Standing & State

I believe it's important to distinguish between standing and state when reading scripture.

 Probably a lot of Christians don't know what I'm talking about, but there is a difference between your standing in relationship to God and your state with reference to your experience. 

Being justified and turning from sin are two different things. We are justified by the blood of Christ through faith in him, but we are saved from the wrath of God through turning from sin. The farmer has to do with our standing, but the latter has to do with our state. The latter being our state is affected by the former our standing. 

Standing and state can be distinguished between that which is eternal, and that which is temporal. Eternally you can be released from the penalty of your sins, but temporarily you can suffer the consequences of sin. 

You can stand justified before God by faith alone, but there are consequences for committing sin in this life and a loss of reward in the next life because of sin. 

One can be right with God eternally and yet because of sin suffer consequences in this life just like Moses was right with God eternally and yet, because of his sin, he experienced a premature death and did not enter into the promised land. 

Interestingly, you can see standing and state with reference to the nation of Israel and the new covenant because of the forgiveness of sins through the new covenant. God will turn Israel away from their iniquities. The one has to do with their standing the other their state. 

We read this in Romans, chapter 11:26-27, where it says "the Deliverer will come out of Zion and He will turn ungodliness from Jacob; and this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." We see this also in the book of Acts where Peter talks about Israel, being blessed by the coming of Jesus, "in turning every one of you away from your iniquities," Acts 3:26. This was the intended state for Israel, but they rejected Jesus, and did not receive the righteousness of God through faith. 

We see standing and state in Titus 2:11 that says "for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly less we should live sober, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope, and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." By the grace of God, we are saved, and that salvation teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present age, as we look for the blessed Hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To fail to distinguish standing and state will result in confusing justification, our standing, with sanctification, our state; It will confuse the terms of our standing with the terms of our state.

This is why some people think we are not saved by faith alone because they confused the two. We are justified by faith alone, but sanctification has to do with our conduct. 

Though the book of James addresses the issue of standing with God, a lot of it is about one's state. James says that God brought us forth by the word of truth, and that speaks of our standing; it speaks of our being born of God, but most of the book is about how we should live, how we should be doers of the word and not hearers only; it's about the state of the believer: how he lives his life.

Standing is who we are, while state is about our behavior.  The one does not guarantee the other, but our standing makes our state potential.

Christ is King

You may be hearing the statement lately that "Christ is king!"

It would be better to say, "Jesus is the Son of God!" 

"Christ" is just the English transliteration of the Greek word for the Hebrew word (transliterated as "messiah") for "anointed one" which was usually a king.  "Christ" is not a name for "Jesus." 

But if some are saying it as a political statement or to create division or to be offensive to non-Christian Jews who are religious—because Christian Jews and non-religious Jews wouldn't be offended, then they should say “Jesus is Son of God,” because non-Christian Jews who are religious believe that Christ is King; they just don't believe Jesus is the Christ.  Also, you can kill 2 birds with one stone by saying “Jesus is the Son of God,” since Muslims believe Jesus is the Christ, but not the Son of God—which they don't realize their error, because the Christ is the Son of God.

Are they purposely using that statement at this present time to cause division among those who hold similar conservative social views who are not Christians, such as certain Jews?

What's their intent here? 

Every Christian should know that Jesus is the Christ. It should not be a political statement with an ulterior motive to alienate certain social conservative Jews. But if that is their aim, then say “Jesus is the Son of God!”

3/17/2025 – 4/15/2026

differences division

The differences between Christians are ever growing.

Are the differences enough to alienate us from one another?

It is hard for two to walk together, if they are not in agreement (Amos 3:3).

It depends on the disagreements, and how they are handled.

God seems to use these disagreements for a purpose:

For first of all,

when you come together as a church,

I hear that there are divisions among you,

and in part I believe it.

For there must also be factions among you,

that those who are approved

may be recognized among you.

(1 Corinthians 11:18-19)

accountable faith

 In the context of doubtful things and Christian liberty, we read in the book of Romans, “whatever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). Christians in good conscience can disagree over what is acceptable to do. This can go beyond just what we can eat and drink—even though that is the main issue but involve social philosophy and the role of government. There are things that the Bible clearly identify as sin—even though those can be debated too.

We need to be true to our conscience and go with what we believe until otherwise persuaded differently. If you think someone is wrong or misinformed, then be willing to discuss the issue(s). The problem is whether we can follow Jame's directive: “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (the book of James 1:19-20). Usually, no one wants to discuss the issues, or they only want their view heard or they get mad-which shuts the conversation down.

There is the fact that we are all ultimately accountable to God. The context of Romans 14 concerning doubtful things makes that point (14:7-12). That is what I say to those who ask me as to how someone can be a Christian and believe certain things that they (the one to asks me) find disagreeable or unacceptable. I say they are accountable to God just as you (the one asking) and I are. In the end, we are both accountable to God for what we believe and do.

Jame's Directive

If everyone could all live by these words, they could have more productive dialogue: “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (the book of James 1:19-20). Unfortunately, people fail to respond in conversation according to this directive, and the conversation fails.

James also talks about asking for wisdom—if you lack it—and God will give it (James 1:5). This directive on how to respond is wisdom in itself, but there are a lot of tough issues--especially today-- of which we are faced, and it is hard to know how to respond to them.

We should pray for wisdom on how to respond to the issues. You should seek to be the person God wants you to be. That directive from the book of James is definitely wisdom on how God wants us to be. It's especially tough today with so much change in society and how people think about and respond to things.

Christ makes war

"What would Jesus do?"

The second coming of Christ will not be as the first coming of Christ, for Jesus will come to wage war against the beast and the false prophet and their kingdom and the nations of the earth.

This is what He will do at His coming: make war ...

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11-16

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, 'Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.'

Revelation 19:17-18

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Revelation 19:19-21

click to enlarge 

3rd day

 

Some believe the resurrection was on Wednesday or Thursday.

The main support is Matthew 12:40 saying “3 days and 3 nights.”

Mat 27:3 says “after three days” he would rise (yet secure the grave for 3 days not 4). This view puts the resurrection on Saturday, but after 72 hours in the grave, being Thurs, Fri, and Sat.

But Jesus also said he would rise on the third day.

Lk 9:22; 13:32-33 (notice the inclusive language of today, tomorrow, and third day), 18:33.

Luke 24 is especially a problem, since it is clearly Sunday, and it is said to be the third day. 24:1, 6-7, 18-21: third day since “these things.”

So you have a resurrection on the third day, Sunday, yet a ref. To 3 days and nights.

There is the Old Testament account of Joseph putting his brothers in prison for 3 days, and bringing them out of prison on the third day:  "¹⁷ So he put them all together in prison three days.

¹⁸ Then Joseph said to them the third day," Genesis 42:17-18.   It says they were in prison 3 days, yet he brought them out on the third day.