The Hope of Salvation

Some believe in eternal security and some conditional security. "Eternal security" is the doctrine that when one is "saved" they maintain their salvation until death; that God seals them and nobody, not even the Christian, can break that seal.

On the other hand, the doctrine of "conditional security" maintains that Christians maintain their freedom, even after salvation, to continue with or reject Christ. This ability to reject is called apostasy.

Both doctrines fail the test of scripture and it depends on what the definition of "saved" is!

Let's first examine salvation. A person can only be saved one time. If it was possible to be saved again, then by definition a person wasn't saved in the first place!

The doctrine of "conditional security" is dependent on one essential truth: when Christians first believe, they are not yet saved, but have the "hope of salvation". Without that doctrine as well, "conditional security" doctrine fails!

"Salvation" points toward one event:  Jesus saves, but from what does Jesus save us? He saves us from eternal damnation and replaces it with eternal life. Most Christians aren't motivated to be "born-again" because they love Jesus or even want eternal life, but to save their own wretched skins from hell. I'm no different than anyone else. That too was my motive!

You see, "self-preservation" has to be the motive of all mankind because we all were born "in the flesh". It's the desire of all mankind to please ourselves and as such, we all worship ourselves. Even salvation in Christ is a desperate attempt to preserve the very flesh which we are called to sacrifice!

Thank God for grace! God knows our weakness. He knows that our first love is our own self. That's why Jesus ignores our own self-deification and offers salvation in spite of our narcissism. Here's how all men must be saved:

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God..."

Note that no one has to DO anything to be saved. That's grace! God doesn't tell us to first cut off our own flesh and quit the self-worship which we all do. He tells us that he can deliver us just because he loves us in spite of how we have another god besides him! If we waited to be saved until we are free from self-indulgence, we would never be saved!

What we do have to do is believe and have faith. Faith is subsequent to belief because it adds to belief our trust. After we believe in Jesus, then to be saved, we must trust him to follow through with his promise. Faith is of a lifetime in duration. We don't bounce in and out of faith. If we lose our faith because it is stolen from us by the devil, then it's all over.  No one can be saved again!

Hebrews 6:4 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

It is clear that Christians can "fall away". They can abandon Christ. If you're taught that they can't, you believe a lie. We must always be on alert because what's called "eternal security" is an attempt by Satan to deceive Christians into eating forbidden fruit. It encourages those who have faith to gradually trade that faith for pleasure. It's a gradual conversion, but Paul shows it's an actual possibility.

Once Christians get to the point where sin is perfunctory and obedience is forgotten, they become reprobate. No one knows when that happens, but it's for sure that when the worship of the self snuffs out any thoughts of Jesus Christ; then damnation is eminent. Will one sin do it or a thousand. It's not the number nor magnitude of the sin, but the condition of the heart, because even murderous sinners can feel remorse and ask for forgiveness. Damnation comes with the inability of feeling sorrow and repenting as one sins!

You see that is justice. He died for all sinners one time. Unlike the priests of old a whose sacrifice was not made once and for all, but continually, Jesus died once for all. Just as we could not burn the same ram twice, Jesus cannot be crucified twice. He is the only scapegoat and he can't be killed over and over again to propitiate for our sins!

So it's by faith that we are saved! Even our ability have have faith is a work, but it is a gift from God that we have the spiritual calling to have faith. As faith is offered to us on a platter, all that we must do is take it! What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Our faith is what we hope for! What is the "thing" for which we hope?

 Ephesians 1:12 "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

That says a mouthful and must be read and reread, but when we are saved we're sealed with a Spirit of promise. That promise is that someday we will possess that for which Jesus paid the price. Therefore, with believing comes a promise. It's the "promise of salvation". It's believing that what we hope for now will someday be! What is it that those who have the promise of salvation have in their hearts?

1 Timothy 1:1-3 "1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope..."

Our hope is in our Savior: that the one in whom we believe will someday save us! Salvation isn't an immediate condition. It's because we are saved from an event as it happens in the future. We can have a hedge put around us to protect us as Job did, but even Job wasn't saved until the test was complete. Our Christian life is that test. It must be finished. Faith must be until the end of life!

