Salvation by Grace through Faith

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Salvation is as easy as acknowledging our Lord & Savior for who He is and what He’s done, and that you NEED Him, like the thief on the cross did: “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43

Salvation can also be as complicated as Abraham’s lifelong dependance on God: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19

On the surface, it may look like both these men achieved salvation in a different way than the other, but in reality they did not. When we take the steps like the thief on the cross did, of acknowledging our deadly sin, and that God’s only begotten Son can save us, then we can be “born again.” However, it must be paired with a heart’s desire to do our best to change. 1 Peter 1:23 tells us, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

After being “born again,” we need to live our lives like Abraham lived his. The difference between the thief on the cross and Abraham is the length of time that they lived. Had the thief on the cross lived as long as Abraham, he would have grown in his understanding and faith which would have shown by the fruit he bore when he was tried by this world.

It not only takes Faith in God but also God’s Grace to attain salvation: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Just like the Israelites suffered with the law in their day, today the New Testament church suffers with grace. While the Old Testament church thought everything was by the letter of the law, the New Testament church generally acts the opposite (as though the grace of God applies to anything and everything one can to apply it to), when in fact Grace and Faith work together to produce our salvation.

God’s grace plays an important role in our relational walk with Him. Grace is associated almost completely with forgiveness but it’s also about teaching us how to walk in this world. Titus 2:11-13 says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” If the grace of God is in your life, and you have faith like Abraham, than your life will produce Godly fruit. Matthew 13:8,9: “But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear”. Romans 6:21, 22, “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

In Romans 1:16, 17, Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” This is how Abraham was justified. He had faith in God and listened to Him. He had a relationship with His creator as can we, and we should have the same relationship with God as Abraham did. After all, Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever,” and John 17:3 says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” When you study the Bible, you see that Abraham’s relationship with God is “ongoing” and “active” throughout his life. He is the same God and He will treat us just like he did Abraham. Remember, He is a God of the living, not the dead (Matthew 22:32).

The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:25 through 1 Peter 2:9, “But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:”

It is vitally important to have an ongoing relationship with the Father, through Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. This is because it’s how we attain more understanding and faith (“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17). All this will translate into Growing in Grace (“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18).

When it comes to the blood of the Lamb, His blood covers everything and everywhere that we fall short. That’s how awesome the grace of God is, if our hearts are sincere towards Him. But what we don’t often think about is this: The measure of grace you receive will be measured against the desire of your heart for God. We can see this in Deuteronomy 4:29: “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul,” Jerermiah 29:13: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” and Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” If your heart is right towards the Lord, the precious blood of the Messiah will cover all your sin (just like it did with the thief on the cross). Also, if your heart is right towards God, you’ll behave like Abraham did, and do what God asks of you in faith, “not knowing whither he went.” And don’t worry, God won’t ask any more of you than He did of Abraham!

SIN

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

What exactly is this sin that we all seem to have committed? The word has been used so much in Christian circles over the years that the real meaning of this has been somewhat lost or forgotten. But simply put, sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.”) Most people would ask at this point, “What law? Whose law?” The answer is, God’s Law (or commands). Let’s start back at the beginning of creation and put things in perspective.

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (God did say this in Genesis 2:17). And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Genesis 3:1-7

There is so much here to consider but when you boil it down, Adam & Eve didn’t listen to God’s command about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Genesis 2:15-17 tells us, “and the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” God said not to partake of it but the serpent came along and tempted man to be like “gods” in verses 4 & 5. Eve chose to listen to the temptation and subtlety of the serpent rather than trust God.

Make no mistake, she was fooled by the serpent but she was also enticed by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:14, 15). We walk around with this “knowledge” now because of her action. This is why the Bible says we are born into sin (“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5). This knowledge has been passed from generation to generation by birth since Adam & Eve fell. And what God said in Genesis 2:17 has come to pass; “…thou shalt surely die.“

We are born of Adam’s seed and born into this sinful body. Without God the Father, the blood of His precious, only begotten Son, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this life, we cannot overcome the decisions our fleshly minds choose to make. We will remain of this world. Ours is a world based on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; not based on the Tree of Life.

