Please note that this Bible study is not meant to be exhaustive by any means; but rather a quick introduction to various important Biblical doctrines.
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The Deity of Jesus - The Godhead
- The Blood of Jesus
- The Virgin Birth
- Jesus' Sinlessness
- Jesus' Bodily Resurrection
- Jesus' Bodily Return
- The Pretribulation Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming
- The Sinfulness of Mankind
- God's Love
- God's Wrath
- Christ's Imputed Righteousness
- Hell
- Heaven
- The Judgment Seat of Christ
- The Holy Spirit
- Salvation ONLY in Jesus
- Eternal Security
Most false religions attack the deity of Jesus, i.e., that Biblical teaching that Jesus is Almighty God. Jesus claimed to be God, and it made people very angry. John 10:33 states, "The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." Jesus said what He meant, and meant what He said. Again, in Revelation 1:8, Jesus claimed to be God. In fact, Jesus claimed to be the Almighty, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." Jesus accepted worship in the Bible, which only God is entitled to (Matthew 2:2,8:2,9:18,14:33; Isaiah 42:8). Jesus forgave sin in the Bible as only God is able to (Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:7; 1st Timothy 2:5).
John 1:1 proclaims, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." We clearly see that this Scripture is referring to Jesus Christ in verse 14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." In John 8:57-59, Jesus claimed to be God Almighty, the I AM of Exodus 3:14, and the crowd tried to kill Him for it ... "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." How can anyone deny the deity of Jesus Christ in lieu of such plain Scriptures? Jesus again claimed deity in John 14:1 when He proclaimed, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
What a wonderful Savior!
Skeptics of the Word of God often like to point out that the word "Trinity" is not found in the Scriptures; however, the Word "Godhead" most certainly is. We find the "Godhead" mentioned in Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, and Colossians 2:9. Colossians 2:9 states it all so well, "For in him (Christ) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Literally, the Godhead came to this earth incarnate in the man Christ Jesus. Jesus was 100% man, and 100% God. Jesus did not give up His deity when He came to the earth. According to Hebrews 5:8, Jesus humbled Himself to the Father in Heaven, even being obedient unto death (the crucifixion).
We read in Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." "Us" and "Our" are plural in the Hebrew. Clearly, God has manifest (or revealed) Himself to mankind as a Godhead, i.e., one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet three distinct individual Persons. It may not make good math; but, it definitely makes good Bible. I didn't author the Bible, God did. Either you believe that the Bible is God's Word, or you don't. We plainly read in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Here we see all three individual members of the Godhead. Again in Luke 3:22 we see all three individual members of the Godhead, "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
These Scriptures cannot be thrown away. Several false religions, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, deny the Godhead. The argument is that the Trinity originated in pagan ancient Babylon. However, a distinct difference must be noted between the masculine Godhead of the Word of God, and the pagan goddess worship which originated with Nimrod and Semiramis. It was not Christianity that imitated paganism; but paganism Christianity. Furthermore, there is no ancient pagan religion which taught the Biblical doctrine of the Godhead. There are an abundance of Scriptural references to "God the father," and to the "Son of God." Clearly, they are two distinguished individuals.
Also, we see the individuality of the Holy Spirit in Luke 12:10, "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." Acts 5:32, "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." Notice the word "Whom," not "it." The Holy Spirit is a Person. In John 16:13 we read, "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." Six times in John 16:13, the Holy Spirit is referred to as "he."
The Godhead is a mystery. We read of "the
mystery of God" in Colossians 2:2. You either believe the Bible is
the Word of God, or you don't. By the way, many modern corrupted Bibles
have entirely removed the word "Godhead," such as in the New International
Version (NIV). This is a direct attack on Christ's deity.
Also, wherever the King James Bible says that someone "worshipped" Jesus, the
NIV changes it to "knelt" instead. How deceitful.
Jesus shed His blood to purchase our redemption, to pay for our sins. We read these precious Words in 1st Peter 1:18-19, "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..." Amen! Heretics like R.B. Thieme Jr. and John MacArthur deny the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. They are dangerous teachers, who claim to love the blood of Jesus; but, they do not. MacArthur believes the blood of Jesus is only symbolic of the crucifixion, and that the "liquid" blood is worthless in and of itself. In sharp contrast, the Word of God proclaims Jesus' blood as PRECIOUS ... "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things ... But with the precious blood of Christ..." -1st Peter 1:19-19.
