The Heaton File

And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Luke 7:21-23)

What The World Refused To See

Shortly after Jesus began His public ministry, He and the disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also at the wedding. In an embarrassing moment for the wedding party and the master of the feast, the caterers ran out of wine. Mary goes to Jesus, telling him the terrible predicament the family has run into, and seeks His help. Jesus tells the servants to fill six stone waterpots with water (containing twenty or thirty gallons each). After filling the pots to the brim, Jesus tells the servants to draw from the waterpots and give to the master of the feast. To the shock of the master, the taste of the wine was the best. This beginning of the signs Jesus did to manifest His glory.

It is impossible to know how many miracles Jesus performed in His short ministry. The miracles, signs, and wonders done through Jesus attested to His power and declared Him to be the Son of God. Nicodemus, the Pharisee ruler who came to Jesus by night, admitted that no one could perform the signs Jesus performed if God were not with Him. There was nothing that Jesus could not do. He cured many of the infirmities. Whatever disease the people had, Jesus cured them instantly. His healing did not require rehabilitation or a series of medicines to recover from the disease. Every disease was dealt with in the same manner; it was gone.

Sin brought about many afflictions of the body. From the beginning of time, remedies were given to ease the suffering of those things that afflicted the body. Jesus healed everyone instantly. He removed all pain and suffering. During the ministry of Jesus, God allowed demons to possess people. The purpose of allowing demon possession was not to highlight the demons but to show that Jesus had power over Satan and the demon world. Every demon Jesus demanded to be cast out obeyed. Anyone with an evil spirit was completely healed if they came to Jesus. The man of the region of the Gadarenes was a madman possessed with great power to break chains and shackles. Jesus cured the man completely. Jesus gave the blind sight, the lame to walk again, and cured lepers of the most dreaded disease. The deaf were made to hear, and Jesus raised the dead.

All the severest critics of Jesus never denied the existence of miracles. Jesus would perform miracles in front of those who accused Him, but they never denied what they saw was real. It was not Jesus’ purpose to remove disease and affliction from the world. He came to preach the gospel of salvation through His blood. The world saw incredible miracles performed by the Finger of God, but they could not see Jesus as the Son of God. What condemns the world is that it refuses to see what is clearly seen in the testimony of Jesus Christ. The poor have the gospel preached to them, and the world looks the other way.

Miracles have ceased, and there is no demon possession, but the word of the Lord remains as powerful as when Jesus spoke the words of His Father. The Bible is the fully revealed word of God, and the world views it as a book of myths. No testimony in the world testifies as the Bible does. Human wisdom has created theologies that hinge upon the philosophies of failed religions. There is no rival to the story of Jesus Christ. The Bible is a book of miracles, signs, and wonders to prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. Refusing to believe does not change the heavenly message of Christ. To refuse is to damn the soul to an eternal place of torment. Except one believes that Jesus is the Christ, he will die in their sins. Sadly, all the evidence is clearly defined in the word of God. Believe in the power of God. See the miracles that Jesus did to see that He alone is the Son of God.

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:48-50)

The Thief Was Not The First

Jesus was crucified between two thieves to fulfill the prophecy He was numbered with the transgressors. As the grueling hours of suffering began for Jesus, the two thieves reviled Him, blasphemed Him, and like the crowd, ridiculed the great teacher who was now a curse on a tree. One of the criminals who was hanged blasphemed Jesus, saying if He were the Christ, to save himself and the two thieves. Having a change of heart, the other thief rebuked his fellow robber, declaring that Jesus had done no wrong. The unnamed thief turns to Jesus, seeking mercy that he might be found in the kingdom of Christ. Jesus knew the heart of the condemned thief and granted him the hope of eternal life. The promise of Paradise was given to this single thief through the word of Jesus Christ.

