I trust you have learned much from our Part I essay on God’s negative promises. An unpleasant task, but worthwhile. Let us complete the task in Part 2.
II Tim 2:11-13 says:
This is a faithful saying: 12…If we deny Him, He also will deny us.13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Many times I have heard sermons on v. 13 alone. The message the uplifting pastor gives is, if we practice sin, God will still remain faithful and see to it that we will go to heaven. A bit of Calvin thinking, perhaps. Because we’re certain of salvation, the pastor says. But, folks, that’s not what the verses say. Read v. 12 again. Doesn't it slap you in the face? So if you take an optimistic view on v. 13, uh, doesn't that make those two contradictory? Would God do that? I think not. Here's a more likely version, assuming that God isn't a liar or confused; taking the two verses together, it more likely says that God will remain faithful in His promise as to what He does with people who deny Him. We may change our mind about how we react to a certain action, but He doesn't. Once He makes a statement, He sticks to it. As He reacted in the Old Testament, it would be the same in the New; if we deny Him, He will deny us! Matthew 10:33 echoes this:
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven
Don’t read anything positive in the statement “He cannot deny Himself” or the word "faithful." Read it as follows: if He doesn’t carry out His negative promise, He would be denying His vow. Yes, He is faithful to carry out a negative promise as well as a positive one. Such as denying us if we deny Him. Thus, we obtain an opposite meaning compared to the typical sermons—because the pastor doesn’t look at the previous verse, verse 12. Context is crucial.
Romans 8:13: For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live
We must consciously sacrifice worldly thoughts and behaviors. We cannot continue to live “according to the flesh,” pleasing our lower nature. Or we “die”—another reference to hell.
James 2:13: For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment
Showing mercy is an extremely important Christian fruit. Look at Luke 16:19-31 for Jesus' startling presentation on that subject:
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
Note the following: The rich man is in hades--on the way to hell. Why such a horrible end--he basically did nothing in the parable, we may assert. But his end was justly deserved; He was in hades because he refused to show any mercy to the beggar, whom he passed every single day (he had to have noticed him) and refused to lift a finger. Yet, you say, this seems to be an extreme punishment for him not being merciful! After all, he was rich; doesn’t that mean that God blessed him, and would make sure he went to heaven? No, bad assumption. The rich man is suffering in great torment—extreme heat, parched tongue, flames—all truly what hell will be. Think about the torment—would God do such a thing? Well, if we judge Him for being so unmerciful, don't forget the rich man was unmerciful to the beggar. Besides, judging God for this probably means we have no inkling of how much He hates sin! Don't forget, God was willing to give up His only Son, to die a horrible death, because of our sin—and yet we stomp on His love by ignoring His Son’s words to us to follow His commands. Finally, notice that the rich man, tormented as he was, gets not one simple request fulfilled—he doesn’t get his tongue cooled, not a word is said to warn his brothers. Why? His time of mercy has passed. Final judgment, heaven or hell, cannot involve God's emotions. If they break the command, they have to pay the price. “Judgment is without mercy,” as James 2:13 above says. Since he had shown no mercy, he gets no mercy in Judgment. No second chances! Once in hades or hell, you’re in hell forever! Let us learn from this and show mercy to the downtrodden. Make no excuse for yourself, thinking “they wasted their life, and deserve to be there.” Or, "I can't trust any charity organization: All are covered in graft." These are excuses. God knows our every thought. Don’t we want God's mercy? All of have many sins when we die; we need mercy. The idea that God measures the good and counters it to the bad to decide if heaven or hell is man's imagination. The Bible is clear on how it works.
Revelation 14:9-12: Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
When the terror of the end times comes, Christians will be the target for famine and execution (Revelation 6). It will seem that having the "mark" imprinted on us is the way to get the needs of life met easily--food, clothing, medical care, since Christians can't get food otherwise (Revelation 13:16-17). People will be fearful that without the mark, they may starve, or die because of poor health. The temptation to take the mark will be almost impossible to ignore.
