The word mediocre is defined as:
Of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; BARELY adequate.
We use this word to describe the efforts of those who do not apply themselves to a task at hand. We use this word to describe our children's efforts when they bring home report cards laden with C's. But could this word also be applied to a more celestial figure, namely Jesus?
How do we know if something is mediocre? A label of mediocrity can only be applied when a purpose/task is defined. Therefore, if the leadership of the CEO of a company produces break-even results for the fiscal year and profitability was the task then we can label the CEO as mediocre. So what does this have to do with Jesus?
What was Jesus' purpose?
Why was Jesus born? For what reason was Jesus sent? What was Jesus' purpose?:
1 John 3:8b
The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
Here we have the clearly defined purpose of Jesus. This is the reason for his coming. The reason was 'to destroy the works of the devil'. But what does that mean? We can only know if Jesus is fulfilling the task if we understand the task. So what does it mean to destroy the works of the devil? The word destroy here is the Greek word 'luo' and it means to 'to reverse the result of tying by untying - to untie, to loosen'. Okay now we have clarity; so Jesus' reason for coming to earth was to REVERSE THE EFFECTS of the devil. So when did Satan begin to have an effect over mankind? It began in the garden and it was at the point of the fall of man that Satan began his work.
What does the work of Satan produce in mankind?
We can see the effects of evil all around us. Murder, hypocrisy, fornication, and every other thing that God regards as sin. The results of this effect is shown in the bible:
1 John 5:19
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Ephesians 2:2
...in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
2 Timothy 2:26
...and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
From these verse we can confirm that the works of the devil are:
Corrupting the whole world
Working in the sons of disobedience
Captivating mankind to do his will
Deceiving the whole world
From these we can further deduce that this is the cause of the condition of our world today. Now we can precipitate a definition for the works of the devil:
The devil works in mankind holding them captive and deceiving them, thus binding them to corruption and rendering them disobedient.
This is the work of Satan.
Is Jesus fulfilling his purpose?
If the purpose of Jesus is to UNDO the effects of the devil, I ask you, honestly, is he effective at that task? Consider that by Christianity's measurement there are BILLIONS of souls in hell RIGHT NOW.. Why are they there? Well they are there because they are unsaved. So if there are billions unsaved and Jesus' purpose was to undo the effects of the devil that MUST mean that he is mediocre. But we have a problem, consider:
Isaiah 55:11
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
God is speaking here and he is saying something important. Who is the WORD OF GOD?:
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The word of God IS Jesus. Okay, so what does God say about this Word?:
'It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.'
Okay, so what is the desire of God? To UNDO ALL (not SOME but all) that the devil has done. What has the devil done to mankind? He 'holds them captive, deceiving them, thus binding them to corruption and rendering them disobedient'. My question to you is, do any die in this bound up state? Yes, billions do. So what does that mean? It means either Jesus is mediocre (only ABLE to save a few) or that there is work yet to be accomplished in the future.
Yeah, but...
I can hear it now, the fervent cries of free will! Okay consider this analogy. You go to the store to purchase a toaster. You do this because you want toasted bread. You unbox the toaster, plug it in and begin to toast. Question, why do you use a toaster to do this? Because a toaster IS SUPPOSE TO TOAST BREAD! That is its PURPOSE. Now imagine if you will this brand new toaster begins toasting, and out of ten slices of bread the toaster ONLY toasts four slices. What do you do? Do you take the six slices of bread back to the bakery and say 'Mr. Baker sir, this here bread don't toast'? That would be ridiculous because you would KNOW that that CAPACITY to toast bread was NOT IN THE BREAD ITSELF. That capacity is ONLY found in the toaster. If we applied our ideas of salvation to the bread we think that the toasting process had SOMETHING to do with the bread. When in fact:
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
The grace is from GOD and the faith is from JESUS. And to further deny you ANY part in this process he says:
Ephesians 2:9
...not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
This 'not a result of works' includes your so called 'acceptance' of him. The work of Jesus is to 'toast' every man. Consider:
Mark 9:49
“For everyone will be salted with fire.