"Hope" is a key element of the gospel. If we "get saved" when we first believe then righteousness is inconsequential! On the other hand we become Christians with a visa in the kingdom of God and God will always be there to comfort us, but our free will remains intact. Every sin is a choice we make and every bit of faith which we exhibit is faith that we work to do. Some have no faith. Others have a little faith and still others have the faith of Abraham. Our responsibility is to keep the faith! By keeping the faith we have run the good race and the promised reward of the runner is eternal life. As we run, we know that unseen prize is there, and run for it with zeal. Those without faith lay down by the path and don't get up. Their good start was hampered by temptation which led them back to a life of sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

Paul did, just like us, refer to Christians as "saved". However, he also referred to salvation as a "hope".  Paul did just as we do. We say that we're "saved" as a shortcut and have confidence in our spiritual status. That's the "assurance of salvation". We know that we will be saved because we enjoy working for the Lord and obeying God! However, we're not yet saved from the burning bus until we tread the stairs to our assigned seats. As the bus crashes and is ready to explode in flames, by a miracle, we're rescued. That's when we're saved! I refer to our temporary residency in the kingdom of God as "safety". We are protected from Satan resurrecting that old creation, but with neglect, we need to watch out for our own peril. Satan doesn't even begin his serious attack until we first believe!

What more evidence is there?

Romans 13:11b "...now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

Each day we get nearer that burning bus of death. We get nearer to the time that Jesus yanks us from that seat, saves us and carries us to an eternal home. It's not something that we have when we first believed, but something which we get closer to all the time!

Admittedly, the issue of eternal security is contentious and will never be solved here. However, in light of scripture, we need to all test what our parents and churches taught. Just because a church teaches a certain doctrine doesn't make it right and our pride in what we believe biases our belief.

I want to believe in eternal security because that's the easy Christian life. However, scripture tells me that what my flesh desires is not the way it is! My flesh wants to be "saved", but yet enjoy sin, but that's not the way Jesus lived and we're to be Christlike!

Righteousness is Doing What's Right

Before we can be "righteous" we first must know what is "right". Right doesn't come from science, education, philosophy, entertainment, the government, or even notable figures. Right comes from God!

Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."

There are so many things said in this one passage!  God is rock solid! He is unwavering and those who stand on his Word stand solidly. When God does anything it's to perfection. There is no error in any of his ways. What he wills is what is right. When God determines the scale for justice what he says is the metric to which mankind must adhere for it is right. God's rightness is truth. What is truth? It's what God says and wills! Why? Because God has never done wrong. He is the standard for rightness and because he is the standard, doing what God does is what's right. How are men to be righteous? We're to do as God does, do what he wills and do it with enthusiasm!

Job 33:26 "He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness."

This is our job assignment! When mankind was told to "tend the garden", it was to praise God. When we praise God is to profess our admiration. It is done through prayer. We respect God when we pray to him and prayer is how we praise him. Do we praise God in song? We sure do, but it's singing our prayer!

We see from Job that becoming righteous is done with joy! There is no such thing as miserable righteousness, because doing what is right is delightful to do. Doing right things out of coercion and force isn't rightness; it's doing right things with a wrong disposition. Hence, doing right things because we have to do them is wrong! These are the sins of the Pharisees.

 Matthew 12:34 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Apparently, there was another generation of vipers, because Jesus spoke of "this generation of vipers". Who were they before the Pharisees? They were here from the beginning. Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and were the first generation of vipers. They did evil because they listened to the serpent, that vile viper, and because they listened to him, they made excuses to God.  Adam and Eve were unrighteous, but because they showed sorrow, God's grace was more powerful than the viper! The Pharisees weren't righteous because they merely did the things of God. They failed to do them with enthusiasm and with love! Being righteous boils down to joy and love because if we have those, being righteous is our nature!

 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Being righteous is "slaying the serpent". He is the master of the flesh and we become new creatures, no longer vipers, when that varmints head is crushed! (Genesis 3:15).  How do we crush the serpents head? We bruise it by making ourselves a living sacrifice to God! We become new creatures and quit being snakes, when we cut off the flesh. That's doing God's will rather than the serpents!

