Are You Alive?

6 January 2015

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"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."(John 5:24)

My former English teachers would probably die laughing if they knew I was about to give a grammar lesson. Nevertheless, here goes!

Verbs appear in three general forms - past, present, and future. A verb in the past tense refers to something that has already happened in past. A verb in the present tense refers to something that is happening right now. It may have started earlier, but it is currently taking place. A verb in the future tense refers to something that has not happened yet.

I know that I am really belaboring this point but I want you to see how easy a concept grammar is sometimes. I am doing this because very often theologians forget basic English (and Greek) grammar when interpreting scripture according to their personal doctrinal slant.

The scripture given above is often used to teach that belief in Jesus is a necessity to gain eternal life. It is taught that this act of belief must precede the impartation of eternal life.

But what does the text actually say?

The verb "hath" is a present tense verb. This means that a person who believes already has eternal life. Further, Jesus confirms the result of having etneral life by saying that they will not be condemned later. Why? Because the person IS passed from death unto life. He is already alive! This means the person has already been born again. He already has eternal life when the act of belief occurs. 

This text is not conditional; it is a declaration. It does not teach that you must do something to gain eternal life. It teaches that your belief is an evidence that you already have it! If you believe, then it is a certainty that you are ALIVE! Not because of your belief but by the sovereign grace of God!

What a glorious and comforting message!

Tags: doctrine, grace, harmony_of_the_gospels, john

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.

Living in Liberty

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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