So will Jesus be successful in his work of UNDOING all the works of the devil? We have these witnesses:
1 Timothy 4:10
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
A greater witness is this:
1 John 4:14
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
And since the Word of God 'will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it', I DARE TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS WILL SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!
Showing posts with label Savior of All. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savior of All. Show all posts
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Mystery of the Second Death
What is God's ultimate punishment? In the mind of God what was the highest form of punishment that he could devise against mankind for sin? Christians the world over imagine an eternity in the fires of hell to be God's highest form of punishment. This is blasphemy! God is not a sadist; he does not find pleasure in torture NOR does it satisfy him. What does God regard as the greatest punishment for sin? Consider:
Genesis 2:17
...but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely DIE.”
Here we see God explaining to Adam the consequences for sin. The answer to the question of God's ultimate punishment is DEATH. It is confirmed by Paul:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is DEATH...
Romans 1:32
...and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are WORTHY OF DEATH, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Romans 6:20-21
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? FOR THE OUTCOME OF THOSE THINGS IS DEATH.
So, we see that the highest form of punishment that God meets out to all mankind is death, or said another way the cessation of life. (My post titled 'You shall not surely die...' gives a clear understanding of the effects of death on the human being. In it I show that dead means dead). An understanding of how God punishes with death is essential for grasping the mystery of the 'second death' spoken of in the book of Revelation.
What happens after death?
The scriptures say what happens after death:
Hebrews 9:27
...And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Christians assume that judgment takes place immediately after you die, but what does the word of God say:
Acts 17:31
Because he hath appointed A DAY, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained...
God tells us that he has appointed a day when he will judge the world. Judgment does not happen on the day you die but on the 'appointed day in which he will judge the world'. At the time of judgment what happens?
John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Now, on the day that the wicked are resurrected we see that they are judged. Where does the judgement of God lead them?
Revelation 20:14-15
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if ANYONE'S NAME was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the LAKE OF FIRE.
So where does the judgment of God lead them? TO DIE AGAIN of course; this is why it is called the SECOND DEATH.
What specifically is the lake of fire?
The Lake of Fire is the wrath of God fueled by his anger (It is important that you read my post on 'The purpose of the Lake of Fire' to get a seamless understanding here) , consider:
Romans 2:5
...But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Colossians 3:5-6
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things 'sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
These verses show that the wrath of God is for the sons of disobedience; the bible also classifies them as 'the wicked'. This wrath is experienced in connection with judgment.
The wrath of God has different effects on different types of people.
This is a strange statement because most people think God an equal opportunity destroyer. But consider that the scriptures make a clear distinction regarding the wicked. All the wicked find their place in the Lake of Fire, but they experience it differently. For the purpose of this post let us offer a classification of the wicked:
Wicked 1.0
Wicked 2.0
The wicked 1.0 is your run of the mill unsaved, unredeemed, unbeliever from all of antiquity up until the time of the beast. The Wicked 2.0 is all those who 'worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand'.
Why was it necessary to use the word 'alive'?
Revelation 19:20
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown ALIVE into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
If all who experience this lake of fire are alive when they are cast into it then why is it necessary to distinguish that the beast and false prophet were cast in ALIVE?
Revelation 20:10
...and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night -- to the ages of the ages.
Where is it EVER written that ALL the people who are wicked are:
1- alive in the fire and brimstone
2- are tormented
The smoke of WHOSE torment ascended up for ages of ages?
Revelation 20:14-15
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8
But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
What is the state of those who are thrown into the lake of fire? Are the alive or are they DEAD? Consider Jesus' words:
John 15:6
If anyone DOES NOT ABIDE in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and DRIES UP; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
This drying up is death. This branch is DEAD when it enters the fire to be burned.
Matthew 3:10
The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
What happens when you cut down a tree? It dies.
Who is ALIVE when they are cast into the Lake of Fire?
