Revelation 20 - Part 2

After the millennium, Satan is released from prison. In his last ditch effort he gathers all the armies of the earth to attack Jerusalem (the holy city). The Bible says fire comes down from heaven and destroys Satan's army. The devil is cast alive into the lake of fire. His global reign of terror on earth is over, forever (Revelation 20:7-10). He is where the Beast and false prophet are.

After this comes the Great White Throne Judgement. All people from the beginning of time up til that time will be resurrected to face Jesus Christ to be judged for everything they have ever done or thought. The writer believes this judgment is reserved for the unbeliever only. Why do I believe this? Because according to 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 believers will face a judgment called the Bema seat. A Bema is a raised platform like you see in today's Olympic games which was invented by the Greeks when athletes receive rewards. The Bema may occur after the rapture of the Church - when the saints of God are caught away to heaven. We are judged based on our faithfulness to the Lord and rewarded accordingly. Where we have not been faithful, we suffer loss, not of salvation, but of reward. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Wqc4vGgrOCg

So the Great White Throne Judgment is reserved for the wicked. They will understand why they are heaeded to the lake of fire where the devil, his angels, the beast and the false prophet are.

Jesus will say to those who died in their sins, "Depart from Me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). In Matthew 7:22 Jesus declares to those who believe they have done His will but were imposters, "I NEVER knew you! Depart from Me you who practice lawnesses!" Revelation 20:15 tells us whoever name is not written in the Lamb's book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The Bible describes the casting into the lake of fire as the second death (Revelation 20:6, 14).

The reality of the second death

Anyone that rejects Jesus Christ in their lifetime and dies in their sins is guaranteed this tragic second death. Several of you may have never heard the phrase before. I will explain what it is and how to avoid it.

In this life we have three scenarios that will occur to all humanity.

1. Some people die once
2. Some people die twice
3. Some people will never die

Realities two and three are not common knowledge so I will need to explain them detail.

Those that die once are saved. They will only die physically but not spiritually. In other words, they are in Christ so when they die, the spirit immediately goes to heaven. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Those that die twice are those who rejected Jesus' offer of salvation and the forgiveness of sins through repentance when hearing the gospel preached to them. They love their sin too much to recoginize their need for a Savior. These are the type of people that want heaven, but do not want to give their lives over to Jesus to get it. Without Jesus the Bible says that person does not have life (John 3:36), but the wrath of God abides on them. So, instead of God's mercy and grace at the cross, they will receive the Lord's justice. No Jesus, no heaven.

Those that never die are those who will be caught up in the rapture according 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Bible says they will be changed instantly, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. What is this change? They will be translated from mortal to immortality - meaing God will make them immortal, no longer subject to death. They will be able speak to death and say, "I defeated you death! My Lord has taken away your sting!"

If you want Biblical accounts of people that never died, read Genesis 5:24 where God takes Enoch to heaven after living 365 years. The other account is with the prophet Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11. God takes him alive into heaven by a chariot and horses of fire. Elisha, Elijah's successor was an eyewitness to this rapture.

  

Summing things up

This future seems unreal but it is not. All of us admittedly wonder what the future holds. The Bible gives us all the answers. Knowing what God has declared before it happens shows His love for mankind. He is warning us all to obey His commands and follow Jesus Christ so that we can return with Him in glory to the earth when He comes, defeats His enemies and takes His rightful place as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revealation 19:11-21).       

Please feel free to comment and ask questions.               

Revelation 20 - Part 1

This chapter is the only place where the devil is bound (vs 2). Notice an angel from heaven does it, not us. Humans have never been able to bind Satan and demons - although many claim they can through prayer. No prophet or apostle has ever had the power to bind the devil in scripture. I needed to bring that to the attention of those that claim they can - you cannot. Not even the archangel Michael rebuked the devil regarding the body of Moses but said to the devil, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9). God has reserved that authority for Himself.

