First or second person believer. Which are you.

Are you a first or second person believer?
Does that question cause some curiosity?
Your one or the other so isn't it a time to find out?

As we have stated before that "to do anything outside of faith is sin." Romans 14:23b.
When we become Christians it is crucial for us that we come to terms with "faith" in it's full scriptural application so that we "sin not." This include how we approach our "walk with God", how we "grow in grace", how we understand the Scriptures, God's Holy Word. In fact nothing, nothing at all, can happen outside of faith!
Allow me to be forcefully emphatic here again............Nothing, not anything can be done outside of faith lest it be sin! Putting it blankly: Sin constitutes anything you think, do or say outside of faith.
All principles of Scripture are received by, and performed by faith, and faith alone. Nothing in God's Word comes "to us" or "through us" except by faith. Faith in God's Word, ( and we can have no other faith in anything as nothing on earth, man, beast, society, company, or entity, has the qualities that make God King of Kings and Lord of Lords) to believe in or give hope.
We have faith in God because He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent, without beginning or end, changeless in proclamation, and unwavering in Unconditional Love. He alone has offered the "real or True" things of this creation which is salvation and eternal life. Life as we see it or experience it now is temporary by God's design, and will fade or fail, but His promise (Jesus Christ) is eternal in the heavens, timeless here, and irrefutable both now and forever.
Again I must submit Romans 3:4 "Let God be True and every man a liar."
God implemented faith so that we can reunite with Him, both through salvation, "We are saved by grace through faith," and so that we can experience His promises in Christ "we must decrease, He (Christ) must increase," and "these things I (Christ) do you will do also, and greater things."
This encompasses the entire experience we call Christianity and none of it can be done outside of faith in God. "Have faith in God,"

With that background set we can answer our first question: "Are you a first or second person believer in God?"
Some now are asking: "Scripture doesn't make this differentiation, where is this coming from, is the author making up his own doctrine?"
Absolutely not. All of Scripture is full of this little seen fact, that truly there are both first and second person believers.
What is the difference? Simple. First person believers are those who "followed/were led by" God and God alone. They had a "relationship" with the Creator of the universe face to face or in a sense by dream or vision. These would be mentioned for just a few, Adam, Noah, Moses, Ezekiel, most of the major OT prophets, then Paul, Peter, James, John, most of the Apostles (as they followed Christ on earth), not a complete list but "witnessing" to the fact that many OT and NT had a relationship with God that was direct and without intervention of anyone else, sort of "face to face".
A note here is that all of these men had a personal encounter with their Creator and "heard His voice and followed." A strong encouragement here is that "these" are the men who "walked in power of the Holy Spirit and worked many great and mighty signs glorifying their Father in heaven." They, (the first person believers), were the ones that God used to "witness" His kingdom come through all the earth. And it is the same today.........though God will use any believer to work His will, there is certainly a division in who will be used the most, and who will be used because they are there and someone has need.
Elisha and Elijah were first person believers and both worked "signs and wonders" because they believed in the one who called them and heard His we small voice. Few others were used of God in raising the dead or healing the sick or averting disaster in Israel in the OT, them not being exclusive, but I won't go into all of the "men of God" or should I say "men used of God" during that time.
Again in the NT we had Peter, John, Paul, Stephen, Philip, and a few others that were "mighty in spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit", who were mightily used of God to proclaim His Kingdom, and to manifest His glory proving the Truth of His message through Christ and His salvation, and that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life/Light. God using man who communicated with Him face to face, their ears to His voice, and heart to His Spirit, to turn the world upside down as the Truth set hearts free and gave hope to a sinful and dying generation, and then to all who will come till creation ends.
I do not see anywhere in Scripture where this power, or anointing, given to halfhearted believers who having received their "ticket to the golden shore through Christ" would do any more to advance the Kingdom of God or make any effort to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Herein is the sadness of "those of little faith" in this great Kingdom.
Keep in mind there is still to this day only a remnant contingency in the bride of Christ that still follow God through Jesus Christ and seek His presence "face to face."
Am I saying that the "remnant" are the only saved believers, soldiers in the army of God? Not at all. In the time of David the King there was a difference between his fighting men. Those who were his "Mighty Men" and those who fought behind them. The Mighty Men were in the forefront of battle, and by God's anointing, changing the tide in victory, and there were those behind participating but not to the degree that they were made mention of except that they were there.
Does this mean to say that we all don't make a difference? The true answer lies in the proof of your life. Everyone that calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved and used of Him for as much as they will "here His voice." Great or small, leader or servant, everyone has been given the ability to "be baptized in the Holy Spirit", "receive power from on high", walk in that Spirit", and to "do, (make manifest) the will of God. Everyone!
The only difference between face to face believers is that they "obey and fallow". They want God to make a difference through His intervention with mankind and are willing to "sacrifice" their "will" for His.

