Salvation is primarily for God’s benefit

While it is true that man can be forgiven, healed, and blessed in many ways through Christ, the purpose is so he can worship God in righteousness and do the will of God. It is not what God does for man that is utterly important but how man can be brought to the place of worshiping and serving God.

On numerous occasions throughout church history, to receive Christ and be baptized in water meant the loss of one’s family and property, torture, and death. In this case the Good News became bad news as far as the flesh is concerned. But the Gospel is always Good News in terms of the Kingdom that is coming.

We are not truly converted until we have died to our own desires and have presented our body a living sacrifice to God. This is our reasonable service of worship.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1,2)

We must humble ourselves, always seeking the Glory of God. If we are blessed, healed, and joyous, this is to be desired. But if we are in a place of suffering, this is just as desirable providing we are being afflicted under the hand of God so we might be a partaker of His holiness.

The Antichrist spirit (for the rest of the article we will regard the False Prophet as so closely related to Antichrist that we will mention only Antichrist) will never accept the idea that Christians are supposed to suffer. What does that tell us about those of today who will embrace a "laughing revival" because it seems to be helping people, but will quickly reject any idea that they must share in the sufferings of Christ? The concept that the believers must enter the Kingdom of God through much tribulation is clearly scriptural.

During the Day of Atonement the Israelites were commanded to afflict their souls, to humble themselves, to deny themselves. This is important to consider because the spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement is taking place today as Christians are confessing and turning away from their sins.

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:27)

For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. (Leviticus 23:29)

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