However, Sin did not originate with Adam and Eve. It originated with the devil. He was the start of ALL this, and the rebellion that started in heaven. “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.” Ezekial 28:14-17

In the book of Isaiah 14: 12-14 it says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” The devil wants to have HIS way and not God’s way in his life, and he talked Adam & Eve into doing the same.

My question to you is, whose way or direction do you want for your life– God’s direction or your direction? Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” This is what the devil brought to humanity. Which side will you choose?

The choice is yours and the choice starts in your mind: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7

There are two forces in this world that are working against each other, with mankind in the middle. One, of course, is the force of sin & darkness, which is the devil and his cohorts; the fallen. These fight against our creator who is also their creator, God the Father, as well as His only begotten and all His angels that have not fallen. We who are in the middle have choices to make: Harden our hearts against our Father in Heaven who loves us, or give in to the Holy Spirit as he tugs and pulls us along to help reconcile us with our Creator.

The forces for good that are working very hard to save us are God the Father, Jesus Christ our Messiah (the Word), and the Holy Spirit. Some refer to this force as the Holy Trinity and some call it the Godhead. The main part of this force is God the Father. The first thing to know about God the Father is found in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD,” is usually missed in reading this verse. God the Father LOVES you and not only does he love you, but he loves you so much that he has put together a plan and resources to help you through this world and to save you.“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” 1 Peter 1:18-21

God the Father is the driving force behind our salvation. Even while Jesus was on this Earth, he pointed to it. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” John 14:6-10

The Son pointed and gave credit (glory) to the Father. Part of God’s ultimate plan for the reconciliation of humanity back to Him, is the sacrifice of His sinless Son. Remember that it was not only his sacrifice (blood) but His life that saved us. The Son exemplified the Father in the life that he lived, Romans 5:10: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Our messiah lived a sinless life; He set the example. This was made possible because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and not by man. This broke the chain of sin that has been passed down from father to child, since Adam and Eve fell. This is why John the Baptist said in John 1:29, “…Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Once His sinless life was taken, the veil in the temple was torn in two, signifying the way had been made back to the father through His sacrifice once and for all. Mark 15:37, 38 says, “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” The ultimate and final sacrifice had been made for ALL mankind. “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:11, 12

The second member of the Godhead had this to say about the third member: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:7,8 It would seem that the Son of God thought that the third member of the Godhead was vitally important, at least as important as he, himself was. Once we’ve accepted God’s sacrifice for us, it’s the Holy Spirit that steps in and helps us directly in this world. The Holy Spirit does many things, one of which is to guide and teach you. The Messiah also had this to say in John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come”. John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

The third member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, is our direct connection with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit guides us, teaches us, and sometimes warns us. The Holy Spirit is the seed of God and abides within us.“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20, 21 And through this seed (the Holy Ghost) we are born again into God’s kingdom. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one in mind and purpose. Both the Son and the Spirit speak and do only what the Father tells them to. This is why it’s called the Godhead. All three work together to produce our salvation and this is done ultimately because of the Father’s love for us!

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16

“Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up.” Psalm 5:2-3

Prayer is one of the best ways we can express ourselves to God. It’s one of two ways we communicate, the other being through our actions or the way we live our lives. Prayer can be and should be conversational, and we should bring everything to God in prayer. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Phillipians 4:6 It should also be sincere and heartfelt– not repetitive or insincere. “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8

God wants a relationship with us. We are not bothering him with our prayers. “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 says; “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3; “‘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. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you,’ saith the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:11-14

The inclination of our heart is very important to God as to whether or not he hears our prayers. If our hearts aren’t right towards him, he won’t hear our prayers. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Proverbs 28:9; “A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.” Psalm 101:4; “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.” Proverbs 15:8

Prayer is a vital part of an ongoing relationship with God our creator. “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” 1Timothy 2:8; “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18

Many people believe that God the Father sits somewhere far off and can’t be bothered with our many problems and issues. This is a lie from the devil. God wants to be so involved in our day-to-day lives that He encourages us throughout scripture to come to Him. He wants to be our friend, confidant, and protector. This is probably best expressed in the Psalms: “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” Psalms 18:1-6

The Lord is always there waiting, and especially wanting to hear from us!