Yet the angel in the above verses clearly warns us that if we do take the mark, our destination is hell; we get the wrath of God, which means we get tormented with fire and brimstone—forever. Is the trade-off worth it? If we believe God’s Word is Truth, it actually makes sense to starve to death (although I think God will perform miracles to keep that from happening in some cases), in order to gain heaven instead of hell. Here are your choices: Do you prefer a couple months or years of filling your belly, and then death and hell forever? Or do you prefer possibly death now, and heaven forever? Forever is a lot longer than a couple years. Heaven is unspeakably better than hell. If you believe that God speaks the truth, it’s no contest which way to go. Yet most people are predictable; their immediate needs are as far as they see. So Scripture speaks of a great apostasy (falling away from Him and His truth) in those End Times. And we may be in that unfortunate "End Times" generation. Will we fall away to satisfy bodily needs? Can we resist that temptation, believing in the certainty of heaven if we choose for God--and believing in a certain, horrible place called hell otherwise. We need to pray and be mentally prepared--and our families as well. We must train our accountable children honestly in what to expect, all clearly laid out in Scripture, if we are likely in those times. Sad to say, many will be unprepared--a lot of “Christians” will make excuses to God while they apostatize and take the mark. To their eternal destruction. He will stick to His promise, regardless of their excuses. II Thessalonians 2:3 clearly says that there will be many who will be weak and fall away:
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition
Here's another one:
II Chronicles 15:2: And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
Yes, it’s possible to be forsaken by God--if we forsake Him. What, you thought He was a God of unconditional love, patient forever, faithful to keep us safe to the end, etc., etc.? Guess you had the wrong idea about Him. That's possible, since Scripture points out how we can be self-deceived. If you’re smart, you need to read His Word about what He thinks, rather than guessing or relying on your pastor, and hoping your way through. Let us not mentally create God to be what we want--but what if He isn't what we desire of Him? We can't spend time on speculation that often turns on self-deception. Scripture is the best way to find out truly about God. It also says we guess wrong about what God is thinking. As Isaiah 55:8-9 and Ezekiel say:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Ezekiel 33:13: When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die
“Die” refers to hell. You say you had your one moment of receiving Jesus, that you got Jesus' righteousness--but your life hasn’t really changed? You don't feel your love for Him is growing? You say that you behaved when you were young, but now your plan is to sow your wild oats before you get old, then repent of it all and get saved again? Convenient assumptions…but big mistakes; that trend doesn't happen. I have an 87-year old friend, who is obviously close to death. No way can I get him to think about a judging God. Keep in mind: As the Ezekiel verse says, He is opposed to us if we "trust in our own righteousness." That means we don't believe that Jesus died for our sin, and we need His righteousness. We are unworthy sinners. Also, He knows that our hearts have a greater tendency to harden as we age. He is patient with us when we ignore Him for a time, but His patience has a limit.
Matthew 7:21,23: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who DOES THE WILL of My Father in heaven…And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
God promises hell to those who have “lip service,” yet they “practice lawlessness.” These are people who think, “It’s all right to sin..I’ll confess it later,” or “Now that I’m saved, I can sin and not lose my salvation. Sinning just makes me lose fellowship, or lose a crown.” Such people encourage lawlessness. Their theology opened the door to sin. If they walk through it--they’re on their way to hell, regardless of sincere theology. They haven’t read their Bibles about expectations God had for them to fight sin.
John 5:29: … and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation
Note the key to the resurrection of life: Doing good, turning away from evil. This presumes a faith in Christ and new birth previously. But faith cannot be alone and live. This agrees with the book of James which speaks of “dead faith,” James 2:17:
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
That “faith” won’t get you to heaven; you end up in hell. Works, fruit, are necessary to maintain salvation. See my blogs on “initial…final salvation,” and “Paul v James.”
In Exodus 34:6,7 God describes Himself and emphasizes His mercy and patience:
And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation
See also Nehemiah 9:31 and Psa 145:8-9 and Micah 7:18. BUT as I said in my opening remarks, you need to see the other side of God to get the true picture from what you hear from most pastors. He is jealous (Exodus 20:5), gets wrathful and avenging over sin, even slaughters people for their sin; in fact, He hates some people! (But there is room for sincere repentance.) See Psa 11:5
The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
It’s important to see both sides of God, that He is faithful to His promises, even if that means people go to hell. Let us never forget that fewer people make it to heaven—most people make up their own view about God, and thus consign themselves to hell. See Matthew 7:14 for proof that this happens to the majority of people:
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Never forget this sobering fact.
Acknowledgement to Daniel Corner, writer and preacher
No comments:
Post a Comment