Spiritual Survival in the Coming Days 6

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (I John 1:7—NIV)

The blood of Christ keeps us without condemnation as we walk in the light of God's Word and confess our sins. It does not serve as a covering that prevents God from witnessing our behavior. There is no scriptural basis for this, and many passages warn us of the consequences of our behavior.

To teach that God does not see the behavior of Christians because they are in a "state of grace" goes against several clear statements of the Apostle Paul. Yet this is the prevailing Christian belief.

There is no passage of Scripture that declares Christ is coming to take His Church to Heaven. I think this idea must be derived from First Thessalonians, where Paul was comforting the living believers with the thought that when Christ comes He will bring the deceased believers with Him; and that the living believers will not enter the Kingdom before the deceased believers or have any advantage over them.

When all have been raised or changed, the entire body of believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, to greet Him and be ready to descend with Him; for this is the hour of resurrection and the Day of the Lord. It signals the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon.

To then use this passage as a way of proving that living Christians will not experience suffering but will escape to Heaven is so unscriptural as to be not worthy of further discussion. The doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture simply is totally unscriptural and is preventing the believers from preparing themselves for the trouble that is ahead.

The recent teaching that all Christians should be rich is against the writings of the Apostle Paul.

The recent teaching that by faith in faith we can command the universe is more of the Hindu religion, possibly, than of the Christian Scriptures.

The recent teaching that Christians are to take over the government of America is not scriptural. Our task at this time is to bear witness of Christ, not to govern the secular society.

The recent teaching that we are to command the Holy Spirit, or angels, has no scriptural basis whatever.

A few years ago a Christian pastor reported that Michael and Gabriel had visited him and taught him. At first I believed this, but then I realized the two angels were reinforcing the lawless-grace teaching that is prevalent. Immediately I perceived they were not of God, for they brought a gospel different from Christ and His Apostles. This "visitation" came to nothing because it was not from the Lord.

If Michael and Gabriel ever appeared to anyone at the same time, we can be sure the history of the world would be changed. It is certain the two highly placed angels would not contradict the Apostle Paul, who maintained that if a believer lives according to his sinful nature he will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

To continued. Spiritual Survival in the Coming Days 7