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments and His commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3

When God brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, he brought them through the wilderness where He started to let them get to know Him. One of the first things He did was give Moses ten commands to present to Israel. You will see this first giving of the 10 Commandments in Exodus, chapter 20.

These 10 commandments are part of the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It’s because of this covenant that God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt: “And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” Exodus 2:23-25

God delivered them out of Egypt and Moses went up on the mount to meet with Him. God reminded Moses why they were there and why He delivered them: “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:4-6 Part of those first words were the 10 Commandments; the base of our covenant with God.

Even in the New Testament you see references to the 10 commandments and the covenant God has with His people: “If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:15, 21 These commandments are very important to the Lord and traditionally are referred to as “the moral law.” After all, He did write them Himself and gave them to Moses (Exodus 31:18). When you read these 10 commandments, you can clearly see how the first four deal with our relationship to God and the last six deal with our relationship with our fellow man.

In today’s New Testament church, there seems to be a lack of understanding concerning these 10 commandments. Make no mistake, the 10 Commandments of God are still binding and the basis for every judicial law all around the world. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Our messiah came to magnify the law and show us the correct way to keep it: “The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake, he will magnify the law and make it honourable”. Afterall, how can we understand sin if there is no law? Rom. 3:20, Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Isaiah 42:21

The Bible says they are written in our minds and on our hearts.“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” Hebrews 8:10 And when they are a part of our everyday life, we receive great blessings. “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you. Therefore, shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.” Deuteronomy 11:13-21

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:2

“I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed. And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” Psalm 119:46-48

You can see just from reading these few verses in scripture that the commandments of God are very important not only to Him, but they should be important to us in our everyday life and not just something we think about or look at one day a week.

The deliverance from Egypt is an example of our lives here on this planet, and how we are delivered from sin over our lifetime by a sincere relationship with God. The conclusion of that deliverance is the entrance into the promised land. Just like the commandments have a place in our walk with the Lord they have a place in the promised land too. “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelations 14:12; “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelations 22:14

It’s thought that you cannot truly keep the 10 Commandments. The Bible says we can. We just have to walk in the spirit to keep them: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:4,5 If we sincerely focus on the Lord and not on this world and the things in it, then through the spirit we can learn how to keep the law of God.

“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

Baptism

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

Baptism can certainly be an outward sign of an inner change, but it’s much deeper than that. If a person’s heart is right towards God, they’ve been taught and accepted God’s basic truths and are baptized, then that person is connected to the blood of the lamb. This is why the decision to be baptized is so important and should be handled with thought and care. It’s important that you be taught first because baptism is a commitment to your Father in Heaven. It is a commitment to walk after the second Adam (the Messiah) and not the first Adam, whose sin we are born into when we enter this world. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:19, 20; “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41

Part of a sincere baptism is a sincere understanding that a person needs his or her Lord & Saviour in their lives, which is God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”Romans 3:23 This sincerity should be more than just a fleeting moment, but a continual desire to get to know God the Father and His son. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Another piece of a true baptism is sincere confession to God of our sins. 1 John 1:9 says,”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. With sincere confession, we get sincere forgiveness and cleansing.

With a sincere baptism comes a big change in your spiritual life. Baptism represents the death of the “old man”, which is our flesh. When we come out of the water, we are coming up a “new man.” “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin”. Romans 6:3-7; “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 This is also why it’s very important that an individual has been taught some basic biblical truths before baptism and is not just baptized right away. There needs to be some understanding about what the “old man” is and the sin that the “old man” lives in. Through the Messiah, that “old man” can be done away with and a “new man” can emerge victorious. This is done through a continual relationship with our Lord and Saviour. Over time Christ will show in our life. “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24