Much attention has been drawn to the story of the thief on the cross. Generations have used him as an example of God’s grace and mercy. There is no more powerful story of grace than the moment Jesus gives eternal hope to a man undeserving of mercy. Nothing is said about the man’s background, but God knew, and Jesus had the authority to accept the man’s heart as changed by repentance. This promise was not made to the other unrepentant thief. Everything Luke records in the story is the story provided by the Holy Spirit.

The thief on the cross is used to prove baptism is not necessary for salvation. The claim is that the thief was not required to be baptized for the remission of sins. This follows the mistaken idea that the thief lived and died under the covenant of Christ when Jesus made His promise. At the time, Jesus promised the thief Paradise; both were living under the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses was binding when Jesus made the promise. Further, the story of the thief is not the only instance in which Jesus forgave the sins of someone under the Law of Moses.

Mark tells the story of four friends who brought a paralytic man to Jesus to be healed. They uncovered the roof and let their friend down to Jesus. Before Jesus healed the man, He told him his sins were forgiven. Jesus proved He had the authority to forgive sins by immediately healing the man, who took up his bed and walked out the door. Jesus did not demand that this man to be baptized. Jesus attended a dinner with a Pharisee named Simon when a woman in the city who was a sinner came and anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears and fragrant oil. Simon thought to himself that if Jesus knew how sinful the woman was, He would be horrified. Jesus rebukes Simon for his hypocrisy and lack of love for others. The Lord then tells the woman her sins were forgiven. He did not demand she be baptized.

Jesus had the authority to forgive the sins of anyone He chose. The Law of Moses was binding until the resurrection of Jesus, when God changed the covenant of grace for all men. Peter, a devout Jew brought up under the Law of Moses, told the thousands of devout Jews gathered at Pentecost to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. Every story of conversion in the New Testament church includes repentance and baptism. There is never a time when anyone said that salvation comes by faith only or by accepting Christ as a personal Savior. The thief on the cross was saved by the grace of God according to the will of God. No one can be saved like the thief because the law has changed. Jesus said so.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Are There Extraterrestrials On Other Planets?

The heavens filled with planets and stars have always fascinated the imagination of man. Understanding the vast universe intrigued the minds of ancient philosophers, astronomers, and wise men. Early Greek thinkers such as Democritus, Epicurus, and Anaxagoras suggested the possibility of life in the heavens. In contrast, philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato rejected the idea of inhabited worlds beyond earth. With modern advancements, the question of life on other planets comes to the forefront of possibilities. Alien “sightings” have been reported for many years. Fears about the truth behind Area-51 ignite theorists and conspiracists who believe the government is hiding evidence of life beyond the stars.

For the Christian, the Bible is more than a book of stories; it is an answer to the meaning of life on planet earth. Sometimes questions about aliens challenge students’ understanding of God’s will. Is there an answer about whether there are aliens on other planets, and is there life in the universe waiting to be discovered? Jesus answered the question two thousand years ago when He left Heaven and came to the third rock from the Sun – Earth. Moses records in Genesis 1 that God created the lights in the firmament of the heavens. Two great lights were made to rule the day and the night. He made the stars also. God created Adam and Eve and placed them on the Earth in a place called the Garden of Eden.

The history of man begins after the fall of man. God cast Adam and Eve out of the garden, and children were born. The world is filled with people. There are no other creatures inhabiting the Earth but humans. Heavenly beings appear to humans periodically throughout history to fulfill the Lord’s work. They always appear as men (without wings). There are no alien creatures that appear. Each time a heavenly being speaks to a human, he speaks in their language. The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she will bear a son. She does not think he is an alien. Gabriel tells her about the birth of Jesus, and she recognizes Gabriel as the servant of the Lord.

Jesus was born to Mary through the miracle of the virgin birth. The Son of God grows in the manner of all men. In His teachings, Jesus answers the question of whether there is life on other planets. A Jewish ruler named Nicodemus comes to Jesus, seeking to learn from the great Teacher. They are not discussing aliens, but one of Jesus’s statements clarifies the question. Jesus tells Nicodemus that the only begotten Son of God came to earth to die for all men. God so loved the world (earth) that He gave His Son to die for those living on earth. Everyone (on planet earth) who believes Jesus is the Son of God and obeys the will of the Father will be saved. God sent His Son into the world (earth) that, through Jesus, all men might be saved.

