Tag: death

THE JUDGMENTS [3/5/22]

Throughout the Scriptures there are many references to the judgment of God upon individuals, peoples, and nations who have rebelled and rejected God, such judgments executed by different methods (water, fire, confusion of language) are recorded. There are seven specific judgments to which the Scriptures speak; one has been completed (the judgment that occurred at Calvary), another is on a daily basis (self-judgment <see 1 Cor.11:28-29; Psa.26:1-2; 1Jn.1:9>), one that there is no specific time indicated (fallen angels <see Ezek.28:12-19; Isa.14:12-17; 1 Cor.6:3; Jude 6;  2 Pet.2:4>), and four that are yet to be executed; the judgment-seat of Christ, of the Jewish nation <see Ezek.20:34-38; 1 Sam.8:6-7; Lk.23:13-18; Acts 7:51-53>, of the gentile nations <see Matt.25:31-32, 45; Joel 3:2>, and of the evil dead. We will be looking at the details of three of these judgments. (You may wish to read the prelude to this Post by selecting “Life-Death-Resurrection [2/12/22]” from the list of Current Posts).

THE JUDGMENT EXECUTED AT CALVARY

The Old Testament records the many attempts that God made to bring His people, the Jews, back to Himself from their sinful rebellion; it also records the prophecies of their coming Messiah who would be God’s means of providing salvation for all mankind. The issue of inherited sin in all people had to be dealt with for all eternity, for that is the only way that mankind can be restored or redeemed from sin to be able to spend eternity with God. As the Jewish nation had been taught through the Law given through Moses, the shed blood from a sacrificial animal was the only way for sin to be cleansed, and this is what was accomplished by Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.

When God delivered the Jews from their captivity in Egypt (symbolic of our deliverance from the servitude to sin), He instructed the people through Moses to select a lamb for each household; the animal had to be in good health and should not have any defect; the lamb was to be killed and the blood was to be smeared on the door-posts and the tops of the door-frames <Ex.12:3, 5-7>. On that night God executed judgment upon the land and people of Egypt so that Pharoah would release the slaves; ““On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn — both men and animals — and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” <Ex 12:12-13 (NIV)>; in this way God redeemed His people from their captivity, and instructed them to celebrate this event throughout their generations, reminding them of their deliverance. The Law given through Moses instructed them in the various animal sacrifices for various functions and feasts, showing them that all sin must be dealt with through the shed blood of the animal. These sacrifices, however, were only symbolic in nature until God’s eternal sacrifice was offered in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ <see Heb.9:6-10>. This chapter continues to describe the sacrifices and their purpose by stating: “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” <Heb 9:22 (NIV)>: and since these animal sacrifices were only symbolic, God had to provide a “better” sacrifice, and that provision is His Son Jesus Christ, who offered Himself once and for all eternity, and as “the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” <Heb 9:25-26 (NIV)>

Thus, Christ took our sins in His own body on the Cross, and in our place suffered God’s judgment for our sins: “…John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” <John 1:29 (NIV); cf Heb.2:9; 1 Jn.2:2; 2 Cor.5:21>; and in this we see that God’s wrath against sin was revealed at Calvary as Christ suffered for us in the darkness of the daytime <see Matt.27:45-46>, and paid the price for sin that was ours to pay <Rom.6:23>.

The question that we each have to answer is: What have I done in response to God’s gift of salvation? Have I accepted God’s gift or have I rejected His offer? Our response to this will determine where we stand in the judgments to come <see Jn.1:12-13>.

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

This judgment is where all the believers in Christ will be judged and rewarded for their actions after their conversion (belief). It will take place at the second coming of Christ after the first resurrection <see Lk.14:14; Matt.16:27>; and it should be noted that this will not be a question of our salvation, it will be an accountability to Christ: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” <2 Cor 5:10 (NIV)>; good or bad suggests profitable or not. Our sins before conversion will not be judged, for Christ has already cancelled that debt that we owed to God <see Heb.10:14-17>, neither will the sins committed and confessed after our conversion <1 Jn.1:9>. Our deeds and motives will be judged: “…his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” <1 Cor 3:13-15 (NIV)>. Christ will judge our words <Matt.12:36-37>, thoughts <Matt.15:19-19>, and our secrets <Rom.2:16>. Here there will be no favouritism for God knows our heart <Gal.6:7-8>. If the believer’s actions and motives pass the test of Christ’s judgment (fire), the believer will be rewarded.

