rapture

Left behind… now what?

/ grace country pastor / 1 Comment

The mid-Acts dispensational position understands that the translation of the body of Christ is the next major move of God in the world.  So, first things first, by all means get saved so you don’t miss it and experience the wrath of God when He begins, once again, to deal with people in terms of judgement and war (not grace and peace).  It will be UGLY.  There will still be earthly salvation available by blessing remnant Israel but it will likely cost you your head.

And no, I’m not going to comment upon the “left behind” series of books even though this is a post speculating upon the same.  While the books are roughly Biblically based, actual Holy writ had little to do with their creation.  Instead, I want to examine what will occur in the realm of dispensational Bible doctrine, post translation of the body of Christ from the world and offer a warning to, and some hope for, those who miss this current grace opportunity.  I’ll examine some things which are absolute fact and add some inductive reasoning of my own.  Such thinking is speculative and not absolute so be convinced in your own mind.  This is a long one, but stay with me here.

We know that to currently teach works based salvation is, in this dispensation, incorrect.  Therefore to teach a man that he must be baptized to be saved, as in…

Mark 16:16…  “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

…or, he that endures the great tribulation…

Matthew 24:13…  “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

…or, forbidding to marry, abstaining from meats, or any combination of “time past/ages to come” doctrine offered up in this dispensation of free grace IS a “doctrine of devils”.  Hypocritical lies varnished with partial truth, nothing more.

1 Timothy 4:1-3…  “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

Yes, catholocism and the vast majority of protestant denominations teach doctrines of hypocrisy, superstition and devils with varied amounts of “Jesus” sprinkled in for good measure.  They do contain Biblical doctrine; they just happen to be the wrong doctrine for the wrong time period.  The Apostle whom God sent to believers today (Paul) lays no minor charge against those (including angels for good reason, as we will see) who would teach time past or ages to come gospel information today.

Galatians 1:8-9…  “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Today’s spiritual man KNOWS Paul is the Apostle for believers…

1 Corinthians 14:37…  “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

Please pay attention to the commandments God expresses through Paul (free grace!) before the dispensation of grace comes to an end and with it the dispensationally appropriate gospel we currently teach… free grace, through faith and trust in Christ’s finished work.

It is my contention that the last thing in this world that satan wants anyone to know is the gospel of the grace of God as preached by Paul.  he will do anything to prevent and pervert the simplicity of Christ’s gospel of grace, at least in this current dispensation of grace.  Religion itself, defined as mans attempt to please God or assuage His anger, along with its myriad works are satan’s direct response to Gods freely offered grace.  Indeed, I believe we can accurately conclude that it is works based religion and concurrent religious idolatry itself (not necessarily the honky tonk around the corner), that is the “unclean thing” Paul prays we would be separate from.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18…  “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.“

The vast multitude of people on earth are confused and confounded by anti-dispensational religious teachings.  They are under the incorrect belief that there is something they MUST do for, or in response to, Gods FREE offer of salvation and eternal life.

We know God will one day remove His offer of free grace and His ambassadors will be called home to occupy their heavenly positions.  His wrath will at some point forward of today be poured out on this fallen creation in order to abolish sin once and for all and to remake it in the image He always intended.

Romans 8:22…  “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

My contention (speculation – so feel free to agree or disagree with me on this one) is that it will be at that time that mid-Acts Pauline dispensational doctrine will become “popular” because it will be at that time, “post rapture”, that mid-Acts Pauline dispensational doctrine will have become a “doctrine of devils” as the gospel of the Kingdom now is.

Yes, I am saying that the doctrine I now teach on this website and in Bible study will one day be a doctrine of the devil.  This is why it is so critical that we as believers not only be Biblical, but dispensationally Biblical, knowing what doctrine is appropriate for what time period.

satan, as he uses “time past” doctrine to lead people away from Truth today, will (I believe) naturally begin to use “today’s Truth” as a future lie, and people (in my opinion) will then begin to believe it.  Our “unpopular” grace message will suddenly become popular.  For example, if the pope today told catholics that Christ died for their sins and was raised again for their justification (plus nothing) they’d believe it and the religion would end; so clearly that’s not what the pope says.  He lies.  Most people today believe exactly what they ought not believe.  What will make “tomorrow” any different?  satan uses partial truth to obfuscate his lies.  The current occupant of that papal office has already stated that even unbelievers will go to heaven if they lead “good” lives.  This is an outright lie.

