 |
Jer 6:14
"They
have healed also the hurt
of the daughter of my people slightly,
saying, Peace,
peace; when there is no peace."
Repeated verbatim in 8:11 |
Luke12
4 And I
say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after
that have no more that they can do.
5 But I
will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath
power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Ecc 12
13 Let
us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every
work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it
be evil.
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I have
discovered that many sincere Christians dismiss the relevance of this utmost
solemn warning to them to fear God (and do his will) rather than fear men (and
disobey God's will).
They
conveniently dismiss the relevance of the plain warning to them by various
means; here are some examples:
- they
just blissfully assume that the warning is obviously directed at others, i.e.,
the non-elect.
- based
on their cherished thought that Christ has most certainly redeemed them from
hell, so any warning on hell can't possibly be intended for them.
- Christ has been judged in their stead; so whether their works are good or evil matter not, there is no more judgment for them.
- Christ has been judged in their stead; so whether their works are good or evil matter not, there is no more judgment for them.
- others
reduce hell to some sufferings here in this life;.
- the
judgment spoken of is something that occurs daily, there is no more judgment at
death.
I fear
that through the sleight of men, the solemn word of God has been made of none
effect. "No hell for believers" is just the lulling lie that the
Devil wants the church to embrace despite all the repeated warnings addressed
by Christ Himself to His disciples.
Let's
note to whom Christ addressed this solemn warning to fear God and not men.
- verse
1 informs that, "he (the Lord Jesus Christ) began to speak to his
disciples."
- verse
4 Christ referred to them as "my friends."
- Read
John 15:15 KJV — Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth
not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I
have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Is the
Lord Jesus Christ giving His friends such a grave and solemn warning based on
something irrelevant to them, i.e. the impossibility of them to be cast into
hell for fearing men and not God. How does such an opinion impugn upon the
character and wisdom of Christ?
Concerning
Ecc 12 passage, who are commanded to fear God and keep His commandments? It is
shocking that not a few would even believe that it is addressed to the
non-elect, those dead in trespasses and sins; it's based on the fable that the
elect are already judged in Christ and therefore this judgment cannot possibly
refer to the elect. They are not the least troubled by the necessary
implication that their all-wise God demanding the impossible, fear from those
who are by name are hostile and in enmity against Him, and obedience to His
commandments from those who know not His commandments. Also, such implies that
those dead in trespasses and sins are capable of working good, "...
whether good or evil." Read Romans 3:10-18.
The
plain sense makes good sense; the words are addressed to God's people; they are
capable of fearing God and doing good. They are capable of great evil too. When
their works are judged by God as evil, then what?
I had
thought that those who are enlightened to distinguish the eternal salvation
from temporal salvation would understand better.
p/s
This
warning and many similar ones give the plain indication that God's children may
end up in hell between their death and their resurrection; it requires great
effort and drastic actions on their part to avoid it. See My 5:30, 18:8. Hell
requires great efforts to be avoided. There is nothing they can do to avoid the
lake of fire. Christ has settled that fully and perfectly.
NONE of
God's children will end up in the lake of fire after resurrection and judgment.
On the day resurrection and general judgment, hell must surrender up all its
captives; the emptied hell shall be cast into the lake of fire; those whose
names are not in the Lamb's Book of Life are cast in the lake of fire. Rev 20:13-15.
.
Christ
saved His people from the lake of fire; He DIDN'T save them from hell. That
explains His repeated and solemn warnings to His disciples on hell; He didn't
warn them of the lake of fire, which would be redundant and waste of His
breath.
The Devil rejoices when the churches don't believe in hell for them; he has nullified Christ's solemn and repeated warnings! How very subtle.
Gen 3:1a "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made."
