis, no one has ever seen anything in real life which shows one species changing into another.
The Bible has a penchant for employing visible physical realities to teach us invisible spiritual truths. The fact that each species ALWAYS reproduces after its own kind is one example of this. How so? Just this, that sinners cannot produce saints. Sinners produce sinners. When Father Adam sinned, he became a sinner. Whereas every human being has a genealogy which traces back to Father Adam, every human being is a sinner. Why? Because Father Adam was a sinner, and sinners can only reproduce sinners.
This is the reason why any person who does not believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judged already, and I might add that he has been found wanting and condemned already. Don’t miss the implications of this. The perfect tense verb usage in John 3:18 proclaims the doctrine of the total depravity of man. We are born sinners. We are born with a sin nature. We are born with a predilection to disobey the Word of God, to reject Him and do our own thing.
• the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)
• all have sinned (Romans 3:23)
• ergo, all must die.
We have already been judged and condemned, you see, because we are sinners. UNTIL we believe the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as the payment for our sins, we remain in that condition (perfect tense). Anytime a person does accept Jesus’ death as the payment for his sins, he is not judged because he is no longer a sinner. The penalty for his sins has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross, and IT IS FINISHED!
Hallelujah! Such a profound and wonderful mystery to be revealed by the simple usage of verb tenses. Each person is born dead in his sins and separated from God. Each person remains this way until he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accepts Jesus as His Savior. Fine revelation, that.
So this is your chance. If you have yet to believe the Gospel, what are you waiting for? Behold, now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Let me explain the difference between the aorist tense and the perfect tense of Greek verbs. I believe you will agree with me that sometimes being perfect is not a good thing. You needn’t remember the names of the verb tenses, dear friends, only the difference between them. The Holy Spirit purposely chose the verb tenses to teach us a lot of deep spiritual truth.
The aorist tense means that something happened in the past one time only, and that is the extent of the action. The perfect tense means that something occurred in the past one time only, but the emphasis is on its continuing effect. Whatever occurred continues to remain true up to the present day. “Once upon a time something happened” = aorist tense. “Once upon a time something happened, and now look at the mess we’re in!” = perfect tense.
Here is a for instance to help understand what I just stated. Aorist Tense: “He killed a man two years ago.” Perfect Tense: “He has contracted AIDS and now is incurable.” See! In the first example the person isn’t continuously killing a man. Nor does the sentence refer to anything going on today. Once upon a time two years ago this person killed a man. Period. That’s all the past tense verb states.
In the second example the person isn’t continuously contracting AIDS. Nor does the sentence simply note that at one point in the past he contracted AIDS. The verb being perfect tense, the emphasis is upon the man’s AIDS having the continuing effect of rendering him incurable to the present day. I hope this helps you to understand the distinction because vital spiritual understanding grows out of this field. Let’s harvest it now, shall we?
In John 3:18 anyone who believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not judged. The verb is present tense. We explained five paragraphs prior what this means. In contrast, though, anyone who does not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judge already. The verb is perfect tense. This means that sometime in the past the person was already judged guilty, and the effect of this judgment is that he continues to remain guilty. The emphasis is upon his present condition, which was caused sometime in the past.
A weighty Biblical mystery is revealed by this usage of verb tenses. God created each species to produce after its own kind. It matters not whether it be vegetable, animal, or human. Apple seeds do not grow pears, not thistles produce corn. Monkeys do not evolve into humans either! Apple seeds grow apple trees which produce more apples. Monkeys give birth to monkeys. Humans give birth to humans. It matters not how many surreal ages of evolution we add to the mix of our hypothesis, no one has ever seen anything in real life which shows one species changing into another.
The Bible has a penchant for employing visible physical realities to teach us invisible spiritual truths. The fact that each species ALWAYS reproduces after its own kind is one example of this. How so? Just this, that sinners cannot produce saints. Sinners produce sinners. When Father Adam sinned, he became a sinner. Whereas every human being has a genealogy which traces back to Father Adam, every human being is a sinner. Why? Because Father Adam was a sinner, and sinners can only reproduce sinners.
