Most Christians have absolutely no interest in End Times prophesy and the Book of Revelation.
Why?
One reason could be that today’s preachers seem to add more confusion every time they try to teach on the subject. However, I believe that the main reason for this lack of interest is due to the escape clauses that these preachers also teach. In other words... "Don’t worry, be happy!" The teaching goes like this... "Nothing can happen until the “Third Temple” is built, and anyway, we will all be “Raptured” out of here before anything really bad happens."
Most Christians believe that they can ignore End Times prophesy and events, because it simply doesn’t affect them. The problem is… Jesus told us to be alert, because he would come at a time when we don’t think he will. (Mk 13:33-37) (Mt 24:44) And... in the parable of the “Ten Virgins”, Jesus dramatically tells us that those who are not alert will be left behind, because they were lazy and did not take their salvation seriously. (Mt 25:1 13) Simply saying you're a Christian, doesn't make you a Christian. "Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many wonderful works? And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Mt 7:22-23)
We have already written about the signs of the season of Christ’s return. We will not go there again. However, as to the two false teachings that have lulled Christians asleep, we will now address.
1) There is no... “Third Temple”.
2) There is no... “Pre-Trib Rapture”.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
THE ADOPTION
This brings us to the two key passages of the good news of the gospel of Christ. "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the divine intention of His will..." "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (Christ) might be the firstborn of many brethren, and whom He predestined, these He also... called... justified... and glorified..." (Ephesians 1:5) (Romans 8:29-30) Look at these words again! He foreknew... He predestined... He called... He justified... He glorified. He did it all!
A more literal Greek translation makes it clearer. "Predestined" could better be translated "foreordained". "FOREORDAINED" means God has already done it by divine decree. Through a divine decree of God, we are conformed to the image of His Son through adoption, "...foreordained conformed to the image of His Son..." It's an adoption decree!
Get It? The Father has only one son. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17) Jesus alone passed the test. Without this blessed passage, the kingdom of God would have only one resident! The good news of the gospel hinges right here. Eternal life is in the kingdom, and to get into the kingdom, we must get into the family of Christ, and ADOPTION is our way into his family. "For there is no other name... by which we must be saved."
First century adoption was an absolutely binding legal transactionperformed personally and individually one at a time only when the adopted was old enough to understand and agree. When the adoption was agreed to by both parties, it was a done deal! The adopted person's prior family ties (to the family of Adam) are completely severed. The adopted person is now legally bound to his new family (Christ's family).
That's the good news of the gospel! That's the good news that sets us free from the endless struggle to try to muster up something from within ourselves that will somehow please God enough to earn his favor. Legally, the adopted child has all the blessings of the natural child, no difference. That's good news! The adopted child has absolute unconditional love and acceptance. That's very good news! The adopted child is freed from condemnation and can seek to please his father out of love not fear. That's very, very good news!
"For you have not received the spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15) "But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order that He might redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying Abba! Father. Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." (Gaiatians 4:4-7) "...predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son..." See it now?
"Joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us (through adoption) to share in the inheritance of the saints of light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colosstans 1:12-14) Eternal life is in the kingdom, and we get into the kingdom as sons through adoption.
When an adoption is finalized, a new birth certificate is issued. Legally the child is BORN AGAIN into the new family. As a born again child in the family of Christ, the Father chooses not to judge us by our pre-adoption sinful life. Instead, the Father chooses to judge us by the sinless life of Christ.
There is no room for PRIDE, when we are judged by the sinless life of Christ
A more literal Greek translation makes it clearer. "Predestined" could better be translated "foreordained". "FOREORDAINED" means God has already done it by divine decree. Through a divine decree of God, we are conformed to the image of His Son through adoption, "...foreordained conformed to the image of His Son..." It's an adoption decree!
Get It? The Father has only one son. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17) Jesus alone passed the test. Without this blessed passage, the kingdom of God would have only one resident! The good news of the gospel hinges right here. Eternal life is in the kingdom, and to get into the kingdom, we must get into the family of Christ, and ADOPTION is our way into his family. "For there is no other name... by which we must be saved."
First century adoption was an absolutely binding legal transactionperformed personally and individually one at a time only when the adopted was old enough to understand and agree. When the adoption was agreed to by both parties, it was a done deal! The adopted person's prior family ties (to the family of Adam) are completely severed. The adopted person is now legally bound to his new family (Christ's family).