There is no life on other planets. God did not create other creatures to live on other planets. Jesus came to earth to save humanity. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to those dwelling on earth, so they may know and understand His will. There will come a day when the earth will be destroyed. The heavens and the earth are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. This judgment does not include aliens. Jesus came to save the creation He shared in creating when, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He created man in their image. Man was created in the image of God, eliminating the possibility that any other species could have been created.

Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. (Exodus 9:15-17)

God Uses Evil Men For His Purpose

The Hebrews had been in Egypt for more than four hundred years. They had grown into a nation within a nation that brought fear to the leadership of the most powerful nation on earth. A Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph, nor did he care about the plight of the Hebrews. He did worry they might become so mighty they would join a rebellion against Egypt. Pharaoh appointed taskmasters over the Hebrews to afflict them with extensive building campaigns, harsh bondage, and all manner of service in the field. The persecution was so hard that the people cried to the Lord for deliverance.

Moses was born a Hebrew but raised in the house of Pharaoh. At the age of forty, Moses killed a man and fled to Midian, where he remained for forty years. God called Moses to return to Egypt to demand that Pharaoh let His people go. Moses warned Pharaoh that God would bring severe destruction to the land if he refused. The heart of Pharaoh grew hard, refusing to listen to Moses. God began to bring terrible plagues upon the people of Egypt. First, the water was turned to blood, killing all the fish. Then frogs covered the land of Egypt. Moses struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. Thick swarms of flies filled every corner where the Egyptians lived. The Hebrews were not plagued. God struck the livestock of the Egyptians. He caused boils to cover man and beasts of the Egyptians. Then the Lord brought the pestilence of heavy hail and fire mingled with the hail.

It was before the seventy plague that Moses warned Pharaoh why the Egyptians were being afflicted. More plagues were to come, and the worst was reserved for the final plague. In all the plagues wrought upon the nation of Egypt, Pharaoh hardened his heart. He relented at first, but when the plague was gone, he refused to let God’s people go. Moses warned Pharaoh that the plagues would grow more destructive and would reach the heart of Pharaoh and the people. God could have destroyed the Egyptians with one plague, but He chose to use Pharaoh as an example of God’s power.

The nation of Egypt was one of the most powerful in world history. God raised up Pharaoh to show the power of the Divine, that the name of the Lord may be declared in all the earth. Four more plagues afflicted the Egyptians with boils, locusts, darkness, and the death of all the firstborn of man and beast of the Egyptians. In all of this, the Hebrews were spared the destruction of the Lord. God delivered His people with a mighty hand and showed the world who is greater than all the gods of man. Pharaoh exalted himself against the people of God by refusing to bow to the will of God. The Lord destroyed Pharaoh and his nation.

Pharaoh was an evil man who led his nation with cruelty, murder, and ungodliness. He exalted himself as a god, inflicting his people with great burdens. What he failed to understand was that he would die and face the one, true God. There are evil and wicked leaders in the world, and often God uses them to show His glory, power, and might. Despots revolt against the will of the Lord, and God brings them low with His mighty hand. History is filled with the blackened bones of those who exalted themselves above the people with cruelty and hatred; only to face the one true God in death. God used the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and the great Roman Empire to show His power. Jesus was born during the Pax Romana of Rome and conquered the world with the gospel of peace.

The kingdom of Christ has reigned upon the earth for two thousand years and has never been destroyed. Religious despots created the apostate church that became the harlot of all her illegitimate children that abound in the world today in the name of Jesus. They will all become of no avail to the glory of God. Evil men will never prosper. God will use them to show His glory; and He still does.

Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs; he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever. (Psalm 146:3-6)

Man Or God?

