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The evidence that we have salvation in Christ is that we do the works of the Father. These works are the natural consequence of following Jesus. Works that are not seen by man, as in the case of casting out demons, speaking in tongues, etc., but works of love, peace, and friendship, which naturally flow from a Christlike life.
These works are not on display to be seen by men, but are seen by the Father.
It is how we conduct ourselves in our daily walk with Christ.
Thanks for responding!
You said "Stay close to Jesus and live'.
In Hebrews 13 vs 5 the Lord said "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee"
Thank God the staying power is in the hands of Jesus who also says in John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Jesus is that Great Shepherd that leaves the ninety nine sheep and goes after the one lost in the wilderness illustrating God's immense love and pursuit of every individual, even when many are already safe; He prioritizes the lost one,
Jesus is that solid rock foundation!
If we built on him we will never stray!
If one final destiny is hell he built on sand and was never of the sheep fold!
He's one of those mentioned in Matthew 7 where Jesus says "I never knew you"
These postings of mine doesn't go out to any certain denomination, it goes out to the individual!
We must examine ourselves!
Salvation isn't defined or authenticated by what we know or even what we are doing on the outside!
It's what's cleaned on the inside!
It's a new birth!
It's not whether you "accepted Christ"
It's did you "RECEIVE" Christ!
If you have received Christ, "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13.
God bless.
I have to laugh because you are describing the LDS church. Their leaders seek money. In fact, to move up in the hierarchy of that church, you must have a good job that pays a lot of money. The more you pay, the higher you move up. And, the leaders are all millionaires.
Not only that, but that church boasts "no paid clergy". Since their leaders are not considered clergy then they pull down seven figures. I do not know how much, but it is in the hundreds of thousands.
That condition of making money off the Savior is called priestcraft. There are multitudes of people performing priestcraft. I know Keneth Copland has incredible wealth that he has convinced Christians to send him.
Thus, the gain of those who conduct priestcraft is their only reward since they will receive no reward of salvation from Christ. These wicked leaders plague the Savior's doctrine with wicked doctrines of their own, causing many saints to fall. Therefore, I can say with certainty that these wicked leaders will be cast out with their father Lucifer.
I am reading these one at a time and responding to each if that is okay.
1) Life in Christ begins when an individual accepts Jesus as their Savior. It is here that they are born again, spiritually speaking, that is.
2) From that point, the individual must either
a) continue on the quest for spiritual life in Christ or
b) fall away.
3) If they fall away from Christ with the belief that they are still along the pathway to salvation, then they are mistaken in their belief and are on the pathway to not only hell, but are in danger of being cast out with Lucifer.
4) Hell is that condition of being denied salvation from sin, whereas being cast out is that condition of living with their father Lucifer, who hates them.
5) Both "hell" and being "cast out" are for the spiritually dead in Christ. Those who will be judged.
6) Those individuals who remain loyal to Jesus and follow him have eternal life and are saved from the just judgment of God for their sins. That is, they have salvation in Christ their God, from judgment.
7) Those who remain loyal to Jesus are free from judgment, while those who do not remain loyal to Jesus will be judged to go to hell or be cast out. Such will be the case for the beast and his false prophet, who are cast out with Lucifer ( Rev. 19:20, 20:10).
8) This is the parable of the sower where Jesus is the sower and some fall while others live ( Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15).
9) Stay close to Jesus and live.
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 9 of 9.
The true believer is the prudent builder.
He hears the same words of Christ, and by the power of the grace given to him, obeys them.
He builds the House of his hope on the solid rock of Christ, submitting to His word.
From the outside, the two houses may look similar for a time.
Both are in the field of the church.
But the storm of the final judgment will come, and only the house built on the rock of obedient faith will stand. The other will suffer great and terrible ruin.
These are the 2 paths, "The house on the sand or the house on the rock" the question now is no longer theoretical.
It becomes the most important question about the foundation of your soul, and it is on that final personal question that we will speak next the question then falls upon you with the full weight of the approaching storm.
