Someone is bound to challenge such a view of God as too good to be true.
"Wait a minute, I know God is good,, but this sounds a little too good. Surely He doesn't have such a favorable attitude toward everyone and certainly God has stopped a few people in their tracks by making horrible things happen to them. What about Sodom and Gomorrah and the Flood?"
This is a good question, and it deserves a good answer. Let me attempt to give one. Follow me carefully.
As I have traversed the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, four types of ill-fate have surfaced:
1. The Natural Results of Sin: Sin has tragic effects. Just like touching a hot stove burns, and jumping off a cliff compresses flesh and bones to the ground, so sin is painful and destructive. "Whatever a man sows that he will also reap" Galatians 6:7. "The curse causeless shall not come: Proverbs 26:2. "Sin entered into the world and death by sin" Romans 5:12. "The way of transgressors is hard" Proverbs 13:15.
Bad things happen because of sin. Imagine if sin had no painful or destructive effects. Then it would not be an evil force. The problem with sin is that it's wrong, and it's wrong because it hurts us. Sin violates the laws God has designed for our happiness and well-being. If God were to miraculously prevent the destructive results of sin, He would in effect do away with His law and excuse sin. There would be no reason for us to view sin as evil. When the tragic effects of sin are felt, they are just that, the effects of sin, not the will or work of God.
2. The Result of Violating Natural Law: Heat burns. Gravity pulls. Pressure explodes. All the natural laws God has set into motion He intends for our blessing. If there was no heat, we would freeze. If there was no gravity we would float away. As much as we complain about the results that follow the breaking of natural laws, we would not want to live without those laws. We would like to be able to fall and not get hurt, but we like even more the fact that gravity holds our feet to the ground when we walk.
Taking the subject of natural law into a diabolical context, we must remember that the devil and evil men do tamper with nature and try to harness its power to suit their destructive agenda. When the war between good and evil is ended, many natural disasters that were attributed to God will be seen to be the work of the evil one.
Improper care of the earth and disrespect of its boundaries produce destructive effects as well. Fires, floods, and earthquakes often cause mass destruction as a result of our careless and foolish ways of pursuing life on this planet. Apart from God's wisdom, we simply do not know what we are doing And often nature lets us know we are not as smart as we think we are. God does not want us to get hurt by nature. He would much rather we turn to Him for wisdom and live in obedience to nature's laws Another option would be for Him to banish all natural law, but we wouldn't be happy with that either.
(Number 3 will be continued tomorrow, so tune in for the rest of the story. It is so good you won't want to miss it. And neither do I. Grandma Joan)
Monday, September 8, 2014
When Trials Come My Way
A close relative of mine recently decided to strap her feet in one of those slippery things called a snowboard. Not only did she get on it, she went up a mountain and let gravity have its way with her. She spent most of the day getting up. There were a few moments of...I guess they call it fun But the fun was all over after she fell just right (or should I say, just wrong) and sprained her wrist. There was pain. There was disappointment There were tears.
And there was also theology.
After the accident, a well-meaning friend had this question: "Maybe that means God doesn't want you snowboarding."
The implication could be drawn from such a question that God maybe sent an angel or possibly spoke a word to trip the snowboarder as punishment for doing something of which He does not approve. I know God created the law of gravity, and I am certain He did not invent snowboarding. But I also know that God does not trip snowboarders to express His displeasure. Just what He thinks about the sport, I don't know.
It seems this question about God's character lurks in all of our hearts. Often I have seen it surface in the midst of trial.
A car accident occurs and someone asks, "Where were you going? Maybe God stopped you."
Illness sets in and the sufferer wonders, "Is God punishing me for something?"
Finances are tight, so we begin to think God is perhaps upset about something.
Is this really how God operates? Does He run cars off the road? Does He introduce sickness into the body? Does He drain our bank accounts when we're not looking?
The disciples had a similar question for Jesus about a blind man: "His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind" John 9:2. Read between the lines Do you hear what these Christians were asking? They didn't want to know jf God had afflicted this man with blindness. That was a given. Of course the blindness was from God, they assumed. All they wanted to know was whether the man was being punished for his own sin or the sin of his parents.