Tomorrow it is a fact that correct Biblical and dispensational doctrine will revert back to the Genesis 12:1-3 program which the gospel of the Kingdom is based upon.  A man will need to understand this in order to be saved from hell.  My speculation is that our gospel of grace will be perverted and used in order to lead people away from “ages to come” Truth for the specific reason that faithful remnant Israel is not assisted in any way in their battle against satan.  In the ages to come it will become dispensationally correct to bless those who hold to Kingdom truth (remnant Israel) as the Kingdom will once again be “at hand”; therefore (naturally, I believe) satan will lead people away from such truth.

At some point in the future we know the “dry bones” of Israel will be resurrected (Ezekiel 37) and faithful Israel will have the answer to the question they have been waiting millenia for, that which they have been promised since the nations inception.  As the twelve asked their Messiah after His resurrection…

Acts 1:6…  “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”

Answer (post rapture):  YES.  Now is the time.  Wrath, then Kingdom.  Daniel’s 70’th week.  The time of Jacobs trouble.  Christ on the throne.

Daniel 2:44…  “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

Gospel truth will no longer be “trust in the crosswork of Calvary and be saved.”  It will once again be “repent and be baptized…” for Jews and Jewish proselytes and “bless them to receive blessing” for the Gentile nations.

I have no idea what publicized form the translation will take from the worlds perspective (I won’t be here to witness such).  I do know that it will happen in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor 15:51-53).  I have the feeling that satan and the world (as per usual) will reverse the situation 180 degrees to favor themselves.  satan counterfeits everything God does.  Again, this is hypothesis only, but right in satan’s wheelhouse nonetheless.  As the papal office is very likely the office of the false prophet, when the translation occurs and fairly large numbers of people very mysteriously but literally vanish from the earth (changed from terrestrial to celestial – 1 Cor 15:40), I imagine that what will resonate from catholic and protestant pulpits the world over is that “god” worked a “miracle” in the world and the wheat was separated from the chaff (Mat 3:10-12).  The religious world will be told that the chaff (those of us who actually believe the Bible) was sent into everlasting fire (we were not) and that all which remain are those who were “good enough” to avoid hell and enter into “gods earthly kingdom”; satan’s false “utopia”.  The “utopia” the one-worlders have been attempting to create since Genesis 11.  The man+satan-made system of total rebellion against the Creator God of heaven and earth.  Babylon rebuilt.

There is no way to know when the translation (rapture) will occur, only that it will occur as God has promised His body.  Christ already suffered Gods just wrath on our behalf.  Saved people are no longer appointed unto wrath (1 Thes 5:9).  I cannot stress enough that it is not sufficient to be “Biblical”, one MUST be dispensationally Biblical or the Bible becomes the most dangerous instrument of deception man can possess.  A man can quote a hundred Bible verses as he falls into hell.  Billions have been deceived by its misuse.  The greatest place to hide a lie is surrounded by truth.  If you, dear reader, failed to accept Gods free gift of grace and find yourself confronted with the fact that people you knew are very suddenly no longer in the world, you need to be prepared for what is soon to come.  Strong delusion in the form of a “peace loving” false god and wrath from the actual God.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12…  “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

A failure to love truth today is not accepting the fact that we are all sinners in need of a Savior; not accepting Gods free gift of salvation through His Son.  After the “rapture” truth will have changed because God’s dealings with man will have changed.  God has always provided a way to be saved for those who place their faith in Him.  I believe that post rapture will be a time of great (albeit false) peace in the world.  It will appear as if the “forces of evil” have been vanquished, but the opposite will have occurred.  The “forces of evil” were Gods people, Bible believers, and as Gods ambassadors they were called home before the “hot war” breaks out.  There will be very strong delusion in the world and it will be remarkably hard to resist.

1 Thessalonians 5:3…  “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

The actual forces of evil claim their very short 3.5 year “false” victory as the counterfeit one-world communist kingdom has always been man and satans goal.  Those with open eyes see the manifestation of this more every day.  You will be offered the “mark of the beast” and you will not be able to function in the world without it.  At this point it will be better to die then to take that mark.  Believe what God says in His book.  Bless those who struggle against this false god who promises peace but delivers utter destruction.  While the heavenly places are closed to you (having not loved the truth of today) the earthly Kingdom is still open.  You may enter into it by blessing remnant Israel as they fight against what seems to be “good”, strong delusion, the false “peacemaker”, the anti-christ.