1- the beast
2- the false prophet
3- Satan
4- those who take the mark of the beast and worship his image
Revelation 14:9-11
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascends up to ages of ages: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
The church upon reading this assumes that this is ALL the wicked. This is a VERY SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE! These people receive the WRATH OF GOD WITHOUT MIXTURE! THEY ARE ALIVE in the Lake of fire. Consider the use of the words 'without mixture'. This phrase denotes a CONCENTRATION of wrath. If wrath was only experienced in ONE FORM why would it be necessary to specify 'without mixture'?
THE SECOND DEATH (lake of fire) KILLS THE WICKED 1.0. They enter it DEAD. They are DEAD as the power of God's judgement SALTS them with fire. These are then made alive in Christ since there impurities will be burnt away. Those in the four categories listed above will get the FULL MEASURE OF THE WRATH OF GOD WITHOUT MIXTURE.
What is the end result of all these things?
Zephaniah 3:8-9
“Therefore wait for Me,” declares the Lord, “For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My INDIGNATION, All My BURNING ANGER; For all the earth will be devoured By the FIRE of My zeal. “For THEN I will give to the peoples purified lips, That ALL OF THEM may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
Genesis 2:17
...but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely DIE.”
Here we see God explaining to Adam the consequences for sin. The answer to the question of God's ultimate punishment is DEATH. It is confirmed by Paul:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is DEATH...
Romans 1:32
...and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are WORTHY OF DEATH, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Romans 6:20-21
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? FOR THE OUTCOME OF THOSE THINGS IS DEATH.
So, we see that the highest form of punishment that God meets out to all mankind is death, or said another way the cessation of life. (My post titled 'You shall not surely die...' gives a clear understanding of the effects of death on the human being. In it I show that dead means dead). An understanding of how God punishes with death is essential for grasping the mystery of the 'second death' spoken of in the book of Revelation.
What happens after death?
The scriptures say what happens after death:
Hebrews 9:27
...And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Christians assume that judgment takes place immediately after you die, but what does the word of God say:
Acts 17:31
Because he hath appointed A DAY, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained...
God tells us that he has appointed a day when he will judge the world. Judgment does not happen on the day you die but on the 'appointed day in which he will judge the world'. At the time of judgment what happens?
John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Now, on the day that the wicked are resurrected we see that they are judged. Where does the judgement of God lead them?
Revelation 20:14-15
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if ANYONE'S NAME was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the LAKE OF FIRE.
So where does the judgment of God lead them? TO DIE AGAIN of course; this is why it is called the SECOND DEATH.
What specifically is the lake of fire?
The Lake of Fire is the wrath of God fueled by his anger (It is important that you read my post on 'The purpose of the Lake of Fire' to get a seamless understanding here) , consider:
Romans 2:5
...But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Colossians 3:5-6
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things 'sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
These verses show that the wrath of God is for the sons of disobedience; the bible also classifies them as 'the wicked'. This wrath is experienced in connection with judgment.
The wrath of God has different effects on different types of people.
This is a strange statement because most people think God an equal opportunity destroyer. But consider that the scriptures make a clear distinction regarding the wicked. All the wicked find their place in the Lake of Fire, but they experience it differently. For the purpose of this post let us offer a classification of the wicked:
Wicked 1.0
Wicked 2.0
The wicked 1.0 is your run of the mill unsaved, unredeemed, unbeliever from all of antiquity up until the time of the beast. The Wicked 2.0 is all those who 'worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand'.
Why was it necessary to use the word 'alive'?
Revelation 19:20
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown ALIVE into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
If all who experience this lake of fire are alive when they are cast into it then why is it necessary to distinguish that the beast and false prophet were cast in ALIVE?
Revelation 20:10
...and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night -- to the ages of the ages.
Where is it EVER written that ALL the people who are wicked are:
1- alive in the fire and brimstone
2- are tormented
The smoke of WHOSE torment ascended up for ages of ages?
Revelation 20:14-15
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8
But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
What is the state of those who are thrown into the lake of fire? Are the alive or are they DEAD? Consider Jesus' words:
John 15:6
If anyone DOES NOT ABIDE in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and DRIES UP; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
This drying up is death. This branch is DEAD when it enters the fire to be burned.