That's the good news of the gospel! That's the good news that sets us free from the endless struggle to try to muster up something from within ourselves that will somehow please God enough to earn his favor. Legally, the adopted child has all the blessings of the natural child, no difference. That's good news! The adopted child has absolute unconditional love and acceptance. That's very good news! The adopted child is freed from condemnation and can seek to please his father out of love not fear. That's very, very good news!
"For you have not received the spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15) "But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order that He might redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying Abba! Father. Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." (Gaiatians 4:4-7) "...predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son..." See it now?
"Joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us (through adoption) to share in the inheritance of the saints of light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colosstans 1:12-14) Eternal life is in the kingdom, and we get into the kingdom as sons through adoption.
When an adoption is finalized, a new birth certificate is issued. Legally the child is BORN AGAIN into the new family. As a born again child in the family of Christ, the Father chooses not to judge us by our pre-adoption sinful life. Instead, the Father chooses to judge us by the sinless life of Christ.
There is no room for PRIDE, when we are judged by the sinless life of Christ
Thursday, June 21, 2012
THE LIFE
"Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has ETERNAL LIFE..." (John 5:24) "I must preach the KINGDOM OF GOD... for I was sent for this purpose." (Luke 4:43) Jesus, right from His baptism until his ascension up to heaven, preached one message and one message only... ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD! He did not preach health and wealth, or a lifelong process of transformation. He preached a clear ultimatum, death as part of this world, or eternal life in the kingdom of God.
Eternal life is in the kingdom. But... how do we get into the kingdom of God? Jesus said this about entering into the kingdom... "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom..." "Permit the children to come to me ... for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, shall not enter it at all." (Matthew 18:3) (Luke 18:16-17) Entering the kingdom requires us to somehow become like a little child again. Why? A little child has no PRIDE! A little child cannot meet any of his own needs! A little child must trust another person to meet all of his needs!
"Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Jesus is saying once and for all, that we have no hope within ourselves. As a naturally born sinful human being, we are absolutely disqualified from entering God's kingdom. We must be born again as a little child. We must learn again how to trust another person to meet all of our needs. In order to enter the kingdom, and have eternal life... we must trust Christ COMPLETELY, and ourselves NOT AT ALL!
"For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. So also it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul, the last Adam became a life giving spirit. The first man is from the earth, earthly, the second man is from heaven. As is the earthly (Adam) so also are those who are earthly, and as is the heavenly (Adam), so also are those who are heavenly. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (Adam)." (1Corinthians 15:21-50)
Confused? It's really quite simple. Adam thought that he was like God in his character and holiness, failed the test, and died. We bear his image because we were born into his family. Therefore, the curse of the impossible test has fallen to us. We will also fail the test and die. Somehow, we must be born again into Christ's family. Christ already passed the impossible test, so in his family, the curse of the test has been removed FOREVER. Those in the family of Christ, are not required to pass the test, because a grace and mercy relationship to God has been re-established.
But... how do we get born again into Christ's family? "But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John i: 12-13) "And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 2:21 and 4:12) When we trust in the name of Jesus, and call on the name of Jesus, it demonstrates our desire to be in his family. That's all it takes! God ALWAYS answers this call!
Therefore, because of our complete faith in Christ, the Father can also say of us... "This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased." What a miracle! Christ did it all! We did nothing!
There is absolutely no room for PRIDE, in a relationship based ENTIRELY on another person's merit!
Eternal life is in the kingdom. But... how do we get into the kingdom of God? Jesus said this about entering into the kingdom... "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom..." "Permit the children to come to me ... for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, shall not enter it at all." (Matthew 18:3) (Luke 18:16-17) Entering the kingdom requires us to somehow become like a little child again. Why? A little child has no PRIDE! A little child cannot meet any of his own needs! A little child must trust another person to meet all of his needs!
"Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Jesus is saying once and for all, that we have no hope within ourselves. As a naturally born sinful human being, we are absolutely disqualified from entering God's kingdom. We must be born again as a little child. We must learn again how to trust another person to meet all of our needs. In order to enter the kingdom, and have eternal life... we must trust Christ COMPLETELY, and ourselves NOT AT ALL!
