Khoi Ngo

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ & Him crucified. - I Corinthians 2:2 The focal point is Christ & His gospel. Everything else points to or flows from Christ & His gospel. Christ died for our sins, He was buried, & He rose again the 3rd day.

Profession of faith doesn't save. Nor the works we do contribute anything to Christ's work and our salvation. Jesus Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day. Repent and believe the gospel to be saved and reconciled to God, who is holy, holy, holy. As a believer, we should love and obey God.

Steven Anderson: "You know, I've done a lot of hard things in my life, but getting saved wasn't one of them. Getting saved is the easiest thing I ever did!" Mr. Anderson is a KJV-only preacher of easy-believism. He believes that all a person has to do to be saved is simply to make a profession of faith. It doesn’t matter how superficial or insincere that profession is. No repentance or contrition is required—just a simple profession of faith is enough, even if the person isn't genuine. Meanwhile, the Bible: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” —Matthew 7:13-14 "Someone asked him, 'Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?' He said to them, 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.'" —Luke 13:23-24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'" —Matthew 19:23-24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'" —Matthew 16:24 "Repent, or you too will perish." —Luke 13:3 "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." —Matthew 3:8 "God commands all men everywhere to repent." —Acts 17:30 "I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds." —Acts 26:20 Is faith alone in Jesus enough to save a person? Yes. But genuine faith is never alone. It is always accompanied by real repentance.

Most owners and leaders of companies are motivated by the love of money and serve mammon. Everything else is subservient to that god/idol. "Maximizing profits" is the top priority. If you contribute to that, then they will continue to employ you. If you can be replaced for cheaper or no cost (for example, with AI, automation, robotics), then they will. It's not about loving God and loving our neighbors according to the Scriptures. We should not be surprised by the decisions they make. This is ultimately how they make decisions. Even believers struggle with this, how much more so the unbeliever is given over to that... who is not regenerated and does not have the Holy Spirit. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:31-34 👉 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. 👉 For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 👉 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. I Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

You both brought up some good points. Elders were typically aged/older men, married to one wife with children, and were well known by the brethren they assemble with and known by those outside, having a consistent pattern that conforms to Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3 (good testimony and blameless). That means they are hospitable among both believers and nonbelievers, such that others can see/observe their pattern of speech, conduct, faith, and life. Not a novice. The Scriptures does not explicitly set a minimum age for elder-bishop. By the time a man has a consistent pattern that meets the qualifications of Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3...they are usually older, aged men. Most are not qualified and need to stop neglecting their wife and children before attempting to care for the church in the capacity of a bishop. And those who intentionally (not ignorant) hold to many men's traditions are self-willed, and not submitting to the will of God. Note: apostles are not the same as bishops. They have different functions in the body of Christ. Especially, brothers who are apostles that God sends to multiple regions where Christ is not named (like the apostle Paul). They cannot serve as bishops like the apostle Peter who primarily remained in the church in Jerusalem. Titus 1:5-9 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. I Timothy 3:1-7 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

I agree it means that spiritually, and I agree there is no specific age stipulation, but where I place the emphasis is that wisdom very very rarely comes without gray hair. The bible seems to strongly agree on that. I also agree elders were appointed after a few years of a gathering, but those people were almost certainly well known in their communities for decades. Small disagreements :o)

Have christians collectively lost their minds? The idea that because someone chose 'professional christian' as a career track, that they paid for a seminary degree and learned to say the 'right things' with the 'right tone' and the 'right countenance' that they are in any way mature, wise, or worthy is INSANE! It is an unbiblical system that GUARANTEES an easy buffet dinner for wolves. It doesn't matter what seminary, what tradition, it is nonsense. The biblical solution - a plurality of elders, who are actually you know... old... it is in the title... who lived a real normal life with their community and only after that, where their character was tested and known in the real world over decades with their community, could they be recognized as elders for that community. The professionals who have a problem with this post out themselves - so take note.

Nothing is stopping God. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, who is holy, holy, holy. Unless God provides the Savior, we're all headed to hell for our wickedness and sins against God. In God's love, grace, and mercy, He sent His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, He was buried, He rose again the third day. Repent and believe the gospel of Christ to be saved and reconciled to God. One day, He will judge the living and dead in righteousness. And those who have not trusted in Christ and His gospel, will be casted into the lake of fire. God is judging nations today and the final judgment of each sinner will come. Today is the day of salvation.

