Who Is To Blame - God Or You?

So many non-believers want to blame God -- instead of looking within themselves. They will ask, "How can a loving God condemn anyone to spend eternity in hell?" And, the answer: God does not condemn anyone to hell.

Each person, individually, either chooses salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ -- or they choose eternity in hell with Satan.

Each person's eternal destination depends solely upon the decision he/she makes in this life. Each person must decide to receive eternal life in Jesus Christ -- or to reject Him. Everyone who is in Hades/Torment and who goes to hell for eternity -- can only blame himself or herself -- not God.

That is the heart of the discussion below: Who is to blame -- God or you?

Share this with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing the Word of God, let's keep reaching out to the unsaved and the unchurched, sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- until He returns.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray

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Hi to all my Forum Friends,

In the discussion which I began titled "Using 'OMG' And The 'F Word On Public Forums" -- our Forum Friend, HoldenMyOwn, told me, "Mr. Gray, Assuming you believe in the Bible... Your Bible states numerous times that I do not deserve to live and that I will burn in hell for all eternity. I say "OMG." And you say that "I" am the one that is being disrespectful? Does that honestly make sense to you?"

Holden, if the city, county, or state where you live has a law which says that driving 90 mph through a school zone is against their law -- and you do it anyway; who is to blame -- them for having and enforcing the law -- or you for breaking that law?

In the Old Testament, God gave the people of Israel certain laws -- and He gave them the punishment for breaking those laws. If a person still broke His laws; who is to blame for that person being punished -- God or that person?

God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments and His Laws expanding upon those commandments. He knew that no one would be able to keep all of His commandments all the time. Why could they not keep those commandments? Because, when Adam fell into sin by disobeying God, from that moment on -- Adam and all his descendants have a sin nature. Man, by his very nature, is sinful.

But, on the other hand, God being a loving God and wanting all people to come to repentance, gave man a means of atoning for his sins, i.e., atonement for breaking the Law. He gave them animal sacrifices they could do to atone for their sins. These animal sacrifices were the precursor for the real "Once For All" Sacrifice which was to come -- Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament Jews had to keep offering animal sacrifices, over and over, to continually atone for their sins. When Jesus Christ came, He became the final Sacrifice, once for all. He was the Perfect Sacrifice -- and, in that respect, the Law had been fulfilled.

Once the Law had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ; He brought us into the dispensation of Grace, the era or period of Grace. We read in John 1:17, "For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ."

So, from the time Israel was given the Law at Mount Sinai, until the Day of Pentecost, the world was in the Biblical Dispensation of the Law and needed continual sacrifices to atone for their sins. On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) the Christian church, the body of believers, began with the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the 120 disciples in the Upper Room.

And, this was the initiation of the Dispensation of Grace. We will be in the Dispensation, or Period, of Grace until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the seven year Tribulation. At this time, He will establish His Millennial Kingdom and thus begins the Kingdom Age, the kingdom of God on earth.

Now that Jesus Christ has brought us into the Dispensation of Grace -- by the Grace of God, through FAITH in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) -- every person has an opportunity to be forgiven and to receive His "free gift" of salvation, eternal life in Christ.

So, Holden, when you tell me, "Your Bible states numerous times that I do not deserve to live and that I will burn in hell for all eternity."

No, the Bible tells us that if you continue to reject the "free gift" of salvation, which has already been purchased and "paid in full" by Jesus Christ on the cross -- YOU are condemning yourself to burn in hell for eternity.

Up until your last breath in your mortal body -- you can repent, i.e., turn from following the world and turn to following Jesus Christ. Once you have breathed that last breath in your mortal -- your eternal destination is set in concrete. At that point, absolutely nothing can change your eternal home.

If, before you die, you do repent and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior -- you will spend eternity in the glorious presence of God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and all of your loved ones and friends who have died as believers.

If, when you die, you have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior -- you will spend eternity in the horrific, evil presence of Satan, eternity in hell.

The ONLY unforgivable sin is to die without having Jesus Christ in your heart, without a saving relationship with Him.

Up until that last breath -- there is always a chance to repent and follow Jesus Christ. But, the danger of waiting that long -- is that none of us know when that last breath will occur. We could be in the best of health one minute -- and dead the next.

When I was 25, I worked of Ramo Wooldridge (early version of TRW). One Friday we had a party and I became good friends with one of our programmers, a guy my age. He was excited because he was getting married the next week. His parents were out from the Mid West and all things were "Go" for their wedding. Sunday morning his parents went to his apartment and found him dead. He had died of a heart attack in his sleep. Absolutely no indication of any problems before.

Several years later, I worked for Scientific Data Systems in Santa Monica. One Monday morning I went to the tool room to get some new tools -- and the young man who worked there, 21 years old, was not in the tool cage. I was told that he had died of a heart attack over the weekend. Once again, no indication of any problems -- until they found him dead -- at 21 years old.

None of us have a guaranty of that next breath. So, Holden, and all of my Forum Friends who are not yet Christian believers -- do not gamble that you will always have more time. There is no guaranty. The only promise, the only guaranty, you have is: If you die as a believer, you WILL spend eternity with God -- and, if you die as a non-believer, you WILL spend eternity with Satan in hell.

So, why gamble with something so important? Take that "sure bet" and get right with God -- right now -- while there is still time.

Is this a "hell-fire and darnation" sermon? No, my Friends, just the truth -- shared in love. I want so much to meet you in heaven one day. Please do not disappoint me.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

What Happens When A Believer Dies?

