The "Confessing Church"

There seems to be a new fad among those who are "reinventing church," mainly that of "apologizing to the culture for being the church," writes Paul Edwards (WLQV Detroit, posted at crosswalk.com/pastors/11583323).

Apparently, the church needs to apologize for:

...being hypocritical (this coming from those who watch wrestling on a regular basis and think hypocrisy is limited to the church);

...being intolerant (teaching that homosexually is sinful, the orthodox position of the historical church for over 1,600 years);

...condoning slavery (even though the Underground Railroad was started by Christians, of whom are my ancestors, at great peril to their physical being).

...ordering the Crusades (no one talks about the Crusades centuries earlier that slaughtered millions of Christians, Jews, and non-believers and enslaved the Holy Land);

...being ignorant in insisting that the world was created in defiance of so-called science that insists upon Darwinian Evolution (not realizing that the theory of Evolution has never been proved, that transitional fossils that Darwin said would validate his theory have never been discovered, and not one shred of proof supporting Evolution has ever been put forth).

Edwards writes, "...a dozen or more churches across the country that have discovered the latest fad sure to increase your worship attendance created by the psychologically-driven church growth movement: be sorry — be very sorry — for preaching a gospel that rubs the culture the wrong way." He goes on to write, "...most of these so-called “sins” are nothing more than liberal media stereotypes of conservative, evangelical, gospel-preaching churches whose real sin is offending the sensitivities of the culture by maintaining their faithfulness to the Word of God." Well said.

It is true that there are hypocrites in the church - no one denies that. But what about hypocrites in government, business, the stock market (what a reminder we got just recently!), banks - you name it, there are hypocrites everywhere. So why is it that just the ones in the church are constantly pointed out?

It is true that many Christians have reacted poorly to the sin of homosexuality, treating homosexuals poorly.

It is true that slavery was a dark spot on the canvas of this great nation. What has been done cannot be undone, and even today the descendants of slavery still suffer.

It is also true that the Crusades were ordered in order to clear a path to the Holy Land for Christians to go and worship; and that history has been grossly exaggerated by those who despise Christianity for the purpose of condemning all Christians and the Christian faith.

So what shall we do? Water down the truth in order not to offend? Or do we continue to declare the truth even though there are those who do not want to hear and will be offended?

Edwards writes, "Our mandate is to preach the Word, not waste our time apologizing for it to a self-obsessed culture under the guise of “humble orthodoxy.”"

He is right. While I do not seek to offend anyone, I will not apologize for telling you the truth even if it does offend you.

Carolyn

During my trip to Houston this week I was able to go and visit Ralph and Carolyn. As I walked in I saw that she had lost all her hair and had a bandanna on her head. I hugged her and told her that she was still as beautiful as ever. It was wonderful to pray for her in person.

For those of you men who have lost your hair (like me) you get over it (unless your vain enough to go the "comb over" route or you have indoor/outdoor carpet installed :), which is equally bad!). However, for a woman, losing her hair is traumatic. Yet I was overwhelmed by the love that came forth from her heart and the hospitality she showed me. (I told Ralph that I did not want them to fuss over me...if you know Ralph and Carolyn, you know that they would anyway, which they did. Carolyn's gift is hospitality).

Not once did Carolyn express a "why me" attitude nor was there any feeling sorry for herself. Her courage shames me and certainly most people I know. They want you all to know that her progress against cancer is due to the wonderful prayers of God's people - especially those of you who read this blog and faithfully pray. Her progress is blowing the doctor's away!

Early on, Ralph had the chance to sit down with the team of doctors (and Carolyn) to discuss her treatment. Now Ralph is a evangelist - it is his primary gift. He loves to tell people about Jesus and has led many to faith in Christ. When the doctors told him that Carolyn's prognoses was not good, he told them, "God told me He was going to make a way." He then when on to share his testimony withe them and his unwavering confidence in His heavenly Father. I understand it left quite an impression on the doctors.

So God has made a way, she is doing better than the doctors could ever of imagined and Jesus Christ is getting the glory that is due Him.

Ralph and Carolyn are my friends - they have seen me at my best and at my worst - and they still desire my friendship. Wow...

Thank you all for praying for them. I am indebted to you for that which I cannot repay, but for which I an eternally grateful. God bless you all. Thank you for praying for my friends...

Home again, home again...

Well, I made it back home today. Thanks to all of you for praying for me, I really felt your prayers. To quote Dorthy: "There's no place like home."

Great quote...

"Waiting is a common instrument of providential discipline for those to whom exceptional work has been appointed." James Stalker (British Author)

Going out of town...

Well, tomorrow I will be flying to Houston. For those of you who have never been there, it is like living in a sauna bath. Even in the Winter, it is humid. I am starting my new job, so I will officially join the ranks of the bi-vocational, which is no problem for me. I am actually looking forward to it!

So I leave you with a few quotes that bless and challenge me.

God wants worshippers before workers; indeed, the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the art of worship. A. W. Tozer

What we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as the know they must do at the last day. A. W. Tozer

Actually, I do find Christians these days who seem to have largely wasted their lives. They were converted to Christ but they have never sought to go on to an increasing knowledge of God. There is untold loss and failure because they have accepted the whole level of things around them as being normal and desirable. A. W. Tozer

Before the Spirit of God can work creatively in our hearts he must condemn and slay the “flesh” within us; that is, He must have our full consent to displace our natural self with the Person of Christ. A. W. Tozer

Quotes I wish I had said...

Your big ministry plans often turn out to be training ground designed by God for ministry yet to be discovered - Unknown

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic - Anonymous

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers - Unknown

People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church - Unknown

We don’t change the message, the message changes us - Unknown

The good Lord didn’t create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close - Unknown

PASTORAL CANDIDATES

The following is a confidential report on several candidates being considered.

Adam: Good man but problems with his wife. Also one reference told of how his wife and he enjoy walking nude in the woods.

Noah: Former pastorate of 120 years with not even one convert. Prone to unrealistic building projects.

Abraham: Though the references reported wife-swapping, the facts seem to show he never slept with another man's wife, but did offer to share his own wife with another man.

Joseph: A big thinker, but a braggart, believes in dream-interpreting, and has a prison record.

Moses: A modest and meek man, but poor communicator, even stuttering at times. Sometimes blows his stack and acts rashly. Some say he left an earlier church over a murder charge.

David: The most promising leader of all until we discovered the affair he had with his neighbor's wife.

Solomon: Great preacher but our parsonage would never hold all those wives.

Elijah: Prone to depression. Collapses under pressure.

Elisha: Reported to have lived with a single widow while at his former church.

Hosea: A tender and loving pastor but our people could never handle his wife's occupation.

Deborah: Strong leader and seems to be anointed, but she is female.

Jeremiah: Emotionally unstable, alarmist, negative, always lamenting things, reported to have taken a long trip to bury his underwear on the bank of a foreign river.

Isaiah: On the fringe? Claims to have seen angels in church. Has trouble with his language.

Jonah: Refused God's call into ministry until he was forced to obey by getting swallowed up by a great fish. He told us the fish later spit him out on the shore near here. We hung up.

Amos: Too backward and unpolished. With some seminary training he might have promise, but has a hang-up against wealthy people--might fit in better in a poor congregation.

Melchizedek: Great credentials at current work place, but where does this guy come from? No information on his resume about former work records. Line about parents was left blank and he refused to supply a birth date.

