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Christianity vs. Religion Topic

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is not a religion, faith-based religions, Gnosticism, Islam, Catholicism, Judaism

Christianity is Not a Religion

Biblical Christianity is not a religion. It's an individual's personal relationship to God through a union with Jesus Christ established by faith. Christian core principles are established by faith plus the free gift of salvation, which in return produces good works according to our talents. Below is Christianity's redemption plan:


Faith + Salvation = Good Works


Salvation is not based on merit. Performing good works does not promise us eternal life in Heaven. This is one attribute of Christianity that separates it from all faith-based religions. So, when someone says, "I’m a good person, I treat others well, I perform good works and that is why I'm going to Heaven”. That may be their personal truth, but that is not what the Bible proclaims. The God of the Bible says that our own human effort does not grant salvation, it's a free gift given to us by His grace through faith.


  • "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9


  • "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6, also see Mark 10:18


Once we believe in Jesus Christ plus nothing, all past and future sins are forgiven, we become God's possession and are now covered by His righteousness. As believers we were bought and paid for by His blood on the cross and resurrection. About our salvation and forgiveness of sins, we can't earn it, we don't deserve it, we can't buy it, and we can never lose it because if we could, we would.

How Christianity Differs from Religion

There are two aspects where all faith based religions differ from true Biblical Christianity:


  • The Plan of Salvation (Faith + Salvation = Produces Good Works)
  • The Deity and Person of Jesus Christ


The Christian plan of salvation holds four basic truths:


  1. God is holy
  2. Man is sinful in his basic human nature
  3. Man is unable to save himself through good works
  4. Salvation is an unmerited, unearned gift from God purchased through Jesus' death and resurrection

Faith-Based Religions

Jesus Christ came to save us from religion! Religions on the other hand endorse a very different redemption plan:


Faith + Good Works = The Hope of Salvation


Religions claim that faith plus our human performance can provide salvation, but it's never guaranteed because the human performance bar is either an unknown or unattainable. There are many Abrahamic based religions such as Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism, Judaism and Jehovah Witness that are essentially cults. The religious collection of ideas includes man-made systems formed among Christian and Jewish sects that originated in the first century. This influence later became known as Gnosticism. Gnosticism (Gnostics) was a prominent heretical movement of the second century that helped spark the formation of many of today's religious groups.  We refer to them as the “Jesus Plus Something” faiths because Jesus Christ's free gift of salvation is not enough to secure our eternal life. They all deny the deity of Jesus Christ and promote the Bible scripture verses that only apply to their narrative. Below is a link to the "Religions" section for a more in-depth analysis.

More on Religions...

Faith is Hearing

Faith comes from hearing the word of God. A miracle takes place when a person comes to faith by hearing God's word from the Bible. This is not the Logos or written revelation from reading scripture from Genesis to Revelation, but it's the Greek word "Rhema" which is God providing a specific word to a specific person in a specific situation just like when Peter walked on water when Jesus said "Yes, come" in Matthew 14:29.


  • "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Romans 10:17

"The religion of Jesus Christ aims at nothing less than the utter overthrow of all other systems of religion in the world; denouncing them as inadequate to the wants of man, false in their foundations, and dangerous in their tendency."


― Simon Greenleaf

Founder, Harvard Law School

The Triune God

trinity, Christianity, cults, judgement, hell, heaven, lake of fire, three persons, one essence

Three Persons, One Essence

The Trinity is at the heart of the Christian faith and one of it's unique attributes that separates it from other faiths. The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible and was first used by an early Christian author, Tertullian, in the second century to designate a Biblical doctrine. The doctrine of the Trinity was confirmed by the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Christian doctrine holds that God is one and exists in the form of three coeternal and consubstantial Persons (one essence); God the Father, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We see in the Bible that they speak to one another, so they are separate Persons. They all have the same character attributes of one mind, one purpose, one goal and one plan (not different minds, different purposes, different goals and different plans) although they do divide their works. This is exactly what we see in nature, complete consistency and harmony, not multiple people, multiple designs and multiple creation objectives.


In Christianity we have a God who is experiencing love and giving love before He creates anything.


  • "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." 1 John 5:7-8


Performance based religions believe in a single God like Islam and do not have an answer for the origin of love, because they believe God is only one Person. By definition, love requires at least two individuals to express love and receive love. Hinduism on the other hand has many Gods that participate in creation, but they all have different plans. Hinduism says that creation is going to be filled with all of these inconsistencies and contradictions because of how many personal gods are involved. And all of these Gods have separate plans, not a single cohesive plan for salvation. Islam's mantra is that nothing is greater than God (Allah), but their own theology make us human beings greater than God because we come from a being that has no capacity for love and yet we have a capacity for love. To put it another way, the God of Islam must create (humans) in order to experience love. In Christianity, God is not compelled to create. Creating is something He does of His own free will because He is already experiencing love (Trinity) before God creates anything. There are passages in the New and Old Testament that makes the point that God begins his works of redemption before He creates anything, so it's not His top priority.


