For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)
An example of the fruit of this method of "study" is the application of Romans 6:23 and Hebrews 2:3 to the unconverted. These two verses are used today to warn the unconverted of the danger of not being "saved." In actual fact the two verses are addressed to Christian people concerning their sins and their lukewarmness toward Christ.
Indeed, all the Epistles are written to the "saints," as Paul terms the believers. Christian people, the saints, do not take these warnings to heart because they believe they are directed toward the unsaved.
One of the principal "key verses" of current Christian theology is John 5:24:
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 to life.
It is difficult to comprehend the amount of error caused by the employment of John 5:24 as a "key verse" from which conclusions are drawn. We may not be overstating the case to say that the principal doctrine of the Epistles, which is the necessity for our growth toward perfection in Christ, has been sapped of most of its strength by the excessive application of John 5:24 as a "key verse."
John 5:24 is one leg of a seeming contradiction. John 5:24 states that he who hears the word of Christ and believes in God shall not come under judgment. He has passed from death to life.
It may be inviting to the humanist to conclude from John 5:24 that the Lord will not judge His people. But this is to create an unscriptural attitude toward the Christian redemption (I Corinthians 11:32, for example). It represents a departure from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
John 5:24 is not referring to a one-time confession of Christ as Savior. We must have "ears to hear" the Word of Christ each day of our pilgrimage and continue to believe in God throughout our days on the earth.
Every day we pass from death to life as we walk in the Spirit of God. Every day of our Christian life, spiritual death and spiritual life struggle for mastery over us. Every day we "hear the Word of Christ," believe in God, and live without condemnation. The moment we cease abiding in Christ, John 5:24 ceases applying to us.
Here is a seeming contradiction: John 5:24 states that the believer shall not come under condemnation, or judgment, but I Peter 4:17 states that the Divine judgment begins with the believers in Christ. In fact, the entire fourth chapter of I Peter reveals that our tribulations in this world are the judgment of God on us as Christians (also, II Thessalonians 1:5).
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Judgment Seat of Christ Is In Session
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. (II Corinthians 5:10)
The sufferings of the Christian, if he is following the Lord as he should, are God's judgments on his life: not a judgment of condemnation and wrath but a judgment of discipline to salvation. We are saved by the judgment of discipline. Apart from Divine judgment we remain sinful, self-centered, and otherwise spiritually immature and subject to the authority of the Lake of Fire.
The Judgment Seat of Christ has begun with the judgment of the house of God. The nearer we are to God the stricter and more immediate is our judgment. Jerusalem always receives double for her sins (Isaiah 40:2). After the accounts of the righteous have been settled Christ will turn His attention to the disobedient.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is in session. The first to be tried are God's saints. Therefore when we suffer let us hold steady in the Lord. When we are tested we, through Christ's own Presence, and Virtue, shall come forth as refined gold. Then we shall have no fear. Then we shall have perfect love. Then we shall have boldness in the Day of Judgment.
One reason why Christian theology has gotten as far off course as it has is that deductive reasoning is being employed without reference to the whole counsel of God.
A more effective technique for developing a theology is to study all that is said on a matter and then to allow the Holy Spirit to induce truth.
The deductive approach, selecting one verse as a "key verse" and then drawing conclusions from it, treating passages that state the opposite as less important or even suspect and to be avoided, is not a sound procedure to follow. This especially is true because of the several seeming contradictions in the Scriptures. The prevailing custom is to select the preferred leg of the seeming contradiction and to cut off the other. As a result, truth stumps about wildly.
Some of the major seeming contradictions are as follows: Divine election, and "whosoever will"; Paul states we are justified by faith while James teaches we are justified by works; the Scripture declares that all we must do to be saved is to believe and be baptized, whereas Christ told us plainly that in order to be saved we must endure to the end.
The "leg" of the seeming contradiction chosen in our day is the one that leans toward human welfare. In time past the reverse may have been true. Men are becoming lovers of themselves.
Current Christian theology has been developed by means of selecting the preferred "leg" and cutting off the other. Thus we hear much preaching about being justified by faith, little to the effect that we are justified by works (James 2:21). Truth falls flat on its face, being unbalanced.
It is not unusual for the editors of study Bibles to underline the verses they are employing as "key verses." The student is to leap around in the Scriptures according to the scheme of deductive reasoning without paying attention to the line of thought of the writer of the particular book of the Bible or what he has written elsewhere.
This is why the believers of today may know certain "key verses" (verses removed from their contexts) but are ignorant of the line of thought the Spirit was developing, of which the key verse was a part.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The sufferings of the Christian, if he is following the Lord as he should, are God's judgments on his life: not a judgment of condemnation and wrath but a judgment of discipline to salvation. We are saved by the judgment of discipline. Apart from Divine judgment we remain sinful, self-centered, and otherwise spiritually immature and subject to the authority of the Lake of Fire.
The Judgment Seat of Christ has begun with the judgment of the house of God. The nearer we are to God the stricter and more immediate is our judgment. Jerusalem always receives double for her sins (Isaiah 40:2). After the accounts of the righteous have been settled Christ will turn His attention to the disobedient.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is in session. The first to be tried are God's saints. Therefore when we suffer let us hold steady in the Lord. When we are tested we, through Christ's own Presence, and Virtue, shall come forth as refined gold. Then we shall have no fear. Then we shall have perfect love. Then we shall have boldness in the Day of Judgment.
One reason why Christian theology has gotten as far off course as it has is that deductive reasoning is being employed without reference to the whole counsel of God.
A more effective technique for developing a theology is to study all that is said on a matter and then to allow the Holy Spirit to induce truth.
