Out of Context: "Where Two or Three Gather" // Mike Novotny // Time of Grace

[@debicovert6105]

Do everything with the love shown of Jesus,and help our brothers to go to heaven! God bless you!

[@theresahanson3788]

Thank you Pastor! Bless you! This world needs more people who love their brothers and sisters enough to not give up on them, who'll do their utmost to pull them back onto the narrow path and save them from the heartache that sin always eventually brings. Speaking as someone who did stray from the narrow path and needed pulling back onto it.

[@sharoncompton2753]

Thank you so much, Pastor, for your message and so many before this one! You have a gift of looking deep into God’s Word and bringing it in clear terms with understanding, love and courage. You confront issues that todays believers and churches need to be hearing, understanding and obeying. Wish I lived near enough to be in your flock!

[@ericmarcus7139]

Thank you Pastor for such a powerful message you spoke so directly about sins you didn't mince your words thank you for showing me the path and to obey the words of my Precious Saviour Jesus

[@slimwest41]

I had to do this with a family member last weekend, I pray the Holy Spirit brings him to repentance.

[@ImaginationTravelTips]

Praying for the will of God. It’s tough when it’s a family member.

[@saqibzahir7325]

Very blessed massage for me Pastor God blessed you and use you more his glory Amen!

[@wynettedabney7390]

What a bless word!!!! We all needed this.

[@sandyj1561]

scary but very helpful 🙂

[@agracefilledlife1397]

If a person is truly born again, can they ever lose their salvation? Does ‘dying whilst a backslider’ mean that soul is in hell?

[@PACHIS99]

That was the same burning question I had and now im not sure. If Salvation can be lost, I cant help but feel hopeless.

[@agracefilledlife1397]

@@PACHIS99 Is eternal security biblical? When people come to know Christ as their Savior, they are brought into a relationship with God that guarantees their eternal security. Jude 24 declares, "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy." God's power is able to keep the believer from falling. It is up to Him, not us, to present us before His glorious presence. Our eternal security is a result of God keeping us, not us maintaining our own salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28-29b). Both Jesus and the Father have us firmly grasped in their hand. Who could possibly separate us from the grip of both the Father and the Son? Ephesians 4:30 tells us that believers are "sealed for the day of redemption." If believers did not have eternal security, the sealing could not truly be unto the day of redemption, but only to the day of sinning, apostasy, or disbelief. John 3:15-16 tells us that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If a person were to be promised eternal life, but then have it taken away, it was never "eternal" to begin with. If eternal security is not true, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error. The most powerful argument for eternal security is Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Our eternal security is based on God's love for those whom He has redeemed. Our eternal security is purchased by Christ, promised by the Father, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

[@agracefilledlife1397]

@@PACHIS99 The most frequent objection to the doctrine of eternal security is that it supposedly allows people to live any way that they want and still be saved. While this may be "technically" true, it is not true in reality. A person who has truly been redeemed by Jesus Christ will not live a life characterized by continuous, willful sin. We must draw a distinction between how a Christian should live and what a person must do in order to receive salvation. The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6). The moment a person truly believes in Jesus Christ, he or she is saved and secure in that salvation. It is unbiblical to say that salvation is received by faith, but then has to be maintained by works. The apostle Paul addresses this issue in Galatians 3:3 when he asks, "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" If we are saved by faith, our salvation is also maintained and secured by faith. We cannot earn our own salvation. Therefore, neither can we earn the maintenance of our salvation. It is God who maintains our salvation (Jude 24). It is God's hand that holds us firmly in His grasp (John 10:28-29). It is God's love that nothing can separate us from (Romans 8:38-39). Any denial of eternal security is, in its essence, a belief that we must maintain our own salvation by our own good works and efforts. This is completely antithetical to salvation by grace. We are saved because of Christ's merits, not our own (Romans 4:3-8). To claim that we must obey God's Word or live a godly life to maintain our salvation is saying that Jesus' death was not sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus' death was absolutely sufficient to pay for all of our sins-past, present, and future, pre-salvation and post-salvation (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Does this mean that a Christian can live any way he wants to and still be saved? This is essentially a hypothetical question, because the Bible makes it clear that a true Christian will not live "any way he wants to." Christians are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christians demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). First John 3:6-9 clearly states that a true Christian will not live in continual sin. In response to the accusation that grace promotes sin, the apostle Paul declared, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2). Eternal security is not a license to sin. Rather, it is the security of knowing that God's love is guaranteed for those who trust in Christ. Knowing and understanding God's tremendous gift of salvation accomplishes the opposite of giving a license to sin. How could anyone, knowing the price Jesus Christ paid for us, go on to live a life of sin (Romans 6:15-23)? How could anyone who understands God's unconditional and guaranteed love for those who believe, take that love and throw it back in God's face? Such a person is demonstrating not that eternal security has given him a license to sin, but rather that he or she has not truly experienced salvation through Jesus Christ. "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him" (1 John 3:6).

