Losing It All On Judgment Day?
Q. Some people say that even though you are saved, you don’t have eternal life until judgment day. The way I understand them is that you can be saved, but some kind of sin that is not repented of (to cease doing) that comes into your life before you die will cause you to lose your salvation on judgment day. They really are confusing me. Can you clear this up for me?
A. There are several problems with this one. In the first place the only judgment believers will face happens after the rapture and doesn’t have anything to do with salvation. It has to do with the rewards we’ll have earned during our life on Earth. (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
Second, if you follow it to its logical conclusion this idea doesn’t make any sense because it infers that only those people who have stopped sinning altogether will be saved.
Part of the problem is their misunderstanding of the word “repent”. It doesn’t mean to stop doing something, it means to change your mind about something. When John the Baptist said “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matt. 3:2) he wasn’t telling people to stop sinning so they could become good enough to enter the kingdom. If he had been then only people who have already become sin free could be saved. Yet we know that we can’t be saved until we change our minds and admit that we’re sinners who can’t save ourselves and need a Savior. And that’s just what John was telling them to do.
And third, several Scripture passages clearly explain that the Lord has guaranteed our eternal destiny and has promised never to lose even one of us.
Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
That statement can’t be true if we’re constantly worrying about losing our salvation, and won’t know for sure if we still have it until it’s too late.
Related Posts:
- What Does Repent Mean?
- Forgiveness Part 2
- Union Or Fellowship?
- Repentance And Salvation
- Beating OSAS To Death?
Beyond Imagining
Q. Concerning this Scripture: “As it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:9-10). Please excuse me for asking a dumb question but I don’t know what the last part means or “but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit”. Maybe I’m complicating this verse but I really don’t know what the Spirit has revealed.
A. 1 Cor. 2:9 is actually based on Isaiah 64:4. The idea that both Isaiah and Paul were trying to convey was that no one has ever seen our eternal home and no one has ever heard a description of it. In fact no human mind has ever been able to accurately imagine what it will be like, because it’s beyond our comprehension. But the Holy Spirit has placed a longing in our hearts to be there by revealing little glimpses of how it will feel.
Tags: Eternity, Millennium
Related Posts:
- What Has The Holy Spirit Revealed?
- Understanding The Trinity
- The Power Of Faith
- Millennial Life
- Out Of Context?
More Powerful Than Satan?
Q. I love your site and appreciate the abundance of useful information you have here. The question I have for you is insignificant, but I’m still curious about it. I was wondering if in our new glorified bodies, would we be more powerful than the demons that bother us on an everyday basis. I was also wondering if we’d be more powerful than Satan once we are glorified. Any insight would be appreciated, thanks a lot.
A. Once we are in our glorified bodies we’ll be beyond the reach of all demonic powers including Satan. I don’t know if we’ll be more powerful than Satan, but I do know that he’ll have no power over us. Ephesians 1:19-21 tells us that after the resurrection, Jesus was seated at the right hand of majesty far above all rule and authority power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in this present age but in the one to come. Ephesians 2:6 says God raised up with Christ and and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms. I’d say that makes us pretty safe.
Tags: Spiritual Life
Related Posts:
- Hidden Rapture Doctrine, Follow Up
- Kings And Priests In The Heavenly Realms
- How Does Satan Get Around?
- Kings And Priests In The Heavenly Realms
- Will God The Father Have A Glorified Body?
When Is Enough Enough?
Q. My husband has been trying to help his brother realize the times we are in, that things are getting worse with the country etc. He has become discouraged and is giving up on him and not talking to him. He says that the prophets gave up when no one listened. They were told to dust off their sandals and leave, move on. I disagree. It’s true the disciples were told to dust off their sandals and leave if a town did not accept their teaching. The prophets preached destruction and stayed for a long time. What are your thoughts on this?
A. You didn’t say if your husband’s brother is a believer or not, but either way when it comes to religion you can’t argue any one into seeing things the way you do. In my opinion, the best thing to do in cases like this is to state your position clearly, make sure the other person understands and then place it in the Lord’s hands. This doesn’t mean you give up or quit. It means that your tactics change to prayer rather than discussion. The Lord will soften the person’s heart and he’ll begin asking questions, either of you or someone else, it doesn’t matter. But if you keep debating him, you risk making his heart that much harder.
Tags: Evangelism, Prayer
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