In the Old Testament, when the 10th plague was upon Egypt, God had instructed Moses to warn the people to apply the BLOOD of a slain lamb to the doorway of their homes. If they didn't obey God, then the firstborn of that individual family would die. We read in Exodus 12:13 ...
"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
Did you read what God said ... WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD!
If the family would have just killed the lamb (as MacArthur teaches); BUT, failed to APPLY the shed blood to the doorposts of the home, then the first born would have DIED! The blood had to be applied.
Likewise, in the Old Testament, the tabernacle Highpriest was REQUIRED to APPLY the slain lamb's blood to the mercy seat, in the holy of holies. Leviticus 16:15 states ...
"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat."
If the Highpriest killed the lamb; but, failed to apply the blood to the mercy seat, then the people's sin were NOT atoned for. Clearly, the blood had to be APPLIED. John MacArthur is a heretic, who teaches that Jesus' blood was only important in that it represented Christ's death. In sharp contrast, the Word of God declares that the blood of Jesus Christ, itself, is the actual "liquid" that washes our sins away forever ...
"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..."
Who are you going to believe? John
MacArthur? Or the incorruptible Word of God? MacArthur's defense of Himself
puts his foot in his own mouth. He is subverted of himself. How dare anyone
claim that Jesus' blood, itself, doesn't save, in lieu of 1st peter 1:18,19.
Why doesn't MacArthur just be honest and do the honorable thing, and admit he
is terribly wrong concerning his doctrine on the blood of Jesus Christ.
MacArthur is a modernist, and is woefully wrong on the most fundamental
doctrine of the Christ faith--the blood of Jesus Christ!
Modernists down through the centuries have denied the virgin birth of Christ. We read in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." And again in Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Anyone who denies the virgin birth of Jesus is not saved! This is a fundamental doctrine of salvation, as is the deity of Christ, the Godhead, and the blood applied in Heaven.
The blasphemous Catholic Church lies to it's
victims, by claiming the Perpetual Virginity of Mary. This is
nonsense. We clearly read in Matthew 13:55-56 that Mary had at least 4
other sons besides Jesus, and 2 daughters. The Catholic Douay version of
the Bible contains a footnote for Matthew 13:55, which claims that this was a
different Mary than Jesus' mother. How absurd! We read in Luke
2:42-43, that Joseph and Mary were still living together after 12 years since
Jesus' birth. Do you think they just lived together, without ever being
intimate? How absurd for Catholics to claim that Mary never married!
Mary did NOT remain a virgin! But, she was a virgin at the time she gave
birth to Jesus. Contrary to Mormon heresy, God DIDN'T have physical
relations with Mary. Such a teaching is blasphemy. The Word of God
is careful to inform us that the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, to cause her
to conceive (Luke 1:35). There was no sperm involved, for God is a
Spirit (John 4:24). Jesus had God's blood flowing in His veins, not
Adam's (Acts 20:28).
Some evil people have dared to allege that Jesus was a sinner. Such filthy movies as Jesus Christ Superstar, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Da Vinci Code blaspheme the Savior by portraying Him as a sinner. We read in 2nd Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." And again in Hebrews 4:15 we read, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." What a Precious and Dear Savior Jesus Is! Jesus, who knew no sin, became as sin; that we, who knew no righteousness, might be made the righteousness of God in Christ.
Jesus never sinned!
Jesus never went where He shouldn't have went. Jesus never said what He
shouldn't have said. Jesus never lusted after a woman. Jesus never
thought of killing someone. Jesus never cursed in the Father's name.
Jesus never lied to anyone. Jesus was Holy, i.e., moral perfection.
If Jesus had sinned, even once, then He would have been in the same
predicament as Adam was--in need of salvation Himself. Of course, Jesus
walked this earth as God in the flesh, and He couldn't sin. God cannot
sin! Thank God that He is God!