"For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. So also it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul, the last Adam became a life giving spirit. The first man is from the earth, earthly, the second man is from heaven. As is the earthly (Adam) so also are those who are earthly, and as is the heavenly (Adam), so also are those who are heavenly. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (Adam)." (1Corinthians 15:21-50)
Confused? It's really quite simple. Adam thought that he was like God in his character and holiness, failed the test, and died. We bear his image because we were born into his family. Therefore, the curse of the impossible test has fallen to us. We will also fail the test and die. Somehow, we must be born again into Christ's family. Christ already passed the impossible test, so in his family, the curse of the test has been removed FOREVER. Those in the family of Christ, are not required to pass the test, because a grace and mercy relationship to God has been re-established.
But... how do we get born again into Christ's family? "But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John i: 12-13) "And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 2:21 and 4:12) When we trust in the name of Jesus, and call on the name of Jesus, it demonstrates our desire to be in his family. That's all it takes! God ALWAYS answers this call!
Therefore, because of our complete faith in Christ, the Father can also say of us... "This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased." What a miracle! Christ did it all! We did nothing!
There is absolutely no room for PRIDE, in a relationship based ENTIRELY on another person's merit!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
THE TRUTH
This amazing prophetic statement in the book of Isaiah, says it all! ".. .The Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us). He will eat curds and honey (still be an infant) when he knows how to REFUSE THE EVIL and CHOOSE THE GOOD..." (Isaiah 7:14-15) Jesus alone passed the test! He alone met the requirement to enter the kingdom. He alone achieved a perfect pride free righteousness. Jesus is the only one who ever will. THIS IS THE TRUTH, and it must be absolutely true in our heart. We must once and for all get passed the false idea that there is something, anything, within us that can be holy. Pride will always soil our efforts.
"All our righteousness are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6) This understanding is absolutely essential. Our foundation can be true, only if there is nothing of us in it. Even my very best attempts at making myself righteous and holy, will only smell like filthy rags to God. We must settle it once and for all! I have no hope... I cannot meet God's requirement... I cannot pass the test... EVER!
Despite what the Christianity of today teaches, Christ is not a way shower whom we can imitate unto our own independent righteousness and holiness. It is a false hope based on the false foundation of pride. If we cling to it, even slightly, we are at risk of hearing in that day, "I never knew you, depart from me..." "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh, for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of good is not." "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:18, 24) "...You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free..." "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be freeindeed."(John 8: 32, 36)
The truth that sets us free is not a doctrine, a discipline, or a lifelong process. It's a person... the person of Jesus! Knowing the truth, is knowing Jesus, and knowing Jesus sets us free. "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith, that I might know Him..." (Philippians 3:8-9)
Salvation comes down to this truth... not what I am, but who you are Lord. You are righteous and holy. I am not! There is no room for PRIDE, in a person who knows THE TRUTH.
"All our righteousness are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6) This understanding is absolutely essential. Our foundation can be true, only if there is nothing of us in it. Even my very best attempts at making myself righteous and holy, will only smell like filthy rags to God. We must settle it once and for all! I have no hope... I cannot meet God's requirement... I cannot pass the test... EVER!
Despite what the Christianity of today teaches, Christ is not a way shower whom we can imitate unto our own independent righteousness and holiness. It is a false hope based on the false foundation of pride. If we cling to it, even slightly, we are at risk of hearing in that day, "I never knew you, depart from me..." "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh, for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of good is not." "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:18, 24) "...You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free..." "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be freeindeed."(John 8: 32, 36)
The truth that sets us free is not a doctrine, a discipline, or a lifelong process. It's a person... the person of Jesus! Knowing the truth, is knowing Jesus, and knowing Jesus sets us free. "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith, that I might know Him..." (Philippians 3:8-9)
Salvation comes down to this truth... not what I am, but who you are Lord. You are righteous and holy. I am not! There is no room for PRIDE, in a person who knows THE TRUTH.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
THE WAY
The way of salvation simply has no room for anything but Jesus. Christ Jesus came because we CANNOT do what he did, and we CANNOT be what he was. But, some of today's Christians might be saying... "Didn't Jesus come to be our example?" NO! Jesus came to be our SAVIOR not our example!
No matter how sincere the effort, trying to imitate Jesus will only produce a false, pride filled self-righteousness. To be like Jesus, our righteousness before God must be absolutely REAL. We must be completely free of all pride, and we must be completely sinless! That is... everything we think, say and do must agree perfectly with the will of God. EVERYTHING! No one can meet this standard! We are all hopelessly trapped in a sin nature, the root of which is pride. We are all sinners... and we are all PROUD sinners!
Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve into believing that they really did measure up to God's standard of holiness. Therefore, if they ate from the tree, they "SURELY WOULD NOT DIE". (Genesis 3:4) Satan insisted that if they ate the fruit and gained "the knowledge of good and evil", they could see for themselves that they were just like God. Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan instead of God for the truth. They chose to believe in their own holiness! But... when they ate the fruit and their "eyes were opened", their nakedness was revealed, and they instantly realized how sinful and unlike God they were. (Genesis 3:7-11) That's why they tried to hide from God. Unfortunately for them, and us, no one can hide from God.
Adam and Eve failed the test of God-like holiness, because the test of God-like holiness is... having ALWAYS chosen good, and having NEVER chosen evil. Because they chose to be judged according to God's standard of holiness, every one of their descendents is also required to pass this impossible test. (Proverbs 15:3)(Psalms 37:27)(Ecclesiastes 12:14)(John 5:29) Of course, no descendant of Adam has ever passed the test, and no one will ever pass the test! To show us EXACTLY what passing the test really requires, God gave us the Law.
To make sure that all hope in ourselves stays outside the gate, we must remember that the Law applies to EVERYONE (Romans 3:19-20), and the Law requires... ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. (James 2:10) Just doing our best will never satisfy God. If we truly examine ourselves according to what God-like holiness really requires, we should be driven to our knees with despair.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "No one is righteous, no not even one." (Romans 3:10) God leaves us no choice, but to face up to the truth, we are absolutely defeated and without hope in ourselves. We cannot meet God's requirement. We cannot pass the test. The way of salvation must begin with absolute and utter despair over ourselves, as well as our sin.
This hopeless situation is exactly why our Savior came. He didn't come to be our example. We already had the Law... we already knew what was required... the problem was.... we just couldn't do it! That's why our SAVIOR CHRIST JESUS came to fulfill the impossible demands of the Law for us... "Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets, I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) Jesus lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life. He passed the test! The Father himself testified right out of Heaven to this fact. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
Jesus is the only one who was able to pass the test of God-like holiness, because HE IS GOD! "No one is GOOD except God alone." (Luke 18:19) Just imagine the kind of arrogant pride that is involved, when today's Christians look at the perfect holiness of Christ, and then say... "Yeah... I can be like him!" Just as the requirement of the Law in stone should drive us to our knees in despair, the fulfillment of the Law in the flesh and blood of Christ should also drive us to our knees in despair. If looking to Christ doesn't drive us to utterly and completely despair of any possibility of ever being like him... SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG WITH OUR VIEW OF CHRIST!
No matter how sincere the effort, trying to imitate Jesus will only produce a false, pride filled self-righteousness. To be like Jesus, our righteousness before God must be absolutely REAL. We must be completely free of all pride, and we must be completely sinless! That is... everything we think, say and do must agree perfectly with the will of God. EVERYTHING! No one can meet this standard! We are all hopelessly trapped in a sin nature, the root of which is pride. We are all sinners... and we are all PROUD sinners!
Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve into believing that they really did measure up to God's standard of holiness. Therefore, if they ate from the tree, they "SURELY WOULD NOT DIE". (Genesis 3:4) Satan insisted that if they ate the fruit and gained "the knowledge of good and evil", they could see for themselves that they were just like God. Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan instead of God for the truth. They chose to believe in their own holiness! But... when they ate the fruit and their "eyes were opened", their nakedness was revealed, and they instantly realized how sinful and unlike God they were. (Genesis 3:7-11) That's why they tried to hide from God. Unfortunately for them, and us, no one can hide from God.
Adam and Eve failed the test of God-like holiness, because the test of God-like holiness is... having ALWAYS chosen good, and having NEVER chosen evil. Because they chose to be judged according to God's standard of holiness, every one of their descendents is also required to pass this impossible test. (Proverbs 15:3)(Psalms 37:27)(Ecclesiastes 12:14)(John 5:29) Of course, no descendant of Adam has ever passed the test, and no one will ever pass the test! To show us EXACTLY what passing the test really requires, God gave us the Law.
To make sure that all hope in ourselves stays outside the gate, we must remember that the Law applies to EVERYONE (Romans 3:19-20), and the Law requires... ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. (James 2:10) Just doing our best will never satisfy God. If we truly examine ourselves according to what God-like holiness really requires, we should be driven to our knees with despair.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "No one is righteous, no not even one." (Romans 3:10) God leaves us no choice, but to face up to the truth, we are absolutely defeated and without hope in ourselves. We cannot meet God's requirement. We cannot pass the test. The way of salvation must begin with absolute and utter despair over ourselves, as well as our sin.
