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Showing posts with label judgement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label judgement. Show all posts

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 3 - God's Wrath, Righteousness, and Love)




Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 3 - God's Wrath, Righteousness, and Love)

Paul starts his exposition of the grace gospel with reference to the wrath of God in Rom.1:18,

Rom.1:18-19  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;  (19)  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Why does Paul do this? Isn't the gospel supposed to be 'good news'? What is so good about knowing about God's wrath? Well, this question has two answers,

  1. God's wrath cannot and shouldn't be ignored. It is a true and very important fact to know.
  2. God's wrath brings value to the sacrifice of Christ, and confirmation of His great love for us.

If one had to share the gospel with someone, they'd only have half the gospel if you only shared the cross, the resurrection, and God's love. These aspects are emphasized by the fact that God despises and cannot tolerate sin, and the fact that we are sinners, qualifies us utterly to be the recipients of His righteous and horrific wrath. As utterly loving and forgiving God is towards us, we can expect no less than His utter vengeance and righteous wrath upon us for our rebellion. 

Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth



Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth

2Thess.2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation is more than just God forgiving you your sins. Don't get me wrong. Forgiveness of sins is the first step in our salvation, but it's not only that. The salvation that Paul is referring to in the verse above, is more than just forgiveness of sins. There appears to be more information here than what many believers actually know about. What does it mean that it comes through sanctification of the Spirit.

People still remain confused or very negligent about this. Paul said in Ephesians, “Be ye filled with the Spirit.” Look at that statement carefully. That is your command and your responsibility, not God’s. God has already given us His Spirit. In 1Thess.4:8, Paul writes, “Who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit.” God has already given us His Spirit and tells us to be filled with the Spirit. This means that we need to act upon it. OK. But how? By getting into the written Word. The Word of God is Spirit and life, Jn.6:63. If we want to get the Spirit into us and be filled with it, we must partake of the Word of God. Unfortunately, this is not a priority for many. People don’t want to gather where the Bible is being taught. They don’t want to gather where doctrine is being presented. They don’t want to read their Bible at home, and then they wonder why they 'feel' so far from God, and they pray, “God, fill me with Your Spirit.” But it does not work that way! Our doctrine tells us how to be filled with the Spirit, and it's not at the church alter, nor by the laying on of hands, nor by various activities that make us feel good. The only place to find the Spirit and get filled by it is in the written Word.

What does 'if ye continue in the faith' mean in Col.1:23?



What does 'if ye continue in the faith' mean in Col.1:23?

A lot of people read the verse below and think that it means they can lose their salvation, or more specifically, their reconciliation with God, which is specified in verse 22. Let's take a look at what this passage of scripture is saying.

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he RECONCILED  (22)  In the body of his flesh through death, TO PRESENT YOU holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:  (23)  IF YE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;  ...  (28)  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may PRESENT every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Note: I have capped certain key words for emphasis. Now, let's work through what Paul wrote and look at the proper context to learn what is really being said here.

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he RECONCILED."

Who is judged by which gospel?



Who is judged by which gospel?


QUESTION:

Is Romans 2:16 only referring to those who denied the Paul's gospel during the dispensation of grace? That is my current understanding of Rom 2:16


ANSWER:

Consider the Kingdom gospel. It is based upon the precepts God gave to Israel. It required repentance based on their unbelief and it required water baptism based on the ordinance of washing applied to priests in the Mosaic law. It also required being filled with the Spirit according to the new covenant prophesied in Ezek.36 and Jer.31. So, this gospel had requirements and ordinances specific to Israel and their relationship with God under law.

Now consider Paul's gospel. To be justified by God, it simply required faith in God, and more specifically, faith in His Son. Paul writes,

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these




Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these

STATEMENT:

Feed the hungry, clothe the needy, visit the sick, welcome the stranger, help the less fortunate. (Jesus words, Matt 25:35-40.) I’ve always thought it curious that Jesus makes the distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous based on this criteria. Curiously missing is “confessing and believing”, having correct theology, “sinners prayer”, etc. In fact, according to this passage some people will have been doing these things without even knowing Jesus or that they were doing it for him.

