A birth, a cry, soon words, then questions. School, career, marriage – how rapidly the years pass. Unanswered questions, unfulfilled desires – old age so soon? This is your life – my life! Has it purpose? Only if there is a God.
All creation shows God is there. No one would believe that a watch assembled itself without a designer. Day and night, winter and summer tick by as regularly as seconds and minutes.1 God not only created the universe, He has a plan for it’s future.
Perhaps at the moment you are not sure that God is there or cares about us. If so, we hope this information will help. If you know God already, enjoy this review with us. Numbers after each statement refer to Bible references given below.
WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?
The Bible was written by more than 40 men over about 1500 years. Yet this collection of writings fit together perfectly to reveal one continuous and complete blueprint of time and purpose. This perfect agreement could only happen if God told them what to write2 because, as we know, two people can seldom agree on even one event at one time. Bible prophecies have been fulfilled exactly in past ages, and will be in the future.
There are many counterfeits, many spirits and religions, but the Bible’s message differs from them all in one main point. Man-made ideas give various means for man to improve himself in order to reach God. The Bible says this is impossible,3 and says only God can do this for us. Man on his own would never write something so unflattering to human nature.
THE BAD NEWS
The Bible shows a God who is perfect.4 In contrast, human life is aging, imperfect and selfish. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.5 We wonder why God lets people like mass murderers to do such awful things, but when He judges them, He must also judge us, for everyone is guilty of coming short of His perfect standard.6
“The wages (penalty) of sin is death,”7 in more than one form. We are not born children of God, but are born dead to God, in Adam’s image after he rebelled and died spiritually.8 Also we face eternal death in the lake of fire9 after our physical death. Just one sin earns death.10 It did for Adam. In God’s sight even our good deeds are sin if the motive is wrong.11 When we stop comparing ourselves to other people and see ourselves compared to our Judge, we can appreciate how desperate our situation is.12 We are guilty, helpless and at the mercy of a Judge who demands 100% righteousness.
THE GOOD NEWS
There is only one God and He offers to save us from the deaths we face. No one else can.13 God Himself came to earth as a man to die in our place and rise again.14 This man, Jesus, is God in the flesh15 – the only Savior,16 the Son of man17 and the Son of God.18 Since He is God and has no sin of His own, He could die to pay for our sin and rise from the dead.19
The blood of the Old Testament animal sacrifices covered sin20 until Christ became the sacrifice. “Now once…hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”21
We cannot earn God’s acceptance or approval. “For by grace (unearned kindness) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.”22 To be justified before God, just depend on His sacrifice to pay for your sin. That is called “faith in his blood”.23 Nothing else is required or accepted. No other person or religion is involved. This is between you and God.24
YOUR CHOICE
What are you depending on to escape God’s judgment? Your goodness, religion, wisdom, luck? or Christ’s payment for sin? “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him.”25
Which do you choose?
There is no in-between condition so each of us makes this choice. Because we have this freedom of choice, we can have a relationship with God based on love, not force or ignorance.
NEW LIFE, OPTIONS, AND ATTITUDES
When we first trust Christ, God gives us eternal life26 and seals us with His Spirit
Spirit.27 Our old self is “crucified with Christ”28 and we have a new identity,29 with a 100% righteous standing with God,30 a different purpose31 and a different future.32 We now are capable of communicating with God and understanding His word by which He works in and through us.33 When we live by faith in His word,34 we experience His love, joy and peace.35
However, attitudes and actions of pride, envy, lust, anger and murder still result from our old human thought patterns. Therefore we need to renew our minds constantly with God’s word so we keep in mind who we now are in Christ and can act accordingly.36 When we forget or rebel, we reap what we sow which is not pleasant,37 and we lose time and opportunity, but we can never undo what God has done in us.38 The operation of God that re-makes us is irreversible, and the new life He gives is everlasting.39
Do you believe that bad deeds can keep us out of heaven? Is this trusting God the Savior, or your own behavior? In natural life, a child is not given life on the condition that he behaves well later. After birth, the child’s behavior affects his own happiness and that of the whole family, but it cannot undo his birth. This is true of spiritual life too.
In any new life it takes food to grow and walk. The Bible is our spiritual food.40 The more of it we understand, the more we have on which to think, trust and act. To know the truth and have faith in it, each of us must study the Bible itself,41 not a paraphrase or what somebody else tells us it says.42
WHAT HAPPENS AT DEATH?