On what foundation have you built the House of your eternal hope, on the shifting sand of your feelings, your words, your gifts, your ministry?
Or on the immovable rock of a faith born of regeneration and proven in obedience to the will of the Father?
By C H Spurgeon.
Blessings.
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 8
Now we will place the two paths, the two lives, side by side. For a final contrast.
We have now arrived at the final summary of the two paths. The two professions of faith, The two destinies.
On one side, the dead faith of those who say Lord, Lord, but do not do the will of the Father.
On the other, the living faith of those who by God's grace do the will of the Father.
Dead faith trusts in what one does for Christ.
Living faith trusts in what Christ has done.
The first is an intellectual act of man.
The second is a supernatural gift of God.
The 1st is a confession of the lips that coexists with a rebellious heart.
The second is a confession born of a regenerated heart that produces obedience.
The one with dead faith knows everything about Christ.
The one with living faith is known by Christ.
The former presents himself before God with his resume of many wonders.
The latter presents himself before God, clinging only to the righteousness of his Savior.
Spurgeon, following the conclusion of Jesus' own Sermon on the Mount, would illustrate it with the parable of the two foundations.
The man with dead faith is the foolish builder. He hears the words of Christ. He knows them, approves them, perhaps even preaches them, but he builds the House of his hope on the sand of his own works, his gifts, his profession of faith, and his feelings. It is a House of impressive appearance, but without a real foundation.
See Part 9 of 9.
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 7
Now here is where we return in a perfect circle to the beginning of our argument.
Jesus said that only the one who does the will of my Father will enter the Kingdom. We have seen that the father's primary will is that we believe in the Son, and now we see the full picture.
The faith that is a gift from God, born of a new heart, is a faith that by its own new nature loves and obeys the Father.
Obedience is not an appendage that we add to faith to improve it.
It is the lifeblood running through the veins of a living faith.
It is not something we add to faith to complete it.
It is the evidence that our faith is real and not a counterfeit.
Spurgeon would use the analogy of the tree and its root.
Faith is the root of the Christian life, hidden underground, invisible to human eyes.
Obedience and good works are the visible fruit on the branches.
Spurgeon would say do not talk to me about the depth of your root if I cannot see any fruit on your branches.
Speaking of a living root that produces no fruit is a botanical and theological absurdity.
Faith that does not change your life has not saved your soul.
The faith God gives always, always produces the fruit of a transformed life that seeks to do the Father's will.
It is the practical of the apostle James in chapter 2 of his letter summarized with these immortal words. "Whereas the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also"
And it is Paul's definition in Galatians chapter 5 of the faith that truly matters. It is not faith that has perfect knowledge but faith working through love, saving faith, is a faith that works, that obeys, that loves.
We have then seen the complete anatomy of genuine salvation.
See Part 8
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 6
You cannot make yourself believe any more than a corpse can make itself breathe.
Saving faith is not the last effort of your old nature. It is the first breath of a new nature given to you by the Spirit of God.
Faith is a miracle from beginning to end, so that all glory belongs solely to God.
It is the unequivocal truth of Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works so that no one may boast.
What is the gift? The whole package, salvation by grace through faith. Everything is a gift!
In Philippians chapter 1, Paul says that it is granted to you because of Christ, not only to believe in Him. Believing is something that is granted to us, a privilege given by grace.
This truth changes everything. It destroys our self-reliance and makes us depend entirely on God. And what is the result of this faith that is a gift from God? It produces a life that is different. It is about that life of obedience that we will speak of next.
If faith itself is a gift from God, a miracle of the Spirit, what kind of faith is this?
It is not the dead, intellectual and sterile faith of demons that we discussed.
The faith God gives as a gift is a living, active, and transforming faith. It is not a mere ascent of the mind. It is a new disposition of the heart that inevitably produces a new direction in life.
See Part 7
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 5
God asks for the trust of your heart, all obedience that pleases God flows from this first act of surrender.
