Tag: condemned

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. 

 

 

 1 John 5:11-13    And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

 John 3:36     Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

 John 5:24    Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

 John 6:40     For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

 John 6:47    Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

 John 8:51    Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

 John 11:26    and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

 Mark 16:16    Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 1 Peter 1:21   who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

 John 10:27-30   My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

 1 Thessalonians 5:9     For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 1 John 3:14    We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

 Ephesians 2:5     even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

The second we were born we were given a “death sentence”. Seems harsh, doesn’t it? Some may be born and live 70 to 100 years. Others are much shorter. However, the fact remains that every last one of us will die. We will experience death. Our time on this side of eternity will stop. All of the pleasures, trials, blessings, troubles, love, anger, joy, hate, worry, fear, peace, hope, etc…… on earth will cease for us. We do not know the day or time of our death but it is as sure as the sun rising and setting.  We don’t give much thought to our death, but we sure give much thought to our living. 

We try to prolong life and delay death without giving much thought to death. It seems as though it is something that happens to others and not so much to us, when in fact, it will. We don’t know when our time will be over. And yet it will happen. 

When we don’t give thought to death and what is on the other side of it, our lives become full of only what this world has to offer us. temporal things, things that will decay, things that give us short-lived satisfaction, and they are all left behind when we die. 

There is a spiritual side to every single person born just as there is a fleshly side. We tend to the flesh but give little thought to the spiritual. Think about it, how much of your time any given day is given toward God and eternity compared to things of this world. 

Scripture tells us that though our flesh dies our spirit lives forever. It also reveals that there are two destinations to which our spirit will arrive. Eternal life in heaven with God or eternal total separation from God in hell. How important then is it to give time to thinking about the eternal over what is temporal?  How important is it to give thought to eternal life in heaven and eternal separation in hell? 

Scripture says – Death

 Romans 5:12     Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Hebrews 9:27.  “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. 

 Job 14:5    Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,

 Job 30:23     For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living.

 Psalms 89:48     What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?

 Ecclesiastes 3:20    All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.

 Ecclesiastes 9:5     For the living know that they will die

 Ecclesiastes 12:7   and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Scripture says – Judgment

 Ecclesiastes 11:9    Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

 Ecclesiastes 12:14     For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

 Matthew 25:31-34     “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

41  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

 2 Timothy 4:1     I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead

 Romans 2:5   But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

 Romans 14:12   So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

 2 Corinthians 5:10    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

 Jude 1:15    to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Scripture says – Life

Jhn 3:16    “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 Timothy 1:15-16    The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

 John 3:36    Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

 John 5:24     Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

 John 6:40     For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

 John 20:31    but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

 Romans 5:21     so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Romans 6:23     For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 1 John 5:11-12    And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

35.w. “They were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

 

 

 

Genesis 7:1  Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

 Matthew 24:37-39    For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,  and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

 Hebrews 11:7   By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

 Psalms 91:1-10    He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

 Proverbs 14:26    In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

 Proverbs 18:10    The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

 Psalms 33:18-19    Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,  that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.

 2 Peter 2:5-9     if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;  if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;  and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked  (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);  then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

The call to Noah is very kind, like that of a tender father to his children to come in-doors when he sees night or a storm coming. Noah did not go into the ark till God bade him, though he knew it was to be his place of refuge. It is very comfortable to see God going before us in every step we take. Noah had taken a great deal of pains to build the ark, and now he was himself kept alive in it. What we do in obedience to the command of God, and in faith, we ourselves shall certainly have the comfort of, first or last. This call to Noah reminds us of the call the gospel gives to poor sinners. Christ is an ark, in whom alone we can be safe, when death and judgment approach. The word says, Come; ministers say, Come; the Spirit says, Come, come into the Ark. Noah was accounted righteous, not for his own righteousness, but as an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, Heb 11:7. He believed the revelation of a saviour, and sought and expected salvation through Him alone. Thus was he justified by faith, and received that Spirit whose fruit is in all goodness; but if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. After the hundred and twenty years, God granted seven days’ longer space for repentance. But these seven days were trifled away, like all the rest. It shall be but seven days. They had only one week more, one sabbath more to improve, and to consider the things that belonged to their peace. But it is common for those who have been careless of their souls during the years of their health, when they have looked upon death at a distance, to be as careless during the days, the few days of their sickness, when they see death approaching; their hearts being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. As Noah prepared the ark by faith in the warning given that the flood would come, so he went into it, by faith in this warning that it would come quickly. And on the day Noah was securely fixed in the ark, the fountains of the great deep were broken up. The earth had within it those waters, which, at God’s command, sprang up and flooded it; and thus our bodies have in themselves those humours, which, when God pleases, become the seeds and springs of mortal diseases. The windows of heaven were opened, and the waters which were above the firmament, that is, in the air, were poured out upon the earth. The rain comes down in drops; but such rains fell then, as were never known before or since. It rained without stop or abatement, forty days and forty nights, upon the whole earth at once. As there was a peculiar exercise of the almighty power of God in causing the flood, it is vain and presumptuous to attempt explaining the method of it, by human wisdom. (Henry)

34.p. ” In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe”

 

Hebrews 11:6    And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

 Hebrews 3:12     Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

 Hebrews 4:2    For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.

 Hebrews 4:6   Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,

 Revelation 21:8   But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur

 Numbers 14:11    And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?

 John 3:18-19   Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

 Psalms 78:22   because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.

 Psalms 78:32    In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.

 Proverbs 11:18     The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.

 Jeremiah 29:13-14   You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the LORD,

Brethren, we call ourselves Christians; let us be honest with ourselves, and rigid in the investigation of the thoughts of our own hearts. Is there a wish for God there? Is there an aching void in His absence, or do we shovel cartloads of earthly rubbish into our hearts, and thus dull desires that can be satisfied only with Him? These are not questions to which any one has a right to expect an answer from another; they are not questions that any Christian man can safely shirk answering to himself and to God. The measure of our seeking is actually settled by the measure of our desire. (MacLaren)

Having one eye of our hearts and minds tuned into and seeking and desiring what the world has to offer, and having the other eye turned toward heaven will not find a place for things of God. The things of earth will eat away any desire and seeking that our hearts and minds would have for things of God. Whatever this world may shout loud and strong into the ears of any who would listen will influence their path in life and hinder any things of God from being heard or seen. The heart of man must want to see and hear things of God above what this world has to offer or they will blindly and deafly follow after what seems right in their own eyes and social norms. 

Seek to have God open His Word and give you understanding, knowledge, and wisdom of His grace, mercy and love.

31.n. “For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”

 

Matthew 7:1  “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Luke 6:37   “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

 Romans 2:1-2  Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.  We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.

 1 Corinthians 4:5  Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Jesus warned against passing judgment upon others because when we do so, we will be judged in a similar manner. Judging is wrong in one sense of the word – when in pride (self-worth, self-image, self-honor) you place judgment on another person’s actions or words. In this judgment, you convict, find guilty, and condemn them. You set yourself up as God and give this judgment. What the person may have said or done could have been absolutely wrong, unholy, ungodly, hurtful, and broken laws against society. The problem is not in identifying it as wrong, but rather judging the person with a personal arrogance of self-righteousness in light of what they have done.  It would be like the Pharisee that stood up and prayed, “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men— swindlers, evildoers, adulterers— or even like this tax collector”. 

We need to have discernment in order to make an assessment. In this assessment, we will know and understand people by the fruit in their lives as it stands in the light of God’s Word.  We seem to get confused by the passage “Judge not” and think we are to unconditionally approve of others’ actions thinking we are “judging them” if we disapprove.  Nothing could be further from the truth. We should be able to recognize that which is God-honoring and glorifying and that which is not in all aspects of life. We can discern it is wrong but not judge and condemn the person. When we “judge others” we set ourselves up as God and somehow think our judgment is holy and right and true. Pride, self-worth, and a touch of arrogance all play a part in this “judgment” in any person who does so.  None of us are immune to this. We need to be on guard and not go past the ability to discern into “judging”. Once judgment occurs we then think we are allowed to enact our verdict and sentence on the person. We can treat them harshly and feel justified. We can wish harsh and hurtful things to happen to them. We may even feel justified in personally causing harm to them.  I want to be clear that we have every right to defend and stop physical harm to others or ourselves. We should never cowardly stand by and not intervene to protect someone. This is not passing judgment but discernment and a God-given command. 

It comes down to the spirit in which we examine and judge others. Thinking the worst of them, only seeing their faults, judging their life by their worst moment, judging without considering ourselves in the same light of judgment, are examples of discerning/judging wrongly. When our judgment in regard to others is wrong, it is often not because we judge according to a standard, but because we are hypocritical in the application of that standard – we ignore the standard in our own life. It is common to judge others by one standard and ourselves by another standard – being far more generous to ourselves than others.

When God’s Word is overflowing deep within our heart, soul, and mind and our singular intentional choice in all of life is to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do, and when we are sensitive to the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit’s leading, it is then we will have proper discernment, not judgment.

27.z. “Therefore do not become partners with them”

Ephesians 5:6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 

 Matthew 24:4   And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.

 Mark 13:22   For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

 Colossians 2:4   I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

 Colossians 2:8    See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12   and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 1 John 4:1   Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

We live in a time that is not so different than any other time.  In most of our lives, we have seemingly have experienced peace and unrest, joy and unhappiness, great hope and great despair,  prosperity, and poverty, love and hate, understanding and confusion, calmness and fear, gain and loss, security and vulnerability, confidence and doubt, healing and sickness, accomplishment and failure, humbleness and pride, truth and lies ….. We have experienced and lived through times of unity and times of unrest. Such is life. God and His grace, mercy, and love are present through it all. Likewise, Satan and his lies, deceptions, and temptations are present in the world.   Making sense of what we experience, see, and hear requires discernment.  Discernment will dictate how we respond, react, and behave. With whatever we use to gain discernment we will set our feet down paths that will either humbly serve, follow, obey, trust, and honor and glorify Jesus Christ or yield to the deceptions, lies, and temptations of Satan. 

Scripture is very clear that we are responsible for what we say, think, and do.  More importantly is what we use or feed on to set in motion what we say, think, and do.  We get the free choice.  We choose rightly or wrongly in all situations of life.  We choose what to believe. We choose what we allow to influence our lives and cause us to act, think, and speak. God is always present and will be the rock, refuge, fortress, helper, guider… Heavenly Father to those who choose to believe, rely on, trust in, and cling to Him.  He will wrap them in His power, strength, and might. He will clothe them with truth, purity, joy, assurance, and love. He will guide, lead, and set their feet upon solid ground.  Satan on the other hand will do just the opposite. He will defeat, tempt, lie, cheat, boast, cause worry, hate, fear, confusion, disunity, unhappiness, division, and set their feet on shaky ground, without foundation or stability.

We must be able to discern what is right and wrong, true and false, Godly and ungodly. This will only happen when we surrender all we are, all we have, all we do, and all of our plans to the will of God with the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Him alone. We will experience much in this life and it is a much more blessed life to experience in the ever-loving arms of God.  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.  He will hold into account every single person for what they say, think, and do.  Make sure you know what is influencing your heart, mind, and soul.

27.y. “On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak”

 

Ephesians 5:4  Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

 Proverbs 12:23   A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.

 Proverbs 15:2    The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

 Jude 1:10   But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively

 Colossians 3:8   But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

 Matthew 12:34-37   You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

 Romans 1:28    And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Paul’s appeal to the Ephesians was to be ever mindful of who they were in Christ and as such there ought to be a difference in how they speak and act even if the rest of the culture approves. They ought to know what is right, pure, and God honoring in their speech and actions. They ought to weigh every word in the light of God-honoring speech. As men, don’t have to spend much time outside our homes before we are bombarded with course language, filthy jokes, or other meaningless talk that adds nothing of value to our soul and certainly not toward God.  We need to recognize and be able to discern what is right, honorable, and pleasing to God.  The problem is we don’t recognize it as wrong or we shrug it off as fitting in.  This problem has many roots that are anchored to our heart, mind, and soul.  Neglect, complacency, remaining an infant in things of God, busyness, a lack of desire to honor and glorify God, wanting to fit in, shallow and stagnate knowledge of God’s Word, no hunger or thirst for His leading, and unwilling to fully commit to the will of God.  

Psalms says: Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge— the LORD—knows the thoughts of man

20.p. “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false”

 

Romans 11:7  What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

 Isaiah 6:10     Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

 Matthew 13:14-15   Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

 2 Corinthians 4:4    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12   and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

How utterly bad is it to have rejected God and His love through Jesus Christ and then believe that which is nothing more than a delusion, lies, and unsatisfying to the soul?  God reaches out in love to mankind with a gracious and merciful gift, Jesus Christ, and people have and continue to reject this offer.  This offer has been flat out denied, neglected, diluted, or rejected, and it is in this state of mind they easily believe dilutions and lies.  The saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ is not so much withheld from them but rather they have blinded their eyes and deafened their ears with wanting to believe anything other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is a personal intentional choice of rejection.  With hardened hearts, they hear of God’s love through Jesus Christ but it has no effect.  Though the Word of God shouts “Come to Me”, “Believe in Me”, “Trust Me”, “Rely on Me”, “Yield and surrender to Me”, “I love you so much I sent My Son to bear the burden of your sins”, “I will give you rest”, “I will give you joy, peace, power, courage, hope”, and “I will give you eternal life”, they choose to reject, deny, and neglect it.  They choose to believe in the wisdom of man or self rather than the Creator.  They choose to deny and reject God’s Word when it says; “I will judge you”, “I will pour out My wrath on you”, “I will not withhold my anger against you forever”, “I will cast you into eternal hell for eternity”, “I will reject all who have rejected Me”, “I am coming again to judge both the living and dead”, and “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God and all of His fury”.  

Rejection, denial, neglect, and complacency, take on many forms, at different times, but always display the intent of the heart, mind, and soul of people.  All is exposed and open to God.  He knows the intent of your heart and mind.  He knows if you have surrendered all your hope of forgiveness for sin by faith, trust, and reliance in/on Jesus Christ alone.  He knows if you keep some of this surrender back and by some means rely on some form of your good works or Christian service to help you become good in His eyes.  This will never produce anything God-honoring because you are trying to keep some of this honor for yourself to somehow make you right in God’s eyes.  It is just another delusion and lie.  There is nothing you can do other than complete humble surrender, reliance, and trust in Jesus Christ.  It is then and only then you will realize the good things you do are for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ.

20.k. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:8   “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 Mark 16:15-16    And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 Acts 10:43   To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

 Galatians 3:5    Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith

 Acts 13:38-39    Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,  and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

I must admit I am intrigued by the difference between believing and believing in and on Jesus Christ.  I imagine there are those who believe Jesus Christ.  They believe He is the Son of God.  They believe He was sent by God. They believe He died and rose again.  They believe He is coming again.  The believe there is a heaven and a hell.  They believe the bible is God’s Word.  They believe doing good is right.  They believe in some form of justice for the guilty and innocent.  And yet, for all of this belief, they fall short of what it means to believe on/in Jesus Christ.  The difference is they believe about Him but not in/on Him.  One is an intellectual understanding, belief, and knowledge of the subject – Jesus Christ.  To believe in/on Jesus Christ is completely different.  It is life -changing, life-altering, life-leading, and true peace and joy giving faith.  The bible says this is being born again, made new, and being a new creation.  This newness of life comes from believing in, trusting in, clinging to, relying on, surrendering and yielding to, and obeying Jesus Christ. A persons life is changed.  

I fear many believe that the work of Jesus Christ was a blanket forgiveness over all of mankind’s sins and that all who do good things in this life will go to heaven.  They live good lives and can be kind and loving but they never really see a personal need for personal forgiveness of their personal sin.  Their belief in the blanket covering has blinded their personal need for forgiveness.  

Ask God to reveal to your heart if you are believing in/on Jesus Christ or believing about Him.  Only a heart seeking for God to open their hearts, minds, and souls to the wisdom and understanding for the need for forgiveness will see Jesus Christ as redeemer and savior.  It is in this understanding that belief about changes to believing in/on Jesus Christ through faith and trust.  The difference is that this God-given wisdom and understanding will lead to a person calling out to Jesus Christ to save them.  There should be no doubt in your heart, soul, and mind about this.  

19.x. “Lest his works should be exposed.”

Joh 3:18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

It is a fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ will increase some men’s damnation at the last great day. Again, I startle at myself when I have said it; for it seems too horrible a thought for us to venture to utter—that the gospel of Christ will make hell hotter to some men than it otherwise would have been. Men would all have sunk to hell had it not been for the gospel. The grace of God reclaims “a multitude that no man can number;” it secures a countless army who “shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation;” but, at the same time, it does to those who reject it, make their damnation even more dreadful. And let me tell you why.

It will increase your condemnation, I tell you all unless you find Jesus Christ to be your Saviour; for to have had the light and not to walk by it, shall be the condemnation, the very essence of it, This shall be the virus of the guilt—that the “light came into the world, and the darkness comprehended it not;” for “men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.”

He who hears the truth, but he perverts it; he takes what is intended by God for his good, and what does he do, he commits suicide therewith. That knife which was given him to open the secrets of the gospel he drives into his own heart. That which is the purest of all truth and the highest of all morality, he turns into the gratification and indulgence of his sin and makes it a scaffold to aid in building up his eternal house in hell.

It must increase your condemnation if you oppose the gospel of Jesus Christ. If God’s offer of grace, mercy, and love has been rejected, how great must be his sin? Who shall tell the great guilt incurred by such people?  Oh! who shall picture out, or even faintly sketch, the doom of those who have rejected Jesus Christ and in their heart have cried out, “I am sufficient in myself, I am good enough on my own, I am self-worthy.” Who shall tell what place in hell shall be hot enough for the man who denies and rejects God?  (Spurgeon)