The deductive approach, selecting one verse as a "key verse" and then drawing conclusions from it, treating passages that state the opposite as less important or even suspect and to be avoided, is not a sound procedure to follow. This especially is true because of the several seeming contradictions in the Scriptures. The prevailing custom is to select the preferred leg of the seeming contradiction and to cut off the other. As a result, truth stumps about wildly.
Some of the major seeming contradictions are as follows: Divine election, and "whosoever will"; Paul states we are justified by faith while James teaches we are justified by works; the Scripture declares that all we must do to be saved is to believe and be baptized, whereas Christ told us plainly that in order to be saved we must endure to the end.
The "leg" of the seeming contradiction chosen in our day is the one that leans toward human welfare. In time past the reverse may have been true. Men are becoming lovers of themselves.
Current Christian theology has been developed by means of selecting the preferred "leg" and cutting off the other. Thus we hear much preaching about being justified by faith, little to the effect that we are justified by works (James 2:21). Truth falls flat on its face, being unbalanced.
It is not unusual for the editors of study Bibles to underline the verses they are employing as "key verses." The student is to leap around in the Scriptures according to the scheme of deductive reasoning without paying attention to the line of thought of the writer of the particular book of the Bible or what he has written elsewhere.
This is why the believers of today may know certain "key verses" (verses removed from their contexts) but are ignorant of the line of thought the Spirit was developing, of which the key verse was a part.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Judgment Seat of Christ, #5
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.
It is the "things done in his body" that are at issue. It is according to the actions of the body that we are judged, and it is in the body that we shall be rewarded or punished. The physical body is an important part of our redemption and our destiny. How we behave in the body is of the utmost significance.
If the current Christian understanding were correct, the final part of the verse would read, "so he may be rewarded for the works he has accomplished for Christ."
Thus the passage would read:
"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, so that he may be rewarded for the works he hath accomplished for Christ."
The next verse would state:
"But he who hath done nothing for Christ, or who hath spent his days in fornication and drunkenness, hath no need to fear; because all who believe in Jesus shall enter with exceedingly great joy into the Presence of Christ."
This is how the passage is being interpreted by many Christian teachers and preachers of today. They have added to and taken away from God's Word without regard for the consequences to their hearers or to themselves.
The teachers and preachers claim they are giving "assurance" to some who have trouble placing their trust in Christ. The truth is, they are giving an assurance that is unfounded. It would be better to tell of the severity of God and then teach the believers how to stand in Christ.
The final part of II Corinthians 5:10 provides little comfort for the careless believer:
"According to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
Again, works are the issue.
Each of us shall receive the good he has practiced in his body.
Each of us shall receive the bad he has practiced in his body.
Every Christian shall receive the good he has practiced in his body.
Every Christian shall receive the bad he has practiced in his body.
But Satan whispers, "You shall not surely die!"
The next verse does not teach us that no Christian need have any fear of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Instead, it commences: "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; . . . ." The term "terror" is currently being translated reverence. There is a very great difference between terror and reverence.
Well, which is it? One cannot speak with authority from the Greek term, for it could be translated terror or reverence—or so it is claimed. We must search out what the Lord Jesus and His apostles said concerning the believer who has practiced evil in his body. Using the passage concerning the man who buried his talent being forced into outer darkness, as one example of many such warnings, we conclude that the word "terror" is a much more accurate translation than "reverence."
Our conclusion is that in order for the fear of God to be returned to the churches, with an accompanying repentance and return to righteous, holy behavior, we must understand we all shall be revealed at the Judgment Seat of Christ that we may receive the good and the evil we have practiced in the world. Other passages inform us that if we already have repented of the evil and, with Christ's help, have turned away from the evil, it will not be mentioned to us at the Judgment Seat.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (I John 1:7) (from The Judgment Seat of Christ; from It Is Time for a Reformation of Christian Thinking)
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
It is the "things done in his body" that are at issue. It is according to the actions of the body that we are judged, and it is in the body that we shall be rewarded or punished. The physical body is an important part of our redemption and our destiny. How we behave in the body is of the utmost significance.
If the current Christian understanding were correct, the final part of the verse would read, "so he may be rewarded for the works he has accomplished for Christ."
Thus the passage would read:
"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, so that he may be rewarded for the works he hath accomplished for Christ."
The next verse would state:
"But he who hath done nothing for Christ, or who hath spent his days in fornication and drunkenness, hath no need to fear; because all who believe in Jesus shall enter with exceedingly great joy into the Presence of Christ."
This is how the passage is being interpreted by many Christian teachers and preachers of today. They have added to and taken away from God's Word without regard for the consequences to their hearers or to themselves.
The teachers and preachers claim they are giving "assurance" to some who have trouble placing their trust in Christ. The truth is, they are giving an assurance that is unfounded. It would be better to tell of the severity of God and then teach the believers how to stand in Christ.
The final part of II Corinthians 5:10 provides little comfort for the careless believer:
"According to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
Again, works are the issue.
Each of us shall receive the good he has practiced in his body.
Each of us shall receive the bad he has practiced in his body.
Every Christian shall receive the good he has practiced in his body.
Every Christian shall receive the bad he has practiced in his body.
But Satan whispers, "You shall not surely die!"
The next verse does not teach us that no Christian need have any fear of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Instead, it commences: "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; . . . ." The term "terror" is currently being translated reverence. There is a very great difference between terror and reverence.
Well, which is it? One cannot speak with authority from the Greek term, for it could be translated terror or reverence—or so it is claimed. We must search out what the Lord Jesus and His apostles said concerning the believer who has practiced evil in his body. Using the passage concerning the man who buried his talent being forced into outer darkness, as one example of many such warnings, we conclude that the word "terror" is a much more accurate translation than "reverence."