ANSWER:

The passage you quote in Matt 25 will occur throughout the 7-year Tribulation. It does not apply today because Jews are not the chosen and preeminent nation during this grace dispensation. In actual fact, both Jew and Gentile are equal in God’s eyes today, so feeding, clothing, visiting the sick and in prison, etc, of the Jews does not have the salvific value as it will in the Trib.

His winnowing fork is in his hand



The following is in response to a post that informs that the grace gospel, concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the ONLY means of salvation today.

RESPONSE:

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Jesus is the very one who will baptize everyone with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who will TRANSFORM everyone.

His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. (Gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire means people will go to hell unless people are baptized by the Holy Spirit and TRANSFORM into a new being.)


ANSWER:

The response you provide above concerns the day of judgement when Jesus comes back at the end of the Tribulation. Please note that it has nothing to do with the gospel, or salvation.

DM#26: The results and reward of the Judgement Seat of Christ

Doctrine of the Mysteries #26


The results and reward of the Judgement Seat of Christ

In the previous article we learned about the Judgement Seat of Christ and what we will be judged for. In this article, I’d like to draw attention to what the results of this judgement is and its subsequent reward.

Let us understand again that this judgement, for members of the Body of Christ, is not for sins or damnation, since our sins have already been judged at the cross of Christ, and through imputation of Christ’s righteousness, we stand justified and completely atoned before God, Rom 5.

Thus, the judgement we will face is to determine the degree of responsibility and commission we will be given, based on our knowledge and understanding of our Father’s will and purpose in the ages to come. The accompanying reward is a measure of the glory and authority of Christ that one will hold in the ranks and positions of the hierarchy of heaven.

To relate to this more easily, let’s apply an analogy concerning a father [re: God], who is a carpenter, and his son [re: you], who is being groomed to inherit the father’s carpentry business [re: heavenly reward].

DM#25: Every man's work shall be made manifest

Doctrine of the Mysteries #25


Every man's work shall be made manifest:

1Co 3:11-13  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  (12)  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  (13)  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Many of us believe that our good works in this life will determine how we are judged when we stand before Christ's judgment seat. This is not true! What you did in this life has little bearing on that day. It's all related to what you know. The knowledge of Christ within you is what's represented by the gold, silver, and precious stones. In essence, it's a judgment of your understanding of Paul's doctrine and your development within it.  It is the degree to which the wisdom and knowledge you have gained from studying His Word has formed Christ in you, Pro 24:3-5.

DM#21: The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

Doctrine of the Mysteries #21


The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

Paul writes the following to the Corinthians,

1 Cor.3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The above is one of a few passages of scripture that provides us with insights into the judgement seat of Christ; that time after the rapture of the Body of Christ when we are judged according to what we have done in his body (not our body).

2 Cor.5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

What ‘work’ will survive at the Judgement Seat of Christ

What ‘work’ will survive at the Judgement Seat of Christ

1Co 3:11-15  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  (12)  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  (13)  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  (14)  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  (15)  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So many of us think that when we stand before the judgement seat of Christ, we will be judged by what we did in this life. The Bema Seat of Christ has got nothing to do with what you did in this life. It has all to do with what you know. It is essentially a judgement of one’s knowledge concerning Paul’s doctrine and your growth in it.

Rom 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 4)

Paul’s Encouragement to Increase in Knowledge and Understanding

Start this series of posts with: Part 1

Paul’s letters are full of statements that encourage one to learn, to increase in one’s knowledge of God’s Word, and to gain understanding of it, so that it embeds in one’s heart and becomes part of the outflow of one’s life, in thinking, reasoning, speech, and actions. You cannot go far in Paul’s epistles and not read statements that encourage growth and increasing in knowledge and understanding.

In Romans, the foundational epistle that establishes us in ‘the faith’, Paul immediately starts to fire up our minds, compelling us to think upon things, or to know things, coercing our learning and understanding. Have a look at the following statements that we encounter so early in the mystery curriculum,

What does ‘working out our salvation in fear and trembling’ really mean?



