Posts filed under ‘salvation’
Third Chapter Coincidence?
Just as Genesis 3 actually occurred, we can know that Revelation 20 will also actually occur. They are connected. They both point to God’s favor, His mercy and His love for His Creation. While Genesis 3 introduced sin into the entirety of His Creation, Revelation 20 is the start of eliminating all of it in practical terms.
Covenants vs Dispensationalism
It seems to me the very plain teaching of Scripture includes a physical return of Jesus, where every eye will see Him of those living at the time (Daniel 7:13; Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 14:14). Seeing Jesus is not in the mind’s eye or somehow spiritually. It is a literal event when He physically returns so that the entirety of the world will finally understand that God is in control. That much is clear and obvious. To attempt to turn this obvious meaning into a spiritual return is repugnant to me.
Secular Progressivism
Please notice that Paul considered himself a prisoner of Jesus. Yes, he was physically incarcerated at the time he wrote to the Ephesians, but he still considered himself a prisoner of the Lord, not of Rome. Because of this, and even in spite of his incarceration, he believed he had the responsibility of walking worthy of his calling in Christ Jesus. What does that look like? Well, we don’t have to guess because Paul tells us. We should walk with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit.
Is This Normal?
I can easily see now why the Antichrist will be so well accepted throughout the world when he finally does appear on the world’s stage. Everything that has happened up to now has been a dress rehearsal for what’s coming. But I would caution readers about becoming fearful. Thought I believe the Rapture will occur prior to the start of the Tribulation and the appearance of the rider on the white horse (Revelation 6), however even if the Rapture does not occur prior to the start of that seven year period, I firmly believe God will take care of all who exercise trust in Him during those difficult days ahead. We do not need to be fearful about what is here now or what is coming. When we give into fear, we are failing to trust Him, aren’t we? It’s as simple as that. Which do you choose, trust or fear?
We Are Not in Control
We have two choices in life. One, we can continue to try to do things our way, mistakenly believing that we control our own destiny and the things that happen in life. Two, we can come to the true realization that we are not in control at all and that everything that happens to us happens because of God’s plan. If we try to live the first option, we can quickly grow conceited in the belief that we have it going on; that our decisions are what matters and above all things, we walk in a path that we have developed for ourselves. If we live with option number two, we will more quickly come to the end of ourselves, realizing that the very breath we breathe is on loan from God Himself.
Nefarious, Speak of the Devil
It is also amazing the way the demon Nefarious questions James, the psychologist. James is an atheist and proudly proclaims that to Nefarious, who laughs in his face asking if he (James) really believes his atheism will protect him from the truth and that hell is filled with atheists who now understand the reality of what they continually denied while alive.
The dialogue in Nefarious is first rate and carries viewers from one scene to the next. At one point, Dr. James Martin brags about how well he thinks humanity is doing: racism is being fought against, humanity is freer than ever, hate speech is a thing of the past, etc. Nefarious again laughs and sets Martin right about what he clearly cannot see because of his political delusions. Nefarious also states regarding hate speech that this was something “they” didn’t even have to create for humanity. Humanity did it all by themselves and that surprised even the demons. He further states that evil has become the norm and no one even notices it anymore.
Putting Off and Putting On
I believe it is the put off/put on principle that truly transforms the life of the Christian. While many choose not to put in the effort to create new habits and patterns (and some want to but aren’t clear on how), it is incumbent upon us to understand that this is absolutely part of our sanctification process. We must take it seriously and while we do not do this to “earn” our salvation (since salvation cannot be earned, but it is a completely free gift), this process is a must in order to grow in Christ our Redeemer.
Satan’s Strategy and the Role of Self
In the book, The Gospel for Disordered Lives, the authors expose the way Satan works to defeat the believer. In chapter 8 titled, Battling Satan and His Demons, they discuss biblical counseling and how it involves spiritual warfare against evil forces that hate us and who are stronger than the folks counselors counsel. This actually applies to all Christians, whether it is recognized by them or not.
Keeping the Big Picture in View
In Ed Welch’s book, Side By Side, in his last chapter, he writes about keeping the story in view. By that he means that we should try to continually focus on the big picture regarding our salvation. Welch compares our past, which is filled with sin and failure to our ultimate future in Christ. But he also points out our present situation and how much God pursues us daily.
Why the Delay?
I’ve been doing a good deal of thinking lately about why God seems to delay in meting out justice at times, yet at other times, He seems to move fairly quickly to resolve something. There are many examples in Scripture where God’s patience seems to have no end in sight, then He finally moves. In other examples, it only takes a person one misstep and God reaches out to deal with it. Why is that?
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