For we must all
appear before the
judgment seat
of Christ,
that each one may
receive the things
done in the body,
according to what
he has done,
whether good or bad.
2Corinthians 5:10
God is a Holy and awesome God. Due to Him being Holy is more than an attribute of God, rather it is what God is and all attributes derive their existence by means of His being Holy. Holiness must oppose sin and cannot have any association with sin for if God's holiness accepted sin in any manner, mode or fashion, then He is not completely holy. God will not contend with sin as we so often due in this life, that is we say one thing and do another, but because of His Holiness He will completely do away with sin. That being so then all who are sinners will be done away with wiping out sin forever. The Son of God has always existed, the incarnation always was present, salvation for those whom God has elected to be His children has always had its completion; for God there is no time and He did not wait for us to do good so that He would choose us for His children. The Holy Spirit has always been the guarantee for His selection of His children that they are and will be preserved for eternity: "Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee' (2Corinthians 4:5). God from eternity upon eternity decreed all things and nothing happens that God as not decreed and ordained. Well then, you might say, I will just sit back and wait until I die because I am going to heaven and it doesn't matter what I do! The Arminian's and the Pelagian's have accused the Reformers who believe in election that what the Reformers teach is wrong and causes people to acquiesce and live tacitly as Christians. In other words the Doctrine of Election breeds slothful and lazy Christians. Unfortunately that has some truth to that accusation. On the other hand Arminianism has promoted a liberal Christianity and people are doing things in the name of Christianity that are not Scriptural but feed the emotions. Yes, it must be admitted that good things are happening on both sides of the aisle; people, children are being fed, there are anti-abortion clinics to save lives, hospitals, and hospice homes are managed by Christians who have good motives. But by and large many are either doing little or nothing, or are doing things for the wrong reasons. Even though motives for doing things are correct there is still the matter of the gifts that due to poor theology are misused and believed by those who do other good things.
God made man in His image but we are not a god, as some would teach (Mormons), rather we are human and are only an image of the Holy God. God has not usurped our humanity making us nothing more than puppets. As Human we have the ability to choose how to live, what to do; i.e., shall I walk, take a train, fly, or drive to L.A.? Shall I have a greasy hamburger or a organic salad? (I vote for the hamburger, Ha!). God in His Providence allows us to be human and we will be judged according to our actions. This is true whether we profess Christ as Savior or not. God directs and controls all things, those things we choose to do whether good or bad and by means of His Providence works all events to achieve His purpose. Paul gives us this word: "(for the children not yet being born, or having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls) (Romans 9:11).
The opening verse should be a wake-up call for Christians for that verse is not for unbelievers but for believers. The "all" in that verse are Christians, it is to them that Paul writes those words. Sinners are judged already, their end is death, a being thrown into the Lake of Fire, but Paul is not speaking to sinners, but to Christians. Christians will be called to account as to how they used their gifts. I am not speaking of salvation, that we were saved is complete and finished at the cross. From all eternity God determined by means of the death of Christ that His children would be saved and He sees His children through His Son and therefore we are holy in His sight and we are saved. We are saved but we are human, our eternal salvation where no sin exists comes when we are in the presence of God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Godhead, yet we are not fully sanctified in this life all sin has not been removed from us and we need to be taught His Word, His principles, His Law, and we need to apply those principles, the Law in our life. God in all His mercy has distributed gifts, spiritual gifts, that will guide us and teach us, not just how to live, not just how to worship, rather that we come to know God. by knowing God we will become devoted to God and this knowledge that God being Holy will save us and that for eternity. I am afraid we put up quite a fight to have our independence, such is taught by this world, and we have yet to humble ourselves in His sight.
The gifts of God, those spiritual gifts are to unite the Church not divide it, but that is not the case for the Church is divided among itself only to bring condemnation upon it by those unbelievers. There is One God, One Son, One Holy Spirit, and not three, but One, the Godhead, all in unity as we are to be, therefore in our aid God has given us gifts for His children. For many so-called Christians their foundation for their faith is "gifts" and they hold those gifts close to themselves and only admit in some minor fashion that Jesus Christ is Lord, and all that they may have is from God, and the most important gift God gave was His Son.
Allow me to give to you this long passage from Paul, read it slowly, let it sink in, measure yourself, (I am!) according to His word: "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stray, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, god will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" (1Corinthians 3:11-17). Yes, some will enter into heaven with the stench of smoke on them, but the good news is this, we now, at this moment can use or gifts, or talents in such a manner that our work will reveal what sort it is.
O Timothy! Guard what was
committed to your trust,
avoiding the profane and idle
babblings and contradictions
of what is falsely called knowledge--
by professing it some have
concerning the faith.
Grace be with you. Amen
1Timothy 6:20-21
Richard L. Crumb
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