What does ‘working out our salvation in fear and trembling’ really mean?

Php 2:12-13  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

To keep this short, let me get straight to the point. “Working out our own salvation” is not us doing good works to justify our salvation. It is not acts of kindness. It is not giving money to the church. It is not activities of any kind that make us feel we did something right or good. To put it bluntly, it is not any type of ‘physical’ actions that we do in this world that ‘works out our salvation’. How can I know this and confirm this? Well, consider this to start with. If our salvation is ALREADY SECURE in Christ (Rom.3:21-28), just by us believing in Jesus and trusting His death, burial, and resurrection (1Cor.15:1-4), then what is this ‘work’ I must do in fear and trembling? What can this ‘work’ do to contribute any more to a salvation I have that is ALREADY 100% SECURE? That does not make sense! In this regard, the ‘work’ being mentioned here has a different context than, to earn, or contribute to, or justify, salvation.

Gold, Silver, Precious Stones, Wood, Hay, and Stubble



Gold, Silver, Precious Stones, Wood, Hay, and Stubble

Paul writes the following to the Corinthians,

1 Cor.3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The above is one of a few passages of scripture that provides us with insights into the judgement seat of Christ; that time after the rapture of the Body of Christ when we are judged according to what we have done in his body (not our body).

2 Cor.5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The Righteous are not Immune to Vanity



The Righteous are not Immune to Vanity

If your view of life is focused only on this current world and your time in it, then it is a natural thing to build a life, gain wealth, make memories, and aim for a comfortable retirement. However, this is not the view that the Bible promotes. In the context of a Biblical view, an eternal view, a view that places value on a human life after death, the Bible speaks of life as vanity, which literally means "vapor" or "breath", and is also translated as "meaningless", "emptiness", or "futility". Both Psalms and Ecclesiastes raise this topic throughout their pages,

Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ

Life, death, and the timing and meaning of the cross of Christ



QUESTION:

What will happen to the souls of those who died before Jesus Christ? Did they go to the nothingness or hell if they didn’t know Jesus’ name. They died before Him. So where are they now?

If the time of Jesus death have no meaning, then what meaning has it? Why was His death needed? If He did not die, would we go to hell?

I don’t get it. If they will be saved even before Jesus’ death, then His death is pointless. If it has any meaning and value, then why would those who died before Him be damned? Isn’t that proof that we aren’t equal before God at all?

ANSWER:

The doctrine of death and the afterlife is wide and there are many different theories. Some believe in “soul sleep” which means while the body is 6-feet under at death, they are aware of nothing. No consciousness, no thinking or experiences, but just waiting in ‘sleep’ for their resurrection in their order. The Bible has many references that can suggest this.

What happens to the righteous and wicked at death?

What happens to the righteous and wicked at death?

The following is my 'current' interpretation of the scriptures. I do not claim to be dogmatic on this topic, but then again, neither can anyone else. I'm answering this simply to provide you, the reader, with scriptures that you can interpret for yourself and formulate your own conclusion.

The word "hell" is translated as "grave" in both the Hebrew ("Sheol") and Greek ("Hades") languages. Grave represents death, or to sleep, or an unconscious state of inactivity.

Ecc.9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 12)

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 12)

We are coming to the end of the details of the return of Jesus Christ. We have looked at the stages of His return and the order of how they mirror His ascension. We have also briefly previewed the events of Revelation that take place between the stages of Jesus multi-part return and how they progress throughout the end times. To wrap up with, I have a few more things to mention, but before I do, I'd like to remind you of the two primary points that glue this whole study together. They are as follows,

  1. As with many other patterns, shadows, and types found in the Bible, the ascension of Jesus Christ can teach us of the stages of His return.

  2. Paul's two 'famous' rapture scriptures, in 1Cor.15 and 1 Thess.4, express the event in general, (ie: they expound on the WHOLE coming of Christ, across the whole 7-year period of the tribulation, for all saints. The scriptures do NOT represent just the rapture of the Body of Christ.)