Anyone who has trusted Christ’s sin-payment can be certain of going to heaven. For Christ’s sake, God has forgiven a believer’s sin, past, present and future. “We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins...”43 We can be confident that God “which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.”44 Therefore “I am persuaded that” …nothing now or ever… “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”45
When we first trust Christ, our citizenship is transferred to heaven.46 When the body dies, the soul goes there to be with Christ.47 Then at our resurrection, we will get new bodies made in Christ’s glory48 so that we can reign with Him in the heavenly places.49 Since our sin penalty is already paid, our judgment is an awards day when we give account of ourselves and receive reward or loss for our work for Him.50
For the unbeliever, Revelation 20:13,15 says, “...and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: …And whosoever was not found in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” which is everlasting.51
God’s promises are very clear, yet few people are sure of them. One reason is that there are two sets of promises in the Bible: one about a kingdom on the earth, and another about going to heaven. A quick survey of the Bible will show these promises and the time periods in which they apply. (see chart)
OLD TESTAMENT
With Abraham God started a nation, separated from all others, to be His royal priesthood.52 Through Moses, this nation of Israel made a covenant with God known as the Old Testament. It contained hundreds of laws, including the 10 Commandments, designed to show Israel that they could not live up to God’s standard and needed His mercy.53 God promised Israel health and prosperity for keeping all these laws and punishment for breaking them.54 Since God knew that they could not keep His law, a holy place was given where the priest took the blood of the animal sacrifice to cover the sin of the people.55
Although Bibles are published with the New Testament starting in Matthew, actually the blood of the New Testament was not shed until Christ’s death.56 So Christ lived under the Old Testament in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Now Christ’s blood is in the holy place in heaven and there is no place left on earth to deal with sin.57 Therefore the Old Testament cannot be kept and should not be applied to our time.58
NEW TESTAMENT
Throughout the prophets God promised to make a new covenant with the nation Israel which will bring peace to the earth. In it, there will be no more injustice, sickness, hunger or killing, even among the animals.59 Jesus proclaimed this new covenant kingdom to be at hand, with miracles to prove it, when He was on earth.60 He warned His Jewish followers of the time of terrible tribulation that will come before it.61 After Jesus left the earth,62 Peter, who had the “keys” to this kingdom,63 offered it to Israel.64 Although many believed, Israel as a nation did not, and was temporarily set aside along with these earthly promises.65
OUR TIME
Israel’s Old Testament is ended and the new one has not been established yet,66 so where are we? We are under a different message that Jesus revealed after He ascended to heaven. This message was a “mystery, kept secret” until Jesus gradually revealed it to Paul,67 starting in Acts 9. Only Paul writes of today’s church, “the body of Christ”. In contrast to churches of other ages, there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles in the body of Christ.68 All the laws, promises and punishments that made Israel different from other nations are not in effect today.69 Now God is offering individuals (not nations) a future in the heavenly places (not on earth).70 God never will break His covenant with Israel by giving their earthly blessings to us or anyone else.71 Instead He gives all spiritual blessings freely to believers in this age,72 not material blessings or curses depending on obedience, as previously under Israel’s law.73
AFTER US
Our time period will end when believers are suddenly taken off the earth to our position in heaven.74 Then God will again deal with Israel on the earth and the tribulation period determined on Israel will commence.75 At the end of that time, Christ will return, judge the nations and set up an everlasting kingdom on the earth.76 All of Israel that remains alive will accept the new covenant77 and will be a royal priesthood ministering to the world from Jerusalem.78 1000 years later, Satan makes one final stand and God holds another judgment.79
ARE THERE CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE?
In different time periods, God deals with people differently. If time changes are not recognized, these differences can appear contradictory. For example, Moses told Israel they must not eat certain foods, and they must keep the Sabbath (7th) day and various other days holy.80 But for our time, Paul writes, “Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days…”81
When Jesus was on earth, He said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”82 Later through Paul, He explains, “At that time ye (Gentiles) were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Christ in the world: but now ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ…”83
| Israel’s Message | Paul’s Gentile Message (Rom 11:13) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Future on earth | Is 11:4-9; Jer 23:5,6; Rev 5:20 | Future in heaven | IICor 5:1; Eph 2:6 |
| Prophesied | Acts 3:21-24; Lk 1:67-75&24:27,44 | Kept secret | Rom 16:25; Eph 3:1-5 |
| Israel, special nation of priests | Ex 19:5,6; IPet 2:9 | Jew & Gentile no different | Gal 3:28 |
| Law of Moses | Mat 19:17; Lk 2:22-24; Heb 8:10-12 | Law abolished | Eph 2:15; Gal 3:24,25 |
| 3 baptisms | Mat 3:11&20:22; Acts 1:5&2:38 | One baptism | ICor 12:13; Eph 4:5 |
| Prayer promises | Mat 21:22; John 14:12-14 | Prayer peace | Phil 4:6,7; Rom 8:26 |
| Miracles promised | Ex 34:10; Mark 16:17,18 | No visible miracles | II Cor 4:18 |
God does not expect us, as His ambassadors, to convince or convert anyone, that is His job, but we can show what His word says so others can choose to believe Him or not.84 How marvelous to live in fellowship with God and to help others find and enjoy His new life too. Please consider the Bible references given for more details, and to see if the Bible really does say what we have tried to show in this study.