Love has always existed because God has always existed. Love cannot exist without being given a choice. As the Apostle John explains in his first letter, “God is love” and “love comes from God.” God is love because God is triune and altogether righteous, holy, good, and truthful. Without the triune God of the Bible, love cannot exist. Interesting that skeptics find it easier to accept the feeling or presence of human love, but not the presence of God the Holy Spirit (who is love) when both are equally invisible.


  • "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8


Why are there three persons in the Trinity, not just two?  Notice in human psychology where you have two people, you'll get codependent love, but when you you bring in a third individual it breaks that codependency. It's in the Book of Isaiah that most explicitly teaches the doctrine of the Trinity. It repeatedly says that God is one essence, but then he names three persons who all take deity. Jesus shows us grace, God the father loves and the Holy Spirit provides fellowship. For this reason we have different Hebrew names for God. The plural noun Elohim implies more than one person in the Godhead. The singular noun JHWH (Adonai, Jahweh, or Jehovah) is used to distinguish between the persons. Elohim emphasizes the one essence of God. Jehovah emphasizes one person in the Trinity, usually God the Son.


  • "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 2 Corinthians 13:14, also see 1 Peter 1:2

More on Love and Performance Based Religions...

God's Light Clarified

God is one, one essence and God is light. God's light has gone out into all the world and every human has received light from God, through His son Jesus Christ who bestows life on us humans.


  • "In him (Jesus Christ) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:4-5


1 John 3 says the Father bestows love on His children and 1 John 4 says the Holy Spirit bestows truth on us. We will be judged according to what we have done with that light. If we receive that light we perceive towards salvation. If we reject that light we perceive towards damnation. God's light can be defined as a combination of His love, life and truth. The three Persons or members of the Triune God divide's His labors between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit where each Person relates to us in a distinct way from the other two Persons. One essence mans that all three Persons of the Godhead have the same mind, same purpose and plan, they do not contradict one another. All three have the same character attributes. This is how we should relate to God. Because there are three Persons, they can relate to each other and the way they relate to each other is the way God wants us to relate to one another. It's through the Holy Spirit that we gain increasing truth, through the Father that we receive heightened degrees of love and through Jesus Christ that we experience greater degrees of life.


God's Light = God's Life + God's Love + God's Truth

The Triune of Light

Light can also be regarded from the standpoint of its composition. Light is one substance, but it is composed of three different components: actinic, luminiferous, and calorific. The composition of light is analogous to the three persons in the Godhead who are of one essence. Light is one with three properties. God is one in essence, but three separate persons. This is a great example to establish that the properties of light are a scientific reflection of the God of the Bible and not a theistic god from other religions. Science only makes sense with a triune God. The Triune God is covered in great detail in 1 John.


  • Luminiferous light is light produced by the emission of light occurring at a temperature below that of incandescent bodies. Luminiferous is both seen and felt, a perfect illustration of the Lord, Jesus Christ. (John 8:12). The Son bestows life on His creation.


  • Calorific light is light converted into heat. Calorific is not seen but felt, a perfect illustration of God the Holy Spirit (Daniel 5:14). The Holy Spirit bestows truth on His creation.


  • Actinic light is light of short wavelengths that produces photochemical effects. Actinic light is neither seen nor felt, a perfect illustration of God the Father (1 John 1:5). God's bestows love on His creation.

Holy Spirit Permanence

Before Christ death on the cross and resurrection, it was possible to lose your salvation as seen In the verse by King David below. Christ death on the cross changed this because He wanted to make sure that once we are saved, we're always saved. There is nothing we can do to lose our salvation. 


  •  "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:11


Just as Christ is the mediator between us an God, the Holy Spirit within us is the mediator between us and unbelievers. This is why every believer is commanded to take on the role of a priest to communicate the truth about the gospels to unbelievers (Mark 16:15).


Another role of the Holy Spirit is that He is the one that keeps Satan from destroying all humanity. The Holy Spirit is the "Restrainer" because He is a Person and a Spiritual being. He is more powerful than Satan and can keep him in check. As we approach the end times found in Revelation, the Holy Spirit will gradually release His hold over evil, so Satan is allowed to recruit followers called "the inhabitants of the Earth", gain control and wreak havoc. Believers should never be afraid of Satan or his followers because the light (Holy Spirit) is in them which is greater.