Without this faith, all other works are merely dead works like those of the men in Matthew Chapter 7.
Jesus confirms this a few verses later in John chapter 6 verse 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life:
The will of the Father is not first and foremost a code of conduct, but a person in whom we must trust the true doing. The will of the Father begins with a broken heart that surrenders and believes in the son.
But is this faith merely an intellectual act?
Is it simply deciding to believe, as we have seen? No, this saving faith, which is the will of the Father, is itself a miracle and it is the origin of this faith that we will discuss next.
If the will of the Father is that we believe in the Son, does that mean that faith is then our great work, our final contribution to salvation? Here is where the gospel delivers the coup de grasse to human pride. The answer of the Bible is a sounding no saving faith, the faith that obeys is not a product of our unregenerated will. It is in itself a sovereign gift of God, a fruit of the miracle of regeneration.
As we have seen in previous sermons, the natural heart is dead in trespasses and sins and hostile to God and incapable of pleasing Him.
A dead man cannot decide to live, and a dead heart cannot produce saving faith.
Therefore, for us to believe, God Himself must first perform a miracle in us.
He must, by the power of His Holy Spirit, give us life, give us a new heart, resurrect us from our spiritual grave. And the first beat of that new heart, the first breath of that new life, is faith.
Jesus Christ, repentance and faith are not the cause of new life.
They are the first evidence that we have received new life.
See Part 6
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 4
Note the difference "continuing"
It is possible to do great things in the eyes of men while simultaneously living in rebellion against God's simple and clear commandments.
Spurgeon would say that God is not impressed by the fireworks of our ministry.
He looks at the heart, and the heart truly knows Christ is a heart that longs to obey Christ!
The question is not how great is your gift, but how surrendered is your will.
The apostle John confirms it and by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. If the ultimate test is doing the will of the Father what then is at the core of that will?
If the test of salvation is doing the will of the Father, what is at its core that will? Is it an endless list of rules? Is it a standard of moral perfection that we must achieve on our own? Thank God no.
The Bible is clear. The first, most fundamental and most important act of obedience to the will of the Father is an act of faith.
In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, the crowd, thinking like religious people of all ages, asks Jesus, what must we do to perform the works of God?
They were looking for an A to do list.
They wanted a plan of action to earn God's favor but Jesus' answer redefines everything he says in verse 29. This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he has sent.
What an astonishing and humbling answer!
The main work God requires of us is not a work of our hands, but a work of our heart.
To believe, to trust, to surrender completely to His Son.
Spurgeon would say that the first and greatest obedience God asks of us is to stop trying to obey by our own strength.
It is the obedience of admitting our disobedience.
It is the act of abandoning all trust in our own works, even in our many wonders, and transferring all our trust to the finished work of Christ on the cross before God asks for the obedience of your hands.
See 5
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 3
Everything was a performance and if spectacular, works and the correct words are not the proof of salvation. What is? Jesus gives us the answer in the previous verse, and it is about the true proof of saving faith that we will speak of next. If the correct words and impressive works are not the proof of salvation, what is the true evidence of saving faith? Jesus gives us the answer just before describing those who are rejected. In Matthew Chapter 7, verse 21, It's the standard for entry into his Kingdom. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven!
Here is the true test. It is not the greatness of our gifts, nor the orthodoxy of our confession, but the direction of our life and here we must be extremely careful not to fall into another error.
Let's make this clear. Jesus is not establishing a new system of salvation by works.
He is not saying that we do the will of the Father to earn entry into heaven as we have seen in previous sermons. We are saved only by grace through faith.
What Jesus is saying is that doing the will of the Father is the inevitable evidence, the necessary fruit, the irrefutable proof of a heart that has been truly regenerated by His Spirit, works are not the root of salvation, they are the fruit that grows from a root of true faith.
Note the difference.
The rejected men boasted of their spectacular and visible works, prophesying, casting out demons, performing miracles but the test Jesus gives is that of humble and consistent obedience to God's revealed will.