Our conclusion is that in order for the fear of God to be returned to the churches, with an accompanying repentance and return to righteous, holy behavior, we must understand we all shall be revealed at the Judgment Seat of Christ that we may receive the good and the evil we have practiced in the world. Other passages inform us that if we already have repented of the evil and, with Christ's help, have turned away from the evil, it will not be mentioned to us at the Judgment Seat.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (I John 1:7) (from The Judgment Seat of Christ; from It Is Time for a Reformation of Christian Thinking)
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Judgment Seat of Christ, #4
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (I Corinthians 11:31,32)
The error that has destroyed the churches of Christ is that God no longer judges our behavior. While such a perversion of truth can be gleaned from the reaction of the Protestant Reformers against religious works, coupled with a few passages of Scripture, the bulk of the exhortations of Scripture, Old Testament and New, inform us that neither God nor His Christ have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness—Christian or otherwise.
No individual pleases God except the one who fears God and walks in righteousness.
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (Acts 10:35)
God gives us His righteousness when we confess Jesus and believe in His resurrection. But such confession and belief must be coupled with the most sincere repentance and followed with a life of sanctification and service.
If the confession of Jesus and belief in His resurrection are not coupled with repentance and followed with holiness and service, no salvation has taken place.
To be saved is to be delivered from Satan, our enemy. The person who does not pursue holiness and service is not being saved from Satan. He is not pleasing God. He is calling Jesus, Lord but not doing what Jesus commands. He is building his house on the sand. He shall fall in the day of judgment.
To maintain that Divine grace is no more than an eternal amnesty for immoral, rebellious people, that faith is mental assent to theological facts, that to be saved is merely to go to Paradise when we die, that the behavior of Christians is not judged, that once an individual has confessed the lordship of Jesus and has recognized that God indeed has raised Jesus from the dead God will reward him with Paradise regardless of his behavior, is to be in line with current doctrine.
It is also to misunderstand the doctrine of the Apostle Paul. It is to miss entirely the purpose of the new covenant, which is to produce righteous, God-fearing people.
Let us look once again at II Corinthians 5:10 and see if the Scriptures state that all believers will receive the full inheritance at the Judgment Seat of Christ:
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.
Is it clear that the above verse is stating that every Christian will receive the crown of glory? Is this how it appears to you?
"We all" includes each of us. The term "appear" does not mean stand. It is not that we all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Rather it is that we all must be made manifest in the sight of God and Christ as to our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Keep in mind that the Greek term (beema), "translated judgment seat," is used in the New Testament for an elevated throne where those accused of crimes are brought for judgment. Pilate sat upon a beema (judgment seat) when Jesus was brought before him for judgment. The outcome of that beema was crucifixion, not a laurel wreath.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The error that has destroyed the churches of Christ is that God no longer judges our behavior. While such a perversion of truth can be gleaned from the reaction of the Protestant Reformers against religious works, coupled with a few passages of Scripture, the bulk of the exhortations of Scripture, Old Testament and New, inform us that neither God nor His Christ have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness—Christian or otherwise.
No individual pleases God except the one who fears God and walks in righteousness.
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (Acts 10:35)
God gives us His righteousness when we confess Jesus and believe in His resurrection. But such confession and belief must be coupled with the most sincere repentance and followed with a life of sanctification and service.
If the confession of Jesus and belief in His resurrection are not coupled with repentance and followed with holiness and service, no salvation has taken place.
To be saved is to be delivered from Satan, our enemy. The person who does not pursue holiness and service is not being saved from Satan. He is not pleasing God. He is calling Jesus, Lord but not doing what Jesus commands. He is building his house on the sand. He shall fall in the day of judgment.
To maintain that Divine grace is no more than an eternal amnesty for immoral, rebellious people, that faith is mental assent to theological facts, that to be saved is merely to go to Paradise when we die, that the behavior of Christians is not judged, that once an individual has confessed the lordship of Jesus and has recognized that God indeed has raised Jesus from the dead God will reward him with Paradise regardless of his behavior, is to be in line with current doctrine.
It is also to misunderstand the doctrine of the Apostle Paul. It is to miss entirely the purpose of the new covenant, which is to produce righteous, God-fearing people.
Let us look once again at II Corinthians 5:10 and see if the Scriptures state that all believers will receive the full inheritance at the Judgment Seat of Christ:
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.
Is it clear that the above verse is stating that every Christian will receive the crown of glory? Is this how it appears to you?
"We all" includes each of us. The term "appear" does not mean stand. It is not that we all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Rather it is that we all must be made manifest in the sight of God and Christ as to our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Keep in mind that the Greek term (beema), "translated judgment seat," is used in the New Testament for an elevated throne where those accused of crimes are brought for judgment. Pilate sat upon a beema (judgment seat) when Jesus was brought before him for judgment. The outcome of that beema was crucifixion, not a laurel wreath.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Judgment Seat of Christ, #3
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. (I John 3:7)
How terribly distorted is the doctrine that teaches we are given God's grace in Christ so no matter how we live, God will receive us to everlasting joy when we die! A multitude of Christian believers are living in sin because of this doctrine.
In actuality, we are saved so we may show in our personalities the works of righteousness that are the light of the world.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Apart from such good works the grace of God becomes an excuse for wickedness.
The issue of the new covenant is not that of going to Paradise when we die. The issue is eternal life—life lived in the Presence and Person of God. It is the righteous who inherit eternal life, who inherit the Kingdom of God. The New Testament writings stress this fact (Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5; Romans 2:7).
When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in Him for salvation, He gives us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit immediately begins to guide us in paths of righteousness. It is not true that salvation is an amnesty that forgives us whether or not we abide in Christ; whether or not we walk in the Spirit.