The time in history will occur after Jesus returns to earth to claim His throne not only in Jerusalem, but as King of kings and Lord of lords. This will be a time of literal global peace.

Jesus returns and destroys the armies of the earth (Read Revelation 19). Sin will still be among us, but with the devil bound in the abyss for one thousand years, sin will not be as dominant. One of the reasons sin will be diminised is over half of the global population would have been killed during the great tribulation. In Revelation 6:8; 1/4 of people will die, 9:15; another 1/3 will die. Based on a world population of 8 billion currently expect that over 5 billion will die - the greatest genocide in human history by far.

Understand this is God's endtime judgment and wrath on sinful mankind (Revelation 6:13-17). As tragic as this is, this is divine justice. People always complain about God because of all the evil in the world; that He is not doing anything about it.  Well, this is how He will rid the world of evil by getting rid of those who commit it. For one thousand years the devil is placed in prison. Scholars call this time the Millennium. It means one thousand. The word does not appear in the Bible, but it is a fitting description of this future time in history. 

Clearly the Lord is displaying His love mercy and grace during this period. I believe the gospel will go forth in power during this time so that sinners can repent, believe and be saved. Yes there will be those who are unredeemed that will survive the Tribulation along with those who will be born during the Millennium so the gospel will need to be preached. There will be no devil to tempt or lure them away to something ungodly because he will be locked up. 

This will be a unique time in history. Let me explain. The Church has returned to earth with Jesus according to Revelation 19:15. All the saints of God are immortal - meaning not subject to death any longer. Immortatlity also means they are perfect, unable to sin. They are just like Jesus (1 Cor 15:51; 2 Thess 4:13-18; 1 John 3:2). The rest of humanity on earth is still mortal which means they will die. The curse on the earth still exists, but with Jesus now on earth ruling from His throne in Jerusalem, He may (I cannot prove this) like He did in His first advent heal those who are sick and perform numerous signs and wonders - i.e. feed the multitudes, raise the dead, cast out demons because they (i.e. evil spirits) haven't been judged yet.

By virtue of the fact that He has returned is blessing enough as far as I am concerned. In the next article, I will discuss what happens when Satan is released from his prison.

Syncretism

Syncretism is when people blend different religions together for what they hope is a more fulfilling spiritual experience and satisfaction. There is a more common term for this practice - idolatry.

One of the most dangerous practices today is ancestor worship. Many cultures believe they can call on dead ancestors to help them in the here and now - give them support somehow. Perhaps divine the future for them. There are those that will call out their names as if the dead can hear them - have a seance to conjure their spirits so they can speak to them or even offer sacrifices to them. All of this is demonic and forbidden. Trying to relate to the dead is called necromancy. 

That is a door no one wants open. 

Leviticus 19:26b says, "You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes."

Leviticus 19:31 says, "Do not turn to mediums or nercromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourself unclean by them. I am the Lord your God."

The worst kind of syncretism is combining Biblical Christianity with a bastardized counterfeit gospel such as: the social gospel, name-and-claim-it-positive-confession-prosperitygospel. Others will add black liberation theology or Catholicism. 

I guess they want to make sure they have all their bases covered.

So reader, tell me, since when is Jesus not enough? Why are so many involved in Satanic rituals? Moses said in Exodus 20:2-3, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me."

In 1 Corinthians 10:20-22, we read, "Pagans do not sacrifice to God, but to demons. He (Paul) goes on to say, "I do not want you to be involved with demons. You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?"

Being syncretistic is the most unholy thing a person can do. Do not ever mix Christianity with paganism. Jesus did not suffer and die so that we could live idolatrous lives!

The very reason the nation of Israel was destroyed back in antiquity is because they forsook God and began worshipping the gods of their wicked neighbors - first the Northern kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians in ca 722 B.C., and the Southern kingdom by the Babylonians in ca 586 B.C. 