John: Says he is a Baptist, but definitely doesn't dress like one. Has slept in the outdoors for months on end, has a weird diet, and provokes denominational leaders.

Peter: Too blue collar. Has a bad temper-even has been known to curse. Had a big run-in with Paul in Antioch. Aggressive, but a loose cannon.

Paul: Powerful CEO type leader and fascinating preacher. However, short on tact, unforgiving with younger ministers, harsh and has been known to preach all night.

James & John: Package deal preacher & associate seemed good at first, but found out they have an ego problem regarding other fellow workers and seating positions. Threatened an entire town after an insult. Also known to try to discourage workers who didn't follow along with them.

Timothy: Too young!

Methuselah: Too old...WAY too old!

Jesus: Has had popular times, but once his church grew to 5000 he managed to offend them all, and then this church dwindled down to twelve people. Seldom stays in one place very long. And, of course, he's single.

Judas: His references are solid. A steady plodder. Conservative. Good connections. Knows how to handle money. We're inviting him to preach this Sunday. Possibilities here.

What the Bible Says about the Rapture, pt. 5

CONCLUSION
We have seen that the Tribulation is the wrath and judgment of God. We have also seen that it is impossible for those who are in Christ to be brought into the judgment of the Tribulation, John 5:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” And Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”

The judgment of the believer is impossible because of our union with Christ, I John 4:17, “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” The judgment which the believer faces is that which has motivated our works, a judgment of rewards, II Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

If the Church is subject to the judgment of the Tribulation then the promises of God are of no effect and the death of Christ is ineffectual. Who would dare to profess or to teach that the promises of God are of no effect? Who would dare to profess or to teach that the death of Christ is ineffectual? We can have the utmost confidence in the promises of God towards us, II Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

The Rapture of the Church is the event promised by Jesus whereby He will remove His Church out of this world to the place He has prepared for us, John 14:1-4, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Jesus told us in Luke 21:36, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Our worth comes from knowing Jesus. To pray to be worthy is to be in Him, trusting Him alone for your righteous standing before the Father.

WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE TAKE PLACE?
The Rapture of the Church will take place suddenly and without warning, I Corinthians 15:52, “…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…” Jesus Himself said, Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” To presume to know is to presume to know more than Jesus knew when He dwelt here on earth. Many have predicted the Rapture of the Church only to be proven wrong. To do so is either pride or ignorance; either way it is dangerous, as to do so is to mark yourself a false prophet. Although we do not know the exact time of the Rapture of the Church, we are able to recognize the times and the seasons preceding the Rapture. We see in our world the explosion of technology and knowledge, prophesied by Daniel, Daniel 12:4, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” We see in our world the formation and establishment of a European super state, the European Union (EU), the precursor to the final world government prophesied by Daniel (the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, Daniel 2).

But perhaps the most startling thing we have seen in our lifetimes has been the re-establishment of Israel back into their home land after almost 2,000 years, an event foretold by Jesus, Matthew 24:32-35, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near — at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Isaiah prophesied of Israel, Isaiah 27:6, “…Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit.” Today fruit from Israel is shipped all over the world, literally fulfilling this prophesy. Again, Isaiah prophesied, Isaiah 35:1, “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.” Flowers from Israel are shipped all over the world, literally fulfilling this prophecy. These are but a few of the glorious prophecies fulfilled in our lifetime concerning Israel.

The Psalmist declared, Psalm 102:16, “When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.” (KJV). The Lord has indeed built up Zion. Israel has once again become a nation and is re-established back into the land given to them by God. And Jesus said that the generation that witnessed this event would not pass until they also witnessed His coming for His Church. We are living in exciting times. Maranatha! “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

What the Bible Says about the Rapture, pt. 4

PRE-TRIBULATIONAL VIEWPOINT
The Pre-Tribulation viewpoint teaches that the Church will be removed from the earth before the Tribulation begins. As stated previously, it is our view that true believers will be raptured from the earth to heaven before the Tribulation period begins.

The Pre-Tribulational viewpoint is based upon the literal interpretation of the Scriptures. We know that the Bible speaks both literally and figuratively. When we speak of a literal interpretation of the Scriptures, we are not eliminating the use of figures or types in Scripture, such as Revelation 13:1, “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.” Here, rather than being a literal description of the Antichrist, we see the nature of the Antichrist and his kingdom described.

When we speak of the literal interpretation of Scripture we are contrasting the literal view of scripture with that which is known as spiritualizing. The spiritualizing of Scripture is the reading into a passage much more that was ever intended and has led to many unbiblical teachings and doctrines (such as Replacement Theology, i.e., the United States being portrayed as the new Israel).

The doctrine of the Pre-Tribulational return of Christ for His Church is the outcome of the literal method of interpretation. It is only correct therefore, that we apply the same method of interpretation to the question of the Rapture, the Tribulation, and to the Millennial Reign of Christ as well.

In I & II Thessalonians we see believers suffering for their faith in Christ. Paul address their suffering in I Thessalonians 2:14, “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,” and in I Thessalonians 3:3-4, “that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.” They were being persecuted for the Name of Christ, they were suffering for their testimony for Jesus Christ.

Because this suffering was so intense, some taught that the Rapture had taken place and that their loved ones, having missed out on the Rapture, would miss out on the Kingdom Age. So Paul was writing to correct this false teaching. Although they were suffering exceedingly for their faith, they were not in the Tribulation, but rather suffering even as he had told them that they would and even as Jesus predicted, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world," (John 16:33).

Paul offered the Thessalonian believers hope, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Those who are asleep in Jesus will go with Him; they will not be left behind. In fact, those that are asleep in Jesus have a place of privilege, as they will be the first to rise at the Rapture, ”…the dead in Christ will rise first.” The dead have not been forgotten. That gives the believer hope because many have been laid to rest in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection of the dead. Having this hope, we have assurance from the Lord that they will rise from the dead and that we will see them in His Kingdom.

Paul declared that Jesus Himself is coming to the clouds, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven…” Jesus is coming for His Church just as He said He would, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also,” (John 14:33). This is the Blessed Hope that the believer has, that the Savior is coming for us, to receive us for Himself and we will be with Him forever. When He comes at the Rapture of the Church, He will not come to earth as at His Second Coming; rather, we will meet Him in the clouds, Paul said, “…And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Paul concludes, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” What comfort does it provide the believer if he is to endure the Tribulation? None. No, our comfort is knowing that Jesus is coming back to claim us as His own, at the Rapture of the Church, just as He said He would, before the judgment of God is poured out at the Tribulation, not during or after, but before. Now that is of great comfort! Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:1-2 of the Rapture of the Church, “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”

Jesus, in His teachings, made a careful distinction between the Rapture of the Church and His Second Coming. He spoke of the Rapture of the Church in Luke 17:34-36, "I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." He spoke of His Second Coming in Matthew 24:27, "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." At the Second Coming, every eye will see Him. At the Rapture of the Church, only believers will see Him.

Paul recognized this distinction, declaring that Jesus at the Rapture of the Church would come as a thief in the night, unexpected and without warning, even as Jesus had said, Matthew 24:43-44, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” The thief only surprises those who are unaware; however, the believer has been warned to watch and wait for the Lord’s return and will not be caught unaware.