The integrity of man is, at best, limited. If a man tries to be honest, he will only succeed a portion of the time. There is a tendency to stretch the truth without full disclosure. He will make promises that sometimes cannot be kept. There may be circumstances beyond his control that limit his ability to fulfill the promises. He does the best he can, but the best will not always be possible. Man is a fallen creature. Even if a man can make promises that he can keep, the reality is that men die and all their plans perish. Death ends the hopes and promises of life. Trusting in human wisdom is a fragile promise.

God is always faithful. It is impossible for God to lie. All of the promises the Divine Creator makes come to pass (whether good or bad). His word is truth because there is no variation in what He promises. The word of God is everlasting and unchanging, reserved in Heaven. Everything God has said is true without exception. It is difficult to grasp the completeness of God’s perfected word, but from time beginning, He has never failed to keep His promises. By His word, the universe was created. God promised to destroy the world in the days of Noah, and He did. He also promised to save Noah and his family, and He did. Abraham was told he would have a son in his old age, and Isaac was born when the great patriarch turned one hundred years old.

In the Garden of Eden, the Lord God promised to send a Seed to save the world. Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of that promise. Everything Jesus said was true because He was the Word. The Jews tried to trap Jesus in His teachings and failed every time. As the New Testament church developed, so did the completed word of God. A final canon of truth emerged when God gave the world the Bible. Every truth in the word of God shows the power of God’s promises that will never fail. The Bible is the full revelation of God’s will for men to know how to save themselves from the wrath of God. Forgiveness of sins is the central theme through the blood of Jesus Christ. God said He would forgive. He does.

The comparison between trusting in man and in God can be seen only in the contrast between the frailty of human wisdom and the grandeur of divine revelation. Trusting in “princesses,” or “a son of man,” is useless, empty, vain, and without help. They die. His plans perish. The hopes and promises made expire. There is no value in human wisdom. Happy is the man who trusts in the word of God for his help because those promises never die. God is eternal and without end. He has given the world a complete message of hope through the written revelation. His truth lasts forever. Help comes from the Lord. Hope comes from the Lord. Trusting in the Lord is where man finds his happiness. His truth is forever.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)

Sin, Grace, And Faith

God has promised eternal life, and since He cannot lie, there is no doubt about eternal life. Jesus died to remove the wrath of God against all unrighteousness for those who believe He is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit manifested the will of God through the words of the gospel, which were preached and preserved for the world to read and understand. Sinful man approaches the word of God with trepidation, doubt, fear, and the nagging belief that God cannot keep His promises. Jesus told the eleven that those who believe and are baptized will be saved. This is not an idle promise. When one obeys the gospel of Christ, they will be saved. Jesus tells the saints in Ephesus that if they are faithful until death, they will receive a crown of life. Paul spoke of a crown awaiting him in death. He believed he was saved.

Christian’s can struggle with the knowledge of God’s grace. Sin can cloud the heart of the hope God has promised. Questions linger if one is pure enough to deserve the mercy of God. The battle of sin weakens the resolve to believe in a God who is so great and good to save a miserable creature like man. Fears dominate the soul to understand how powerful grace can be to remove sin. When a man examines his life, he sees nothing but the misery of rebellion and chaos as he strives to serve Jesus Christ. The Son of God lived a perfect life. How can anyone measure up to that standard? Often, the spirit of the Christian is desperate to cling to a sliver of hope that God will save them. Life is not filled with joy. Fear haunts the recesses of the mind, doubting and fearing the wrath of God.

All men sin – that is, without exception. Everyone falls short of the glory of God. Man was created for God’s glory, but he fails miserably. What value is there in saving such a pitiful creature? Before time began, the grace of God enacted a plan to raise up man from the putridity of sin. Adam and Eve had not been created, but God knew how He would save man. The first example of grace found in the revealed word of God is when Eve took the forbidden fruit. Adam also ate. The eyes of both of them were opened, and shame filled their hearts. They were terrified. There was no place to hide. God knew what they had done.

Grace was divinely demonstrated when God did not destroy Adam and Eve on the spot. His wrath could have wiped them from the face of the earth. God did not destroy them. Grace was divinely demonstrated because God did not leave humanity to its own devices. God could have ignored man and allowed him to destroy himself. God did not leave man alone. Grace was demonstrated when the Lord told the serpent a Seed would bruise his head. Many generations later, Jesus was born of a woman, and salvation came to sinful man. A cross would be a sign of foolishness to the world, but for those who believed in the grace of God, it was eternal power.

When men struggle with the grace of God, they must remember they are sinners but not brag about it. In the same message telling the Romans they were sinners, Paul reminds them that they are justified freely by the grace of God found in the blood of Jesus Christ. Someone could argue all day about how sinful and undeserving they are for God’s grace, but for what purpose? Being justified is being saved. It is the gift of God. Jesus died to redeem man through His blood. Ananias did not lie to Saul when he told him God would wash away his sins. It was not a sprinkling. Washing sins away was a complete removal. Grace makes that possible. Salvation by grace is the love of God to sinful man that God knows is sinful, but He will save them anyway because they have repented and washed their sins away in the burial waters of baptism.

Sin, grace, and faith are the story of God’s redemptive love for – sinful man. John told his readers that they can know they have eternal life. Paul was not a perfect man, but he believed he was saved. There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Grace lifts the doubts of man above the failed philosophies of defeatist belief, where men live in fear of the wrath of God. Those in Christ are saved. For the one washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood cleanses the soul from ALL sin. Walking in the light enlightens the soul to the glorious promise that a loving God wants His children to know they HAVE a home with Him. Praise God. He does not lie, and He has promised eternal life to those who do His will.

And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel. So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. (2 Chronicles 29:25-28)

Instruments In Worship Were Approved

After the death of Solomon, Israel was divided into ten northern tribes, known as Israel, and two southern tribes, known as Judah. All of the kings of the north were evil. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. The southern kingdom of Judah had good kings and bad kings. Hezekiah was one of the good kings who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He trusted in the Lord God, making him one of the best kings the people had. Hezekiah held fast to the commandments of the Lord, and the Lord was with him. One of the things King Hezekiah did was to restore worship in the Temple of the Lord.

In the first year of his reign, Hezekiah restored the Temple to the glory it once had under Solomon. The Levites and priests cleaned the Temple, and Hezekiah restored the temple worship. Part of what the king restored was the music. He put the Levites in the Temple with musical instruments such as cymbals, stringed instruments, harps, and trumpets. Singers sang, and trumpeters sounded. The music was an incredible testimony to the glory of God. Instruments of music were always a part of the worship of God in Israel. David brought the ark to Jerusalem with the music of instruments of fir wood, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. When David made Solomon king of Israel, he appointed four thousand Levites to praise the Lord with musical instruments made by David.

When the people returned from seventy years of captivity, and the foundation of the temple was completed, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, along with the Levites with cymbals, to praise the Lord. A year later, when Nehemiah directed the rebuilding of the walls, the Levites celebrated the dedication with gladness, thanksgiving, and singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps. The final psalm preserved in the Old Scriptures seeks the praise of God with trumpets, lutes, harps, timbrels, dance, stringed instruments, flutes, loud cymbals, and clashing cymbals. Instrumental music was used in Jewish worship under the Law of Moses. The Jews knew more about instrumental music in worship than most places in the world.

The first people who were Christians under the covenant of Christ were Jews. On the day of Pentecost, three thousand devout Jews obeyed the gospel in baptism. They continued in the doctrine of the apostles as the early church matured. The New Testament is the story of the church’s beginning, its organization, its doctrines, and its growth as it spread throughout the world. Luke wrote about the beginning of the church. Paul wrote letters to churches and individuals. Peter, James, Jude, and John wrote letters establishing the doctrine of Christ. The canon of the New Testament is the divine will and covenant established between God and His people. What is never found in the writings of the New Testament church is the command to use musical instruments. There are no examples in the New Testament of the church using musical instruments in worship. The Jews used hundreds of instruments in their worship under the Law, but never did in the church.

