Real Faith
This was not a rhetorical question:
Luke 18:7-8 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? (8) I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?"
Faith is a real option, and that MAKES it a REAL question! A night and day cry to God to break in with might is a real option.
Everyone gets what they want, because love is perfected in God. Love requires free will. If God forced even one man's hand to agree with Him, it would violate love. Many will be caught off-guard and will blame God for not warning them, but He will say listen to wisdom:
Luke 16:24-31 "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.' (25) "But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. (26) And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.' (27) "Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father's home. (28) For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don't end up in this place of torment.' (29) "But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.' (30) "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.' (31) "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'"
Many will be caught off-guard and will fall away. This is in numerous places and told of by Jesus, Peter, and Paul:
2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (3) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
Falling away means "quitting being a Christian" because of the pressure to quit and offense....tribulation:
Luke 8:13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
Jesus said the falling away...the mass quitting of Christians...will happen because of "offense." Offense occurs when events happen differently than you were expecting:
Matthew 24:9-10 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. (10) And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Jesus said "be ready" so often because you really need to be ready to not be offended. For real.
Many have a false belief that God will send them an undeniable warning. This is not a Biblical idea. God desires none perish, but to "be ready" requires a response on your part. You cannot sit there distracted by your own life and expect God to break his NUMEROUS words in the Bible about how this all works:
2 Peter 3:9-10 The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (10) But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
It doesn't have to come like a thief for you, if you don't want it to, but everyone gets what they want. According to the Bible (1 Thessalonians 5), this is what "not being surprised" requires:
1. be on guard, not asleep like the rest of the world is PROMISED to be,
2. alert,
3. clear-headed,
4. not given to the distractions and pleasures everyone else is chasing,
5. arming yourself with faith (a history of confidence born out of praying, giving, and forgiving in RISKY ways and seeing God move), and love,
6. living eyes wide-open and practicing having confidence that despite all evidence to the contrary you will be protected because of your salvation,
7. working hard at encouraging others with hard but real truth (remember, Paul is addressing a persecuted church),
8. resist offense,
9. be patient,
10. "putting on" joy,
11. NIGHT AND DAY PRAYER (never stop praying),
12. Exercising thanksgiving (which increases faith)
13. Not stifling the Holy Spirit,
14. Not scoffing at prophecies,
15. testing every word and holding onto what is good:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-21 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don't really need to write you. (2) For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. (3) When people are saying, "Everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. (4) But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. (5) For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. (6) So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. (7) Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. (8) But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. (9) For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us. (10) Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when He returns, we can live with Him forever. (11) So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (12) Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. (13) Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. (14) Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. (15) See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. (16) Always be joyful. (17) Never stop praying. (18) Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (19) Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. (20) Do not scoff at prophecies, (21) but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
Luke 18:7-8 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? (8) I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?"
Faith is a real option, and that MAKES it a REAL question! A night and day cry to God to break in with might is a real option.
Everyone gets what they want, because love is perfected in God. Love requires free will. If God forced even one man's hand to agree with Him, it would violate love. Many will be caught off-guard and will blame God for not warning them, but He will say listen to wisdom:
Luke 16:24-31 "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.' (25) "But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. (26) And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.' (27) "Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father's home. (28) For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don't end up in this place of torment.' (29) "But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.' (30) "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.' (31) "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'"
Many will be caught off-guard and will fall away. This is in numerous places and told of by Jesus, Peter, and Paul:
2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (3) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
Falling away means "quitting being a Christian" because of the pressure to quit and offense....tribulation:
Luke 8:13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
Jesus said the falling away...the mass quitting of Christians...will happen because of "offense." Offense occurs when events happen differently than you were expecting:
Matthew 24:9-10 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. (10) And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Jesus said "be ready" so often because you really need to be ready to not be offended. For real.
Many have a false belief that God will send them an undeniable warning. This is not a Biblical idea. God desires none perish, but to "be ready" requires a response on your part. You cannot sit there distracted by your own life and expect God to break his NUMEROUS words in the Bible about how this all works:
2 Peter 3:9-10 The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (10) But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
It doesn't have to come like a thief for you, if you don't want it to, but everyone gets what they want. According to the Bible (1 Thessalonians 5), this is what "not being surprised" requires:
1. be on guard, not asleep like the rest of the world is PROMISED to be,
2. alert,
3. clear-headed,
4. not given to the distractions and pleasures everyone else is chasing,
5. arming yourself with faith (a history of confidence born out of praying, giving, and forgiving in RISKY ways and seeing God move), and love,
6. living eyes wide-open and practicing having confidence that despite all evidence to the contrary you will be protected because of your salvation,
7. working hard at encouraging others with hard but real truth (remember, Paul is addressing a persecuted church),
8. resist offense,
9. be patient,
10. "putting on" joy,
11. NIGHT AND DAY PRAYER (never stop praying),
12. Exercising thanksgiving (which increases faith)
13. Not stifling the Holy Spirit,
14. Not scoffing at prophecies,
15. testing every word and holding onto what is good:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-21 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don't really need to write you. (2) For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. (3) When people are saying, "Everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. (4) But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. (5) For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. (6) So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. (7) Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. (8) But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. (9) For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us. (10) Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when He returns, we can live with Him forever. (11) So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (12) Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. (13) Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. (14) Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. (15) See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. (16) Always be joyful. (17) Never stop praying. (18) Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (19) Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. (20) Do not scoff at prophecies, (21) but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
Comments
Post a Comment
I appreciate your comments.