Jesus gave a surprising answer: "Neither hath this man sinned, or his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him" John 9:3. Jesus was not saying that this man and his parents had never sinned, but that his blindness was not a direct punishment from God because of some specific sin. That does not mean that blindness or other tragedies do not sometimes occur as a result of personal sin. The point is God does not arbitrarily make bad things happen to us in order to vent His anger or stop us in our tracks.
Through the profit Jeremiah the Lord proclaims, "I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope" Jeremiah 29:11. The problem is, we often don't know God's thoughts toward us. We imagine He has plans to harm us when in reality He only desires our happiness. You can search the infinite heart of God to its deepest depths and you will never find anything but good will...for you, for me, for every member of the human family.
(This book is just full of 'good news' isn't it? It has been so helpful to me, I know you are being helped to as you read and apply these simple things to your life. God bless your every effort to follow Him, the effort is just surrendering to His will. Grandma Joan
And there was also theology.
After the accident, a well-meaning friend had this question: "Maybe that means God doesn't want you snowboarding."
The implication could be drawn from such a question that God maybe sent an angel or possibly spoke a word to trip the snowboarder as punishment for doing something of which He does not approve. I know God created the law of gravity, and I am certain He did not invent snowboarding. But I also know that God does not trip snowboarders to express His displeasure. Just what He thinks about the sport, I don't know.
It seems this question about God's character lurks in all of our hearts. Often I have seen it surface in the midst of trial.
A car accident occurs and someone asks, "Where were you going? Maybe God stopped you."
Illness sets in and the sufferer wonders, "Is God punishing me for something?"
Finances are tight, so we begin to think God is perhaps upset about something.
Is this really how God operates? Does He run cars off the road? Does He introduce sickness into the body? Does He drain our bank accounts when we're not looking?
The disciples had a similar question for Jesus about a blind man: "His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind" John 9:2. Read between the lines Do you hear what these Christians were asking? They didn't want to know jf God had afflicted this man with blindness. That was a given. Of course the blindness was from God, they assumed. All they wanted to know was whether the man was being punished for his own sin or the sin of his parents.
Jesus gave a surprising answer: "Neither hath this man sinned, or his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him" John 9:3. Jesus was not saying that this man and his parents had never sinned, but that his blindness was not a direct punishment from God because of some specific sin. That does not mean that blindness or other tragedies do not sometimes occur as a result of personal sin. The point is God does not arbitrarily make bad things happen to us in order to vent His anger or stop us in our tracks.
Through the profit Jeremiah the Lord proclaims, "I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope" Jeremiah 29:11. The problem is, we often don't know God's thoughts toward us. We imagine He has plans to harm us when in reality He only desires our happiness. You can search the infinite heart of God to its deepest depths and you will never find anything but good will...for you, for me, for every member of the human family.
(This book is just full of 'good news' isn't it? It has been so helpful to me, I know you are being helped to as you read and apply these simple things to your life. God bless your every effort to follow Him, the effort is just surrendering to His will. Grandma Joan
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Greater Than Our Personal Salvation!!!
Believe it or not, there is something involved in the judgment of far greater importance than our personal salvation.The honor and glory of God's own character is at stake. The judgment is God's way of making His character transparent and His verdicts accountable to all of His intelligent creation.
The fact is God is omniscient. He knows everything. He knows the contents of every heart. He knows who has truly received Christ as Savior and who has not. The judgment does not provide the Lord with any information He does not already have to aid Him in His sentencing. He does not pour over the record books to gather evidence against us or to find in us something worthy of salvation. He has no questions to which He needs answers. But we do, and so do the angels and the inhabitants of unfallen worlds. It is for our benefit that the record books are kept. It is for our benefit that the judgment will bring to light the true contents of every heart.
Imagine what heaven would be like if God were to try and solve the sin problem without a judgment. Allow me to illustrate.
The great controversy is over. All the saved are in heaven. All the lost have been destroyed. Those who are saved notice that some of their loved ones and friends are not there. It dawns on them that people they cared for are eternally lost. With much anguish and confusion, they turn to the Lord and ask,
"Lord, why is my brother not here? It seems to me that he was an honest, sincere person. I don't understand."
To this the Lord simply replies: "I am God. I know everything. I read every heart. Your brother's sentence is just. You'll just have to take My word for it."
Can you imagine how you would feel at that point? Devastated. I would suggest. But don't be alarmed God will never give such an empty response to such an important question. The record books of heaven and the judgment will make certain that every crucial question in this awful conflict between good and evil is answered to the satisfaction of all.
The scenario will be more like this:
"Lord, why isn't my brother here?"
"I know it is difficult to accept the loss of those you love. But I want you to know that I did all that could possibly be done to save each one, including your brother. An accurate record was kept of every effort on My part and of every response on his part. Those records were opened in the judgment as countless angels and twenty-four human elders reviewed each case. Now those records and the results of the judgment are open for our review. I am certain you will see that My sentence is just, and I will be eager to dry your tears."
Our first one thousand years in heaven will be primarily devoted to answering our questions concerning the saved and the lost The judgment will be opened to our investigation. We will have the opportunity to look into the secret history of any life; and we will discern the love and justice of God in each person's destiny.
Only with accurate records and an open-to-all investigative judgment can the sin problem be truly and eternally solved. Only by methods of love can justice be executed to the satisfaction of all intelligent, volitional creatures. And only a God of love would choose to relate to us with such respect and patience.
Father, gracious God, how wise and marvelous are all Your ways! Thank you for building the judgment into the plan of salvation. I really don't need to fear the judgment, for I will not stand under it's scrutiny on my own merit, but on the merits of my Savior; Jesus Christ. Eternal pardon will be written by my name, not because I'm good, but because He loved me so much as to lay down His life for my sins. I am joyfully in Christ. Amen.
(That is the end of this chapter, it was made so plain that we have nothing to fear because we are there on the merits of Jesus, not on our own merits. Thank You Lord for saving us!!! Grandma Joan)
The fact is God is omniscient. He knows everything. He knows the contents of every heart. He knows who has truly received Christ as Savior and who has not. The judgment does not provide the Lord with any information He does not already have to aid Him in His sentencing. He does not pour over the record books to gather evidence against us or to find in us something worthy of salvation. He has no questions to which He needs answers. But we do, and so do the angels and the inhabitants of unfallen worlds. It is for our benefit that the record books are kept. It is for our benefit that the judgment will bring to light the true contents of every heart.
Imagine what heaven would be like if God were to try and solve the sin problem without a judgment. Allow me to illustrate.
The great controversy is over. All the saved are in heaven. All the lost have been destroyed. Those who are saved notice that some of their loved ones and friends are not there. It dawns on them that people they cared for are eternally lost. With much anguish and confusion, they turn to the Lord and ask,
"Lord, why is my brother not here? It seems to me that he was an honest, sincere person. I don't understand."
To this the Lord simply replies: "I am God. I know everything. I read every heart. Your brother's sentence is just. You'll just have to take My word for it."
Can you imagine how you would feel at that point? Devastated. I would suggest. But don't be alarmed God will never give such an empty response to such an important question. The record books of heaven and the judgment will make certain that every crucial question in this awful conflict between good and evil is answered to the satisfaction of all.
The scenario will be more like this:
"Lord, why isn't my brother here?"
"I know it is difficult to accept the loss of those you love. But I want you to know that I did all that could possibly be done to save each one, including your brother. An accurate record was kept of every effort on My part and of every response on his part. Those records were opened in the judgment as countless angels and twenty-four human elders reviewed each case. Now those records and the results of the judgment are open for our review. I am certain you will see that My sentence is just, and I will be eager to dry your tears."
Our first one thousand years in heaven will be primarily devoted to answering our questions concerning the saved and the lost The judgment will be opened to our investigation. We will have the opportunity to look into the secret history of any life; and we will discern the love and justice of God in each person's destiny.
Only with accurate records and an open-to-all investigative judgment can the sin problem be truly and eternally solved. Only by methods of love can justice be executed to the satisfaction of all intelligent, volitional creatures. And only a God of love would choose to relate to us with such respect and patience.
Father, gracious God, how wise and marvelous are all Your ways! Thank you for building the judgment into the plan of salvation. I really don't need to fear the judgment, for I will not stand under it's scrutiny on my own merit, but on the merits of my Savior; Jesus Christ. Eternal pardon will be written by my name, not because I'm good, but because He loved me so much as to lay down His life for my sins. I am joyfully in Christ. Amen.
(That is the end of this chapter, it was made so plain that we have nothing to fear because we are there on the merits of Jesus, not on our own merits. Thank You Lord for saving us!!! Grandma Joan)
No Merit In ourselves
Now I can hear some sincere law-abiding person saying:
"But wait a minute. All this sounds good and great, but the Bible clearly teaches that we are going to be judged by and rewarded according to our works. Certainly this proves that our obedience plays a part in our salvation.
It proves no such thing. What it really proves is that God is more gracious than we can ever fully grasp or appreciate.
How so?
While He saves us wholly by His free grace, He will actually reward us as though we had shared in the accomplishment of our salvation and deserved credit for it.
"Although we have no merit in ourselves in the great goodness and love of God we are rewarded as if the merit were our own. When we have done all the good we can possibly do, we are still unprofitable servants. We have done only what was out duty. What we have accomplished has been wrought solely through the grace of Christ, and no reward is due to us from God on the ground of our merit. But through the merit of our Savior, every promise that God has made will be fulfilled, and every man will be rewarded according to his deeds" Welfare Ministry, p. 316.)
Remember what we learned in chapter four of this book. It is more accurate to say that good works are inevitable for the Christian than to say they are necessary for salvation.. While it is true that we're not saved by obedience to God's law, it is also true that the true Christian will have a victorious lifestyle. And because salvation will manifest itself by producing holy aspirations and a life honorable to Christ's name, ultimately we are judged by our works, not because they possess merit, but because they bear testimony to our genuine acceptance of His saving grace. Obedience, good works, victory over sin--these are not the means by which we gain salvation, but rather they are the inevitable manifestation of the salvation we have so freely in Christ alone.
The one who has truly encountered and yielded to the love of Christ does not reason, "Well, if I'm saved by grace through faith alone, then I can have the pleasures of sin and eternal life too."
Not at all. A much higher motive than personal gain has taken hold of the heart that has embraced the cross To the one who has tasted the sweet release of Christ's pardoning love, the purpose of holy living is as clear as the sun at noonday. The honor of God, the glory of Christ--this is the flaming passion that burns brightly in the soul. Yes, it is true that we are saved by his mercy alone, but as you see that in this precious reality itself is all the reason in the world to live... and live...and live for Him?
Good works for the Christian are not payment, but praise. Obedience for the Christian is not law-keeping, but love. Victory over sin is not mere duty, but shear delight.
(Isn't the gospel good news and simple? We don't need a philosopher's brain to understand the gospel. A small child could understand it if put in his language. Are you praying for enlightenment and understanding? I am, and I know God will help us through this to His glory and praise. Grandma Joan.)
"But wait a minute. All this sounds good and great, but the Bible clearly teaches that we are going to be judged by and rewarded according to our works. Certainly this proves that our obedience plays a part in our salvation.
It proves no such thing. What it really proves is that God is more gracious than we can ever fully grasp or appreciate.
How so?
While He saves us wholly by His free grace, He will actually reward us as though we had shared in the accomplishment of our salvation and deserved credit for it.
"Although we have no merit in ourselves in the great goodness and love of God we are rewarded as if the merit were our own. When we have done all the good we can possibly do, we are still unprofitable servants. We have done only what was out duty. What we have accomplished has been wrought solely through the grace of Christ, and no reward is due to us from God on the ground of our merit. But through the merit of our Savior, every promise that God has made will be fulfilled, and every man will be rewarded according to his deeds" Welfare Ministry, p. 316.)
Remember what we learned in chapter four of this book. It is more accurate to say that good works are inevitable for the Christian than to say they are necessary for salvation.. While it is true that we're not saved by obedience to God's law, it is also true that the true Christian will have a victorious lifestyle. And because salvation will manifest itself by producing holy aspirations and a life honorable to Christ's name, ultimately we are judged by our works, not because they possess merit, but because they bear testimony to our genuine acceptance of His saving grace. Obedience, good works, victory over sin--these are not the means by which we gain salvation, but rather they are the inevitable manifestation of the salvation we have so freely in Christ alone.
The one who has truly encountered and yielded to the love of Christ does not reason, "Well, if I'm saved by grace through faith alone, then I can have the pleasures of sin and eternal life too."
Not at all. A much higher motive than personal gain has taken hold of the heart that has embraced the cross To the one who has tasted the sweet release of Christ's pardoning love, the purpose of holy living is as clear as the sun at noonday. The honor of God, the glory of Christ--this is the flaming passion that burns brightly in the soul. Yes, it is true that we are saved by his mercy alone, but as you see that in this precious reality itself is all the reason in the world to live... and live...and live for Him?
Good works for the Christian are not payment, but praise. Obedience for the Christian is not law-keeping, but love. Victory over sin is not mere duty, but shear delight.
(Isn't the gospel good news and simple? We don't need a philosopher's brain to understand the gospel. A small child could understand it if put in his language. Are you praying for enlightenment and understanding? I am, and I know God will help us through this to His glory and praise. Grandma Joan.)
Friday, September 5, 2014
One Way To Be A Loser
Yes, there is one way,and only one way, you can make yourself a loser in the end. But it won't be because your list of bad deeds is longer than your list of good ones. Compare these two scriptures:
"Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life" John 5:40.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit" Romans 8:1.
Do you see? Those who are lost at last will be lost because they refused to come to Jesus, not because He played 'hide and seek' or 'hard to get'. Salvation is not something we attain by trying hard enough to be good. Rather it is something we receive because He is so very good as to offer it to us before we even know how to be good. We can't earn it, because He's already given it. In Jesus our salvation is an accomplished reality. If we say yes, it becomes our personal reality. If we persist in a course that says 'no' we will ultimately judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life. Though it ill grieve Him terribly, and though he longs for our redemption with springs of love as deep as eternity, He will honor our choice by concurring with our own judgment.
There is of course a brighter option. Those who come to Jesus find in Him eager acceptance with absolutely no condemnation. Th judgment for these glad individuals will mean the final declaration of their acquittal before the onlooking universe.For them the judgment really is good news. As Jesus taught, they will not be condemned in the judgment.
"Verily verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life" John 5:24
Some people believe that Jesus saves them initially by His free grace through faith, but will ultimately expect them to stand on the merits of their obedience in the judgment.
Make no mistake about it, those who come to Jesus are made more than conquerors through Him who loved them. Victory over sin is the ultimate experience of every truly saved child of Christ. But also know that their final pardon in the judgment is as much a gift of free grace as was their initial pardon the day they first came to Jesus as helpless sinners. The plan of salvation is the same yesterday, today and forever....and in the judgment. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, not adding one particle of merit by anything good we have done.
(Isn't that good news? The gospel always shares 'good news' doesn't it? Only let Jesus do your saving for you. That is His plan, not ours. Grandma Joan)
"Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life" John 5:40.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit" Romans 8:1.
Do you see? Those who are lost at last will be lost because they refused to come to Jesus, not because He played 'hide and seek' or 'hard to get'. Salvation is not something we attain by trying hard enough to be good. Rather it is something we receive because He is so very good as to offer it to us before we even know how to be good. We can't earn it, because He's already given it. In Jesus our salvation is an accomplished reality. If we say yes, it becomes our personal reality. If we persist in a course that says 'no' we will ultimately judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life. Though it ill grieve Him terribly, and though he longs for our redemption with springs of love as deep as eternity, He will honor our choice by concurring with our own judgment.
There is of course a brighter option. Those who come to Jesus find in Him eager acceptance with absolutely no condemnation. Th judgment for these glad individuals will mean the final declaration of their acquittal before the onlooking universe.For them the judgment really is good news. As Jesus taught, they will not be condemned in the judgment.
"Verily verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life" John 5:24
Some people believe that Jesus saves them initially by His free grace through faith, but will ultimately expect them to stand on the merits of their obedience in the judgment.
Make no mistake about it, those who come to Jesus are made more than conquerors through Him who loved them. Victory over sin is the ultimate experience of every truly saved child of Christ. But also know that their final pardon in the judgment is as much a gift of free grace as was their initial pardon the day they first came to Jesus as helpless sinners. The plan of salvation is the same yesterday, today and forever....and in the judgment. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, not adding one particle of merit by anything good we have done.
(Isn't that good news? The gospel always shares 'good news' doesn't it? Only let Jesus do your saving for you. That is His plan, not ours. Grandma Joan)
Thursday, September 4, 2014
What's So Good About Being Judged By A Holy God?
According to John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, the judgment belongs in the category entitled "The Everlasting Gospel" see Revelation 14:6,7. The reason this is so significant is because the word gospel means 'good news,' or 'glad tidings.' It could even be rendered, 'happy message'. From a purely Biblical point of view, unmingled with our misconceptions of God's character, the judgment is a truth intended to impart happiness.
So what's so good, glad and happy about being judged by a holy God? Well, like every truth of Scripture, the judgment becomes clear in the light of God's love, I repeat, because it's worth repeating, only in the light of God's love does any part of reality make "decent sense," to borrow my troubled friend's lingo.
Think together with me for a few minutes as we build an understanding of the judgment on the sure foundation of God's love. Let's begin with the Lord's basic intent toward us:
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish" 2 Peter 3:9.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" Jeremiah 29:11.
"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" 1 Timothy 2:4.
There has never been a human being, and never will be, for whom God's desire is anything short of eternal life. Because His very nature is love, it would be more impossible for Him to want any person to be lost than it would be for you to want a child of yours to die in the flames of a car crash. Such feelings have not even the slightest place in His infinite heart of perfect love.
Then why will He ever judge anyone? Actually, He won't. That is to say, God the Father won't. He has "committed all judgment unto the Son" John 5:22. And for very good reason. Notice how Jesus explained why the Father has given Him the responsibility to judge the world:
"For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man" John 5:26,27.
Did you catch the point? Jesus is our judge by virtue of His humanity, "because He is the Son of man." That ought to seriously alter our thinking about the judgment. Why? Just think about it. One who became our "brother" in the flesh, One who is "touched" with our feelings, One who was "tempted in all points like we are," One who "carried our sorrows and griefs,' One who suffered and died for our eternal salvation--it is this One who is our Judge. He has invested His very own nature and life in our salvation.
The real question to ask is not, "How can I possibly make it?", but rather,"How can I lose?" With Jesus on my side, as my Brother and companion in temptation, I can have the total assurance of ultimate victory in the judgment. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6.
(Do you have confidence in Jesus to complete what He has started in you? The Bible says we can be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. I believe that with all my heart, because I know if it were left up to me I would be lost, but it is not up to me, it is up to Jesus to save me, I just need to surrender. Isn't that right? Grandma Joan.)
So what's so good, glad and happy about being judged by a holy God? Well, like every truth of Scripture, the judgment becomes clear in the light of God's love, I repeat, because it's worth repeating, only in the light of God's love does any part of reality make "decent sense," to borrow my troubled friend's lingo.
Think together with me for a few minutes as we build an understanding of the judgment on the sure foundation of God's love. Let's begin with the Lord's basic intent toward us:
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish" 2 Peter 3:9.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" Jeremiah 29:11.
"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" 1 Timothy 2:4.
There has never been a human being, and never will be, for whom God's desire is anything short of eternal life. Because His very nature is love, it would be more impossible for Him to want any person to be lost than it would be for you to want a child of yours to die in the flames of a car crash. Such feelings have not even the slightest place in His infinite heart of perfect love.
Then why will He ever judge anyone? Actually, He won't. That is to say, God the Father won't. He has "committed all judgment unto the Son" John 5:22. And for very good reason. Notice how Jesus explained why the Father has given Him the responsibility to judge the world:
"For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man" John 5:26,27.
Did you catch the point? Jesus is our judge by virtue of His humanity, "because He is the Son of man." That ought to seriously alter our thinking about the judgment. Why? Just think about it. One who became our "brother" in the flesh, One who is "touched" with our feelings, One who was "tempted in all points like we are," One who "carried our sorrows and griefs,' One who suffered and died for our eternal salvation--it is this One who is our Judge. He has invested His very own nature and life in our salvation.
The real question to ask is not, "How can I possibly make it?", but rather,"How can I lose?" With Jesus on my side, as my Brother and companion in temptation, I can have the total assurance of ultimate victory in the judgment. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6.
(Do you have confidence in Jesus to complete what He has started in you? The Bible says we can be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. I believe that with all my heart, because I know if it were left up to me I would be lost, but it is not up to me, it is up to Jesus to save me, I just need to surrender. Isn't that right? Grandma Joan.)