Baptism does two main things that are imperative to salvation. The one directly impacts the other. First, being baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost washes away our sins; the sins of the old man, the sin we are born in through the first Adam. Secondly, when this happens it ties or binds us directly to the blood of the Messiah. We need that tie to His blood! “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16; “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Revelation 1:5 Through this tie to the blood of Christ we now have the ability to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. Our beloved savior made the way for us. “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16

The 7th Day of Creation, Our Day with Our Father

“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:11

The 7th day Sabbath has been a bone of contention in the Christian community for a very long time. For those reading this, I’m referring specifically to the day Saturday, because Saturday is the 7th day of the week. Sunday is the first day of the week. Just have a look at a calendar where you’ll see that the first day of every week begins on Sunday and the seventh day of every week is Saturday. God numbered the days during creation and throughout history mankind put names to those days.

The account of the 7th day of creation in Genesis reads, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 1:31 – Genesis 2:3 Most Christians know the days of creation and what was created on each day, but for some reason no one talks about the 7th day of creation. Each day of the week was created along with what God created on each day. Hence, if God had created everything in four days we’d have a 4-day week. Instead, we have a 7-day week.

What did the Lord create on the 7th day? Why do we have a 7th day in our week? The answer is very simple. The 7th day was created for God to spend it with His creation, and that includes you and me. The day was created for us to spend it with Him and focus on our relationship with our Creator. Mankind is God’s crowning creation here on Earth and was given dominion over the Earth (Genesis 1:26-28). God is a loving God and He wants to spend specific time with His crowning creation. You are special!

Most know the fourth commandment as “Remember the sabbath, to keep it holy,” but there is a lot more to the fourth commandment than just that. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11 There is a lot to this commandment, but we can see the beginning of verse 10 says, “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Simply put, it’s our Father in Heaven’s day for us to honor Him and keep it with Him. In the New Testament there is a verse that points to this as well: “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27, 28

There are two questions that should be considered when talking about the Sabbath. 1. What day is the biblical sabbath on? 2. How do we keep that day? In other words, what can we do and not do on the Sabbath? A tactic of the enemy is to condense these two questions into one and answer it with “that was for the Jews.” Let’s take a quick look at these two questions separately.

The wording in the fourth commandment states, “the seventh day is the sabbath.” This answers question 1 for us of what day is the biblical sabbath. If I were to lay 7 hammers out on a table and ask you to hand me “the seventh hammer,” you would hand me the last hammer; not the first. The point here is that the Bible is very clear on which day God created and expects us to observe with Him as his Holy day. This 7-day weekly cycle has never changed since the beginning of creation. It’s very easy to figure out what day of the week is the seventh day. One thing is for sure, our assembling for church should be on the seventh day: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Question 2 is how to keep the sabbath. My intention with this is for you to simply understand what day the Sabbath actually is and then let the Holy Spirit lead you in the keeping or honoring of it, but the most basic answer is to set this day aside for God. What does it mean to “keep it Holy” (Exodus 20:8) and what does it mean to say, “the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11)? The word “Holy” and “hallowed” mean the same thing in both of these scriptures. You’ll find the meaning in the Strong’s concordance under H6942. The condensed meaning of the word is “to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.” It’s a special day, a day our Father in Heaven set apart for a specific use. The seventh day of the week is not like the other six. It’s the day we can separate from our earthly works and spend this day focusing on and spending time with our Father. He chose this day at the beginning of creation and we should honor that choice by setting it aside for Him. “Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time, as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Hebrews 4:7-9 That day of rest was instituted right at the beginning of creation.

The messiah and apostles all met on the 7th day Sabbath in honor of the fourth commandment: “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” Luke 4:16 If you study the history books, the early church did the same thing for many hundreds of years. Then thoughts took root that segregated the 7th day Sabbath only for Israel, or as it’s put today, “the Jews,” when in fact it was created for all of God’s people. “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:16, 17 Most of these thoughts came through philosophers of the day and politicians. They did not come from books of the bible. But slowly over time and circumstances the 7th day Sabbath has been shunned and lost to the Christian church as a whole. God knew this would happen, and that’s why he starts the fourth commandment with the word “Remember.” Will you remember the sabbath and spend that day with your Father in Heaven?