There will be those who, despite the wrath of God to come, join against the forces of evil and, while they might lose their physical lives, gain eternal life in Gods earthly Kingdom.  Notice that those Gentiles who enter into the Kingdom actually question how they got there!  The Lord speaks to the gathered nations at the tribulations end to pass judgement upon all…

Matthew 25:32-40…  “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

The “least of these my brethren” is remnant Israel.  Be the ones who help them through this terrible prophesied time.  Find a Jew who knows Christ came in the past…

1 John 4:3-4…  “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

…who knows that the one calling himself Christ is a fake and bless him any way you can!  Be a sheep and not a goat.  You missed the rapture, don’t miss the Kingdom.  This is the only way to enter in.

During this time it is very likely that the grace message Paul proclaims and that which I teach will be preached.  DO NOT BELIEVE IT!  The gospel message will have CHANGED as it did when God first called Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).  No longer is free grace (the gospel of Christ) available, but the EVERLASTING gospel because a new dispensation will have begun.  The dispensation of grace is ENDED at the “rapture”.

Revelation 14:6-7…  “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

We now see why Paul warned of man AND angel preaching a gospel other than that which he preached!  Remember, satan today is transformed into an angel of light and his ministers the “ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor 11:14-15)!  Worship Him, Jesus Christ and not the false god of this world, the beast.  Bless those He called to rule the earthly realm and God will bless you in return.  His blessings are no longer free in the age to come.  They will likely cost you everything.

Mark 8:36…  “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Lose everything worldly, including your life in order to obtain eternity.  The world will offer itself up to you.  It’s a trap.  It is even today in this age of grace.  This is the last opportunity for man to find favor with God (he will now need to) before ultimate judgement is passed.  This “age to come” (the Kingdom dispensation) will last for 1,000 years and Christ will rule with a rod of iron from the capitol of the world, Jerusalem.

Revelation 19:11-16…  “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”

So why not be saved today and avoid all that?

Just to put a fine point on things here…  with all this talk of wrath, judgement and war we must always keep in mind that this situation is NOT Gods fault, nor does He take pleasure in such.  He currently offers grace and peace (2 Cor 5:19-21) to any and all.  Read the first few verses of each one of Paul’s epistles!  God created this world in perfection.  It is we that broke the perfect world God created for us.  The problem is, the majority of people WANT what satan has to offer, which is the world with satan (the god of their imaginations, not the God of creation) at the top.  Lack of Bible understanding is a big problem…  Gods wrath is just.  Its purpose is to return the world to its former glory that He might dwell with us and us with Him in perfection as He intended from the beginning.  Well, at least those of us who wish to go with Him.

Next Post:  “The Man And His Wife…“

Adam and me…

/ grace country pastor / Leave a comment

I got to thinking the other day about how things must have been for Adam in the garden.  How simple God made life for man.  God gave to Adam the entire physical creation with carte blanche to dress and keep it as he saw fit.  As God created Adam in His image (Gen 1:27), Adam could, in his turn, make the garden into what he saw fit.  All things displaying the Glory of Creator God. Of course we know God presented Adam with but a single rule and that Adam broke said rule.

I was thinking about this in comparison to the seeming endless complexity of life as it appears in this “modern age”.  Endless numbers of tech gadgets, sports ball games, careers, movies, the ever present TV always there to distract us.  It’s rare that people go out into nature any longer to sit quietly and simply allow it to “declare the glory of God” to them.  When was the last time you watched several hummingbirds at a feeder or butterflies feeding at wildflowers?  Simply amazing!  (Do any of us saved look at one another that way… do we see, in amazement, the glory of Christ in one another (Col 1:26-27)?  Ouch.)  Add the myriad religions to the mix, hundreds of so called “Christian” denominations alone and it’s a wonder indeed to consider Adams most basic human situation.

Death itself was not an issue for our greatest grandfather.  He was presented the ability never to experience its final grip.  The tree of life was in the garden along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and Adam could have chosen to eat freely of it as God had provided, rather than submitting to his own self will and eating from the tree he believed would make him wise like God.