We read in John 20:14, "And when she (Mary
Magdalene) had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus
standing, and knew not that it was Jesus." Clearly, Jesus rose
bodily from the grave. Several false religions, such as the Jehovah's
Witnesses, deny that Jesus rose BODILY from the dead. We read in 1st
Corinthians 15:3-8 that Jesus was seen by at least 512 people after He arose
from the dead, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he
was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part
remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen
of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as
of one born out of due time." As further evidence that Jesus rose
bodily, He told Thomas to touch His scars, "Then saith he to Thomas,
Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and
thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." Jesus
also ate after He rose from the dead (Luke 24:30). And finally, we read
in Acts 1:11 that Jesus ascended BODILY into Heaven.
We read in Acts 1:11, "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Jesus left this earth in bodily fashion, and He will return in bodily fashion. 1st John 3:2 states, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." This speaks of the Rapture, when all Saints will be caught up to meet with the Lord in the air, "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" -1st Thessalonians 4:17.
After the Rapture, there will be a 7-year time of Tribulation upon
the earth, and then the Lord will return physically to the earth to rule.
We read about Christ's return at the Second Coming in Revelation 1:7, "Behold,
he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which
pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so,
Amen." Jesus will judge the nations when He returns, and then reign
from Jerusalem over the earth.
The Pretribulation Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming
Most people who believe in a Post-Tribulation Rapture use a modern corrupt Bible, such as the New International Version. The King James Bible, and the Greek New Testament, teach a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. If you take the Bible as a WHOLE, you can only come to the logical conclusion of a Pretribulation Rapture. Jesus clearly said, repeatedly, that He would return at a time that would surprise everyone. Luke 12:40, "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." The Bible clearly teaches that there will be exactly 84 months (7 years) between the Rapture and the Second Coming. The events Biblically prophesied to occur during the 7-year Tribulation Period are so devastating, that only a fool wouldn't know that the end of the world is near.
In fact, Revelation Chapters 6-18 describe in detail what will happen during the Tribulation Period. It isn't pretty. We read that 1/3 of all forestry will be burned up (Revelation 8:7). We read that 1/3 of all sea life will die, and 1/3 of all ships destroyed (Revelation 8:9). We read in Revelation 8:10-11 of a meteor which will strike the earth, poisoning 1/3 of all the waters, killing massive amounts of people. Revelation 8:12 declares that their will be an astronomical disaster, and the earth will lose 1/3 of it's sunlight. One can only fear the implications of such a woeful event. We read of dreaded scorpion-like creatures who will savagely attack people, but the victims won't be able to die for 5 months (Revelation 9:3-10). Perhaps this will be because of paralysis (we do not know). Revelation 9:6 states, "And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."
Genesis 1:31, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...” The Bible says God saw that His creation was very good; yet mad scientists today think they can improve on God's creation by genetically tampering with nature's DNA in laboratories. One can only imagine beyond their worst nightmares what unholy evils scientists will unleash upon the world. No wonder Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:7 that there will be pestilences and famines in the End Times. Mad Scientists Produce Chicken-Alligators!
If the Post-Tribulation crowd is correct, then the Body of Christ (the Church) will have to go through this time of utter misery. This would CLEARLY let us know EXACTLY when Jesus is going to return, give or take a few months. Thank God, the Post-Tribulation crowd is wrong! We read in 2nd Thessalonians 2:7, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he (the Holy Spirit) who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." This can only be the Church, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.
The antichrist wouldn't get past day one, because the Church would exposing his identity. So the Church (all believers) must be removed (Raptured) to allow the Antichrist free reign over the inhabitants of the earth. I think the disastrous events which will occur in the Tribulation Period are one of the best defenses of the Pretribulation Rapture. Jesus plainly stated that He will return at a time we think not. There is nothing in the world today that even compares to the horrific events which will occur in the Tribulation Period. Literally, one half of the planet will die. Revelation 6:17 calls the Tribulation, "...the great day of his wrath..." Don't be deceived, God is getting really angry these days, and mankind's time of judgment is coming.
As a believer, I do not want anyone to go to Hell; but, I oftentimes look forward to the day when God will judge the wicked, and put an end to this mess on earth. So many people are suffering because of evil men and women, especially at the hands of the rich elite. There will be rejoicing in Heaven during the Tribulation, as the Devil's crowd gets what they deserve, "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." There is speculation as to "who" the Great Whore is.