Matthew 3:10
The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
What happens when you cut down a tree? It dies.
Who is ALIVE when they are cast into the Lake of Fire?
1- the beast
2- the false prophet
3- Satan
4- those who take the mark of the beast and worship his image
Revelation 14:9-11
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascends up to ages of ages: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
The church upon reading this assumes that this is ALL the wicked. This is a VERY SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE! These people receive the WRATH OF GOD WITHOUT MIXTURE! THEY ARE ALIVE in the Lake of fire. Consider the use of the words 'without mixture'. This phrase denotes a CONCENTRATION of wrath. If wrath was only experienced in ONE FORM why would it be necessary to specify 'without mixture'?
THE SECOND DEATH (lake of fire) KILLS THE WICKED 1.0. They enter it DEAD. They are DEAD as the power of God's judgement SALTS them with fire. These are then made alive in Christ since there impurities will be burnt away. Those in the four categories listed above will get the FULL MEASURE OF THE WRATH OF GOD WITHOUT MIXTURE.
What is the end result of all these things?
Zephaniah 3:8-9
“Therefore wait for Me,” declares the Lord, “For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My INDIGNATION, All My BURNING ANGER; For all the earth will be devoured By the FIRE of My zeal. “For THEN I will give to the peoples purified lips, That ALL OF THEM may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The purpose of the Lake of Fire
The Lake of Fire is mentioned only in the book of Revelation. Ask any Christian and their imaginations will come alive with ideas about the Lake of Fire. But what exactly is this Lake of Fire or more importantly what is it's purpose? Consider:
Revelation 19:20
20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
Okay, we see here that the Beast and false prophet are cast into this lake of fire. What else do we know:
Revelation 20:10
10 and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night -- to the ages of the ages.
Here we see that the devil will be thrown into this lake of fire. What else:
Revelation 21:8
8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation 20:15
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
From these two verses we can see that ANYONE (HUMANS) not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. What else:
Revelation 20:14
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
There you have it; ALL the verses that mention the Lake of Fire. I left Revelation 20:14 until last because it gives us a link to understanding what this lake of fire is and its purpose. John saw where DEATH was cast into the lake of fire. This is important to know because another writer talks about death as well. Consider:
1 Corinthians 15:25-26
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
Paul tells us that Christ must reign until God has put ALL his enemies under his feet. Paul then goes on to say that the LAST enemy will be death. Paul makes sure to say the 'LAST' enemy because there are other enemies that will be abolished. Who are the other enemies? John lists them in Revelation 19:20, 20:10, 21:8 and 21:15 (see above). Altogether the enemies of God are those who REMAIN disobedient in this age. These enemies of God are all to be abolished as Paul says. So how does God abolish death? John tells us how; God abolishes death by casting it into the Lake of Fire. Now here is where the purpose of Lake of Fire is revealed.
John says that Death along with the enemies of God will be cast into the Lake of Fire, Paul says that death and the enemies of God will be abolished. But what does abolish mean?
1 Corinthians 15:25-27
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE has put all things in SUBJECTION under His feet.
Paul tells us that the enemies of God will be abolished BY being SUBJECTED under the feet of Christ. Okay, let's look at this:
John says ALL the enemies of God will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Paul says ALL the enemies of God will be put in subjection under Christ's feet.
Therefore, we MUST conclude that the 'Lake of Fire' and 'Subjection under the feet of Christ' has to be the SAME thing. So how do we find out what is the purpose of the Lake of Fire? We discover its purpose when we understand the meaning of the word 'SUBJECT'. The word subject in this passage is the Greek word 'hupotasso', and this word means, 'TO BRING UNDER CONTROL AND TO MAKE OBEDIENT'. Now we can see the purpose of the lake of fire:
The Lake of Fire is a process used by God to bring ALL His enemies under control thus MAKING them obedient to Christ.
