A Letter From James, Part 3

Reblogged from
Grace thru Faith
This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series A Letter From James 

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

In part 3 we continue reviewing the instructions James gave to the early church on how to properly live the Christian life. Remember, this letter might have been the first written teaching the Church ever received, predating the Gospels and Paul’s letters, with the possible exception of his letter to the Galatians. This time we’ll cover chapter 3. Let’s begin.

Taming the Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check (James 3:1-2).

None of us is perfect. We all say and do things we later discover to have been in error. For most, this is a simple matter of correcting themselves. But for teachers, any error on our part goes straight into the minds of our listeners and may influence their understanding of God’s word for the rest of their life. Those who feel they’ve been called to teach need to have the ability to speak clearly and concisely, relaying only what God has conveyed to them. We also need to be aware that He’s listening and will hold us accountable for our teaching. It’s not enough for us to fall back on Paul’s admonition to our listeners that they check the Scriptures for themselves to see if we’re speaking the truth (Acts 17:11). 
We will also be required to justify everything we’ve said.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell (James 3:3-6).

Paul took up this same thought in his letters. He cautioned us to rid ourselves of all anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from our lips (Colossians 3:8). Our conversations should not be laced with obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place for believers, but rather with thanksgiving for all we’ve been given (Ephes. 5:4).

He warned us not to let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths but only what is helpful for building others up that it may benefit those who listen. Doing otherwise grieves the Holy Spirit who is sealed within us until the day of redemption (Ephes. 4:29-30).
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water (James 3:7-12).

Jesus said the words that come out of our mouth originate in our heart and these are the things that defile us (Matt. 15:18). Since what we say is a reflection of what’s in our heart, and since the heart of natural man is incurably wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), then the only way we can change what comes out of our mouth is to change what we bring into our heart. For that reason, I believe listening to what comes out of our own mouth can provide the clearest sign that we are truly a believer under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Remember, James cautioned us to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22). Let’s be sure that what comes our of our mouth is consistent with what’s in our heart.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice (James 3:13-16).
Let’s remember that James was not referring to keeping the Law when he spoke of a good life filled with deeds (works) done in humility. The Pharisees showed that keeping the Law did not result in humility, but in arrogance and pride. They looked down on the less fortunate and criticized Jesus for associating with them (Matt. 9:10-11). They believed that if the poor simply lived according to pharisaical standards they would be blessed accordingly. Therefore they had no excuse for their misery and deserved neither compassion nor help.

It’s natural for humans to be self centered and envious of what we perceive to be the success of others. It’s part of our sin nature. James said these attitudes are unspiritual and demonic. They promote envy instead of humility and selfishness instead of generosity, and are behind all of man’s evil practices.
Only believers realize that before coming to the Lord we really had nothing of value to Him and yet He gave us everything just because we asked. This is what promotes the desire in our heart to share what we have with others. Our kindness and generosity toward others shows the humility that comes from knowing we didn’t deserve to be saved, and is a demonstration of our overflowing gratitude for the free gift we’ve received.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:17-18).
The wisdom that comes from heaven is not encumbered by ulterior motives and hidden agendas. Paul said the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:23).

In Closing

No mere intellectual assent that God exists or even that Jesus came to teach us how to live a life pleasing to God can produce the changes in a person’s attitude that both James and Paul are talking about here.
To become the kind of person they describe, we have to put off our old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires and be made new in the attitudes of our minds (Ephes. 4:22-23).

This is the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, who is sealed within every born again believer. Only He can produce the kind of change in us that allows us to put aside our self centeredness and walk in humility, performing good deeds at every opportunity.
You may be surprised to learn that the origin of this thought is the Old Testament. In a remarkable example that this is what God has always wanted from his people, He had the prophet Micah tell us,
He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

Live a life pleasing to the Lord and delight in helping those in need, all in a spirit of humility, out of gratitude for what you’ve been given. More next time. 07-04-15

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

 


Reblogged from Grace thru Faith

Wednesday, July 1st, 2015

• Forgiveness
• Grace
• Parables
• Past Featured

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matt. 18:21-35)

Most people have read the first part of Matthew 18. It outlines a procedure for taking to task a believer who has sinned against you. Many an aggressive stance has been justified with this passage. But in my time as a pastor and counselor, I was surprised at how few of those applying the procedure had read the rest of the chapter. While chapter breaks are not inspired, and Peter’s question to the Lord about forgiveness (vs. 21) could have been asked at another time, it does appear next in sequence to the procedure for righting a wrong.

How many petty disputes could be dropped if put into the context of this parable? How would they rate in a comparison to what the Lord has forgiven in us? Do we, having been forgiven so much, refuse to forgive our brothers and sisters even a little? And if so, what are the real consequences?