Although most believers think it will be the Catholic Church, and they are certainly correct--it will likely include the occult-inspired groups that control the Catholic Church (Such groups as Skull and Bones, Freemasonry, Rosicrucians ... the Illuminati). The "illuminati" is an unofficial term used today to refer to the whole of Satanically inspired occult groups. Carefully notice that 2nd Corinthians 4:4 describes Satan as the "god of this world," i.e., the god of wicked men. So how does Satan control his world? He does it through occult (secret) societies.
Every secret society today is based upon Luciferian doctrines (doctrines of devils). These are the men who control the world. Many corporate leaders are also members of these Satanic organizations; hence, nations don't rule the world anymore, corporations do. Increasingly, many corporation have their own paid mercenary groups--armies! This is all heading towards a global police state, the beast system of Antichrist. As believers, we need to expose these groups, and warn our families and friends not to voluntarily give up their rights.
An easy way to remember the Bible is this:
- Jesus came 2,000 years ago TO His own (the Jews).
- Jesus is coming at the Rapture FOR His own (all believers).
- Jesus is coming at the Second Coming WITH His own (all believers).
It is at the Second Coming, after the 7-year
Tribulation, that Jesus will put down the Antichrist in the Battle of
Armageddon (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be bound in chains, and cast
into Hell for 1000 years to suffer (Revelation 20:3). Jesus will reign
as Divine King over the earth, "When the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory" (Matthew 25:31). It will be a time of peace and serenity.
The lamb and the lion will play together, and the lion will not hurt the lamb
(Isaiah 11:6-7). Children will play with deadly snakes, but will not be
hurt (Isaiah 11:8). The curse upon the earth and it's waters will be
healed (Ezekiel 47:8-9). There will be no more lies of evolution, or
false religions; BUT, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
(Habakkuk 2:14). What a glorious day that will be!
As unbelievable as it may seem, there are many people in this world who do NOT view themselves as sinners. One such group is Wicca. Wiccan' witches do not believe in sin. They do not believe that Jesus is the Christ, nor do they believe that Satan exists in the real world. In sharp contrast, the Word of God proclaims in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." In fact, we read in 1st John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Wiccans are calling God a liar! 1st John 2:22 calls them LIARS, because they deny that Jesus is the Christ. All humanity is sinful, except Jesus Christ. Jesus never sinned, not even once; but, we are sinful through and through. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. All people are born with the sin-nature.
The Catholic Church has an unscriptural teaching called "original sin." Catholics teach that all babies should be baptized to remove that original sin. However, this is blatant heresy, and a damnable one at that. The historical Catholic position was that all unbaptised babies who died, couldn't enter into Heaven. Pope Benedict XVI just changed that. Folks, infant baptism is unscriptural. Every baby who dies goes to Heaven. It isn't until a child reaches the age of enlightenment, when they recognize wrong doing as sin, that God holds them accountable. Therefore, a child has no "original sin." You can't get rid of the sin-nature, that is with a person through life. A child has a sin nature, and the curse of Adam's original sin is upon him; but, he has done no sin, and CANNOT obtain any forgiveness through infant baptism. Infant baptism is a damnable practice that causes many Catholic and Lutheran children to grow up with a false sense of security.
They think they are
prepared to meet God; but, they are still Hell-bound in their sins without
Christ as Savior. No child should ever be baptized, unless they have
consciously made a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
So the whole idea of "original sin" is unbiblical. People don't go to
Hell for anyone's sin but their own. Adam may have allowed sin to enter
into the world; but, we are accountable for ourselves. Adam sinned as an
ambassador of the human race. In Adam, we all sinned, because he is the
father of the human race. So we are born spiritually dead, without God,
and with a natural tendency to sin; but, we choose to sin each time we do so.
The only hope is in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1), Who can cleanse our sins away
with His blood (1st John 1:7), make us a "new creature" (2nd Corinthians
5:17), and help us to live right if we'll walk in His Holy Spirit (Galatians
5:16).