When the pagan god Dagon was near God's throne we see this happening:

1 Samuel 5:2 "When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him."

Dagon represents "the flesh". When Dagon faced the Lord God, he fell once, then twice, before the Lord. After that Dagon was shorn of his appendages and remained only a stump. Symbolically, Dagon became a new creature. His flesh was cut off. As Christians we're to fall down in the face of the Lord in submission and become new persons! We are to cut off the flesh which offends God. When we become a new creature, we change. That change is doing as God wills and having joy in doing it! There was no joy in Dagonville that day because Dagon was no longer viable. On the other hand when we fall on our humble faces enthusiastically, we become a new creation. That's how we do what is right!  Obeying Dagon was doing what was right in our own eyes. Obeying God is doing what's right in his!

Feeling Down?

Prosperity preachers preach that all we have to do is be saved and then all will be peachy! We don't even have to be righteous; all will be all right! Is that the way it really is? Ask the apostle Paul! "Paul, you were the most righteous man short of Jesus. Was life smooth sailing for you?"

Literally, Paul's ship sunk!

Acts 27:41 "And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape."

Paul, as a prisoner, weathered severe storms for 14 days, then the ship sank and he, along, with the other prisoners, was targeted for death. Paul was a Christian who was being persecuted for spreading the disease (sic) of hope to those who seek! Paul' sailing was anything but smooth. Then it got worse!

After years of telling the world about Jesus, Paul's time came. Evidence is that Paul was beheaded in about 67 A.D. by the Romans under Nero.  No smooth sailing there! What did Paul do wrong? Did he not have enough faith? Did he not give the worms enough of his income? Did he even have an income? The obvious answer is emphatically "No! Being a Christian is not smooth sailing!" In fact here's what Jesus said about persecution:

Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Basically Jesus said "Things won't be smooth sailing here, but for those undergoing hardships and trials, the reward is blessedness!" This flies in the face of "name it and claim it" preachers.

 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your anxieties upon him; for he careth for you."

We all get sad. Even other Christians do us wrong! However, if we look for others for comfort we do God and injustice. We are to cast ALL our cares upon him. Why should we feel badly because others do us wrong when Jesus always does us right?

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference. ( Reinhold Niebuhr)

We alone just can't make all things right! Some things we just have to live with. Others will never always think highly of me or you. Others will do us wrong. Jimmy Carter asked one thing correctly  "Who says life is fair?" Life wasn't fair to the apostle Paul, but death was poetic justice. He lived a persecuted life, but in death he is rewarded. Ours aren't people who persecute our very life, but our livelihood! Their is an action/reaction pair which determines our joy. When a person wrongs us, our joy is stolen. The cause is "evil-doing", the effect is "low in spirit". With faith in God the devil will flee from us and as we moan and groan, the Lord will lift us up! (James 4).

Are you heavy laden right now? There is peace!

Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

"Rest" for some is peace and happiness. For Paul it was death. Sometimes we desire death because that's the ultimate way to obtain peace. It can't be at our incentive nor in our time, but when death throws us into the grave, life will lift us out, providing the "rest" we seek is Christ Jesus!

Supreme Court Case Study: God vs. Mankind

The Trial of Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve: God's Command

Genesis 2:15 “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Adam and Eve: Their Crime

Genesis 3:6  “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

Adam and Eve: Indicted

Genesis 3:11 “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Adam and Eve: Their Defense

Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 3:13 “And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

Adam and Eve: Judgment and Punishment

Genesis 3:14 “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;  19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Adam and Eve: Grace

Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

The Trial:

"The Word" is the Supreme Judge. This is not a jury trial, but the question mankind has for this "Court of Appeals" is not that God is wrong in his justice, but where is it that Adam and Eve are incarcerated. The reader is one of the jurors and testimony is only allowed if it is from scripture.

Which Law was broken?

Public Defender: "Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it..." Your honor" says me, the public defender, "Is this the true cause?"  "The Word" replied:

 Exodus 20:5 "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God..."

