The main reason "death" is among us is God doesn't want us to go into eternity sinful. This is why God took Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden so that they would not eat of the tree of life making them immortally sinful. What we are and where we live now is not the real life God has for us. What a horror it would be if it was, because if it was it would be immortal. A blanket has been pulled over us for a time while we live here, then we die. If we were to remove the blanket and enter eternity in our current state we would be facing the same problem the devil and his angels face. For this reason, death is a blessing for the human race. What is coming to the earth is nothing like what we have now and it must not be tainted by what has been temporarily embraced. Christ stands between the two worlds in the void of human existence and is waiting for our death so we can proceed to immortal life. Those who never pass through the death of Christ wait upon His judgment on the unreal mortal delima our present state finds itself in.
Jesus Christ is coming to the earth to set up His national worldwide kingdom (Dan 2:44, 7:13-14). Before this judgment takes place with the people of the earth, His judgment starts with His own house and with His own people (1 Ptr 4:17).
The day of inspection of the church will happen (1 Ptr 2:12) in the same way the day of inspection of Israel happened (Lk 19:41-44, Mat 23:37-39). Just as Jesus first came to His own weeping because they did not "know the time of their visitation" bringing on themselves the destruction of Jerusalem and 2000 years of wandering the nations, so the church will be visited and inspected by Jesus to see if it has been perfected in love (1 Jn 4:17). That's why Peter exhorts the church in 1 Ptr 2:12 to be a light to the rest of the earth in doing good works so that the church will be ready for the day of visitation again when Jesus inspects His body, the church.
It really does matter what we do now as the body of Christ. All of us, Jews and Greek are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus and heirs according to the promise of the seed of Abraham (Gal 3:22-4:7). Israel was God's first born son (Ex 4:22) so the church also is grafted/adopted (Rom 11:17-21, Eph 1:5) in as a son of God through the marriage of the Only Begotten Son (Eph 5:27). This means that Jesus will deal with us as He dealt with Israel because He is preparing us for what is ahead.
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience" (Colossians 3:1-7).
It is Jesus who judges man (Jn 5:22-23). When Jesus appears, He is found first at His bema seat of judgment with His gathered church to start His inspection, (2 Cor 5:10, Rom 14:10) then He goes to the earth to deal with the judgement He must give it. This day starts the time of His dealings with man for His second coming, first for His sons who have been dead to the world and were being perfected by love and then for those on the earth who have rejected the payment for the mortal delima of sin . The judgment of His house or body involves the same form of discipline/rebuke leading to repentance that is common in His dealings with His children. It is here at His "bema seat", not "crisis seat", that he judges His church. Jesus promises His church in John 5:24 that they shall "not come into judgment 'crisis', but has passed from death to life."
"The righteous shall rejoice when they see the vengeance of the Lord; He shall wash His feet in the blood of the wicked, so that men will say, 'surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth'" (Psalm 58:10-11).
"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge 'crisis' him in the last day" (Jn 12:48).
This is the "crisis" judgment the earth faces when Jesus judges it. The bema seat judgment is different and uniquely prescribed to the church to chastise or reward those who were obedient to Christ and did what He said to do(1 Cor 3:11-15). This is where judgement starts, at His house, and King Jesus lays the foundation of who is worthy to reign with Him for 1000 years on the earth. Those who pass through the judgment of the bema seat will reign with Christ on the earth, but those who get everything burned up will suffer loss being saved by fire and only allowed to enter in to His kingdom on the earth (Entering in and reigning with are 2 different things in Christ's kingdom). - For more info on this subject and who the overcomers are, read Chuck and Nancy Missler's 'The Kingdom, Power, and Glory').
This is why it is important to get ready for the day of inspection of Jesus Christ and to be wise and on the lookout for His coming. There is a price to pay for laziness and not being ready. The bridegroom will come back for His bride and will take her into Himself so that where He goes she will always be with Him.
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 Jn 3:2).
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself" (Phil 3:20-21).
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2 comments:
Very encouraging!
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