It is AT this point when ALL the enemies of God, that is, everyone not written into the book of life because of DISOBEDIENCE will be MADE OBEDIENT.
Those chosen by God are made obedient NOW, but later ALL will be made obedient. (See post 'Everyone will be salted by Fire')
Revelation 19:20
20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
Okay, we see here that the Beast and false prophet are cast into this lake of fire. What else do we know:
Revelation 20:10
10 and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night -- to the ages of the ages.
Here we see that the devil will be thrown into this lake of fire. What else:
Revelation 21:8
8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation 20:15
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
From these two verses we can see that ANYONE (HUMANS) not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. What else:
Revelation 20:14
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
There you have it; ALL the verses that mention the Lake of Fire. I left Revelation 20:14 until last because it gives us a link to understanding what this lake of fire is and its purpose. John saw where DEATH was cast into the lake of fire. This is important to know because another writer talks about death as well. Consider:
1 Corinthians 15:25-26
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
Paul tells us that Christ must reign until God has put ALL his enemies under his feet. Paul then goes on to say that the LAST enemy will be death. Paul makes sure to say the 'LAST' enemy because there are other enemies that will be abolished. Who are the other enemies? John lists them in Revelation 19:20, 20:10, 21:8 and 21:15 (see above). Altogether the enemies of God are those who REMAIN disobedient in this age. These enemies of God are all to be abolished as Paul says. So how does God abolish death? John tells us how; God abolishes death by casting it into the Lake of Fire. Now here is where the purpose of Lake of Fire is revealed.
John says that Death along with the enemies of God will be cast into the Lake of Fire, Paul says that death and the enemies of God will be abolished. But what does abolish mean?
1 Corinthians 15:25-27
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE has put all things in SUBJECTION under His feet.
Paul tells us that the enemies of God will be abolished BY being SUBJECTED under the feet of Christ. Okay, let's look at this:
John says ALL the enemies of God will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Paul says ALL the enemies of God will be put in subjection under Christ's feet.
Therefore, we MUST conclude that the 'Lake of Fire' and 'Subjection under the feet of Christ' has to be the SAME thing. So how do we find out what is the purpose of the Lake of Fire? We discover its purpose when we understand the meaning of the word 'SUBJECT'. The word subject in this passage is the Greek word 'hupotasso', and this word means, 'TO BRING UNDER CONTROL AND TO MAKE OBEDIENT'. Now we can see the purpose of the lake of fire:
The Lake of Fire is a process used by God to bring ALL His enemies under control thus MAKING them obedient to Christ.
It is AT this point when ALL the enemies of God, that is, everyone not written into the book of life because of DISOBEDIENCE will be MADE OBEDIENT.
Those chosen by God are made obedient NOW, but later ALL will be made obedient. (See post 'Everyone will be salted by Fire')
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Salted with fire.
Mark 9:49
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
This is one of the more enigmatic passages of scriptures in the four gospel. Seven little words, these particular seven, uttered by Jesus turns Christendom on it's head. In order to proceed with understanding this verse we MUST begin by defining each of the words:
For Everyone; this is the Greek word 'PAS' which means ALL, EVERYBODY
Will be salted; this is the Greek word 'halizō' which means TO MAKE SALTY, it's literal meaning is to CAUSE something to taste salty
With fire; this is the Greek word 'pur' which means to BURN, BURNING
Jesus is telling us that EVERYONE is made SALTY with fire. Now what is most important to our understanding is what Jesus says in very next verse:
Salt is GOOD...
With seven words Jesus tells us that everyone will me MADE salty with fire and then says to us SALT is good. So if everyone will be made salty with fire and SALT is GOOD then EVERYONE will be MADE GOOD. This may not seem outrageous to many UNTIL we realize who is this EVERYBODY he is talking about.
Identifying the EVERYBODY.
