BEING
GLORIFIED
TOGETHER
WITH
HIM
The Reward of
the Inheritance
Charlie
Dines
-------
Being Glorified
Together With Him ©
2012 Charlie Dines
While this 2013 edition contains some minor word modifications
of the original 2012 edition, its overall content and
theme remain unchanged.
A large majority of the scriptural excerpts in this writing are
eclectic renderings reflecting my understanding of what
the passage is intending to say based on carefully
reviewing more than one dozen English translations of the
Bible (KJV, NKJV, NIV, NASB, ASV, RV, ISV, LITV, Webster
Bible, Weymouth N.T., YLT, ESV, EMIV, TLB, Darby, NLT,
TEV, RecV) and several Greek texts.
Being persuaded of their right rendering as they
appear herein - and praying that the Lord will not find
them to be any wresting of His Word - I have not included
any version references throughout this writing.
It is left to the reader to consult the Word of
God for himself to become
satisfied of their correctness.
Within Scripture citations, non-bracketed italics represent
words implied or supplied by the translators, or words
that appear in a Greek text but not in English
translations. Bracketed
italics are the author’s added notations; they are no part
of Holy Writ. Some words appear in regular, bracketed type: e.g.,
“[Christ]” where the text says “He,”
the textual reference being to Christ; or where “anyone”
or “he” within the
context means “[a believer]”; or where “You”
is replaced by “[we]” in order to make the verse more
relevant to the Christian reader.
ISBN‑13:
978‑1475006483
ISBN‑10:
1475006489
Despite the copyright, the author imposes no restrictions upon
the quotation of material published herein.
Cover design was
the cooperative effort of..
Enic
Baker,
Wendy Richard,
Author contact: cdines6@gmail.com
Dedication
To all who will
pursue the reward of the inheritance.
-------
Table of
Contents
Acknowledgments
xiii
An Allegory xv
Preface
xvii
Chapter 1. “Come
Now, Let Us Reason
Together”
The
Bible is the Very Word of God
Page 1
Sin
and Law
Page 3
The
Fear of the Lord
Page 8
The
Person of Christ
Page 10
Forgiveness Page 11
Who
Is Like Unto This God?!
Page 13
The
Great Exchange
Page 14
Saved
by Grace through Faith
Page 14
“What Shall We DO!” Page
16
“It Is Finished!” Page
17
Chapter 2. An Introduction to Believers Page
19
Chapter 3. A Gift Verses A
Reward Page 25
A
Gift Page 25
A
Reward Page 26
Reward
According to Works Page 27
The
Consequences of Indifference Page
30
An Ignoble End Page
31
Summary Page 32
Chapter 4. Salvation’s
Security Page 33
Chapter 5.
Justification -
Its Two Aspects
Page 37
By
Faith Page 37
By
Works Page 39
Concluding
Thoughts
Page 45
Chapter 6.
Faith - Its Working and Perfecting
Page 47
Abraham’s
Faith
Page 47
Like
a Coin
Page 56
Working
by Faith in Peace
Page 56
Chapter 7.
Death and Glory
Page 59
Chapter 8.
The Age to
Come - The Millennium
Page 69
Premillennialism Page 70
Amillennialism Page 71
Postmillennialism Page 71
Proposition Page 72
Chart 1:
Millennialists Divided
Page 74
Chapter 9. Worthiness - An
Introduction Page 75
Defining
Worthiness
Page 75
A
Matter of Time
Page 76
Worthiness
- Its N.T. Notice
Page 76
Christ
- The Worthy One
Page 77
Worthiness
and a Cross
Page 78
Worthiness‑
Christ’s Provision
Page 79
The
Way
Page 80
Chapter 10.
Worthiness - That Day
Page 81
The
Parable of the Talents
Page 81
Closing
Thoughts Page 85
Chapter 11. Worthiness -
Addressing Uncertainties and Misgivings
Page 87
Chapter 12. Worthiness -
With Respect to the Kingdom
Page 95
Inheriting
Eternal Life
Page 96
An
Abundant Entrance
Page 100
Chart 2: Entering
Into Life Eternal
Page
105
Chapter 13.
Resurrection and Rapture
Page 107
Definition
of Terms
Page 109
Timing
- Its importance to Believers
Page 112
To
Say A Bit More ...
Page 113
The
Question of Worthiness With Respect to Rapture Page
113
Another
R/R Possibility Page 115
Chart 3:
Premillennial R/R Timing Compared Page 117
Chapter 14. Qualified
Unto Inheritance Page 119
Inheritance
- Its Risks and Reward
Page 119
The
Out-resurrection
Page 123
We
Have Been Qualified Page 126
Chapter 15. Conditional
Inheritance Page 127
A
Testament Page 127
“If indeed” Page 129
Decrees - Unconditional and Conditional Page 129
Inheritance Through
Obedience of Faith Page 130
The
Inheritance Set Before Us
Page 133
Hypocrisy
in a Christian’s Life
Page 135
Chapter 16. Overcoming Page
137
Precious
Promises
Page 137
Intimacy
With Christ
Page 138
Failure
Through Indifference
Page 139
Hindrances
to Overcoming
Page 140
How
May We Overcome? Page
141
Addendum Page 143
Chapter 17. Neglect Not
So Great A Salvation Page
147
Promises
and Admonitions
Page 147
Warnings! Page
147
Closing
Encouragements
Page 150
Conclusion Page 151
Appendices
Appendix A. Concerning
Objections to My Views on Death and Glory Page
157
2
Corinthians
12 Page 157
Ephesians
4 Page 158
2
Corinthians 5
Page 160
Appendix B.
Concerning the Ages Page 161
Aion
Page 161
Ages
Past to Present Page 162
This
Age Page 163
The
End of the Age Page 165
That
Age - The Age to Come
Page 166
The
Ages to Come
Page 168
Forever
Page 168
Forever
and Ever Page 170
Objections
Page 171
Conclusions
Page 172
Appendix C.
A Word of Personal Testimony
Page 175
-------
xiii
Acknowledgments
This section is a most important one to me as the writer, for I
am well aware of how certain ones have contributed to this
book’s ever having been written.
Above all others, I wish to recognize my wife, Ione,
who was willing to be left nearly a widow for two years
while I was studying, writing, proofreading, and revising
these writings. Thank
you, my Love. Your
patient endurance with me during our many years together
must surely await its reward in that Day of His appearing.
For over three decades David
Culver has been a mentor to me.
Would that every Christian was so blessed to have
an older, more spiritually exercised saint in his life to
help guide him along the way.
I will be forever indebted to you, David.
Every believer needs certain, special companions in faith with
whom he can have regular fellowship.
In addition to David - and though there have been
many others - I must single out a few with whom I have
spent countless hours in fellowship at different times. Their names are
Craig Rogers, Greg McVay (Gregger, to me), Gary
Hipp, and Hulon
Champlin. Many
of their thoughts and comments, and even their
occasionally taking umbrage with certain of my views, have
had a most positive influence on my continued musings in
the Word of God. Thank
you, brethren.
My profound gratitude is extended to Lewis Schoettle for having persevered in publishing and distributing
certain doctrinal books into a [xiv] niche market
among Christians. The
works available through his publishing firm* have been of
inestimable value to me.
Thank you, Lewis, for your faithful continuance
in the work that the Lord has assigned to you.
* Schoettle
Publishing Co., Inc.
(pronounced “shuttle”), P.O.
Box 1246, Hayesville, NC, 28904; web site
<www.schoettlepubhshing.com/>; phone contact
706/896-3333.