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:13-14

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Death came into this world because of the disobedience of Adam & Eve. God even warned them in Genesis2:16, 17, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” We all know the story that happens in chapter 3 of Genesis. They partook of the tree and death, among many other things, was born into this world. “…She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew…” Genesis 3:6, 7 At this moment in time, the process of death started in them and was passed down to their children, their children’s children and so on. And now the process of death starts with every birth, from the day we are conceived we are journeying to our death. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 But what happens when we die?

To understand death, we need to first understand life. It’s God’s breath or spirit in us that gives us life, without it there is no life. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7; “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils.” Job 27:3; “The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Job 33:4 And when our bodily functions cease, no matter the cause, that breath of God goes back to Him. Our souls, however, do not. “Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the Earth.” Psalm 104:29, 30; “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7

Not sure how well you sleep, but death kind of works the same way. When you fall asleep at 10pm and wake up at 6am, you don’t know where that time went and as long as you don’t get woken up, you don’t know what was happening around you during your slumber. “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” Ecclesiastes 9:5 In the New Testament, Jesus refers to it this way: “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” John 11:11-14 He also made the same reference in Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:39, and Luke 8:52.

To be clear, the Bible does not teach that you go to heaven or hell when you die. The Bible teaches there shall be two resurrections, the first (resurrection of the saved), happens when our Messiah returns and ends the world. The second, (resurrection of the unsaved) will be a resurrection for judgment and the second and final death. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2 The teaching of going to heaven or hell when you die originated with the Roman papal authority, as well as the doctrine of burning in hell for all eternity. Eternal life is only promised to the saved. The false doctrine of going to heaven or hell when you die and the false doctrine of burning in hell forever were created to keep people fearful of the Catholic church at the time and to keep money coming in for “indulgences”, forgiveness of sin. In other words, you could give the church money and get forgiveness of sins. This means you could indulge in sin where you wanted to and simply pay to get into the kingdom of heaven. Some of these teachings by the Catholic church helped spark the reformation. Many of the protestant reformers knew and taught soul sleep. Let’s look at some scriptures about the first resurrection…

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23; “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and the mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 These are but a few scriptures that point to the fact that we will remain asleep in the grave, knowing nothing when we die until that great and terrible day of the Lord.

There are 3 main spots in the Bible that are taken out of context for the doctrinal belief of going to heaven or hell when you die. The first is 2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord.” When you fall asleep at night and wake in the morning, your last conscious thought you remember is right before you fall asleep. When you wake up, you have no idea what happened when you were asleep. For the person that dies as a true saved disciple of the Messiah, their next conscious thought will be when the Lord quickens them out of death and recreates them in their new body. They will have no idea how much time passed after their death, nor what was going on while they were dead. To them, they died and then immediately were resurrected. “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” Psalm 115:17

The next is in Luke 16:19-31; this is the “parable” of the rich man. It’s simply a story used for teaching a concept. In Luke 16 the Pharisees are listening to Christ’s teaching and he is rebuking them. In this parable, the rich man represents the Pharisees and religious leaders in control of Judaism at the time. Lazarus represents the average or normal Jew at the time. The leaders in control were rich and in need of nothing and thought very highly of themselves. Generally, they used the people and did nothing to spiritually help them. They were more worried about being comfortable and staying in control. That’s why in the parable, Christ makes the point in vs 25 that in life they were very comfortable, and the normal person was not. In the parable, vs 27, the rich man wants Abraham to send the beggar to his father’s house to warn his brothers. The brothers represent the rest of the religious leadership of the day and that’s why in the parable Abraham basically tells him, no. They already have Moses, the law, and the prophets and they still don’t understand, and they never will. At the end of the parable Christ gives them a prophecy that will come true. He says at the end of vs 31, “…neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead,” which He eventually does and He was correct, they still did not believe. Again, this entire thing is a parable, a story used for teaching and making a point.