We prepare for this judgment by constant communion with Christ through His Word and self-examination (judgment), and the daily leading of The Holy Spirit. When this is our lifestyle there should be no cause for concern to the believer; “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” <1 Cor 4:5 (NIV)>

THE JUDGMENT OF THE UNGODLY DEAD

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This is God’s final judgment upon all those who throughout their lifetime have totally rejected Him and His offer of salvation, and as is described by the effects and the results of all the judgments during the tribulation period <Rev.16:9> when God is dealing with His people, the Jews, and the nations of the world, there will be a millennial period (a thousand years) after which there will be a resurrection of all the ungodly dead. The Scriptures record the vision of John: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.” < Rev.20:11-13 (NIV)>; and in this judgment we must understand that the guilty verdict has already been declared and that there is no appeal or withdrawal of this verdict. All who stand before God’s throne at this judgment have already condemned themselves by their actions and motives in the rejection of Jesus Christ and the salvation that he has secured; their names have never been entered in the Book of Life, and the sentence is condemnation to the Lake of fire <Rev.20:15>.

Therefore, we see in this that God will punish all those that reject Him, and there will be no exceptions <Heb.9:27>, for He has declared that nothing impure, sinful or ungodly will enter His heaven <see Rev.21:8, 27>; and He has given us assurance of this, for He has given all judgment to His Son, Jesus Christ <see Jn.5:22, 27-29>.

Again, we are all faced with a great decision; to which resurrection will I answer Christ’s call, the first <1 Thess.4:16-17>, or the second resurrection where we will face God’s final judgment. Let us hear God’s Word; “…They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” <Rev.20:4-6 (NIV)>; the second death is final separation from God for all eternity!

 

LIFE – DEATH – RESURRECTION [2/12/22]

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When looking up the definition of LIFE in the dictionary we find a number of definitions given, leading us to make a decision as to which one satisfies our individual belief; the fact is that life is very difficult to define. Biblically speaking, life is a trust, it is a loan from God for a short period of time <Job 1:21>, it is a gift from God; it is here today and gone tomorrow. Much to the dismay of many today, life originated, biblically, in the Garden of Eden <Gen.2:7>; and although we are told that life begins when we are born of our parents, according to God’s Word we are told that true life begins at conception <Psa.51:5> for it was at that moment in time that we inherited the sin-nature.

There are many comparisons that can be observed in life: it is like a journey <Gen.47:9>, it is like a shadow <Eccl.6:12>, it is like a vapour <Jas.4:14>; but what is the purpose of life? Basically, it is a short time during which we prepare for a very long eternity! It is a time for each of us to make a personal choice of the place that our soul will spend eternity! Each of us can live in respect and honour of Christ <Phil.1:20-21>, or live our life in total rebellion against the God, who gave us life; thus, suffering the consequences <Rom.2:9>. Let us be fully aware that the length of our life is set by God, and He will call an end to our days when it pleases Him, we do not know when that time will come, for it could be a short period or a long period: “The length of our days is seventy years — or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” <Psa.90:10, 12 (NIV)>. Many live far beyond eighty years today, but there will be an end to life!

iStockphoto-1598146621261-7cdbb2b30d4bLife is saddened by the fact that it will end in DEATH, and as we saw earlier life is difficult to define; death can be defined as the departure or the cessation of life. In death we find that the body is separated from the soul and spirit; the body is placed in the grave and finally disintegrates or “returns to dust” <Eccl.3:20>. The spirit returns to God <Eccl.12:7; cf Gen.2:7>; the soul goes to one of two places; the soul of the rebellious (unsaved) goes to hell (a place of great agony) <Lk.16:23>; while the soul of the righteous (saved) will go to a place of paradise <Lk.16:22; cf Lk.23:43>. The scriptures speak to two kinds of death, Spiritual and Physical; both originating in the Garden of Eden: Spiritual Death was the result of disobedience to God’s command; “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”” <Gen.2:16-17 (NIV)>, although Adam & Eve did not physically die at that moment of disobedience, the judgment of death came upon them and all mankind, which is spiritual death <Eph.2:1>. The first record of Physical Death is seen in the record of Cain murdering his brother Abel <Gen.4:8; cf Jas.1:15>, which was the result of inherited sin, and physical death is the direct result of sin. So then, we find that because of their sin and spiritual death, God banished Adam and Eve from the garden and has guarded the way to the tree of life for all mankind: “And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” <Gen.3:22-24 (NIV)>.