The everybody that Jesus is speaking of in the above verse represents 2 groups of people. Those who come to God through Jesus and everybody else; so in effect this everybody that Jesus is talking about is EVERYBODY. Consider the verses that precede verse 49:
Mark 9:43
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,
Mark 9:45
45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,
Mark 9:47
47 If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,
We can see the division of the two groups of everybody in these preceding verse:
Verse 43- those who enter life and those who go to the unquenchable fire
Verse 45- those who enter life and those who are cast into hell (Gehenna)
Verse 47- those who enter the kingdom of God and those who are cast into hell (Gehenna)
Now Jesus says to us that EVERYONE is made GOOD (salty) by fire. FIRE therefore has a purpose of making EVERYONE good even the believer! That may come as a shock to you until you realize what Jesus says.
WHAT IS THIS FIRE.
In verse 43 Jesus describes a scenario; he says that if your hand cause you to stumble CUT IT OFF. In verse 45 he says if your foot causes you to stumble CUT IT OFF. In verse 47 he says if your eye causes you to stumble THROW IT OUT. This is parabolic language that Jesus uses to convey to us the harshness that we who are believers must undertake in order to be fit for the kingdom of God. Each of these scenarios, if one were to do them literally, would involve immense pain and suffering. To the believer we understand then that Jesus is telling us that our path is filled with pain, suffering and tribulation. To the believer THIS IS YOUR FIRE. This is the fire that God uses to salt us. But Jesus did not just say that ONLY the believers are salted but EVERYONE.
So what is the fire to the world? Everybody else receives their 'salting with fire' after death. It is the salting the believer receives in life that makes us obedient to God. To those who do not receive him now they too will be salted ( made good) by fire. And when their purification is complete then will be fulfilled the scripture:
Isaiah 45:23
I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me EVERY knee will bow, EVERY tongue will swear allegiance.
AND
Philippians 2:10-11
That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So we see that BECAUSE everyone will be MADE good by FIRE then EVERY tongue will swear allegiance to GOD and EVERY knee shall bow to JESUS and EVERY tongue will confess JESUS is Lord.
SALT IS GOOD.
MEAT NOT MILK.
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
This is one of the more enigmatic passages of scriptures in the four gospel. Seven little words, these particular seven, uttered by Jesus turns Christendom on it's head. In order to proceed with understanding this verse we MUST begin by defining each of the words:
For Everyone; this is the Greek word 'PAS' which means ALL, EVERYBODY
Will be salted; this is the Greek word 'halizō' which means TO MAKE SALTY, it's literal meaning is to CAUSE something to taste salty
With fire; this is the Greek word 'pur' which means to BURN, BURNING
Jesus is telling us that EVERYONE is made SALTY with fire. Now what is most important to our understanding is what Jesus says in very next verse:
Salt is GOOD...
With seven words Jesus tells us that everyone will me MADE salty with fire and then says to us SALT is good. So if everyone will be made salty with fire and SALT is GOOD then EVERYONE will be MADE GOOD. This may not seem outrageous to many UNTIL we realize who is this EVERYBODY he is talking about.
Identifying the EVERYBODY.
The everybody that Jesus is speaking of in the above verse represents 2 groups of people. Those who come to God through Jesus and everybody else; so in effect this everybody that Jesus is talking about is EVERYBODY. Consider the verses that precede verse 49:
Mark 9:43
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,
Mark 9:45
45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,
Mark 9:47
47 If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,
We can see the division of the two groups of everybody in these preceding verse:
Verse 43- those who enter life and those who go to the unquenchable fire
Verse 45- those who enter life and those who are cast into hell (Gehenna)
Verse 47- those who enter the kingdom of God and those who are cast into hell (Gehenna)
Now Jesus says to us that EVERYONE is made GOOD (salty) by fire. FIRE therefore has a purpose of making EVERYONE good even the believer! That may come as a shock to you until you realize what Jesus says.
WHAT IS THIS FIRE.