This is the reason why any person who does not believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judged already, and I might add that he has been found wanting and condemned already. Don’t miss the implications of this. The perfect tense verb usage in John 3:18 proclaims the doctrine of the total depravity of man. We are born sinners. We are born with a sin nature. We are born with a predilection to disobey the Word of God, to reject Him and do our own thing.
• the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)
• all have sinned (Romans 3:23)
• ergo, all must die.
We have already been judged and condemned, you see, because we are sinners. UNTIL we believe the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as the payment for our sins, we remain in that condition (perfect tense). Anytime a person does accept Jesus’ death as the payment for his sins, he is not judged because he is no longer a sinner. The penalty for his sins has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross, and IT IS FINISHED!
Hallelujah! Such a profound and wonderful mystery to be revealed by the simple usage of verb tenses. Each person is born dead in his sins and separated from God. Each person remains this way until he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accepts Jesus as His Savior. Fine revelation, that.
So this is your chance. If you have yet to believe the Gospel, what are you waiting for? Behold, now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Justified. What's that?
There's this TV show about U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of Kentucky. The name of the show is Justified. No, the TV show has nothing to do with the topic of this post, so go back to your widescreen if that's what you're looking for.
Consider another TV show which is more appropriate for our topic, viz., Perry Mason. I know, it's a bit dated and some of you young whippersnappers might not have a clue. But it IS more apposite for our subject than the other TV show is.
Picture in your mind's eye this imaginary courtroom. The defendant is accused of killing his wife. His defense attorney is none other than the famous Perry Mason himself. Mason's P.I. sniffs around the crime scene a while and does his stuff elsewhere, coming up with a goodly number of clues. Perry Mason does his stuff and figures out who the real culprit is.
At the conclusion of the trial the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and roars in thunderous pronouncement, "NOT GUILTY!" Guess what? The defendant has just been justified. The word justification is a legal term which means "not guilty". It is really that simple, no matter how many paragraphs and chapters some theology textbooks use up in explaining it.
In Scripture we are taught by Judge Jesus that the absolute ONLY way to be justified is by grace through faith. The word grace refers to what God did all on His lonesome, and He freely bestows it on any person who will accept it by faith. The word faith has reference to what God teaches in the Bible. When we believe the Word of God in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we have Biblical faith.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, that there is salvation—in our case justification—in on one but Jesus Christ. Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection out of death is the basis for man's "not guilty" verdict regarding sin. When we believe the Bible regarding this matter, believe it in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we are justified. All our sins become judged on the cross circa 30 A.D., and we are thenceforth "not guilty" regarding them.
Isn't God marvelous? Isn't He awesome? I'd much rather depend on Him for salvation than on myself. Me get to heaven? Not a chance! But me "in Christ" get to heaven? Without a doubt.
Consider another TV show which is more appropriate for our topic, viz., Perry Mason. I know, it's a bit dated and some of you young whippersnappers might not have a clue. But it IS more apposite for our subject than the other TV show is.
Picture in your mind's eye this imaginary courtroom. The defendant is accused of killing his wife. His defense attorney is none other than the famous Perry Mason himself. Mason's P.I. sniffs around the crime scene a while and does his stuff elsewhere, coming up with a goodly number of clues. Perry Mason does his stuff and figures out who the real culprit is.
At the conclusion of the trial the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and roars in thunderous pronouncement, "NOT GUILTY!" Guess what? The defendant has just been justified. The word justification is a legal term which means "not guilty". It is really that simple, no matter how many paragraphs and chapters some theology textbooks use up in explaining it.
In Scripture we are taught by Judge Jesus that the absolute ONLY way to be justified is by grace through faith. The word grace refers to what God did all on His lonesome, and He freely bestows it on any person who will accept it by faith. The word faith has reference to what God teaches in the Bible. When we believe the Word of God in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we have Biblical faith.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, that there is salvation—in our case justification—in on one but Jesus Christ. Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection out of death is the basis for man's "not guilty" verdict regarding sin. When we believe the Bible regarding this matter, believe it in our heart and confess it with our mouth, then we are justified. All our sins become judged on the cross circa 30 A.D., and we are thenceforth "not guilty" regarding them.
Isn't God marvelous? Isn't He awesome? I'd much rather depend on Him for salvation than on myself. Me get to heaven? Not a chance! But me "in Christ" get to heaven? Without a doubt.