I receive letters every so often from people who are angry with me for saying that God loves sinners; BUT, He certainly DOES! God doesn't love sin; but, He loves the sinner. Why do you think Jesus died upon the cross? For Calvinists and other heretics to claim that Jesus only died for believers is absurd. To claim that Jesus only loves believers, who have repented concerning their sins, is unbiblical. Matthew 5:46 declares, "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" Would Jesus violate His own teaching, by only loving those who love Him back? No sir! Jesus loved us before we loved Him ... "We love him, because he first loved us" (1st John 4:19). To say that God doesn't love the wicked is a lie of Satan! John 3:16 proclaims, "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."
This is an important doctrine.
Don't let anyone deceive you--God loves people, and yes, sinners too! If
God didn't love sinners, we'd all be in big trouble, because all men are
sinners. Not one verse in the entire Bible says that God hates anyone.
God hates sin, and He wants us to hate sin too (Psalm 97:10; Psalm 94:16).
We read in 1st John 3:16, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he
laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren." God loves humanity, so much that He sent His only
begotten Son to die for us. Jesus died for ALL humanity, not just the
redeemed. This is abundantly clear in 1st John 2:2, "And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins
of the whole world." Jesus loves all humanity, and shed His
blood for them all. For anyone to claim otherwise to be sinfully
self-righteous. We all deserve to rot in Hell for our sins. Who
are we to decide who God loves or doesn't? John 3:16 declares "For
God so loved the WORLD."
This is doctrine which is seldom ever taught; BUT, is a solid Biblical doctrine. We read in Psalm 7:11, "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." We read in John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." God is not a compromiser, who condones man's evils. I receive many letters from witches, homosexuals, and every other God-hater imaginable--who tell me I am not being loving as Jesus taught. What a lie! Jesus was no compromiser. The Devil's crowd tries to fool ignorant believers with this lie of Satan. Jesus hated sin, and preached against sin. Jesus was a friend to sinners in the sense that He ministered to them, because He genuinely cared about them. However, Jesus did not laugh and have a good time while watching sinners commit wickedness. Jesus NEVER accepted witchcraft.
Jesus NEVER accepted
homosexuality. People today are effectively being brainwashed to believe
that Christians have no right to preach against homosexuality. It's
eventually going to be considered an act of "terrorism" to preach publickly
against such evils, and will carry a hefty fine and/or imprisonment. The
charge will be a felony. Mark my words. This is what happens when
Christians play church, and remain silent in their communities about evil.
Churches remain silent to win the respect of the community, while the
community goes to Hell morally. This is what the Devil's crowd wants.
They want God's children to remain silent. They could care less what you
think about homosexuality; but, don't you dare speak out publickly against it.
Well God HATES sin, and His wrath is upon all Christ-rejecters. Does God
still love these people? Yes, but He is angry with them at the same
time. 2nd Peter 3:9 plainly states that God is not willing for
anyone to perish.
Christ's Imputed Righteousness
The word “impute” means “to pass to one’s account, to count over” It means that Jesus places His righteousness upon our record when we trust upon Him for salvation. Romans chapter four speaks concerning Abraham, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was COUNTED UNTO HIM for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). What a beautiful truth! Abraham was not saved by good works; but rather, he believed God and was saved by Christ’s righteousness. Christ’s perfection was imputed (placed) on Abraham’s record in Heaven. God the Father viewed Abraham thereafter as having the righteousness of Christ. What a Savior!
Abraham believed God concerning the coming Messiah which was to save His people from their sins . . . “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Why was Abraham able to simply believe God in place of merit or good works? It's simply because Jesus paid the price for mankind's sins. You see, Abraham could NOT please God in his own self-righteousness, nor can we (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 10:3,4; Titus 3:5). No matter how much good we may do here on earth, our sins are still recorded in Heaven.
Our sins must be dealt with. This is why Jesus came to earth to paid the price for our sins with His own precious blood . . . “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.” All mankind is corrupt and destitute of God. Even in our sincerest efforts, humanity is tarnished with the curse of sin and rebellion. We need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, i.e., the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are saved by Jesus' righteousness through faith.
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God IMPUTETH righteousness without works” (Romans 4:5-6).
We
read in Romans 4:8, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not
IMPUTE
sin.” Not only was Christ’s righteousness imputed (counted) to Abraham’s
record, but Abraham’s sinful record was imputed to Christ. Literally, Jesus
became as sin for us and died a sinner's death . . . “For
HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US,
WHO KNEW NO SIN; that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him”
(2nd Corinthians 5:21). Amen!
