Purely Pleasurable Publicating, Take One

I really like alot of what this chap has to say on the article/link/site provided below and comes within range to what I see also as the "once for All" grace revealed in the scriptures, as well as bringing to light some detailed themes that are better understood when key word meanings and context are known, which paints a different picture than what most have been led to believe due to the "benefactors" and the "itching ear" type promotions under "the works of the law""fruit" banner (willfully or not) while laying claim to the Good News peace-a serious dilemma

By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

Holiness and sanctification do not refer to sinning or not sinning as many mistakenly believe. They actually refer to having a pure faith in Christ only and not mixing your faith with anything else. It also refers to behavior that flows out of either faith in Christ or unbelief in Christ. Someone who doesn’t have faith in Christ will seek to justify themselves by what they do. This behavior is unholy. A Christian who is acting unholy is someone who doesn’t fully rest in Christ’s finished work but seeks to add to it by their own self righteous performance. To offer sacrifices for your sins, once Christ the once for all sacrifice was offered, is a very unholy thing to do. To put hope in any other religious practice to earn spiritual points with God apart from faith in Christ is unholy! An unholy heart is not a heart that thinks about sinful things but a heart that doesn’t trust in Christ.

In this light, when Paul mentions fornication in verse 3 we must not miss the point that his emphasis is idolatry and not sexual immorality in general. Of course Christians shouldn’t carry on in sexual immorality, but the greater point Paul is making is about not going back to idolatry. The Thessalonians were known for paganism. One of the practices was fornicating with pagan temple prostitutes as a means of earning spiritual points. Well if you believe in that then you are adding to your faith and mixing Christ with idols.

In chapter 3 Paul’s shows great concern for the faith of the Thessalonians and reveals his desire to see them established firmly in their faith in Christ. The Thessalonians faced two major challenges to their faith. One was from the vigilant Jews who violently opposed them for their faith in Christ and consistently sought to bring them under the law (1 Thess 1:6), and secondly the pull back towards idolatry and its practice from which they had all come out of (1 Thess 1:9).

The way we walk to please God is to walk by faith and not to hope in paganistic practices or to rely on the law. All this is an offence to the cross and cannot please God. Only faith in Christ pleases God as Hebrews 10: 6 reveals.

The actual Greek word for fornication here figuratively means idolatry. In the Scriptures adultery, sexual immorality, fornication and harlotry are all usually referring to spiritual adultery which is mixing Christ with idols and being seduced away from your pure faith in Christ. We’re called to a purity of faith in Christ – that is the life of sanctification and holiness. Good behavior will flow from this place. But when you don’t believe this then you’ll engage in all kinds of bad behavior which is what the next verse is referring to…ccihk.com...

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh

He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth

www.biblegateway.com to view scriptures in full context using phrase or word search