Finally, I offer what is, in most cases, a posthumous thank you
to so many Christian
authors, too numerous to record herein.
These writers are or were of various doctrinal
bents, their works having helped to lead me along into an
understanding of the way of God more perfectly (Acts
18: 26).
Thank you all.
[xv]
An Allegory
Two lads, living in the squalor of a foreign orphanage, are
noticed by a certain man who has come to that place
looking to acquire sons for himself.
From among so many, he takes pity on these two
wretched souls - who knows why?
He pays the fee required and takes them unto
himself, giving them his own name.
They are now his heirs.
As it happens, their adoptive father is a man of great means,
and these two sons stand to inherit a fortune.
But besides his personal treasure, he has created
a concern that has worldwide influence.
He invites both sons to come to work with him,
assuring them that he will provide all of the knowledge
and understanding required for them to become successful
in his present and future enterprises.
Only one of the brothers seizes upon the opportunity,
diligently seeking to be fruitful in his father’s
business. The other son goes about life according to his
own self-interests, being complacent in the comforts of
his new circumstances and in the assuredness of his future
inheritance.
In the end of things, this latter son will receive only what
was warranted to him from the start, while the other son
will ultimately inherit a double portion of wealth and
intimacy with his father - plus authority over his
father’s affairs.
Preface
[xvii]
“Jesus …have
mercy on me!”
This was the loud, public pleading of the blind beggar,
Bartimaeus, nearly two millennia ago.
While his pitful cries annoyed Jesus’ disciples,
He opened this blind man’s eyes to see Him (Mark
10: 46ff).
Perhaps someone who is not a Christian has happened upon this
book and decided to read its first few pages.
To him or her I have devoted Chapter 1.
I pray that your eyes may be opened to see the
wonders of the Lord Jesus, and the salvation from sin and
eternal life that are to be found only in Him.
All of the remaining chapters should be of particular interest
to believers.
My purposes in writing this book are threefold.
First, since my childhood in the ’40s and ’50s I
have observed the world changing dramatically.
Troubled societies worldwide are advancing
quickly into unimaginable financial, political, moral and
social chaos; and mankind is destitute of solutions
despite any (political) claims to the contrary.
Being now an older man, I have great concern for my children
and my children’s children who may well live into those
dreadful days ahead.
My heartfelt hope is that they may become strong in
the faith of Jesus Christ as the days darken.
I pray that those future days will find them all
numbered among those who will be able to lift their heads
and look up as their redemption draws near Luke
21: 28).
[xviii]
Secondly, this writing is intended to bring into view the hope
of our calling as Christians.
Believers in this present day are being misled
concerning this glorious hope.
It is a hope about which we hear little of in the
preachings and teachings of our day.
This was not the case in the early Church.
Thirdly, I intend to support the truth that the means by which
men live their lives now will bear irrevocably upon the
eternal destiny of each, including Christians.
For those who may read this book to its
conclusion, I pray that you might come out the other end a
changed person, with a clear understanding of God’s high
calling in Christ Jesus.
May we all put aside any facade, any erroneous
teachings, any unfit speech and behaviour, and even the
lethargy that may have become the portion of some while
wandering in a spiritual desert.
My overall purpose throughout this writing is borrowed from
another: “To humble the pride of
man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation, and to
promote real holiness in heart and life.”*
* This
purpose statement has appeared on the cover of quarterly
publications of “Free Grace
Broadcaster” for many years.
These booklets are most profitable to read, and
they may be obtained free of charge by contacting Chapel
Library’s website: www.mountzion.org.
Excepting some things appearing in the Appendices and certain
footnotes, I have made every effort to avoid being too
technical, praying that this writing will be
comprehensible, convincing, and compelling to every
ordinary reader. Many
references to Scripture are included throughout this
writing to support its teachings.
My intentions in
writing echo the remarks made by the apostle Peter in his
second epistle.
2 Pet. 1: 12-15 Therefore,
I intend to always be ready to
remind you of these things... 13 I
consider it right, as
long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to
stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my
earthly dwelling is imminent, as
also our Lord Jesus [xix] Christ has made clear to me. 15 Moreover,
I will be diligent, so that at any time after my departure
you may be able to recall these things.
While I have many nice tools and farm equipment, and some fine
fishing gear, and boxes of blessed books to be passed on
to others, I have nothing of more value to leave behind
than this writing. I pray that it will stir you up.
Perhaps this might be a good time to pause to read my personal
testimony in Appendix
C (page 175) before
moving on, so that you may have the opportunity of
becoming better acquainted with me as the author.
May the Lord
bless you in the course of your reading this labour of
love.
Charlie Dines
2012
[Page 1]
Chapter 1
“Come
Now, Let Us Reason
together”
(Isa. 1:
18)
When they unjustifiably nailed Jesus to a cross, why didn’t He
exercise His power and save Himself? He had the power, and
He had demonstrated it by doing many miracles, even
raising the dead.
This question thrust itself upon my consciousness half a
lifetime ago. Back
then it was one for which I could find no answer.
If you are not presently a believer in the good
news concerning Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness of sin
and salvation to be found in Him, I invite you to inquire
of yourself: “Why didn’t Jesus
save Himself in order to prove to His enemies who He is?”
In this chapter
you will discover the answer.
The Bible is the Very Word of God
Many people protest, “The Bible is
just some book written by mere men,” even though
they may have never studied one iota of Holy Writ.
Others, who may have read portions of it from
Genesis through Revelation, claim, “It
contains many errors.”
Although apparent inconsistencies can be reconciled through
more meticulous study, these critics hold fast to their
false assumptions for one reason: to become convinced of
the truths of the Bible would [Page 2] cause them to know that they are accountable to their Creator,
life-Sustainer, and Judge.
They will resist this conclusion at every turn.
Space and purpose will not permit me to argue at length with
self-avowed atheists or indifferent agnostics other than
to say the following.
The Old Testament
(O.T.) records hundreds of prophecies, written many
centuries before the coming of Jesus; yet they were
precisely fulfilled in Him.
This is reason enough to believe that the Bible
is the Word of the Omniscient God: the One who knows the
end from the beginning (Isa. 46: 10).
The New Testament
(N.T.) is under-girded by a much greater number of
centuries-old documents than any other piece of ancient
writing. More
than five thousand copies and fragments of the N.T., some
dating back as far as the second and third centuries A.D.,
are still in existence.
They are critical confirmations that 99.8 percent
of our present N.T. is consistent with its autographs: the
original writings of the N.T. authors.
No variations within these extant writings alter
anything pertaining to the central doctrines of the
Christian faith.
The historical
fact that a man named Jesus Christ lived, died, and has
been bodily raised from the dead is confirmed in the N.T.
by many eyewitness accounts.
That this man named Jesus was crucified nearly
two thousand years ago finds little disputation among
critics; but that He has been raised from the dead is yet
another matter. Resurrection is the doctrine in dispute.
Why is this so? Because
in
his or her own heart every person knows intuitively that
to be convinced that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead
compels solemn attention to the many other declarations
made by and about Him in the Bible.
The speculations of uninformed men about the question of what
happens after we die promote nonsense. To be awakened to
the truth, we must consult someone who has actually died,
been buried, and has then been raised from the dead. That Someone is
the subject of the historically reliable gospels that open
up the N.T.
If anyone will submit to reading the gospels with a sincere and
contrite heart, he will discover the truth.
God has always been willing to reason with every
person who will bow his knee with an ear to hear.
He will make Himself known in a personal way to
every such person.
The Bible
contains news both bad and good, and I will present things
in this order.