Hell is a literal place, which burns with fire and brimstone. Please read the following Chapters from my book if you are interested: The Reality of Hell, The Penalty of Hell, and The Purpose of Hell. And let me say right here—HELL HAS FIRE! Hell is not a place with trees and sunshine. The Bible describes Hell as an awful place of weeping, and torment (Matthew 24:51). A place of darkness (Matthew 8:12). A place of regrets (Luke 16:24). For those who don't believe in Hell, they will go there for their unbelief (Revelation 21:8). 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 couldn't be any clearer, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." God's wrath abides upon the wicked (John 3:36).
Many people don't understand the Biblical teaching of Hell. There are 3 different meanings of the English word "Hell." The Koine Greek was an exact Language, developed by General Alexander the Great as a military language. It was in this beautiful, and exact, language in which the New Testament was given to man. When the Greek Bible was translated into English, which is a weaker language, some of the clarity was lost. This requires us to STUDY the Bible to accurately interpret it's meaning. The Greek is extremely helpful in doing this. So when you read the word "Hell" in the English Bible, it could have any one of three different meanings. The three Greek words for Hell are: Hades, Tartarus, and Gehenna:
- Hades is equivalent to the Old Testament Hebrew, Sheol. Hades, according to Luke 16, has two compartments: Paradise, and Torment. Old Testament saints went to Paradise, and those who rejected Jesus Christ into Torment. Although some people foolishly believe that "Sheol" in the Old Testament simply refers to the grave, it is abundantly clear from Scriptures such as Psalm 9:17 that Sheol (Hell) was much more than just the grave. Psalm 9:17 states, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." The word "hell" here is "Sheol." If Sheol is only the grave, then this Scripture would make absolutely no sense at all, for why would the wicked and the righteous go to the same grave? The implication is that the wicked will experience JUDGMENT. Obviously, Sheol here cannot simply refer to the grave. According to pastor Max D. Younce ...
Sheol is not the grave. A mistranslation--"Sheol" is also translated as grave approximately 25 times in the Old Testament, which has caused much confusion concerning the Doctrine of Hell. Jehovah's Witnesses utilize this translational error to the fullest, claiming Hell is the grave and nothing more. When we look at the Hebrew we find that the word "gibrah" is properly used for "grave." "Gibrah" is translated throughout the Old testament as "grave, burying place, and sepulchre," and properly so. Sheol is never in any case in the Old testament ever referring to grave, burying place or sepulchre; but, rather a place located in the center of the earth. The grave, burying place and sepulchre houses our dead bodies, but Sheol is the compartment that contains the souls and spirits that will never die and which were in those earthly bodies. -SOURCE
- Tartarus is a special place for fallen angels (demons) who have been confined to the pit (Matthew 8:29). Jude 1:6 states, "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." Not all demons are presently in Tartarus, but only the worst. They have been confined to the pit, reserved until their time of judgment.
- Gehenna is the Lake of Fire. This
is where all the souls in the Torment side of Hades will be cast one day,
after standing in judgment before the Great White Throne Judgment
(20:11-15)
Although the Bible has more to say about Hell than Heaven, we still do have a wonderful glimpse into what Heaven will be like. Heaven is a literal place, contrary to what Church of Christ folks believe. The Bible describes Heaven as a city, the New Jerusalem, with streets of gold, and 12 gates of pearl (each a single pearl). Revelation 21:21 states, "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." We read the wonderful Words in Revelation 21:4, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Heaven will be so beautiful that God couldn't describe it in terms we would understand. So instead, God tells us many things that WON'T be there. There will be no more death, no more pain, no more tears, no more suffering, no more sorrow. Everything will be new, a new start. Of course, we will first have to give account to God for the lives we have lived, and the people will have hurt. No one is going to get away with anything (Galatians 6:7; 1st Thessalonians 4:6). No amount of service or sacrifice for Christ can reconcile our wrongs against another person. We must do that ourselves, or else God will intervene and do it for us on judgment day.
Colossians 3:1 teaches that Jesus has risen and
is seated on the right-hand of the Father in Heaven. One cannot sit on a
throne that is only figurative or spiritual. Clearly, Heaven is a physical
“place.” John 14:2, “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.”