Yet, with all that said, I don’t think he and I had it all that different.  With all the noise and confusion of today’s world constantly bearing down on each and every one of us, in comparison to the seeming simplicity of Adam’s situation, we each have a remarkably similar choice to make.  Let’s explore…!

What choice exactly did Adam have in front of him?  God placed two very important trees in the garden with Adam.  One would provide knowledge that Adam clearly did not possess, the knowledge of good and evil and the other, life in eternal fellowship with his Creator (and, by default, the knowledge that would bring).  Notice that the one contained BOTH the knowledge of good AND evil.  One tree… knowledge of both aspects of human thought and action.  That tree also brought death itself into the world.  Knowledge of good and evil then equates to sin and death. Yikes…

Clearly, throughout the Bible, God instructs people to “do good”, to be fruitful unto “good works”; why then was the knowledge of “good” paired on the same tree and “forbidden” along with the knowledge of evil?  Did God somehow not want Adam to “know good” that he might “do good” and not evil?  It is easy to understand how and why God would not want Adam to know evil but a far less oft asked question is why God did not want Adam to know “good” as well.

Unless of course you and I are not understanding clearly what God means by “good and evil” which is the far more likely case.  Is it possible that what you and I commonly consider to be “good and evil” are only so because of our particular and individual (read, selfish) human perspectives?  After all, isn’t it so that “Christians = good” and “Muslims = bad” from one perspective; AND that “Muslims = good” and “Christians = bad” from another?  (I’m speaking here hypothetically of course.)

Another question… how did Adam benefit from obtaining the knowledge of good and evil?  Is knowledge, even knowledge of “good”, such a beneficial thing when death was the inevitable and spoken result?

Romans 3:12…  “They are all gone out of the way, they are all together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

Romans 3:23…  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Romans 6:23…  “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Perhaps the answer is found, as it usually is, in our own arrogant selves, thinking we know more, in this case about the nature of good and evil, than we actually do.

Isaiah 55:9…  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

In Adams very basic, very good (Gen 1:31) situation, God simply wanted Adams trust placed in Himself rather than in Adams “self”.  It was never about what Adam did or did not “do” as, had Adam NOT eaten from the tree of knowledge, sin and death (the curse) would NOT have come into the world and Adam would have retained his innocence.  His actions, without the effect of sin on them, would have been inherently PURE.  (I deliberately hesitate to use the word “good” right there.)  Adam instead chose to listen to the counsel of his deceived wife (and thus the great deceiver) eventually placing more trust in himself than in the God who created him.  Adam chose worldly knowledge over heavenly (Godly) knowledge, falling for the prideful temptation that he would be “like” the “gods” (Gen 3:1-5).  A lot of good such worldly wisdom has gotten mankind, no?

1 Corinthians 1:19-20…  “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

Yes, He has.  Just read His book rightly divided and you will understand that such is abundantly accurate!

So, taking a step back, what then might Adam, living simply in the “very good” garden of Eden, and me (we) have in common?  What is the take away here?

It is that we both (all of us) face the same simple choice Adam faced.  There was no “law” then as that was given thousands of years later to the nation Israel.  Each and every human being born since Christ revealed the dispensation of grace to Paul (thus removing the curse of the law (Gal 3:10-13) from humanities midst) shares in the identical choice Adam faced.  If the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was “worldly” or “human” knowledge, then the tree of life was heavenly or Godly knowledge. The tree of worldly knowledge brought death into the world, the tree of life (had Adam eaten of it) would have brought eternal life and Godly knowledge.  A man today is in the same position.  He can either choose himself as Adam did (mans default position – we are in Adams image – Gen 5:3) following his own conscience, doing whatever he wishes and face certain death, or he can choose God, not in the form of a tree but in the form of the person of Christ and live eternally with his Creator.

Swapping pronouns, I can either trust in me or I can trust in Thee.  As God simply asked for Adams voluntary trust (choose life or death) He asks the same of me today.  Christ is the tree of life; I am the tree of worldly knowledge.  My choice is THAT simple!  God did not ask Adam to “do” a thing.  He simply placed two trees in the garden and gave him a choice.  In today’s world, God does not ask a man to “do” a thing; indeed, “works” for salvation are forbidden (Rom 4:1-5)!  He asks that we choose life by choosing Christ.  That by grace through faith in Christ’s Work alone we, by choice, alter our default position as that choice is available to every man (Titus 2:11).  Christ fulfilled the curse of the law.  He paid its ultimate price.  Sin and the law are not the issue today as it was (and will be yet again) for Israel.  Thus the mystery revealed to Paul.  He sent His Son to “do” it all and asks only that we trust in Him and not ourselves.  Adam’s choice was the same.  God or self.