The last one is the thief on the cross: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 This is simply a punctuation error in the translation. Jesus is telling him “today,” or “right now.” In other words, he’s speaking to the thief on that day, in that very moment in time. He is not saying the thief is going to be there with him today in heaven. Jesus didn’t even go to heaven on that day. To further prove this, let’s read John 20:17: “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father: and to my God, and your God.” Jesus tells Mary after he is resurrected from the tomb, he has not yet gone to heaven. So the meaning in Luke 23:43 could not be that they were both going to heaven on that very day. Jesus would not lie: “In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world begn…” Titus 1:2

The most important thing when studying the Bible is to sincerely ask God for His Holy Spirit to interpret what he wants you to know and understand. Otherwise, you can end up believing doctrines and commandments of men that have developed over the years. Let’s read a few more scriptures that point to what death really is.

“For the grave can not praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known thy truth.” Isaiah 38:18, 19

“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Job 14:10-14

It’s important to understand death in scripture, because when you do, you can understand even more scripture that ties in with it. God wants us to know Him and to know Him is to know the truth about Him and his creation, even the uncomfortable truths. It’s our hope that you’ve been spiritually enlightened and found this reading a blessing.

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:15

The Second Coming. Time to go

“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 unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” John 14:2-4

The second advent, or second coming, is an ending bookmark in this world. Many things will happen all at once when the Messiah comes back. The saved will be delivered up to the Father, the unrepentant sinner will be killed, the devil will be served up a portion of his punishment for his rebellion against God and the world will be destroyed.

There are many verses in scripture that point to and infer that when Christ comes back the saved that are dead will be raised and the saved that are alive will be translated or changed. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 Just like the miracle of a baby that starts to grow and develop there will be another miracle when Christ returns when the saved that are dead are raised anew. They will not be raised in their old corrupt, sinful, hurting bodies, but recreated in their new heavenly bodies. They will be like Adam & Eve were before the fall. Those saved that are alive shall also be changed into their new glorified bodies. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

What about those that are not saved at His coming? “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 The glory of God is going to burn this habitation up along with anyone whose sin is not covered by the redeeming blood of our Lord and savior. The unrepentant sinner that is alive at his coming will be killed by the brightness of his coming. The unrepentant sinner that was already dead will remain dead until the end of the thousand years. Therefore, there will be no one alive on the earth after His coming.

And because there is no human being left alive on Earth the devil will no longer be able to corrupt & manipulate. He will be held in this destroyed void for those 1000 years. The devil has already been held here on Earth, unable to go back and forth to heaven since the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour. The day the Messiah rose, He sealed the devil and his cohorts. Their judgment was set (Revelation 12:12). “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and satan and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” Revelation 20:1-3 The “great chain in his hand” is not a literal chain, but rather a chain of circumstances. There will be no one alive on this Earth for him to tempt or manipulate. He will be very lonely for those thousand years.

Did you know that before Adam & Eve disobeyed God that weeds & thorns didn’t exist? It’s true (Genesis 3:18). This is another consequence of the sin that has been brought into this world. It’s important to understand that the world we know is going to be destroyed when the Lord comes back and why it must be destroyed. The earth must be destroyed because it has been scarred by sin and corruption. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men”. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:7, 10

The second coming is the beginning of our reign with Christ in heaven. Unfortunately for the sinner, it’s the end of their time in this world as we know it. Fortunately for us, it’s a showing of the power of God over the forces of evil in this world. My prayer is that this brings some clarity and that helps you hold out for our Lord and Saviour.

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13

The Saved in Judgement

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

God’s redeemed people are very special to Him (Zechariah 2:7-9). At the time the Messiah returns and destroys sin and this sinful world, the redeemed start life anew. From that point on they have changed. There will be no more sinful, hurting bodies. They have been covered by the blood of the lamb and returned to the state of Adam & Eve when they were first created, with new glorified sinless bodies. But what’s after that? “And I saw thrones and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6 The redeemed will reign with Christ in Heaven for 1000 years. In this time period everything that has transpired since the beginning of creation will be opened and known to them, this is what it means when the Bible says, “judgment will be given to them.”