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (Romans 6:22)
When we serve God we bear the fruit of holiness. The end of holiness is eternal life. The wages of sin is death whether or not we believe in Christ.
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (Romans 2:7)
According to the Word of God (above), eternal life is the result of "patient continuance in well doing."
It is impossible for any human being by "well doing" to save himself from sin. The guilt of Adam's sin passed on to him plus the guilt of his own sins prevent this. Also, no human being can serve God in his own strength. But Christians do save themselves by well doing through means of Christ's grace. This is possible because God forgives their sins and the Holy Spirit teaches them to shun wickedness and practice righteousness, in accordance with the written Word of God.
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (I Timothy 4:16)
There is a forgiving grace and then there is a transforming grace. Both are essential to our redemption. True saints of God are not just forgiven, they are new creations.
We are free to leave the works of the Law of Moses and be "married" to Christ. When we confess that Jesus is Lord and Christ, believing that God has raised Him from the dead, God gives us His righteousness.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
How terribly distorted is the doctrine that teaches we are given God's grace in Christ so no matter how we live, God will receive us to everlasting joy when we die! A multitude of Christian believers are living in sin because of this doctrine.
In actuality, we are saved so we may show in our personalities the works of righteousness that are the light of the world.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Apart from such good works the grace of God becomes an excuse for wickedness.
The issue of the new covenant is not that of going to Paradise when we die. The issue is eternal life—life lived in the Presence and Person of God. It is the righteous who inherit eternal life, who inherit the Kingdom of God. The New Testament writings stress this fact (Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5; Romans 2:7).
When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in Him for salvation, He gives us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit immediately begins to guide us in paths of righteousness. It is not true that salvation is an amnesty that forgives us whether or not we abide in Christ; whether or not we walk in the Spirit.
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (Romans 6:22)
When we serve God we bear the fruit of holiness. The end of holiness is eternal life. The wages of sin is death whether or not we believe in Christ.
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (Romans 2:7)
According to the Word of God (above), eternal life is the result of "patient continuance in well doing."
It is impossible for any human being by "well doing" to save himself from sin. The guilt of Adam's sin passed on to him plus the guilt of his own sins prevent this. Also, no human being can serve God in his own strength. But Christians do save themselves by well doing through means of Christ's grace. This is possible because God forgives their sins and the Holy Spirit teaches them to shun wickedness and practice righteousness, in accordance with the written Word of God.
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (I Timothy 4:16)
There is a forgiving grace and then there is a transforming grace. Both are essential to our redemption. True saints of God are not just forgiven, they are new creations.
We are free to leave the works of the Law of Moses and be "married" to Christ. When we confess that Jesus is Lord and Christ, believing that God has raised Him from the dead, God gives us His righteousness.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Judgment Seat of Christ, #2
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:12)
Can you imagine the chagrin, remorse, and terror of the modern Christian teachers and preachers when they stand with their followers before Him whose eyes are as furnaces of fire, and all their thoughts, words, and deeds are brought before them and measured against the written Word of God? Surely there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth!
The careless believers have only themselves to blame. The Scriptures are clear concerning the Kingdom law of sowing and reaping. Each human being, including each Christian, will pass before the white throne of Christ and be judged according to his or her works. The Father has given the authority and power of judgment to Christ (John 5:22,28,29; Acts 10:42; Revelation 20:12,13).
Where, then, does grace fit in? First of all, Divine grace is not an excuse for the sins of Christians. All mankind will be judged and will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. All of us will be judged according to our works. The Scriptures are clear on this point.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12)
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you [believers] according to your works. (Revelation 2:23)
There is one statement the risen Lord Jesus Christ makes to each of His seven churches: "I know thy works"!
Consider carefully the Lord's declaration concerning the resurrection of the dead:
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:29)
"They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life"!
Have done good to the resurrection of life!
There is a relationship between good works and eternal life (Matthew 25:46; Romans 6:22).
It is not the purpose of Divine grace to provide an alternative to godly living. If the purpose of Divine grace were to provide a permanent alternative to godly living, the new covenant would be inferior to every past dealing of God with man.
God's goal is sons who are in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, who walk in righteousness and holiness before Him and perform His will sternly and diligently.
The purpose of Divine grace is not to bring sinning, self-willed people into Paradise, thus making Paradise a branch of Hell. Rather, Divine grace forgives our sins so we can approach God and receive the power and wisdom from Heaven that will enable us to live righteously.
Apart from such repentance and transformation into righteousness there is no redemption. We have received the grace of God in vain. The purpose of Divine grace is to bring many sons to glory, to righteousness, holiness, obedience, and everlasting power and glory, and to untroubled fellowship with the Father.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Can you imagine the chagrin, remorse, and terror of the modern Christian teachers and preachers when they stand with their followers before Him whose eyes are as furnaces of fire, and all their thoughts, words, and deeds are brought before them and measured against the written Word of God? Surely there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth!
The careless believers have only themselves to blame. The Scriptures are clear concerning the Kingdom law of sowing and reaping. Each human being, including each Christian, will pass before the white throne of Christ and be judged according to his or her works. The Father has given the authority and power of judgment to Christ (John 5:22,28,29; Acts 10:42; Revelation 20:12,13).
Where, then, does grace fit in? First of all, Divine grace is not an excuse for the sins of Christians. All mankind will be judged and will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. All of us will be judged according to our works. The Scriptures are clear on this point.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12)
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you [believers] according to your works. (Revelation 2:23)
There is one statement the risen Lord Jesus Christ makes to each of His seven churches: "I know thy works"!
Consider carefully the Lord's declaration concerning the resurrection of the dead:
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:29)
"They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life"!
Have done good to the resurrection of life!
There is a relationship between good works and eternal life (Matthew 25:46; Romans 6:22).