God had mercy on them and allowed them under King Cyrus to return to the Jerusalem ruins to rebuild their temple beginning in 538 B.C. (Ezra Chapter 1) only for the temple to be destroyed again by the Romans in 70 A.D. by Emperor Titus. Why? Because they rejected God Almighty in the flesh - Jesus Christ. This is what Jesus prophesied against the nation, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 19:41-44).

The Syncretist lacks faith

We as humans are impatient creatures. We live in a microwave society. We run through red lights and many will not stop at stop signs. We drive too fast on the streets and highways and most of us will not control our tongues. I want to offer some suggestions that will help us be more faithful to the Lord.

1. Pray more. The Bible commands us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Communicating with the Lord should never be a dry and boring ritual. You must realize that you are talking to Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe. He allows us to come to His throne and worship Him anytime we want (Hebrews 4:16). Do not neglect the privelege you have in Christ. The unbeliever does not have this blessing. God is not listening to those who are not His
2. Study the Bible. Psalm 119:105 says the word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. God's word is a treasure of wisdom and knowledge. What I have learned is that it only benefits those who take it seriously. You must realize the Christian will not be victorious without it. God's word is his self revelation. When we understand the revelation, that is illumination - wisdom and knowledge. God communicates to us through holy scripture. This is where we learn how to live the life of Christ. The 66 books of the Bible are eternal love letters to the world. Blessed are those who read them and do what they command. Spiritually speaking, when the believer knows who they are what they have in Christ, they will have ultimate confidence which produces joy and peace. They will never lack anything, ever!
3. Live your Christian life out loud. Understand when I say this, it does not mean we are obnoxious with our faith. But rather we defend the faith we have with vigor. The world has no problem selling lies and propoganda like a dealer selling dope on the streets, so we have to be sold out to the truth of the gospel. 1 Peter 3:15 commands us to, "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

Living a life of faith and not syncretism is a choice. We must trust the Lord whole heartedly. No, its not always easy, but its rewarding. Children of God must be Biblically minded, always. If you're not, then you will be distracted by worldly things which will make you ineffective for the kingdom. We must have an eternal mindset - meaning we realize this material world will pass away (Matthew 24:35). As a matter of fact, this world is going to burn, literally (2 Peter 3:7-10).

Concluding, carefully examine your life long family traditions and what you have been told 1 Thessalonians 5:21 commands us to, "Test everything; hold fast to that which is good." Verse twenty two commands us to abstain from every form of evil. If your traditions  are unbiblical, abandon them immediately. Just because something is familiar and comfortable, it could be subtley pulling you away from the truth - deceiving you without  notice. 

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day for their ungodly traditions. In Matthew 15:1-9:

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do your disciples break the tradition (emphasis on word tradition) of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of  your tradition? For God commanded, "Honor your father and mother", and "Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' But you say, "if anyone tells his father or his mother, "what you would have gained from me is given to God, " he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made the void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of  you, when he said:

"'This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men'" (Isaiah 29:13).

Whoever has ears to hear let them hear.

Where Is Your Anger Leading You?

The Webster Dictionary defines anger as a feeling of displeasure usually of antagonism. The definition of antagonism means a strong feeling of dislike or hatred; a desire to oppose something [(I would also add someone(s)] you disagree with.  I have been here on earth for a little while now; far less than many, yet longer than some, and as I get older, I see people crash out over the simplest of issues. Some of this I see and read about on social media, and also in public places like the market,  retail stores, restuarants, parks and even cruise lines.

Almost all of what I read about and see is ridiculous. I expect small children to whine when they cannot get their way, but adolescents, teenagers and adults? They should be ashamed of themeselves but they are not. In fact, the person who yells the loudest, cusses and fights the most is deemed the biggest and toughest on the block. Their unruly behavior is a badge of honor to them. 

What their delinquent attitude reveals is that they are out of control and will not try to resolve their issues in a civil matter. These people also prove they have no peace and joy in their lives. If no one can sit a person like that down and try to reason with them, leave them alone - get far away from them! If they are unwilling to receive counsel from anyone, they will end up in an interrogation room or getting fired from the job very soon due to their angry out of control violent behavior.