At some point in heavenly history, the devil made an accusation against God the Father. I’m not sure exactly what it was, the Bible does not speak of it, but infers it. Most likely it was something to the effect of, “If I were in charge, things would be better. You are not a just God.” Either way from that day forward, iniquity was found in the devil (Ezekiel 28:14-19) and the war started. God in all His infinite power could have destroyed the devil right then and there, but He doesn’t work that way. He gives His creation free will. Just like every human on Earth wants others to like or love them for who they are, so does our Father in Heaven. He doesn’t want robots; He wants us to love Him for who He is and have a desire to know Him. This is why “judgment will be given unto them.” It is not to judge the unsaved (their judgment is set), but to know that our Father in Heaven has done all He could do in a just way to allow his fallen creation a chance to come back to Him. We will also see that He allowed enough time to pass for the fruit of the fallen to show itself clearly. We can see evidence of that fruit all around us every day; suffering in many forms, torments, and finally death. We will have a complete understanding of everything that has transpired, and we will all arrive at the same conclusion that He is just and perfect. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4

After that 1,000 years, God will bring New Jerusalem down from Heaven. “And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Revelation 21:2, 3 After this God will recreate this world and dwell with us. There will be no more sin, so there will be no more suffering, sickness, and death. “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” Isaiah 65:17-19 I can’t wait for that day, to be in pain no more, to no longer lose loved ones, to no more deal with anxiety and fear, to see God the Father face to face.

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

The Lost in Judgement

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud yea, all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1

At the second advent the Lord comes back and destroys this sin-filled Earth and all the unrepentant sinners. “And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:8 When this happens, the saved that are dead and the saved that are alive meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) but the unsaved will all stay dead for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:5 says, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished…”. During this 1,000-year period, because all of the unrepentant sinners are dead, the devil and the other fallen angels have no one on Earth to influence and manipulate. Therefore, for them the 1,000 years is torture. They are stuck on Earth with NO one to hurt or torment (Revelation 20:1-3).

After those thousand years, a couple things happen. The dead who are unsaved are resurrected, and because they are resurrected the devil now has people to manipulate and deceive again. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” Rev. 20:7, 8 These unsaved people are fully under the influence of the devil. All the saved are with the Lord and at some point, New Jerusalem descends to the earth from Heaven. “And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2

When New Jerusalem comes down, the devil and all the unsaved will come against it because God and His people are there. That’s when the final destruction comes. God will rain down fire and brimstone upon them, destroying them. “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:9, 10 This is the final destruction of the wicked angels and humans, alike. After this, death and hell are cast into the Lake of Fire, which means there will be no more death or going down to the grave for humanity. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Revelation 20:14

The lost are not burning in hell at this moment, nor do they burn in hell throughout all eternity. At the very end, they are simply destroyed for good, never to exist anymore. “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9 Only the saved are promised eternal life, not the lost. Our Father in Heaven is a loving and just God. It does not fit His character to burn people alive for all eternity. That would be painful torture, and that is not who our Father in Heaven is.

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40 The lost or unsaved do not believe in him, therefore they do not have everlasting life, but rather, everlasting destruction. “That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.” Job 21:30; “Behold all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekial 18:4 These are but a few verses that point to the fact that the wicked will be raised after 1,000 years to face final destruction (or the “second death”). “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7, 8

In that final battle with God, Satan and the lost people of Earth will know that they cannot win and this knowledge will be torment to them. When the Bible speaks of “everlasting fire” (Matthew 25:41) or being “tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10), it means the result of being put in that fire is forever or permanent. Here is an example: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Jude 7 Is Sodom and Gomorrha still burning today? Is there an eternal fire there? NO, but the results of that fire that once happened are still there. The city is gone, nothing is there anymore, it ceases to exist. Sodom & Gomorrha are burned up completely. Let’s look at another example in Jeremiah 17:27: “But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.” This came to pass in 586 BC when the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, and again in 70 AD with the final blow from the Romans who also burned the city. Are these fires still there today? NO, but the results of those fires and the destruction are still there. Jerusalem is no longer a place of leadership for God’s people. There are no palaces there. In Exodus 21:2-6, when speaking of a slave at the end of verse 6 it says, “…and he shall serve him for ever.” Are there still Hebrew slaves alive and serving their masters today who date back from the time of Exodus? The answer is, of course, NO. The term “for ever” in this verse simply means for as long as the slave lived or until their time came to an end.