So, let's now deal with the last few events which occurs at the very end of the second coming of Christ and just before we get to the inauguration of the Millennial Kingdom. In Daniel 12:12 we are informed of a 75-day period of time after the 7-year tribulation. Each half of the tribulation is 1260 days in duration (or 42 months each). But in the verse 12, Daniel mentions the span of 1335 days, which is 75 days longer than 1260 days. The events we will now discuss will probably occur within this time.

Let's start by reading this passage in Matthew 25


Matt.25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:    ……   

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: … 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

You will recognize this as the parable of the sheep and the goats. This parable that Jesus taught provides us with one of the events that will happen during this 75-day period.

After the battle campaign is won, after Armageddon, after the judgement of the Antichrist and the false prophet, who are cast into the lake of fire, and after Satan is cast into the bottomless pit, Jesus will take His seat on the throne of His glory and He will judge all the nations, in order to divide them out into the sheep and the goats. The 'sheep' nations are those who supported the Jews during the tribulation, (read Matt.25:34-40), and the 'goat' nations are those who did not support Israel throughout the tribulation, (read Matt.25:41-46).

The sheep who will stand on the right hand of Jesus Christ; the right hand being a reference to a place of honour and status, and will be the people who will be entering into the Millennial Kingdom after it's inauguration. Those who are on the left hand side of Jesus, according to Jesus' own words, will go away into everlasting punishment.

Another event that will occur in this 75-day period (which separates the end of the tribulation from the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom), is the salvation of the remnant of Israel in the wilderness. At the end of the battle campaign the Lord will appear unto them as they cry our, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord". They will recognize Jesus as their King and Messiah. They will mourn greatly (as one who has lost their only child) for their unbelief and mistrust in Jesus and for the crimes they have done against him. But as per prophecy, their tears will be turned into joy and their sorrow into laughter, Isa.61. It is at this time that the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon them and they will be born of water (Red Sea passing) and of Spirit (John 3). The new covenant will be realized and they will receive a heart of flesh, and the Word of the Lord will be written on their hearts. They will receive utter forgiveness and be reconciled to their God and Messiah, Jesus Christ. It it hey who will become the priesthood in the Millennium. They will carry the Word of the Lord to the nations and be the salvation of them, Zech.8:23.

Another big event to take place at this time is the resurrection of all the rest of the saints who lived throughout time and who are still at this point sleeping in death. Before we detail this resurrection of the dead, let me you that there are specific groups of saints who are not 'sleeping' in the earth at this time, because of the effects of the blood of Christ

Let's quickly list these groups for clarity,

  1. The Body of Christ: The body of Christ is unique in the regard that they died when Christ died. They were buried with Christ. They were resurrected with Christ. His death and resurrection was their death and resurrection. When a grace believer dies, he does not sleep in the earth as other saints. Since he has already experienced resurrection he is immediately present with the Lord at death. Of course, those members of the body of Christ who are alive when the pre-tribulation rapture takes place are caught up to join the rest of the Body and remain in the Lord's presence from this point on. (This group inherits the heavens and will reign with Christ as they govern the heavenly places in His name and honour and glory).

  2. The Little Flock: These are the saints of the Jewish church in the book of Acts (±AD30-AD70) are the ones who endured to the end, who "loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev.12:11). We learned in an earlier part of this study that their souls are not asleep but are before the altar in heaven and they cried out to the Lord to avenge their deaths (Rev.6:9-10). They are given white robes to wear. (I speculate that these white robes are glorified bodies since they are not resurrected at any point?) This group of saints were to prepare Israel for the coming King and Kingdom. Israel would not believe and this program was put on hold.

  3. The 144000: Their unique ministry, which continues that of the Acts church, is to prepare Israel to receive their Messiah and the Kingdom. According to Rev.14:1, we see them in the Lord's presence in the heavenly Jerusalem before it descends to earth's proximity. They are in this position for either losing their lives or because they were raptured.