Like being sanctified...
I remember a popular song back in the day with the lyrics, "like being sanctified". No, that song hasn't a thing to do with this post. So if you want to discuss the song, go to your mp3s!
Imagine a person who commits a crime and is hauled before the judge to stand trial. The evidence against him is inconclusive so the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and thunders, "Not guilty!" The man has just been justified. Trouble is, he IS guilty of the crime. In fact his life is filled with guilt for breaking the law.
This is where sanctification enters the picture. The guilty person has been freed from guilt for his crime. Double jeopardy prevents him from being retried for it. However, he does have a penchant for committing crimes. Will he return to his life of crime, or will he turn over a new leaf?
The word sanctification is a theology textbook word for turning over a new leaf. A saint is a sinner who has been justified. He/she has accepted the Lord's provision of forgiveness for sins, based upon the death on the cross of Jesus Christ for man's sins and his resurrection out of death. This acceptance was achieved by grace through faith. This means that the Bible stated this to be true, and he/she accepted in both the head and the heart that the Bible is true and acted accordingly.
The word sanctification refers to the continual present tense of a person's life, the day-to-day actions of a person in rejecting the old life of living for self and instead substitute the new life of living for Jesus. This is NOT a life of doing what seems good in our own estimation. It IS a life of faith, of feeding on the Bible daily in quiet time alone with the Lord to learn what He wants us to do, and then doing it.
Justification is a once-for-all act where we accept God's offer of forgiveness for sins by accepting the Lord Jesus' death on the cross as our substitute death, and receiving His new resurrection life in its place. Sanctification is our day-to-day action of refusing to live the old life of doing what seems right in our own eyes and living for self, but instead living according to what the Bible teaches us to do. This can only be done by quiet time alone with the Lord Jesus daily, in prayer and meditation on the Bible.
Justification is a one time, once-for-all act, with consequences which continue through the present time. In Grammar this is known as the perfect tense. Sanctification, contrariwise, is a present tense affair. It continues day in and day out throughout our lifetime.
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God already worked His salvation in us. That is justification. Our job as those who are born again and therefore kids in God's family is to live like it, to work out what God has already worked in us. This is sanctification.
Imagine a person who commits a crime and is hauled before the judge to stand trial. The evidence against him is inconclusive so the judge pounds his gavel on the judge's bench and thunders, "Not guilty!" The man has just been justified. Trouble is, he IS guilty of the crime. In fact his life is filled with guilt for breaking the law.
This is where sanctification enters the picture. The guilty person has been freed from guilt for his crime. Double jeopardy prevents him from being retried for it. However, he does have a penchant for committing crimes. Will he return to his life of crime, or will he turn over a new leaf?
The word sanctification is a theology textbook word for turning over a new leaf. A saint is a sinner who has been justified. He/she has accepted the Lord's provision of forgiveness for sins, based upon the death on the cross of Jesus Christ for man's sins and his resurrection out of death. This acceptance was achieved by grace through faith. This means that the Bible stated this to be true, and he/she accepted in both the head and the heart that the Bible is true and acted accordingly.
The word sanctification refers to the continual present tense of a person's life, the day-to-day actions of a person in rejecting the old life of living for self and instead substitute the new life of living for Jesus. This is NOT a life of doing what seems good in our own estimation. It IS a life of faith, of feeding on the Bible daily in quiet time alone with the Lord to learn what He wants us to do, and then doing it.
Justification is a once-for-all act where we accept God's offer of forgiveness for sins by accepting the Lord Jesus' death on the cross as our substitute death, and receiving His new resurrection life in its place. Sanctification is our day-to-day action of refusing to live the old life of doing what seems right in our own eyes and living for self, but instead living according to what the Bible teaches us to do. This can only be done by quiet time alone with the Lord Jesus daily, in prayer and meditation on the Bible.
Justification is a one time, once-for-all act, with consequences which continue through the present time. In Grammar this is known as the perfect tense. Sanctification, contrariwise, is a present tense affair. It continues day in and day out throughout our lifetime.
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God already worked His salvation in us. That is justification. Our job as those who are born again and therefore kids in God's family is to live like it, to work out what God has already worked in us. This is sanctification.