The Rest Of The Story

We’ve often discussed the nature of parables; how they’re heavenly stories put into an earthly context and how the major characters always symbolize others. In the case of this parable the King is the Lord, you and I are His servants, the debts we owe represent our sins, and the jailer is Satan.

As to the debts owed, two denominations of money are mentioned, the 10,000 talents the servant owed the king and the 100 denarii the servant was owed by a fellow servant. Let’s take the easy one first. Almost everyone agrees that a denarius was equivalent to one day’s wages. If 100 days equaled about 1/3 of a working year then repaying that size debt would require about 4 months of an average person’s income.

Since a talent was both a measure of weight (about 85 lbs. or 34 kg.) and of money, its value is much more difficult to define, but the most frequent description I found in my research is that it would have approximated 15 times an average person’s annual income. If so, then a debt of 10,000 talents would require 150,000 years of an average person’s income to re-pay.

And that’s the first point. The King had forgiven a debt the servant couldn’t have repaid in a thousand lifetimes, and did so simply because he was asked to. The servant on the other hand demanded full and immediate payment from a friend for a much, much smaller sum. Now 4 months wages is a debt worth collecting, and forgiving an amount that size would be a major sacrifice for most people. 

But the issue is not the legitimacy or even the size of the debt, it’s the comparative value. Shouldn’t being released from the burden of a debt so large he could never repay it have made the servant even a little more forgiving toward his brother?

The servant’s demand for payment demonstrated his lack of gratitude for what the King had done for him, and that’s what aroused the King’s anger. Summoning the Jailer, the King ordered his servant punished until he repaid all he owed.

If The Shoe Fits …

Our debt of sin against the Lord is similarly impossible to repay, but in the Lord’s case He can’t simply overlook it. His requirement for justice demands the debt be paid in full. Knowing we could never pay it, He sent His Son to pay it for us. This freed Him to completely and unconditionally forgive us just because we ask Him to. Don’t forget, from the Lord’s point of view we were all murderers, adulterers, blasphemers and thieves when He forgave us (Ephe 2:1-5). These are all crimes punishable by death. We’ve been forgiven so much, isn’t even a significant sacrifice justifiable under the circumstances? What offense would be too large to forgive in others when compared with what the Lord has forgiven in us?

Our unwillingness to forgive legitimate sins others commit against us demonstrates our ingratitude for what the Lord has done for us. It’s the result of the typical human double standard wherein we demand justice from others while expecting mercy for ourselves. This ingratitude is itself a sin and like all unconfessed sin can cause us to miss out on blessings we might have otherwise received.  It also leaves us open to attack by our enemy which may even subject us to torment.  That’s why, in the parable, the jailer represents Satan.

Union And Fellowship

Like the servant and the King our relationship with the Lord consists of 2 components, union and fellowship.  Union comes with salvation and is unconditional and eternal.   The servant didn’t stop being a servant to the King because of his behavior, and neither do we ever stop being the children of our Lord because of ours.  When He went to the cross, Jesus took all our sins with Him and because of His death we have been forgiven for every one of them (Colossians 2:13-14).

But fellowship is conditional and temporal. It concerns the relationship we cultivate with the Lord in the here and now.  Because of his behavior the servant had caused a rift in his relationship with the King.  He could only restore himself to the King’s good graces and repair the rift by repaying the debt. Our refusal to forgive others can like wise cause a rift in our relationship with the Lord.  We can only restore ourselves to the Lord’s good graces and repair the rift by forgiving those who have sinned against us (Matt. 6:14-15).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Please note that John was writing to forgiven sinners, members of the church, advising us to confess and be forgiven even after we’ve been saved. We sin every day and His mercies are new every morning.  God forgives us whenever we ask, every time we ask. Asking is how we stay in fellowship with Him.

You Always Get What You Ask For

In summary, God’s Nature demands justice and fair play. Refusing to forgive others when we’ve been forgiven is a sin that causes a rift in our relationship with Him that only we can mend. Forgiving the one who sinned against us restores us to fellowship with the Lord and allows Him to forget there ever was a problem.   Selah 1-18-04

The greatest murder machine in history

May 31, 2014

Reblogged from American Thinker

By Mike Konrad 

When one thinks of mass murder, Hitler comes to mind. If not Hitler, then Tojo, Stalin, or Mao. Credit is given to the 20th-century totalitarians as the worst species of tyranny to have ever arisen. However, the alarming truth is that Islam has killed more than any of these, and may surpass all of them combined in numbers and cruelty.
The enormity of the slaughters of the "religion of peace" are so far beyond comprehension that even honest historians overlook the scale. When one looks beyond our myopic focus, Islam is the greatest killing machine in the history of mankind, bar none.