Ephesians 1:13…  “In whom ye also TRUSTED, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

God gave Adam a single warning…

Genesis 2:16-17…  “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

In those words is the essence of free will.  May the doctrine of Calvinism be forever damned.  Of EVERY tree of the garden could Adam FREELY eat.  God gave him ample warning NOT to eat of the one, but certainly did not prevent Adam from so doing.  As sin had not yet come into existence, so too has God dealt with sin for us today.  Today, where sin abounds, grace that much more abounds (Rom 5:20).  Thank God sin is not our issue!  God, having made Christ to BE sin for us (2 Cor 5:19-21) has put the sin issue completely aside, as if it never even existed, just as in the garden, so that a mans sole decision need only be to eat of the tree of life (Christ)… or not.  The issue is so stunningly simple yet it is buried under an avalanche of worldly religious confusion and outright deception.

God gives us the same simple warning He gave Adam… choose one tree or the other, choose life or choose death.

1 Cor 15:22…  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

If a man is found in Adam’s likeness (by choosing himself and his own “good” works for salvation) he will die.  If the same man is found in Christ’s likeness (by believing the gospel of his salvation – 1 Cor 15:1-4) he will live as Adam would have IF Adam had chosen the tree of life… eternally with his Creator as the Creator originally intended.

King Solomon had the sum of worldly wisdom and knowledge and used it for both good and evil during his life.  (Justin Johnson just completed an amazing verse by verse study of the book of Ecclesiastes that I highly recommend listening to.)  How does Solomon conclude all the teachings he would convey to his own son; what did he ultimately learn from the totality of worldly wisdom?

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14…  “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

“Follow the law.”  Best to trust God, in Solomon’s case by following the law, and not yourself.  Solomon however had no idea what God was going to do with the Apostle Paul.  It was a mystery not yet revealed, he couldn’t have.  All the worldly wisdom extant plus the wealth and power to wield it and Solomon could only conclude that the law must be followed.  The law which can only condemn and ultimately kill.  Vanity indeed Solomon…

1 Corinthians 15:56…  “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”

Romans 3:20…  “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Romans 8:2…  “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

The wisest man to have ever lived had zero heavenly knowledge of what God in Christ was going to do for mankind.  How much more has God given us in the totality of His Word?  How much more able are we to know of heavenly things than Solomon was?  How thankful ought we to be that God sent Paul, the Apostle of grace and peace, with the message that would change us from the image of Adam we are born into, back into the image of Christ as was originally intended.  Adam was free to choose.  We are free to choose.  Eternal life is a free gift!

Romans 5:18-19…  “Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Adam knew, likely very suddenly, that a perfect and eternal life awaited him and all creation IF he had only chosen God over self.  Prideful human nature stepped in though and instead Adam and Eve stood naked and ashamed before their Holy Creator.  So too do we stand naked before Him when we study His book and IT READS US…

Hebrews 4:12-13…  “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

A perfect and eternal life awaits the man who makes the correct choice today.  Let not pride get in the way.  Become a (little “s”) son of God, as God someday will change this world back into its intended perfected form.  All of creation will once again be made perfect and it is Gods desire that we join Him in eternity!

Romans 8:18-23…  “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

Our very bodies will be redeemed (exchanged) for eternal bodies as Adam would have had; as God originally intended.  The risen and glorified Christ today IS the tree of life presented to us as it was to our greatest grandfather, Adam.  Christ gives the Adam in us a second chance to choose life!  The garden shall return… universal!  Adam the first begotten man, Christ the second.  The saved are His body on earth and forever.

We might be “earthy” now, physically “in Adam”, but we too will be physically “heavenly” in the future.  The saved “in Christ” will be physically changed.  Hopefully soon!

1 Cor 15:45-53…  “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

God gave Adam the same simple choice He gives us today.  One tree or the other; life or death.  No strings attached (we’re too stupid for strings…)

May the Adam in us all choose wisely.

2 Corinthians 11:3…  “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

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