@jawwwn_ If you are creating a God then why there should be problems like job loss, climate change, pandemic, economic collapse, etc. It should all be solved, shouldn't it? What's stopping God from solving the problems is the main question?

Palantir CEO Alex Karp rips into AI slop companies: “The appearance of software working, is not software working.” “The slop getting a lot of attention is dangerous in terms of the hyperbolic rhetoric—that there will be no jobs because of slop, nothing will work, we will have a god-like figure in the name of AI.” “In fact, what actually does work is a platform built by a motley crew of highly-technical people who over 20 years have been maligned for being right.”

That is not sound reasoning and misuse of the word, impute. It's easy...just take your reasoning to its logical conclusion. Just replace the "it" with "his faith/believing" according to your reasoning... Romans 4:23-25 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that *his faith/believing" was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom *faith/believing* shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. If we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord..., then God will also impute "our faith/believing" to us...which is a nonsensical statement. So according to your reasoning, you are saying that "faith/believing" is imputed to Abraham and us, when we believe. "We believe on Him and He imputes 'believing/faith' to us." Rather, what we see is... Abraham/David believed (had faith) God, then God imputed righteousness to them. You/I believed the gospel of Christ, then God imputed righteousness to us. God imputes righteousness and does not imputes sin. God does not impute "faith/believing" to us. The "it" cannot be "faith/believing" because it's nonsensical to say God imputed "faith/believing." Romans 4 and the rest of Scriptures do not teach God's imputation of "believing/faith." God's act of imputating righteousness follows a person believing/faith.

@SacrdCowTipping I think so too. I was thinking, "Haven't heard from my brother CowTipper in a while." I had to go to your 'page' to see your latest posts. Now that I reacted to one of your posts, it's showing up again in my feed.

@khoingo Haven't been seeing your posts lately - algo adjustment I think.

Look at what will happen to the devil and his angels who sinned and rebelled against God, and were NOT provided the Savior. Matthew 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: What if God didn't provide mankind the Savior? He's not required to. But He did. In God's grace and mercy, He has given mankind His only begotten Son, the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for our justification. Brethren, are we thankful to God?

O Lord, teach me to walk in Your way and will.

@apurpleshadow How about Satan and his angels, and those who take the mark?

The lost will stand before the Lord and hear: “I never knew you.” Then the second death: eternal judgment. final. irreversible. That’s the judgment Scripture describes. Eternal life and immortality come from God alone & are given to those in Christ, permanently

Amen brother. And the Holy Spirit gives further instructions through the apostle Paul through the rest of this Scripture, 1 Corinthians 11. Paul also received this from the Lord and delivered to the brethren. 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

“The Lord’s supper” is simply members of his body communing together over a meal. Rome has corrupted the simple meaning of this. Paul was not instituting an ordinance for the church, he was rebuking a group of self centered believers for their lack of care for one another.

Trust God and enjoy Him in each moment.

@noahsurvived @CadenJCooper Belonging to Christ is not something you do though To live is Christ and to die is gain is something you can do after you're already saved / born again. Both of these things happen AFTER you repent and believe the gospel of Christ for your salvation.

@CadenJCooper The sentiment is there: ...and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. 1 Corinthians 3:23 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

This is a common phrase I hear people use when telling others how to respond to the gospel message: "Give your life to Jesus." I don't see this language used in the NT. Jesus gave His life for us. We respond to the gospel in repentance and faith, turning toward God.

@CadenJCooper Amen brother. Thanks for glorifying what Jesus did for us and bringing the clear instructions from the Scriptures on how we should respond.

Amen brother. How we speak can intentionally and/or unintentionally teach errors to others... wife, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, brethren, other neighbors. I've tested this with various English-speaking saints in different regions and cities. I ask them to draw the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear the word, church. The majority drew a building with a cross on it. That is the fruit of our speaking that conforms to a life of upkeeping men's traditions.

The number of Christians and Christian leaders today who use the phrase "the house of God" to refer to the building in which the church meets is shocking. We all know the church is not the building. Let's stop using language that insinuates the building is "the house of God."