This hopeless situation is exactly why our Savior came. He didn't come to be our example. We already had the Law... we already knew what was required... the problem was.... we just couldn't do it! That's why our SAVIOR CHRIST JESUS came to fulfill the impossible demands of the Law for us... "Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets, I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) Jesus lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life. He passed the test! The Father himself testified right out of Heaven to this fact. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
Jesus is the only one who was able to pass the test of God-like holiness, because HE IS GOD! "No one is GOOD except God alone." (Luke 18:19) Just imagine the kind of arrogant pride that is involved, when today's Christians look at the perfect holiness of Christ, and then say... "Yeah... I can be like him!" Just as the requirement of the Law in stone should drive us to our knees in despair, the fulfillment of the Law in the flesh and blood of Christ should also drive us to our knees in despair. If looking to Christ doesn't drive us to utterly and completely despair of any possibility of ever being like him... SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG WITH OUR VIEW OF CHRIST!
THE FOUNDATION
Even though the Bible predicts apostasy in the Last Days, it also declares that the true gospel of Christ is ETERNAL (Revelation 14:6). It cannot be lost! After the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, when the desire to believe can no longer be found among them, God will turn again to the Jews and soften their hearts to the gospel of Christ. Then, as the Apostle Paul says... "All of Israel will be Saved." (Romans 11:25-27)(Revelation 7:1-7)
Now, for those of us who are Gentiles, and who still have eyes to see, and ears to hear... "The gate is wide, and the way broad that leads to destruction." (Matthew 7.13-14) The world is full of false "ways" to salvation. Despite their outward appearance, these other "ways" lead only to destruction. The Lord pleads with us to take the small and narrow gate, the only path that leads to life. "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me..." (John 14:6) Jesus leaves us absolutely no room for doubt. He is the only way of salvation. He alone is the embodiment of all truth. The power of life itself rests exclusively in only Jesus.
This is the foundation! Make no mistake, any other belief is death. The foundation of salvation must be built on this rock. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus." (1Corinthiam 3:11) The trumpet that sounds true and clear... sounds the gospel with Christ alone as its foundation.
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me you who practice lawlessness." (Matthew 7:22-23) What can this frightening passage mean? It means that those of us who claim to be Christians, should search our hearts and souls for exactly what we believe, and in whom we are really trusting. Do we believe in God's mercy toward sinners, or in a process of transformation. Is our trust in Christ, or in our potential to be like Christ? The phrase "...in that day...", refers to the day when Christ returns to judge all who have rejected his offer of grace and mercy, whether they claim to be a Christian or not.
God's mercy requires us to do only one thing before we enter the small and narrow gate, the gate that leads to salvation. We must leave outside the gate, all hope in ourselves in our relationship to God, then, we must walk through and NEVER look back!
Now, for those of us who are Gentiles, and who still have eyes to see, and ears to hear... "The gate is wide, and the way broad that leads to destruction." (Matthew 7.13-14) The world is full of false "ways" to salvation. Despite their outward appearance, these other "ways" lead only to destruction. The Lord pleads with us to take the small and narrow gate, the only path that leads to life. "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me..." (John 14:6) Jesus leaves us absolutely no room for doubt. He is the only way of salvation. He alone is the embodiment of all truth. The power of life itself rests exclusively in only Jesus.
This is the foundation! Make no mistake, any other belief is death. The foundation of salvation must be built on this rock. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus." (1Corinthiam 3:11) The trumpet that sounds true and clear... sounds the gospel with Christ alone as its foundation.
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me you who practice lawlessness." (Matthew 7:22-23) What can this frightening passage mean? It means that those of us who claim to be Christians, should search our hearts and souls for exactly what we believe, and in whom we are really trusting. Do we believe in God's mercy toward sinners, or in a process of transformation. Is our trust in Christ, or in our potential to be like Christ? The phrase "...in that day...", refers to the day when Christ returns to judge all who have rejected his offer of grace and mercy, whether they claim to be a Christian or not.
God's mercy requires us to do only one thing before we enter the small and narrow gate, the gate that leads to salvation. We must leave outside the gate, all hope in ourselves in our relationship to God, then, we must walk through and NEVER look back!
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