The silence of God speaks volumes. Men added the use of instruments to the church. Those who suggested adding instruments faced great criticism. So great was the opposition, even as late as the 16th Century, that it would have been abolished by the Council of Trent but for the influence of Emperor Ferdinand. Martin Luther said, “The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes, and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to the church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled.” There is no authority for instruments of music in worship. It is not God-approved nor God-sanctioned.

And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” (Luke 9:61)

I Will Follow You But …

Commitment to God has always been the trial that men fail because they are unwilling to allow their full allegiance to be given to a higher being. Pride is the sin that exalts the spirit of man to serve himself above his Creator. Satan challenged Eve with the notion that God was unfair and unjust in His refusal to allow her to eat the forbidden fruit. Convinced that God was wrong, Eve took the fruit and ate it. She was not committed to the will of the Father and suffered because of it. Adam followed suit. Under the Law of Moses, the Lord demanded first place in the hearts of His people. The Ten Commandments began with the declaration that there could be no other gods before Him. God is a Jealous God and refuses to take second place.

Jesus taught the necessity of putting God’s rule first in life. Seeking first the kingdom of God demanded full allegiance to the will of the Father. This required a heart willing to overshadow every personal relationship for the glory of God. Nothing could come before service to the Lord. Jesus taught that the desires of husbands and wives could not take precedence over their duty to the Lord. Love for parents or children could not displace the allegiance to keeping the commandments of the Lord. This would bring families into conflict with one another. God was always first in every part of life without exception. He demanded first place, and He expected first place.

On the occasion, men were seeking Jesus to follow Him, a man approached Him and told Him he wanted to follow Jesus. Before he committed himself fully to following the Lord, he desired to bid his family farewell. He knew the journey with Jesus would be hard and difficult. His heart was willing to follow Jesus and to walk with Him wherever He went. But his heart was not completely ready to leave his family. The man told Jesus he would follow the Lord as soon as he took care of family business. Jesus’ reply was not meant to be harsh or cruel. The Lord’s answer shows the urgency of the message of salvation and the work in the kingdom.

Following Jesus demands complete surrender. Jesus would describe His disciples as those who bore their cross. Cross bearing was a vivid picture for the early disciples, and it shows the cost of following Jesus. There is no “I will follow you, but…” way to follow Jesus. When the heart commits to obey the gospel of Christ, there is the expectation that the heart will continue to be committed to the cause of Christ. Jesus explained that anyone who puts their hand to the plow and looks back would not be fit or worthy of salvation. Following Jesus is all or nothing.

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; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Working Out Salvation

The nature of God is both good and severe. There is a side of God that is full of goodness, mercy, grace, and love. Another side of God is the vengeful, wrathful, divine judgment that brings fear to the hearts of those who deny Him. The choice of life and death is all man has. God does not allow any other choices for the world to consider but salvation through His Son or condemnation for rejecting His Son. No name under heaven will save a man except the name of Jesus Christ. The Son of God is the only way to the Father, He is the only truth given to man, and eternal life can only be found in Him – and Him alone!

Understanding the nature of God leads a man to consider his ways. While Satan whispers in the ear of the human heart to live in frivolity, freedom, and corruption, the reality of eternity looms large upon the horizon. Denying judgment does not remove judgment. Refusing to believe Jesus is the Son of God will not change His place as King of kings and Lord of lords. Man has fallen from the favor of the One who created him and will be judged according to his deeds, good or bad. God has always given the world a path to follow that leads to joy, with the warning of the broad way that leads to destruction. The choice is solely the decision of the heart.