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Is The Judgment Something To Fear?
"There's more power in a Mazda RX7 than there is in the Church."
You're probably as startled at these rather melancholy words as I was when I first heard them. I take that back. I think I was more startled, because I heard them straight from the mouth of a dead-serious college student who informed me that the only reason he was at my seminar was to gain the required credits. Right on the heels of his bleak assessment he announced his planned to exodus from the church.
"As soon as I'm done with college, I'm done with playing church."
As you might imagine my deeply convicted heart was pierced through. Quite frankly, I hardly knew what to say. I mean, this kid had an attitude toward the Church that frighteningly resembled how Axel Rose of 'Gun's 'n' Roses' feels about police officers.
"So do you mind telling me why you feel the way you do? I couldn't help but try and probe the source of his feelings.
"Well, everyone's always talking about all the stuff we have to do and all the stuff we better not do or God's gonna bring our names up in the judgment and sentence us to hell. And then it's like they all of a sudden remember that there's suppose to be something positive about all this, so they say 'Oh, yeah, and don't forget that God loves you.' It's all so contradictory. I don't know how it makes decent sense to anyone"
Did you notice that the young man who shared the above thoughts indicated particular disdain for the doctrine of the judgment? The whole idea was down right depressing to him, and for good reason. Analyze his understanding. You'll quickly see the source of his burned-out attitude.
According to how he has the pieces put together, God is more like Santa Claus than a Savior, only worse. He's got a list and he's checking it more than twice, to decide whether we've been naughty or nice. If the naughty deeds out-number the nice, guess what? Not only no presents, but no paradise either. And not only no paradise, but perdition in its place.
In this young man's mind he heard the Lord basically saying, "Here's My list of extremely difficult rules--keep them, perfectly I should add or else you're doomed."
You know what? If I had that concept of the judgment, I think I'd want to make my exodus from the church too. But the truth is, no matter how many people believe that the judgment is God's last ditch effort to make sure as many people as possible are lost, it just is not true.
(How do you feel about the judgment? Stay tuned and you will find the real truth about it and it is not bad at all, it is all in the Light of God's Love. All from the Bible. Grandma Joan.)
You're probably as startled at these rather melancholy words as I was when I first heard them. I take that back. I think I was more startled, because I heard them straight from the mouth of a dead-serious college student who informed me that the only reason he was at my seminar was to gain the required credits. Right on the heels of his bleak assessment he announced his planned to exodus from the church.
"As soon as I'm done with college, I'm done with playing church."
As you might imagine my deeply convicted heart was pierced through. Quite frankly, I hardly knew what to say. I mean, this kid had an attitude toward the Church that frighteningly resembled how Axel Rose of 'Gun's 'n' Roses' feels about police officers.
"So do you mind telling me why you feel the way you do? I couldn't help but try and probe the source of his feelings.
"Well, everyone's always talking about all the stuff we have to do and all the stuff we better not do or God's gonna bring our names up in the judgment and sentence us to hell. And then it's like they all of a sudden remember that there's suppose to be something positive about all this, so they say 'Oh, yeah, and don't forget that God loves you.' It's all so contradictory. I don't know how it makes decent sense to anyone"
Did you notice that the young man who shared the above thoughts indicated particular disdain for the doctrine of the judgment? The whole idea was down right depressing to him, and for good reason. Analyze his understanding. You'll quickly see the source of his burned-out attitude.
According to how he has the pieces put together, God is more like Santa Claus than a Savior, only worse. He's got a list and he's checking it more than twice, to decide whether we've been naughty or nice. If the naughty deeds out-number the nice, guess what? Not only no presents, but no paradise either. And not only no paradise, but perdition in its place.
In this young man's mind he heard the Lord basically saying, "Here's My list of extremely difficult rules--keep them, perfectly I should add or else you're doomed."
You know what? If I had that concept of the judgment, I think I'd want to make my exodus from the church too. But the truth is, no matter how many people believe that the judgment is God's last ditch effort to make sure as many people as possible are lost, it just is not true.
(How do you feel about the judgment? Stay tuned and you will find the real truth about it and it is not bad at all, it is all in the Light of God's Love. All from the Bible. Grandma Joan.)
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