The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. -- Will Durant, as quoted on Daniel Pipes site.

Conservative estimates place the number at 80 million dead Indians.

According to some calculations, the Indian (subcontinent) population decreased by 80 million between 1000 (conquest of Afghanistan) and 1525 (end of Delhi Sultanate). -- Koenrad Elst as quoted on Daniel Pipes site

80 Million?! The conquistadors' crimes pale into insignificance at that number. No wonder Hitler admired Islam as a fighting religion. He stood in awe of Islam, whose butchery even he did not surpass.
Over 110 Million Blacks were killed by Islam.

... a minumum of 28 Million African were enslaved in the Muslim Middle East.  Since, at least, 80 percent of those captured by Muslim slave traders were calculated to have died before reaching the slave market, it is believed that the death toll from 1400 years of Arab and Muslim slave raids into Africa could have been as high as 112 Millions.  When added to the number of those sold in the slave markets, the total number of African victims of the trans-Saharan and East African slave trade could be significantly higher than 140 Million people. -- John Allembillah Azumah, author of The Legacy of Arab-Islam in Africa: A Quest for Inter-religious Dialogue

Add just those two numbers alone together, and Islam has surpassed the victims of 20th-century totalitarianism. However, it does not end there. Add the millions who died at the hand of Muslims in the Sudan in our lifetime.
Much of Islamic slavery was sexual in nature, with a preference for women. Those men who were captured were castrated. The mulatto children of the women were often killed, which explains why Islam was not demographically shifted towards the black race, unlike slaves in the West, who bore children to breed a mestizo class. Add in those dead children; and we arrive at well over 200 million.
Remember that in the 7th century, North Africa was almost totally Christian. What happened to them? 

By the year 750, a hundred years after the conquest of Jerusalem, at least 50 percent of the world's Christians found themselves under Muslim hegemony… Today there is no indigenous Christianity in the region [of Northwest Africa], no communities of Christians whose history can be traced to antiquity.-- "Christianity Face to Face with Islam," CERC

What happened to those Christian millions? Some converted. The rest?  Lost to history.
We know that over 1 million Europeans were enslaved by Barbary Pirates. How many died is anybody's guess.

...for the 250 years between 1530 and 1780, the figure could easily have been as high as 1,250,000 -  BBC

In the Middle Ages…

…many slaves were passed through Armenia and were castrated there to fill the Muslim demand for eunuchs. -- Slavery in Early Medieval Europe.

The same practice ran through Islamic Spain. North Europeans captured from raids up to Iceland, or purchased, were butchered in the castratoriums of Iberia. Many died from the operations that ran for centuries.
The number of dead from the Muslim conquest of the Balkans and Southern Italy is unknown, but again the numbers add up, surely into the millions over the centuries. Don't forget the 1.5 million Armenian Christians killed by the Turks during WWI. We do know that over five centuries, vast numbers of Christian boys were kidnapped to become Islamic Janissary mercenaries for the Turks. Add those in, too.
Muslims prized blonde women for their harems; and so enslaved Slavic women were purchased in the bazaars of the Crimean Caliphate. In Muslim Spain, an annual tribute of 100 Visigothic [blonde] women was required from Spain's Cantabrian coast.

For decades, 100 virgins per year were required by the Muslim rulers of Spain from the conquered population.  The tribute was only stopped when the Spaniards began fighting back -- Jihad: Islam's 1,300 Year War Against Western Civilisation

Add in the death toll from the Reconquista and the numbers climb higher. 
Research has shown that the Dark Ages were not caused by the Goths, who eventually assimilated and Christianized:    

…the real destroyers of classical civilization were the Muslims. It was the Arab Invasions... which broke the unity of the Mediterranean world and turned the Middle Sea -- previously one of the world’s most important trading highways -- into a battleground. It was only after the appearance of Islam... that the cities of the West, which depended upon the Mediterranean trade for their survival, began to die. -- Islam Caused the Dark Ages

Add in those unknown millions who died as a consequence.
How many know the horrors of the conquest of Malaysia? The Buddhists of Thailand and Malaysia were slaughtered en masse.

When attacked and massacred by the Muslims, the Buddhists initially did not make any attempt to escape from their murderers. They accepted death with an air of fatalism and destiny. And hence they are not around today to tell their story. – History of Jihad.org

We may never know the numbers of dead.

After Muslims came to power in the early 15th century, animist hill peoples eventually disappeared due to their enslavement and ‘incorporation’ into the Muslim population of Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo, and Java via raids, tribute and purchase, especially of children. Java was the largest exporter of slaves around 1500. -- Islam Monitor

In the same manner, Islam arrived in the Philippines. Only the appearance of the Spanish stopped a total collapse, and confined Islam to the southern islands. 