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:20 to “lay up for yourselves treasures in
Heaven.” The Lord promises that our heavenly treasures will not rust
like here on earth, nor will moths eat through our clothing, nor will
thieves rob us of our possessions and livelihood. The Lord plainly
teaches that Christians can earn physical possessions in Heaven by serving
God. For anyone to claim that the Bible is only speaking figurative, and
that Heaven is only a spiritual reference, is to ignore that clear and plain
teachings of the Word of God. The Lord our God is preparing a literal place,
with literal possessions, so we can literally enjoy them when we get to
Heaven to be with the Lord as He has repeatedly promised (John 16:22). What
a great Savior!!!
Many believers have the misconception that since all of our sins are taken away in Christ, that we have a license to sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. We read in 1st Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" 1st Thessalonians 4:6 is abundantly clear, "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified." Judgment will begin at the house of God. Christians will stand account before God, to give account of the good and bad done in the body (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11). Many belie levers will face “THE TERROR OF THE LORD” (2nd Corinthians 5:11).
A good way to explain the Judgment Seat of Christ is by using man's court system. We have several courts here on earth, primarily: criminal court and civil court. We'll stick to criminal and civil court for our lesson here. The “Great White Throne of Judgment” will be a criminal court, where the unsaved will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire for all eternity. The Great White Throne Judgment is ONLY for the unsaved, although Christians will be present as witnesses.
In contrast, the Judgment Seat of Christ will ONLY be for believers, and it will be a civil court. 2nd Corinthians 5:10 states, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Every Christian will have their day in court, to give account for good or bad. There's not a single Christian who will escape the bad. All Christians are still sinners. Do not be fooled, we shall all give account as Christians for our words and actions while upon the earth. Take heed friend.
As
believers, we are held doubly accountable to God for our actions, because we
know better. Christians will risk the loss of rewards and happiness at
the Judgment Seat of Christ (1st Corinthians 3:15). For those who have
the flagrant attitude that they didn't want any rewards anyway, God will deal
with them in His own way. No one will be allowed to flaunt God's justice
system, and the punishment WILL be justly distributed. David prayed and asked
God not to chasten him in God's hot displeasure (Psalms 6:1). God has a
temper, justifiably so. The Judgment Seat Of Christ will be a showcase of
This Was Your Life. What
Few believers understand the importance of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the differentiating beliefs between Christians and the heathen. The Bible calls the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). And of course, for the Godhead is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Holy Spirit indwells (comes to live inside) every believer at the moment they trusted Christ. A person who does not have the Holy Spirit (i.e., the Spirit of Christ) within them is NOT saved (Romans 8:9). It is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth (John 16:13), who comforts us (John 14:16), who teaches us (1st John 2:27), who empowers us to witness (1st Corinthians 12:13). The Holy Spirit is a Person, an individual; yet, an equal member of the Godhead. A man recently wrote me and asked to Whom we should pray: God the father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit? I explained to Him that it depended on what we needed at the time.
When I need encouragement, I pray to the Holy Spirit, because He is called the "comforter." When I need something, I pray to the Father "in Jesus' name," because that is what Jesus instructed us to do in John 16:23, "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." For everything else, I pray to the Precious Lord Jesus Christ, who is a Friend that was willing to lay down His life for us (John 15:13). It is important to realize that God is One God, and we are praying to the same Being regardless of which member of the Godhead we pray to; nevertheless, I believe it is important to address all three Persons of the Godhead on a regular basis. Since the Word of God makes a clear distinction between the members of the Godhead, so should we.
It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of
sin, righteousness, and coming judgment ... "And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John
16:8). In Luke 12:10 we read about the unpardonable sin, "And
whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:
but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."
Romans 8:9 calls the Holy Spirit the "Spirit of Christ"; hence, the
unpardonable sin is to speak evil against Jesus Christ, who's Spirit convicts
lost sinners of their need for a Savior. The unpardonable sin is to
reject Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior.
Acts 4:12 declares, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Again in John 14:6 we read, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven! John 10:1 calls anyone who tries to enter Heaven without Christ--a THIEF! You are spitting on Jesus' payment for your sins as well. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. Allah didn't die for you! Buddha didn't die for you!