Now that is glorious!
We've spent the last two posts vetting the theological concepts of justification and sanctification. The concept of justification occurs throughout the New Testament.
For example, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus [ Romans 3:26]. God can justify the sinner and still be just because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind for all of time. His death on the cross served that purpose. The wages of sin is death [Rom.6:23]. Jesus had no sin because He is God. Ergo, His death wasn't for His own sins but for everyone else's. Consequently God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus as their personal substitute sin offering.
Sanctification also fills the pages of the New Testament. By way of example, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God lives in the saved person, the born again person, the person who has been justified by faith in Christ Jesus.
The Christian has God's new life already in him/her. Our job is to mature spiritually so that we learn how to allow God control over our life. Instead of living in the power of our old life according to what we think, we live in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God . This maturing process is known as sanctification, and it lasts throughout our time here on earth. The old life remains inside the Christian and he/she has to choose to submit to it or else heed the Holy Spirit.
The third stage of salvation occurs when Christians are raptured, that point of time when the Lord Jesus calls us to meet Him in the clouds. At that time God's kids will be clothed in their new resurrection bodies, and this is their state through all eternity. This resurrection body is like that of the resurrected Christ. He is totally without sin, and so will we be thenceforth. No longer will temptation find a home in us. We will nevermore commit sin.
An example of glorification in the New Testament is in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Behold, I tell you a )mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
In Scripture the number "3" often typifies the superlative degree. For instance, we drive a car, someone else drives a better car, and then there is the best car. "Car" is the base degree, "better car" is the comparative degree, and "best car" is the superlative degree. Consider that there is the thrice holy God, and He is holy, holy, holy. This is Scripture typology to mean that God is the MOST HOLY GOD, the holiest God. No one can compare with Him.
By the same token man's salvation is comprised of three stages: the past or perfect tense stage, the continuous present tense stage, and the future tense stage. Biblical typology reads this as meaning that our salvation is the most complete in every way. Nothing can be added to it. It is lacking in nary a thing. Praise the Lord!
For example, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus [ Romans 3:26]. God can justify the sinner and still be just because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind for all of time. His death on the cross served that purpose. The wages of sin is death [Rom.6:23]. Jesus had no sin because He is God. Ergo, His death wasn't for His own sins but for everyone else's. Consequently God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus as their personal substitute sin offering.
Sanctification also fills the pages of the New Testament. By way of example, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure [Philippians 2:12-13]. God lives in the saved person, the born again person, the person who has been justified by faith in Christ Jesus.
The Christian has God's new life already in him/her. Our job is to mature spiritually so that we learn how to allow God control over our life. Instead of living in the power of our old life according to what we think, we live in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God . This maturing process is known as sanctification, and it lasts throughout our time here on earth. The old life remains inside the Christian and he/she has to choose to submit to it or else heed the Holy Spirit.
The third stage of salvation occurs when Christians are raptured, that point of time when the Lord Jesus calls us to meet Him in the clouds. At that time God's kids will be clothed in their new resurrection bodies, and this is their state through all eternity. This resurrection body is like that of the resurrected Christ. He is totally without sin, and so will we be thenceforth. No longer will temptation find a home in us. We will nevermore commit sin.
An example of glorification in the New Testament is in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Behold, I tell you a )mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
In Scripture the number "3" often typifies the superlative degree. For instance, we drive a car, someone else drives a better car, and then there is the best car. "Car" is the base degree, "better car" is the comparative degree, and "best car" is the superlative degree. Consider that there is the thrice holy God, and He is holy, holy, holy. This is Scripture typology to mean that God is the MOST HOLY GOD, the holiest God. No one can compare with Him.
By the same token man's salvation is comprised of three stages: the past or perfect tense stage, the continuous present tense stage, and the future tense stage. Biblical typology reads this as meaning that our salvation is the most complete in every way. Nothing can be added to it. It is lacking in nary a thing. Praise the Lord!
When Perfect Is Not A Good Thing – Part 1
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [John 3:16-18].
John 3:16 is one of the most recognized Bible verses ever. It can be seen displayed on signs and placards at football games and other sports. Even the simple chapter/verse identification is well known, being akin to a slogan. The phrase “John 3:16” by itself is equivalent to the words of the verse.