The will of the Father is not necessarily that you perform miracles, but that you love your neighbor, forgive your enemy, flee from immorality, be humble and seek righteousness in your daily life.
See Part 4.
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 2
Mathew 7:22-23
The first characteristic is that they were orthodox. They call Jesus Lord, Lord. They were not heretics denying His deity.
Their doctrinal confession was perfect if He had given them a theology exam, they would have received the highest grade.
This teaches us a terrifying lesson, doctrinal orthodoxy alone saves no one.
The second characteristic is that they were active and successful in ministry.
Look at their works,
They prophesied, cast out demons, performed many miracles.
They were not passive members warming a Pew in the church.
They were the leaders, the workers, the Super spiritual of their time.
In the eyes of the modern church these people would be put on a platform at a conference to teach others how to have an impactful ministry and yet they were lost because success in ministry is not proof of salvation.
The third characteristic is that they were self-assured. They approach Christ of judgment not asking for mercy but presenting their resume.
They are appealing on the basis of their own merits of what they have done for God.
Their confidence was not in God's grace but in their own works.
Spurgeon would say that the condemnation of these people was not for lack of activity, but for lack of an authentic relationship.
They were busy for God, but strangers to God.
Their religion was all outward, a great show, but their hearts had never truly surrendered to the King and that is why Jesus's response is so devastating.
He does not say your works were not good enough, he goes to the root of the problem.
He tells them I never knew you.
The problem was not the works; the problem was the relationship.
There was never a vital union, an intimate knowledge, a surrender of the heart.
See Part 3
Many who feel saved are not!
C H Spurgeon.
Part 1
Mathew 7:22-23
The last day many, not a few, but many who called him Lord, Lord will be cast out Into Darkness. The question this sermon forces you to ask a question of eternal life or death is this, "How can you be sure that you are not one of those many"
The deadly danger this warning exposes is the possibility of eternal self-deception. It's the tragedy of living an entire life thinking you are headed for heaven, only to discover at the last moment that your destiny was always Hell,
Christ teaches us, will be full of people who were certain they were going to heaven. Charles Spurgeon, as a true pastor of souls, trembled before this truth. He did not preach to fill the pews of his church, but to empty hell and he knew that the greatest threat to the souls of his congregation was not atheism, but empty professions of faith.
He would say it is better not to profess Christ at all than to profess him with an unregenerated heart, because the knowledge of the truth without the possession of the truth only deepens one's own condemnation.
We will take Christ's warning in Matthew Chapter 7 with the seriousness it deserves not to steal your joy but to ensure that your joy is built on the solid rock of true faith and not on the shifting sand of self-deception.
To understand this warning, we must carefully examine the profile of these people who are rejected on the final day.
They are not who we expect. Jesus himself gives us their resume.
Their defense in verse 22 of Matthew Chapter 7. "Many will say to me on that day did we not prophecy in your name and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?
Let us analyze this profile.
See Part 2
Isaiah 58:13
"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:"
Isaiah 58:14
"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
Blessings
In The Book of Revelation, the word "Babylon" is used to reference two things which are the economic system and the nation that controls the economic system.
Rev. 17:10 tells us that five of these types of economic systems have fallen, and these five are shown in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Dan. 2:36-43. These five Babylonian-style economic systems are: Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and various types of strong and weak nations after Rome had fallen. Each of these five economic systems presided over Israel in its fallen condition.
Israel fell to Babylon, who then passed control of Israel to Persia, who then was conquered by Greece, who then fell to Rome, who then disintegrated into a multitude of strong and weak rulers over Israel until arriving at the sixth economic system that presides over Israel today. And we see the US presiding and protecting Israel today as an economic system over Israel.
As this sixth Babylonian-style economic system falls, then a seventh will take its place over Israel. This seventh Babylonain-style economic system will then be replaced by an eighth. It is this eighth Babylonian-style economic system over Israel that transforms into a non-Babylonian style economic system, which is communism. Thus, when communism presides as an economic system over Israel, then we are at the end.