  4. The Tribulation and Great Tribulation Martyrs: They are people who believed the gospel proclaimed by the 2-witnesses and the 144000 in the tribulation, or the angel who proclaimed the everlasting gospel in the great tribulation in Revelation 14. Like the Acts church, these souls appear in heaven too, systematically as they are killed for their faith, and form part of the growing number of countless souls, each given a white robe (glorified body?) and who hold palm branches in their hands, Rev.7:9.

    Groups 2, 3 and 4 above will have places of honour in the heavenly Jerusalem throughout the Millennial Kingdom, and may be positioned there, or on earth, throughout the Kingdom 

Old Testament and Kingdom Saints Resurrection (who died before Christ's blood was shed.)

With these groups recalled, let's get back to this large group of sleeping souls who are about to be resurrected in the flesh, Ezek.37. The resurrection of all these saints, who are the last to be awakened to fill up the "First Resurrection" Rev.20:6, are all those righteous souls from Adam to the Kingdom Program (which ended at Pentecost. People like: Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Job, ... David, the prophets, John the Baptist, Lazarus, ...). These are the souls who will enter into the Millennial Kingdom in new flesh bodies and will have places of authority and rulership in various hierarchies. They will administer the will of the King of Kings to the gentile 'sheep' nations (survivors of the 7-year tribulation) who have also entered into the Millennial Kingdom at this point.

Daniel 12:2 summarizes the two very different fates facing mankind: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Everyone will be raised from the dead, but not everyone will share the same destiny. Revelation 20:4-6 mentions a "first resurrection" and identifies those involved as "blessed and holy". These are the souls listed above, from the Body of Christ to the last group of resurrected souls. The second death (the lake of fire, Revelation 20:14) has no power over these individuals. The first resurrection, then, is the raising of all righteous souls. It corresponds with Jesus' teaching of the "resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:14) and the "resurrection of life" (John 5:29).

Revelation 20:12-13 identifies those comprising the second resurrection as the wicked judged by God at the Great White Throne judgment prior to being cast into the lake of fire. The second resurrection, then, is the raising of all unrighteous souls; the second resurrection is connected to the second death. It corresponds with Jesus' teaching of the "resurrection of damnation" (John 5:29).

The event which divides the first and second resurrections is the Millennial Kingdom. The last of the righteous are raised to reign "with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4), but the "rest of the dead [that is, the wicked] lived not again until the thousand years were finished", (Revelation 20:5).

Following the 75-day interval, Jesus will inaugurate His Millennial Kingdom and enter into it triumphantly and King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-7; Revelation 20.

The last event that is noteworthy is the appearance of the heavenly city into the proximity of earth at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. Since I have written on this occurrence in another post, I'll simply refer to it here. It provides scriptural reference to the city's appearance and also some additional details to take note of. Make sure to read,

New Jerusalem descends before the Millennial Kingdom

In Conclusion

This has been a long series, but my hope is that you have understood the interpretation I have exposed of 1 Cor.15:51-52 and 1 Thess.4:16-17, and how this ties in to the stages of Christs return. I hope that it reveals some truths in scripture that might inspire you, excite you and edify you. If anything, I hope that it will encourage you to get into the scriptures for yourself and study these things to gain the understanding that brings you to peace and a deeper relationship with our Saviour. My prayer is that God will continue to bless you with His truth and His love until the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.


Time Is Running Out

Time Is Running Out

The events in the world at current, and the signs according to prophecy*, are indicators that the grace dispensation in God's timetable is soon to end. The next dispensation, after grace, will be one of tribulation and wrath. Time is running out, and if you have not yet heard and responded to the Gospel of Grace, you are still unredeemed, unsaved and will have no hope when you stand before your God. I encourage you to read through the linked posts below and respond to the good news that can save you.

"for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out —those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned."
(Jesus Christ, Jn.5:28-29)

Q-A: The Judgement Seat of Christ

I can stare at this image for ages.
It never ceases to make my imagination run wild!