The coming of the Spanish saved the Philippines from Islam, except for the Southern tip where the population had been converted to Islam.-- History of Jihad.org

Again, the number of dead is unknown; but add them to the total.
The animist Filipinos were eager to ally with the Spanish against Islam. In fact, much of Southeast Asia welcomed the Spanish and Portuguese as preferable to Islam. 

...from the 17th century successive Thai kings allied themselves with the seafaring Western powers – the Portuguese and the Dutch and succeeded in staving off the threat of Islam from the Muslim Malays and their Arab overlords.-- History of Jihad.org  

A few galleons and muskets were not enough to conquer Asia. Islam had made the Europeans initially appear as liberators; and to a certain extent they were. Who were the real imperialists?
Even today...

...Malaysian Jihadis are plotting to transform multi-ethnic Malaysia into an Islamic Caliphate, and fomenting trouble in Southern Thailand.-- History of Jihad.org

Add this all up. The African victims. The Indian victims. The European victims. Add in the Armenian genocide. Then add in the lesser known, but no doubt quite large number of victims of Eastern Asia. Add in the jihad committed by Muslims against China, which was invaded in 651 AD. Add in the Crimean Khanate predations on the Slavs, especially their women.
Though the numbers are not clear, what is obvious is that Islam is the greatest murder machine in history bar none, possibly exceeding 250 million dead. Possibly one-third to one-half or more of all those killed by war or slavery in history can be traced to Islam; and this is just a cursory examination.
Now consider the over 125 Million women today who have been genitally mutilated for Islamic honor's sake. In spite of what apologists tell you, the practice is almost totally confined to Islamic areas. 

New information from Iraqi Kurdistan raises the possibility that the problem is more prevalent in the Middle East than previously believed and that FGM is far more tied to religion than many Western academics and activists admit. – “Is Female Genital Mutilation an Islamic Problem?” ME Quarterly

Once thought concentrated in Africa, FGM has now been discovered to be common wherever Islam is found. 

There are indications that FGM might be a phenomenon of epidemic proportions in the Arab Middle East. Hosken, for instance, notes that traditionally all women in the Persian Gulf region were mutilated. Arab governments refuse to address the problem. -- "Is Female Genital Mutilation an Islamic Problem?" ME Quarterly

Remember that this has gone on for 1400 years; and was imposed on a population that had been formerly Christian or pagan.
FGM is practiced on large scale in Islamic Indonesia; and is increasing.

...far from scaling down, the problem of FGM in Indonesia has escalated sharply. The mass ceremonies in Bandung have grown bigger and more popular every year. -- Guardian

The horrified British author of that Guardian article is still deluded that Islam does not support FGM, when in fact it is now settled that FGM is a core Islamic practice. Islamic women have been brainwashed to support their own abuse.

Abu Sahlieh further cited Muhammad as saying, "Circumcision is a sunna (tradition) for the men and makruma (honorable deed) for the women."  -- “Is Female Genital Mutilation an Islamic Problem?” ME Quarterly

What other tyranny does this? Not even the Nazis mutilated their own women!
Unlike the 20th-century totalitarians whose killing fury consumed themselves, reducing their longevity, Islam paces itself. In the end, though slower, Islam has killed and tortured far more than any other creed, religious or secular. Unlike secular tyranny, Islam, by virtue of its polygamy and sexual predations, reproduces itself and  increases. 
Other tyrannies are furious infections, which burn hot, but are soon overcome. Islam is a slow terminal cancer, which metastasizes, and takes over. It never retreats. Its methods are more insidious, often imperceptible at first, driven by demographics. Like cancer, excision may be the only cure.

So whenever you read about this or that Israeli outrage -- and there may be truth to the complaint -- place the news in context. Look whom the Israelis are fighting against. Islam is like nothing else in history.

Mike Konrad is the pen name of an American who is not Jewish, Latin, or Arab. He runs a website, http://latinarabia.com, where he discusses the subculture of Arabs in Latin America. He wishes his Spanish were better.

The Case For Eternal Punishment

Saturday, May 30th, 2015

• Eternity
• Featured
• Hell
• Life After Death

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
Grace thru Faith

“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:24)

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)
Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt. 25:41,46)
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:14-15)

For most of mankind’s existence the belief that punishment for unbelievers is eternal was taken for granted.  The above verses are the basis for this point of view.  It’s become known as the traditional view of hell.