It is then that Babylon, as an economic system, has fallen ( Rev. 18:2). However, Babylon as the sixth and current economic system falls before that.
In conclusion, there are eight Babylonian-style economic systems over Israel that fall. Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, nation states after the fall of Rome, the US is number six, the one that follows the US is number seven (UN?), and then the Bear that transitions into the Soviet Union is number eight.
"But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;"
Jeremiah 23:39
"Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:"
Jeremiah 24:10
"And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers."
Blessings
Genesis 2:2
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."
Genesis 2:3
"And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."
Leviticus 23:3
"Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings."
Blessings
Looking at Jeremiah 50 and 51 and sections of Isaiah there are many characteristics that seem to mirror our nation. These would include having great wealth
"The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans." (chapter 50; verse 25 indicating in NIV "grainaries" for storehouses).
A world power (chapter 50; verse 23:
"How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!"
And consider Isaiah 18:2
Which sends envoys by the sea,
Even in papyrus vessels on the surface of the waters.
Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth,
To a people feared far and wide,
A powerful and oppressive nation
Whose land the rivers divide.
These verses remind us of the maritime trade in NYC and other ports as well as the great rivers that divide our nation (Mississippi; Ohio for example).
A lot of course would depend on other verses indicating the Antichrist oppressing the whole earth at the time of the end and the collateral damage. Whatever the case may be no doubt we are involved with God's wrath on the whole earth And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. ( Ezekiel 39:6).
It behooves us to read the numerous prophecies in Scripture (not just Revelation) to get a fuller perspective into the whole counsel of God. No doubt we are ripe for destruction as the rest of the world.
As I've pointed out in previous posts the last few years we have exported much pornography; and caused much violence of war in our history not to mention with the internet and often are the instigators of a culture of death that later becomes popular in other nations. We also have had the occult present since our inception along with men of God who stood for the truth no matter what the cost.
I will attempt to the best of my ability to relay spiritual information in my response here.
I don't know your exact age; I am a sliver over 60 and I would guess you are close to that yourself. Things that I have discerned over 40 years ago have come into fruition; and of course the same players on the spiritual arena of God's angels and Satan's minions (fallen angels) are still fighting battles but the war of course was already won at Calvary.
Today's distractions can both overwhelm the believer with sorrow; anger and fear based on what's happening in this world on the "outside" as I would call it. We can take heart that God still has a remnant; especially with youth that aren't often brought up with any values that would indicate a life of faith; but God is their teacher and Father. The church as an institution I have said before is doomed for failure; and those left behind after the Rapture won't know the difference by and large through deliberate ignorance of evidence given as best I see it; hence by default part of the religious Babylon one world system.
This death is inevitable as it happened also with Israel where the old system of sacrifices was made obsolete. God will of course work in the Tribulation in great ways alongside God's judgments for a time with the 2 witnesses and 144,000.
The enemy as I've also stated recently is by God's mandate and his own enjoyment of mocking his dumb sheep will state what he is doing ahead of time. This seems to parallel the warnings about artificial intelligence followed by touting how great it will be (by a certain individual). Truth be told the unregenerate are all slaves to sin and hellbound; before or after the infamous mark is established and mandated.
Very few Chistians can see into the spiritual realm and are in spiritual warfare accordingly.
I'll probably post more.
When we fall God is there and bestows mercy on us!
This certainly should strengthen and humble us, and move us from self-reliance to dependence on God's strength.
Praise God for his mercy.
Blessings.
shared. There will be a great change,
in the days ahead. The days of hell and
high water are rapidly approaching.
The Church has remained
a spiritual force
for peace and
good will and shall continue to stand firm.
The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
My prayer is that my faith fail not. Lord,
help me to endure until the end. Amen!
I am still trying to learn how this system works.
Last week as I woke up on Saturday morning and spent some time praying, praising, but also thinking about various things, an incident from when I was a little boy came into my mind.