The prosecutor: "The Word" gave the only Law which existed at that time. It's the same as the First Commandment! The defendants were to have no other god's before Him. By standing under the "Other Tree" they sought pleasure, beauty and wisdom. It appears that they wanted to be like God, according to God. In effect the defendants had another god, it was each of their "selfs". They were pleasuring the flesh and standing under the forbidden tree. In effect, just because "The Tree of Life" was alone and "The Other Tree" had a couple of admirers standing under it, God was jealous. The defendants were breaking what was to become the First Commandment. Yes, God said it differently, but the intent of "not eating of the tree" was to "not have other gods besides me"! The defendants broke that law and are guilty, according to the Law.

The defendants are accused of fornication with a god besides the One True God. Unfortunately it is self-love. They  fornicated with their "self".

Was anyone forced to break the Law or was it of their own volition?

Man was born with a free will. The defendants were created in the image of God and Matthew 6:10 says "Thy will be done in earth...", it appears that a characteristic of God is that he has a will. Since God has a will, then man must have one too. What is that "will" able to do? Choose! Since choice is an option, then it's a free will. When the defendants broke the Law, they did it for different reasons, but it was of their own volition. That's a genetic trait which God passed along so that humans are more than automatons.

Nobody made them eat of the fruit, but they had a choice and they made a bad choice. Man never has to sin, but each time men sin, a choice is made. Therefore, sins are bad choices and it's people who choose poorly.

Who broke the Law? Who is/are the defendant? Who was the co-defendant?

It would appear that both broke the Law, but they stand separately before the judge. Although they committed the crime together it was for different reasons. "The Word" will judge them separately and independently, but they both are charge with a violation of this commandment. Where do we look for further information on who is to blame? Of course it's the Bible.

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
1 Timothy 2:13 "For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 

 Eve committed the sin of eating of the forbidden fruit, it seems, but Adam shirked his position and job assignment. He was to have dominion over everything, even Eve, and his job was to tend the garden. Adam was to be the priest of the family, not the woman, and his job was the serve "The Tree of Life". God didn't tell Eve anything, but she spoke with authority and got it wrong. It was Adam's role to instruct Eve in the things of God and he failed to do so. God said nothing about "touching  the tree", but Eve added that command to the "do not eat" command. She was presumptive and assumed authority which she did not have. Adam is to blame because he erred in teaching her! Then on top of that, although he knew better, he was standing under another tree rather than God's tree. He made God jealous!

Adam is the defendant. Eve, is therefore the co-defendant.

Was there an accomplice?

Yes, the serpent beguiled;  he lied. In the tradition of natural law, the accomplice shares responsibility for the crime. He instigated the crime and then used deceit to get others to do his dirty deed. Eating of the forbidden fruit was done to satisfy the serpent's pride, him being symbolic of Satan.He stole God's glory when they ate of they listened to him!

What was the motive for the crime?

The forbidden tree offered beauty, pleasure and wisdom. Adam and Eve were intrigued by what they felt that they didn't have.

Were they entrapped or victimized?

They were entrapped. That's Satan's M.O. He uses deceit to get the desired results.Satan  used their naivety to get them to do evil. As such they were victims too! People never gain when they listen to Satan. They always lose and as such, are victims.

Were there mitigating circumstances?

Yes. Both Adam and Eve were naive to deception. They believed that the serpent was offering things that God didn't. Eve wasn't told anything by God. Adam was. Eve's command was second-handed.

Did they try to hide their guilt?

Yes. They put on fig leaves to cover "their flesh". The reproductive organs, as a source of pleasure, represent sin. In Moses time, the foreskin was cut off as a show of union with God. It was a symbol of cutting off the "other god", the flesh in which we live and worship.

Also, each of them blamed another. For Eve she hid her guilt by blaming the serpent. With Adam, he blamed Eve.

What was their defense?

For Eve blame of the serpent and for Adam, blaming Eve. Just as they did, whenever, we're caught doing wrong, we look for someone else to blame. It seems that our god, us, doesn't like to accept any fault for anything!

They are judged? What does it mean “to judge”?

Judge is a continuum all the way from innocent to guilty with "having an opinion" somewhere in between. Since "guilty" includes some type of punishment we must never be harsh with out judgement.

Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned.."

This passage equivocates harsh judgment with condemnation. When we form an opinion which involves negative results, we must be careful to not condemn, Our judgement must be as we would have others judge us; out of love.