God has not left us in spiritual darkness regarding His plan, I Thessalonians 5:3-4, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” Sudden destruction will come upon the unsaved, not upon the Church. We are not in darkness so that Day will not overtake us. They will be saying, ”…Peace and safety!’…” We are saying, Jesus is coming soon and with Him, Judgment. The Rapture of the Church will overtake the world, not the believer in Christ, as He has not left us in darkness regarding His plan.

It is interesting that when Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem with the armies of Rome in 70AD and subsequently destroyed the city and the Temple, only the Church escaped the destruction. That is because the Church heeded the warning of Jesus, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled,” (Luke 21:20-22). God never leaves His people in darkness. Just as Jesus warned His people in the first century, so He has warned His people in subsequent centuries what to look for and how to escape.

At the Rapture of the Church the unsaved will be surprised because they will not hear nor heed the warning of our testimony of the Word of God. The world historically has ignored the signs of coming judgment. How many times has the world mocked the Church for it’s warning of the judgment to come upon the earth? Peter wrote of the attitude and the ignorance of the world towards the message of the coming of Christ to judge the world as a sign of the Last Days, II Peter 3:3-7, “knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.“ They are willingly ignorant of the fact that all things have not continued as they have from the beginning. God destroyed the world in judgment through a flood; He will destroy the world once again, this time by fire.

Noah warned that the Flood was coming, yet only eight souls were saved (II Peter 2:5). Lot warned his sons-in-law that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was coming, but they would not listen (Genesis 19:14). Yet Jesus Himself used the examples of Noah and Lot to depict the times subsequent to the Rapture of the Church, Luke 17:26-30, “ And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Lot warned his sons-in-law, yet they thought he was joking. Noah warned the world, yet they no doubt mocked him. People mock the Church for its testimony of the coming judgment. And yet, here we see a world going about their regular activities not knowing that judgment is imminent, just as in the days of Noah and Lot, even as Jesus said.

No doubt, when fire began to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah, the people were terrified. No doubt when the rain began and the water began to rise the people were terrified. Perhaps they even began to pound on the Ark, begging to be let inside. They had the testimony of righteous Noah, for 120 years, yet they chose to ignore his testimony to their own peril. It was too late.

The Rapture of the Church will be a catastrophic event that will impact the entire world as the graves of Christians are opened and Christians all over the world disappear from the face of the earth. It will take the world by complete surprise and no doubt terrify many as they realize that the testimony of the Christians was true and they are too late.

I believe that on the day of the Rapture of the Church, churches will fill to overflowing with those who have ignored the testimony of Christian loved ones and friends seeking to be taken in the Rapture. Many will be filled with a regret that we can only imagine as they bemoan their decision to reject or put off their decision to receive Jesus and follow Him. Yet it will be too late for them and they will endure the suffering of the Tribulation because they refused to believe.

However, there is some good news. It will be possible to be saved during the Tribulation period. In fact, the Bible tells us the that the greatest evangelistic work in history will take place during the Tribulation as millions and millions come to know Jesus. John writes of them in Revelation 7:9-17, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’ Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’" Those that teach that the Church will endure the Tribulation also teach that God will protect the Church from the effects of the Tribulation, just as He protected Israel from the plagues that came upon Egypt. However, we notice here in these verses that those that come out of the Tribulation were affected by hunger, thirst, sun and heat. Thus the argument of protection is invalidated by the testimony of Scripture.

Paul tells us that we, in these Last Days, are to be alert and self controlled, I Thessalonians 5:5-8, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” Sleep is used here metaphorically to indicate religious carelessness. Paul is telling us not to be careless with our faith, caught up in the world and in the things of this world. Alert here speaks of spiritual alertness. We are to be spiritually alert, on watch, waiting for Jesus to come for His Church.

Paul offers one of the strongest proofs for the Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church in, I Thessalonians 5:9, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Tribulation is the wrath of God and God has not appointed us to wrath. Jesus Himself promised us that we would not come into judgment, John 5:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” And Paul declared the same thing in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” The believer is not condemned; the believer’s sins were judged at the cross, and because of his faith in Jesus he has passed from death to life and shall not come into judgment.

Paul encourages all believers in I Thessalonians 1:10, "…to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." Another strong proof for the Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church.

We have seen that Revelation 6 (set in the first 3-1-2 years of the Tribulation) speaks of the seals being broken on the book and the results being the wrath of the Lamb. In verse 16-17, those on the earth declare, “…to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Clearly the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation as well as the last 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation are the wrath of God being poured out on those who dwell upon the earth.

Another very strong proof of a Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church is made to the faithful Church of Philadelphia, Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

In II Thessalonians Paul writes again to strengthen his first letter as the believers were continuing to suffer and needed encouragement, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come,” (II Thessalonians 2:1-2).

Paul goes on to write that the Day of the Lord cannot occur until the falling away occurs and the lawless one (the Antichrist) is revealed, II Thessalonians 2:3-4, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Paul tells them that the Antichrist will set up his image in the Temple declaring himself to be God and demanding worship as such.

Now this word of falling away is the Greek word, apostasia (ap-os-tas-ee'-ah) which means a departure or removal. It is used correctly of an apostate, one who has departed from the true faith. It can also be used correctly of a departure from one place to another. What is this falling away? It can be a massive defection from the Church (which we are currently seeing in America today). It can also refer to the Rapture of the Church as a departure.

There is a massive defection from the faith prophesied in Scripture promised in the Last Days, I Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” In their teachings they are departing from the true faith and teaching doctrines of demons, i.e., teachings inspired by Satan.

We have seen this come to pass in our lifetime as men continue to reject the orthodox teaching of the Scriptures and substitute the teachings of men for the truth of God. Those who teach these doctrines became callused to the truth with the result being that their conscience becomes insensate, unable any longer to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Paul continues in II Timothy to write of the rise of those who would follow these teachers in the Last Days, II Timothy 3:1-7, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Never in history has there been more resources available to men of the things of God and never in history has there been so much ignorance of the things of God. These here are lovers of themselves and money, lovers of pleasure and entertainment. And that is just what these false teachers are giving them, all the while enriching themselves at the expense of those that follow them.

Paul here is speaking of those who claim to be Christians but are not, declaring of them that they have, “…a form of godliness but denying its power…” They are religious, but do not know Christ. There is no power in what they are being taught to produce real change in their lives. And true believers are told to turn away from such who teach and who follow such teachings.

We are indeed living in perilous times, times that the Prophet Amos wrote of, Amos 8:11-12, “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, but shall not find it.’” We live in a time where it has become increasingly difficult to find true, orthodox teaching from the Scriptures. We live in a time in which men have replaced the Gospel and the Word of God with feel good books that address felt needs instead of dealing with the problem of sin and the need for genuine repentance and faith in God.

The Apostle Peter also wrote of the rise of false teachers in the Last Days, II Peter 2:1-3, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” Peter tell us that they will secretly bring in heresy under the guise of truth, even to the point of denying Christ and His redemptive work.

One of the so-called faith teachers has declared that God spoke to him and told him that he could of done what Jesus did, that any born again man armed with the Word of God could do what Jesus did. Not only is this heresy, this is blasphemy of the worst kind. An yet this is what is being taught in the so-called faith movement as truth, literally fulfilling the words of the Apostle Peter.

The great tragedy is that they have no shortage of followers as they appeal directly to the covetous nature of the people who follow them. Yet the truth is that the only one’s who are getting rich is the false teachers who are using their teachings to mask a covetous lifestyle. Paul said of them that they were, “…men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself,” (I Timothy 6:5). Their end is to be condemned in judgment from the Lord.