In verse 43 Jesus describes a scenario; he says that if your hand cause you to stumble CUT IT OFF. In verse 45 he says if your foot causes you to stumble CUT IT OFF. In verse 47 he says if your eye causes you to stumble THROW IT OUT. This is parabolic language that Jesus uses to convey to us the harshness that we who are believers must undertake in order to be fit for the kingdom of God. Each of these scenarios, if one were to do them literally, would involve immense pain and suffering. To the believer we understand then that Jesus is telling us that our path is filled with pain, suffering and tribulation. To the believer THIS IS YOUR FIRE. This is the fire that God uses to salt us. But Jesus did not just say that ONLY the believers are salted but EVERYONE.
So what is the fire to the world? Everybody else receives their 'salting with fire' after death. It is the salting the believer receives in life that makes us obedient to God. To those who do not receive him now they too will be salted ( made good) by fire. And when their purification is complete then will be fulfilled the scripture:
Isaiah 45:23
I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me EVERY knee will bow, EVERY tongue will swear allegiance.
AND
Philippians 2:10-11
That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So we see that BECAUSE everyone will be MADE good by FIRE then EVERY tongue will swear allegiance to GOD and EVERY knee shall bow to JESUS and EVERY tongue will confess JESUS is Lord.
SALT IS GOOD.
MEAT NOT MILK.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sowing the seed of the word.
1 Corinthians 3:6
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
This verse gives us insight into the way that God operates in regards to humans and how indeed he designed the human being to work. Paul was here rebuking the corinthians on their carnal thoughts in regards to allegiance to particular teachers. What he wanted them to know was that he planted a seed that was reaped by someone else.
This is an amazing insight because this explains the overwhelming success of the super hero movie genre as of late. The success of one of these films are almost certain because of the above principle. Top grossing franchises and films like X-men, Spiderman, Green Lantern, Thor and the like are the end result of a long process. A seed was sown in the seventies and eighties by Stan Lee when he imagined these characters and drew them in his comic books. Millions of little kids were fascinated by these characters back them as evident by the success of the comic book sales. Fast forward two decades and these little children have now grown to adults. The thing is that most adults DO NOT read comics any longer but they do watch movies. So beginning with the Spiderman franchise the superhero theme and the seeds that were sown in comic books decades ago were now mature trees with fruit and was now ready for a harvest. So what was sowed in comics was now reaped in movies.
This principle was initiated by God and no one knows better than him on how to use it. Consider this:
Romans 14:11
11 It is written:
As surely as I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.
And,
Philippians 2:10-11
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Please note the use of the word EVERY in the above verses. God is telling us the EVERY human will confess the LORDSHIP of JESUS. But how can this be? It will be because of the same principle employed by Stan Lee:
Matthew 24:14
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
God will sow the seed in the WHOLE world and there will be a harvest eventually.
MEAT NOT MILK.
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
This verse gives us insight into the way that God operates in regards to humans and how indeed he designed the human being to work. Paul was here rebuking the corinthians on their carnal thoughts in regards to allegiance to particular teachers. What he wanted them to know was that he planted a seed that was reaped by someone else.
This is an amazing insight because this explains the overwhelming success of the super hero movie genre as of late. The success of one of these films are almost certain because of the above principle. Top grossing franchises and films like X-men, Spiderman, Green Lantern, Thor and the like are the end result of a long process. A seed was sown in the seventies and eighties by Stan Lee when he imagined these characters and drew them in his comic books. Millions of little kids were fascinated by these characters back them as evident by the success of the comic book sales. Fast forward two decades and these little children have now grown to adults. The thing is that most adults DO NOT read comics any longer but they do watch movies. So beginning with the Spiderman franchise the superhero theme and the seeds that were sown in comic books decades ago were now mature trees with fruit and was now ready for a harvest. So what was sowed in comics was now reaped in movies.
This principle was initiated by God and no one knows better than him on how to use it. Consider this:
Romans 14:11
11 It is written:
As surely as I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.
And,
Philippians 2:10-11
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Please note the use of the word EVERY in the above verses. God is telling us the EVERY human will confess the LORDSHIP of JESUS. But how can this be? It will be because of the same principle employed by Stan Lee:
Matthew 24:14
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
God will sow the seed in the WHOLE world and there will be a harvest eventually.
MEAT NOT MILK.
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