  • "You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One (Holy Spirit) who is in you is greater than the one (Satan) who is in the world."  1 John 4:4

Holy Spirit's Function

Jesus had to leave this earth after the resurrection to prepare a place for believers in the Second Creation.  The Holy Spirit remained here to be His ambassador on earth. While on Earth Jesus was limited to the number of people He could reach because He was only one person whereas the Holy Spirit which dwells in every believer could preach the gospel reaching a much greater number of people. This is also why He had to die on the cross. The Holy Spirit within us allows us direct connection with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The holy Spirit within the body of Christ acts as a restrainer of evil on earth. Once the rapture and the restrainer is gone, evil run rampant on earth in the last days just for a brief time.

The Holy Spirit Presence in Old Testament

Below is an example of an Old Testament verse referencing the Trinity that the Jehovah Witness like to omit.


  • "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." Joel 2:28

Trinity References in Old Testament

Below is an example of an Old Testament verse referencing the Trinity that the Jehovah Witness  like to omit.


  • "Daughter Zion, shout for joy and be glad, for I (Jesus) am coming to dwell among you”—this is the Lord’s (God) declaration. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord (God) on that day and become My people. I (Jesus) will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord (God) of Hosts has sent Me (Jesus) to you." Zechariah 2:10-11, also see Jeremiah 23:5-6 Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, Psalm 2:7-12, Isaiah 7:14, Psalm 110, Proverbs 30:4, Psalm 45:6-7, Hosea 1:7

"If triangles had a God, he would have three sides."


― Charles de Montesquieu

Philosopher, Writer (1689-1755)

The Fall

triune of light, Holy Spirit, Satan, dragon, scientific method, Jesus Christ, God’s image, the curse

God's Image & The Curse

The Bible says that all human beings are made in Gods image. The image of God is not a physical thing, its our (1) Will, (2) Intellect, (3) Emotion, (4) Moral Reason and (5) Eternal Existence. God intended for us to be eternal and live  in relationship with Him forever. Humans are the only creation God made in His own image and before the fall of mankind, we were perfect in nature just like Him. Regrettably, our fall from grace gave us a sin nature.


  • "Then God said, “Let Us (Trinity) make mankind in Our (Trinity) image, according to Our (Trinity) likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” Genesis 1:26


We inherited the curse of a sin nature from our ancestors, Adam & Eve, who were given free will and chose to rebelled against God allowing evil to enter the world. The curse meant that all of their offspring would also be born spiritually dead. The curse of a sin nature created more work, pain, suffering and even death for them and all their descendants. 


  • "And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16-17


  • "To the woman he said, I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. 17 To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, You must not eat from it, Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat from it  all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:16-19


God banished Adam & Eve from the Garden of Eden so they could not also eat from the Tree of Life because if they had eaten from it, they and their descendants would live forever with a sin nature. There would be no need for human redemption or death.


  • "And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken." Genesis 3:22-23


  • "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23


We actually inherit our parents (and grandparents) sins that were not addressed during their life and if we don't rectify them with God, we'll pass them on to our children's, children (generational curses below).


  • "Maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:7


Our lives are intended to be an imperfect struggle where we have free will to make moral choices that are in line with God's word or immoral choices that seek our owe gratification. God did this on purpose in order to instruct and prepare us for eternity in the second creation. Suffering through sin causes us to mature and is one tool Gods uses to draw us closer to Him. How else could we possible develop into someone He can use for eternity if we were already perfect like Him? Our sin nature problem will not be resolved until we enter into fellowship with God and our sin nature is completely eradicated in the second creation which is only for those who are redeemed and born of the Holy Spirit.

A Choice between Two Trees

Adam & Eve had the option of eating from either the Tree of Life or from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan had to move quickly and stop them from eating from the Tree of Life because if they had, they would have lived forever in a perfect relationship with God. Even after being warned by God, they fell into temptation and ate from the wrong tree. The penalties for disobeying Gods command by eating from the wrong tree imposed the following curses:


  • They would experience death (Genesis 3:3)
  • They would know good and evil (Genesis 3:6)
  • They would be experience "nakedness" meaning that they lost their innocents (Genesis 3:7, 11)
  • They forfeited the deed to the Earth to Satan
  • They were cursed with a sin nature
  • Women's desires will be contrary to their husbands who God appointed to rule over them (Genesis 3:16)
  • Increase woman's pain in childbearing (Genesis 3:16)
  • The ground was cursed requiring exhausting work in order to grow food (Genesis 3:17-19)
  • God cast them out from the garden of Eden so they could not eat from the Tree of Life. If they had also eaten from the Tree of Life they would have had eternal life with a sin nature, separated from God  with no possibility of redemption. By God prohibiting them, it opened the door for all humanity to have a redeemer who could offer us the option of eternal life with Him. 