But those words are not our topic of discussion for today. They are included because it is awkward to separate v.16 from verses 17-18. We need the context of vv.16-17 to understand where v.18 is coming from, you see. Verse 18 is our topic for discussion.
Let’s read v.18 together, shall we?
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Notice in those words two classifications of people. On one side is the only begotten Son of God, on the other is mankind. Notice the two categories of humans. Some of us believe in Him, while others do not believe.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, brings separation to the ranks of mankind. He causes division within families, within churches, within marriages, between friends and neighbors. Jesus Christ first separates the wheat from the chaff, the dross from the molten metal, before He brings peace with God to man. This perforce must occur on an individual basis. Each person is required to make his own choice of his own free will.
How does this transpire? Well, first Jesus proclaims the Gospel, which includes the truth that all men and women have sinned and are separated from God. It also includes the truth that Jesus is the only way for man to return to God. Jesus makes this possible in Himself because He died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind.
Any person who accepts this Word of God (i.e., has faith or belief), and receives Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins, has the penalty for his sins paid. Ergo, he no longer stands guilty before God’s tribunal. He is not judged.
Any person who does not receive Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins—i.e., has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God—does not have the penalty for his sins paid. He does stand guilty before God’s tribunal. But here is the detail we must understand: such a one has been judged already. He won’t stand before God’s tribunal to be judged because God already declared him guilty. He will stand before God’s tribunal for sentencing.
Contrast the two categories of mankind created by the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
• believes in Him
• does not believe
Add to this the contrast in the result of believing or not believing:
• is not judged
• has been judged already
I of necessity must talk a tad about Greek tenses here. But not to worry. I will keep it short and simple. The first result leads to a present tense verb. This means it is a continuous occurrence, a continuous present existence. In other words the believer is currently and continuously NOT JUDGED. He doesn’t have to wait until he stands before God’s tribunal to hear His verdict. The verdict is already given as an established fact, with the result being that the person who believes in the Lord Jesus as His substitute sin offering is not ever called before God’s tribunal to stand trial. He is NOT JUDGED! Rather, he is already justified (i.e., declared “not guilty!”).
The second result is not such a pleasant thing to discuss, but it is utterly real and needs our full attention. The second result stems from the past, not the present or the future. Still, it is not a past tense verb, which in the Greek is known as the aorist tense. No! It is a perfect tense verb.
But time to take a breather and sip on some spiritual Gatorade. I will explain the distinction in the next study. You won’t want to miss it because it is deeply revealing.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
John 3:16 is one of the most recognized Bible verses ever. It can be seen displayed on signs and placards at football games and other sports. Even the simple chapter/verse identification is well known, being akin to a slogan. The phrase “John 3:16” by itself is equivalent to the words of the verse.
But those words are not our topic of discussion for today. They are included because it is awkward to separate v.16 from verses 17-18. We need the context of vv.16-17 to understand where v.18 is coming from, you see. Verse 18 is our topic for discussion.
Let’s read v.18 together, shall we?
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Notice in those words two classifications of people. On one side is the only begotten Son of God, on the other is mankind. Notice the two categories of humans. Some of us believe in Him, while others do not believe.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, brings separation to the ranks of mankind. He causes division within families, within churches, within marriages, between friends and neighbors. Jesus Christ first separates the wheat from the chaff, the dross from the molten metal, before He brings peace with God to man. This perforce must occur on an individual basis. Each person is required to make his own choice of his own free will.
How does this transpire? Well, first Jesus proclaims the Gospel, which includes the truth that all men and women have sinned and are separated from God. It also includes the truth that Jesus is the only way for man to return to God. Jesus makes this possible in Himself because He died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind.
Any person who accepts this Word of God (i.e., has faith or belief), and receives Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins, has the penalty for his sins paid. Ergo, he no longer stands guilty before God’s tribunal. He is not judged.
Any person who does not receive Jesus’ death as the substitute offering for his own sins—i.e., has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God—does not have the penalty for his sins paid. He does stand guilty before God’s tribunal. But here is the detail we must understand: such a one has been judged already. He won’t stand before God’s tribunal to be judged because God already declared him guilty. He will stand before God’s tribunal for sentencing.