I remembered the time when I first learned to ride a bicycle. I couldn't stand up on the bicycle so my father would hold the back of the bicycle as I was riding. One time, while I was riding, certain that my father was holding the back of the bike, I turned and looked back at my father. I was shocked to see him at a distance. My father, without telling me, stopped holding me and watched me ride my bike without falling down. But when I saw that he wasn't there, I got scared and immediately fell down (but that gave me courage to start trying to ride my bike by myself)
So I thought. Isn't it the same with us and God? When we believe that God is with us and holds us in our lives, we can walk without any problem, fearless of anything that may happen in our lives. Because we know that God holds us and won't let us alone. But when we lose our faith and we see God being far away and think that we are alone, then we get scared and consequently we fall. But unlike my father, God never leaves us alone. He is always by our side holding us by the hand. So let us not lose our faith and let us continue walking on the path of our life with courage and without any fear. Because God always walks with us. He will never let us down. We do not see Him with our eyes, but let's see Him with our eyes of faith.
Have a blessed weekend
James 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by THE LAW OF LIBERTY.
1 Pet 2:16 As free, and NOT USING YOUR LIBERTY FOR A CLOKE OF MALICIOUSNESS, BUT AS THE SERVANTS OF GOD.
Gal 5:13 ye have been called unto liberty; only USE NOT LIBERTY FOR AN OCCASION TO THE FLESH, but by love serve one another.
Now is a time for self-sacrifice, not judgment. Believers are called to service, sacrifice, and suffering. We are called to serve in the Gospel, to make whatever sacrifices needed to do so, and to suffer the consequences of that service.
-- Phil 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, BUT ALSO TO SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE;
To grow in faith and be steadfast in choosing good over evil, right over wrong, regardless of cost, is required of our having liberty.
Mortifying the flesh and walking in the Spirit, stepping forward and standing alone, is a fearful thing for babes in the faith. Maturity demands us to "LABOUR IN THE WORD AND DOCTRINE."
We are engaged in a deadly conflict, a war over the souls of men. It is a matter of life or death to all those within our sphere of influence. Failing to follow the instructions given weakens our testimony. The battleground is the hearts of men. Not all things are expedient for the purpose of winning those hearts.
1 Cor 10:23 All things are lawful for me, BUT ALL THINGS ARE NOT EXPEDIENT: ALL THINGS EDIFY NOT.
There are different types of chiasmi. The one above is what I consider abbreviated. Because the verses are not stated individually. Also, chiasmi change depending upon what the researcher is looking for. That is, a chiasmius is simply a tool for studying scripture. At least that is how I use chiasmi.
Sometimes I use a chiasmus like reading a book. The progression goes from 1, 2, 3, etc. or a, b, c, etc. I use a, b, c, for the most part, but I also use 1, 2, 3. There is not really a specific way for this as long as you keep the rules straight. The first rule is that the chiasmus reads from left to right to the center, and then from right to left to the end.
a, begin
...b
c, end
1, begin
...2
3, end
Often, I look at the parallels from top to bottom.
a, top
...b
c, bottom
When I look at the parallels, I change the numbering to reflect that I am reading parallels; the top and bottom. That is, I am not reading the chiasmus as a linear read, but top to bottom.
a, top
...b
a, bottom
There is a third type of chiasmus that I use but not that often, which is a spiral. Often, the spiral becomes obvious. So it is not so much a tool but something that can be found.
1
...3
2
So that is the three types of chiasmi that I use and how I use them.
At times, I find a "reverse" in the chiasmus. That is, the chiasmus is out of order. I call reverses "X" chiasmi because the reverse shows up as an "X". Here is an example:
Rev. 4:3
a) And he that sat was to look upon
...b) like a jasper
......c) and a sardine stone:
...a) and there was a rainbow round about the throne,
b) in sight like unto an emerald.
This is an X chiasmus. Can you see the X?
Great Job you can now write it down on paper.