Month: July 2019

WE WILL ALL ANSWER TO GOD

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Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

There is a comfort in the judgment of God which will keep the child of God from straying from the truth. Every heresy which lures men in to worshipping a false Christ distorts or outright denies the day of reckoning.

The judgment of God is one of the most clearly articulated doctrines in all of scripture. Absolutely no one will escape the judgment of God.

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deed… ~ Romans 2:1-6

One of the great errors which leads to heresies is the idea that the death of Jesus has eliminated the judgement of God. No where does the Bible teach this.

Every person will stand before God and give an account for his/her life.

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. ~ Romans 14:11 

Paul includes himself when he says, “so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

The good news for the Christian is that we will not be condemned in that day if we have steadfastly kept our faith in Christ. This is ultimately what the term “saved” actually means.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. ~ Hebrews 9:27-28

We are saved from our sins which would have condemned us in the presence of a Holy God had it not been for Jesus. God in his love gave his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we can be justified in his sight.

According the Paul, God has set forth Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement (a mercy seat) to justify us through his blood to declare his own righteousness. By this, God is just and the one who justifies those who believe in Jesus (See Romans 3:25-26).

This is wonderful news when we consider the fact that we do not have to wait until the Day of Judgment to be justified through Jesus. We are justified now by his precious blood and can live in confidence and fellowship with a Holy God who is our loving Father.

JESUS IS COMING AGAIN

/ michaelbattle65 / 2 Comments
Jesus is coming again.

The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was NOT the return of Christ (his second coming) which is witnessed to throughout the New Testament.

In 70 A.D., Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, enforced the promised judgment against the temple in Jerusalem and nation of Israel for their apostasy. In one sense of the word, it is correct to say that Jesus came in judgment. However, this was not his second coming or glorious appearing promised in the New Testament.

When Jesus returns, there will be the bodily resurrection of those who look to him for salvation.

With that said, too many Christian ministers completely ignore the events that unfolded at the end of the Jewish temple era. Yet it is a big theme in the New Testament. The destruction of Jerusalem was prophesied by Jesus and the apostles warned their fellow Jews of the impending judgment which was quickly approaching.

Some of the texts that are interpreted as unfulfilled prophecy actually apply to the (then) coming destruction of Jerusalem which happened in the first century. Yet this does not mean that all warnings of judgment in the New Testament apply to that time period, and that is where some make a terrible mistake in interpreting scripture.

Those who make the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple the center of their Biblical hermeneutic often go into error regarding other very important biblical doctrines.Those who go into such error claim that Christ has already come and everything is fulfilled.

On the contrary, Jesus hasn’t come yet. The resurrection of the just and unjust hasn’t happened yet. The final judgment of the entire world hasn’t happened yet.

Here is one thing that can help you understand scripture better, and better interpret prophecy.

Know that what God has done with Israel serves as a microcosm of his dealings with the nations. In Romans 3, Paul says, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” v. 19

The law was given to Israel, yet it was given so that “all the world” may become guilty. Many have a view Israel as a witness of God’s favor. Yet in the New Testament, it is Israel’s judgment from God that serves as a witness to the nations.

Every soul of man will answer to God and this is witnessed of in God’s dealing with the people of Israel. The salvation of the Jews wasn’t national. It was individual. Only those who repented and believed that Jesus is the Messiah would be saved from God’s judgment which was hanging over the nation.

In much the same way, Jesus is going to judge the nations. Only those who repent and believe in Christ will be saved in the day of his wrath.