Sin and Law
The gospel of Jesus Christ includes the message of forgiveness
of sin. And
while the necessity of forgiveness may be frequently
ignored in the ordinary affairs of human life, there are
at least two occasions on which sin becomes an issue of
considerable importance in the heart of every natural-born
man. *
* My frequent use
of the term “natural-born man”
is with reference to everyone born (only) of the flesh: by
the means of nature. Jesus says that we must be “born
again,” spiritually (John.
3: 3ff). Have you been
born again, dear reader?
1. When one is
sinned against, sin becomes a paramount vexation to that
person. Even
criminals are highly excited by transgressions against
themselves.
2. When one is
involved in some secret sin, he or she will devote every
effort to conceal whatever that sin may be.
We are all out of the seed of our original progenitor, Adam. He and his wife
became sinners,* and we have all inherited their sinful
nature. For
this reason every natural-born person has grown up to
become - in [Page 4] varying degrees - proud, self-interested, self-reliant, self-indulgent, and
self-righteous, holding fast to a personal sense of
autonomy. In
most cases men have very little use for God.
He is rarely in the thoughts of the
naturally-born: those begotten as kind after their own
kind. **
* Chapter three of Genesis introduces the first sin of man.
** In the opening chapters of Genesis, the Bible establishes the
principle of kind after its own kind: fish from fish,
birds from birds, and sinners from sinners.
This testimony of life and Scripture finds men thankless,
crediting God with little or nothing in the ordinary days
of their lives. Yet
in times of calamity some of these same ones will call out
to God - One unknown to them - in desperation.
From indifference to desperate appeals - how
contradictory is the nature of man before his Creator.
But this condition of mankind is not the entirely of his
predicament. The
prophet Jeremiah asks, “Can the
Ethiopian change his skin,
or the leopard his spots?” Jer. 13:
23). Suffering
Job wondered, “How then can a man
be righteous before God? Or
how can he be clean who is born of a woman?” (Job 25: 4). Isaiah simply
declares, “The whole head is sick!”
(Isa. 1:
5).
Though one’s behaviour may be modified by degree
through self-determination, his human nature will remain
unchanged; its unchangeableness is the consequence of sin.
We are informed by God’s Word that sin is more than just an
outward transgression.
Sin is something that dwells within us (Rom. 7:
20). The
evidence of this fact is plain to see.
No parent has ever had to spend any time teaching
his toddler to do the wrong thing; for every child will
evidence early on that a sin-nature dwells within him or
her.
Sin is defined in the Bible as “the
transgression of law” (1
John 3: 4). Whether in
thought or in deed, the presence and power of sin is
revealed through law.
The apostle Paul says, “Where
there is no law there is no transgression.”* But whenever a
law (a rule or commandment) invades one’s conscience, the
sin that is already dwelling within him comes to life and
may manifest itself in action.
* Rom. 4: 15; 7: 9; 1 Cor. 15:
56b.
[Page 5]
Perhaps an illustration from
ordinary life will be helpful here.
A certain man may delight to drive 105 mph down the freeway in a state that has no speed limit.
He is, therefore, no transgressor of law.
However, if a 55 mph
speed limit is one day enacted as law, suddenly his sinful
nature springs to life and exposes itself for what it is. Our man does not
like this new regulation.
In fact, he hates it.
It opposes his personal pleasure and his
preference to do as he pleases.
So, he buys a radar detector to help him disobey this statute. Only when his
radar detector begins to squeal will fear bring him into
instant compliance. On
all other occasions he may likely, knowingly disobey this
new law.
Sin operates along these same lines in adultery, extortion,
deceit, thievery, etc.
By nature, a man frequently opposes what is
right, preferring what is wrong.
He will excuse himself on the one hand; but on
the other hand, like our speeder, he will do everything
imaginable to keep from being caught in his transgression. What a conflict
this is.
Law is an ordinance with a penalty attached for its violation. Different
countries have different laws - ignorance of the law being
no excuse. God
has a moral Law, and ignorance of it is also without
excuse. This
is so because His Law is at work in the human heart
through conscience. All
men have been given to know right from wrong, their
conscience either excusing or accusing them (Rom. 2:
15).*
*
Concerning “the work of the law
[that
universally
implanted sense of right and wrong] written in [our] hearts”
(Rom.
2: 15),
Man’s problem is that he is out of sync with God, our judge, as
to how He feels about sin.
A man may not participate in the grosser sins of
life, thinking that by avoiding them he will be acquitted
on the day of God’s judgment.
However, among the (so called) lesser sins that [Page 6] God abhors and will judge are these: pride of heart (observable in a proud
look), mental adultery (lust), deceit, wicked thoughts and
plans, evil desires, gossiping, boastfulness, hatred,
contentiousness, jealousies, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambitions, strife, envy, covetousness, hypocrisy, etc.* There will be no
immunity granted by a holy God in His final prosecution of
these matters.
* Prov.
6: 17-19; Matt. 5:
28;
7: 21f;
We discover in Scripture that the Lord will not merely judge
the outward behaviour of men; for He “searches
all hearts and understands all the intent of the
thoughts [therein]”
(1
Chron. 28: 9).
God is “a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart;
and there is no creature hidden from His sight; but all things are naked and open to
the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb.
4: 12f).
God will ultimately reckon with men; but “because
the sentence against an evil work is not executed
speedily, therefore the
heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil”
(Eccl. 8:
11).
Despite this delay, our benevolent God sometimes
allows the cloak of a man’s sin to be suddenly lifted,
bringing sin and its consequences into present and
shameful evidence. This
allowance is intended to turn a man from darkness to Light
in order that he may seek salvation and the forgiveness of
sins in Christ before his future and final day of
judgment.
Concerning that future day, I pause to take notice of the
following misconception.
Many people - including myself before I became a
Christian - imagine that God’s judgment will be according
to His weighing one’s (presumed) good thoughts and deeds
against one’s bad thoughts and deeds.
Men’s anxious though misguided anticipation is
that the good will outweigh the bad, and that they will
thereby be saved from condemnation. Yet this ungodly
principle is not even according to the laws of society. The most
right-living person in town, if he is convicted of murder
or extortion, will not be saved from the law’s just
punishment. Even
if he has done ten thousand good deeds, “Guilty
as charged!” will be the verdict.
[Page 7]
In his remarks in chapter one of his epistle to the Romans, the
apostle Paul describes a litany of the (even dreadful)
conditions into which a man may descend, concluding that “although [men] know
God’s righteous decree -
that those who do such things deserve death - they not only continue to do these
very things but they also approve of those who practice
them” (Rom. 1:
32).
One’s closest companions are frequently of a like mind with him
respecting (bad) character and behaviour; but in Num. 32:
23 we are assured that every man’s sin will
ultimately find him out.
While the totality of his sin and unrighteousness
is impossible for any man to recall, the Omniscient One
maintains an unfadable record (Heb.
4:
13).
Some may wonder: “Just how exacting
are the requirements of God’s moral Law?” The
apostle James puts forth the following principle: “Whoever
shall keep the whole Law, and
yet stumble in one point, he
has become guilty of all” (Jas. 2:
10). Worse
yet, God’s Law is far stricter than most men think it to
be: “Now if a person sins and does
anything that the LORD
has commanded not to be done,
even though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his
punishment” (Lev. 5:
17).
It seems unnecessary to provide any lengthy explanations or
examples in order to affirm the following three truths.
1. A person’s
unbelief and sin do not only bear upon his own personal,
eternal destiny; they will also have a direct or an
indirect effect upon the destiny of others, and will
likely be imitated by his offspring.