There are many beliefs among Christians today. Many of the false beliefs were introduced by the Roman Papal authority many years ago. These false beliefs are able to take hold and become traditions that we keep and think true because we don’t study our Bibles prayerfully through the Holy Spirit. Before you know it, we are keeping doctrines and commandments of men. Please pray and study the Word of God.

“This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.” Ecclesiastes 9:3

Tithe And Offering

“The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1

There is probably not so small a subject in the Christian church today that has caused so great a heartache in the Church than tithe and offering. Everyone has a very strong opinion on this subject. Many of these strong opinions are understandable because there have been many leaders in churches around the world who have taken advantage of the congregation and the congregation’s faithfulness in paying their tithes to the Lord. Hopefully I can provide some biblical clarity to the subject.

“Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.” Proverbs 3:9 When you pay tithe with the right heart, you are giving it to the Lord. Yes, a representative of the Lord receives it but a tenth of what you were given is given back to the Lord because it was the Lord who gave all of what you received. “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” Genesis 28:22 We read throughout scripture that the practice of tithe was in place, even before the Levitical priesthood. “And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” Genesis 14:19, 20 Abram paid tithes to Melchisedec, king of Salem. We are told in the Bible that at the time Melchisedec is the priest of the Most High God (Heb 7:1). Just as tithes were paid before the Levitical priesthood existed, tithes are to be paid after the Levitical priesthood is gone. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” Hebrews 6:19, 20 We are back under the Melchizedekian priesthood through Christ and just as the tithe existed before the Levitical priesthood, it exists even now in today’s time.

So, what is the tithe for? Surely God does not need our money… God indeed does not need our money; everything belongs to him. But he does require our obedience & faith. Not paying tithe shows a lack of understanding and faith; like not doing anything he asks of us does. In Malachi 3:8-12 it says this, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” God is not pining for their finances in these scriptures, because He doesn’t need their finances. He was upset because once again they had NO Faith in him. He gave them promises He would fulfill if they listened to Him. He would “…pour them out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive…”, “…will rebuke the devourer…”, “…all nations shall call you blessed…” Instead of following through with what he asked them to do, they showed their faithlessness in Him by choosing to NOT obey Him. All He wanted to do was bless them and help them, but they chose another path. He says… “Ye are cursed with a curse…” We aren’t cursed because He chooses to curse us, we are cursed because we choose to not obey Him (Deuteronomy 30:11-19). In short, I believe paying your tithe to the Lord to be about faithfulness and obedience, and not about finances.

Is tithing and offering different? The word tithe means “tenth part”. Genesis 28:22 (last part), …of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” An offering has to do with your heart and what you desire to give. “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.” Exodus 25:2; “Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the Earth.” Psalm 96:7-9 Tithing is giving God the tenth part of our increase. Offerings are whatever our heart desires to give above that. An offering can certainly be monetary but over the years many people have offered other services for God’s church. For instance, fixing things around the church, giving of their time and labor, and many things other than just money. “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.” Exodus 35:21, 22 A person’s offering to the Lord is between that person and the Lord. There are two things that tithe & offerings have in common. One is that they are both given to the Lord. The second is that the Lord wants it given with the right heart. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Our creator wants a relationship with us and in a relationship, promises are given. The Lord always follows through with His promises, you can trust Him. If the person representing Him is not faithful in taking care of the tithe and all the things God wants Him to, God will deal with that in His own time. You can read about Hophni and Phinehas in the first few chapters of 1st Samuel. They made a mockery of their position and used it to take advantage of the people for personal gain. This went on for quite a few years and finally they were killed. Not only were they killed but their father died, and their lineage was removed from the priesthood. So, God takes care of everything in His own time. Don’t let your flesh overcome you because of someone else’s sin. Stay true to what God asks of you. Build that relationship and watch God fulfill His promises in your life.

“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18