

## Table of Contents

**Chapter 1          Who Goes to Hell?**

**Chapter 2          It Started in the Garden**

**Chapter 3          The New Birth**

**Chapter 4          Perishable vs. Imperishable**

**Chapter 5          The Rich Man and Lazarus**

**Chapter 6          Three Fates**

**Chapter 7          Two Conflicting Scriptures?**

**Chapter 8          Parable of the Talents **

**Chapter 9          Be Ready For His Coming **

**Chapter 10        The Centurion's Faith**

**Chapter 11        Forgiveness**

**Chapter 12        Is There a Resurrection?**

**Chapter 13        God Speaks**

**Chapter 14        Once Saved Always Saved?**

**Chapter 15        The Inheritance of the Kingdom**

**Chapter 16        Abraham and the Covenant**

**Chapter 17        The Judgment**

**Chapter 18        Stumbling Blocks**

**Chapter 19        Strive To Enter?**

**Chapter 20        Parable of Ten Virgins**

**Chapter 21        The Two Foundations **

**Chapter 22        Cost of Discipleship**

**Chapter 23        Discipleship Tested**

**Chapter 24        The Kingdom is Like...**

**Chapter 25        The Rich Young Ruler**

**Chapter 26        Jesus is the Vine**

**Chapter 27        The Fruitless Fig Tree**

**Chapter 28        Tares Among Wheat**

**Chapter 29        Children or Dogs? **

**Chapter 30        Parable of Two Sons **

**Chapter 31        Parable of the Wedding Feast**

**Chapter 32        "Those Who Wash Their Robes"**

**Chapter 33        The Serpent in the Wilderness**

**Chapter 34        The Goal of Life**

**Chapter 35        Deliverance From Bondage**

**Chapter 36        Our Victory in Christ**

**Chapter 37        The Peril of Unbelief**

**Chapter 38        The Peril of Falling Away**

**Chapter 39        Pass From Death to Life **

**Chapter 40        Put on the New Self**

**Chapter 41        Multitudes Who Never Heard?**

**Chapter 42        The Rise of False Prophets**

**Chapter 43        The Bread of Life**

**Chapter 44        Brood of Vipers **

**Chapter 45        The Unpardonable Sin**

**Chapter 46        "Make the Tree Good"**

**Chapter 47        The Blessings of Redemption**

**Chapter 48        Made Alive in Christ**

**Chapter 49        We Lay Hold of the Kingdom **

**Chapter 50        Jesus, the Example**

**Chapter 51        Through Many Tribulations**

**Chapter 52        The Believer's Rest**

**Chapter 53        Faith and Works **

**Chapter 54        Immorality Rebuked **

**Chapter 55        Who Gets Resurrected?**

**Chapter 56        The Fact of Christ's Resurrection**

**Chapter 57        The Mystery of Resurrection**

**Chapter 58        "The Lost"**

**Chapter 59        The Pharisee and the Publican**

**Chapter 60        Why Do We Believe?**

**Chapter 61        Sealed Inheritance**

**Chapter 62        The Temporal and Eternal**

**Chapter 63        Revelation**

**Chapter 64        The Last Days Church**

#### Chapter 1

(Table of Contents)

## Who Goes To Hell?

Two Christians were listening to the comforting words being spoken to a bereaved widow. "Your husband was a good man and now he's in heaven" said one comforter. The first Christian thought to himself, "Yes, he was a good man. He was always friendly, never said a bad word about anyone and was generous more than most. Although he never professed to be a Christian or spoke a word concerning faith in God, surely God would welcome him into His kingdom." The second Christian thought to himself, "I really liked him. He was a good friend. It is sad that he will burn in hell for eternity because he did not receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior."

### _Which Christian do you agree with? They are both mistaken._

Two Christians were discussing the premature death of a baby born to an unbelieving mother. The first Christian said, "I believe that babies are born innocent and that God would not send an innocent baby to hell for eternity before it was old enough to understand and believe." The second Christian replied, "Jesus was quite clear when He said, 'No man comes to the Father but by Me. You must be born again'. Sadly, the baby is going to hell."

### _Which Christian do you agree with? They are both mistaken._

A Christian was witnessing to a homosexual and an adulterer who were both unbelievers. The Christian said, "If you don't repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will both burn in hell for eternity."

### _Do you believe this is true? If so, you are mistaken._

A preacher said to his congregation, "Now that we are born again, we are guaranteed a place in the kingdom of heaven. God has saved us from hell through His beloved Son Jesus and we will be together with Him in heaven for eternity", by which the congregation was reassured and comforted.

**_Jesus did not save us from eternity in HELL._**

In fact, it is only by _receiving_ Jesus as Savior that makes it possible for us to live **_eternally_** so as to be _alive_ in hell forever. Jesus " ** _saves_** " Christians from the curse of **_death_** that Adam brought upon the world through his sin. Jesus gives us **_new_** life in Him that is **_eternal_**. Once having received **_eternal_** life, God expects us to live in a way (that He clearly defines and empowers us with His Holy Spirit) so that we will bear fruit and demonstrate that we are His children.

God gave us free will. He will never take that away. Born-again Christians will either follow after Jesus and enter His kingdom after the final judgment or seek to follow their own ways that lead to the final judgment of **_eternity_** in HELL. Those who do not receive **_eternal_** life from Jesus will **_perish_** under the judgment of Adam's sin. They will not be raised up on the last day for they are **_mortal_**. They will simply **_perish_** like the animals having no **_eternal_** spirit and only **_mortal_** life. An animal has only a **_mortal_** life and is flesh _only_. It is conscious, feels, thinks, has instincts, bears and cares for its young but when it dies, it returns to dust, having no **_eternal_** life. It **_perishes_**.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not **_perish_** , but have **_eternal_** life."

This writing is a last days' message to the church. Jesus is about to return for His bride who will have "made herself ready". She will be "without spot or wrinkle". Will Jesus be coming for you? Or will you hear Him say, "Depart from Me. I never knew you."

** **

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This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form.

**Who Goes To Hell?**  
The lie Christians believe...  
Published by Rick Hamlet at Smashwords  
Copyright 2014 Rick Hamlet

#### Chapter 2

(Table of Contents)

## It Started in the Garden

God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:17)

Adam and Eve ate from that tree. Did they die _that day_?

19By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."...

22Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, **_and live forever"_** —

23therefore the LORD God sent him out from the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

24So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

It would seem that Adam and Eve did not die _that day_. In fact, they did. The spiritual/relational life that they had with God, ended that day. As in the parable of the "Prodigal Son", they were "dead" as far as God was concerned though they "lived" in the natural. From that day forward, they were "dead" in sin, forever cut off from eternal life with God. They lived on only in the "natural" realm (the flesh), and later died and returned to dust. They had not yet eaten from the "tree of life" so as to live **_eternally_** (ever-lasting, lasting forever), and God blocked the way so that they couldn't. They bore children who had the same life from their parents, _natural life_ only. As stated previously, an animal has only a natural life and is flesh _only_. It is conscious, feels, thinks, has instincts, bears and cares for its young but when it dies, it returns to dust, having no **_eternal_** life. It **_perishes_**.

Everyone born from the day Adam and Eve "died" were born under the curse of the law. They were born "dead" to God, not having **_eternal_** life in themselves nor a way to gain access to Him. What was needed to restore them to the previous position was a way back through a blood **covenant** with God. Whether a man was "good" or "evil" made no difference apart from a covenant. "In Adam, all died." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

**NOTE:** There was **_no mention_** of an eternal punishment of burning in Hell forever and ever. If God has established a law and defined a penalty for disobedience, He would be unrighteous to later, after the law had been violated, to add an extreme, eternal penalty that He never mentioned prior to the violation.

#### Chapter 3

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## The New Birth

Leaping ahead to when Jesus was explaining the nature of being "born again into the Spirit" and how it relates to the judgment that fell on mankind from Adam...

### John 3:1:21

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;

2this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

4Nicodemus said* to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

...14"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

17"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

18"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

20"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21"But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

In verse 3 Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Unless you are born again you cannot **_see_** the kingdom of God.

In verse 5 He says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Unless one is born again he cannot **_enter_** the kingdom of God.

6"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

To be "born in the flesh" is to be born as Adam's children were born, born without a spirit, born like an animal, alive in every way except spiritually/relationally to God. Being "born of the Spirit" is to be born into **_eternal_** life, being made alive to God in the same way that Adam "died" to God, only more so. Adam would have had to have eaten from the "tree of life" to gain **_eternal_** life. When we are born again, we _have been given_ **_eternal_** life. We pass from death to EVER-LASTING life.

Unless a baby is born from the womb, it cannot _see_ or _ente r_ the "kingdom" of this world. That's obvious. It should be equally obvious that unless one is "born of the Spirit" he cannot _see_ or _enter_ the kingdom of God.

In order to be born again, we must be redeemed from the curse of death we inherited from Adam. In order to be redeemed we must have someone who is not dead in Adam take our place in God's judgment of death and give us his position of life.

...14"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not **_perish_** , but have **_eternal_** life.

To be born again, we simply have to believe that God's judgment of death has fallen to us and that Jesus is our redeemer that God has accepted in our place and that our sins are forgiven by his sacrifice.

From the point that we believe and receive forgiveness of our sins through Jesus, we are born into the Spirit, have eternal life, and will live forever. We will not _perish_ like an animal and return to dust like Adam. We now have "an imperishable seed" within us that cannot die. It is spiritual life, and it is eternal.

Now that we have been born again, we have escaped the judgment on the world that has fallen to everyone born since Adam.

17"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

18"He who believes in Him **_is not judged_** ; he who does not believe **_has been judged already_** , because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

If we believe in Jesus as our savior, therefore, _WE ARE NOT JUDGED_. He who does not believe in the Savior _HAS BEEN JUDGED ALREADY_. Why? Because he didn't believe in the only begotten Son of God. He did not, for whatever reason, recognize his need for a Savior to redeem him from his fallen position.

19"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

20"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

The judgment of "death" has **_already_** been given. We can escape the judgment by coming to the light (Jesus) and live or remain in darkness (sin) and live under the judgment of death. If we fail to receive the new **_eternal_** life that only Christ can give, then we will experience death, perish like an animal, and return to the dust.

At first, Jesus is saying that unless we are born again, we cannot see or enter the " _kingdom of heaven_ ". Next, He is saying that if we believe in Him we will not _"perish"_ but have " _eternal life_ ".

### There is an enormous difference between _having eternal life_ and _entering the Kingdom of heaven_.

We have wrongly assumed that _having eternal life_ has the same meaning as _entering into the kingdom of heaven_. Being born again has caused us to have an eternal life that will never perish. The judgment on the world was that all who had not received eternal life would _perish_. There is no further judgment on the world. They, without eternal life, perish like the animals.

In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his _thoughts perish_. (Psalm 146:4)

In mortal man, _in whom there is no salvation_ (a man who has _not_ been born again into the Spirit), even his **_thoughts_** perish. Like an animal, his **_consciousness_** ceases.

Here's the heart of the matter...

If "a mortal man, in whom there is no salvation" returns to dust and even his thoughts perish, who goes to hell?

Hell is described as an **_eternal_** habitation. It will never end, forever and ever, for eternity. To live in hell for eternity, I must have **_eternal_** life.

To receive eternal life, Jesus said, "you must be born of the Spirit". Once you are alive spiritually, you are alive _eternally_. Once you are alive eternally, you will live eternally in heaven or in hell.

God made a covenant through Jesus with the whole world. He sent His Son to take our punishment, and shed His blood to give us new, ever-lasting, eternal life. Anyone who accepted this covenant with God received eternal life, having been "bought" back from the judgment of death (perishing) that befalls all who refuse to receive His sacrifice.

Those who do not receive his sacrifice "have been judged _already_ ". They are not raised from the dead to receive an **_eternal_** punishment in hell. They live their life and then they **_perish_**. The day they die even their _thoughts_ (consciousness) perishes.

The rest of this writing will support this revelation:

  1. Man, those who do not enter into covenant relationship with God, all die as a result of the curse Adam brought on the whole world. He will perish like an animal and return to the dust. No consciousness, no eternal habitation, no hell, no further judgment beyond death. They are "judged already" according to Jesus.
  2. Those that have entered into **_covenant_** relationship with God, either through the old covenant of Abraham (and fulfilled by Jesus) or the new covenant through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, have been freely given ever-lasting, eternal life that will never end or be taken away.
  3. Those who have received eternal life will either enter the kingdom of God or go to hell based on the final judgment that takes place on the last day. On the last day, only those who are alive to God, having been born into the spirit, will be present.
  4. The judgment will be based on God's expectation that **_His_** people have a relationship with His Son Jesus, obeying Him, having faith in Him, repenting of sin and bearing "fruit" in demonstration of thankfulness and recognition of what has been done for them. Thus, they will be "counted worthy" to enter the kingdom of heaven...Or...

4 Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5 All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and **_as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God_** , for which you are suffering. (2 Thess 1:5)

#### Chapter 4

(Table of Contents)

## Perishable vs. Imperishable

50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15)

Examine what is being said...

50 Now I say this, **_brethren_** , that flesh and blood cannot ** _ inherit_** the kingdom of God; nor does the ** _ perishable inherit the imperishable_**.

Paul is speaking to " ** _brethren_** "- believers. He is telling us that "flesh and blood", unbelievers, those who have not received **_eternal, imperishable_** life from Christ, cannot obtain an "inheritance" of the kingdom of God.

Flesh and blood, the mortal body and its conscious existence, are "perishable". An animal is mortal. Its existence in "mortality" includes consciousness and the life force that animates it. It is not merely a blob of meat, bones and blood. It is a "being" that lives in the physical world that will one day "perish" **_entirely_**.

Definition:

### Perish-

1. to destroy

  1. to put out of the way **_entirely_** , abolish, **_put an end to_** , ruin
  2. render useless
  3. to kill
  4. to declare that one must be put to death
  5. to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed

**The KJV translates Strong's G622 in the following manner:** perish (33x), destroy (26x), lose (22x), be lost (5x), lost (4x), _misc_  (2x).

Paul continues...

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and **_the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed._**

Is Paul including the "the dead" who have not received eternal life in Christ? No. In the same sentence he clarifies and says, " ** _and_** " will be changed. He is referring to the dead "in Christ".