Even sin that is out of sight - sin that one may
think is private and unknown - will, in some way, work its
way out to endangering the future of his children.
2. Sin’s activity
within a natural-born person is so habitual that it is
like breathing; it is so much a part of life that it
generally goes without notice.
[Page 8]
3. Every man’s
sin is ultimately against God and His Law.*
The narrative of
King David’s adulterous relationship with Bathsheba is
recorded in Second Samuel,
chap. 11. When the king
learned that he had impregnated Bathsheba, he undertook a
murderous scheme in an attempt to cover up his sin.
When he later came to his right mind, David cried
out, “Against You,
You only, have I sinned
and done that which is evil in Your sight” (Psa. 51:
4).
If this is not
so, why will God judge him?
Finally, regarding sin and law: Scripture affirms that God did
not intend for His Law to set any person right with Him by
his or her keeping the Ten Commandments.
The purpose of God’s Law is to reveal sin in
every person (Rom. 3: 20b). Until people
come to understand that they are sinners, even becoming
sick of their sin and having a heartfelt longing to be
other than what they actually are, none are truly prepared
to receive the good news contained in the gospel of Jesus
Christ (see Job. 42:
5).
The Fear of the
Lord
“God is love” (1
John 4: 8, 16); this is one of the
undeniable affirmations of Scripture concerning His
character. Both
these sweet words and the declaration in John
3: 16 can be
quickly recited from memory by many: even by those who
have not come to a living faith in Christ.
However, some may not know or may simply ignore
something else that is three times recorded in the Bible –
“God is a consuming fire.”*
* Deut. 4:
24; 9: 3; Heb.
12:
29.
For half of my life I was an unbeliever and a wanton sinner. I can testify
that I was frequently burdened by life’s worries, often
feeling hopeless. By
midlife I had begun to fear what my end might be if I died
in my many sins. What
is your circumstance, dear reader?
Whatever is your case, be assured that when the fear of the
Lord concerning sin comes upon any of us it is the
evidence of God’s intention to enlighten us; for the Bible
informs us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge and wisdom. *
* Job 28: 28;
Psa. 111: 10; Prov.
l:
7; 9:
10.
[Page
9]
Consider an
example from ordinary life concerning fear.
Following a routine physical examination a man may be informed
by his physician: “You have
cancer, but more testing will confirm how advanced it is.”
The patient may respond in one of two extremes.
If he is a fearless, self-assured but unwise man
he may ignore his physician’s warning and refuse further
testing, declaring, “I feel fine;
this cannot be my case.”
He therefore consigns himself to go off and to
die of his affliction, denying himself of any possible
cure.
On the contrary, if he trusts the judgment of his physician and
is in fear of dying (perhaps in spiritual
un-preparedness), as a wise man he will undergo further
tests and, if they prove positive for cancer, he will
anxiously inquire, “Doctor! what
must I do to be cured?”
As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual.
Our Creator and Great Physician has rendered His
final diagnosis - the natural-born man is mortally
infected with a sinful nature.
Therefore, the wise man will cry out, “0
God! what must I do to be saved?”
If there is any reader who has not yet truly known the fear of
the Lord, I pray that he or she may soon become imbued
with it through the wondrous workings of God’s grace. The lyrics of Amazing Grace - perhaps the most famous Christian hymn ever
written - say it well: “ ’Twas
Grace that taught my heart to fear; and Grace, my fears
relieved. How precious did that Grace appear the hour I
first believed.’”*
* This hymn was written by John Newton in 1779.
Being a slave trader,
Fear is according to God’s grace and it is intended to stir a
man up in the midst of his waywardness to recognize his
danger. However,
it is [Page 10] “the
riches of [God’s] kindness
and forbearance and patience” that may ultimately
lead any person to repentance (
For how long has God been kind, forbearing and patient with
you, dear reader? Oh, how great is the grace of God.
The Person of
Christ
The N.T. opens wide a wonder that was typified though shrouded
in the O.T.: the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus identified Himself and is declared
throughout the N.T. to be the Son of God.
Knowing this, His enemies accused Him of
blasphemy; they reviled Him for making Himself equal with
God.* Jesus
nowhere refutes this accusation; for He who was with God
in the beginning was God, and was the same One who became
flesh, coming in the likeness of men to dwell among
them.**
* John
5: 18; 10: 33; 19:
7.
Jesus and the Father are one, in Spirit and by
nature: ref. John 10: 30, 38. ** John 1: 1,
14; Phil. 2:
7.
Jesus Christ is the very image of God’s personage, all the
fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily.*
His words and His working of miracles were an
open display of this truth.
Nevertheless, one of Jesus’ own disciples
petitioned Him: “Lord, show us the Father,
and it is enough for us.”
To this request Jesus unabashedly replied, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has
seen Me has seen the Father” (John. 14: 8f). Matthew’s gospel
identifies Jesus Christ as “Immanuel
... God
with us” (Matt. 1:
23).
*
Jesus’ enemies set out to kill Him for His alleged blasphemy. Despite their
accomplishment, He arose bodily from the dead the third
day and appeared to certain disciples - not including
Thomas. He
later appeared to the unbelieving Thomas; and upon
beholding the resurrected One, Thomas declared, “My
Lord and my God!” Without reproving Thomas’
profession, Jesus replied, “Because
you
have seen [Page
11]
Me,
you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen
and have yet believed.”*
* John 20:
19,
20, 26-29.
Years later the apostle Paul wrote that the resurrected Christ
“appeared to more than five
hundred brethren at one time” (1
Cor. 15: 6).
Because of the uncompromising confession of those
eyewitnesses, many suffered martyrdom for their testimony
that Jesus arose from the dead and is Lord of all men.
Knowing this resurrected Christ by faith, and not merely
knowing some things about Him, will enable us to see God
as He truly is: full of grace and mercy in this day, His
righteous wrath being reserved for a future day. “Now
is the day of salvation” (2
Cor. 6: 2).
Forgiveness
It is sin that separates men from God (Isa. 59:
2). To
be reconciled to God a person needs His forgiveness. But one may
insist: “There is no way God can
forgive my sins; they are too many and too great.”
Really! The apostle Paul - known as Saul in his earlier life -
confessed that he was formerly a luster and blasphemer, a
violent persecutor of Christians, even consenting to their
death.* Who
is worse than Saul?
* Rom. 7:
7f; Act. 8:
1; 1 Tim. 1:
13.
The wonderful good news is that God has provided a way unto
forgiveness of any and all sin.*
This is at the heart of the gospel of Christ.
* There
is only one exception to this truth.
Jesus’ enemies blasphemed the Holy Spirit when
they claimed that He was possessed of the devil and cast
out demons by the power of Satan.
This one sin finds no forgiveness, neither in this age nor in the age to come;
and such a blasphemer is in danger of eternal condemnation
(Matt. 12: 24,
31, 32; Mark 3:
22, 28-30).
Let us reason a little further on this subject of forgiveness;
for the Word of God can always enlighten us (Psa.
18:
28).
[Page 12]
Forgiveness is costly; it always costs somebody something. True forgiveness
may be defined as “the
willingness of one to absorb, into himself, the
consequence (or loss) brought upon him by the
transgression of another without requiring any
recompense on the part of the transgressor.”
Consider the
following ordinary examples of this kind of forgiveness in
the natural realm.
Smith steals a chicken from Jones’ barnyard for dinner.
Immediately after killing it, he is remorseful,
and he goes to Jones, retuning his property and asking for
his forgiveness. Jones
forgives Smith and requires no compensation from him,
willingly suffering the loss - a dead chicken.
Brown has incurred a debt of $10,000, but he is penniless. A benefactor may
pay the debt without demanding any repayment.
If Brown’s benefactor is a multimillionaire, his
benevolence has cost him little.
On the other hand, if she is his aged mother, it
may have cost her all of her living.
In the opening verses of Mark’s gospel, chapter two, Jesus said
to a paralytic man He had never met, “Child,
your sins are forgiven.” The enemies of
Jesus who were in attendance reasoned that He was
blaspheming, thinking, “Who can
forgive sins but God alone?”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus replied, “Why
are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?
Which is easier - to
say to the paralytic, ‘Your
sins
are forgiven,’ or to say,
‘Get up,
and pick up your bed and walk?’”
(Think about this, dear reader.
Which saying entails the lesser risk?) ... “‘But in order that you may know that
the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, get
up, pick up your bed and
go home.’” Upon
Jesus’ command, the paralytic was immediately healed,
picked up his bed and left the scene.
(I am certain that the paralytic’s blessing was
more than physical.)
[Page 13]
This is only one
example of Jesus forgiving the sins of strangers; but it
raises several questions.
1. How is God
found righteous in forgiving sinners?
2. When did God,
according to the definition of forgiveness above,
willingly
suffer the consequence of our sins unto Himself?
3.
How much did it cost Him?
The answer is this: God suffered in Christ,* and forgiveness
cost Him everything in the horrific and bloody torture of
His body and the excruciating torment of His soul while
dying on the cross.
* “God was in Christ” (Col. 1:
19).
Who Is Like Unto This God?
Since the beginning of this age men have honoured and feared an
incalculable number of gods.
In their efforts to appease those gods they have
offered up innumerable sacrifices, even unto the fiery
sacrifice of their own children.*
Imagine such a thing.
* Lev. 18:
21; Deut. 12:
31; Psa. 106: 37.
But the Bible declares that the LORD God is the God of gods (Deut. 10: 17). What sacrifice
does He require to fully appease His righteous wrath? None that a poor
sinner can offer aside from what King David affirms in Psa.
51: 17: “The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit; a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
Many men’s ordinary conceptions of God may include some small
imagination of His majesty in glory and His great and
fearsome power. But
will they ever consider His holiness, because of which
sinful men are separated from Him?
Will they ever be found in fear and trembling
because of His wrath, one day to be unleashed?
But, dear reader, wonder at this: God - who is the Creator of
all things seen and unseen - intended from eternity past
to come among [Page 14] men in the end of the ages, as a man, to willingly submit Himself to their
mockings, scourging, and His own crucifixion, bearing the
sins of men in His sinless body on the cross as a
sacrifice for their sins, so that they might be reconciled
to Him.*
* “Reconciled” - “made
right with another”: 2
Cor. 5:
20f; 1 Pet. 2:
24; Heb. 9:
28.
Who can take in a God like this - a God who has provided
Himself a sacrifice, in Christ, for sinners?
This truth is admittedly too marvellous to be
fully comprehended by our natural minds.
The Great
Exchange
As an ambassador for Christ, I implore you on His behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
Paul assures men that they can be reconciled to
God because “the One who knew no
sin was made sin for us,
in order that we might become the righteousness of God
in [Christ]” (2 Cor. 5:
20f). A
great exchange indeed.
No man who hopes to be acquitted by God and to be reconciled to
Him by doing good and avoiding evil will ever achieve his
hoped-for end. Why? Because he does
not and cannot keep all the moral Law of God
unfalteringly. Furthermore,
he lacks any means by which he may cancel his sin-debt to
that Law. He
remains, therefore, a law-breaker, a transgressor, a
guilty sinner, and under a curse.* But the
wondrous good news to all who will believe is this: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse
of the Law, having
become a curse for us.”**
* John 3: 36b; Gal. 3:10.
** Gal. 3:10-13. Here, the word “redeemed” means “to
exchange for money, goods or something else considered
to be of value.”
God Himself redeemed His children; He took
possession of them by paying the ransom price required
under Law. The
price was blood - in this case, it was the blood of Jesus. This is the
incomparable redemption of the ages.
Saved by Grace
through Faith
All natural-born men are living by some kind of faith: faith in
money, power, or influence; faith in their good health,
talents, or abilities; faith [Page
15]
in the assumed fidelity of
their spouse; faith in government; etc.
And while they may feel some sense of assuredness
in these and other like things as they face tomorrow,
these frail objects of
faith will one day (at least, in their last day) fail
to be of any eternal value.
But faith in God’s faithfulness to His Word will
prove to be everlasting.
The apostle Paul assures us “that a man
is justified [made right with God]
by faith apart from the deeds of
law.”*
The Lawgiver has provided this superior
provision for all men who are the subjects of condemnation
under “the Law of sin and death”
(Rom.
8: 2).
One
may be acquitted by faith - faith in God’s Word, which
Word is Christ, the Word made flesh (John
1: 14).
Paul had said earlier, “Now
a righteousness of God apart from law has been
manifested, being
witnessed by the Law and the prophets [in the O.T.], even a righteousness of
God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who
believe” (Rom. 3: 21f).
* Rom. 3: 26b-28.
“Christ is an end of law unto
righteousness” (
Dear reader, hear
with rejoicing what the Biblical writers say further. When Jesus
suffered death in the stead of sinners who will believe in
Him, they were “released from the
Law” (Rom. 7:
6).* Christ
“wiped out the handwriting of
requirements that was against [all who believe]”
(Col.
2: 14).
Though the Law was “weak
through the flesh” (Rom.
8: 3),
the writer of Hebrews says, “there
is a setting aside [a cancelling, a putting away, an
abolishing] of a
former commandment because of its weakness and
uselessness; for the Law
made nothing perfect” (Heb. 7: 18f).
* To be “released from the Law”
means that one who believes in Christ has been saved
(released) from the eternal curse of the Law of sin and
death. It
does not mean that one is no longer under any Law; for
God’s moral Law has been continually in effect since the
beginning, and it will remain in effect forever.
It is only the Law’s penalty that we are
concerned about here.
[Page 16]
Under a law of works we hear God declare this: “Keep
My statutes and My judgments,
by which a man may live if he does them.”* The
promise and provision brought in through Christ says: “He who believes
in the Son has
eternal life” (John
3: 36a). These are two
very different principles.
Lev. 18: 5; Neh. 9: 29c;
Ezek. 20: 11.
If I would know the
truth about life, death, and the hereafter*,
I would be wise to listen to the words of one who has
passed through life, into death, and out of it through
resurrection (this being no kind of near death
experience). Christ
is that One. He
is the wisdom of God, and God commands all men: “Hear
[My Son] in whom are hidden all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”*
[* Note. Bold lettering and highlightings
are not part of the author’s writings.]
* Mark 9: 7 followed by Col.
2:
3.
It is sad to say, but true: most men are unwise, trusting
in their own opinions and in the opinions of others more
than they trust in the sure Word of God.
Having reasoned with you from the Word of God, I pray that if
you were uncertain earlier on, you may now be persuaded
concerning the way of salvation out from under the fear of
death and condemnation.
Scripture assures all of us that whosoever will
acknowledge his sinful separation from God; and will yet
approach God in prayer, confessing his sin in brokenness,
seeking God’s mercy; and will believe in his heart that
his sin is put away in the sacrifice of God’s now risen
Son; and if he is willing to confess before men that Jesus
Christ is Lord ... he shall be saved!
* Prov. 28:
13; John 3: 14f;
“What Shall We Do?”
This was the question asked by those who heard and believed the
apostle Peter’s first preaching nearly two thousand years
ago. He had
concluded his message by testifying that “God
has raised up this Jesus, [Page 17] and of that we are all witnesses ... Know for certain, therefore,
that God has made Him both Lord
and Christ - this Jesus
whom you crucified” (Acts
2: 32ff). His message
convinced about three thousand people of their complicity
in the crucifixion of their long awaited Messiah: the One
whom they rejected when He first appeared.
Those who came under conviction upon hearing Peter’s message
were anxious in their inquiring, “What
shall we do?”
To them Peter gave the answer, and his answer applies to this
day. “Repent,
and let even, one
of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission [forgiveness] of
your sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit ... Be
saved from this perverse [corrupt] generation”
(Acts 2: 38ff).
Many of those who were convicted by Peter’s message had
doubtless been gathered, only weeks earlier, with the ones
who had heard Pontius Pilate inquire aloud, “What
shall I do with Jesus?” That mob cried out, “Crucify Him! ... Crucify
Him!” (Matt. 27:
22).
Some who heard Peter’s message may likely have heard Jesus
earlier calling out to them, “Come
unto Me, all you who
labour and are heavy-laden, and
I will give you rest” (Matt.
11: 28). His same calling
is in effect today, dear reader.
Are you heavy-laden with the worries and troubles
of life, and the fear of death?
“It Is Finished!”
With His dying breaths Jesus cried out from the cross, “It
is finished!” (John
19: 30). When He expired,
reconciliation with God was opened wide for every person
who will call upon His Name in faith.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is
God’s proof positive that He is Lord of all (Acts
10: 36); that
Life comes through faith in this crucified/resurrected One
(1 Pet. 1:
3);
and that He is the way unto salvation for every person who
will truly believe in Him (Acts
4: 12).
What an amazing
salvation this is.
[Page 18]
During His days of ministry Jesus said, “I
have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.”*
In another place He gives assurance that He came
“to give His life a ransom for
many” (Matt. 20: 28). Yet His
unabashed declaration is, “No one
comes to the Father except through Me” (John
14: 6). Will you come to
Him today, dear reader, in order that you may have
forgiveness of sins and eternal life; or do you remain
unwilling (cp. John 5:
40)?
*
Luke 5:
32; Matt.
9: 13b;
Mark 2: 17b.
While he is alive, a man’s estate is only one of two: “He
who believes in
the Son has
eternal life; but
he who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him”
(John 3: 36).* The
present and future circumstance between him who believes
and him who is doubtful or disinterested in salvation is
indeed serious.
* This verse
appears in the same chapter with John
3: 16: “For God so loved the world....”
A prophet of old declared: “Multitudes,
multitudes in the valley of
decision! For the day of the LORD
is near in the valley of decision” (Joel
3: 14). “The
day of the LORD”
is the day of His vengeance.* if you are still in a
spiritual “valley of decision,”
you remain in danger.
* While
this passage from
Joel has reference to an actual, future day, it has
spiritual application to every unbeliever’s present
circumstance in life.
John 8: 24 [Jesus says to the unbelieving] “You shall die in
your sins; for unless
you believe that I am He [God, in human flesh],
you shall die in your sins.”
Paul says that anyone who has heard of Jesus but has not come
to Him in faith has judged himself unworthy of eternal
life (cp. Acts 13: 46); but if you are one who
has truly come to Him in faith, you now have eternal life.
Confess your faith, be baptized, and receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit.*
* Mark 16: 16; Rom.
10: 9,
10; Acts
2: 38.
“Who do you say that I am?” This
is the question Jesus Christ has put before men. It is a question of
life or death.
*
*
*
[Page 19]
Chapter 2
An Introduction
to Believers
There are believers young and old.
If
some of the old souls have difficulty with certain
views put forth in chapters to follow, their
perplexity may be the result of years of complacency
in doctrinal assumptions that are not according to
Christ. Such
assumptions are cherished by men and are hard to be
shaken off. I
hope that every serious minded believer will search
the Scriptures to confirm what is the truth in every
matter (Acts 17: 11).
This is our individual responsibility.
Our coming to an intimate knowledge of Christ as our
resurrection life, and not merely our superior knowledge
of doctrine, is far more important than the number of
years we have been Christians.
In the end, correct doctrine must bring in the
death of our old man and new life in Christ.
This transition requires a renewing of our mind (Eph. 4:
22ff).
Having been stoned and beaten with whips and rods on numerous
occasions, in constant peril of both Jews and Gentiles,
and having suffered hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness
... nevertheless the apostle Paul’s daily concern was not
only for himself, but for all the churches.*
I had often read about Paul’s life since my
earliest days as a believer; yet more than a dozen years
rolled by before I found myself considering the following
thoughts and questions.
* 2 Cor. 11: 23-28; 2
Tim. 2: 10.
[Page 20]
1. Paul was
originally an avowed enemy and persecutor of Christians,
but he was saved one day through a miracu
lous encounter with the risen Lord Jesus (Acts
9). I
wondered: “Why did Paul gladly
and diligently submit himself
to such a difficult and perilous life thereafter?”
2.
I am a Christian; but my life finds no actual
likeness to Paul’s. Therefore,
simply based on the fact that I had also been brought to
faith in Jesus, I wondered further: “Will
there be no distinctions made among believers in the end
of things; and are there to be any consequences for
Christians if we simply live a lackluster (or worse, a
disobedient) life after being saved?”
3.
“Is there something in
God’s plan of salvation that I
have not yet discovered in my early years as a
believer?”
Some months after
these thoughts began to intrude upon my mind and heart, my
wife and I were enjoying dinner with a precious couple in
the Lord at the Yum
Yum Tree in
That one statement was instrumental in my beginning to search
the Scriptures and the works of numerous Bible
commentators to see whether it might be true.
Even my early investigations brought me to a new,
unimagined understanding of God’s objective in saving men. I have since
come to see a central theme that permeates the N.T.; that theme is the
This subject win be opened up later in this writing.
[Page 21]
The N.T.’s message concerning salvation is so plain that a
youngster is able to come to a true and living faith in
Jesus Christ. Yet,
it is also a deep and mysterious Book containing “some
things hard to be understood” (2
Pet. 3: 16).
So
much truth is distributed throughout the Bible that many
remarkable and godly men - some having spent their entire
adult lifetime studying it - have been forced to admit
that there are a number of things recorded therein that
have remained a mystery to them.
In contrast to these saintly ones, there are some
who have given themselves to much Biblical investigation,
yet their personal lives do not reflect the things they
have studied. This
is most unfortunate; for Scripture makes it clear that
truth manifested in godly character and conduct is God’s
desire for all who are His children.
Matthew’s gospel presents these words of Jesus, spoken to
His disciples: “Seek first
the
I will consider this question and its answer in chapters to
follow.
Over two thousand pages are devoted to the subject of the kingdom
of God* in George N. H. Peters’ three-volume work entitled
The
Theocratic Kingdom
(Kregel Publications), and it is my task to summarize
the great significance of the kingdom in this short
writing.
* While “the
[Page 22]
Notwithstanding this difficulty, I will endeavour to confirm
that the kingdom into which all believers are
being called (1 Thess.
2: 12)
is a specific kingdom: one which a believer must be
adjudged by Christ to be worthy of inheriting.
This kingdom will be thoroughly discussed from
Chapter 8 onward; for God’s foremost message to the Church
concerns this kingdom and its inheritance.