Having an opinion is acceptable because we must form an opinion to lead others to Christ, and opinions guide us to shake the dust from our feet when people fail to respond to our teachings.

Who judged?

"The Word" who later was born and called Jesus.

Were they judged guilty or innocent?

Guilty because they were punished.

What was the maximum penalty?

Spiritual death. They got the maximum with a chance of reprieve.

What was the actual penalty?

Eve: Sorrow in childbirth - submission to the man - death  (immortality changed to mortality)
Adam - Hard work (poverty) - death (immortality changed to mortality)

Was there collateral  punishment? Did the crime effect others?

Yes. All the descendants of the defendants. This is called "original sin" or "inborn sin". "men have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Was the judge fair? Did he show mercy?

Yes. God by nature is just. Although Adam and Eve failed to have only one God, God, even though he was jealous and offended, provided a way out. Adam and Eve were no longer immortal from a physical standpoint, but if they are contrite, have faith, love and holiness, God would reinstate their immortality, not only in this world, but after death.

1 Timothy 2:15 "Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."

Was the accomplice punished?

The accomplice was the serpent. Satan used him as a means of deceiving. He was punished by crawling and being in the dust forever. In the end he will be destroyed!

Where is the place of bondage?

Outside the gate of the Garden of Eden. They were sentenced to a life outside the garden and were not able to sneak in and eat of the Tree of Life to get the reward which they did not deserve. Instead of being in bond within, their bondage was out in the world!

Where is safety?

It is safe inside the garden because it's guarded and those who are sinful can't get in! Considering that the “Tree of Life” is guarded, are Adam and Eve  still serving time?

Are Adam and Eve in Heaven or Hell right now? 

Instructions to the jurors:

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that ye be not judged.2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 

You're the jury. Please vote. Is it guilty or innocent? Are they sentenced to heaven and hell?”

Let's look at the judge to see what he said and did! He provided clothes of animal skin. This is the first time death came into existence. The animals were slain and shed their blood to cover the guilt of their "flesh". Salvation must be by propitiation by blood.

Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

Apparently Adam and Eve were sorrowful enough that God  redeemed them by sacrificing animals in their behalf. The covering of the flesh is much like the Abrahamic Covenant where the foreskin was circumcised as a truce between God and man. The animal covering made peace between God and the defendants.

With that said, God's grace continued. They had only to love God, have faith, be holy and be serious in their devotion to One God. (1 Timothy 2:15).  Then God, in his mercy, allowed Eve to bear children such that she would have "seed". It was by her seed that The Word became incarnate and shed his blood for all mankind.

Romans 5:17 "For if by one man's (Adam's) offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Then there is a promise!

Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

There will be a barrier between the serpent and the woman and all their offspring. The offspring of the serpent are evil men. The seed of the serpent will have a bruised head, and that's how snakes are killed! Satan will be thrown in the Lake of Fire in the end and his followers with him. On the other hand Jesus was bruised for all mankind. His bruised body was the sacrifice which was bruised for all men and those who have faith are Eve's seed. By that, it would appear that Eve is in heaven and escaped God's wrath. She is enjoying eternal life again in Paradise right now, as is Adam!

The garden is guarded. Admittedly, that is confusing. It appears that God is trying to keep Adam out, and he probably is. There are requirements for admission to Paradise. People can't just walk in for some sort of protection nor can they get in through the back gate. There is one entrance to Paradise!

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

God sits on his throne in paradise right now as always, by the river of God and near his son "The Tree of Life" It's by that Tree that man can only enter the garden. That includes Adam. That Tree is Jesus who was in the center of Eden. The only way that Adam and Eve could enter the gate guarded by the cherubim is with a password: Jesus. He is the Way to come unto Paradise. And as Adam and Eve stood there desiring to come in, it was by faith in Jesus that they could enter, just as it is today.

You see... there is no other way. They had faith in Jesus because it was he who judged them! As John said, "He who comes after me was before me!" It was Jesus to whom he was referring. That's part of the "Mystery of Christ"! Salvation, even for Adam and Eve was through The Word, who is Jesus!