Consider carefully what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” These are very sobering words from Jesus. These are those who think that they are serving Him, but are not. They think that they know Him, but He does not know them! (This reminds me of the words of the Demon possessed man to the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, Acts 19:15, “And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’” The demons know who Jesus is and they tremble, James 2:19, “…Even the demons believe — and tremble!” Yet these in Matthew 7 who profess to know Him, do not know Him). They have a passion, “…'Lord, Lord.” They have works, “…have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'” Yet they have no relationship with Jesus. All that they do is in reality, not for Jesus, but rather for themselves, to satisfy themselves.

Peter goes on to describe their methods and motives, II Peter 2:18-19, “For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” They use religious jargon as a profession, but they in reality say nothing to profit their hearers. They use words which are of excessive weight and unrestrained or arrogant speech, with the result being emptiness. Their allure is to catch the unstable by enticement, appealing to the fleshly desire of their audience. Lewdness refers to their absence of restraint in teaching and in their lifestyles. They promise liberty, but they themselves are in bondage to the desires of the flesh and seek to entice others to the same.

The question for many is if these were ever of the true faith? I believe, from Scripture, that the answer to that question is an unequivocal no, they weren’t. John writes in I John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” They came out of the true Church because their false teachings were recognized as false by the Church. Just as it is a sign of a healthy body to repel disease, so it is the sign of a healthy Church to repel false teaching. Which makes one wonder at the health of the Church in America with so much false teaching readily being accepted into the Church without question. These false teachers were never really a part of the Church. If they were they would have continued in the Church. Their departure demonstrates that they were never part of the true Church and their teachings, which are a departure from the truth, clearly demonstrate such.

Paul goes on in II Thessalonians 2 to speak of a present restraining influence at work in the world holding back the flood of evil, II Thessalonians 2:6-7, “And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” The use of the masculine pronoun “He” indicates that “He” is a person. He will continue His work of restraining evil until He be taken out of the way. It is evident that “He” is the Holy Spirit working in the world though the Church.

The Church historically has had a purifying, restraining effect on the world. The Holy Spirit has worked through the proclamation of the Gospel by the Church to reach the lost, turning them to faith in Christ. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit’s work in the world, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16:8-11).


However, the time will come, Paul tells us, when He will be taken out of the way, i.e., that He will no longer be restraining evil through the Church. Then and only then will the Antichrist be revealed, II Thessalonians 2:8, “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” Notice that He will be taken out of the way, not taken away.

Two questions now need to be addressed. #1. If God does indeed move His Spirit out of the way, no longer restraining evil through the Church, what then will the ministry of the Holy Spirit be? #2. What will happen to the Church, when the Holy Spirit is no longer restraining evil through it?

Let’s look at question #1. If God does indeed move His Spirit our of the way, no longer restraining evil through the Church, what then will the ministry of the Holy Spirit be?

The Scriptures declare that God will once again pour out His Spirit upon the nation Israel. Paul writes of a partial blindness that has come upon Israel, Romans 11:25, “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." After Israel had rejected Jesus as Messiah, God turned away from dealing exclusively with the nation Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles would come in. And so, the Holy Spirit is going throughout the world calling out a bride for Christ from the Gentile nations (Matthew 21:43).

Jesus said, Luke 21:24, “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." In 1967, during the Seven Day War, Israeli forces recaptured the City of Jerusalem, so that the city is now no longer under Gentile occupation, i.e., is no longer trampled by the Gentiles. So the time of the Gentiles has indeed been fulfilled.

Then why hasn’t the Rapture occurred? II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” We are living in a time of unprecedented grace, whereby Jesus could come at any moment, but the Father has chosen not to send him.
God is still working among the Gentile nations, giving them an extended opportunity to come to Jesus. However, His patience is not unlimited.
God has not cast off His people as those who teach Replacement Theology declare. There remains one final seven year period of God’s dealing with the nation Israel, according to Daniel 9:24-27. 69 seven year periods have been completed. The Temple was rebuild in 49 years (seven weeks). 434 years later, Jesus came and was crucified (sixty two weeks). 62 weeks + 7 weeks = 69 weeks, leaving one week yet unfulfilled.

At the end of 69 weeks (7+62) the Messiah was cut off, Daniel 9:26, “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself…” Rejected and crucified, Jesus died for the sins of the world. Soon thereafter (70AD), Jerusalem was destroyed and Israel ceased to be a nation on the face of the earth, Daniel 9:26, “And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.”

So there remains one final week (a final 7 year period) to be fulfilled. Daniel tells us of that week, Daniel 9:27, “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate." The Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel, allowing them to remain in the land and allowing them to rebuild the Temple.

It is interesting that in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled, Israel had to become a nation once again. May 15, 1948 Israel became a nation once again, a nation born in a day, as prophesied by Isaiah, Isaiah 66:8, “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.”

However, in the middle of this week (3-1/2 years) the Antichrist will bring an end to the sacrifices and offerings in the rebuilt Temple, set up his image in the Temple, and demand that he be worshipped as God. Jesus foretold this, Matthew 24:15, “Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand).”


Now, in Ezekiel 39, God has destroyed the enemies of Israel and, as a result, has been shown holy through them in the sight of the nations. Ezekiel tells us, Ezekiel 39:27-29, “When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord GOD.” After bringing them back into the land and destroying their enemies, there will be a tremendous revival in Israel, as the nation turns back to God once again. At that time, God will have poured out His Spirit on the house of Israel once again, turning to them and dealing with them for the final seven year period prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 9:27). The purpose for this final seven year dealing with Israel was outlined by Jesus almost 2,000 years ago, when He declared to Israel, “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Matthew 23:39). At the end of the Tribulation the nation Israel will be ready for the return of their Messiah, declaring to Him when He comes, “…‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

Let us now look at question #2. What will happen to the Church, when the Holy Spirit is no longer restraining evil through it?

John was told in Revelation 1:19, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this." The word for after this is the Greek word, meta (met-ah') tauta (tow'-tah), hereafter, lit., after these things. After what things? In Revelation 4:1, we read, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’" Again, the word for after this is the Greek word, meta (met-ah') tauta (tow'-tah), hereafter, lit., after these things. And again, the question is, after what?

John wrote of seeing a picture of Jesus in His glory (Revelation 1:12-18). He had just wrote of the things of the Church (Revelation 2-3), and now he was to write the things after the Church, the Tribulation (Revelation 6-18).

In Revelation 4:2, John is caught up to heaven (just as the Church will be), “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” Some scholars believe that he was witnessing the Rapture as a event yet future to him. Notice that in verse 1 a door is open in heaven and a voice spoke to him like a Trumpet, saying “Come up here.” Compare this with I Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first." Many see Revelation 4:2 and I Thessalonians as one in the same event, the Rapture of the Church.

John tells us that he saw a throne with someone sitting on it surrounded by 24 Elders, clothed with white robes and they had crowns of gold on their heads. Only the Church can wear white, Revelation 19:14, "And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses." And Revelation 19:8 declares, “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” The fine linen represents the righteousness of the saints. Only the Church can wear crowns, I Peter 5:4, "and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away." (Throughout the New Testament crowns are promised to those who believe: an incorruptible crown, I Corinthians 9:25; a crown of rejoicing, I Thessalonians 2:19; a crown of righteousness, II Timothy 4:8; a crown of life, James 1:12, Revelation 2:10; a crown of glory, I Peter 5:4; a crown of Gold, Revelation 4:4; which will all eventually be cast before Christ, Revelation 4:10).