Salvation from the wrath of God comes with a serious apprehension of the cost of losing eternal life. Paul reminds the children of God to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, understanding the gravity of the situation. Only by the grace of God is hope given through the blood of Jesus Christ. Obeying the gospel is the first step in finding the grace of God. The Christian must remember to continually serve the will of the Father in working out eternal life with a spirit of fear and trembling. This means a serious and wholesome understanding of the grace of God must be received in the hearts of the faithful. Satan continues to prowl the world seeking whom he may devour. A constant awareness of the ease with which sin can destroy the heart is paramount. Sin is an insidious and powerful reality that all men must face with boldness and courage.

Salvation is found in Jesus Christ. Sins are washed away in the waters of baptism, but the struggle continues and is real. The life of the Christian is the constant awareness of the battle being waged against the forces of the evil one. If a man decides to stop fighting, he will die. Salvation is not a once-saved, always-saved experience. If someone decides to obey the gospel and then turns their back on the Lord, they will lose their salvation. God gives hope to the faithful; they can know they have eternal life, but it comes with the diligence of faithful service. The Holy Spirit reminds the faithful of the need to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, considering the cost of losing their souls.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4)

The Thief In The Night

There are many important days in life. The day of birth, the first day of school, the day of marriage, the day of retirement, and the day of death. All of these measure life from beginning to end. Not everyone goes to school, marries, and retires, but everyone is born and dies. Life can be a time of succession to achieve the next goal. Parents send their children to school so they can learn to read, write, and understand arithmetic. Many young people make plans to marry and start a home. Looking for a life occupation takes planning. Some go to college while others find their niche and make a good life. Retirement is always desired to relax and enjoy the golden years of life. Little thought is given to a day that is more important than all put together.  

The Lord has told man from the beginning that life is a vapor and there is no promise of tomorrow. Death is imminent, and all men will face that day. There is nothing a man can do to avoid his place in the cycle of life and death. Forgotten in the reality of death is the word of the Lord that He will come back one day. His coming will not be announced. There will be no warnings. Like a thief in the night, the Lord will return to bring an end to the world, and everything living on the planet will be destroyed. It will be sudden, fierce, explosive, and final. That day is not on the calendar. Jesus does not know when that will be, so no one on planet Earth can certainly know the day. What is known is that the day will be like a thief in the night.

Thieves break in and steal. Their purpose is to steal without getting caught. They will not send notices to their victims of the time of arrival and how they plan to enter the home. A homeowner may be away when the thief comes. It may be in the middle of the day or the dark of night. There is no warning or advance knowledge. When the thief decides to make his move, he does so with the greatest stealth. Using that analogy, the Holy Spirit declares two things. First, Jesus is coming back. Second, there is no way to know when that day will happen.

There is no doubt that Jesus is coming back. The angels at the ascension of Jesus, following His resurrection, assured the eleven that Jesus would return. As the church spread throughout the Roman Empire, the doctrine of Jesus’ return served as the foundation of teaching. It seems many in the First Century believed Jesus would return in their lifetime. He did not. The coming of the Lord has not happened for more than two thousand years. But He is coming back.

Concerning the times and seasons of Jesus’ return means nothing. The reason is that there will be no warning. Men try to say when the Lord is coming back, but they are false teachers deluded by their own philosophies of error. Jesus will return, and His return will be sudden, without warning, and complete. There will be no time to prepare. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, a trumpet will sound, and everything comes to an end. Like in the days of Noah, people will be going about their business, enjoying their pleasures, looking for another day with hopes of greater tomorrows. None of that will matter. When the world thinks everything is peace and safety, Jesus will return. No one will escape the judgment of the Lord on the final day.

The Christian knows this day is coming. Of all people who should not be surprised when the Lord comes back, it is the child of God. Living a life of glory for the Lord, Christians know each day could be their final. This does not sadden the heart but lightens the load of life to long for the return of Jesus Christ. The day of the Lord should not overtake the faithful like a thief. People of God are prepared. They live each day waiting for that moment. There is nothing greater than waiting for the Lord to come back – and today will be a great day for Jesus to return.