Recently an alternative, called the conditional view, has come on the scene. This view is based primarily on Rev. 20:12 which says the unsaved dead will be judged according to their works. Proponents of the conditional view interpret this verse to mean that while no unbeliever can go to heaven, their punishment in hell will be based on the quality of their lives while on Earth. They contend that those who’ve led meritorious lives on Earth but aren’t believers will receive less severe punishment for a shorter period of time than say a Hitler or Stalin before being destroyed altogether. They claim that this view makes more sense because it shows God to be fair, making the punishment fit the crime so to speak, before mercifully ending their existence altogether.

On the surface it seems to make sense and some people are more comfortable with this view than the traditional one that appears excessively harsh to them and serves no purpose other than making people suffer. But is the conditional view the result of greater enlightenment in our understanding of Scripture or just another in a long line of attempts to re-cast God’s word into a kinder gentler document as it pertains to those who’ve rejected Him?

My Ways Are Not Your Ways

A closer look reveals that the idea of a conditional hell is decidedly biased toward the world view of unbelievers. Conditional hell proponents say, “All they did is not believe that Jesus died for them.  Other than that many unbelievers  tried to live a good life and helped a fair amount of people along the way. What did they do to deserve eternal punishment?” (Notice the emphasis on good works here?)

What these folks don’t seem to realize is that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). No amount of good works and kindness toward others will make up for the deficiency of unbelief.   The truth is they will have failed to do the only thing God required of them.
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29)

If God is going to judge unbelievers by how they’ve done the work He requires of them, it’ll all be over pretty quickly because without belief in Jesus even the good they might have accomplished is considered evil in God’s sight. How do I know that?  Read the Lord’s own words;
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt. 7:22-23)

They will claim to have performed miracles in His name, but the Lord will deny ever knowing them, calling them evil doers.  So much for the value of a meritorious life apart from faith in Him!
And in John 15:5 He said, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Unbelievers don’t think rejecting the Lord is a big deal because they don’t realize that their rejection of His sacrifice for their sins has eternal consequences. Because of their unbelief they’re only thinking in terms of a 70-80 year lifespan, not an eternal existence.  So let’s take a look at this from the eternal perspective and try to understand how different it is.

First let’s understand that the man who is executed or given life in prison for taking someone’s life is not being taught that murder is wrong. He’s suffering the consequence of his crime by forfeiting the balance of his physical life . It’s an adaptation of the Biblical injunction, a life for a life (Lev. 24:17).  On Earth we’re in a physical environment so it’s a physical life for a physical life.

But a person who rejects the pardon God provided for him has in effect murdered his own soul and spirit.  Both are eternal, so there has to be an eternal consequence to fit the crime. Our physical bodies are only intended to serve a temporary purpose, and that’s to house the eternal part of us for a little while. Compared to our eternal existence, putting our physical existence to death is a minor infraction.  Refusing to accept the Lord’s completed work on the cross as payment in full for our sins is a crime against our eternal life and therefore the only just punishment is eternal punishment.

Is Everyone Destined For Hell?

Recently someone challenged me to prove from the Bible that all mankind is destined for hell.  He said by that he meant an actual place where one will spend eternity.  This person, like many others, doesn’t realize that hell is not an eternal destination, but only a temporary place of torment while one awaits his or her final judgment.  So first let’s see if there’s a place that says everyone is destined for hell.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

A surface reading of that verse alone might lead one to conclude that Paul was just talking about the death of the body here. After all it was sin entering the world that caused man’s physical life to change from immortal to mortal.
But if we read on and take the entire passage in context we see Paul wasn’t just talking about physical death. For example, in Romans 5:18 He wrote, “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.”

Here we can see he had to be talking about eternal life because the Lord’s one act of righteousness did not prevent the physical bodies of believers from dying.
Therefore, since we’re all sinners we are all condemned. But by accepting the Lord’s death as payment in full for our sins we can escape condemnation and death and receive justification and eternal life instead.

What Does The Bible Say?

The account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) gives us the Bible’s clearest picture of what happens after we die.  In comparing what happened to these men, the differences in their experience become obvious.
When Lazarus died he was carried to a place the Jews called Abraham’s side because Abraham, the father of the faithful, was there to comfort them.  But when the rich man died he went to hell (Greek, hades).  Abraham and the rich man could see each other and communicate back and forth so we know Abraham’s side and Hades were in the same general location.

In the Old Testament these two destinations were known by the single name of Sheol, the “abode of the dead.” Upon dying, everyone went there. It’s where Jonah’s spirit went while his body languished in the belly of the whale (Jonah 2:2,6).

From the New Testament we learn that Sheol contained two compartments, separated by a wide chasm, impossible to cross (Luke 16:26). One side was a place of comfort where believers went to await Heaven’s opening after the cross. That’s where Lazarus was.  In Greek it was called Paradise, a name that evoked memories of the Garden of Eden.
The other side was a place of torment reserved for unbelievers, and that’s where the rich man was.