We are saved BY THE GOSPEL. 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 defines the gospel as,
1st Corinthians 15:1-4,“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
Jesus DIED, He was BURIED and He ROSE again three days later according to the Word of God. If you acknowledge your guilt of sin for breaking God's Commandments and receive Christ's death, burial and resurrection as payment for your sins, then you are saved my friend. It's that simple. We are saved by believing the gospel (the good news of Christ's death, burial and resurrection). Jesus shed His blood for our sins. The Bible says that we,
“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.”
The Great Architect of the Freemasons didn't die for them! No, only Jesus has the nail-scared hands and feet, because ONLY Jesus died for you! If you want to go to Heaven, then you MUST go through Jesus Christ, by having faith alone in His work of redemption. Jesus has paid your sin debt in full, all you need to do to be saved, is to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e., trust upon Him with all your heart). Acts 16:31 proclaims, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." How much faith do you need to be saved? Just enough!
Just enough to trust Jesus ALONE, and nothing else! Water baptism is a road to Hell. Now it's ok to get baptized AFTER your saved (and you should as a public profession of your faith); BUT, it has NOTHING to do with getting saved. Those who trust in water baptism, like Roman Catholics and Mormons, are not wholly trusting the Savior! They are not saved. They have religion, but not Biblical salvation. The Biblical gospel EXCLUDES all forms of self-righteousness and good works in salvation!!! To add anything is no faith at all. We live right because we are saved; NOT, to get saved. There is a big difference, and that difference is between Heaven and Hell.
It's not what you're doing that gets you to
Heaven, it's where you're looking. Look to
Jesus!
Eternal Security (read my book, 'Eternal Security')
There is a great hypocrisy in those who teach and defend the heresy that a believer can lose their salvation. I will address this in a bit, but first I want to make a few comments as introduction.
The Bible teaches that once a sinner is born-again, they are eternally secure (John 10:28), i.e., they can NEVER lose their salvation. This truth is often referred to as "Once saved, always saved." We read in 1st John 5:13 that we can KNOW that we are saved. Tragically, there are some professed "Christians" who deny this Biblical truth, claiming that a believer can lose their salvation, and fall out of a state of grace with God. The Bible is clear that, just as man cannot go back into his mother's womb, neither can a believer go back into an unregenerate spiritual state (John 3:1-7). Not one example is given in the Bible of someone losing their salvation. King David lost the joy of salvation; but not salvation (Psalm 51:12).
Calvinists, Hyper-Calvinists, and others, who deny the eternal security of the believer, are not fully trusting Christ for their salvation. The great hypocrisy is that they CLAIM to be wholly trusting God. How can that be? How can a person claim to be wholly resting upon Jesus Christ for salvation, while at the same time believing that one's salvation is DEPENDENT upon the life we live? This cannot be; BUT, they're in DENIAL. This is so typical of deception and lies.
As an example: America is increasingly becoming a police state, yet the majority of Americans have been successfully brainwashed, to believe that they are not losing their freedoms. The handwriting is all over the walls, screaming at Americans; but, they're in DENIAL—and so is the crowd who doesn't believe in eternal security.
Those who DON'T believe in eternal security have a completely different mindset towards salvation. They do not have the blessed peace and assurance which comes from resting upon the promises of God. Jesus is our Sabbath, upon whom we solely rest for our salvation. Titus 1:2 speaks of the promise of eternal life, from God who cannot lie. As Christians, we can KNOW that we are saved, because our salvation is not rooted in merit or works, but upon the finished work of Christ. Our salvation is based upon God's love for undeserving sinners, not upon our own self-righteousness.
To say that a believer is not eternally secure in Christ, is to lower the Christian faith to the level of the woeful Islamic Muslim religion, which offers no security to it's followers. In Islam, you do your best, and hope to make it. Isn't this the same garbage that is being propagated by those who claim that there is NO security in Christ? I find it a great hypocrisy for anyone to claim to be wholly trusting the Savior for salvation, while at the same time holding to the self-righteous idea that we can mess things up if we backslide and walk into sin. If the latter be true, then our salvation is dependent upon man, as much as it is upon God. The Word of God is clear on this matter in Jonah 2:9, "Salvation is of the LORD." END