The world, as a whole, is completely unaware that even now “the LORD
reigns.”* Of
old it has been declared, “The
Most High is the ruler over the kingdom of mankind and
bestows it on whomever He wishes”; “the
Heavens do rule.”**
They rule to such a degree that world events and
even the circumstances of our personal lives are
influenced by them, while the Sovereign God of the
universe oversees all things.
God’s present sovereignty is unimagined,
unconsidered, and resisted by most of mankind in these
evil days. There is, however,
a day ahead when Jesus Christ will be manifested unto
all of creation as the “Lord
of lords and King of kings” (Rev.
17: 14). It
will be a time when “the
kingdom of the world [will] become
the kingdom of
our
Lord and of His Christ” (Rev.
11: 15).
* Psa. 93; 96;
99.
**
2
Chron.
20: 6f;
Psa. 83:
18; Jer.
27: 5;
Dan. 4:
17, 25c,
26.
Even unbelievers and the wicked unwittingly “do whatever [God’s] hand
and [His] plan
foreordained to take place” (Acts
4: 28) -
consider Pharaoh’s plight (Exo.
4: 21).
I wonder if you, dear reader, can recall any time you have ever
heard a specific message concerning
inheritance
of this coming kingdom.
The answer of many will likely be, “Never.” This seems odd;
for John the Baptist preached the nearness of this kingdom
when he commanded his audiences: “Repent!
for the kingdom of the heavens is
at hand” (Matt.
3: 2). Jesus’ ministry
was inaugurated with exactly the same words (Matt.
4: 17). Nearly two
thousand years ago, while Jesus was ministering in the
presence of His adversaries, He declared, “the
[Page
23]
Since Jesus’ ascension unto the right hand of the Father the
* Acts 2: 33; 7:
55f; Rev.
5: 6;
7: 17.
Paul, on a return journey to
Acts 20: 24, 25,
27, 31. None
of these things move me; nor
do
I count my life dear to myself, so
that I may finish my race with joy, and
the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus,
to testify to the gospel of the
grace of God.
And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the
kingdom of God, will see
my face no more ... I
have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of
God ... for three years
I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
The “whole counsel of God” is
not merely the message of Jesus as man’s Saviour.
Will one suppose that Paul spent three years
preaching the first things of the Gospel to the same
(saved) people over and over again?*
No. He taught them the whole counsel of God,
which includes Christ’s kingdom teachings.
These teachings are intended to encourage and
build up the saints to eagerly anticipate His future
coming; for there is a day approaching when Christ will
begin to visibly rule and reign over the world in
righteousness with His joint-heirs (Rom.
8: 17b).
* Acts 5: 42; and see 1
Cor. 15: 3f concerning things “of first importance” (- NASB).
There is “another King” (Acts
17: 7), and
He is coming. Although
the full gospel message is rarely heard in our day - even
in assemblies [Page 24] that denominate themselves as “full gospel”
- Jesus has assured us that “this
gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness
to all the nations, and
then the end will come” (Matt.
24: 14).
May the Spirit and the Word help us all to clearly understand
what is the high, heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus,
in order that we may be watching and ready, established in
the hope of being glorified together with Him.
Beloved ones, it
is to this end that we have been and are being called.*
* 1 Thess. 2: 12;
2 Thess. 2:
14; 1
Pet. 5: 10.
*
*
*
[Page 25]
Chapter 3
Gift Versus A
Reward
Scripture makes a distinction between the “gift” of eternal life (Rom. 6:
23) and the “reward” of the inheritance (Col.
3: 24). Therefore, it is
important that we examine the definitional difference
between these two words, since they are not synonymous in
any language. Understanding
their separate meanings will be important as we continue
on.
A Gift
Men do not identify a gift with something earned; in ordinary
language we do not equate gifting with entitlement.
The disposition and grace of the giver is the
only determinant factor in one’s giving a gift to another. Likewise, the
gift of God’s salvation from condemnation is not based
upon merit. If
it was, no man would be found worthy of such a thing. God’s gift
cannot be earned; it is free - but one does have to
receive it.
Eternal life is God’s gracious gift, not according to works. This gift
includes the forgiveness of sins; it is irrevocable and
the present possession of all who have been saved by grace
through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; it also includes
the promise of resurrection.
Only the following few verses from the N.T.
should suffice to confirm these fundamental and glorious
truths.
John
3: 36a. Whosoever
believes in the Son has eternal life.
[Page26]
John
6: 39.
This is the will of the
Father who sent Me, that
of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but I should raise it up in the last
day.
Rom.
6: 23.
For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom. 11:
29. The
gifts and calling of God are without repentance [i.e., thy are irrevocable].
Eph. 1:
7a.
In
[Christ] we have redemption
through His blood, the
forgiveness of our sins [cp. 1 John 2: 12.]
Eph.
2: 8, 9.
For by grace you have
been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God, not
of works, lest anyone
should boast.
These verses
should be of great assurance to every Christians.
Let all who are trusting in Jesus be of the same
mind with the apostle Paul who was “persuaded
that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers, nor
things present nor things to come, nor
height nor depth, nor
any other created thing, shall
be able to separate us from the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.
8: 38f).
Lamentably, there are those who hold that one can lose his
salvation: their reference being to the gift of eternal
life. This
assumption is causing unnecessary strife and uncertainty
among and within many who have been born again.
The gift of eternal fife cannot be lost.
However, there is something to be gained or lost
by believers, as we shall discover.
However, that something does not pertain to
everlasting life in the numberless ages of eternity.
A Reward
A reward (or, a
prize)* is not according to grace alone; it is something
merited, something of which one must be deemed worthy to
receive.
* In the N.T. Greek texts the words antapodosin*
(rendered as “reward” in
Col. 3:
24), misthos
(“wage,” “reward,”
or
“hire”) and brabeion (“prize”) are always in the
singular number. I
am fully persuaded that these words refer to one and the
same thing. More
on this as we continue.
[*NOTE. Regrettably, some
Greek words and their peculiar lettering are not possible
for me to reproduce, not having the means on my computer
to do so.]
[Page 27]
Hear what the apostle Paul has
to say to us.
1 Cor. 9: 24-27.
Do you not know that
those who are running in a race all run, but
one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And
everyone who is competing for a prize is temperate
in
all things. Now they
[in
the
natural realm compete]
to obtain a perishable crown,
but we [who run in the spiritual realm, aspire to obtain]
an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore
I run thus: not with
uncertainty.
Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest,
when I have preached to others,
I myself should become
disqualified.
Here, Paul is urging all believers to run in such a way that
they might obtain the prize.
But his admonition implies that the opposite
could prove to be the case: viz., of not winning it
through becoming disqualified. Paul said that he was
living resolutely, vigorously, and temperately, and he
preached the same to others.
The reason?
In order that none of us should be found
disqualified of receiving an imperishable crown from the
hand of the Lord at the end of our individual race of
faith (cp. 2 Tim: 4: 8). In this place,
Paul is not taking any notice of the irrevocable gift of
eternal life which he, like every person begotten of God,
had already obtained by grace through faith in Christ.
Reward
According to Works
The reward of Christ is obtained through being adjudged as
worthy to receive it.
“According to works”
is the overarching principle of God’s righteous judgment
and recompense in the case of every man.*
No Christian was ever saved from his (otherwise)
just deserts by good works; yet he will be judged in the
end according to his work of faith since becoming a
Christian. Every
believer was saved in order that he may do good works
following upon his salvation (Eph.
2: 10).
* “According to works” (Matt.
16: 27)
in the case of every Jew, Gentile, and Christian.
See also Job 34:
11; Psa.