How the Bible describes angry people

Proverbs 14:17 - A quick tempered man acts foolishly. and a man of wicked intentions is hated

Proverbs 22:24-25 - Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and get a snare for your soul

Proverbs 25:28 - Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls

Proverbs 26:24-25 - Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart

Proverbs 29:11 - A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back

Proverbs 14:12 & Proverbs 16:25 - There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end  thereof are the ways of death

Proverbs 21:9 & Proverbs 25:4 - It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife

Clearly the godless angry person is a fool. He or she must be avoided at all times. They have no discretion or decorum. Their disposition is constipated. These people are from all walks of life; from the out house to the white house. The one thing all of them have in common, they are devoid of God's Spirit; they are children of their father the devil (John 8:44). 

Being children of Satan is never an excuse for bad behavior though. You know why? We all know when we have done or right or wrong. The conscience is a built in faculty and awareness system the Lord has placed in all of us to excuse us when we do what is right, or accuse us when we do wrong. No one has an excuse for their wickedness. 

The devil did not make you do it.

Believe it or not, God commands us in some situations to be angry. We are to be angry over sin and unrighteousness; not just other peoples sins, but our own as well.

An example of when we should be angry at sin is in 1 Corinthians 5.

Paul finds out that a man is having sexual relations with his father's wife, his step mother, in the church! Paul is appalled because he said this type of thing is not even happening upon the heathen. The Corinthians were promoting and celebrating incest. Paul told them you should be sorrowful over this but you are not (vs. 2). Paul commands them to put that immoral person out of the church assembly for they are corrupt and their sinful ways are contaminating the house of the Lord.

Read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 5 for full context.

Do we not see this every year in June during Gay Pride Month? The LGBTQIA+ community celebrate their perversions along with their supporters. The footage of these celebrations are modern day Sodom and Gommorah. These are the things we as believers should be sorrowful about but many are not because they love their sin and the sin of others. Some of their family members and friends are part of the community so they have a soft spot for the lifestyle. Society tells us it is not loving to not support those who want to express unnatural affection sexually. Because of this toxic empathy for sin, biological men - transgender women; sexual predators are playing in women's sports, going to women's bathrooms and dressing rooms with your daughters, sisters, mothers and wives. 

Why is there no outrage for this?

Because people love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).

The basis of one's anger reveals their character. What is on the inside of us will eventually manifest itself through our actions. Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). This manifestation is both good and evil. 

If one has a pathology of uncontrolled rage over nothing, that person is immature and need to grow up. Accept the fact that everything will not go your way, and people will always say things you do not like. Often times many people make themselves victims of something they heard - that had nothing to do with them and their anger is manufactured and not real. They just want pity and to be pacified. 

Realize life is hard and can be merciless at times. Solomon provides this wisdom, "If you fall in the day of adversity your strength is small" (Proverbs 24:10). What that tells me is that we need to develop our strength so that we stand in the tough times. 

Anger is not evil if it is outrage against unrighteousness. It is holy and good if we are angry for the Lord's sake. The Bible commands us to be angry and not sin (Ephesians 4:26). Examine carefully what you are angry about and where it may lead you - to glory and praise from God, or to shame and disgrace.

Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

- Galatians 4:16

What are you looking at?

                                  Dedicated to Candice J. Arnold   

The title of this article is inspired by my wife. In my prayer time yesterday (i.e.7/3/26) the Lord reminds me of His word all the time. The passages that really ministered to me deeply were Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus speaking, “Come to Me all you who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  

The majority of the world is yoked and burdened with their sin. That’s too heavy of a load. Jesus wants us to exchange our load for His. Problem with the world is they hate the pain sin produces, but love the rebellion because defiance is adrenaline to us; sin satifies our lustful flesh. Most do not think of the consequences ahead of time. We cannot pay the debt of our sin. Whoever dies in sin is yoked and burdened with their sin for all eternity in the lake of fire / hell. 