It is not the purpose of Divine grace to provide an alternative to godly living. If the purpose of Divine grace were to provide a permanent alternative to godly living, the new covenant would be inferior to every past dealing of God with man.
God's goal is sons who are in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, who walk in righteousness and holiness before Him and perform His will sternly and diligently.
The purpose of Divine grace is not to bring sinning, self-willed people into Paradise, thus making Paradise a branch of Hell. Rather, Divine grace forgives our sins so we can approach God and receive the power and wisdom from Heaven that will enable us to live righteously.
Apart from such repentance and transformation into righteousness there is no redemption. We have received the grace of God in vain. The purpose of Divine grace is to bring many sons to glory, to righteousness, holiness, obedience, and everlasting power and glory, and to untroubled fellowship with the Father.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Judgment Seat of Christ
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. (II Corinthians 5:10)
Of the many errors in current Christian theology, one of the gravest, the most displeasing to the Lord, may be the doctrine that no Christian will be punished at the Judgment Seat of Christ. How upsetting and frustrating it must be to God to see His Word being mutilated in this manner! How grievous an error it is that leaves multitudes of believers unprepared for what they will be facing in the Day of the Lord!
Because of this error concerning the Judgment Seat, the fear of the Lord has been removed from the believers. The truth is, appearing before the Judgment Seat of Christ will prove to be a terrifying experience for all except those believers who are totally consecrated and obedient to God (and a sobering experience even for them although they have gained some degree of boldness).
The Spirit of God intends that the terror of the Judgment Seat be one of the motivations that cause the believers to serve Christ with diligence.
After the Apostle Paul spoke of the Judgment Seat of Christ he said, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."
Men, including the Apostle Paul, are to be persuaded by the "terror of the Lord."
But the fear of God has been removed from Christ's churches. The fear of the Judgment Seat has gone and in its place has been installed the false assurance that no matter how we neglect or abuse the things of Christ we shall be given a crown of glory ("by grace") at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We have nothing to fear.
The altering of the doctrine to mean Christians will receive only blessing at the Judgment Seat of Christ is a serious perversion of Divine truth.
The current doctrine invites an unfounded assurance that our present-day self-centeredness, spiritual laziness, and neglect of our great salvation will not result in any pain on our part; our lack of obedience to the Word of Christ will not receive its due consequences; we shall not reap what we are sowing.
Of the many misunderstandings that attend the "lawless grace" and "rapture" doctrines of our day, the idea that the Judgment Seat of Christ will be similar to a sports award banquet may be the most deadly as far as the destiny of the believer is concerned.
It is understood generally that the term beema, the Greek word for judgment seat, is used in the New Testament to indicate a platform of some sort where contestants in a contest receive their laurels.
To the contrary, the term beema, which is used twelve times in the New Testament according to our concordance, never refers to a place where trophies are awarded. A beema was an elevated seat where a person accused of a crime was brought for judgment.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Of the many errors in current Christian theology, one of the gravest, the most displeasing to the Lord, may be the doctrine that no Christian will be punished at the Judgment Seat of Christ. How upsetting and frustrating it must be to God to see His Word being mutilated in this manner! How grievous an error it is that leaves multitudes of believers unprepared for what they will be facing in the Day of the Lord!
Because of this error concerning the Judgment Seat, the fear of the Lord has been removed from the believers. The truth is, appearing before the Judgment Seat of Christ will prove to be a terrifying experience for all except those believers who are totally consecrated and obedient to God (and a sobering experience even for them although they have gained some degree of boldness).
The Spirit of God intends that the terror of the Judgment Seat be one of the motivations that cause the believers to serve Christ with diligence.
After the Apostle Paul spoke of the Judgment Seat of Christ he said, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."
Men, including the Apostle Paul, are to be persuaded by the "terror of the Lord."
But the fear of God has been removed from Christ's churches. The fear of the Judgment Seat has gone and in its place has been installed the false assurance that no matter how we neglect or abuse the things of Christ we shall be given a crown of glory ("by grace") at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We have nothing to fear.
The altering of the doctrine to mean Christians will receive only blessing at the Judgment Seat of Christ is a serious perversion of Divine truth.
The current doctrine invites an unfounded assurance that our present-day self-centeredness, spiritual laziness, and neglect of our great salvation will not result in any pain on our part; our lack of obedience to the Word of Christ will not receive its due consequences; we shall not reap what we are sowing.
Of the many misunderstandings that attend the "lawless grace" and "rapture" doctrines of our day, the idea that the Judgment Seat of Christ will be similar to a sports award banquet may be the most deadly as far as the destiny of the believer is concerned.
It is understood generally that the term beema, the Greek word for judgment seat, is used in the New Testament to indicate a platform of some sort where contestants in a contest receive their laurels.
To the contrary, the term beema, which is used twelve times in the New Testament according to our concordance, never refers to a place where trophies are awarded. A beema was an elevated seat where a person accused of a crime was brought for judgment.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Friday, July 10, 2009
An interesting prayer
This is an interesting prayer I stumbled upon.
For myself, I cannot take one more step unless you shine your light on it. In these days especially, I need your wisdom and discernment. I have many decisions to make, so I humble myself under your sovereign hand and ask the Holy Spirit to shine his light on my path so I do not misstep. Help me my God – I am in desperate need!
Your brother in Christ,
RBT
For myself, I cannot take one more step unless you shine your light on it. In these days especially, I need your wisdom and discernment. I have many decisions to make, so I humble myself under your sovereign hand and ask the Holy Spirit to shine his light on my path so I do not misstep. Help me my God – I am in desperate need!
Your brother in Christ,
RBT
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
The past article
For those of you that liked the past article, it is available on www.wor.org. Pastor Thompson has many article like the one I serialized for you.