After His resurrection, Jesus took the spirits of the believing dead from Paradise with Him to Heaven (Ephes. 4:8).  Those who are in hell will remain there in torment until their final judgment at the end of the Millennium, which is still over 1,000 years in the future to us.  At that time, Rev. 20:14 tells us, death and Hades will give up the dead who are in them and each person will be judged according to what has been recorded in the books kept in Heaven.  Everyone whose name cannot be found in the book of life will be thrown into the Lake of fire, which is the Second death.  The Lake of Fire is the final destiny of all unbelievers. Now, let’s see how long they’ll remain there.

At the time of the 2nd coming, the Lord will conduct a judgment of all humans still alive on earth (Matt. 25:31-46).  People from all over the world will be brought to the Lord for His determination of their spiritual condition.  Those He judges to be believers will be welcomed into the Millennial Kingdom (Matt. 25:34) where they will help repopulate the earth. Those who are not will be taken away to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41).  Rev. 19:20 and Rev. 20:10 tell us this is a fiery lake of burning sulfur, while Rev. 20:14 simply calls it the lake of fire. They all refer to the same place, the final destiny of all unbelievers.

It’s a mistake to just read Rev. 20:10 and conclude that only the devil, the anti-Christ and the false prophet will be tormented forever.   It’s a mistake to just read Matt. 25:46 and conclude that only unbelieving tribulation survivors will be punished forever.  And it’s a mistake to just read Daniel 12:2 and conclude that only unbelievers from Old Testament times will suffer shame and everlasting contempt (abhorrence).   All unbelievers from all ages will go to the same place, the place of eternal punishment, and all will suffer eternally.

And That’s Not All

But there’s an even more powerful legal argument for eternal punishment that for centuries was modeled in human existence as well.  Until the mid 19th Century it was common practice in many parts of the world to incarcerate a person for failure to pay his or her debts.  Jail time was not an alternative method of repayment, it was the consequence they suffered for their inability to pay their debts.  No matter how long they were locked up they still owed as much of their debt as they did on their first day behind bars. They could only be freed by repaying the money they owed.  Jesus referred to this practice in His parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:23-35).

It’s the same with our sins.  Punishment is not an alternative method unbelievers can use to pay the penalty for their sins, it’s the consequence they’ll suffer for their inability to pay the penalty.  No matter how long people suffer in eternity, they will still owe the same penalty as they did on day one. The only acceptable payment for sin is the blood of an innocent person, and nothing else will suffice.  Hebrews 9:22 explains that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  Therefore no one can “work off” his or her penalty through suffering.

This is the fatal flaw in the Catholic concept of purgatory.  It calls for a person who dies with certain unconfessed sins  to “work off” the penalty for those sins through their suffering and the intercessory prayers of living relatives in order to qualify for entry into heaven.  But there’s only one way  for humans to qualify for entry into heaven and that’s by accepting the blood of Jesus as payment for our sins (John 3:3).  Once we do that  all of our sins are covered (Colossians 2:13-14).  But we have to do it before we die (Hebr. 9:27) or else it’s too late.]
It’s also the flaw in the conditional view of hell.  If the blood of Jesus is the only way to be released from the penalty for our sins, then there’s no release for those who reject it.  No matter how numerous or noteworthy, the “good works” unbelievers perform during their lifetime can’t be applied to reduce their sentence and neither can the “time served” after they die, so they’ll always owe the same penalty as they did on day one of their incarceration.

The bottom line is the only acceptable payment for our sins is the blood of a sinless man, and the only sinless man is Jesus. He died for all the sins of mankind (John 1:29) but only those who choose to accept His death as payment for their sins can be forgiven (John 3:16).

Refusing to accept it leaves everyone else unable to pay and requires that they be incarcerated.  Since they’re eternal beings and have committed crimes against eternity, and since they’ll never be able to pay, they’ll have to remain incarcerated forever.

It is my fervent prayer that if you’re reading this and you have not accepted the Lord’s death as payment in full for your sins, you will not let another day go by without doing so.  None of us is privileged to know the number of our days.  Each new one could be our last. Please don’t tarry.  Selah 05-30-15.

Reflection on the rainbow

Reposted from the entry on  Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Written and published by Jean-Louis.
  

I have read several articles in the past few years about Christian businessmen and women who refused to cater to homosexual couples weddings with their services such as baking the wedding cake with a gay theme, providing the photographers or  for a pastor to perform a same sex wedding ceremony.  To read about the baker´s struggle click Two lies our culture has embraced and Christian couple standing firm

They did that not out of hate or lack of love because true Christians do not hate anybody but on the contrary love homosexuals with the love of the Lord Jesus who died for the whole world regardless of what kind of sins they commit. They refused to bend the knee to the Political Correctness relentless pressure of Cesar out of integrity of conscience and their desire to not offend the Holy God that they love and worship.