1. Ps 19:1-4; Rom 1:19,20; Gen 8:22
2. II Tim 3:16; II Peter 1:21
3. Jer 13:23; Rom 8:8
4. Deut 32:4; I Tim 6:15,16
5. Rom 3:10-20,23
6. Rom 2:1-4
7. Rom 6:23
8. Eph 2:1; Rom 5:12; Gen 2:17
9. Rev 20:10,13-15
10. James 2:10
11. Is 64:6; Rom 14:23
12. Lk 16:15; II Thes 1:7-9
13. Is 43:10,11&45:21,22
14. Jn 1:1-3,14; ICor 15:3,4
15. Jn 14:8,9; Col 1:15&2:9
16. Acts 4:12; Jn 14:6
17. Dan 7:13,14
18. Lk 1:35; Rom 1:3,4
19. II Cor 5:21; Is 53:4-9; Rom 5:19
20. Lev 17:11
21. Heb 9:11,12,22-26; Eph 1:7
22. Eph 2:8,9; Rom 4:5, Titus 3:5
23. Rom 3:4,5&4:22-25&5:1,9
24. I Tim 2:3-6
25. Jn 3:36
26. Rom 6:23; Eph 2:1,5
27. Eph 1:13,14; IICor 1:21,22
28. Gal 2:20; Rom 6:6-12
29. Eph 4:17-24; Col 1:12-14
30. Rom 3:22; Phil 3:9
31. Eph 1:12; Phil 3:10,14
32. IICor 5:1,8; Col 3:1-4
33. ICor 2:9-14; IThes 2:13
34. IICor 5:7; Rom 10:17
35. Gal 5:16-25; Rom 8:4-9
36. Eph 4:22-24, Col 3:9,10
37. Gal 6:7,8
38. ICor 3:7-15; Eph 4:30
39. Col 2:11-13
40. IPeter 2:2; Heb 5:12-14
41. IITim 2:15; Rom 10:17
42. Col 2:4,8; IICor 11:13-15
43. Col 1:14&2:13; Heb 10:10-14
44. Phil 1:6
45. Rom 8:38-39
46. Eph 2:6: Col 1:13&3:1
47. II Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23
48. ICor 15:35-55; Phil 3:20,21
49. IITim 2:11-13; ICor 6:2,3; Eph 1:20-23
50. Rom 14:10-12; ICor 3:14,15&4:5
51. Mat 25:41; Mk 9:43-48;Rev 20:10
52. Gen 12:1-3; Ex 19:5,6; Deut 7:6
53. Ex 20; Deut 31:26; Rom 3:19,20
54. Deut 28; Lev 26
55. Ex 25:21,22; Lev 16:15-16
56. Mk 14:24&15:37,38; Heb 9:16,17
57. Heb 9:22-26&10:18
58. Rom 10:4; Heb 8:13
59. Is 2:2-4&9:6,7&11:4-9&35:3-7; Ez 36:24-36
60. Mat 4:17,23; Lk 4:17-21
61. Mat 10:34-36&24:3-31
62. Acts 1:9
63. Mat 16:19
64. Acts 3:19-21,24
65. Acts 28:24-28; Rom 11:11-15
66. Jer 31:31-34
67. Acts 26:15-18; Rom 16:25; Col 1:25,26
68. Gal 3:27,28; ICor 12:13
69. Eph 2:11-16; eg Gal 6:15
70. see #34, #49 & #61
71. Rom 11:25-29; Jer 31:35-40
72. Eph 1:3, Rom 8:32; ICor 2:12
73. see #54
74. IThes 4:13-18
75. Jer 30:7; Dan 9:24-27&12:1
76. Mat 25:31-34; Zech 13:8,9&14:1-4
77. Is 4:2-4; Amos 9:9-11; Acts 3:22-24
78. Is 2:2-4&60&61:6; Rev 5:10
79. Rev 20
80. Ex 31:13-15&34:22-24; Lev 23
81. Col 2:16; Rom 14:1-6
82. Mat 15:24
83. Eph 2:11-16
84. II Cor 5:18-21&2:14-17; ICor 3:6-8