The 24 Elders sing a new song before the Lamb, Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth." Only the Church can sing this song, and only the Church is promised to reign with Jesus (II Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 22:5).

What will be the order of these things? It would appear that several events will take place at once or almost simultaneously. The Church is Raptured and God takes His Spirit out of the way (II Thessalonians 2:7). Russia and the states confederated with her will attack Israel and be destroyed (Ezekiel 39:27). And God will have once again poured out His Spirit upon the Nation Israel (Ezekiel 39:27).
What of the Church until these things come to pass? Revelation 3:7-13, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Jesus knows our works. He has set before the Church a door that no one can shut. That door is the door of opportunity for us to witness for Him with our lives and with our words, to share the Gospel with others. He says, “…you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Paul asked, “…And who is sufficient for these things?” (II Corinthians 2:16). In and of ourselves, we are not sufficient. Paul wrote of the secret of our sufficiency, “…our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant…” (II Corinthians 3:5-6).

If we would be like the Church in Philadelphia we must stay on their foundation. They studied the Word; they kept the Word; they gave the Word great place in their lives. They would not deny the Name of Jesus; they remained faithful to Him. He has written His name upon you because you are His and He will come for His own, even as He has promised, “…I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

I believe that it is going to become increasingly difficult for the Church to teach and proclaim the true Gospel, the true Word of God. I believe that pressure is going to be placed upon us, upon you and I, to compromise the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The pressure in the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Australia is already there. It is only going to get worse as the end comes.

Already the Church is being pressured into accepting lifestyles as normal that have long been held as sinful by the Church. Already the Church has caved in to the pressure to water down the Word of God and to recognize that all roads lead to God (which they do not). Political correctness is destroying the Church as the Church continues to compromise in order to accommodate the world and the philosophies of the world. And if we are going to remain faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we may very well find ourselves increasingly alone and under pressure.

We do not fear what man can do to us. Jesus told us who to fear, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,” (Matthew 10:28). Will we have the strength to do what is right? Certainly for, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13).

John Piper on What to say to the Depressed...

If you care about people and risk talking to the depressed, the doubting, the skeptical, the confused, and the angry, you will soon run into a person who says to your counsel: I've tried that. Whatever you say, they will minimize it and say it doesn't work. Do not be surprised at this response. This is what it means to be depressed, doubting, skeptical, confused, angry. It means that whatever they hear sounds useless.

So I want to offer some suggestions for what you say in a conversation that is about to be cut off like that.

1. Don't be offended.First, resist the temptation to be offended. Don't pout or take your ball and go home. That's what you may feel like. They wanted to talk, and here they are throwing my suggestions back in my face with a dismissive attitude. Don't leave. Not yet. "Love suffers long" (1 Corinthians 13:4, NKJV).

2. Listen. Second, listen to their responses. Part of your power is not only what you say, but how they feel about the way you listen. If your truth produces empathetic ears, it will feel more compelling. This listening will be a witness. In 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Paul describes the kind of engagement that may set people free from sin and error. One feature is "patiently enduring evil."

3. End with hope. Third, when you have spoken all the experiential counsel you can think of, and they seem to have demeaned it all, don't let them have the last word of despair. You leave the last word of hope. I suggest that you do it something like this. Say . . .

I know that you don't feel very helped by what I have said. I think I understand some of what that's like. I don't mean to be offering a quick fix, as though your problems or doubts can be turned around that easily. But I have more hope than you do that God's truth is powerful and will have its good effect in due time. May I share one more thing before you go?

I simply want to make sure you hear the best news in the world. Jesus said he spoke so that we would have peace (John 16:33). And Paul said that faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). You don't feel this right now. But God says peace and faith come from hearing.

In other words, moving from not seeing and feeling the reality of Christ to seeing and feeling the reality of Christ happens through hearing news about Christ. Something happens. At one moment, you are not seeing him as beautiful and satisfying and compelling. Then in the next moment, you are.

In the moments leading up to this experience, listening to God's word seems empty and futile. That doesn't put me off. If you doubt what I am saying, you are the very person who needs to hear what I am saying.

So let me tell you this spectacular news. This comes from Colossians 2:13-15.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Paul is talking about what God offers to everyone and what those who believe in Jesus experience. There are five mind-blowing things here:

1. God makes you spiritually alive.
2. God forgives all your sins.
3. He does this because he canceled the record of debts that stood against you. You owed God what you could never pay because of all your sins. And he canceled the debt.
4. How could he do that? He set it aside by nailing it to the cross. But the nails that went into the cross didn't go through parchment. They went through Jesus' hands and feet. That's the heart of everything I have to say to you. Christ became our substitute and bore our debt.
5. When that happened, the devil was disarmed. Why? Because the weapon of accusation was taken out of his hand. He always waved that record of debt in our face and God's court. But now that's canceled. The devil is disarmed. He can huff and puff, but he cannot damn you.

I leave you with this news. I will pray that the obstacles to peace-filled faith in your mind will be overcome by these truths. Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Meditate on these verses. May the Lord give you light.

What the Bible Says about the Rapture, pt. 3

POST-TRIBULATIONAL VIEWPOINT
The Post-Tribulational viewpoint teaches that the Church will be raptured at the end of the of the Tribulation to meet the Lord and immediately return with Him at His Second Coming. There are problems associated with this view.

Problems with the Post-Tribulational Viewpoint
Those that hold to the Post-Tribulational view deny the dispensational interpretation of the Scriptures. The angel Gabriel declared to Daniel, “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city…” (Daniel 9:24). The problem with the Post-Tribulational viewpoint begins by applying God’s dealing with Israel to the Church. The entire seventy years was, “…determined for your people (Israel) and for your holy city (Jerusalem)…” The reason that the entire world will be affected by the Tribulation is due to the catastrophic nature of the events that will occur during the Tribulation period.

The Tribulation is not God dealing with the Church; the Church has been dealt with in Christ. The Church was a mystery, something that was not visible in the Old Testament. Salvation was promised to the Gentiles through the Jewish Messiah. What was not foreseen was the Church, the body of Christ; that God would gather Jew and Gentile together as one in Christ, Ephesians 3:3-6, “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.”

Upon the rejection of Jesus as Messiah by Israel, God turned to the Gentile Nations to call out a bride for His Son, Matthew 21:43, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”

The Church age on earth will consummate with the Rapture of the Church. When the witness of the Church on earth is finished, we will be caught up. Then the final dealing of God with the Nation Israel (the last seven years of Daniel’s seventy sevens determined upon Israel) will begin.

That day and that hour no man knows (Matthew 24:36). However, we believe that the day of the Rapture is rapidly coming as we see Israel once again established in the land; as we see God blessing Israel, blossoming and budding forth; and as we see the rise of a European Federation of nations seeking to become a world power. Will the EU be the Ten Toes of Nebuchadnezzar's dream? (Daniel 2). Will they be the final world government that will turn over their authority and kingdoms to the Antichrist? We do not know. But the concept of such a federation of nations seeking to be a world power is there and it is accepted by the European Nations as an inevitable reality.