Contrast the two categories of mankind created by the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
• believes in Him
• does not believe
Add to this the contrast in the result of believing or not believing:
• is not judged
• has been judged already
I of necessity must talk a tad about Greek tenses here. But not to worry. I will keep it short and simple. The first result leads to a present tense verb. This means it is a continuous occurrence, a continuous present existence. In other words the believer is currently and continuously NOT JUDGED. He doesn’t have to wait until he stands before God’s tribunal to hear His verdict. The verdict is already given as an established fact, with the result being that the person who believes in the Lord Jesus as His substitute sin offering is not ever called before God’s tribunal to stand trial. He is NOT JUDGED! Rather, he is already justified (i.e., declared “not guilty!”).
The second result is not such a pleasant thing to discuss, but it is utterly real and needs our full attention. The second result stems from the past, not the present or the future. Still, it is not a past tense verb, which in the Greek is known as the aorist tense. No! It is a perfect tense verb.
But time to take a breather and sip on some spiritual Gatorade. I will explain the distinction in the next study. You won’t want to miss it because it is deeply revealing.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
When Perfect Is Not A Good Thing – Part 2
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [John 3:16-18].
Let me explain the difference between the aorist tense and the perfect tense of Greek verbs. I believe you will agree with me that sometimes being perfect is not a good thing. You needn’t remember the names of the verb tenses, dear friends, only the difference between them. The Holy Spirit purposely chose the verb tenses to teach us a lot of deep spiritual truth.
The aorist tense means that something happened in the past one time only, and that is the extent of the action. The perfect tense means that something occurred in the past one time only, but the emphasis is on its continuing effect. Whatever occurred continues to remain true up to the present day. “Once upon a time something happened” = aorist tense. “Once upon a time something happened, and now look at the mess we’re in!” = perfect tense.
Here is a for instance to help understand what I just stated. Aorist Tense: “He killed a man two years ago.” Perfect Tense: “He has contracted AIDS and now is incurable.” See! In the first example the person isn’t continuously killing a man. Nor does the sentence refer to anything going on today. Once upon a time two years ago this person killed a man. Period. That’s all the past tense verb states.
In the second example the person isn’t continuously contracting AIDS. Nor does the sentence simply note that at one point in the past he contracted AIDS. The verb being perfect tense, the emphasis is upon the man’s AIDS having the continuing effect of rendering him incurable to the present day. I hope this helps you to understand the distinction because vital spiritual understanding grows out of this field. Let’s harvest it now, shall we?
In John 3:18 anyone who believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not judged. The verb is present tense. We explained five paragraphs prior what this means. In contrast, though, anyone who does not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judge already. The verb is perfect tense. This means that sometime in the past the person was already judged guilty, and the effect of this judgment is that he continues to remain guilty. The emphasis is upon his present condition, which was caused sometime in the past.
A weighty Biblical mystery is revealed by this usage of verb tenses. God created each species to produce after its own kind. It matters not whether it be vegetable, animal, or human. Apple seeds do not grow pears, not thistles produce corn. Monkeys do not evolve into humans either! Apple seeds grow apple trees which produce more apples. Monkeys give birth to monkeys. Humans give birth to humans. It matters not how many surreal ages of evolution we add to the mix of our hypothesis, no one has ever seen anything in real life which shows one species changing into another.
The Bible has a penchant for employing visible physical realities to teach us invisible spiritual truths. The fact that each species ALWAYS reproduces after its own kind is one example of this. How so? Just this, that sinners cannot produce saints. Sinners produce sinners. When Father Adam sinned, he became a sinner. Whereas every human being has a genealogy which traces back to Father Adam, every human being is a sinner. Why? Because Father Adam was a sinner, and sinners can only reproduce sinners.
This is the reason why any person who does not believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judged already, and I might add that he has been found wanting and condemned already. Don’t miss the implications of this. The perfect tense verb usage in John 3:18 proclaims the doctrine of the total depravity of man. We are born sinners. We are born with a sin nature. We are born with a predilection to disobey the Word of God, to reject Him and do our own thing.
• the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)
• all have sinned (Romans 3:23)
• ergo, all must die.