Godhead How can a 2D being fully understand & comprehend what is a 3D being? The 2D being has not the same "eyes" to perceive the same as the 3D being. How can sin-corrrupted, natural creatures with a beginning and confined within time... fully understand/comprehend the eternal Godhead who has no beginning & no end? The answer is, we can't. Not until death and/or resurrection. God is Spirit. The one true, most high God is Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. The Father is God. The Word (Son) is God. The Holy Spirit is God. These three bear witness in heaven. These three are one God. We believe whatever God has revealed about Himself in the Scriptures, and not think God is exactly like us and have to conform to the natural laws that His creatures are subject to. For example, physics, mathematics, etc. God the Creator is not the same as His creatures. His creatures are not God. There is no creature that is exactly like God. It's an impossibility. All His creatures (both visible & invisible) has a day they came to be. Each of us has a natural body. At the resurrection, it is raised a spiritual body. God is Spirit. God is not the same as our natural body. Nor can we fully understand God in the natural body. We should stop trying to think the Godhead is like our natural body. Stop trying to add Him up as three Gods. God said He is one God. Just believe Him. When we are raised in our spiritual body, then we can fully see and know God. John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” I John 5:7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 20:28-29 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” I Corinthians 15:39-49 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

The "it" mentioned in Romans 4:23-25 is not referring to the same "it" in verse 3 & 5. Romans 4:3: "Abraham BELIEVED God, and IT was counted unto him for righteousness." "It" = Abraham's believing (his faith). Romans 4:5: "But to him that worketh not, but BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH is counted for righteousness." Clearly, "his faith" is what is counted for righteousness. In Romans 4:23-25 the "it" refers to imputation of righteousness. I'm going to bed Good night bro, Grace.🕊

Proper “Right Division” does not teach that those saved in Israel’s time past program were saved by “faith + works”. Proper right division includes understanding & appreciating that God’s righteousness & his justice only ever could give man His Life by faith, and faith alone. This happens when one is established in Romans 1-5 and they understand the mechanics of their redemption. Some name “right division” & proceed to make this error, claiming that in time past the law was utilized to obtain eternal life. The fact these unfortunate errors are out there does not negate the absolute necessity of right division & understanding the apostle Paul’s unique ministry to us in this dispensation of Grace in which we find ourselves.

The usage of imputation in the context of this Scripture is what God imputes or not imputes: - righteousness - sin The Scriptures does not teach that God imputes faith/believing (which I think you agree). Romans 4:6, 8 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, ... Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Romans 4:23-25 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that *it* was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom *it* shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. And that's why I said the "it" doesn't change, given the flow of language, sentence/sentences. In the context of Romans 4, it can only be referring to God's righteousness. Not a salvation issue. Thanks for the discussion, brother.

The "it" is what was counted to Abraham in Romans 4:3 "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." "It"= his believing/faith. That does not change. Romans 4:6 says: "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." It says righteousness, not "the righteousness of God" or "God’s righteousness". The verse does not say God imputeth His righteousness. It says "God imputeth righteousness without works" the same principle shown with Abraham's faith being counted for righteousness. Perhaps you can support your position by providing scripture where David said he had the righteousness of God.

The "it" that is being imputed is NOT "faith/believing." What's being imputed is God's righteousness. Romans 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom 👉 God imputeth righteousness without works, ---- For this Scripture you referenced, Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 👉 even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: This verse is not speaking of the righteousness of God first being manifested here. It's referring to the righteousness of God "WITHOUT THE LAW* that is 👉 by faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. This is the same righteousness of God without works (by faith before the DBR). What is being manifested is the same righteousness of God *without the law* AND is by faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. The Lord's grace and mercy be with you.

The "it" does not change mid-sentence. That is exactly the point. In Romans 4:3 "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." "It" = Abraham's believing/faith. Then in Romans 4:23-24 : "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed…" The "It" remains the same: faith/believing. Paul is saying the same principle of imputation by faith applies "for us also." But the content of what is received is not the same, because the context has already changed: 👇 Romans 3:21 "BUT NOW the righteousness of God without the law is manifested…"