That being said then what are second person believers?
A second person believer is one that "needs" someone to stand between him and Christ or the Holy Spirit. They don't realize that the purpose of the pastors, teachers, prophets, or anyone who leads in Christ's church are there for encouragement, instruction, rebuke or guidance in the faith as they are led by the Holy Spirit. They are not in position to "replace" your personal, intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ. They are His servants using His administrations and gifts through the Holy Spirit to "grow your faith" and encourage you in your relationship with "your" Father in heaven. They are not there for "position, praise, adulation, or special attention", but as servants, ones who are called and empowered by God, as under shepherds of Christ. Jesus gave us strong warning about the "Master and the student", He said: "the student can only be equal to his master." If man is "the master" (second person position), then his students can only attain equality to him. But if Christ is our "Master" then we can have the "Mind of Christ" and we become "His representatives here on earth."
So clearly in Scripture a person is a "second person believer" when he/she "needs" someone between them and Christ to continue their instruction of faith to maturity. They don't seek Scriptural promises such as the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit", they don't "listen for the we small voice", they don't communicate with God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ, they have no passionate heart to "follow in His ways, and they make little effort to acknowledge Him in all their ways.
Are these believers? Yes. Scripture says that "all" who call upon His name shall be saved. The motivated and the sluggard. A lot of which way the second person believers walk goes depends on the church they attend. Some church's encourage to be used of God according to the gifts and administration shown in Scripture, others don't acknowledge that any of these exists or are still in use by God.
Second person believers would rather (whether by ignorance or denial) follow the doctrines of man rather than God because it's less complicated, demanding, or just plain easier. Having been told that the gifts and calling and elections of God have been eliminated by dispensation they have no hope of anything better. They pass through this life asking questions about "why this God or why that" because they have no "personal revelation" of who God is or what He can and will do. God, for them is standing behind man, not Christ, as the filter for approval. This just can't work as clearly Jesus Christ is the Gate to God's fellowship and Fatherhood.
Second person believing is always fraught with "lack of faith", "lack of hope", and "lack of victory." Does God Love them and desire to use them for His Kingdom? Absolutely!
Sadly, the only thing that stands between any believer in Christ and intimacy with God is themselves, a closed heart, and a lack of faith being that: "though they hear the Word they comprehend it not", and "faith comes by hearing and that by the Word of God."
Sometimes the only effect that God's Word is guaranteed is that "it won't come back void."
The "catch all guarantee", made necessary, God already knowing the "heart of man" before He "created all things."
Second person believers can have hope, as do we all, because all they have to do is change "focus" from man as master and "turn their eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face", making Him the object of all intimacy, and man only as one who completes his God given revelation in the "Body of Christ." At this time God will make good all His precious promises which avail themselves to every believer in Christ by faith.

In closing:
You alone have a choice as to "how you will follow Jesus and fellowship with God."
Choose wisely because your life in Christ will be strongly effected.
Christianity is an "experience in faith through Christ." Living, powerful, full of victory and hope.
Being used of God according to Scripture is one of the most humbling but encouraging experiences you can ever know.
Emmanuel: God in us.
The greatest miracle of eternity.
Jesus properly enthroned in our hearts "working the will of the Father" through us.

Pray for pastors, teachers, prophets, deacons and elders that are "led of the Spirit."
Follow the masters that follow "the Master", and seek His face and intimacy with Him,
God bless and keep.
In Christ
J&E in Tn