We have already been judged and condemned, you see, because we are sinners. UNTIL we believe the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as the payment for our sins, we remain in that condition (perfect tense). Anytime a person does accept Jesus’ death as the payment for his sins, he is not judged because he is no longer a sinner. The penalty for his sins has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross, and IT IS FINISHED!
Hallelujah! Such a profound and wonderful mystery to be revealed by the simple usage of verb tenses. Each person is born dead in his sins and separated from God. Each person remains this way until he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accepts Jesus as His Savior. Fine revelation, that.
So this is your chance. If you have yet to believe the Gospel, what are you waiting for? Behold, now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Let me explain the difference between the aorist tense and the perfect tense of Greek verbs. I believe you will agree with me that sometimes being perfect is not a good thing. You needn’t remember the names of the verb tenses, dear friends, only the difference between them. The Holy Spirit purposely chose the verb tenses to teach us a lot of deep spiritual truth.
The aorist tense means that something happened in the past one time only, and that is the extent of the action. The perfect tense means that something occurred in the past one time only, but the emphasis is on its continuing effect. Whatever occurred continues to remain true up to the present day. “Once upon a time something happened” = aorist tense. “Once upon a time something happened, and now look at the mess we’re in!” = perfect tense.
Here is a for instance to help understand what I just stated. Aorist Tense: “He killed a man two years ago.” Perfect Tense: “He has contracted AIDS and now is incurable.” See! In the first example the person isn’t continuously killing a man. Nor does the sentence refer to anything going on today. Once upon a time two years ago this person killed a man. Period. That’s all the past tense verb states.
In the second example the person isn’t continuously contracting AIDS. Nor does the sentence simply note that at one point in the past he contracted AIDS. The verb being perfect tense, the emphasis is upon the man’s AIDS having the continuing effect of rendering him incurable to the present day. I hope this helps you to understand the distinction because vital spiritual understanding grows out of this field. Let’s harvest it now, shall we?
In John 3:18 anyone who believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not judged. The verb is present tense. We explained five paragraphs prior what this means. In contrast, though, anyone who does not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judge already. The verb is perfect tense. This means that sometime in the past the person was already judged guilty, and the effect of this judgment is that he continues to remain guilty. The emphasis is upon his present condition, which was caused sometime in the past.
A weighty Biblical mystery is revealed by this usage of verb tenses. God created each species to produce after its own kind. It matters not whether it be vegetable, animal, or human. Apple seeds do not grow pears, not thistles produce corn. Monkeys do not evolve into humans either! Apple seeds grow apple trees which produce more apples. Monkeys give birth to monkeys. Humans give birth to humans. It matters not how many surreal ages of evolution we add to the mix of our hypothesis, no one has ever seen anything in real life which shows one species changing into another.
The Bible has a penchant for employing visible physical realities to teach us invisible spiritual truths. The fact that each species ALWAYS reproduces after its own kind is one example of this. How so? Just this, that sinners cannot produce saints. Sinners produce sinners. When Father Adam sinned, he became a sinner. Whereas every human being has a genealogy which traces back to Father Adam, every human being is a sinner. Why? Because Father Adam was a sinner, and sinners can only reproduce sinners.
This is the reason why any person who does not believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been judged already, and I might add that he has been found wanting and condemned already. Don’t miss the implications of this. The perfect tense verb usage in John 3:18 proclaims the doctrine of the total depravity of man. We are born sinners. We are born with a sin nature. We are born with a predilection to disobey the Word of God, to reject Him and do our own thing.
• the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)
• all have sinned (Romans 3:23)
• ergo, all must die.
We have already been judged and condemned, you see, because we are sinners. UNTIL we believe the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as the payment for our sins, we remain in that condition (perfect tense). Anytime a person does accept Jesus’ death as the payment for his sins, he is not judged because he is no longer a sinner. The penalty for his sins has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross, and IT IS FINISHED!
Hallelujah! Such a profound and wonderful mystery to be revealed by the simple usage of verb tenses. Each person is born dead in his sins and separated from God. Each person remains this way until he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accepts Jesus as His Savior. Fine revelation, that.
So this is your chance. If you have yet to believe the Gospel, what are you waiting for? Behold, now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