Oh, by the way: The judgment of Adam and Eve is a picture of "The Great White Throne Judgement". However, there is one BIG difference! Adam and Eve were judged in life. Men will be judged in death. There will be no more opportunity for grace in death if people reject God in this life.

Adam and Eve's names were written in the Book of Life! If not already there, ours can't be. However, it can be crossed out.

That's A Rule

Little girl plays it straight.
Having fun with her play mate.
They must follow all the rules.
Those from home and their schools.

"That's the rule!" Emma declares.
Firmly this is what she often shares.
"Follow the rules!" she says with glee!
Follow the rules to play with me!

What rule is it that we should follow?
What is it that will make her mellow?
"That's a rule!" is enough for her!
"Follow the rules!' now altogether!

This lil' girl knows all the rules.
Emma spouts the cutest jewels!
Listen to her as she plays...
With her rules she'll amaze!

Church is for Kids?

Most adults want their children to be taught "good" things although they do things "bad" themselves. A good parent never wants a child to be as bad as they are! That's a standard: "I want my child to be better than me!" Then with all good intentions, the parent sends their children to church to learn about being "good".

Although being "good" is a great attribute, church IS NOT about being "good". Church is to learn how to believe in Jesus and to accept his teachings. The end result of church is to save souls and Christians believe that only Jesus can save!

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name (but Jesus) under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Parents oftentimes don't care much whether their children believe in Jesus, but they want them to be "good". They miss the point of church entirely! Good parents want their children to be saved. The question is "What are they to be saved from"?

 Matthew 25:46 "And these (the unsaved) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous (saved) into life eternal."

Truly, most parents don't give a whit about whether their children have eternal life (salvation), but they don't want them to go to hell, if they even believe in hell! However, why would Jesus teach about hell if it doesn't exist?

Let's get back to parents wanting their children to be "good". That's a desirable trait for us, but it doesn't impress God:

 Isaiah 64:6a "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..."

Being "good" can never save a person! Surprised?

 Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..."

But you think "I haven't sinned much! I've been good and deserve to go to heaven!"

 James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

If you want your children to be "good" to go to heaven and avoid hell, that's a desirable goal, but unfortunately it's an unrealistic goal. It can never be met! Even children lie and bully. It's innate. Why can't we be rewarded for being "good"?

Matthew 19:17b "... there is none good but one, that is, God..."

Nope. You're not God and neither are your children. Therefore, none are "good" and can never be good enough"!

If you love your children, do you not want to save them from God's wrath? Surprise! God has a plan for those who fail to trust in him:

Romans 13:4  "For he (Jesus)  is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

The same Jesus who loves you, unfortunately, if you don't trust in him, will be angry with those and sentence them their just due. He will seek revenge against those who fail to believe in him! Eternal damnation is the consequence of rebellion, and it's not an unfair God who does that; you condemn your self!

Parents should scream in agony that their precious children are going to hell! I want my own to be saved even as much as myself! What pleasure could I have in eternal life if my children aren't with me?  Only God can relieve that agony there, but my agony here is that they should have the hope of salvation as do I! Then when parents are in agony for their children, they should agonize for themselves.

How can a parent best teach children? By being what they teach! We are to set an example.

Titus 2:7 "In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity..."

You're being watched. Your little "mini me's" are copying your every action! If you wonder why your children "have their own mind", they don't. They have yours! They moist often become what you are! If you're self-centered and selfish, it's likely they will be too! They may deny it, and you too, but you are their role model. Given that, you have the responsibility to save these urchins from eternal destruction and the best way to do that is to let God save you first. That's being "born-again" and is when you feel sorrow, believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, and trust Jesus for the hope of salvation. It's easy, but must be heartfelt. That's the hard part. You have to turn off the TV and the music and reflect on your relationship with God! After you believe, your job is to pass it on. In modern terms it's "Son, I've got your back!"

Ephesians 6:4 "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

You can't make children believe in Jesus. Making them "love" anyone is an effort in futility. They must love the Lord because he shows mercy. You, as a parent, must demonstrate the joy you have because of God's grace. The best chance that you have of seeing your children "saved" is to be joyful yourself!

 Deuteronomy 28:47 "Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things..."

