Rev. Sudha Mehta©

Subscribe: https://onewaystudies.com

Continued from Aftermath . . . Part IIIa

He knows who His own are my friend, loving Him above all and truly accepting Him as Your personal Savior is the only requirement to going in the Rapture!

Objection:

I have heard one very respected pastor preach, and I know there are many others that preach the same; that the Rapture is a reward for the truly faithful. I do not see this as a reward. I see this act of God the same way as I imagine a parent would reach out and snatch his child out of harms way when confronted with immediate and sudden danger.

If my child was running into a building that was on fire, I wouldn’t first consider how well or not he behaved that morning with me. I would run to snatch him before he reached that building with all my strength, just because he was my child.  In all my best efforts, I still can’t love as well as my Heavenly Father can. His love being perfect, if I am Truly His child, He will save me as per His Word. 

If His love is only as trustworthy as my bahavior and obedience, I am of all to be pitied for I fail often no matter how I labor:

2 Timothy 2: 13 if we are faithless,

He remains faithful,

for He is not able to deny Himself.(BLB)

Those that preach a Rapture as a reward for the select few are preaching a conditions-based Rapture that amounts to a works based salvation.

1 Thesselonians 5: 9 For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.(BSB)

From american free press

The crux of it all is this:

God is after the hearts of humans. Only He knows the condition of every human heart. 

Galations 6: 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.(ESV)

If you have genuinely received Him and have confessed Jesus Christ as your Savior wholeheartedly, then you are His child.

1 John 4: 15 Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (BLB)

John 6:  37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (ESV)

How to know if you are His:

If you have accepted Him, you will have a changed heart. Your heart will begin to have different desires than you did before. The moment you recieve, the change begins.

You will not immediately become super holy and perfect, but you will begin a change. What that looks like varies with individuals.

You may find you don’t enjoy the same things you did before. For example: if you enjoyed going to bars, or nightclubbing with your friends, you may find that not fulfilling anymore. Perhaps you were into drugs, now you will find your mind troubled when you try to use them. Same thing applies to alcohol, cursing, swearing, being sexually immoral, lying, cheating, stealing, rage, idolatry and all other behaviors that are antithetical to walking holy. You will feel greatly troubled inside. It should be that way. It is what we call “Conviction!” It is the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ who now resides in you! It is His work to bring “Conviction” to you to bring you into a Holy life!

Change may come quickly to some, others may find the battle more difficult, but come it will. If you were genuinely born again, you will change. Slow or fast, but you will change. You will want to know more about Him, you will find yourself praying more to Him, you will desire to do more things right than you used to, you will see a change in your desires.

Others will notice!

You see, when we go off on rabbit trails such as you have to be good enough,  live holy enough, work for God enough, look and anticipate His return with joy enough; then you leave out a lot of people who have no control over their circumstances to go through the Tribulation to which Jesus said we were not appointed, You leave a lot of people in the graves, especially the millions through the dark ages, who loved Christ the best they could, but were unable to read Scriptures. No knowledge was provided save the word of a corrupt Catholic church. 

Above all, let us remember the job to make us complete and holy is the Holy Spirit’s and He promises to complete it!

Philippians 1: 6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.(BLB)

I read the same Bible you do, and I take His word that He has not appointed His beloved to Wrath, or to stay in the grave forever. and He will not send any who love Him truly to hell.

Now What?

Having said that, I must agree with Scripture and must concede some conditions that Christ Himself gave.

Rev. 2 and 3. Each of the 7 churches representing types and eras are given a report card and it details a commendation and/or reprimand and a warning. Commendation for what they are doing right. Reprimand for they are lacking or doing wrong, and finally a warning that if they do not repent and turn from the wrong, He will personally remove the light they have been given and hence they will be plunged into darkness.

Dr Missler’s Chart

If a church is plunged into darkness by having it’s Light removed due to a rebellious heart, they are a church in name only, and hence do not deserve His protection. They stay behind!! People in that church have an individual responsibility, no matter the type or era, to do their best to search for right teaching, especially today, when knowledge of the Bible is easy to get. Exceptions apply to the churches in countries like China, North Korea, Iran etc.

Bottom line, since God cannot lie, He will take His children, those that are genuinely His. If you are genuinely His, your life will produce fruit that is fitting for the Kingdom. Fruit that will come from the heart and evidence of transformation from within.

There are those that do a lot of good works in this World and think they should be accepted by Him for they have been good. Many also do great things in His name and expect to be accepted. But my friend, it is always, always, always about the heart! Do you love Him? Or do you just use His name for what it does for you?

You don’t have to do things to prove your heart to any human, you do things from your heart for Him, just because you love Him. You don’t do things to earn His love, you accept His love already shown by His sacrifice, and respond out of gratitude by doing things He wants you to do.

I recently visited with a friend I hadn’t seen for a while. Deep in discussion, I asked her, “Looking back at your life, what is your deepest regret?”

I expected her to list more than one to be honest, as I myself would have done. I expected her to list her own mistakes, as I would have . . . she didn’t. instead, she got tears in her eyes. She paused, her voice faltered as she said, “My deepest regret is that I haven’t shown Him enough gratitude for all the years He watched over, protected and loved me even when I wasn’t walking right.”

praying woman from shutterstock

I was taken aback! That’s an answer I did not expect. That is the best answer God could have! She showed a heart full of love and gratitude for her Lord. I had to say to her, “Do you have any idea how happy this makes Him?” Now she was surprised! She had shown genuine humility before God!

My friend, I hope you can see this as an example of a clean heart. Such a heart will not be left behind. Such a heart is a redeemed heart, and will be raptured.

The Bema Seat:

Now when we get to heaven, we all will go through The Bema Seat judgment . . . all of us. This is where it all gets straightened out. This is where the books are opened as to what you have or have not done.

Know that once you are in heaven, there is no leaving it. It is your home.  What gets sorted at the Bema is not your salvation, but how well you did serving Him. Based on how you did, you will be rewarded. Think of this as an awards ceremony. Understand that only what you did for Christ matters, everything you do for yourself matters not. Everything you did before you knew Him, both good and bad, matters not. Only that which you do after salvation with a heart filled with gratitude matters.

So, many that feel they deserve much reward will come away disappointed, and many that think they didn’t do anything substantial will come away happily surprised and even more grateful.

Bema seat judgment from ilovebeingchristian

Yes, there will be regrets for many who didn’t do what they were commanded to do, many tears of sorrow once they realize their loss, but none of them will be cast into hell, they are still in heaven, but they will have no reward to speak of.

The  rewards we get will have little to do with material things, it will rather be an award of greater responsibility. (Matt 25: 14-21) When you have faithfully served Him in the opportunities given on Earth, He then can trust you with greater responsibilities when we come back to rule with Him for a thousand years when He sets up His Kingdom on Earth.

All this should give you enough information, as well as peace and rest on the subject. As long as you are here on Earth you have a chance to get it right and secure your place in the Rapture. However, waiting is not a good idea for He said:

1 Thessalonians 5: 1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (BSB)

Is it worth gambling with your life??

If you like and want this post to spread, please share it with others. After 2.25 million views worldwide Facebook no longer allows me to advertise, the only way this and every other post goes out is by you sharing and liking. So, please share!

Subscribe on https://onewaystudies.com

This way you get my new posts in your email  directly without being dependent on fickle social media.