53 For this perishable must put on the **_imperishable_** , and this **_mortal must put on immortality._**

**Definition: Immortality:** Incorruption; an Imperishable state.

An "imperishable state" of being is an **_eternal_** state of being. That which was **_not_** **_eternal_** , will put on the **_eternal_**. Otherwise, Paul is saying that all the dead, those in covenant through Christ, and those who are not, will be given an eternal state of being; **_eternal_** life.

54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in **victory**. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

Jesus Christ achieved "victory" over death for those who accepted His sacrifice and will resurrected and receive His promised "imperishable", eternal life. Those who have not accepted His sacrifice, "have been judged already", according to Jesus...

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not **_perish_** , but have **_eternal_** life.

17"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

18"He who believes in Him is not judged; **_he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God._**

The "sting of death" will not be "swallowed up in victory" for those who do not come to Christ. They have been "judged already" by the curse of death that Adam brought into the world.

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, **_who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ._** (1 Cor 15)

Does God give everyone the victory over death? No!

### **_God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!_**

### "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS"

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

"ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS  
AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS  
THE GRASS WITHERS  
AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,  
22BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER."

And this is the word which was preached to you. (1 Peter)

We don't think like God thinks.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

We really don't accept the fact that God looks at "all flesh" like "grass". **_Grass_** **_perishes entirely_**. We have no problem with that. However, when it comes to "flesh", people, we do not accept that they perish, are utterly destroyed, and are no more as the definition of "perish" defines itself. Not being able to bear the thought of people going back to the dust and no further existence, we redefine the word "perish" as only referring to the physical body and attribute "immortality" to the life force of the soul.

As with grass when it perishes, its life force ceases. As with the life force, consciousness, personality, recall, senses and unique being that it is, an animal perishes in its **_entirety_**. We reject this for humans. We insist that humans are more than grass and animals that perish. We insist that, although the Lord clearly contradicts it, that all flesh has **_immortal_** consciousness unlike the grass and animals. We make ourselves out to be more than the Lord **_says_** we are, apart from Christ.

#### Chapter 5

(Table of Contents)

## The Rich Man and Lazarus

### Luke 16

19"Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.

20"And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,

21and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.

22"Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

23"In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

24"And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'

25"But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.

26'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'

27"And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house—

28for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29"But Abraham said*, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'

30"But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'

31"But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'"

The rich man died and is in Hades; and Lazarus died and went to "the bosom of Abraham".

23"In Hades he (the rich man) lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

If scripture is true then the rich man was not merely a "mortal man, in whom there is no salvation"

(Psalm 146:4) In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his _thoughts perish_.

We can deduce that he was not a mortal man since his thoughts did not perish "that very day" he died. He was conscious and thinking about his torment, his thirst, his five brothers and of warning them of their fate if they do not repent.

This rich man must have had "salvation" in him or his thoughts would have perished the day he died. He had salvation through Abraham's covenant. He was a covenant Jew.

24"And he cried out and said, ' _Father_ Abraham, have mercy on me"(He called Abraham his father).

25"But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life..." (Abraham called him " _child_ " and did not deny that he was his child through the covenant. He could not have been Abraham's _natural_ born child).

29"But Abraham said*, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'

Abraham recognized that the rich man's five brothers were also in covenant with God saying that they too had the Law and the Prophets.

30"But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'

The rich man understood why he was in hell and wanted to warn his brothers to _repent_ or they would end up in the same place.

The truth is that although we may gain eternal life, we may spend it in hell.

**_There is no place in scripture that states that those who do not enter into covenant relationship with God go to hell._**

#### Chapter 6

(Table of Contents)

## Three Fates

### John 5:25-29

25"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

26"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;

27and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

28"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

29and will come forth; those who did the good **_deeds_** to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil **_deeds_** to a resurrection of judgment.

(Jesus said, "...the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and _those who hear will live_. And those who do not hear? They will be dead already because of the judgment that fell on man through Adam and they have not believed in the only begotten Son of God so as to receive eternal life.) Since Jesus was indicating that these resurrected from the dead will be judged by their "deeds", it is obvious that they were under the old covenant of works under the law, and not unbelievers who, no matter how many good deeds they performed in life, were never given a covenant opportunity as were the Jews.

From this depiction we can see three fates. One is between the dead who "hear" and live, and the dead who do not hear and do not "live". Those who "hear" and live by the resurrection, having been given new life in Christ, will be judged by their **_deeds_** , both good and evil.

Three Fates: 1) Dead, 2) Resurrected to Judgment, 3) Resurrected to Reward

#### Chapter 7

(Table of Contents)

## Two Conflicting Scriptures?

  1. 17"For God did not send the Son into the world **to judge** _the world_ , but that _the world_ might be saved through Him. (John 3:17) (God did not send the Son to judge _the world_. Why not? Because _the world_ is _already_ judged.)
  2. 27and He gave Him authority to **execute judgment** , because He is the Son of Man. (Judgment over whom? Those who "hear the voice of the Son of God". "Those who hear will live." All who hear will live eternally because they have taken up a **covenant** relationship with God. Do they all enter the kingdom of God?)

28"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the **_tombs_** will hear His voice,(Referring to the "tombs" of the Jews under the Law who were waiting for the judgment.)

29...and will come forth; those who did the good **_deeds_** to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil **_deeds_** to a resurrection of judgment.  (John 5:27-29)

Those that hear and are alive ** _in eternity_** are then judged by their deeds. Scripture is perfectly clear that we cannot gain _eternal life_ through our good deeds, otherwise salvation would be through "works" and not through grace by "believing" in the Son of God.

This " _final_ " judgment is based on the fact that God has redeemed us from the curse we were helplessly lost under and bought us at the price of the blood of His Son. In turn, He has the expectation that we will behave as though we are thankful, repent of our sins, share the good news, make disciples, bear fruit and so prove that we have received and value so great a salvation.

If we so prove this, which is the natural out-pouring of those who truly believe and are thankful for their salvation, we _enter the kingdom of God_ after the judgment.

If we do not value our salvation, after receiving eternal life from Christ, and go on living our life according to the flesh, we will be _"cast out into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth"-_ HELL.

#### Chapter 8

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## Parable of the Talents

### Matthew 25:14-30

14"For it __ (the kingdom of heaven) is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. (He called _"his own slaves"._ They were his possession. If we are God's, He has bought us with the blood of Jesus Christ. He does not "own", have lordship over, those who have not received his Son.)

15"To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.

16"Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.

17"In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.

18"But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. (He hid _his master's_ money.)

19"Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. (Settled accounts, judged their fruit, deeds, and passed judgment.)

20"The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' (Brought to his master the multiplied produce of His kingdom.)

21"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' (Enter into the kingdom of heaven.)

22"Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'

23"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' (Enter into the kingdom of heaven.)

24"And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed _._ (He acknowledged him as master, and understood his ways and expectations...)

25'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' (Instead of taking up the work of his master, he produced nothing more.)

26"But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed _._

27'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

28'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'

29"For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

30"Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What was taken away from this "wicked lazy slave"? His life? No, he was "thrown out into outer darkness; in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth"...HELL. He had forfeited his opportunity to "enter into the joy of his master"...the kingdom of God.

It wasn't sin that kept him out. It was his failure to produce what God expects that he should have produced. It may be suggested that this "lazy, wicked slave" was not "saved". If that were true, he would not have been the possessions of his Master. He would not have been given his Master's resources. This "Master" would have no expectations from a slave he did not "own".

If we interpret this parable in any other way than the fact that the slave was "bought" by a covenant giving the Master "ownership" and "expectation of productivity" (fruit in keeping with salvation), then this illustration by parable tells us that "salvation" is by "works". Had the slave provided increase to the Master gained him salvation? No, it is only by covenant. And **_then_** there is an expectation of increase, fruit-bearing and servanthood.

#### Chapter 9

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## Be Ready for His Coming

### Matthew 24:42-51

42"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

43"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

44"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45"Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

47"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48"But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'

49and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;

50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,

51and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth....HELL.

The master is owner of both "slaves". Jesus did not say that he was the master of one and not the other. If God is the master, He has "bought" the slave with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. There is no other way to come into relationship with Him.

He did not kill the slave. He "assigned him a place with the hypocrites", those who profess to be His but behave as though they are not His. "In that place will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."...HELL.

#### Chapter 10

(Table of Contents)

## The Centurion's Faith

### Matthew 8

5And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." 7Jesus said* to him, "I will come and heal him."  8But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9"For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does _it_." 10Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following,

"Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.

11"I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob **_in the kingdom of heaven_** ;

12but the _**sons of the kingdom**_ will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus said that many would come from all over the world and "recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;" They would be in covenant relationship and gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven. "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out". To be a son of the kingdom you must be Abraham's seed through his covenant or through the covenant of Jesus Christ. If they are "sons of the kingdom" they are alive in eternity through the covenant but are cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth...HELL.

#### Chapter 11

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## Forgiveness

### Matthew 18:21-35

21Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

22Jesus said* to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23"For this reason the **_kingdom of heaven_** may be compared to **_a king_** who wished to settle accounts with **_his slaves_**. (The kingdom of heaven, a king and **_his_** slaves)

24"When he had begun to settle them _,_ one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. (To settle, the judgment)

25"But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord  (his Lord) commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

26"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

27"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. (The Lord of that slave forgave him)

28"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'

29"So his fellow slave (fellow slave) fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

30"But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

31"So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

32"Then summoning him, his lord said* to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

34"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

35"My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother (his brother) from your heart."

The lord of that slave had an expectation that the slave would judge as he had been judged; to show mercy as he had been shown mercy. Did the lord of that slave have him killed in this parable? No, he was handed over to the torturers. HELL.

#### Chapter 12

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## Is There a Resurrection?

### Luke 20:34-38

34And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age (all men) marry and are given in marriage,

35but those who are **considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead** , neither marry nor are given in marriage;

36for **they cannot even die anymore** , because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

37"But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

38"Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him."

Verse 35 – **_"Considered worthy"_** to attain the resurrection from the dead? And to those who are unworthy? Do not attain the resurrection from the dead? Men are "made worthy" through a blood covenant with God having been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. In Christ, they are born into the Spirit and have eternal life.

Verse 37 – 38 - The only reference to the "living" are those who through the covenant of Abraham, Issac and Jacob have been raised from the dead and are alive to God.

#### Chapter 13

(Table of Contents)

## God Speaks

The following are two consecutive Psalms, 49 and 50. In Psalm 49, God is speaking to _"all peoples; all inhabitants of the world"._ He is telling them that it is futile to try to redeem their souls from death (the judgment that fell on the world through Adam). He says that _"the redemption of the soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever- that he should live on eternally, that he should not undergo decay._ For he sees _that even_ _wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike **perish**."_

Most importantly, He says, " _But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish."_ God is clearly stating to the world's inhabitants that you cannot do anything yourself to live beyond death, the grave, Sheol. That, like the beasts, they will _perish_. He states it three times! Dogs, cats, birds, fish, beasts of the field, forest, air and sea do not spend eternity in HELL. They simply **_perish_**. They are without understanding.

"Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is **_like the beasts_** _that perish_."

### God Speaks to _the World_  
Psalm 49

1

Hear this, all peoples;  
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2

Both low and high,  
Rich and poor together

3

My mouth will speak wisdom,  
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

4

I will incline my ear to a proverb;  
I will express my riddle on the harp.

5

Why should I fear in days of adversity,  
When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

6

Even those who trust in their wealth  
And boast in the abundance of their riches?

7

No man can by any means redeem his brother  
Or give to God a ransom for him—

8

For the redemption of his soul is costly,  
And he should cease _trying_ forever—

9

That he should live on eternally,  
That he should not undergo decay.

10

For he sees that even wise men die;  
The stupid and the senseless alike **perish**  
And leave their wealth to others.

11

Their inner thought is that their houses are forever  
And their dwelling places to all generations;  
They have called their lands after their own names.

12

But man in his pomp will **not endure;  
He is like the beasts that perish.**

13

This is the way of those who are foolish,  
And of those after them who approve their words.  
Selah.

14

As sheep they are appointed for Sheol;  
**Death** shall be their shepherd;  
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,  
And their form shall be for Sheol to consume  
So that they have no habitation.

15

But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,  
For He will receive me. Selah.

16

Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,  
When the glory of his house is increased;

17

For when he dies he will carry nothing away;  
His glory will not descend after him.

18

Though while he lives he congratulates himself—  
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—

19

He shall go to the generation of his fathers;  
They will never see the light.

20

Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,  
**Is like the beasts that perish.**

In verse 14 _"As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation"_.  No habitation? The grave is the place where the body is consumed by decay and returns to dust. HELL is definitely a "habitation". It is an **_eternal_** habitation. Jesus described it as the "place" where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is the "place" prepared for the devil and his angels.

It is important to recognize that Sheol is death, the grave, and the end of those who do not have eternal life. It is the result of the curse from Adam. Unless we are redeemed from death by the shed blood of our redeemer, Sheol will be the _inhabitants of the world's_ end.

HELL, Hades, outer darkness is an **_eternal_** abode for those who have obtained **_eternal_** life after being redeemed from death, the curse on Adam and his descendents. Once redeemed from death, we are restored to the place where Adam and Eve were before the curse. We are in the "garden of choosing", either choosing to obey God, cultivating His "garden", and living under His lordship and blessings, **_or_** choosing to "be like God", deciding what _we_ will do with our life regardless of _His_ will and direction.

The important difference is that when Adam decided to disobey God, he had not yet eaten from the "tree of life" so as to live **_forever_**. When we receive Christ, we have been given **_eternal_** life. If we, from that point "fall away", we will not simply **_perish_** , returning to dust. We will spend our **_eternal_** (EVER-LASTING) life separated as Adam was, but in HELL, the place where **_eternal_** beings are put who rebel against God after receiving His free, unearned gift of **_eternal_** life.

In the following Psalm, it is clear that God is speaking to " _His people", "those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice"_. Those who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice are those who have been redeemed from death (the curse that fell on the world through Adam) and now live eternally. If I have received salvation by Abraham's covenant (before Christ came) or through the new covenant by believing in Jesus Christ as my Savior, I am alive to God and become one of "His people". Otherwise I am like "all the inhabitants of the world" and "like the beasts that perish" and _not_ one of "His people".

### God Judges _His_ People  
Psalm 50

1

The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken,  
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

2

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,  
God has shone forth.

3

May our God come and not keep silence;  
Fire devours before Him,  
And it is very tempestuous around Him.

4

He summons the heavens above,  
And the earth, to judge His people:

5

"Gather My godly ones to Me,  
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."

6

And the heavens declare His righteousness,  
For God Himself is judge.  
Selah.

7

"Hear, O My people, and I will speak;  
O Israel, I will testify against you;  
I am God, **your** God.

8

"I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,  
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.

9

"I shall take no young bull out of your house  
Nor male goats out of your folds.

10

"For every beast of the forest is Mine,  
The cattle on a thousand hills.

11

"I know every bird of the mountains,  
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.

12

"If I were hungry I would not tell you,  
For the world is Mine, and all it contains.

13

"Shall I eat the flesh of bulls  
Or drink the blood of male goats?

14

"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving  
And pay your vows to the Most High;

15

Call upon Me in the day of trouble;  
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."

16

But to the wicked God says, (The wicked of God's people)  
"What right have you to tell of My statutes  
And to take My covenant in your mouth?

17

"For you hate discipline,  
And you cast My words behind you.

18

"When you see a thief, you are pleased with him,  
And you associate with adulterers.

19

"You let your mouth loose in evil  
And your tongue frames deceit.

20

"You sit and speak against your brother;  
You slander your own mother's son.

21

"These things you have done and I kept silence;  
You thought that I was just like you;  
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.

22

"Now consider this, you who forget God,  
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.

23

"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;  
And to him who orders his way aright  
I shall show the salvation of God."

God is judging _His_ people. In Psalm 49, He was telling the _world_ that they had no hope of enduring beyond death and to " _cease trying forever_ ". In Psalm 50, He is telling **_His people_** that they _"hate discipline, And cast My words behind you_ ". There were those of His people that were "lawless" and although saved from death through His covenant, were now subject to His judgment.

_"Now consider this, you who forget God, Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver". _ He did _not_ say, "I will take your eternal life away." __

Remember Matthew 24:51 when the king judged _his_ "evil slave" he said, "(The master of that slave) said he _" will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will weeping and gnashing of teeth."_. He did not kill that slave. He put him in HELL.

#### Chapter 14

(Table of Contents)

## Once Saved Always Saved?

**_Yes_** , we are saved from the curse of **_death_** that was caused by the fall of Adam-forever. We are "made alive" **_forever_** having been given **_eternal_** life from Christ... **_However_** , we are not saved from God's judgment if we receive mercy through the covenant, receive eternal life, and then continue to willfully disobey Him.

In the following text from Hebrews chapter 10, God says,

"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM  
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:  
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,  
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,"

_He then says,_

17"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS   
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."

18Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.

(It appears that once we enter into this covenant with God that He will not take into account our "sins and lawless deeds". The immediately-following scripture defines the means that Jesus provided by His blood, a "new and _living_ way".)

19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

(It is true that once we are "saved" from our sins by the blood of Christ, God "remembers them no more". We have eternal life having been redeemed from the curse of the law that came upon us through Adam. _HOWEVER_...)

26For if we go on sinning willfully **_after receiving_** the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for **_sins_** , 27but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries

28Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29How much **_severer punishment_** do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he **_was_** sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

30For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge **_His_** people."

31It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Take a look at what is being said...

26For if we go on sinning willfully _after receiving_ the knowledge of the truth – Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life", therefore it is saying, Once we have received Jesus Christ as our sacrifice and go on sinning _willfully_ , there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. If we have received forgiveness for our sins having accepted Jesus as our propitiation, yet go on without repenting and continue to sin willfully, we will face the terrifying judgment of God. HELL.

28Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Under Abraham's covenant, once you were saved from your sins, you were obligated to obey the Law of Moses or face judgment without mercy for disobedience.

29How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean **_the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified_**, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? He **_was_** sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ, he _was_ "born again", he _has_ received eternal life having been born of the Spirit of God. He has received "the Spirit of grace" who comes "to convict us of sin, judgment and righteousness" and who gives us the power to repent of sin, and he insults the Spirit of grace by ignoring Him. Then...

30For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." And again, **" The Lord will judge His people.**" 31It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. God then judges **_His_** people based on their obedience to the Spirit of grace. Not those lost outside the covenant, not those who never accepted the gospel, but _HIS PEOPLE_... "His people" means **_HIS PEOPLE!_**

Scripture continues:

32But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. 34For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. 35Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

37 FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE,  
HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.

38BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;  
AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.

39But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. "Destruction" in this case is referring to the loss of heaven as Jesus describes the two paths, specifically, the "wide path that leads to destruction". Only those who have entered into a **covenant** with God are on a "path". Those who have not, have no path and no hope.

#### Chapter 15

(Table of Contents)

## The Inheritance of the Kingdom

The "path"that leads to life is not earning the kingdom inheritance by "works". It is the natural outflow of a life that responds to the magnificent gift of **_eternal_** **_life_** by seeking the kingdom as the most precious inheritance to be sought after. It has been bought for us by the most costly price ever paid; the blood of the Son of God. It requires the exchange of _everything_ , "to buy that field."

44"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and **_sells all that he has and buys that field_**.(Matthew 13:44)

Is this scripture saying that the kingdom of heaven for sale? And that we can purchase it in exchange for all we have? No. If that were true, then it is not the "free gift" bought by the blood of Christ. Why then does Jesus express the kingdom in such a way?

In order to follow Christ into the kingdom that He has bought for us, we will have to shed everything that will keep us from following Him; those things that are linked to our heart above our love for Him. **_Everyone_** has these "idols". Everyone must "sell all that he has" as he is confronted with the choices daily to follow Christ. It is far more than material wealth. It consists of our reputations, hopes, ambitions, relationships, and our expectations of what our life should be as He directs our path.

To the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, Jesus said:

21Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24"Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

25When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Why did the disciples ask, "Then who can be saved?" They were not rich, yet they recognized that "all" would be impossible for everyone and asked, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus confirmed their concern saying, "With people this is impossible..."

#### Chapter 16

(Table of Contents)

## Abraham and the Covenant

1Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him,  
"I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.

2"I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly."

3Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,

4"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,  
and _you will be the father of a multitude of nations._

5"No longer shall your name be called Abram,  
But your name shall be Abraham;  
For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

6"I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.

7"I will establish My **covenant** between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an **everlasting covenant** , to be God to you and to your descendants after you

God has promised Abraham that he would be the _"father of many nations"_. At the time when God made that promise, there were already many nations in the world that Abraham was not the "father" of. God's promise to Abraham would be through his descendents, those who were his descendents through the **covenant**. These nations would be geographically defined as was Israel, but only those believers within these geographical nations who were also Abraham's blood-line descendents, as well as those who were grafted in by the covenant through Jesus, would be God's people. Just as there was a geographical Israel with covenant believers and unbelievers within it, there will also be many other geographical nations with believers in Christ in them.

The next picture is illustrated by Jesus. He is showing us what will take place at judgment. Our misunderstanding of a statement He makes is a major reason why we have believed that judgment is for everyone who has ever lived as opposed to only those who have entered into a covenant relationship and gained **_eternal_** life. Because Jesus used the words "all the nations", we have thought He meant everyone within those nations including all those who never received salvation.

#### Chapter 17

(Table of Contents)

## The Judgment

### Matthew 25:31-46

31"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32"All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

_"All the nations will be gathered before Him."_ These are all the nations that God has promised Abraham. They are _"gathered"_. Their geography is not gathered; the people that are Abraham's descendents who received the **_covenant promise_** within these geographical nations are gathered.

and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

Jesus is compared to a Shepherd who separates _His_ sheep from _His_ goats. There are no dogs, no wolves, no serpents just the Shepherd's own sheep and goats.

Jesus then begins to judge His flock of sheep and goats...

34"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

38'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

39'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

40"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

41"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'

44"Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'

45"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

46"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

To His sheep Jesus says, ", 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

To His goats He says, "'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

What will be the basis on which we will be judged? The Lord has an expectation that we will practice love through service. If we fail to show that we are His sheep by practicing love, He will send us off to HELL.

Notice that the "goats" also called Him "Lord", "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'   
(Matthew 7:21-22)

Notice that there are no judgments regarding sin. Although those who have sinned are present, the penalty is not imputed because Jesus has taken away the sins of those who believed in Him. Those who continued to willfully sin after they received forgiveness were lawless and are told,

"Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness"

Where do they go? HELL. 46"These will go away into **_eternal_** punishment, but the righteous into **_eternal_** life." Eternal beings go to one of the eternal dwelling places. Salvation from death is never reversed. Eternal life is the free gift and never taken back. If it were to be taken back, it would not be "eternal" by its own definition of being **" _ever-lasting"_ ,** lasting forever.

If everyone whoever lives either goes to heaven eternally or spends eternity in Hell, then everyone has ever-lasting life. If that is the case, what is it that Jesus gives when we acknowledge that He is the only giver of life that lasts forever?

#### Chapter 18

(Table of Contents)

## Stumbling Blocks

### Matthew 18

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

2And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,

3and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are **converted** and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

4"Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5"And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;

6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Jesus is speaking specifically about the kingdom of heaven not about believing in Him to gain eternal life. In verse 6 He says, "whoever causes one of these little ones _who believe in Me_ to stumble..." He is saying that anyone who causes a young _believer_ to stumble through an offense, in their walk toward the kingdom of heaven,  "it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

In verse 3 Jesus says, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Becoming "converted and becoming like children" is not required to being "born again into the Spirit of God" and obtaining eternal life. It is, however, required to _"enter the kingdom of God"._ If I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior for my sins and become born again through faith that He died for my salvation, Jesus said I have eternal life. If after receiving the "gift" of salvation, I fail to become like a child, remain haughty and trust in my own wisdom to live my own way, I will not "enter the kingdom of God". I will face the final judgment and be sent to "outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth". HELL.

7"Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

8"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.

9"If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

The dead don't stumble because the dead cannot walk. Only those who are alive in Christ can "walk in love". You must be alive to God before you can "walk before Him blamelessly". To "stumble" implies that there is a "walk". Scripture states that our life in Christ is a "walk". Christ is the "Way".

8"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.

Must I, before I ask Christ into my life, cut off my hand or foot or eye to receive forgiveness unto salvation? No, I must come as I am, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. From that point of being alive, I must walk and not stumble on the "straight path", through the "narrow gate" into the kingdom of heaven.

If my hand, or foot, or eye, causes me to stumble so as to fail to enter the kingdom of heaven, the alternative is not to perish like the beasts but to  "be cast into the eternal fire" and "be cast into the fiery hell." It is far better to be ruthless with the flesh in terms of repenting of sin and walking without stumbling rather than continuing to willfully sin after receiving Christ and burn in hell forever. In order to live "eternally" in hell, you must have "eternal" life, life and conciousness.

#### Chapter 19

(Table of Contents)

## Strive to Enter?

### Luke 13 22:30

22And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.

23And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" And He said to them,

24"Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

25"Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.'

26"Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets';

27and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.'

28"In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

**_Strive_** to enter? If salvation is by grace through faith in the Son of God, where is the striving? God commands us to cease striving forever to achieve salvation;

8

For the redemption of his soul is costly,  
And he should cease **_trying_** forever—

9

That he should live on eternally,  
That he should not undergo decay. Psalm 49:8-9

What could Jesus mean?

24"Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Many will receive salvation through faith in Christ. They will enter into covenant relationship and, as a result of having been bought back by the King, they will be under covenant _obligation_.

Jesus said, _"A new commandment I give to you; that you love one another"_ What happens when we are the King's possession and continually disobey Him? Does He take back what Jesus gave us; eternal life? No, that is irrevocable. Something far worse befalls us...

25"Once the head of the house (Jesus) gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside (outside the Kingdom) and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' Those standing outside called Him "Lord".

26"Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; They will begin to tell Him that they acknowledged Him in life.

27and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.' He will deny that they had a relationship with Him and, as a consequence, deny them entrance into the Kingdom of heaven.

They are alive in eternity. Therefore they must have eternal life. They are conscious and seeking to enter to be where the Lord is. It is too late; they had their opportunity but failed to obey and abide in Him.

27and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.'

If you receive eternal life from Christ, nothing can take that away...ever...forever. What becomes of those who fail to strive to enter the kingdom of heaven?

28"In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

Since they are now eternal in nature, they must go to the place where those who are eternal in nature and, having rebelled against God, go...HELL. Hell has been prepared for the devil and all his angles who are eternal beings. God does not put eternal beings to death. Eternal beings live eternally. If death could end eternal life, they would not be eternal. They would be _mortal_.

12but **the sons of the kingdom **will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 8:12

It is the **_sons of the kingdom_** being thrown into hell, not unbelievers and the world. To be a _son_ , I must be bought by Christ's blood.

#### Chapter 20

(Table of Contents)

## Parable of Ten Virgins

### Matthew 25:1-13

1"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2"Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.

3"For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

4but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

5"Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.

6"But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

7"Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

8"The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

9"But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'

10"And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.

11"Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'

12"But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'

13"Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Let's examine the relationships of the characters and the setting:

1"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

This parable is a picture of the kingdom of heaven. Notice that there are ten virgins, not five virgins and five harlots, but ten virgins. The virgins are betrothed to the bridegroom and are awaiting his coming. They are all alike in every respect in terms of their _formal_ relationship to the bridegroom. Jesus is the bridegroom. The virgins, all ten, are in a formal relationship with Jesus through salvation.

2"Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.

3"For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

4but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

Here lies the only distinction between the virgins. Five are prudent and five are foolish. The five foolish took no oil with them when they went out to meet the bridegroom. The five prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

Notice in verse 1 that they all _took their lamps and went out_ to meet the bridegroom. They all received salvation and began to go to him in anticipation of his coming for them according to his promise of engagement.

5"Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.

6"But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

7"Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

8"The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

While the bridegroom was delaying relates to the delaying of Christ's return. They began to sleep indicates that they may also have died in the "natural" realm (The dead in Christ who rise first). Jesus, referring to Lazarus's death said "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." 12The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." (Luke 11:13)

As Jesus was going to go to Lazarus to " _awaken him out of sleep"_ , so will He return to claim His bride and awaken her out of her sleep.

6"But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

The shout at midnight is the "Great trumpet" and the voice of the angels proclaiming the coming of the Lord and the gathering of those for whom He died.

30And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

31"And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31)

This is the resurrection of those who are "in Christ".

7"Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. For the first time, they trimmed (lighted) their lamps. Prior to this they merely took the lamps with them to go out to meet the bridegroom. They were now living on the "measure of faith" that has been given to them at their salvation from death and their **_cultivated_** faith; their "talent" as described in Matthew 25:14-30.

8"The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

9"But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'

The prudent virgins understood how they had saved oil. It was through cultivating a relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit while going through the trials, tribulation and servant hood during their lives. This "trying" of their faith multiplied their oil, increased their fruit and filled their flasks with the Holy Spirit relationship and overcoming power.

The only advice of the prudent to the foolish virgins was to go _"to the dealers and buy some for yourselves"_. It was, of course, too late.

10"And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and _those who were ready_ went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.

11"Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'

12"But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'

13"Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

There are those Christians who are actively working out their salvation and relationship with Christ and will "be ready" when He suddenly returns. There are those Christians who have engaged the Bridegroom's covenant/marriage contract and, upon His return, they will bang on the door, having been resurrected, but He will not acknowledge them so that they may enter into the kingdom.

21"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven _will enter_.

22"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

23"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'(Matthew 7:21-22)

There will be those who actually prophesy, cast out demons and perform many miracles that will be cast away. Jesus did not say that these "many", who called Him Lord, did _not_ prophesy, cast out demons and perform many miracles. He said that He didn't _know_ them. If they had _known_ Him, and He had _known_ them, they would have repented.

He who **_does_** the will of My Father who is in heaven **_will enter_**.

How do we know that these are Christians who call Him Lord and perform these works and not unbelievers and the unsaved?

26"If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?

27"If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. Their sons will be their judges because they are casting out Satan by the power of God.

28"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29"Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

Jesus is saying that there are two kingdoms; God's and Satan's. If you are able to cast out demons, you have done it by the Spirit of God. The only way to gain access to the power of the kingdom is through Spirit of God through the covenant of Jesus. Otherwise, you are not a son of God but a son of the devil. Being a son of the devil, you would not be able to cast out Satan since Satan cannot cast out Satan.

#### Chapter 21

(Table of Contents)

## The Two Foundations

### Matthew 7:24-27

24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

26"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall."

Jesus said many times, "Let he that has ears, let him hear." There are those who do not hear. In the above parable, He is speaking to those who _do_ hear; in the case of the "wise man" _and_ the case of the "foolish man". One heard and acted wisely and the other heard and acted foolishly. There are consequences to hearing and not acting wisely on what we have heard.

22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;

24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:23-25)

#### Chapter 22

(Table of Contents)

## Cost of Discipleship

### Luke 9:18-26

23And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

24"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

25"For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?

26"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

It has been said that there is a difference between being "saved" and being a "disciple". It is supposed that you can receive salvation and not follow after Christ in the self-denial and sufferings of a disciple, yet still enter the kingdom of heaven. This understanding is a stumbling block that will prevent many, who were entering the kingdom, to fall short.

"If anyone wishes to come after Me..." If we want to end up in the kingdom of heaven with Jesus, we had better follow his instruction "...he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

When you obey Jesus and follow Him, you will come into conflict with the world. You will have to make many choices for His way or the world's way. It is easy to choose the world's way and it is a crucifying experience to choose the Lord's way. But if you want to gain your life in the kingdom, you have to sacrifice your life here and deliberately choose.

26"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

If we don't want to hear Him say, "I never knew you", we had better be unashamed of Him and His words before the world as we live out our lives before Him.

He said to count the cost. You will not enter the kingdom of heaven half-heartedly. You can receive the forgiveness of your sins through believing in Jesus in a single moment of repentance and in that moment gain eternal life. From that point forward, you must recognize the cost of going all the way into the kingdom. It costs _everything_.

#### Chapter 23

(Table of Contents)

## Discipleship Tested

### Luke 14:25-35

25Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,

26"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

27"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

28"For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

29"Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,

30saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'

31"Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32"Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

34"Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

35"It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus is not equating the cost of earning salvation. He is saying that we should not start out toward the kingdom, beginning with salvation, and not count the cost to our lives. The cost is death to our present life, looking forward to the life to come regardless. If we calculate that we can't bear the cost of the road He's chosen, we'd better make peace with the world. Otherwise, we'll be "thrown out". He who has ears to hear...

#### Chapter 24

(Table of Contents)

## The Kingdom of Heaven is Like...

### A Costly Pearl

45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,

46and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

This "merchant" recognized the value of the "pearl" (kingdom of heaven) and sold all he had to possess it. It cannot be the purchase of salvation because we cannot "buy" salvation (eternal life). It is a free gift. It does however cost everything to go all the way into the kingdom of heaven.

### A Dragnet

47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;

48and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.

49"So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous,

50and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In order to be in this event at the end of the age, we will have to be resurrected to life. This resurrection is into eternal life. The "good fish" go in to the kingdom of heaven and the "bad fish"... will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth... Get thrown into Hell; an eternal place, for those with eternal life, who are wicked.

### Hidden Treasure

44"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

This man saw the value of the treasure and acted accordingly.

#### Chapter 25

(Table of Contents)

## The Rich Young Ruler

17As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

18And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

19"You know the commandments, 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"

20And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up."

21Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." The cost of entrance to the kingdom.

22But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

23And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!"

24The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

25"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26They were even more astonished and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?"

27Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

The rich young ruler asked how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus stated the requirements of the law. The ruler stated that he had kept the law from his youth. Jesus felt a love for him since he had fulfilled the requirements of the law and acted on the covenant. His actions brought him into relationship with the Lord and the Lord felt love toward him. Not wanting to leave him short of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus gave him instruction on how to not only inherit eternal life, but how to enter the kingdom of heaven. Having heard that there was a further cost, and being pulled by his personal wealth, he realized that he was unwilling to go all the way. He was unwilling to deny himself, pick up his cross and to follow Jesus.

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! Jesus is speaking to the "children" of God. It is not hard to enter into covenant relationship with God. Believe in Christ; accept His sacrifice for your sins and punishment in your place and you have received eternal life. It's as simple as going to an altar call at an evangelistic meeting or saying the "sinners prayer". What is hard is the cost of going all the way into the kingdom of God without stumbling over the "cares and worries of the world, the deceitfulness of riches or the pride of life".

SALVATION ISN'T HARD! Jesus did it _all_ for us. He said, "It is finished." He bought our eternal life with the price of His blood. If we believe this we _have_ eternal life.

ENTERING INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS A STRUGGLE! The flesh wars against the Spirit and the Spirit wars against the flesh.

#### Chapter 26

(Table of Contents)

## Jesus Is the Vine

### John 15:1-6

1"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

2"Every branch **in Me** that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

3"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

What does " _clean_ " have to do with it? Jesus wanted to make sure they understood that He was not talking about salvation; they had received it, but rather _fruit bearing_.

4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

6"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned

Jesus is the vine. The Father is the vine dresser. Those who have believed in Jesus, have become united to His life; eternal life. Jesus says, "Every branch in Me" _In Me! In Me! In Me!_ In order to be a branch attached to Christ, with His life flowing through yours as a vine's life flows through a branch, you must be one with Him spiritually; you must be **_born into the spirit_**.

In the natural, the branches of a vine are the same nature and fabric as the vine itself. They are _one_. For a branch to be _of_ the vine, it must be _part_ of the vine. Jesus meant for us to understand that He was talking about this oneness of union between the branches and Himself.

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He (The Father)  takes away" The Father cuts off from Jesus those who do not bear fruit. There is a divine expectation that once we are joined to Christ and are receiving our life from Him, that we should produce fruit as the normal process of that union. Just as the vinedresser expects to find fruit from his vine, so the Lord expects to find fruit in us. The point is, that if we are born into this covenant relationship, we can be cut off if we fail to produce what God expects us to produce.

6"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned."

Once again, a believer was born into Jesus, failed to grow, and was cast into HELL.

#### Chapter 27

(Table of Contents)

## The Fruitless Fig Tree

6And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.

7"And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?'

8"And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

The man _owned_ the fig tree. It was planted in _his_ vineyard. He came looking for fruit, with the reasonable expectation of finding it. He said to the vinedresser (who represents our intercessor, Jesus), 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' The owner makes a reasonable argument but the vinedresser intercedes and requests one more year of mercy, so that he may put in an extra investment of time, effort and fertilizer. He agrees with the owner that fruit bearing is, not only the object of the effort, but the very reason for the tree's existence. After the vinedresser has had time to work with the tree, he himself will be satisfied that if it does not bear fruit, it should be cut down.

The fig tree represents the _believer_ in Christ. If it were not a believer, how could the Lord expect to find the fruit of the spirit? Only those who have been born in the spirit can produce the fruit of the spirit.

4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither _can_ you unless you abide in Me.

5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

If we are born in the spirit and then fail to produce the fruit of the spirit, he'll do what is reasonable, and that is to "Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?"

#### Chapter 28

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## Tares Among Wheat

### Matthew 13:24-30

24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25"But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.

26"But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.

27"The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'

28"And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'

29"But he said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.

30'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

### The Tares Explained

36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."

37And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one _;_

39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

40"So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

41"The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

42and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43"Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Examine the following:

38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

Who are the _"sons of the evil one"_? One may think that these are the unsaved, but they are not. They are those who have entered into covenant relationship with the Lord and have become "stumbling blocks and commit lawlessness".

"The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather _out of His kingdom_ all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, Jesus said, "My kingdom is _not_ of this world." (John 18:36) If the angels are gathering _"out of His kingdom"_ , He must be talking about the judgment of those resurrected through the covenant, present in His kingdom at that time.

This is the end of the age, the judgment. Jesus will send forth His angels to gather _out of his kingdom..._ How did they get into His kingdom? The only way you can; through the blood covenant.

13"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in...

15"...Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a _son of hell_ as yourselves.

These were covenant Jews. They were scribes and Pharisees. Jesus said that they do not enter into the _kingdom of heaven_ themselves but they become stumbling blocks. If they manage to make a proselyte, someone who becomes like them; a covenant Jew after their traditions, that proselyte would become twice as much a "son of hell" as them.

7"Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

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## Children or Dogs?

**Matthew 15:21-28**

21Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.

22And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed."

23But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us."

This was a desperate woman, crying out to Jesus for mercy, calling Him "Lord", recognizing His authority over the demonic, beseeching him to deliver her daughter. What was His response? _"_ _He did not answer her a word. "_ Why not? He explains...

24But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Jesus came to those who were in **_covenant relationship_** with God; _"the house of Israel"._

25But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

26And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

Not only does He refuse to help her at this point, but it appears that He insults her, referring to her, and her kind, as "dogs". Jesus was being truthful. In God's sight, only those who were in **_covenant relationship_** with Him were His "children", the seed of Abraham, and everyone else were not children, comparable to "dogs", and not worthy of the "bread" that was intended for the children.

27But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

28Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once.

The woman accepted His characterization of her relationship to Him (no covenant) and persuaded Him on _**that**_ basis, a master and His dog. Jesus responds to those who act in faith to the Word of God; "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal" (Proverbs 12:10). The covenant to the Gentiles would come later. The point is that dogs do not enter the kingdom of heaven or go to Hell. They simply perish.

#### Chapter 30

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## Parable of Two Sons

**Matthew 21:28:32**

28"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'

29"And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.

30"The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go.

31"Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.

32"For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Jesus was speaking to the chief priests and elders of the people, covenant Jews. The parable is about two _sons_ and their obedience to their father's will and command. The fact that they were both _sons_ and not one son and one worker, neighbor or other non-related person indicates that there is a blood relationship and an expectation of obedience by the authority of the father.

Jesus said to the chief priests, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the _kingdom_ _of God_ before you." . Jesus was comparing the one son who said, _"I will"_ but didn't go, to the chief priests and the son who said, _"I will not"_ but later went, to the tax collectors and prostitutes. Since, in the parable, they were both _sons_ , then the chief priests, tax collectors and prostitutes were all covenant Jews. The tax collectors and prostitutes repented. The chief priests did not.

Therefore, since both have eternal life through the covenant, the repentant tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God and the unrepentant chief priests will be cast into Hell at the judgment. Notice there is no mention of eternal life being at stake, rather the **_entrance_** to the kingdom of God.

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## Parable of the Wedding Feast

**Matthew 22:1-14**

1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

3"And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.

4"Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."'

5"But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business,

6and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.

7"But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.

8"Then he said* to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

9'Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.'

10"Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

11"But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,

12and he said* to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless.

13"Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

14"For many are called, but few are chosen."

The wedding hall (the "third" heaven) was filled with guests _"both good and evil"._ The king did not distinguish between the good and evil guests but he did single out the guest who was not clothed in "wedding clothes". In Christ, we are saved from our sins and are "clothed" in His righteousness.

For all of us have become like one who is unclean,   
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; (Isaiah 64:6)

Since that guest was present at the wedding, that meant he accepted the invitation. He entered into the covenant and the king had an expectation that he would have been clothed as though he had respect for the king and his son's wedding.

13"Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The king didn't send the guest back to where he came from. God will not send someone who receives His son's sacrifice, who then fails to clothe himself in righteousness (repentance and fruit bearing), back to the place where those who did not come to the kingdom are. He now has eternal life once he has received the sacrifice of Jesus. God will 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' He will send him to HELL.

Here's the sobering part:

14"For many are called, but few are chosen."

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## "Those Who Wash Their Robes"

**Revelation 22**

11"Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy."

12"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.

13"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

14Blessed are those who wash their robes, **_so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city._**

We have a responsibility and a requirement to "wash our robes". This scripture associates the "washing" with practicing righteousness. As in the previous chapter, The Parable of the Wedding Feast, the "guest" failed to carry out the requirements of having been invited to the wedding. He forfeited his reward of "the right to the tree of life and "entry by the gates into the city", the kingdom of heaven.

As stated in Chapter 2, after Adam ate the forbidden fruit, the Lord pronounced judgment on him...

22Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, **_and live forever"_** (Genesis 2:24)

Adam's judgment was death. He was a mortal being that since he had sinned, was cut off from the presence of God. He would now age and finally return to the dust from which he came. Had he "stretched out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat," he would "live forever". This illustrates that although we were born "dead", cut off from God, we have an opportunity while in the flesh to gain **_eternal_** life by accepting the sacrifice of Christ (The Tree of Life). In addition, we have an opportunity to "to enter by the gates of the city".

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## The Serpent in the Wilderness

**Numbers 21:1-9**

4Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey.

5The people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food."

6The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

7So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people.

8Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live."

9And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

The people of God had been delivered from Egypt. They had participated in the Passover; the ceremony of entering into a blood covenant with God for the forgiveness of sin. They passed through the water of baptism; going down into the Red Sea and coming up on the other side. Egypt (representing the world) was destroyed in the attempt to pass through the water. Were the people of God immediately in the Promised Land after having been saved by the blood of the Lamb and baptized, having gone through the water to the other side? No, there was a wilderness journey and they became impatient and began to grumble.

The people of God were to endure hardship and go in to possess the Promised Land through battle. The Lord had already given them the victory but, they still had a journey ahead and a fight to fight.

**John 3:14-18**

14"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

17"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

18"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Once we are saved from the judgment that is upon the world from Adam by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord, we have been delivered from the bondage of that curse. Just as the Hebrews were delivered from the bondage of Egypt through the blood covenant, so we, in Christ, are saved from the bondage of that curse through the blood of the Lamb of God.

Jesus said, 14"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

After we are saved and born into the spirit, we will sin at times. We will be bitten by the "serpents". We will need to look upon the Lord who has been lifted up. We have escaped the curse and bondage of Adam's sin, but we are still subject to the consequences of our _ongoing_ sin. We have Jesus as our intercessor.

9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

What happened to the people of God who did not look upon the bronze serpent when they were bitten? They died in the wilderness. They were children of Abraham, delivered by the blood of the lamb, escaped the curse on Egypt, but lost faith and failed to persevere under trial toward the Promised Land. They were not sent back to Egypt. They were cut off from the rest of God's people _short_ of the Promised Land.

As believers _in Christ_ , we have been given eternal life "...that whoever believes will in Him _have_ eternal life." This is _not_ _conditional_. Whoever believes WILL IN HIM HAVE eternal life. However, all who have believed for salvation and do not run the race with endurance, finish the course, fight the good fight, lay hold of the promises...Will not enter the "Promised Land"...THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

**"In Christ"**

There is no more important position, attainment or goal in life than to be "in Christ". To be "in Christ" is to have eternal life and to be where He is. If I am born again, I have been bought by the blood of Jesus. I am His by possession. The question remains; will I follow Him? Will I obey Him? If I do, what will I gain? If I do not, what will become of me?

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## The Goal of Life

**Philippians 3**

7But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I _may_ gain Christ,

9and _may_ be found _in Him_ , not having a righteousness of my own derived from _the_ Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which _comes_ from God on the basis of faith,

10that I _may_ know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11in order that I _may_ attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 _Not that I have already _obtained it _or have already_ become perfect, but I press on so that I _may_ lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

13Brethren, _I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet_ ; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

14I press on _toward the goal for the prize_ of the upward call of God _in Christ_ Jesus.

Is the Apostle Paul saying that he has not yet laid hold of _salvation_? In verse 9 he says,

9and _may_ be found _in Him_ , not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that

which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Since Paul is sighting that the righteousness comes "through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith." He is not talking about pressing on toward the "goal for the prize" of salvation. 12 _Not that I have already_ obtained it _or have already_ become perfect, but I press on so that I _may_ lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. We were laid hold of by Christ to share His holiness, to be clothed in his righteousness, and to be seated with him to live and reign in His kingdom. To press on to obtain the promises that are "in Christ".

If we press on, we gain the promise of the kingdom of heaven. If we fall short, get side tracked, fall by the wayside, or whatever else, we will not "lay hold of that for which we were laid hold of". We will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

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## Deliverance from Bondage

**Romans 8**

1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

It's simple. If you are "in Christ" the Spirit of God, His eternal Spirit, is in you. If you are not "in Christ" you are dead with no hope of being raised from the dead to heaven _or_ hell.

10If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

It is only when Christ is in you that your **_spirit_** is alive. In order to receive His Spirit, you must receive Christ as your Savior.

11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

If your mortal body does not have "His Spirit who dwells in you" to raise from the dead, you will not be raised from the dead. Paul the Apostle would not have made a distinction between those who are "in Christ" and have His Spirit and those who are _not_ "in Christ" and do not have his Spirit if both were raised from the dead regardless. Only those who are "in Christ" will be raised from the dead. Those who are raised from the dead are the only ones present at the final judgment deciding between eternity in the kingdom of heaven or eternity in HELL.

12So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; (the second death at judgment; HELL) but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Paul is still speaking to those in whom the Spirit of God dwells and telling them that they will be judged if they do not "put to death the deeds of the body" If he were talking about salvation, it would be a salvation by "works".

14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

God will determine who His "sons" are by whether or not they are being led by the Spirit of God. They will be determined by how they set their minds on the "things of the Spirit" and "put to death the deeds of their bodies".

All of this _striving_ can only take place after the Spirit dwells in you through Christ.

6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, _for it is not even able to do so_ , 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

There is no way to begin the process of becoming sons and being led by the Spirit until the Spirit is in us through Christ's salvation. " _for it is not even able to do so"._ Believers are in this struggle to set their mind and be led by the Spirit or set their mind on the flesh. What hope would an unbeliever have in whom the Spirit does not dwell? No hope.

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## Our Victory in Christ

**Romans 8:26-37**

26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36Just as it is written,

"For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;  
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing can undo what Christ has done for those who have received Him. He has given us eternal life. Nothing can come between God's love for us who are in Christ. His Spirit has given us the power to do His will and has given us the victory over the flesh, the devil and the world just as He gave the Promised Land to the Hebrews. However, we have free will to be led by the Spirit of God _or_ set our minds on the flesh. We must go and take it by the force of our will with the power He has given us to do so. What we choose will determine our destiny; a destiny of eternity in the kingdom of heaven or a destiny of eternity in HELL.

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## The Peril of Unbelief

**Hebrews 3**

7Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

8DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME,

AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,

9WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED _ME_ BY TESTING _ME_ ,

AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.

10"THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION,

AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART,

AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS';

11As I SWORE IN MY WRATH,

'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'"

12Take care, _brethren_ , that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

Paul is talking to " _brethren_ ". In order to " _fall away from the living God_ " one must be _near_ the living God. 6Jesus said* to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6). **** These are _believers_ that **** may fall away through unbelief.

13But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, 15while it is said,

"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,  
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."

16For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

It is not salvation Paul is speaking about since he clearly is speaking to believers. He is speaking about entering into "God's rest" and that unbelief would keep them out. We will not enter the kingdom of heaven if we harden our hearts and provoke Him after he has given us so much with which to accomplish His will.

**Hebrews 4**

1Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.

2For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

3For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

"AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,  
THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,"

...6Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,

"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,  
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

8For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

9So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

10For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

11Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

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## The Peril of Falling Away

**Hebrews 6**

1Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3And this we will do, if God permits.

4For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

Clearly these who are being described received Christ or they would not have "been enlightened", "tasted of the heavenly gift", "made **_partakers_** of the Holy Spirit", tasted the good word of God **_and the powers_** of the age to come" if they were not **_born_** into the Spirit of God.

6and **_then_** have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they **_again_** crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

After receiving God's gifts, empowerment and the Holy Spirit Himself and then they fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance because they have committed the unpardonable sin.

7For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;

8but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

6"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." (John 15:6)

They have received Christ, obtained eternal life and no longer follow Him. Do they die? No, they cannot die because they are now eternal in nature. They burn in HELL forever.

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## Pass from Death to Life

**John 5:24-29**

24"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Jesus said, "he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, _has_ eternal life" Notice he " _has_ " eternal life. There are no requirements other than to "hear" and "believe". There is no _striving_ to enter, _fighting_ the good fight, _enduring_ to the end, etc. If that were the case, salvation would be by "works".

Jesus goes on to say, "and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." It is absolutely certain that there is a final judgment and that believers will be present. At that judgment, Jesus will judge us "according to our deeds".

25"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and _those who hear_ will live.

26"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;

27and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

28"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

29and will come forth; those who did the good **_deeds_** to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil **_deeds_** to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:26-29)

The "death" that Jesus is saying we'll "pass out of" is the death as a result of the curse we inherited from Adam. If we believe that Jesus Christ died in our place, we _have_ eternal life. He _has_ redeemed us. He did not, however, take away our _free will_ to follow Him or not to follow Him. At the final judgment, if we have followed Him, demonstrated by our "good deeds", we will receive "a resurrection of life". If we demonstrate by our "evil deeds" that we have not followed and obeyed Him, we will receive "a resurrection of judgment", HELL.

In these six consecutive verses there is a contradiction in the words of Christ if we believe that we have salvation from "final judgment" by believing in Christ.

Jesus says,

24"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and _does not come into judgment_ , but has passed out of death into life. (Salvation from the judgment of "death" by faith in Christ)

Five verses later He says,

29and will come forth; _those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life_ , those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (Salvation by deeds?)

Here is the truth of these versus:

  * Jesus died for all who are under the judgment of death that came to the world through Adam. Everyone who was ever born since Adam is going to perish as a result of that judgment.

  * If I believe in Christ, I will be saved from the judgment of "death" that fell to all from Adam. I will "( _have_ ) eternal life, and not come into judgment (The finality of death), but pass out of death into life."

  * Once I have received Christ and _have_ eternal life, He will, at the _final_ judgment, judge my deeds. He has an expectation that I will know His voice and obey Him and He will judge me according to His expectations. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will obey Me."

34"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

35"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

(John 13:34-35)

If we do _not_ obey Jesus, who gave us eternal life, do we believe that there will be no consequences? If there were no consequences to receiving Him and then disobeying Him, why would He give us commandments? They would be "suggestions" or "recommendations". The final judgment is where the rewards and punishment takes place. It is not like the "first" judgment that we escaped thanks to Jesus, but the judgment of all those who entered into the covenant with God _through Jesus_ and _then_ failed to obey Him.

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## Put On the New Self

**Colossians 3:1-17**

1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, _who is our life_ , is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Two words in these scriptures make it **_conditional_**. " _If_ you have been raised up with Christ"..." _then_ you will also be revealed with Him in glory".

5Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

6For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,

The "wrath of God" does not come upon the lost, but the "sons". The "world" is _already_ dead in trespasses and sins and is _already_ judged according to Jesus in John 3:17-18. The " _sons of disobedience"_ will be the sons who disobey their _Father_ or they would not be "sons" at all. The only way to become a "son" is through Jesus and the life of a "son" He gives us. Remember previously the parable Jesus told regarding two "sons";

28"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'

29"And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.

30"The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. (a son of disobedience)

31"Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. (He is saying that a disobedient _son_ will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.)

5Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

6For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,

7and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

I don't want to be "a son of disobedience" so what must I do? The Apostle Paul continues:

8But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

9Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

10and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—

11a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

The obedient sons will be transformed by their "laying aside the old self" and by "putting on the new self". The evidence of this transformation is the fruit of the Spirit and all of the associated behaviors and "life" we live.

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##  The Multitudes Who Never Heard?

**Romans 10**

13 for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!" (Romans 10)

**_Multitudes_** of people have lived their entire lives and died without ever hearing the "good news". According to this scripture, they had no opportunity to be saved. Since Gentiles had no opportunity to be saved, from the time of Adam to the time of Jesus, **_millions upon millions_** of Gentiles who were born, and then died, had no opportunity to be saved.

According to traditional Christian teaching, all of these millions of people will be raised from the dead, judged for not receiving Christ, and then spend eternity in hell, wreathing in perpetual torment, day and night without rest, without hope of ever being rescued forever, and ever, and ever...

Think about that...

By the un-chosen time and placement of one's birth, not being in a position to hear the gospel, to receive it, or reject it, multitudes of people have been sentenced to eternity in hell. They had no choice in the matter whatsoever, yet we believe that this is a just sentence that a loving God would execute upon the world that He so loves.

In the new **_covenant_** , the greatest commandment according to Jesus is, "Love the Lord with all your heart." With that in mind, we go out to the world and tell them the good news about a loving God. We say, "You are a sinner. In God's new covenant, he commands us to love him with all our heart, and if you don't, you will burn in a fiery hell forever. Would you like to accept his loving invitation?" And I'm sure that we will package the message in the most loving way, but the packaging of the matter doesn't change the facts.

Think about that...

Isn't it more reasonable and consistent with the character and nature of our loving God to offer salvation to those who are perishing under the sentence of **_death_** the opportunity to receive **_eternal life_**? To offer them a "Way" to enter the kingdom of heaven, demonstrating one's love for Him on the Way? Isn't it more like him to want a child born from free will out of death to love Him rather than one who is so coerced and threatened by the thought of hell that they say, " ** _I do!"_**

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not **_perish_** , but have **_eternal_** life."

Man, unlike any creature on the face of the earth, knows that he will die. This knowledge compels him to consider what takes place after death and the possibility that there is an afterlife. Since God has put in every man the knowledge of the existence of God, man has manufactured countless belief systems to achieve a future beyond death.

God so loved mortal man who were born under the curse of death that He gave His Son to become the "Way", that whosoever hears, believes and receives Him will be given eternal life and not **_perish_** like an animal.

Once we have taken Him up on His eternal **_covenant_** and received **_eternal_** life, He has an indescribable **_inheritance_** prepared for us. It was also paid for by His Son. This inheritance, eternity in the Kingdom of His dear Son, has been reserved for us. He says that we must "strive to enter" this kingdom. Our "striving" is not "earning".

Just as the Jews were given salvation from the bondage of Egypt by putting the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, so must those who wish to escape the sentence of death accept the blood of the Lamb, Jesus. Just as the Jews, after leaving Egypt to go to the Promised Land had to cross a wilderness and then fight giants in the land, so Christians must fight the good fight of faith to possess their inheritance.

24 " ** _Strive_** to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. (Luke 13)

If this is a description leading to salvation, then it is salvation by works- " ** _striving_** ".

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has **_a_** ** _nd buys_** that field. (Matt 13:44)

If this is a description leading to salvation, then our possessions are the sale price. We "buy" it.

The kingdom of heaven has been bought for us by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is reserved for us, but we are told that we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him into His kingdom. He tells us it will take effort and cost us everything here, and He will help us in every way. He has overcome the world so we will be without excuse. However, the consequence of failing to exert effort and making the exchange from this life to the kingdom will cost you the inheritance you failed to obtain.

36For you have need of endurance, so that **_when you have done_** the will of God, you **_may receive_** what was promised.

37FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE,  
HE WHO IS COMING WILL  
COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.  
38BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;  
AND **IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM**.

39But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who **_have faith to the preserving of the soul. _**(Hebrews 10)

16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to ** _ inherit the blessing, he was rejected_**, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. (Hebrews 12)

Is it consistent with scripture and God's just nature that He would hold people accountable for a crime they didn't know they were committing and had no opportunity to obey and be saved?

Even in our finite, fallen minds, we know that this is unfair and unjust. However, it is completely just and consistent that if given everything we need to know and accomplish His will, that we would be worthy of hell.

29How much **_severer_** punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he ** _ was sanctified_**, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 12)

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power **_has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness_** , through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them **_you may_** become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11  ** _for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you_**. (2 Peter 1)

The Lord requires something of those who have engaged His covenant through Christ. We have been given everything we need to know, believe and overcome to obtain our purchased inheritance. There are consequences clearly defined and illustrated in the parables for those who neglect so great a salvation.

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## The Rise of False Prophets

**2 Peter 2**

1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 5and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8(for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, 11whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, 14having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; 15forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

17These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. 18For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

The scriptures above are talking about false prophets. They have received Christ as their Savior and "never cease from sin". They are "accursed _children_ ; forsaking the right way." They are "sons of disobedience". They are "those who barely escape from the ones who live in error" (escape from the lost, the unsaved). How did they "barely escape"? They believed in Christ and were saved by grace like everyone else. But...

20For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

21For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.

22It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A dog returns to its own vomit," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."

Let's examine this:

20For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

There is only one way to escape; being born again through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become **_worse_** for them than the first.

Why has the last state become worse for them than the first? Because, before you receive Jesus and are born into the Spirit of God, you simply perish at the end of your life. You do not have **_eternal_** life that only Christ can give. You return to the dust and your consciousness ceases. Once "they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ", They have received **_eternal_** life and will live forever. Then, "they are again entangled in them and are overcome", and the most horrifying thing happens;

These "accursed children" who "never cease from sin" who having forsaken the right way", "for whom the black darkness has been reserved", go there forever.

21For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

41"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

46"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

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## The Bread of Life

**John 6:37-58**

37"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out". (What about those whom the Father does _not_ give Him? They do not come to Him. Those who _do_ come to Him, He "will certainly not cast out, receive Him, and are saved from the judgment on this world. They have eternal life.)

38"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

39"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. (All those whom God has given Jesus will not "be cast out" nor will they be "snatched out of His hand". Jesus will be faithful to deliver us from the death sentence on this world and "raise us up on the last day".

40"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

What happens on the last day? Judgment on the basis of their fruits and deeds of those raised up. "and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:24-29)

41Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven."

42They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven'?"

43Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves.

44"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. (If God doesn't draw you, you don't come to Jesus. If you don't come to Jesus, you will not be raised up on the last day. Therefore, no judgment will take place for those whom the Father does not draw to Christ. They _perish_ under the first judgment that fell on the world through Adam.)

45"It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.

46"Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.

47"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

Once again, salvation, being saved from the judgment on this world comes through believing in Jesus; "He who believes _has_ eternal life". There are no other conditions and eternal life is forever.

Scripture is clear that God draws or does not draw men to Christ. If He draws them to Christ, Christ will not cast them away and raise them up on the last day. If God does not draw them, they do not come to Christ; do not receive his salvation so as to be saved from the judgment on this world.

What you do _not_ see here is that once you come to Christ you automatically _enter the kingdom of heaven_. Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is always spoken of in _conditional_ terms as seen in every parable. Eternal life is never spoken of in conditional terms. If you believe in Christ, you _have_ eternal life.

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## Brood of Vipers

1Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2"Repent, for the _kingdom of heaven_ is at hand." 3For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

"THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,  
'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,  
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'"

4Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Who warned you of the wrath to come? Surely the Pharisees and Sadducees knew that there was a judgment of "death" upon the world because of the sin of Adam. That was the whole reason for the Law and the Passover ceremony of atonement ("Death" would "pass over" them). They knew that if they practiced these ceremonies and kept the Law that they would be saved from their sins and escape the judgment of "death" that is on the world (to those who do not have the covenant promise of salvation through Abraham). John was speaking of " _the wrath to come_ "; the judgment _beyond_ the salvation from their sins.

Why did John ask them " _who warned you to flee from the wrath to come_?" John knew that they could not _see_ it apart from the Holy Spirit _revealing_ it to them.

Jesus, speaking of them said,

13"Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;

YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,

WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,

AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,

OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,

HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,

AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,

AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'

16"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

17"For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and _did not see it_ , and to hear what you hear, and _did not hear it_.  (Matt 13:13-17)

**John continues to instruct the Pharisees and Sadducees:**

8"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

9and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

John was telling them that they should not trust that their relationship to God through the covenant of Abraham alone was enough to escape the final judgment, " _the wrath to come_ ". They had escaped the judgment of "death" on the world through Abraham's covenant. The final judgment would be on the basis of "fruit bearing".

10"The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Bear good fruit or burn in HELL.

11"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

12"His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

When Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Spirit, you are "saved" by grace, have eternal life and will live forever. Once you receive the Holy Spirit you have been enabled to hear Him, understand what He expects and are empowered and obligated to obey Him, _if you love Him_.

Jesus said to His disciples regarding the Holy Spirit,

16"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

17that is the Spirit of truth _, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, _but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

18"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

19"After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.

20"In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

21"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?"

23Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

24"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

25"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.

26"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

27"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

The Spirit of Truth can only be received by those who have received Christ. Jesus said, "I am the Truth". " _the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you._ You can accept His sacrifice for your salvation but reject Him as Lord (Master) over you by not obeying the Holy Spirit He sent to help you to overcome our disobedient nature.

**NEVER FORGET THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOUR FREE WILL.**

Jesus said,

" **If **anyone loves Me, he will keep My word." It's that simple. Will everyone who receives His salvation follow and obey Him? Will everyone who receives His salvation love Him? Obviously, He wouldn't make a conditional statement if it were impossible to receive Him and then _not_ follow Him. He can only be speaking about those who _have_ received Him because He says that, " _the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him"._

12"His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Jesus will thoroughly sift through His people and "thoroughly clear His threshing floor". This process takes place in the life of every believer through the circumstances that they face each day in their life. If they love the Lord, they will hear the Spirit of Truth and obey Him and bear fruit as a result. If they quench the Spirit of Truth, they will be rejecting their "helper" and demonstrating that they do not obey the Lord or love Him. To obey Him proves us to be His wheat. To disobey Him proves us to be chaff. His wheat gets gathered in to His barn (the kingdom of heaven). The chaff gets burned in the "unquenchable fire" (HELL).

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## The Unpardonable Sin

30"He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

31"Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

32"Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in _the age to come_.

Why? The Holy Spirit is deposited in you when you receive Christ. He will give you the understanding of God's ways, the knowledge of which way you should go, the power to obey and follow Him where He leads and everything that you need to bear fruit, demonstrate that you love Him and make it into His kingdom. If you continuously reject Him as you walk through this life, there is no possibility that you can do what pleases Him and enter the kingdom of heaven. Notice how Jesus says, "whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or _in the age to come_." The age to come is the _eternal_ age.

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## "Make the Tree Good"

33"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.

34"You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

35"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

36"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

37"For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Is Jesus saying that _salvation_ will be on the basis of our _words_? No, on the day of judgment, our _justification_ will be accounted. If we are justified by our fruit and love for Him as evidenced by our words and works, we will enter the kingdom of heaven.

If we are His and love Him, we will become more and more like Him in our nature, responses to persecution, tribulation, our fellow man, the things of God, etc. If we are not His and do not love Him, we will remain the same and not grow into the fruit-bearing life that He expects us to live. Therefore we will be condemned.

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit."

This is a command of Jesus to we who are saved by Him. We have the power to obey. Do we have the _will_ and the _love_ to obey Him? If so, we will hear,

'Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.

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## The Blessings of Redemption

**Ephesians 1**

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, _To the saints_ who are at Ephesus and _who are_ _faithful in Christ Jesus_ :

2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the _heavenly places in Christ_ ,

Our Father has blessed us with _every_ spiritual blessing " _in the heavenly places in Christ"_. The "heavenly places" and not the " _kingdom_ of heaven". The "heavenly places _in Christ_ " is our position _in Christ_ which gives us access to God to obtain the spiritual blessings so that we may know Him, walk in the things He would have us walk in and to obtain the power to overcome all that we will face in the world as we strive to enter the kingdom of heaven.

4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 _who is given as a pledge of our inheritance_ , with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

" _In Him_ " they heard of salvation and believed and were " _sealed in Him_ " (They have eternal life. They are _sealed_. It cannot be reversed) " _with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance_ ". The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a " _pledge of our inheritance"_ so that we _may_ know Him, His ways, taste of the things of God and be enlightened to His kind intention that we _may_ choose to follow after Him and possess it, the kingdom of heaven.

15For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, _may give to you_ a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Earlier Paul said they _have_ been given every spiritual blessing in Christ. Now, he is saying that he is praying that God give them the spiritual blessings. "In Christ" we have _access_ to the blessings, through Jesus and, by seeking after them, we _can_ possess them. It is up to us to go after them through _action_.

To the children of Israel He said, 'I have given you this Promised Land, now go in to possess it.' He _had given_ them their promised inheritance. It was still up to them to lay hold of it through _action_.

18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

If we _have_ been given _every_ spiritual blessing in Christ, why is Paul praying that God " _may give to you_ a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him." And "that the eyes of your heart _may be_ enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance"? He _has_ given it to all who are "in Christ". However, not all those _saved_ by Christ from the judgment of "death" on the world from Adam will "have the eyes of their heart enlightened, so that they will know the hope of His calling" and recognize the value of "the riches of the glory of His inheritance"

This "recognition" of the value of the promises and the striving and sacrifice it will take to obtain them is evidenced throughout scripture.

45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,

46and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Once you are "born again" you will be able to _see_ the kingdom of heaven. Like the merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding (recognizing the value of) one pearl of great value, sold all that he had to buy it. Discovering the pearl and taking no action and making no transaction to possess it, would have resulted in a failure to possess what _could have_ been possessed.

Scripture cannot be talking about salvation since that striving to obtain salvation would be "works". You cannot sell all that you have and _buy_ salvation. It is the free gift of God to those who believe in Christ. It specifically states that " _the kingdom of heaven is like_ "... You must sell all that you have in your heart toward this life to obtain it.

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## Made Alive in Christ

**Ephesians 2**

1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly _places_ in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Before accepting salvation through Christ, you were "dead in your trespasses and sins". As believers, God has "made us alive together with Christ". We were created in Christ to walk in "good works". God's purpose of sending His son to save us and adopt us as " _sons_ " was so that we would walk in "the good works that He has prepared beforehand" and demonstrate that we are " _sons_ " that love Him, for who He is, and what He has done for us. And if we don't walk in the good works that He has prepared beforehand? We are " _sons_ " of disobedience, do not bear fruit, do not demonstrate our faith through works and risk being cut off as a fruitless branch _in Christ_ and then are thrown into the fire, HELL.

11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands—

12remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

You (the Gentiles) were at that time separate from Christ (not born into the Spirit of God), excluded from the commonwealth of Israel (God's covenant people), and strangers to the covenants of promise (having no covenant access to God), having no hope (no covenant, no hope) and without God in the world. When you do not have Christ, you have nothing beyond this natural life, no hope of ever gaining access to God in any way. No heaven, no hell, no contact, you perish and have no hope of resurrection to life beyond the grave. All life beyond the grave lives _in Christ_ or it does not live at all.

Jesus said, ""I _am_ the _resurrection_ and the _ life_; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus IS the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. There is no _resurrection_ apart from Jesus. There is no _life_ apart from Jesus beyond this life. To be resurrected from the dead, you must be "made alive in Christ" or you will not be made alive at all.

13But now _in Christ Jesus_ you who formerly were far off have been _brought near_ by the blood of Christ.

In Christ, you have been brought _near_ to God. Through Christ we now have access to God and are told to no longer walk in the things of this world.

In Psalm 73:27-28 there are three possible existences:

7 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; (Those far from God, having no covenant access to Him, perish, they have no hope beyond this life)

You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. (To be unfaithful to God you must first have a promise/covenant and then break that covenant. These are those who gain access to God through Christ and then are unfaithful to Him.

Jesus said, "26"Everyone who _hears_ these words of Mine _and does not act_ on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and _it fell_ —and great was its fall. (destruction)" (Matthew 7:26-27)

28But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,

That I may tell of all Your works. (This is a believer, who stays close to the Lord, walks in the Light as He is in the Light, and ultimately gains entrance to the kingdom of heaven.

Ephesians continues...

14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;

18for _through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father_. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, (We are no longer "far away", "strangers and aliens", rather we "are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household".)

20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

_Are_ we building on the foundation of the apostles, prophets and Christ Jesus Himself? Let us take heed to the words of the Lord in whom we have said we believe,

24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine _and acts_ on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

26"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and _does not act_ on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall." (Matthew 7:24-27)

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## We Lay Hold of the Kingdom

**Hebrews 11**

1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval.

3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

7By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

13All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, _they would have had opportunity to return_.

Although they _had_ received the promise of God, "if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, _they would have had opportunity to return_ " thus, failing to obtain what had been _given_ them.

16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38)

17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18it was he to whom it was said, "In Isaac your descendants shall be called." 19He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

32And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

39And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

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## Jesus, the Example

**Hebrews 12**

1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

### A Father's Discipline

4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,

NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;

6FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,

AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

Once we have received Jesus as Lord and are born again, we become "sons" of God. He then, as our Father, begins to work with us so that we become more like Him so that we may share His Holiness, obtain the promises and gain entrance to the Kingdom of God.

7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Illegitimate children are "born" to their Father, but do not have His name or a right to His inheritance. They are very much alive, but He does not claim them as His. "Depart from Me, I never knew you")

9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that _we may_ share His holiness. 11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

12Therefore, (a command) strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

14Pursue peace with all men, and the _sanctification_ without which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one _comes short of_ the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. _17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears._

Esau was the first-born of Isaac and, by right, entitled to the inheritance. He failed to recognize the value of it, traded it for something earthly, later, after realizing what he had done, _he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears._

Though we _have received_ the "right" of our inheritance in Christ, if we do not recognize its value, pursue it so as to possess it, we will ourselves be rejected from the kingdom of heaven.

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## Through Many Tribulations  
We Must Enter

**** "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

Acts 14:22

8For by grace you have been saved (given eternal life in Christ) through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

If we have to "work" at it, strive to enter "eternal life" and persevere through tribulations to enter "eternal life", how can this be "not as a result of works"? If I fail to persevere through tribulations, do I _not_ obtain eternal life? If I do not obtain eternal life because I refuse to persevere, then I have been denied eternal life because I failed to have "works".

Therefore, "salvation" cannot have the same meaning as the "kingdom of heaven". I can fail to enter the _kingdom of heaven_ by failing to persevere through tribulations but I will never lose the free gift of God, my salvation, my life that Christ has given me through his sacrifice, _eternal life_.

If I am alive through the eternal life that Christ has given me and no one can take away, and then I fail to enter the kingdom of heaven, where do I go? I can't go back to "death" because Christ has forever redeemed me from that curse. I can't enter into the kingdom of heaven because I have fallen short. There is one other place left to go, HELL.

36For _you have need of endurance_ , so that when you have done the will of God, you _may receive what was promised_. ( _May_ receive salvation, eternal life? No, _may_ receive the _promise_ of the _kingdom of heaven_.)

37FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE,

HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.

AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.

39But we are not of those who _shrink back_ to destruction, but of those who have faith to the **_preserving of the soul_**. (Hebrews 10:36-39)

If it takes endurance and "doing" the will of God to gain salvation (eternal life), then salvation is gained by "doing" works. If this scripture means that we have a _promise_ of the _kingdom of heaven_ and that takes endurance and perseverance to enter, then salvation is a gift and the kingdom of heaven is a goal to be obtained through effort and action.

...And if the soul is not "preserved"? It burns.

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## The Believer's Rest

**Hebrews 3:12-4:7**

12Take care, _brethren_ , that there not be in any one _of you_ an evil, unbelieving heart that _falls away_ from the living God. (speaking to _brethren_ , those _in Christ._ To fall away from the living God would mean that they were "brought near" to Him through Christ. To be brought near to God through Christ you must be brought near through the blood of Christ. If you have been brought near through the blood of Christ, you have been saved, and have eternal life.

He warns us to not "fall away" through an evil, unbelieving heart. This means that we can be saved and then fall away. It is not only implied, it is stated. If we have been saved and given eternal life through Christ and then "fall away", we do not lose our eternal life. We spend our eternal life in HELL.

13But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

14For we have become partakers of Christ, if ( _IF!)_ we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,

15while it is said,

"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,  
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."

16For who provoked Him _when they had heard_? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

18And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. (God saved them from the bondage of Egypt (sin and death) as we are saved from sin and death through Christ. But they hardened their hearts toward Him and provoked Him to anger. Did God send them back to Egypt, back to "death". No, they died "in the wilderness", not in Egypt and not in the Promised Land, His rest, the kingdom of heaven.

Hebrews continues...

### The Believer's Rest

1Therefore, let us fear if, while _a promise remains of entering His rest_ , any one of you may seem to have _come short of it_.  (Once salvation is given, our eternal life, there is a remaining promise to be obtained. That promise is God's rest. To the Hebrews it was the Promised Land. To those in Christ it is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering the kingdom of heaven, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.

2For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

"AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,  
THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,"

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day:

"And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; 5and again in this passage, "They shall not enter My rest."

6Therefore, since it remains _for some_ to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them _failed to enter because of disobedience_ , 7He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,

"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,  
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

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## Faith and Works

**James 3**

14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?

Can that faith save him? (Must he have "works" in addition to having faith in Christ to receive salvation? No, faith in Christ alone gives you eternal life. It is the _gift_ of God so that no man can boast. However, faith together with works _justify_ him and save him in the _final_ judgment through _justification_ , otherwise, this scripture would mean that we must have "works" to be "saved" from "death" and that "salvation" would not be by faith alone)

15If a _brother or sister_ is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

In the final judgment, what will take place with those who failed to recognize their _brothers and sisters _in Christ and act in love?

40"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of _these brothers of Mine_ , even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

41"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

42For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'

44"Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'

45"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

46"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

James continues...

17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

18But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." 19You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

21Was not Abraham our father _justified_ by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22You see that _faith was working with his works_ , and as a result of the works, _faith was perfected_ ; 23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. 24You see that a man is _ justified _by works and not by faith alone.

_26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead._

The body without the spirit is dead, _not alive_. After we are "made _alive_ in Christ", we will be _justified_ by the _evidence_ of works that our faith is genuine. The natural result of being united to Christ is our "faith working with our works" if we are abiding in Him.

God will be looking for the evidence of what kind of "tree" we are by the fruit we bear through the works that we demonstrate. We will either bear good fruit or we will bear bad fruit.

If we are a "good tree" we will bear "good fruit" and He will prune us so that we will bear much fruit. If we are a "bad tree" we will produce "bad fruit" or "no fruit", in which case, He will cut us down and throw us into the fire, HELL.

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## Immorality Rebuked

**1 Corinthians 5-6**

1It is actually reported that there is immorality among you (believers), and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles (unbelievers), that someone has his father's wife.

2You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. (This believer is living in extreme immorality and Paul is rebuking them for not "removing him from their midst".)

3For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

5I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that _his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus_. (What can this possibly mean? This immoral _believer_ has a " _spirit_ ", the eternal spirit of Christ. He has been saved from the curse of "death" that came through Adam and received "life" from Christ or he would not have a "spirit".

Paul, an apostle with the authority to "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh" is actually doing him a great service. If this immoral believer continues to live according to the flesh, he will spend eternity in hell. If his life is cut short in the flesh, his natural life, " _his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."_ This is __ the judgment of __ those raised in Christ, "in the day" of the Lord Jesus Christ, "the last day". If his life (in the natural realm) was not cut short and his "spirit saved" at the final judgment, he will spend eternity in HELL.)

6Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. (Christ is our Passover! He died that we may live eternally. Once "death" has passed over us through faith in Christ, we must then"clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump." And if we don't, as the immoral believer mentioned above?

8Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;

10I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world (He means 'Don't associate with immoral _believers_ '), or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.

11But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any _so-called brother _if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging outsiders (unbelievers)? Do you not judge those who are within the church?

13But those who are _outside_ (outside of the covenant) God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (the immoral believer).

Of those who are "outside" of the covenant Jesus said, "...he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18) The judgment that has been "judged already" is the curse of "death" that fell on the world through Adam. They will not be resurrected, they _perish_.)

9Or do you not know that the unrighteous (as above, the "unrighteous" _believers_ ) will _not inherit the kingdom of God_? (The righteous believers will _inherit the kingdom of God and the unrighteous believers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Recognize that their salvation is not in question, but rather their inheritance_ of the kingdom of God. If you have eternal life through Christ, continue in sin and immorality, you do not inherit the kingdom of God. Where do you go? HELL.)

Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor _the_ covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, _will inherit the kingdom of God_.

11Such _were_ some of you; but you _were washed_ , but you _were sanctified_ , but you _were justified_ in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and _in the Spirit of our God_. (You _were_ like those sinners but _were_ washed, _were_ sanctified, _were_ justified in Christ. Therefore, do not continue in immorality or you will lose your inheritance, _not_ your salvation, _not_ your eternal life, but _the kingdom of heaven_.)

12but the _**sons of the kingdom**_ will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:12)

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## Who Gets Resurrected?

**1 Thessalonians 4**

13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do _the rest who have no hope_. (Paul is comparing the grief experienced for those _in Christ_ who "sleep" (have died in the natural) to "the rest who have no hope". "The rest who have no hope" are those who are _not_ in Christ, have not received salvation, have not received eternal life, who have "no hope" of resurrection.)

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (and if they have not "fallen asleep _in Jesus_ "?

15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead _in Christ_ will rise first.

17Then we (believers) who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

18Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Where is the mention of those who do not receive Jesus? Are they resurrected? No, they return to the dust as did Adam according to the judgment that, we as believers, are saved from _in Christ_.

### Acts 24

1After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought charges to the governor against Paul...

14..."But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;

15having a hope in God, which these men (covenant Jews) cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

The righteous and the wicked are both "under the Law of Moses". If they practice righteousness they are "righteous". If they do not practice righteousness, they are "wicked". The "hope in God" is only for those who have a covenant with God. All others are "outside" the covenant and "have no hope" as indicated in 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

Those who have "no hope" are not raised in the resurrection. The righteous and the wicked _under the Law_ are both raised to eternal life in the resurrection. The righteous go to heaven, the wicked go to HELL after the final judgment that is determined by their deeds.

7Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10By this _the children of God_ and _the children of the devil_ are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:7)

This cannot be talking about the "saved" versus the "unsaved". You cannot "practice righteousness" and be righteous unless you are first saved from your sins in Christ. Otherwise, you could practice righteousness and become righteous without Christ.

6For all of us have become like one who is unclean,  
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; (Isaiah 64:6)

The verses in 1 John are talking about those saved by Christ who then practice or do not practice righteousness. These will appear before Christ at the judgment. Those who demonstrate that they are "children of God" go to heaven. Those who demonstrate that they are "children of the devil" go to where their father the devil goes, HELL.

### The Wheat and the Tares Explained

36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."

37And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

40"So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

41"The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

42and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43"Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

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## The Fact of Christ's Resurrection

**1 Corinthians**

12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (Paul is saying that if there is no resurrection from the dead, then those "who have fallen asleep in Christ are in the same condition as those who "perish" as he refers to "this life only". Those who "perish" have "this life only" are not resurrected to heaven or hell, they simply perish.

20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

1For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

2For as in Adam all die, so also _in Christ_ all will be made alive. (and only those in Christ "will be made alive")

3But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that _those who are Christ's at His coming_ , (and only "those who are Christ's at His coming")

4then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

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## The Mystery of Resurrection

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (Flesh and blood, natural man, live only in the natural realm, he is " _perishable_ ". Natural man dies and returns to his natural elements, dust. Natural man cannot inherit the kingdom of God because God's kingdom exists in the spirit realm. A man must be " _imperishable_ " to receive the kingdom of God. He must be _eternal_.

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

15...so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3)

Paul continues...

51Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (Those who have been born again into the spirit, that have imperishable spirit life from Christ, will be raised from the dead. Those who did not receive eternal life from Christ will not be raised from the dead. They are "perishable" and have perished. They do not go to heaven for eternity or to hell for eternity. They are not eternal. They are not "imperishable".)

53For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. 55"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Only those "in Christ" will have victory over "death" by being raised from the dead.)

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## "The Lost"

### Luke 15

There is a misunderstanding of the following three parables that lead to error in understanding who goes to heaven, who goes to hell, and who perishes.

It is wrongly assumed that Jesus is defining the "lost" in these parables as those in the world that do not have a covenant relationship with God. We have referred to the "lost" as the unsaved, those who do not have Christ as their Savior. Jesus is actually defining the "lost" as those who _are_ in covenant relationship with God and have strayed from Him.

It is wrongly assumed that "tax collectors and the sinners" are not in covenant relationship, that they are "unsaved" and illustrate the "world". Actually, "tax collectors and the sinners" are _covenant Jews_ that have strayed. Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, was a tax collector and a covenant Jew. That is why they are "sinners". Only those under the Law of Moses are accountable to the Law. If they are under the Law and walk in unrighteousness, they are "sinners". If they are not under the law they are _Gentiles_.

As discussed earlier, Jesus refers to those who are _not_ in covenant relationship with God as "dogs". He has nothing to do with them. They have not been given to Him to shepherd and protect.

2And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed."

3But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her way, because she keeps shouting at us."

4But He answered and said, "I was sent _only_ to the _lost sheep of the house of Israel_."

Jesus came **_only_** to those who were in covenant relationship with God; "the house of Israel". He came to find and restore the sheep that had gone astray from God.

5But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

6And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." Matthew 15:21-26)

He has no relationship (at this point) with those outside the covenant of Abraham, the Gentiles.

As the first of three parables begin, it tells us who is there, listening to Jesus. The "tax collectors and the sinners" are **_covenant_** Jews. The tax collectors are despised because, although they are Jews, they make their living collecting taxes for the enemies of Israel, the Romans. The "sinners" practice sin (do not keep the Law) and are shunned and despised by those who are also in covenant relationship to God and "keep the Law".

### The Lost Sheep

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

3So He told them this parable, saying, 4"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5"When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6"And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' (Notice that they are all "sheep" of the same shepherd. He has found one of his **_own_** sheep that has strayed and gathered it back into __ his fold. In order to lose something, you must first possess it.)

7"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more _joy in heaven_ over _one sinner who repents_ than over ninety-nine _righteous persons who need no repentance_.

The "joy in heaven" is because the "sinner who repents" is alive to God and those in heaven will not have to witness the loss of a child of God to the flames of HELL.

Only those in covenant relationship to God can "repent", go back to "keeping the law". To "repent" you must have already had access to God through a covenant, received His law, strayed from His law, _then_ repent and return. You cannot repent alone and gain access to God apart from a blood covenant.

19For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you." 21And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and _without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness_. (Hebrews 9:19-22)

### The Lost Coin

8"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9"When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' 10"In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." ( _All_ the coins were _already_ hers. She lost one and _then_ recovered it. Those in covenant, under the Law, and stray, are then regathered-found)

In the last of the three similar parables on the same subject, notice that "a man had two sons". Both were related to him by blood. They were his. The "prodigal" son took his inheritance (his position in the house of his father and all that it entailed) and left his father's land, his fields where he served, and "and went on a journey into a distant country".

### The Prodigal Son

11And He said, "A man had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them. 13"And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. (The father allowed him to have a _free will_ to stay or to go, although he would have wanted him to stay judging by the father's joy upon his return.)

14"Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15"So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into _his fields_ (serving mammon) to feed swine. 16"And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17"But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'

20"So he got up and came to his father. (He repented, _took action_ to return) But _while he was still a long way off_ , his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Just like our Father in heaven, He sees our hearts, feels compassion and runs to assist us in our repentance even though we may yet be "far off".)

21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;  23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; (The father "quickly" and completely restores him to the position of a "son".)

24for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate. (In the father's eyes, the son was "dead", cut off. He was "lost". He was not disowned. He never lost his "sonship". He lost his position in nearness to his father. The son was "alive" in his own eyes but cut off from contact.)

25 "Now his older son _was in the field_ __(serving his father) , and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26"And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27"And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.'

28"But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29"But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; (This refers to the Pharisees and those alike who keep God's law and resent those who repent.)

30but when _this son of yours_ (the tax collectors and sinners) came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' (Notice that the brother who served the father refused to acknowledge that the prodigal son was _his_ brother by referring to him as, "this son of yours".)

31"And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

In verse 28, the son who served the father (who represents the Pharisees), refused to come into the house (the kingdom of heaven) because he believed that the father should not have forgiven his brother. The father came out to plead and reason with him that it was not that his brother had _not_ sinned, but that his brother was cut off from the nearness that the father so desired to have.

Even the prodigal brother had the same understanding as his brother saying, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son." The father's relationship to his son was not on the basis of his obedience but on the basis of _blood and love_. The son's _obedience_ is what determined whether or not the son would live in the father's house, the kingdom of heaven or not.

The son who remained serving the father had his heart revealed when he got angry about his father's forgiveness of his brother. He pointed out that his loyalty by staying, "earned" him something more than the "all that is mine is yours" of the father.

27After that He went out and noticed a _tax collector_ named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me." 28And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him.

29And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 30The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"

31And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32"I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Jesus came to save that which was lost from the house of Israel. The "sick" are those from the house of Israel that were "tax collectors and sinners". The "righteous" were not "sick" because they were practicing righteousness and keeping the law.

It was not until the Jews rejected Christ that the Gentiles would have the opportunity to enter into covenant relationship with God and gain access to eternal life through Christ. Before this, they were no more to Christ than the "dogs" who were not children of God and would perish like animals at the end of their lives. Once you receive Christ, you become a child of God and will live eternally. If you did not receive Christ, you remain in the position of a "dog" with only a natural life and you will perish.

"Sons" will either obey their father, and choose to live in His house or they, having free will, will choose to live elsewhere. Either way, they will never die, having been given eternal life from Christ. They will spend eternity in their Father's house, the kingdom of heaven or in a distant country, cut off from their Father, HELL.

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## The Pharisee and the Publican

9And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

10"Two men _went up into the temple to pray_ , one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (They were both covenant Jews)

11"The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'

13"But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'

14"I tell you, this man went to his house _justified_ rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."  (Luke 18:10-14)

Both men were in covenant with God. The Pharisee was proud of his "righteousness" in comparison to the "sinner" and, in God's eyes, was standing on his own righteousness as though he had "earned" his standing before God. The tax collector recognized his sinful condition, humbled himself and asked for mercy and "went to his house _justified_ rather than the other".

Jesus said that the Law was so perfect that men could not obey it so as to receive salvation by the works of the flesh. That is why covenant Jews had to be cleansed with the blood of the lamb on Passover to receive mercy. This Pharisee, without the cleansing of the blood, was in the same sinful condition as the tax collector but didn't recognize it because, by comparison, he was more righteous in his own eyes.

17"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

18"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. The law and practicing righteousness will not pass away until the final judgment when those who are in covenant relationship with Him are judged by their deeds.

19"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20"For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Many believe that since Jesus died for our sins and gave us eternal life and irrevocable access to God, that we don't have to be as concerned about our current sin-life. This is the worst possible lie that we can believe.)

21"You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not commit murder' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'

22"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (Jesus indicates that the Law is so perfect that even our thoughts can condemn us to the extent to which we had actually committed the act. Without a Savior to go to, "who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness", we would have no hope of obeying our way into the kingdom of heaven. He actually says we'll go to HELL)

23"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

25"Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26"Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

27"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; 28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Thoughts equal to the act itself.)

29"If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30"If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. (Was Jesus just being melodramatic?)

Once again, Jesus is saying that practicing righteousness is absolutely essential to our _entrance into the kingdom of heaven_ that if we fail to take it seriously enough even to cut off our right hand or put out our eye if that is what it will take to get us to stop sinning. If you don't, then "your whole body will to go into hell."

4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,  
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;  
6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,  
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

Are we as serious about repenting of our sin as this? And if not, what can we expect, having been warned by Jesus Himself?

Jesus saved us from the curse that fell upon the world through Adam, "death". He saved us from death and has given all who accept His sacrifice eternal life and the power to obtain our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. It will never be taken from us.

Here is the hardest realization to accept:

### Jesus did **_not_** save us from eternity in HELL.

Jesus bore ours sins and suffered our punishment that we deserve through the curse of Adam. He will be faithful to deliver us to eternal life. From the time we receive His new life, life eternal, we become sons of the kingdom and been given power over the world, the flesh and the devil. Nothing can stop us from going all the way. However, we still have our free will to obey and to serve Him as the obedient son or walk away and serve ourselves and be cut off from Him forever.

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## Why Do We Believe What We Believe?

There are reasons why Christian doctrine indicates that everyone ever born, that does not receive Christ, goes to hell. However, there is not a single scripture that states that in **_explicit_** wording. You can mistakenly read it as _implied_ , if you are not careful to examine the context of the immediate scripture sited and in the context of the whole bible.

If there were a single scripture verse that plainly stated: "All men born, that do not receive Christ as their Savior, will spend eternity in hell", there would be no further possibility of the assertions of this text being true. Scripture would have flatly contradicted it and that would be the end of the matter. In the absence of those explicit contradictory verses, we need to find out why we believe that all men go to hell for eternity if they do not receive Christ.

All Jesus would have had to say in John 3:16 to nail down what is believed to be true today is,

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not **[be cast into hell]** , but have eternal life **[in the kingdom of heaven]**.

But He did **_not_** say that! He said **_what He meant_** for us to understand,

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not **_perish_** , but have **_eternal_** life.

There is an **_absolute_** promise of living beyond this mortal life and **_only_** by receiving eternal life from Him. There was no absolute promise of entrance to the kingdom. It was **_absolutely_** bought and paid for, but it is **_conditional_** based on our heart and walk to "strive to enter" and possess our purchased inheritance.

One misunderstood scripture was detailed earlier regarding a statement of Jesus:

31"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32" _all the nations will be gathered before Him_ ; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. (Matthew 25:31-46)

By itself, " _all the nations will be gathered before Him_ " would be absolute in its implications that all nations and all mankind would face judgment. As this context continues, Jesus received one group into the kingdom of heaven and sent the other group to hell. So, the reasonable conclusion is that _all_ men go to heaven or hell. Were it not for the understanding that "all the nations" referred only to all the nations **_of the seed of Abraham_** (the "father of many nations" through covenant), we could easily assume that all nations and all mankind would face the final judgment of heaven and hell.

Another scripture, if removed from its context, has contributed to the same wrong conclusion:

27And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (By itself, this verse implies that " _all men_ " will die and then go to the judgment facing either heaven or hell. The next verse makes a clarification and distinction.)

28so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (Hebrews (27-28)

Christ will bear the sins of " _many_ ", not _all_. Christ "will appear a second time". Will Christ appear a second time to _all_ men? No, but only " _to those who eagerly await Him_ ". He will _not_ appear a second time to those who do _not_ eagerly await Him. Christ will appear a second time to those who have received salvation and have escaped the judgment of "death" that is on the world from Adam's sin. "It is appointed for men to die once". _ALL_ men will die once as a result of this judgment. Even Jesus Himself died as a result of this judgment.

"And after this comes judgment". After the death that all men will experience once, "those who eagerly await Him" will be raised imperishable to eternal life.

18"He who believes in Him _is not judged_ ; he who does not believe _has been judged already_ , because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

(The judgment of "death", that is on the world through Adam, will not keep those in Christ from being resurrected. Therefore they are not judged because "death" cannot keep them from being "made alive" again in Christ. To those who have not received Christ, they are "already judged" since they failed to receive new, eternal, resurrection life from Christ. "Death" _will_ keep them in its power)

24"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has _passed out of death into life_. ("And after this comes judgment". Of whom? Of "those who eagerly await Him", "those who have passed out of death into life")

25"Truly, truly I say to you", an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and _those who hear_ will live. (and _only_ those who hear will live)

26"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;

27and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

28"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

29and will come forth; those who did the good _deeds_ to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil _deeds_ to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:26-29)

"And after this comes judgment". This is the judgment of those raised in Christ who have accepted His salvation, received eternal life and are now to be judged by their **_deeds_**.

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## Sealed and Guaranteed Inheritance

**2 Corinthians 3**

19For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.

20For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

21Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

22who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

The scriptures above are not speaking about salvation. They are speaking about " _the promises of God, in Him_ (Jesus Christ)", to those who are "in Him". Those who have received Him, are born again into the Spirit, will live eternally, have been "sealed", and have "been given" the Spirit in their heart _as a pledge_.

"A pledge" comes from the word "arrabon" which is a business term that means "deposit", "earnest money", "down payment" or "guarantee". These scriptures are saying that once you are in Christ, all the promises of your inheritance of the kingdom of God have already been given to you as they would be legally yours if someone had written a will and left an inheritance to you. If in that written will there were conditions that you be of a certain age or marital status before you could actually possess the inheritance, that inheritance would be no less yours, having been given to you by legal right. If you fail to get married as the condition of possessing the inheritance, you would not possess what is yours to possess. If there were a time limit on meeting the conditions, and you failed to meet them in that period of time, you would forfeit the possession of your inheritance.

As disciples of Christ, we are "in Him". We have been given every promise and the kingdom of God is ours to possess and enter. Our eternal life will never be taken away and we will live forever. Our inheritance is waiting for us to be received and we have been given a "down payment" in our hearts of the Spirit. This "pledge" is a foretaste of what it is we have been given. This foretaste has been given to motivate us to take action so as to meet the _conditions_ of obtaining the promise.

12"For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him." (Matthew 13:12)

What conditions?

Page back through this text and look at all of the examples of conditions and admonitions to "lay hold of the promises", to bear fruit or suffer loss, to practice love, to practice righteousness, and so on. God has made it absolutely clear that He has expectations and that we are to meet them or lose what He has promised to us. He will not take it away until the time limit has expired and the conditions have still not been met so as to obtain the inheritance He has given us.

What time limit?

42"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

43"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

44"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45"Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

47"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48"But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'

49and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;

50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,

51and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth....HELL. (Matthew 24:42-51)

God's expectations of "His People" have been clearly stated from Genesis to Revelation. He has warned "His People" of the consequences of ignoring His expectations. Scripture is a historical record of those who obeyed and were blessed and those who disobeyed and received His wrath. Has God changed? If not, then why are we surprised and appalled at the suggestion that we are accountable to Him in meeting His expectations or face the consequences of loss of the kingdom and separation in HELL? Jesus Himself stated it over and over and gave us illustrations in the form of parables so we would not miss it.

If we have "been given" something from God can we fail to obtain it?

4For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ("gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge")

5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

6and _then_ _have fallen away_ , it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

12"For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him." (Matthew 13:12)

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## The Temporal and Eternal

**2 Corinthians 5**

1For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,

3inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. (Conditional- Have we "put it on"?)

4For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. (Do "we groan"? Are we "being burdened"? Do we feel this way? If not, then there is reason to be concerned.)

5Now He who _prepared us for this very purpose_ is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

(We have been prepared for a purpose? What if we fail to accomplish the purpose for which we were prepared?)

6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—

7for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (Do we prefer to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord? If you can't say this whole-heartedly, there is something you lack in terms of your relationship to Him and your value system. If you were able to "see the kingdom of heaven", as those who are born of the Spirit can, you would recognize its value and sell all to possess it. If you cannot see it in those terms, something in this world that is passing away has your heart.

9Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

"For _we must all_ appear before the judgment seat of Christ" Who is Paul referring to when he says, "we"? Obviously, it is believers from the context. He goes on to say, "so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good **_or bad_**." This cannot be a judgment of salvation since it is on the basis of "deeds". Salvation is by faith alone through the sacrifice of Jesus. This is the final judgment of those who have been resurrected "in Christ" and now will have their deeds judged to determine if they will now obtain the promised inheritance of the kingdom of God or be cast out for failing to meet God's expectations of His People.

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## Revelation

The book of revelation is written by the Spirit to the _churches_. The Holy Spirit is defining what is right, what is wrong, what is promised to those who endure to the end in doing what is right, and the loss that those who do not endure or repent will suffer.

Over and over the Spirit is being very specific so that the churches will not miss His admonitions and the rewards and consequences concerning them.

### The Revelation of Jesus Christ

1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

2who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

3Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

### Message to the Seven Churches

4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19"Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. 20"As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

### Revelation 2  
Message to Ephesus

1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

2'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.

4'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

5'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. (To remove their lampstand is to remove their position as a church. To be a church, you must first be "in Christ")

6'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

### Message to Smyrna

8"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

9'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10'Do not fear what you are about to suffer.

Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.' (And to him who does _not_ overcome, he _will_ be hurt by the second death. Jesus is speaking to those "in Him", the churches. He is encouraging those who will experience tribulation and, to those who overcome, they have great reward in store. To those who fail to persevere, they "shrink back to destruction", the second death, HELL.)

### Message to Pergamum

12"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:

13'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel,

to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15'So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16'Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. 17'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'

### Message to Thyatira

18"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:

19'I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23'And I will kill her children with pestilence, and **_all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds._** 24'But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26'He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give

authority over the nations; 27and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28and I will give him the morning star. 29'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

This is a church, blood-bought by Christ or it would not be called a "church". At the judgment, Christ will give both consequences and rewards to believers (the church), based on their **_deeds_**. The consequences will take away their inheritance and the rewards will be to bestow their inheritance.

### Revelation 3 Message to Sardis

1"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

4'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ("They are worthy" because they walk with Christ in the light.)

5'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not **_erase_** his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' (For Christ to " ** _erase_** his name from the book of life", his name must first be written in it. The only way to have his name written in the book of life is to receive new life from Christ. If He erases his name from the book of life, he does not "perish" because he has **_eternal_** life. He experiences the "second death", HELL.)

### Message to Philadelphia

7"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

8'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10' ** _Because you have kept the word of My perseverance_** , I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11'I am coming quickly; **_hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown_**. 12' ** _He who overcomes_** , I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

This "church" (again indicating that it is a body of believers) has "persevered" and achieved something through **_effort_**. They are cautioned to "hold fast to what you have, so that no one takes your crown". It is obvious that, although they are a church, that they are at risk of losing something of great value. "He who overcomes" is promised a position in the "temple of My God". This promise is to those in the church who exert effort to keep from having their **_inheritance_** taken- the kingdom of God.

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## The Last Days Church

### Message to Laodicea

14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:  
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

15'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

16'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

17'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

18I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

19'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

20'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

21'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 ** _'_** ** _He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to  
the churches._**'"