This is the flip-side of what we're not to be! The servant of God has joy in serving. Guess, what? Although being "good" will never save you, being "good' is the result of joy! It's how you show God that you love him and subsequently, how you show the world how much you love God.

 There is a village in Kentucky called "Halfway". It's half way between the Allen County line and Scottsville. You can be there. It's a final destination. I went there yesterday. However, you can't get half-way to heaven. You've got to get all the way there. Consequently, Christians can't be half-way saved! We all must either BE a Christian or NOT. Those who withhold part of their self from God aren't half-way there. They're doomed. Christians must sacrifice their whole self, toppling their idol. Yes, toppling their flesh in exchange for eternal life. Parents can never expect their children to topple that image of their self if parents don't topple theirs first. Strongholds must go just as statues of Saddam Hussein were the first to be toppled once he was deposed.

If you don't want your children to burn, then first you must get out of the fiery furnace yourself. There is One in their with you who can save you from that wrath.

Daniel 3:25 "He (King Nebuchadnezzar)  answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Guess, what? "The fourth man is not LIKE the son of God"! He WAS the Son of God. Jesus saved Shadrach, Meshack and Ebednego from the fiery furnace. This is a picture of how Jesus will save anyone who stands firmly with him from the Lake of Fire!

If you want you kids to be saved from eternal punishment, it's Jesus who time and time again, who demonstrates it's by him and through him and only him!

Gadgets

Technology is ruining fellowship! This is for me and you. I'm as guilty as the rest of the world. I just happened to have bought another gadget and see how much time it can take!

Christians have things in common. It's to love each other to show God how much we love him. Friendship is an affect of being a Christian.When I look people in the face, see deeply within their eyes and empathize with them; there becomes a bond. It's a good thing! People caring for and loving each other is a beautiful thing!

Now we are slaves to technology. Rather than speaking to people using our God-given voice, we text things. Texts are more like facts and figures delivered with the ritual smiley face; a feeble attempt to show electronic love.

Why do people text rather than telephone or talk about things person to person?

• People enjoy their gadgets and favor electronic interaction over personal contact.
• Some are addicted to technology.
• Others are enamored by the gadgetry.
• It's more convenient because the conversation can be controlled both in duration and content.
• Conversations can be terminated abruptly.
• It's efficient.
• Some people just don't like to talk on a personal level.
• Friends are spoken to on a personal level. Acquaintances by texting.
• Conversations can be filtered so people only speak with those to whom they wish to speak.
• Messaging controls who is in the conversation, excluding those who endeavor to include themselves.
• It's just a bother for some to have personal conversations.

I'm sure there are more reasons, both good and bad. However, whatever the reason, people lose out on communing with other human beings. We're all in this together and what better way than to be together!

Society seeks to destroy Christian relationships. Texting is not a conspiracy by any global force. It's a mere tactic of the devil to divide. How does the devil destroy? He destroys love. Satan's M.O. is hate and the closest he can come to hate is for him to isolate and categorize Christians. The devil uses cliques to propagate dissension. Texting is a method to isolate those who some desire to be excluded. It may not be the person's desire to exclude, but that is the result! Sometimes we do things tarnished by evil when it is disguised by good.

Some may think: "I befriended that person today. I wished them a happy Facebook birthday and texted him!" That's "good", but there is a better way! See or call them and say "Happy Birthday... I care for you and love you!" That's a much better gift than typing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" in caps with many exclamation points!

When messaging is used, most people who initiate the conversation are seeking engagement. They see it as a method of speaking with minimal interference. However, those people deserve and desire a response. Typing "Busy right now... respond later." takes little time! A better conversation would be "Thank your for thinking of me. I will get with you shortly." and then do so! Even if it's a text, it's better than nothing! However, personal contact is the way to demonstrate what we profess... "You are my friend!"

Now a disclaimer: I understand! This is a fast-paced world and people are busy with their own lives. This is another way we have all been deceived! My best memories are of the days when people took time to love others. Think how much time people would have if gadgets were removed from our daily life! Sure, they are tools of productivity, but people do things on their gadgets that just don't need to be done! Just look at the time people spend in the virtual world of Facebook! Just look at the time people spend perusing the web to find those "remarkable" things they post on Facebook!

Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."