62: 12;
Prov. 24:
12;
[Page 28]
This is not to imply that the grace of God has no part in the
good deeds of believers.
To the contrary: no believer’s works are esteemed
as worthy by God outside of the Holy Spirit’s working them
within him. No
man, including a Christian, will make his boast before God
in works done in the flesh - at the inclinations of his
natural disposition.
Furthermore, such works frequently result in
mischief. In
his writings to believers in Philippi and
Phil. 2: 12,
13.
Therefore, my beloved, as
you have always obeyed, not
as in my presence only, but
now much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for
it is God who works in you both to will and to do for
His good pleasure.
Col. 1: 28,
29.
We proclaim
[Christ], admonishing every man
and teaching every man with all wisdom, so
that we may present every man perfect [mature] in Christ.
29 For this purpose also I labour,
striving according to His power,
which works mightily within me.
While it is God’s working in us that produces what is
acceptable to Him, Scripture elsewhere tells us that our
doing of righteous deeds is not divorced from our
responsibility. John
the Revelator writes: “His wife
has made herself ready; and
it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen,
bright and clean; for
the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints”
(Rev. 19:
7f).
John the Baptist commanded, “Bring
forth fruit worthy of repentance” (Matt.
3: 8):
i.e., we are to
bring forth fruit.
Reward is granted according to worthiness.
This principle is affirmed by both Jesus and
Paul. “The labourer is worthy of his wage.”*
* “… his wage” (Greek, misthos):
i.e., “his hire,” “his reward.”
See Luke 10:
7; 1
Tim. 5: 18; and cp.
Lev. 19:
13.
In another place, Paul makes a clear distinction between God’s
gift and His reward when he says, “Now
to him who works, his
wage [or, reward]
is not reckoned according to grace,
but as a debt” (Rom.
4: 4).
[Page 29]
Now it is surely true that God is not indebted - in our usual
understanding of this word - to do anything other than
what He pleases. Nevertheless,
it has pleased Him to put Himself under this obligation by
His own Word; for God has identified Himself as “a
Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:
6).
It should be clear that we Christians will not be rewarded
simply because we have been saved by grace through faith. Worthiness of
reward will be the issue of Christ’s judgment when He
examines our work of faith.
He will know whether our works were done under
the unction of the Holy Spirit.
But how many believers are frequently or nearly always quenching this
Spirit of grace indwelling them?
God’s grace being
freely given, one must nevertheless employ its means and
opportunities.
Three principal
conclusions on the subject of works are these.
1.
No work is sufficient to reconcile* anyone to
God.
* Here, “to reconcile” is “to put away the estrangement or the
enmity that exists between God and a man, woman or a
young person.”
2. Nevertheless,
there
are good works - works which God has ordained for those
reconciled to Him - in which believers are called to walk.
3.
The immutable principle of God’s ultimate,
righteous judgment, whether good or bad, will be “to
every
man according to his works.”
I will have more to say on this last point in later chapters.
In closing out this section I would add this little bit.
When Paul says he is “pressing on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus” (Phil.
3: 14),
he is not saying that he is pressing on to receive what he
is already in possession of: eternal life.
The reward is an inheritance with Christ in His kingdom, as we shall
see.
[Page
30]
The
Consequences of Indifference
Having discussed the subject of works-based reward with many
believers over the years, some have replied: “Well,
I’m
not concerned about rewards; I’m just grateful that I’m
saved.”
In all candidness I must admit that I myself was of a similar
persuasion some two decades ago.
But I have come to see that to hold
and to express such disinterest is actually to despise
one’s birthright; for we are being called
to attain unto the reward of the inheritance by our
Rewarder. If
it has pleased God to encourage us unto righteous thinking
and righteous living by placing a reward before our
spiritual eyes, who is the wise man who will ignore the
opportunity of obtaining it?
Many teachers and preachers only make a distinction between
receiving or not receiving our reward before the judgment
seat of Christ. In
so doing they ignore Paul’s mention of the bad that may be
awaiting some thereat - see 2
Cor. 5: 10, which verse we will
later consider at length.
Though all who have been saved will one day enter
experientially into eternal life, those found unworthy before His judgment seat may
receive things worse than their loss of reward.
Consider three principles from ordinary life that Paul
presented as divine, doctrinal illustrations to his
disciple, Timothy; and may the Lord grant us a right
understanding of these things.
2 Tim. 2: 3-6.
You must therefore endure
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man warring as a soldier entangles
himself with the affairs of this life, in
order that he may please him who enlisted him as a
soldier. 5 And
also, if anyone competes
in athletics, he is not
crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first
[before
others]
to partake of the crops.
Concerning Paul’s last mention (v.
6): while the slothful
farmer will surely fail of a fruitful crop, he will likely
suffer more consequences than this.
His slothfulness may find him without any money
to pay his [Page
31]
debts, or even to buy food or medicine for his family;
they may become homeless, hungry, and sickly.
Under this same principle, some Christian’s may
be discovered at the judgment seat to be not only
fruitless, but impoverished; such ones will therefore
experience the consequences of their slothfulness.
An Ignoble End
1 Cor. 3: 10-15. According
to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid
the foundation, and
another builds on it.
But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone
lay than that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ. 12 Now
if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, or precious
stones, [versus] wood, hay,
or
stubble, 13 each one’s work will become clear;
for the Day will declare it,
because it will be revealed by
fire; and the fire will
test each one’s work, as to what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built
on endures, he will
receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but
he himself will be saved, yet
so as through fire.
Even in this
warning passage Paul upholds a doctrine of eternal
security (v. 15).* Nevertheless,
he testifies that some may experience an ignoble and hurtful end when their work is tried
by fire on that Day.
* I will deal with the specific issue of salvation’s security in
our next chapter.
Wood, hay, and stubble are easily gathered to build a hut, even
upon a solid foundation.
However, the mining of gold, silver, and precious
stones to use in the construction of a glorious abode
requires great effort on the part of any person who will
so labour. Common
metal anodized to appear as precious will be revealed by
fire to be what it truly is; likewise, the true worth of a
man’s works will be revealed.
Paul warns us: “Let him who thinks he
stands [under the New Covenant,]
take heed lest he
should fall” (1 Cor.
10: 12).
Summary
[Page 32]
Understanding the
difference between a “gift”
and a “reward” is important
for three reasons.
1.
To allow us to know that God’s Word makes a clear
distinction between them.
2.
To establish the fact that Scripture discloses
that this distinction is founded upon differing
principles: the gift of eternal life is granted upon faith
alone, while reward is based upon our work of faith after
having been saved
3.
To assure the believer that it is not the wicked
and unbelieving only who will come into judgment before
the Lord.
Paul writes to Christians - immediately after referring to the
judgment seat of Christ in 2
Cor. 5: 10 - “Therefore,
[personally] knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men [concerning judgment]”
(v. 11).
Beloved, be not deceived!
“For he who does wrong will
receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done,
and there is no respect of persons”
(Col. 3:
25).
Christ will be the righteous judge.
A man of the world who walks after the flesh and takes
advantage of every opportunity in this fife may one day
obtain the benefits of earthly comfort and economic
security above his peers.
This principle in natural life is plainly
observable. And
as it is in the natural realm, so it is in the spiritual
realm. Paul
gives recognition to this truth when he both warns and
encourages believers: “For he who
sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption;
but he who sows to the Spirit will,
of the Spirit, reap
everlasting life.
So let us not grow weary
in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we do
not lose heart” (Gal.
6: 8f).
Let us press on, dear Christian, to obtain the prize - the
reward of the inheritance - which is set before us.
* *
*