Have you ever had to explain to others, believers or non-believers, the Biblical teaching of what happens when a Christian believer dies? While many Christian believers do not share my belief in a PreTribulation Rapture; others will also argue that the believer goes to a temporary place, or that believers stay in the grave until Christ resurrects us just before taking all believers into eternity. Surprisingly, even among Christian believers -- there is great disagreement about this very important issue: What happens when the believer dies?

My Religion Forum Friend, B50, recently told us that she is a New Age/Christian/Wiccan -- so, it is not surprising that she is confused. The New Age and Wiccan world religions are polar opposites of Christianity. A person accepting the teachings of these world religions most likely will not be mature in Biblical knowledge. Otherwise, he/she could not be lured into those religions.

However, her question has given me an opportunity to explain Biblically what happens at death -- and the difference between a believer dying now and a believer who lives to see the Rapture occur.

If you find this useful, please feel free to share this dialogue with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing the Gospel with the world -- and by sharing, help all of us grow spiritually and, daily, become more mature in our knowledge of God's Word. Until He returns; share the Gospel.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray

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Hi to my Forum Friends,

In an earlier discussion titled "VPLee123....Thank you!" -- I wrote, "We believe, from the Bible, that when a believer dies -- he/she is immediately in the presence of Jesus Christ and God the Father."

And, B50 asks me, "I thought you had to wait for the Rapture, Bill. So heaven immediately or not?"

Good question! Glad you asked. True, for all Christian believers, upon death, the next moment they are alive in the presence of Jesus Christ -- more alive than ever before. Our mortal bodies are in the grave; but, our spirit, the true essence of all people -- will have a great "Home Coming" celebration -- and all Christ believing loved ones and friends who have gone on before -- will be standing with Jesus Christ -- to greet us -- to welcome us home!

Yes, Jesus Christ is coming one day, a day no one knows. This is why we call it imminent, for it could happen at any moment -- or it might not happen for many years. We just have to be ready (Luke 12:40). His coming will be in the air, in the clouds, and He will call all Christian believers, His church, His Bride, to join Him in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). This is the Rapture.

For all believers who have died in Christ, i.e, died being believers in Jesus Christ -- their mortal bodies will be in the grave; but their spirits are with the Lord. For all non-believers, their mortal bodies are in the grave; but, their spirits are in the Torment side of Hades -- where they will stay until they are resurrected to stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment.

These Christian believers whose bodies are in the grave will rise, be resurrected, first. Then, a split second later, we who are still alive will join them in the air to meet our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At this time, we all will receive our immortal bodies and will be like Him -- not divine, but in our immortal bodies (1 John 3:2).

Now this is a point where many people, believers and non-believers, will ask, "Bill, that works for those who died and were buried. But, what about people who were cremated? What about people who were eaten by animals, by sharks, etc. -- their bodies no longer exist. Their bodies are ashes or part of animal or fish waste. How can they be raised from the grave to be Raptured?"

That is a very valid question. Yet, we are told in Luke 12:6-7, "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

God created us; God knows every hair on our head (for some, just a memory); God knows every cell which makes up our bodies -- for He created those cells, those bodies -- so, I have no doubt that, in His omniscience, in His omnipotence -- He will have no trouble bringing together all the required elements to create our immortals bodies.

Jesus, when He ascended into heaven, was in His immortal body with the nail scars and the sword scar still evident. After His resurrection, but, before His ascension -- he was in His immortal body which closely resembled His older mortal body. This is why He could eat with His apostles after His resurrection (John 21:12-15). We believers will have such an immortal body also at the Rapture (1 John 3:2).

So, to clarify: For believers who have already died, their bodies are in the grave -- but, their essence, their spirit, is in heaven. When Christ returns to Rapture His church -- their bodies will rise from the grave, or wherever, and will become immortal bodies, once again reunited with their essence, their spirit.

Then, a brief moment later, we believers who are still alive when Christ returns in the air to Rapture His church will rise -- we will not taste death -- but, will go to meet Him in the air to gain our immortal bodies.

Is this described in the Bible? Yes, in 1 Corinthians 15:49-54 we learn that we, our bodies, will be changed in the twinkling of an eye -- pretty quick -- from mortal to immortal, i.e., our glorified bodies. We we be in our glorified bodies just like Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:49-54, "Just as we have borne the image of the earthy (mortal), we will also bear the image of the heavenly (immortal). Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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."

And, in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we are told that we believers who are still alive, will be CAUGHT UP to meet Christ, our Lord, in the air. In the Greek language, the English phrase "will be caught up" is the word "harpazo" meaning: "to snatch out or away."

When the Pope commissioned Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin, the language favored by the Roman Catholic church, the Greek word "harpazo" became the Latin word "rapiemur" -- from which we get the English transliteration RAPTURE. So, yes, the word "Rapture" -- the prophecy of the Rapture -- and the description of the Rapture -- are all in the Bible.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, "But 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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For 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.

For 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. Then we 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Yes, B50, we have His, Jesus Christ's, promises of eternal life for all who believe (Matthew 19:29, John 3:15, John 3:16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 6:40, John 6:47, John 6:54, John 10:28).

And, the apostle John writes to us in John 20:30-31, "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

So, yes, eternal life in Christ is assured, by Jesus Christ Himself, for ALL who, by grace, through faith, believe in Him and receive His "free gift" of eternal life. Based upon His promises, we have eternal security in Him -- and whether we die before He comes to Rapture His church, or whether we are still alive -- ALL believers will be Raptured to be with Him forever.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill