October 31st - Rescued!

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13)

Most Christians do not agree with me that ALL humanity will be saved and reconciled to God because it is not what they have been taught. I had read the entire Bible more than 20 times before it dawned on me what the following verse clearly says - that God intends to reconcile ALL His creation through Christ Jesus.

"For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile ALL things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven." (Colossians 1:19-20)

Scripture came alive for me again when I came to a knowledge of that truth, and now I embrace Paul's doxology of praise...

"For God has shut up ALL in disobedience so that He may show mercy to ALL. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:32-36)

October 30th - The Helpless and Ungodly

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly...God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us...having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." (Romans 5:6-11)

The Bible teaches that the wrath of God is death - and then it is finished.  And, the Bible also teaches that humanity will be saved out of death by Christ Jesus. One of the strangest things to me are Christians who reason that God must send unrepentant people to hell because He is "Just" (as if torturing people forever is the right thing to do).

If you hold to such a false doctrine read Romans Chapter 5 until that doctrine is cleansed from your system....then embrace the loving and truly just God of the Bible.

Humanity now bears the likeness of Adam - sinners, helpless and ungodly. But we are destined the bear the likeness of Christ Jesus - a powerful sinless life-giving spirit.

"So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit...The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man." (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

"For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:29-32)