And for that righteous and courageous stance, they were threatened with heavy fines until they complied with the unjust laws. Some of them ended up losing their family business altogether. After all, why would anyone find a wedding cake offensive when it is a symbol of celebration and of the sharing of the guests, family and friends in the deep love and life commitment of two people who chose to unite their life in the bond of matrimony? 

Usually, I stay out of controversial disputes and arguments. I am a peace maker and try to follow Paul´s admonition to be an ambassador for Christ and bring reconciliation between God and man and between men themselves by proclaiming the good news of the Gospel of Grace and teaching from the Bible.

As you will see, this study is concerned with the rainbow and its significance in the lives of men. 
                                                                  
The rainbow is one of the magnificent signs the Lord God Almighty has placed in the heavens for all of mankind to admire and to worship Him. Characteristic and interesting properties can be deduced from observing this marvelous heavenly phenomenon.

First, a certain amount of clouds, rain and sunlight has to be present in order for us to witness the glorious appearance.

Second, it takes place in the atmosphere which is the sphere of Satan´s spiritual influence and operations.  It helps us understand the reason why God provides  signs visible to all mankind and the lessons we can learn fro watching the heavens especially in these precarious and perilous times in which we live.

Third, like the wind that you cannot take in your hand, that you cannot grab and say that you possess it, so it is with the rainbow, it belongs to God and he uses it as he pleases as a demonstration of his glory and a communication of his faithfulness and his ever present watchfulness over the earth and the lives and affairs of its inhabitants.

Fourth, it appears only as a half a circle as it takes a very precise angle combination of light, water vapor and the location of the observer according to the position and rotation of the earth.

Anyone can observe and marvel at a rainbow without an extensive knowledge of astronomy or the detailed physical, optical properties of light, water, or earthly position of an object.

An interesting detail is that the counterfeit rainbow has 6 colors - 6 being the number of man whereas God´s created rainbow has 7 colors - 7 being the number of complete perfection. And this perfection from a holy God can never be duplicated by sinful man in rebellion against his Creator.

 

It becomes even more interesting when I am on the lookout for some verses  for encouragement, exhortation or discernment about the interaction of the different planes and spheres of influence between our physical domain visible on the earth and atmosphere, and the invisible or spiritual domain 

The first rainbow
The Scriptures interface between these two domains so that we are reminded by our Lord Jesus to consider earthly things as the fields of wheat, the clouds in the sky, the splendor of the lilies and the seasons, and draw spiritual lessons from them that can help us in understanding the spiritual side of life and grow in understanding and depth of knowledge and wisdom.

“Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Luke 12:25-28

He also warned the  people - especially the hypocrites, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law with severe  tongue lashings:

 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is^. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass^. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?" Luke 12:54-56

In Matthew 24:32, the Lord Jesus was answering questions by the apostles  about the signs of his coming and of the end of the age. The parable of the fig tree is one of the best and most important prophetic illustrations of the end times signs given to believers because everybody on planet earth is aware the rapidly succeeding events started by the Jewish people being back in  their land of Israel as a nation in 1948.

I believe as it is written that the rainbow, although only in the half shape is one of those signs that the Lord put in the sky for encouragement since the time he gave it to Noah as a sign of the covenant between him and Noah and his posterity.

 And God said, This is the token (symbol) of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (symbol) of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.  And God said unto Noah, This is the token (symbol) of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. Genesis 9:12-17.

Now we have to observe the chronological order of the two means of destruction the Lord uses in his punishment of the rebellious and disobedient people on the earth:  first comes the water or the flood, then follows the fire for judgment and cleansing.

These two judgments of God punctuate two events, the first one with Noah when he set his rainbow as a sign of grace, hope and encouragement that he will not destroy the earth completely and the second with Abraham with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah showing Abraham´s requests for mercy and the justice of God even after acceding to the requests of the patriarch for the salvation of the cities.

In I Corinthiens 15: 46, 47 the chapter on the resurrection of the body of the believer, we find Paul very important key argument for what I believe will happen soon,

“ The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven”.
 
These verses tie in with the words of warning of Jesus to watch the heavens, be alert, vigilant, in prayer so we will not be deceived and be led astray. The first sign, the magnificent rainbow following the destruction by water is present in the sky to remind us of the general grace and mercy of God who sends the rain and the sunshine to provide all his creatures with all that they need to live and prosper.

God has kept his promise until now but according to the Bible, the second judgment is close to happening, the judgment by fire just as the one happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Now comes the encouraging part that gives me hope and helps me not to get into the trap of discouragement when reading the news of the tide of evil engulfing the nations of the earth and our lives. 

Satan, knowing that his time is short uses the beautiful things of God as weapons against us to try to keep us discouraged and defeated and to keep us apart by dividing us and keeping  us busy and distracted from the main things.

The rainbow, emblem of the LGBT  
Have you ever wondered why the rainbow has become the banner emblem of the LGBT? At first I thought nothing of it, but in the last 10 or more years, its growing popularity worldwide had me thinking more about what it represents and witnessing the growing ensuing ravages in the families and societies all over the world, I concluded that it´s Satan´s stratagem to counterfeit and try stealing the very glory of God,  the reminder of this glorious promise to us.

So instead of being discouraged and giving into the trap of the deceiver, the father of lies, we can choose to use our mind that is protected by the helmet of salvation and reject the notion that the adversary has won the battle first and foremost because he cannot steal what does not belong to him. Try as he may, he will not be able to make the beautiful rainbow of promise from the heavens that God has given us a permanent symbol for his cause and his evil schemes. 
 
He is not a creator, but a poor imitator at best. His followers, most of them unaware of what they are doing and of the spiritual nature of the rainbow will try to rally after a pied piper who is leading them with a false banner that can be burned to ashes just as any man-made flag would.

The symbol of the goodness and promise of God has been turned into a travesty, an idol,  if you will, standing for debauchery, immorality and human depravity parading in the streets of the world cities.

God must be laughing, besides being angry when he sees mere human beings  thinking they can appropriate for themselves a symbol that belongs to God only. Instead, they should be humbling themselves and ask for pardon for their sins of pride, haughtiness, self-sufficiency and rebellion, offending a Holy God and rejecting the only way by which we can be made acceptable to and be reconciled with him, namely His Son Jesus-Christ.

We can choose to not be intimidated by the hordes of people following the devil and not giving in to hate, to vengeance or using the carnal weapons of the world, political scheming and illegitimate alliances that the Lord has forbidden.  Thinking that we can appease the enemy and redress injustice and rule the world in our own strength joining forces with anybody  and preaching peace and unity between light and darkness, good and evil at whatever cost and consequences while ignoring and neglecting the whole counsel of his eternal, immutable, powerful and pure word, is counterproductive and doomed to failure. Sadly, this is what a  majority of churches are choosing to do in their desire to adjust with the changing times and the ways of the world.

The world´s armies might have their banner, and fight for their countries, their beliefs as we now see the black banners of Islamic States unfurl in the wind of conquest in the name of Allah.
 
The cross of Jesus-Christ, our banner
 We believers in and followers of Jesus-Christ have only one: namely the cross of Jesus-Christ on which the Savior of the world hung between two common criminals. This is our banner of his love, a banner that leads us to be overcomers, more than conquerors because our Lord and King Jesus has won the battle against the devil, the world and the grave, giving us peace in this life and the hope of being with him when he comes back to take us to be with him forever.

The Lord Jesus said in John 12:32: "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." 
And to us the Church His bride, the Scripture states what I think as prophetic, the celebration of our wedding feast in heaven: “ He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love."

Have you ever read a book starting with the end because you were anxious to know the denouement (the ending)?

The last rainbow  
We have such a preview at the end of the Bible, Revelation chapter 4: 3, John the Revelator describes the scene around the throne of God: ^3 “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.”

What an incredible heavenly spectacle! What a privilege to witness the glory and majesty of our God rain and the complete rainbow, perfect circle shining without the incomplete, diminished earthly vision of the atmospheric rainbow depending on the sunshine, the rain and our local position. This ought to stir our heart up into faith, action and obedience to Christ as we see the time of the end approaching. 

To conclude, listen to Peter praising God for the living hope that we, as Christians experience as we patiently wait for our returning Savior.

I Peter 1:3-9: ^“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

If you do not know Jesus-Christ as your Lord and Savior, go to him in prayer and ask him to save you, he promised that anyone who asks will be answered.  He said: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. 
 
John the Apostle writes: "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12.
 
  If you want to receive salvation and the Spirit of Jesus, the living God, humble yourself and ask for his forgiveness. You need him to show to you who you really are, as he sees you, not as what yourself or other people think you are, because he loves you, died for you on the cross and took the penalty for your sins so you would not have to suffer an eternity in hell separated from God. It really is a matter of eternal life or eternal death.

Romans 10:9 states: ^9 [a]that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

If you want to become born again of the Spirit of God and know  God the Father and Jesus-Christ, click on the following link for a simple explanation of what it means to be saved or born again. Keep it simple 

Eschatology - The Kingdoms And The Rapture - Pastor Charles Lawson