Jesus being God knows the fate of all mankind offers soul rest, in the here and now. When a person repents, and believes the gospel of Jesus Christ, they are granted salvation, i.e. rest for their soul. 

Now, this is where many get confused and discouraged.

When one focuses only on the problems of this present age and not on our heavenly inheritance (I'm speaking to Christians), despair and doubt creeps in and begins to dominate our thinking. This is where many have their faith shipwrecked. Why? Because like Peter when he focused on Jesus and not the crashing waves around him he could do the impossible, even walk on water. But, once he took his eyes off Jesus, and looked at the waves of the sea, doubt and fear set in and he begin to sink. Had Jesus not been there to save him, he would have drowned (Matthew 14:22-31).

If you're not in Christ you have absolutely no hope for the future. You are a dead person walking. Believe it or not I am speaking the truth to you in love (Ephesians 4:15). Humanitarianism is not the answer. Neither is philanthropy. These are only works of the flesh that produces praise of men, but not praise from God. You must switch loads with Jesus if you want to be free.

The Bible Is Our Telescope

The basic definition of a telescope is an instrument used to view distant objects through light / refraction. I liken the word of God to a telescope becuase it allows us not to see just the future, but all the way to eternity, that which we cannot see with the naked eye. What I am saying is God's truth lights our pathway to know Him and His ways (Psalm 119:105). God through His holy word lovingly commands us how we are to live on earth so that we do not stumble and continually be crash test dummies for the devil. The Bible puts God and His throne in our laps! The scripture transports us to heaven where we sit at His throne, hear from the Lord so we know how to be holy. The Bible is where God reveals His heart and mind. I like to think of it as God revealing His secrets to us. The Almighty whispering in my ear...

If this is not love, I'll never know what true loves is.

The Advantage of a Biblical Worldview

Having a Biblical wordview is in essence is having the mind of Christ. When one understands the magnitude of what God has blessed them with, how can one walk around defeated? I get the trials of life are real - real painful and debilitating, but this is where we have to realize we are in a war, a truth war. You must lock in and fight the good fight of faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Again, if you are only looking at what you see, like Peter you are going to sink into despair because for the person that forgets the promises and power of God, your faith will fail and you will fall. Get back up! Confess your sins to the Lord, and He will forgive you and get back in the race (1 John 1:9). 

Can we have Joy and Peace in chaos?

Yes! Jesus has given His joy and peace to abide with us forever. In John 14:27 Jesus said to His disciples that He would give them His peace. He also said that His joy no one would be able to take from them (John 16:22). Jesus also promised them that in the world they would have trouble (John 16:33). So we learn that all of these things are happening at the same time: Trouble and pain, joy and peace. God's joy and peace if one understands and claims it will fight against and prevail over the evil in our lives.

Paul in II Corinthians 4 is revealing powerful and glorious truths. He talks about the believer's present condition and future glory:

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus's sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you (II Corinthians 4:7-12)

And later in the same chapter Paul says:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (II Corinthians 4:16-18).

That is the crux of this article. What we are to look at is the unseen, and not the seen. For what we see will fade from focus. What we now cannot see will soon come into focus.

These words are awesome. What I love about God's word is that it never sugarcoats the bad news. Also the good news is far greater than the bad news so we as believers have hope that although this world is fading away, our eternal blessings is waiting for us once we are glorified.

I can hardly wait!

Life is hard beloved because of our sin. There is an eternal difference between the believer and non believer. The former has hope, the latter has no hope. The child of God has the kindgom of heaven as their possession and destination, now! Whereas the child of Satan has only the kingdom of darkness as their inheritance. The wonderful news is the gospel of Jesus Christ always offers hope for the hopeless, eternal life to the spiritual dead. Beware my friend! The door on getting things right with the Lord will close soon. Once He shuts the door on you it will be too late.