[@PACHIS99]

@@agracefilledlife1397 thank you so much for this answer. I will ponder and meditate on it

[@PACHIS99]

@@agracefilledlife1397 I most ask, how do you reconcile this with the parable of the servant and the virgins...they do suggest salvation is something we must somehow keep...

[@orz4567891]

I’d love to read the out of context book but I don’t live in the U.S. Is there anyway I can get it internationally?

[@lloydtucker5647]

What translation are you reading from?

[@timeofgrace]

Hi Lloyd. We we use the NIV version.

[@ImaginationTravelTips]

This still makes no sense to me. I understand when 2 or more are gathered in God's name...but what they ask for may not necessarily be done. In your example, if we have exhausted all the things Jesus says to do, and the final one is to go to the church, there's where your 2 or more are gathered. But it still may not be done, unless what you're asking for is for God to be with you, etc. And that doesn't need 2 or more to have God with you. So I'm still confused about this passage.

[@evelynmiller7563]

We don't have any responsibility in changing people's hearts only Jesus can do that. In Matthew 18:20 says when 2 or 3 are gathered together in MY Name, there I am in the midst. He is rejoicing when the sinner repents and accepts your discipleship. This is only true, Jesus who loves the sinner and we are called to love the sinner who may not repent.

[@ImaginationTravelTips]

@@evelynmiller7563 maybe I’m taking it too literally, but isn’t He there no matter how many ppl are gathered? I mean, if I’m 100% alone, He’s still here. It seems like I’m missing something here.

[@evelynmiller7563]

@@ImaginationTravelTips Pastor is only applying this verse "When 2 or 3 are gathered together. . ." as a means that the believers (2 or 3) are ministering to the nonbeliever who has rejected to listen to the truths. It is a comforting promise for them. The LORD speaks many times in the bible that He will Never leave us or forsake us. Duteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5 are just a couple of His promises. I hope this helps.

[@ImaginationTravelTips]

@@evelynmiller7563 yes, more clear now. Thanks!

[@evelynmiller7563]

@@ImaginationTravelTips The LORD was there for the three Hebrew Children in the firy furnace. The LORD was there when Ester faced her King as she risked death and to free the Jews from destruction. The LORD was there with David in the wilderness and as a child fighting Golieth with 5 smooth stones and a sling. Many more encouraging stories old testament as well as new testament. Good! Our God is a great deliverer!

[@brucebello9892]

I’m trying to reconcile this with salvation, one forgiven always forgiven, or do I have this really wrong? I know the JW believe in working for their salvation, sorry to ask such a basic question, we don’t have a church near us so I was hoping for some long distance guidance

[@judithmbuck1991]

We can still fall away and lose our salvation. We keep on reading the Bible and pray for the Holy Spirit to keep us in the faith.

[@timeofgrace]

Thanks for the question, Bruce. Salvation doesn't come through good works. Salvation only comes through belief that Jesus Christ is your Savior and the died on a cross and rose again for the forgiveness of your sins.

[@brucebello9892]

@@timeofgrace thank you, I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and saviour, and I do pray for his guidance and to fill my hear and sole with the Holy Spirit every day, it’s just that I struggle so with certain personality traits almost daily. I had not finished the video when I asked the question and by the end I did get the message straight in my mind, it’s just very hard without one to one contact with other Christians to focus, your videos and daily mails make my walk with Christ so much easier and without them my knowledge would be so much less, that you for your hard work to bring guidance to people like me who have no other sources to turn to. God Bless you all. PS it’s amazing how you get the timing so right with your content!