HAPPY DADS AND THE HORRORS OF HELL by Jeff Turner Jonathan Edwards once said the following words: “Reprobate infants are vipers of vengeance, which Jehovah will hold over hell, in the tongs of his wrath, till they turn and spit venom in his face!” Elsewhere, Edwards asked the question: “Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell?” Now, a bit of clarification: Edwards is not referring to God when he speaks of the “believing father in Heaven”. Rather, he is speaking an earthly father who enters Heaven, while His children are sentenced to an eternity in Hell. One would assume that Edwards’ answer to this question would be something akin to, “Nay! And a thousand times nay!”. Unfortunately, his answer was as follows: “…it [the sight of his children in Hell] will increase rather than diminish his bliss.” To be honest with you, I’m not sure if I’ve ever read more demonic, and putrid words in all of my life. I have a level of respec
You say and I quote: God rewards you according to HIS GOODNESS, HIS LOVE and HIS Grace.
ReplyDeleteI have been searching the Scriptures to find a Scripture to support this and haven't been able to find any.
But I have discovered some interesting facts: 9 things we can do to get rewarded by God. So if we tell people there is nothing we need to do to get rewards we cheat them out of their inheritance. I`ve made up my mind nobody will cheat me because I know what word says.
1.) God rewards us for being humble: by exalting us and lifting us up. (1 Pet.5:6) (James4:10)
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
2.) God rewards us for our works:(Revelation 22:12) (Matthew 16:27)
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
3.) God rewards us for being good and faithful:(Matt.25:21)
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
4.) God rewards us for our endurance:(James1:12)
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
5.) God rewards us for our labour:(1 Cor.3:8)
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
6.) God rewards us for our patient: (Hebrews 10:36)
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
7.) God rewards us for doing alms: (Matthew 6:3,4)
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
8.) God rewards us for our prayers: Matthew 6:6)
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
9.) God rewards us for our fasting: (Matthew 6:17,18)
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Hubert, may I humbly suggest that you need to remove your religious spectacles when looking for something in the Bible...doing so may defog your mind and increase its ability to understand what you read. Or maybe if you cannot support the premise that God rewards people according to His goodness and not their deeds, you should change your bible for the Bible. Here is one verse that supports tht premise that it is God's goodness He rewards us.
ReplyDelete“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8
The greatest reward you will ever receive is SALVATION and it is our reward because of God's goodness... NOTHING to do with our works!
The best explanation of grace is disclosed within the writings of Paul himself. The Greek word that Paul used is “charis.” It means essentially “a gift” or “favor.” In Luke 1:30, charis is translated “favor”; in l Corinthians 16:3, “liberality”; and in 2 Corinthians 8:4, “gift.” It is certainly the opposite of works or wages. In fact, it has nothing whatever to do with any works (either good or bad). Paul makes this quite clear.
“And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Romans 11:6
Without a doubt, grace is a pure gift and so thoroughly removed from anything connected the doing of works, receiving wages, or aquiring debts. Paul makes this plain. He shows that debts incurred by works and grace are opposites of one another in meaning. “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt” (Romans 4:4). Grace is something given when a person deserves the very opposite. An evil man may deserve punishment but, if he is given what God calls “grace,” then he is given a reward instead of the punishment.
Delete"Every good and perfect commeth from above." Grace always has to do with something freely given, every blessing bestowed on us by God is because of His gracious grace. Note the consistent teaching of Paul on this matter. “Being justified freely by his grace” (Romans 3:24). Grace is associated with “the free gift” in Romans 5:15 and again in 5:16. This award is called “the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:15). The gift is also called the “abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17).
Conversely, the law is always associated with works and deeds. The breaking of law results in wages being paid—the wages of death (Romans 6:32). Sin and death come by law. As Paul said, “the law entered, that the offense [sin] might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). Grace came to counter the just demands of the law. Though breaking the law caused death to come to mankind, still the free “gift of righteousness” is presently granted to redeem mankind. And while sin reigns unto death for all humans, “even so might grace reign through righteousness unto age-lasting [aionian] life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21).
The New Testament shows that the righteousness of God comes as a gift to mankind, it is not something we work for. Some might wonder if it really is a gift. There is Philippians 2:12 which says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Does that not prove that some “work” is necessary after all? Yes, but whose work? The next verse says, “for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (verse 13). Though Christians have something to perform to be proper law-abiding citizens in our communities, and we are told we are created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10), the works that we always should perform are not a means to secure God's blessings. Our good works are because we work with Him and He does the doing...not work for Him by us doing the doing. The only works essential to redemption, salvation and any blessing is the work of God by His Grace on our behalf—not our own works!
I like the way Paul shoots arrows in this false grace teaching that we don't have to do anything to earn God's favour.
ReplyDeleteRomans 2:6King James Version (KJV)
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Galatians 6:9King James Version (KJV)
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
1 Corinthians 15:58King James Version (KJV)
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Colossians 3:23-25King James Version (KJV)
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Paul also shoots a arrow in the false statement that you made earlier. I'll remind you.
Here it is: God does not reward you according to YOUR REBELLION or YOUR BAD DEEDS.
Here is what my true grace preacher Paul said:
Colossians 3:25King James Version (KJV)
25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
I can see why Paul's grace message is not too popular today.