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What Are God's Commands?

This article will attempt answer the question from the last article Our purpose in life, Fear God and obey His commands for this man's all or duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). 

So, what are God's commands? How do we know if we are in obedience to the Lord? That is an open ended question I believe, but lets see how far we get shall we?

The first command is found in Exodus 20:3, you shall have no other gods before Me. 

How many of us really contemplate the heaviness of this command? People then like now are polytheistic; meaning they are idol worshippers - giving obeisance to created things. God commands us all to monotheism, the worship of Him alone. If one never acknowledges their Creator as Lord of all, they will never obey Him. Our wicked nature needs the power of the Word of God to subdue our evil resistance so that we can submit to Him in reverence.

Remember, God's commands are just that, His commands. They are never suggestions. The Lord commands obedience because He loves and knows what is best for us.

Jesus Mary and Martha

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (italics added for emphasis; Luke 10:38-41).

Can you see the tenderness and love Jesus has for Martha? Notice He did not tell her to stop what she was doing and sit at His feet like Mary was doing. But, Mary had her priorities in check. If God Almighty came to your house for a visit wouldn't you stop whatever you were doing to worship and listen to His every word for dear life?

Then again, perhaps many wouldn't.

This is how we are to love the Lord our God: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4).

God through His servant Moses is commanding the children of Israel that they are to love the Lord with every fiber of their being. God delivered them from Egyptian slavery and made them free. God was telling them they now have a new Master, God Almighty. Pharoah was no longer their master.

Why should we love the Lord our God?

God described Himself to Moses in this way when He was up on the mountain received the second set of the ten commandments: And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the inquity of the fathers upon the children and children's children to the third and fourth generation" (Exodus 34:6-7).

What I had to learn about why we should love the Lord is because He is good and His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136). The rub for the unbeliever is they look at the misfortune in their lives and ongoing tragedy in our world and draw the wrong conclusion that there is no way God is merciful, gracious and longsuffering and good. It is easy to make God the fall guy when one looks at life through a secular worldview verses a Biblical worldview. You see a humanist worldview offers no real hope or solutions for life's problems. The word of God provides all solutions for every human being. Here is the command: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to you children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).

Notice Jesus never offers an apology for the evil in the world. Why? Because man is responsible for his sins not God. We are the reason the world is a cesspool of degenerecy and debauchery. That is why God commands man to repent. This is a loving invitation from the Lord to us so that we can escape His wrath and enter into His joy. 

This is why God can describe Himself as: merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. 

The only way one can prove their love for Jesus is to obey Him. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The same John said in I John 5:3, "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome."

The Command to love one another

As Jesus was nearing His death, He taught the disciples this command, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). 

Jesus clearly practiced what He preached. Remember what Jesus said when He was dying in agony on the cross and all were mocking Him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not what they do" (Luke 23:34-36). Love always forgives and it never forgets. Why does love not forget? Because if love forgot, why would one need to forgive anything?

The apostle John wrote these sobering words. They are a loving warning to us as Christians, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethern. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:14-15).

John is providing clear instruction here. The outside world will never know if we love God if we hate one another. Hating one another proves one has not experienced the New Birth; that person is still in their sins. That is not why Jesus died to redeem us - so that we can continue to practice evil and live like the devil.

Here is another poweful text by John, If someone says, "I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he loves God must love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).

The text is clear again, we cannot hate who God loves. Just like Christ died for you, He died for your brother and sister who also repented of their sins and believed in Him. We are eternally connected with Church / The Body of Christ.

Summing it up

A Pharisee who was a lawyer asked Jesus a question testing Him and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:35-40).

Jesus replied to the lawyer saying, If you love God with all your might and loving your neighbor, you have fulfilled the entire law of God. Think about it. If anyone does these things, what else in life is left? The person that obeys these two commands is a light bearer in this dark world. That person is fearless and lives a life of truth and righteousness. They will never be defeated by circumstances because God's love is spread abroad in their hearts and they will be able to handle the difficulties life brings them.