Those that hold to the Post-Tribulational view deny the scriptural teaching concerning the nature and purpose of the Tribulation. Terms such as wrath, judgment, indignation, trial, trouble, and destruction are used in the Scripture to describe this period.

Jesus spoke to the faithful Church in Philadelphia, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth,” (Revelation 3:10). This is a promise to the Church. The believer preservers in Jesus Christ. The word dwell used here speaks of permanence. However, the Christian is spoken of in Scripture as a sojourner, dwelling here on earth as a temporary state, II Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” The word dwell in Revelation 3:10 is not a geographical description, but rather a moral classification, speaking of those who love the world system, a system in rebellion to God, I John 2:16, “For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Those that hold to the Post-Tribulational view deny the Scriptural distinctions between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ. At the Rapture Jesus comes to claim a bride (the Church); at the Second Coming, Jesus comes with His bride (the Church). The Rapture is immanent and can occur at any time; the Second Coming is preceded by a multitude of signs (as seen in the book of Revelation). The Rapture brings a message of comfort, “Therefore comfort one another with these words,” (I Thessalonians 4:18); the Tribulation brings a message of judgment, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Revelation 6:17). The Rapture is for the Church, “…the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17); the Tribulation is for Israel, “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city…” (Daniel 9:24) and, because of it’s catastrophic nature, will affect the entire world.

Those that hold to the Post-Tribulational view deny the doctrine of Imminence. As stated in the Mid-Tribulational view, the church is told to live in the light of the imminent coming of Christ, to be watching, working, and waiting for Jesus to come for His Church at the Rapture, not for signs that would precede the Tribulation.

Jesus has told his followers to live in the light of His imminent coming, “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect,” (Luke 12:35-40). Those that teach the Mid-Tribulational and Post-Tribulational viewpoints deny Jesus’ teaching regarding His imminent return.

What the Bible Says about the Rapture, pt. 2

MID-TRIBULATIONAL VIEWPOINT
The Mid-Tribulational viewpoint teaches that the Church will be raptured at the end of the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation period. They agree that the Church has escaped the wrath of God, the coming judgment of the Tribulation, through Jesus Christ. However there are several problems with this view of which we will address only a few.

Problems with the Mid-Tribulational Viewpoint
Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the events of the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation are not the wrath of God, only the last 3-1/2 years are the wrath of God. So, accordingly, the Church will go through the first 3-1/2 years because this period is not the wrath of God. However, Revelation 6 is marked by the opening of the seven seals and the coming of the Antichrist, Revelation 6:1-2, “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” Here, with the opening of the seven seals at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation period (the first 3-1/2 years), we see the appearance of the Antichrist. He comes on a white horse. When Jesus returns, He will come on a white horse (Revelation 19:11). Here we see the Antichrist coming as a false Christ. He has a bow (a weapon) and a crown is given to him.

The last government of man, the 10 nation confederacy of nations, will surrender their crowns to him, giving their authority to him, Revelation 17:12-13, "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.” He will rule with absolute authority, as a dictator. He will come as a man of peace, but his true intention is to conquer, “…he went out conquering and to conquer.” What follows him is war, famine, death, martyrdom, and cosmic disturbances.

Further, the events of Revelation 6 are described as, “…the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Revelation 6:16-17). This is a description of the entire Tribulation period, not just the last 3-1/2 years.

Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the Church is promised tribulation. We must be very careful to make the proper distinctions between the Tribulation and the tribulation promised to the believer.

The Tribulation is referred to in Scripture in a specific sense, such as the seventieth seven of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:20-27), or the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).

The tribulation promised to the Church is in the general sense. Jesus spoke of tribulation promised to the Church in a general sense in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Part of being a Christian is suffering to one extent or another for your faith, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution,” (I Timothy 3:1-2). As we study Church history we see that the overwhelming majority of Christians have suffered for their faith. As we read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, we see that history bears out the suffering of tribulation for the faithful believer in Christ. The freedom to exercise and proclaim our faith that the Church enjoys in the United States is unprecedented in Church history.
Even throughout the world today, our brothers and sisters in Christ are not only suffering for their faith, many are imprisoned and dying for their faith in Jesus.

Paul also spoke of tribulation promised to the Church in a general sense in I Thessalonians 3:3-4, “that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.” The tribulation faced by the Church and promised the believer by Jesus comes from the world system controlled by Satan. The Tribulation that will come upon the world originates from heaven and is repeatedly described in Scripture as the wrath of God or the wrath of the Lamb.

Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the Church will be purged through the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation, that we somehow have to suffer in order to be perfected.

We do not need to suffer for our sins, Jesus Himself suffered for our sins, Hebrews 1:3, “…He had by Himself purged our sins.” His dearth on the cross, His blood shed paid the price for our sins. He took death for us and gave us life.

We do not need to suffer through the Tribulation to be purged of our sins. Jude tells us that He (Jesus) will, “…present you faultless before the presence of His glory…” (Jude 24-25). To teach that the Church must be purged through the Tribulation is to denigrate the atoning working of Jesus Christ.

Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view deny the Imminence of Jesus Christ. The teaching of the imminent return of Jesus Christ is prevalent in the Scriptures. In the parable of the Evil Servant and the Faithful Servant, it is the evil servant that declares, “…My master is delaying his coming…” (Matthew 24:48). And his attitude reflects one who is no longer waiting for his masters imminent return as he begins to eat, and to drink, and to beat his fellow servants.

Jesus Himself warned us to be ready for His return, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect,” (Matthew 24:44).


Those that hold to the Mid-Tribulational view teach that the Rapture will coincide with the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the catching up of the Two Witnesses, Revelation 11:3-7, “’And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.’ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” Those who teach this view spiritualize this passage, teaching that the Two Witnesses are symbolic of a larger body of witnesses representing the dead and the living (the Church) at the Rapture. They also teach that the great voice of Revelation 11:12, “And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them,” is that of I Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The Two Witnesses are treated as symbolic representatives of the Church and not as individuals and that is where they are making their mistake. As the Two Olive Trees, they relate to Israel and not to the Church, Revelation 11:4, “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth” (Zechariah 4, The Vision of the Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees).

The voice of I Thessalonians 4 calls both the dead and the living in Christ; yet the Two Witnesses that supposedly represent the Church are killed. If you are going to spiritualize this passage then you must go all the way to state that the entire Church will be dead at the time of the Rapture. However, Paul explicitly declares that at the Rapture the dead in Christ will rise first, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (I Thessalonians 4:17). Clearly Paul taught that at the Rapture there would be living believers caught up to heaven.

What the Bible Says about the Rapture, pt. 1

INTRODUCTION
Essentially there are three basic viewpoints regarding the Church and the Tribulation. They are the Pre-Tribulational, Mid-Tribulational, and Post-Tribulational viewpoints.

In this paper we will examine the various viewpoints from the Scripture in order to present the viewpoint which we hold, namely, the Pre-Tribulation viewpoint. It is the view of Calvary Chapel, Choctaw, that true believers will be raptured from the earth to heaven before the Tribulation period begins.

While we believe that this is an important issue for the believer, we do not believe that this issue should divide believers or separate us from fellowship with one another.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO RIDICULE THE IDEA OF THE RAPTURE
They insist that the word “rapture” is not even in the Bible. This is true, but only when you consider which Bible you are using. The Latin Vulgate translation of the Scriptures (from Greek to Latin) is one of the oldest translations of the Bible; it is from this translation that we get the term rapture. The English word caught up (I Thessalonians 5:17), is from the Greek word, harpazo (har-pad'-zo), to be snatched away violently. The Latin Vulgate translates this Greek word as the Latin word, Raptus, the past participle of Rapio, to take away by force. Our word rapture comes from this Latin word. It is sort of the long way to get there, but we arrive none the less.

While the word Rapture is not in the KJV, or NKJV (or some others for that matter), the concept of the rapture or being caught up is. So to argue that the Rapture is not in the Bible is, at the least to argue from a position of ignorance, and at the worst to argue from a position of deliberate deception.

So we will begin by looking at the various viewpoints commonly held within Christendom historically and today.

THE PRE-TRIBULATIONAL VIEWPOINT
The Pre-Tribulational viewpoint holds that the Church will be removed from the earth scene before the tribulation. This is our viewpoint which we will examine in further detail later in this paper.

However, there is within the Pre-Tribulational viewpoint what is known as “The Partial Rapture Position.” This view holds that only those believers who are watching and waiting for the Rapture will actually be taken.

Those that teach this viewpoint point to a number of Scriptures as proof for their position (Matthew 25, The Parable of The Ten virgins). According to this view, some level of spiritual attainment must be reached to be counted worthy of the Rapture. The key to the parable is found in verse 12, “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” The foolish virgins weren’t ready because they did not know the bridegroom. We are as Christians to watch and be ready, even as Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming,” (Matthew 25:13).

Those that hold to the Partial Rapture view hold that those who were not ready were Christians who were not watching. They even go so far as to teach that, since they had no oil for their lamps, and since oil in the Scripture is a type of the Holy Spirit, these did not have the Spirit or were not filled with the Spirit. Every true believer is born again by the Spirit (John 3:5-6), and is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13). (We at FBC do believe that there is an overflowing or infilling of the Spirit that can be both concurrent with and subsequent to salvation. Please see our pamphlet, What the Bible says about the Threefold Relationship of the Holy Spirit with Men for our view on this subject). The point of the parable is to be ready. If you want to be ready for the coming of Jesus you must first know Him through confession of sins, and receiving Him as Lord and Savior. Other Scriptures they point to, in teaching that only those who are watching and waiting will be taken, are “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man," (Luke 21:36). Also, Titus 2:3, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” And, Hebrews 9:28, “…to those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

Problems with the Partial Rapture Viewpoint
There are at the least some problems with the Partial Rapture viewpoint. First, it devalues the propitiatory work of Christ. Our worth comes from Christ and His death for us. He has made us worthy to escape not only the punishment for our sins, which is death, He also has made us worthy to escape the Tribulation. To pray to be worthy is to be certain that you are “in Christ,” as a true believer, having received Jesus as your Savior and Lord. It is only in Him that we are worthy. Second, this viewpoint is faith plus works. You must do something in addition to faith in Jesus. So now the emphasis is not on what Jesus has done for you, but now is on what you must do. Additionally, this viewpoint creates a higher class of Christians, those who are somehow closer to God and are somehow more spiritual because they are watching and waiting for Jesus to come for His church at the Rapture as opposed to those who are not.

Certainly we should be watching and waiting for Jesus to come for His church, not so that we will be left behind if we are not watching (as this view suggests), but so that we are not ashamed before Him when He comes, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming,” (I John 2:28). We want to be found watching, working, and waiting when Jesus comes for His church at the Rapture.

Church Leaders Pave Way for World's Largest Reformed Body

Crosswalk.com reports the following today:

"The Christian Post reports that the world's two largest Reformed church bodies began meetings this week to finalize a draft constitution that will merge the two entities. The merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) into a single World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) will represent 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide. "When the two organizations dare to journey together in God's mission, our member churches will be served better and, in fact, our witness as Reformed churches will be stronger," stated Nyomi when the REC initiated the invitation to merge in July 2005 after 7 years of bilateral talks. The groups hope the merger will open the door to joint projects and joint staffing, cutting costs while fostering unity."

Further proof that we are heading towards the one world religion spoken of in the Book of Revelation. We are in the Last Days. "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Luke 21:28, NKJV).

Unusual quotes

I was in a funny mood tonight, so I thought I would pass along how the world thinks:


Not all pain is gain.

You can do anything you set your mind to when you have vision, determination, and an endless supply of expendable labor.

That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.

There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.

When birds fly in the right formation, they need only exert half the effort. Even in nature, teamwork results in collective laziness.

When you earnestly believe you can compensate for a lack of skill by doubling your efforts, there's no end to what you can't do.

If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly.

Mediocrity - It takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference until it's too late.

If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon.

The race for quality has no finish line- so technically, it's more like a death march.

When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.

Spurgeon on trust...

Isaiah 36:5: "Now on whom dost thou trust?"

Reader, this is an important question. Listen to the Christian's answer, and see if it is yours. "On whom dost thou trust?" "I trust," says the Christian, "in a triune God. I trust the Father, believing that He has chosen me from before the foundations of the world; I trust Him to provide for me in providence, to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to His own house where the many mansions are. I trust the Son. Very God of very God is He-the man Christ Jesus. I trust in Him to take away all my sins by His own sacrifice, and to adorn me with His perfect righteousness. I trust Him to be my Intercessor, to present my prayers and desires before His Father's throne, and I trust Him to be my Advocate at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me. I trust Him for what He is, for what He has done, and for what He has promised yet to do. And I trust the Holy Spirit-He has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I trust Him to drive them all out; I trust Him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness; I trust Him to dwell in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me wholly, spirit, soul, and body, and then to take me up to dwell with the saints in light for ever." Oh, blessed trust! To trust Him whose power will never be exhausted, whose love will never wane, whose kindness will never change, whose faithfulness will never fail, whose wisdom will never be nonplussed, and whose perfect goodness can never know a diminution! Happy art thou, reader, if this trust is thine! So trusting, thou shalt enjoy sweet peace now, and glory hereafter, and the foundation of thy trust shall never be removed.

Tradition over Commandment

Tradition is Death to a true relationship with God. It allows people to go through the motions without having a heart experience. When the church starts doing things just because “we’ve always done it that way,” it is moving in the direction of a man-made religion. It is just an easy step to go from there to the elevation of tradition to dogma, allowing tradition to crowd out the Word and to excuse violations of the Word.

Chuck Smith

For those who serve...

Ephesians 3:8: "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

The apostle Paul felt it a great privilege to be allowed to preach the gospel. He did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, but he entered upon it with intense delight. Yet while Paul was thus thankful for his office, his success in it greatly humbled him.

The fuller a vessel becomes, the deeper it sinks in the water. Idlers may indulge a fond conceit of their abilities, because they are untried; but the earnest worker soon learns his own weakness. If you seek humility, try hard work; if you would know your nothingness, attempt some great thing for Jesus.

If you would feel how utterly powerless you are apart from the living God, attempt especially the great work of proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ, and you will know, as you never knew before, what a weak unworthy thing you are. Although the apostle thus knew and confessed his weakness, he was never perplexed as to the subject of his ministry. From his first sermon to his last, Paul preached Christ, and nothing but Christ.