Although there is nothing that we can do to avoid physical death, for it is determined by God, there is much that we can do avoid spiritual death. The Scriptures teach that spiritual death is an eternal banishment from God: “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” <2 Thess.1:8-9 (NIV)>: eternal death is also referred to as alienation from God: “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” <Eph.4:18 (NIV)>. As it has already been stated previously that life is a short time during which we prepare for a very long eternity, the message of the Scriptures is that God has provided a way to escape the judgment for sin; and that provision is in the person of His Son Jesus Christ; Christ gave Himself as the required sacrifice for mankind’s sin by His death on the Cross, His burial and His resurrection: “…Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” <1 Jn.2:1-2 (NIV)>; each individual on the face of this earth has the same opportunity to make the decision to accept what Christ has accomplished for us – our salvation from sin – our escape from condemnation, from eternal separation from God, for Christ said “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” <Jn.5:24 (NIV)>; a “cross-over” from eternal death to eternal life with God. Therefore, our only hope of avoiding spiritual death is in Jesus Christ, for when our belief is placed in Christ the Holy Spirit works the miracle of regeneration in our life, transforming us into His image and makes us a child of God <Jn.1:12>.

A final word to this subject: Christ’s death on the cross was no accident, it was appointed by God; for someone had to die to pay sin’s penalty, and that person had to be “without sin” or “sinless” for the sacrifice had to be “spotless” or pure according to the Law given through Moses <Ex.12:5-6; Lk.23:13-15>; “God made him [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” <2 Cor.5:20 (NIV)>. Christ’s death was necessary for the redemption of all mankind making it the concern of every individual person to accept His sacrifice <see Lk.24:46-47; 1 Cor.15:3-4>.

iStockphoto-1586249411653-2a167d4d5fa5And so, the Scriptures teach that just as Christ was raised from the dead, all mankind will experience a RESURRECTION. Why is the resurrection such an important topic? Daniel, in his final prophecy wrote: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” <Dan.12:2 (NIV)>, and throughout the Scriptures a resurrection is mentioned; Job, in his discourse with his three friends asks the question: “If a man dies, will he live again?” <Job 14:14 (NIV)>; he then answers his own question – “And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes — I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” <Job 19:26-27 (NIV)>. Christ’s disciples preached the same message throughout the New Testament, for indeed that is the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ <see Jn.14:1-3; cf 1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:16-17>.

Some have enquired as to what kind of body we will have in the resurrection; here again the Scriptures have told us that just as Christ had a new body at His resurrection so we too will have a new body, it will be an incorruptible body, incapable of death and decay <1 Cor.15:42-44, 52-53>, it will be a spiritual body not limited to the laws of earth, and we also learn of the reasons for this. We are instructed that “…. man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” <Heb.9:27 (NIV)>; God has appointed a day of accountability! So then, we see that all Christ’s followers, as well as all those that have rebelled against God, will have a new body in the resurrection, a body that will never more see corruption, a body that will never again die. We all then will face God to account to Him for the life that we have lived; all believers will stand before His throne in Heaven where He will reward us for our service to Him <see Matt.25:31-34; cf 2 Cor.5:10; 1 Pet.4:17a>. Unbelievers will also be judged for the life they have lived <see Matt.25:41; 1 Pet.4:17b; Rev.20:12>. The point to observe here is that both believers and unbelievers will live for ever – eternity – alive in the new incorruptible body; all believers will enjoy heaven and the presence of God forever, while all unbelievers will live away from God in agony of judgment FOREVER! <see Lk.16:23-26; cf Ezek.18:20, 32>.

The conclusion to all of this is that in LIFE we have the choice to live as we please, God allows us to do so because He will never force His dictate upon us, we were created with a determination to do what we wish, but this does not excuse us to live a life of rebellion against God. We must understand that God is still in control, we need to understand that we belong to God because He has created us for His glory, and when we rebel and go our own way it is not for His glory. He has given us life to enjoy, but inherited sin drives us away from Him to follow and serve Satan, and our only escape is to turn to God in repentance, accept His salvation and allow His Holy Spirit to control our life. Let us not forget or ignore this, for this life will end in DEATH in a short while, and then there will be no turning back to attempt to make things right, the way we live is the way we will die! RESURRECTION will come, and as has been stated, we will all stand before God’s judgment seat to give account of the way we lived; God is a God of justice and He will never allow sin to go unpunished, whether in this life or in the next.

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” <Heb.10:26-31 (NIV)>.

In life or in death we all belong to God! <Rom.14:8>.

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES [2/13/21]

“Guiding Principles” are a broad philosophy that encompass your personal beliefs and values and guide an organization throughout its life in all circumstances, irrespective of changes in its goals, strategies or type of work. They create a company culture where everyone understands what’s important. (Quote: Google) Every organization, people group, nation or country that has existed or exists must have guiding principles written into their constitution so that the group or people can function on a day-to-day basis, taking into account all or any changes in circumstances. So, here we find that God brings His people to Sanai to introduce them to His guiding principles in the form of His Law; and it could be said that this would be the most important lesson that they would learn on their wilderness journey.

In preparation for giving the Law we see that the Israelites had to commit themselves to obeying it <Ex.19:8>, God introduces the basic principle or reason for the Law; His holiness puts restrictions or limitations on any individual who may wish to approach or enter His presence. God has told Moses that He will descend upon the mountain to speak with him, and in preparation for this event the people should be purified; cleanse themselves and wash their clothing so as to be ready to meet with God <Ex.19:9-11, 22; cf Lev.15:31>. Because of God’s holiness, no sinful person can approach or enter His presence, and this is the spiritual condition of all individuals due to inherited sin <Psa.51:5; Rom.3:23>; so, Moses should set boundaries and instruct the people that no one should approach or attempt to climb the mountain; “Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.” <Ex.19:12 (NIV)>; death would be the result of anyone that attempted to approach God’s presence, and this is the principle that is set by God for anyone that may attempt to enter His presence. God is separate from sin and no sinful person is allowed in His presence.

The ten commandments given by God to Moses do not constitute the whole Law, they only reflect the spiritual and moral principles on which all of the hundreds of laws in the codes of the Mosaic law stand. The first four <Ex.20:3-11> emphasize our relationship to God, and the last six <Ex.20:12-17> lay emphasis on our relationship to each other. Further to these, the Civil Laws were given and outlined in Exodus chapters 21-24, and although they do not give a complete ethical code for every possible circumstance or issue to be dealt with, they do give examples that cover life situations that we have to deal with.

Upon seeing the lightning, hearing the thunder and the trumpet the people were terrified and requested that Moses speak to them instead of God, for they feared that if God spoke directly to them, they would die <Ex.20:18-19>. It is unfortunate that in our society today there is a similarity to this; rather than individuals attempting to communicate directly with God there is a preference to have someone else in the office of the priesthood to fill that roll. So, Moses gave them assurance that the display of God’s majesty in the lightening and thunder was not intended to fill them with fear, God had only come down as their Heavenly King to make a covenant with them; “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” <Ex.20:20 (NIV)>, and here we see that although God’s Law was given, only God’s presence with them would keep them (individually and as a group) from breaking the Law and sinning against God; a lesson that each of us need to learn, and maintain that presence of God.

What then was the chief reason for the giving of the Law? The Israelites had just been given their freedom from a life of slavery and were now being moulded into a nation with God as their leader, so there had to be guiding principles given so that they would know how to conduct themselves especially in their worship to God, for we see the first principle given is their approach to worship: “Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.  And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’” <Ex.20:23-26 (NIV)>. Unlike the Egyptians and the other nations that they would encounter in the journey, who had and worshipped many gods in various forms of worship, there was only One God for Israel – Jehovah, and He demands the holiness of His people, worship in His designated place, and the simplicity of such worship. Later we see this put into practice when the people all responded to the giving of the Law – “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” <Ex.24:3 (NIV)>, Moses set up their first altar of worship and offered sacrifices to God <Ex.24:4-8>.

There is another purpose to the Law, one that affects not only the Israelites but all individuals. In the same way that the Law applied to Israel, it applies to all individuals; it is a guiding principle to life in general, a guide to our worship of God, it guides us in our relationship to God and to other people; but we should remember it is only a guide. The Law does not justify any individual, nor does it make anyone holy; and although many have pointed to their “keeping of the Law” that does not make anyone sinless and righteous in God’s view. In the apostle Paul’s writing to the Galatian Church, we see that the Law is a burden, it was given by God to show us that we are not fit or holy to be in God’s presence; for righteousness is solely based on faith, faith in God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Law does not save us from our sin or our sin-nature, it only condemns us <see Rom.3:22-26; 8:1-4>, and compliance to the Law is not righteousness. “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”” <Gal.3:10-12 (NIV); see Jas.2:10>. No human is capable of keeping the entire Law of God, and by breaking one portion we are guilty of breaking the whole Law, making us guilty sinners. Paul therefore, gives the reason or purpose of the Law; “Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” <Gal.3:23-25 (NIV)>. Christ, by His sacrifice in His death on the Cross, paid the penalty that the Law demanded, which is the death of the sinner <Rom.6:23>. We observe then, that there is a way of redemption from the curse of the Law for “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” <Gal.3:13-14 (NIV)>.

So, we see that the giving of the Law to Israel was only an illustration of what was to come, not only for Israel but for all individuals; the promise made to Abraham was fulfilled to all people – Jew and Gentile, in Jesus Christ <see Gen.12:2-3; 22:18>. Where do you fit in to this picture; are you relying of keeping the commandments, or are you resting in the promise in Jesus Christ? Only Jesus Christ can deliver you from the curse and requirement of the Law which is eternal death – an eternal separation from God.