This is the character of an obedient life, love God and love your fellow man.

Is Salvation Free?

Yes. Salvation is free because it is a gift of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). But salvation was not free for God our Father and the Lord Jesus. It cost the Father to give His Son, and it cost the Son His life - for us. So salvation is both free and not free - free for the recipient, but not for the giver.

The reason I asked the question in the first place is because I have for years pondered that question and not long ago someone asked me that very question:

Is salvation free?

My reply was yes, but that does not mean the Christian life will not bring many trials.

You see, the world has it backwards. They believe they can work their way into heaven through philanthropy, feeding the poor giving to charitable organizations, or being a good citizen. While all the above are good things, they cannot redeem the soul. The world will use their "good deeds" as a sort of good faith deposit for peace and tranquility into what many call the afterlife. In other words, if they believe in their own mind their good has outweighed their bad, then they are "reincarnated" and all will be well. 

I heard the late Pastor and Bible Teacher John MacArthur call that the religion of human achievement. One has to seriously ask themselves the question, "where will my soul end up when I die?"

Here is the main problem with human achievement, it focuses soley on the person and not God. Its the sacrifice of Cain that God had no respect for (Genesis 4:5). When one is spending and laboring their whole life long trying to earn their way to heaven, they blaspheme the Lord. What you are saying to God is, "I don't need you. I am good enough to do this on my own. I can save myself!" 

He that trusts in his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26).

That is someone who is trying to earn what Jesus already paid for by dying on the cross for our sins. That person has despised the atonement of Jesus Christ - trampling on His precious blood He shed for them. In attempting to earn salvation, you're actually mocking God. You have proven that you hate Him.

The Dichotomy

Many who are not saved are striving with every fiber of their being to purchase their slavation in the here and now. These people are hopefully deceived. God will never accept any human achievement from the unrepentant.

Let's read some proverbial passages.

Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 say, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 15:8, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. But the prayer of the upright is His delight."

Proverbs 21:27, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. How much more when he brings it with wicked intent."

Then there are those who are saved. Many of them have decided to sit on their hands and do nothing for the kingdom. All they do is attend Church to receive the Word and then leave, nothing more. One would expect that behavior from young believers, but not older ones. This is dishonoring to God. The scripture teaches us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in us both to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).

The message of Salvation is always new

The teaching on salvation of /by Jesus Christ is new everyday. For me its like hearing it for the first time although I've heard it countless times. It refreshes and always invigorates the soul if received by faith. What is Biblical Salvation? First of all is the Rebirth by the Holy Spirit. It is the resurrection from the dead (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). Did not Jesus declare of Himself that I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives in Me shall never die. Do you believe this (John 11:25-26)? This declaration and question He asked Martha the sister of Mary after their brother Lazarus died. 

It is the forgivness of our sins and the precious gift of eternal life. It is the rescue of the human soul from death. It is deliverance from the fires of hell. It is peace with God, forever. It is the baptism of God's love on our tortured wretched souls. It is the opening of our eyes from blindness. Because of God's revelation I can see all the way to eternity through the telescope of scripture. Now I  know how this present world will end and how the new heavens and earth will begin and remain forever. It is the opening of our ears from deafness. It is joy unspeakable. Who wouldn't want or need the salvation that God offers through Christ?

Thanks be to the Lord. My soul is at peace because of God's salvation. It is important that I say this regarding God's peace: Do not determine the peace of God based on what you see around you. If one has more faith in what they see verses what they can't see; i.e. the promises of God that will be fulfilled in the future, then they will never have real peace at all.  God's peace is untouchable. The world cannot take it away for it is a divine gift of God's grace. It comes from heaven so it transcends the trials of this sinful life. God's peace is His assurance that calms the restless soul which lasts forever. Yes! The child of God can have peace in every circumstance.

The apostle Paul provides us with a wonderful doxology of God's love:

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:37-39