*** RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE TIMING OF THE RAPTURE*** Most every person with a Pre-Millennial view of eschatology, regardless of their Rapture timing position, understands that the Tribulation Period is about Gods judgment on this sinful world. Where differences lie is how the body of Christ relates to that judgment. Post-Tribulation believers will tell you that the church must go through the Tribulation to be purified. Their belief is that the church has apostacized and must go through the refining fires of the Tribulation to turn us back to Christ and be made worthy for Heaven. You will hear arguments comparing the body of Christ to the lukewarm church of Revelation 3. Also, the church has been heavily persecuted for 2,000 years and even now in other parts of the world, so what makes us Americans think we are special to escape the Tribulation. Everyone of these arguments are NOT what the Word of God says about the body of Christ. First of all, lets take the lukewarm argument. It is important to understand that Jesus is addressing the CHURCH at Laodicea, not the Christian at Laodicea. A misinterpretation of this passage of Scripture applies the term lukewarm to Christians. However, the lukewarm Jesus is talking to is a specific kind of church. We could ask ourselves how many Christian churches there are on the planet, then, how many of them are the true, Bible-believing, Jesus Christ exalting, saved by grace through faith in Christ alone churches. The point being, not every church that claims to be Christian is the born again, true body of Christ. It is very clear from the passage in Revelation 3 that Jesus was referring to the rich mega churches of today that are fleecing their flocks and with a congregation that is deceived to the truth of Gods Word. This church is Christian in name only; they serve Christ with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. They are religious but not regenerated. We are told in Ephesians 1:6 that the child of God has been accepted in the Beloved, whereas the Laodicean church made Jesus sick to the point of vomiting. In summary, the lukewarm Jesus was speaking to is not a blood bought child of God but a blind, pious church with the name of Jesus on the door. Therefore, it is not the lukewarm Christian who will go into the Tribulation (because they dont exist), it is the lukewarm church. So, that argument is out. Secondly, why does this generation think we are so special to escape persecution and tribulation? Well, it is not the belief of the Pre-Tribulationist that the church in this generation will escape persecution and tribulation, it is our belief that we will escape THE Tribulation. There is a huge difference between persecution and tribulation which the church has had to endure through the centuries, and the time of Gods wrath on a sinful world. Not one single Christian throughout church history has faced the world wide outpouring of Gods wrath, so why would this generation be forced to go through it, when the Bible is clear that NO Christian is appointed to Gods wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). So, what makes us so special that we think we can escape the Tribulation Period? JESUS! As I recall, we sing a very beautiful song to our Savior around the throne in Revelation 4 and 5, thou art WORTHY oh Lord.... And lastly, what about being purified? Do we need Gods wrath to purify us? Sounds to me like a Catholic doctrine called purgatory. Here is the thing...the wages of sin is death and that wage has to be paid. Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay that wage for sin that God demanded. Upon completion of that sacrifice, Jesus said from the cross it is finished, which literally means paid in full ( Greek= tetelastai). What that signifies is that everything needed to appease Gods wrath was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. He left NOTHING for us to do. That is the main reason why salvation is by faith alone, apart from any works on our part (not to mention our best works are filthy rags to God). Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Romans 4:4-5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS! It does not say a purifying process qualifies us for righteousness, but faith alone. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Notice, MADE THE RIGHTEOUS OF GOD in Him, not purified into it. The point is, faith in the Lord Jesus Christs finished work on the cross is what makes the believer righteous. No amount of good works, no amount of purifying by fire, no amount of pristine living, can make us any more righteous than what we are imputed with at the time of salvation. The cross makes all the difference in the world. We either believe in the finality of the work of the Lord Jesus or we do not. To believe that we have to go through the Tribulation to be purified of sin is to make the work of Christ on the cross of no effect. This would mean that God is judging us for unrighteousness when He has already judiciously declared us righteous by faith in His Son. This would also mean that we have to work for our righteousness (be purified into becoming righteous) and therefore righteousness does not come by faith but by works of the law. Not only would these scenarios be very unjust of God, but would be completely against His character, and opposed to the very Word of God Himself! So what is the distinguishing difference between the Post-Tribber and the Pre-Tribber? The FINALITY OF THE CROSS! The Post-Tribber somehow erroneously believes that righteousness comes through means involving their own ability to perform a certain way. They believe that once God purifies us into holy living in the Tribulation, we will have arrived and reached our pinnacle of holiness. Again, the Catholic church believes the same thing (purgatory). It is nothing more than a works based gospel whereby we are partially responsible for our own righteousness. We Pre-Tribbers, on the other hand, believe that we have already been declared righteous by a holy God. That there is nothing for us to do to try and earn Gods righteousness. We look outside of ourselves and to the one who grants righteousness based on the cross. We believe all that makes us righteous is wrapped up in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ which is granted to us by God, based on faith alone. One of these views is very works based, the other is faith based. One is unscriptural, the other is Gods Word. What one believes about the timing of the Rapture is, at least in part, based on what he believe about righteousness. For one to believe in the Post-Tribulation Rapture, there is no other way to look at it than to assume that he believes we must perform during the time of Jacobs Trouble to acquire the righteousness that God demands. He must believe that the cross of Jesus Christ did not save us from the wrath of God. Whereas, the Pre-Tribber does not believe that we have to undergo any kind of purification because he relies on the imputed righteousness of Christ for salvation from the wrath of the Tribulation Period. Therefore, in regards to our spiritual state, the only view of the timing of the Rapture that holds true to Scripture is the Pre-Trib view. JESUS IS COMING...LIFT UP YOUR HEADS FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH!!
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 04:25:29 +0000