God is doing a new work right now. He is calling out those he has appointed for a special task. If you feel the calling to read more, then you probably have been called to step into this special task.
God is calling those of us to draw closer to Him. The way is open to go beyond the vale and enter the Holy of Holies. We are called to a directly relationship with God beyond Passover, beyond Pentecost. The Feast of Tabernacles is coming when we can truly Tabernacle with God.
Pastor Thompson has audio sermons and article available. Please pray before you read or listen to anything. Only with God's direction can you truly understand what is happening.
Your brother in Christ,
RBT
God is doing a new work right now. He is calling out those he has appointed for a special task. If you feel the calling to read more, then you probably have been called to step into this special task.
God is calling those of us to draw closer to Him. The way is open to go beyond the vale and enter the Holy of Holies. We are called to a directly relationship with God beyond Passover, beyond Pentecost. The Feast of Tabernacles is coming when we can truly Tabernacle with God.
Pastor Thompson has audio sermons and article available. Please pray before you read or listen to anything. Only with God's direction can you truly understand what is happening.
Your brother in Christ,
RBT
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Judgment, Redemption, and the First Resurrection, #39
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (I John 3:8)
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4)
We are not teaching that we can save ourselves by striving to behave correctly. The worldliness, lust, and self-will that are in us cannot be overcome by our efforts. Only the Presence of God in Christ can deliver us from worldliness, lust, and self-will.
Rather, we are teaching that the right kind of works, the works that lead to the victorious resurrection of the saints, are the only proof of salvation.
We are not to struggle hopelessly against our sin and self-centeredness. Rather, we are to follow the Lord Jesus into perfect victory in His Kingdom.
We cannot possibly save or deliver ourselves by our own works. But we indeed can, through the Holy Spirit, do those things that lead to our deliverance. To deny this is to deny the teaching of the entire New Testament.
The right kind of works in Christ bring us to a place of worthiness and eligibility for deliverance.
God does not judge us concerning what we cannot do but what we can do. God judges us concerning the decisions we make. If we continue to make godly decisions, God will deliver us from all of our bondages. Meanwhile we suffer because of the chains of sin and rebellion in our personality that have not as yet been broken.
We find the Lord when we seek Him with all our heart.
It is the Spirit of God who leads us in battle against the enemy.
People today are seeking deliverance from their problems but God is seeking worthiness of behavior. When we do what God has commanded, God will deliver us.
God always is able to lift the curse from the earth, and sin and death from man.
The Day of Atonement results in the deliverance illustrated by the Levitical Year of Jubilee. The deliverance comes to those who demonstrate worthiness by pressing forward with the Lord.
This is the process of redemption by grace.
The opposite, or a process of redemption by works, would be impossible. Salvation by works would be the attempt to gain the resurrection of the body by following a dead code of religion apart from the atoning blood of Christ, apart from the Spirit of God, apart from having Christ conceived and formed in us.
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6:1-3)
Our part is to turn away from the present world, to take up our cross, and to press on after Christ with all the diligence and steadfastness at our command. God's part is to raise us up and cause us to live in His sight. (from Judgment, Redemption, and the First Resurrection)
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4)
We are not teaching that we can save ourselves by striving to behave correctly. The worldliness, lust, and self-will that are in us cannot be overcome by our efforts. Only the Presence of God in Christ can deliver us from worldliness, lust, and self-will.
Rather, we are teaching that the right kind of works, the works that lead to the victorious resurrection of the saints, are the only proof of salvation.
We are not to struggle hopelessly against our sin and self-centeredness. Rather, we are to follow the Lord Jesus into perfect victory in His Kingdom.
We cannot possibly save or deliver ourselves by our own works. But we indeed can, through the Holy Spirit, do those things that lead to our deliverance. To deny this is to deny the teaching of the entire New Testament.
The right kind of works in Christ bring us to a place of worthiness and eligibility for deliverance.
God does not judge us concerning what we cannot do but what we can do. God judges us concerning the decisions we make. If we continue to make godly decisions, God will deliver us from all of our bondages. Meanwhile we suffer because of the chains of sin and rebellion in our personality that have not as yet been broken.
We find the Lord when we seek Him with all our heart.
It is the Spirit of God who leads us in battle against the enemy.
People today are seeking deliverance from their problems but God is seeking worthiness of behavior. When we do what God has commanded, God will deliver us.
God always is able to lift the curse from the earth, and sin and death from man.
The Day of Atonement results in the deliverance illustrated by the Levitical Year of Jubilee. The deliverance comes to those who demonstrate worthiness by pressing forward with the Lord.
This is the process of redemption by grace.
The opposite, or a process of redemption by works, would be impossible. Salvation by works would be the attempt to gain the resurrection of the body by following a dead code of religion apart from the atoning blood of Christ, apart from the Spirit of God, apart from having Christ conceived and formed in us.
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6:1-3)
Our part is to turn away from the present world, to take up our cross, and to press on after Christ with all the diligence and steadfastness at our command. God's part is to raise us up and cause us to live in His sight. (from Judgment, Redemption, and the First Resurrection)
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Friday, July 03, 2009
Judgment, Redemption, and the First Resurrection, #38
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (I John 2:3-5)
Partly because of a spirit of deception, partly because of ignorance of the whole counsel of God, and partly because of a willingness to please people in order to gain their support, the Christian ministry of today is teaching that being saved by grace means we are not obligated to do what the New Testament commands. We do not have to keep the commandments of the Lord in order to enter life.
To hold that we are saved apart from deliverance from the person and works of Satan is to claim we are saved apart from being saved. Salvation is our deliverance from the person and works of Satan and our union with God. The person who remains in the bondage of the devil has not been saved from sin.
But, some may object, being saved means only that we will escape the wrath of God and go to Heaven when we die.
The truth is, being "saved" in the full New Testament meaning of the term includes infinitely more than being saved from wrath. The fullness of salvation includes the entire inheritance of a son of God, the inheritance that includes "all things." Being saved from wrath says nothing about our participation in glory as an heir of God, it means only that we have not been assigned to destruction.
The belief that the Christian salvation only or primarily is escape from Hell is a very weak concept of God and of the salvation He has provided for those who love and serve Him. The truth is, the Christian salvation offers an awesome inheritance to every person who will press forward in faith.
The current teaching is dangerously misleading because it implies that God has changed the penalty for sin in that if we believe in Jesus, God does not see our sin.
The truth is, God never shall change the penalty for sin. The Lord Jesus did not come to change the penalty in any manner but to deliver us from the behaviors that always will bring down the wrath of God upon us.
The doctrine that we are saved independently of a change in our personality and behavior is without doubt the most destructive error ever to enter Christian thinking. It is the same as teaching that we are healed apart from any change in our physical condition. It is a "false prophet," a spirit of religious delusion. It is a masterpiece of deception. No concept could be more suited to Satan's desire to perpetuate his kingdom than the idea that the Christian salvation is in name only and is powerless to break the hold of Satan on the individual.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Partly because of a spirit of deception, partly because of ignorance of the whole counsel of God, and partly because of a willingness to please people in order to gain their support, the Christian ministry of today is teaching that being saved by grace means we are not obligated to do what the New Testament commands. We do not have to keep the commandments of the Lord in order to enter life.
To hold that we are saved apart from deliverance from the person and works of Satan is to claim we are saved apart from being saved. Salvation is our deliverance from the person and works of Satan and our union with God. The person who remains in the bondage of the devil has not been saved from sin.
But, some may object, being saved means only that we will escape the wrath of God and go to Heaven when we die.
The truth is, being "saved" in the full New Testament meaning of the term includes infinitely more than being saved from wrath. The fullness of salvation includes the entire inheritance of a son of God, the inheritance that includes "all things." Being saved from wrath says nothing about our participation in glory as an heir of God, it means only that we have not been assigned to destruction.
The belief that the Christian salvation only or primarily is escape from Hell is a very weak concept of God and of the salvation He has provided for those who love and serve Him. The truth is, the Christian salvation offers an awesome inheritance to every person who will press forward in faith.
The current teaching is dangerously misleading because it implies that God has changed the penalty for sin in that if we believe in Jesus, God does not see our sin.
The truth is, God never shall change the penalty for sin. The Lord Jesus did not come to change the penalty in any manner but to deliver us from the behaviors that always will bring down the wrath of God upon us.
The doctrine that we are saved independently of a change in our personality and behavior is without doubt the most destructive error ever to enter Christian thinking. It is the same as teaching that we are healed apart from any change in our physical condition. It is a "false prophet," a spirit of religious delusion. It is a masterpiece of deception. No concept could be more suited to Satan's desire to perpetuate his kingdom than the idea that the Christian salvation is in name only and is powerless to break the hold of Satan on the individual.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Judgment, Redemption, and the First Resurrection, #37
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
There are some who may accuse us of teaching we are saved by works. We have explained previously that Paul taught that the wrong kind of works cannot save us, while James explained that the right kind of works is necessary for our justification (being counted righteous).
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (James 2:24)
The Word of God declares that faith without works is dead. Quite obviously, the right kind of works is essential to our salvation.
Let us look at this a bit more closely.
We have said the children of Israel were saved by grace and faith when they followed God through the wilderness and into Canaan.
Now, what would the opposite be? What would it have meant for Israel to be saved from Pharaoh by works?
For example, the Israelites could have formed a union and gone on strike against Pharaoh. They could have demanded better working conditions, or perhaps they could have asked for part of Egypt that would belong to them and into which the Egyptians could not enter. (But God had in mind a far better inheritance for them.)
This is what it would have meant for the Israelites to have saved themselves by works.
The Israelites certainly were required to do all God said to do in order for them to escape from Pharaoh. But God, in His grace and mercy to the Jews, struck Egypt with plagues. God also gave the Hebrews protection from judgment by the blood of the Passover lamb. All of the Lord's provisions for Israel, from the plagues of Egypt to the wisdom given to Joshua during the invasion of Canaan, were expressions of Divine mercy and grace. None of them were dead works of religion being pursued by the Israelites in order to obtain their deliverance from Egypt.
In order to gain the benefit of God's mercy and grace the Israelites had to do what God said to do. They could not just sit in Egypt and believe that all was well with their souls, or trust that they were "accepted in the beloved" and then do nothing about it.
So it is today. To be saved by works would be to ignore the provisions God has made: the blood of the Lamb, the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the new birth; and to attempt to gain eternal life by keeping all the ordinances of the Law of Moses, or by practicing some sort of self-imposed system of fasting, meditation, and adherence to a moral code.
This is what it would mean to attempt to save ourselves by our works.
The Jews of Paul's day were seeking to add the Law of Moses to the Christian Gospel. Since the Gospel does not need the Levitical statutes to establish its effectiveness, Paul exhorted the Judaizers that if it is by grace it is no more by works (the works of the Law).
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
There are some who may accuse us of teaching we are saved by works. We have explained previously that Paul taught that the wrong kind of works cannot save us, while James explained that the right kind of works is necessary for our justification (being counted righteous).
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (James 2:24)
The Word of God declares that faith without works is dead. Quite obviously, the right kind of works is essential to our salvation.
Let us look at this a bit more closely.
We have said the children of Israel were saved by grace and faith when they followed God through the wilderness and into Canaan.
Now, what would the opposite be? What would it have meant for Israel to be saved from Pharaoh by works?
For example, the Israelites could have formed a union and gone on strike against Pharaoh. They could have demanded better working conditions, or perhaps they could have asked for part of Egypt that would belong to them and into which the Egyptians could not enter. (But God had in mind a far better inheritance for them.)
This is what it would have meant for the Israelites to have saved themselves by works.
The Israelites certainly were required to do all God said to do in order for them to escape from Pharaoh. But God, in His grace and mercy to the Jews, struck Egypt with plagues. God also gave the Hebrews protection from judgment by the blood of the Passover lamb. All of the Lord's provisions for Israel, from the plagues of Egypt to the wisdom given to Joshua during the invasion of Canaan, were expressions of Divine mercy and grace. None of them were dead works of religion being pursued by the Israelites in order to obtain their deliverance from Egypt.
In order to gain the benefit of God's mercy and grace the Israelites had to do what God said to do. They could not just sit in Egypt and believe that all was well with their souls, or trust that they were "accepted in the beloved" and then do nothing about it.
So it is today. To be saved by works would be to ignore the provisions God has made: the blood of the Lamb, the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the new birth; and to attempt to gain eternal life by keeping all the ordinances of the Law of Moses, or by practicing some sort of self-imposed system of fasting, meditation, and adherence to a moral code.
This is what it would mean to attempt to save ourselves by our works.
The Jews of Paul's day were seeking to add the Law of Moses to the Christian Gospel. Since the Gospel does not need the Levitical statutes to establish its effectiveness, Paul exhorted the Judaizers that if it is by grace it is no more by works (the works of the Law).
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Judgment, Redemption, and the First Resurrection, #36
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
Forgiveness is an incomplete synonym of "grace." Divine Virtue is a better synonym of "grace." The Presence of Christ is the complete synonym of "grace."
Salvation includes more than forgiveness. Forgiveness does not fulfill God's Kingdom purposes in us. God's problem of rebellious creatures is not solved when we are forgiven. We are not suitable as a ruler of the world to come merely on the basis of forgiveness.
God's Kingdom purposes in us are accomplished as we are delivered from sin and self-will, changed into the moral image of Christ, and then filled with the fullness of God. Then we are candidates for rulership over the world to come. Then we have become "man" as God has destined man to be.
Mercy and grace bring to us an awareness of God's plan of redemption and provide us with the authority, the power, and the desire to enter and continue with the process of redemption. The process of redemption leads to the resurrection of the body, which is eternal life.
We never earn eternal life. Rather, we enter eternal life by appropriate behavior.
It is the overcomer who gains access to the tree of life. Sinners are never allowed back into Paradise. The thief on the cross walked with Jesus in Paradise because of his remarkable confession of faith, but we can be sure that he too, along with the rest of us, will be required to submit to the rigors that accompany entrance into the Kingdom of God if he is to maintain his position.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:14,15)
We must follow through to total victory in the rest of God. No man who has put his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God. It is impossible for a double-minded individual to attain the first resurrection.
The trumpet of the Jubilee, the release, was sounded on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 25:9). The Day of Atonement comes after the feast of Pentecost. This symbolizes the fact that after we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit leads us to deliverance from the sins of the flesh.
As we confess our sins and put them to death through the Spirit of God, we enter the freedom of the Jubilee. It is time now for the members of the Body of Christ to enter the release, the redemption, the salvation that the Scriptures promise will take place in the last days (I Peter 1:5).
It is possible to judge one's self unworthy of eternal life (Acts 13:46) by neglecting the table God has set, by not receiving and doing what God has provided and commanded.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Forgiveness is an incomplete synonym of "grace." Divine Virtue is a better synonym of "grace." The Presence of Christ is the complete synonym of "grace."
Salvation includes more than forgiveness. Forgiveness does not fulfill God's Kingdom purposes in us. God's problem of rebellious creatures is not solved when we are forgiven. We are not suitable as a ruler of the world to come merely on the basis of forgiveness.
God's Kingdom purposes in us are accomplished as we are delivered from sin and self-will, changed into the moral image of Christ, and then filled with the fullness of God. Then we are candidates for rulership over the world to come. Then we have become "man" as God has destined man to be.
Mercy and grace bring to us an awareness of God's plan of redemption and provide us with the authority, the power, and the desire to enter and continue with the process of redemption. The process of redemption leads to the resurrection of the body, which is eternal life.
We never earn eternal life. Rather, we enter eternal life by appropriate behavior.
It is the overcomer who gains access to the tree of life. Sinners are never allowed back into Paradise. The thief on the cross walked with Jesus in Paradise because of his remarkable confession of faith, but we can be sure that he too, along with the rest of us, will be required to submit to the rigors that accompany entrance into the Kingdom of God if he is to maintain his position.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:14,15)
We must follow through to total victory in the rest of God. No man who has put his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God. It is impossible for a double-minded individual to attain the first resurrection.
The trumpet of the Jubilee, the release, was sounded on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 25:9). The Day of Atonement comes after the feast of Pentecost. This symbolizes the fact that after we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit leads us to deliverance from the sins of the flesh.
As we confess our sins and put them to death through the Spirit of God, we enter the freedom of the Jubilee. It is time now for the members of the Body of Christ to enter the release, the redemption, the salvation that the Scriptures promise will take place in the last days (I Peter 1:5).
It is possible to judge one's self unworthy of eternal life (Acts 13:46) by neglecting the table God has set, by not receiving and doing what God has provided and commanded.
To be continued.
We extend permission to make as many copies of this essay as you need, in both paper and electronic formats. Please include the following statement of copyright:
Copyright © 1997-2009 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