He lifted up the cross, and extolled the Son of God who bled thereon. Follow his example in all your personal efforts to spread the glad tidings of salvation, and let “Christ and him crucified” be your ever recurring theme. The Christian should be like those lovely spring flowers which, when the sun is shining, open their golden cups, as if saying, “Fill us with thy beams!” but when the sun is hidden behind a cloud, they close their cups and droop their heads.

So should the Christian feel the sweet influence of Jesus; Jesus must be his sun, and he must be the flower which yields itself to the Sun of Righteousness. Oh! to speak of Christ alone, this is the subject which is both “seed for the sower, and bread for the eater. “ This is the live coal for the lip of the speaker, and the master-key to the heart of the hearer.

Charles Spurgeon

Special Prayer Requests

Please pray for pastor Bill Walden and for Cornerstone Ministries Napa, as he (and others) make their way to Mexico for another short term mission trip. Bill has a heart for missions and I suspect that if he could he would go more often.

Also please pray for pastor Bill Holdridge as he continues to take the helm at St. Helena Church (north of Napa somewhere).

I'm not sure why, but I believe that God would have us pray for these...

What the Bible Says about Justification, pt. 5

THE PRICE PAID FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION
The value of an object is often determined by the price paid for it. Some have prided themselves in valuable treasures or works of art they have bought or sold. But the highest price ever paid was the one paid by God to redeem us. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him, would not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Paul declares in Romans 5:9, "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." God has taken that which was priceless, the blood of His own dear Son, and purchased that which was completely valueless - mankind. Paul tells us in Romans 3:11 that "...they are together become unprofitable..." The Greek words for become unprofitable is achreioo (akh-ri-o'-o, to make useless, render unserviceable). There are those who cannot deal with the fact that man's condition had become so bad as to become unprofitable - useless. They like to profess that there is, somewhere in the heart of man a spark of goodness and that is why God sought to save man from eternal death. But if that is the case then God is a liar, as His word declares that "There is none that does righteousness, no, not one. There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that does good, no not one" (Romans 3:10-12). God has redeemed man, not because of his goodness, but because of His unmerited favor - His grace. There is no other reason. Apart from God man is valueless -unprofitable - useless. It is only in a relationship with God through Christ that man finds real satisfaction, purpose and meaning for his life.

Someone has said, that if you were the only person that needed salvation, Jesus would of died for you. They evoke this as a tender emotion when, in fact, it is an indictment against your sins. What they are really saying is that your sins were so wicked that they alone would of required the death of the Son of God to atone for them. This should not make us glad, but rather we should be deeply ashamed and humbled.

The writer to the Hebrews, in the tenth chapter tells us that the blood sacrifices offered under the Jewish law could not deal with future sins. So that every year, on the day of atonement there was always a remembering of past sins. But, he declares, that Christ offered Himself "one sacrifice for sins forever..." (Hebrews 10:12), declaring that no further sacrifice would be required for forgiveness of sins. The night that Jesus was betrayed, He took the cup and said "...This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:20). Jesus Christ has paid it all and the price He paid was His own blood. "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow."

CONCLUSION
The position of the Christian is one of justification - a state of acceptance with God, who, for Christ's sake, regards and treats the believer as righteous, and not as guilty. It has been secured by Jesus Christ to whom we owe justification, and all the blessings that are associated with it. It is through him that we "...have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).

It is obtained by faith. Christ has done all that is necessary - we need only to receive, as a free gift the greatest of all blessings, indispensable to the new life. It is offered as the gracious gift of God. No question will ever be raised as to our fitness. The only question is as to God's faithfulness which is not only pledged, but is absolutely sure.

The result is peace. The war is over. The Christian has surrendered and ceases from his opposition to God's rightful authority in his life. It is a complete reversal of his former attitude and manner of life. The Christian takes God's will for his will, and the result is true peace and he rests confidently in the enjoyment of His favor, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24).

What the Bible Says about Justification, pt. 4

THE FACT OF OUR JUSTIFICATION
Romans 5:1, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The fact is that we have been justified. William R. Newell, Romans Verse by Verse, "We must note at once that the Greek form of this verb 'declared Righteous' or 'justified', is not the present participle, 'Being declared righteous,' but rather the aorist participle, 'Having been declared righteous', or 'Justified.' You say, What is the difference? The answer is, 'Being declared righteous' looks to a state that you are in; 'Having been declared righteous' looks back to a fact that happened."

The Greek word used here for "being justified" is dikaioo (dik-ah-yo'-o, to deem to be right, signifies, in the New Testament, to show to be right or righteous). Paul is saying that, at some point in the past, without our help, God justified us, that is, he declared us to be righteous.

We enter into this justification by faith - believing what God has provided for us through Christ. The Greek word used here for faith is pistis (pis'-tis, firm persuasion, a conviction based upon hearing - An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W. E. Vine). We base our conviction (assurance) on what we have heard -that we are indeed justified (declared righteous) by faith in Christ.

THE RESULT OF JUSTIFICATION
One result of justification is peace with God. This is a cessation of hostilities. It is not the peace of God, but peace with God. Not a feeling of peace but a state of peace. Between the sinner and God exists a state of enmity, hostility, and antagonism. Sinners are the enemies of God (Isaiah 48:22; James 4:4; Colossians 1:21). The state of war between the unbeliever and God exists until a state of peace is declared.

William R. Newell, Romans Verse by Verse, "Peace means the war is done. Peace with God means that God has nothing against us. This involves:

1. That God has fully judged sin, upon Christ our substitute.

2. That God was wholly satisfied with Christ's sacrifice, that He will eternally remain so; never taking up the judgment of our sin again.

3. That God is therefore at rest about us forever, however poor our understanding of truth, however weak our walk. God is looking at the blood of Christ, and not at our sins. All claims against us were met when Christ made peace by the blood of the cross.' So 'We have peace with God.' This has been accomplished through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Greek word used for through is dia (dee-ah') and is a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; by, through, because of, by reason of, on account of, because of this reason, therefore, on this account. He is the mediator between the two parties at war (I Timothy 2:5-6). As our mediator, Jesus Christ has worked out our peace treaty with God (Colossians 1:20). But since He made peace through His blood, He is our peace with God (Ephesians 2:13-14).

Interesting Quote

"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." Unknown

What the Bible Says about Justification, pt. 3

THE ROLE OF THE LAW IN JUSTIFICATION
That the Law cannot justify a man before God is clearly evident in the scriptures. To understand this we must look at the purpose of the Law. In Romans 3:19-20 Paul outlines the purpose of the Law: "Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law came the knowledge of sin.”

Paul says, that the law puts an end to boasting - "…that every mouth may be stopped..." The law declares God's righteous standard which man in his own efforts can never attain. The curse of the law was that it could not be kept (Galatians 3:10), and yet man was still held accountable for attaining its standard, something that he could not do. The purpose of the law was to make known our sin - "…for by the law came the knowledge of sin" - and to demonstrate to us our need for justification - something that the law could not do - "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight." (Also see Galatians 2:16).

Paul goes on to say, in Galatians 3:11, "…that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, the just shall live by faith." Here he establishes forever the principle of justification by faith.

And finally, in Galatians 3:24-25, he declares "Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." The Greek word used here for schoolmaster is paidagogos (pahee-dag-o-gos', an instructor, a tutor i.e. a guardian and guide of boys). Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood.

And in Galatians 4 Paul compares those under the law as children who are immature and require guardians until maturity. He goes on to say, "But, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." And now as sons, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. "And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39).