More on Adam & Eve's Origin...

The Burning “Thorn” Bush

God appears to Moses in a burning bush, but the Hebrew word is actually describing a burning “thorn” bush. A thorn bush is a symbol of pain and suffering. God was telling Moses that He felt his pain. This is why Jesus was wearing a crown of thorns on his head when He died on the cross. He was not only taking on the curse of creation, the ground that produced thorns and thistles, He’s was taking upon Himself as the greater Moses the pain of the people saying I fell your pain. Sin entered the world through a tree, so God puts the second Adam (Jesus) on a tree for you and me to undo what the first Adam did.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." 


 ― Socrates

Messiah's Two Appearances

genesis, messiah appearances, two comings, Mount of Olives, Jesus return, second coming, end times

One Messiah, Two Comings

Just as Christianity is a two creation model, there are also two comings of Jesus Christ to the Earth. Jesus enters the first creation as a suffering servant (see Isaiah 52, 53 below) to pay for our iniquities on the cross and in the second creation, He returns as a judge to rule over all believers. There are two stages of His second coming where the first stage is His rapture of the Christian Church when believers meet Him in the clouds (see "Rapture"). We do not know how long the period is between the rapture and the start of the seven year Tribulation, but we don't expect it to be very long time since God's Ambassadors (believers) are gone from the Earth. This is a declaration of war where the Jews become God's new Ambassadors on Earth. The second phase of Jesus return starts at the end of the seven year Tribulation when Jesus returns to rules over all surviving believers of the Tribulation taking them into the 1,000 year Millennium on Earth (for more see "End Times" section).


One of the problems with Jesus first coming and predominantly why He was a rejected Messiah by the Jews before His resurrection was because the Jews were expecting their Messiah to come only once as a ruler and king to free them from Roman dominance. There was confusion among the Jews because the Old Testament scripture describes their Messiah as both a suffering servant and a mighty ruler, however it was adopted by the Jewish majority that the Messiah would only appear once as a conquering ruler. In the Micah prophecy below written in 515 B.C.E., he not only names Messiah's birthplace, but the correct tribe He would be a descendant of.


  • "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah (fruitful), though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2


Micah had a 1 in 12 chance of predicting the Messiah's correct tribe (~8%), but also predicting the location of his birth probability is essentially zero.

Bible Prophesied Two Messiah Comings

First Coming, Old Testament:


  • "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6-7 written 740 B.C.E., also see Isaiah 35:3-7


 Second Coming, New Testament:


  •  "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God (Jesus). 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords." Revelation 19:13-16 written 96 A.D.

Donkey and Horse Symbols

In Jesus first appearance right before His crucifixion, He's riding on a donkey making a triumphant entry on Palm Sunday. A king riding a lowly animal like a donkey would symbolize peace in the Old Testament (Zechariah 9:9). When Jesus returns a second time in Revelation 19:11-21, He is riding a white horse, figuratively or literally, which symbolizes war. When horses are mentioned in the Bible they are almost always in relation to conquering kings and war, while donkeys are mentioned in relation to common people and agriculture.

Mount of Olives Significance

Jesus will return to Earth from the same place that He ascended to Heaven. The Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east, will be split in two, from east to west, creating a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. His return causes a great earthquake that creates this valley. This earthquake is confirmed in Isaiah 29:6 and Revelation 16:19.


  • "On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south." Zechariah 14:4 written ~500 B.C.E.

Find out When Jesus is Returning...

"Luck is where Preparation meets Opportunity."


 ― Darryl Royal

 All-American Football Player & Coach 

A Two-Resurrection Faith

Christ resurrection, crown of thorns, Shroud of Turin, first resurrection, second resurrection

Believers First Resurrection Phases

There are four phases of the first resurrection which are all "eternal body" resurrections. There is the first resurrection of Jesus Christ followed by three companies of believers who are raised at different times. These resurrections are patterned after the Harvest Feast in the Jewish calendar. 


  • "and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood," Revelation 1:5


Resurrection phases are as follows:


  1. Jesus resurrection was considered the "first fruits" or the "wave sheaf" which is phase one of the first resurrection (Revelation 1:5, Matthew 27:50-53, 1 Corinthians 15:15-18).
  2. Phase two of the first resurrection will be the rapture of the church called "The Harvest" (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 15:52). 
  3. Phase three of the first resurrection called "The Gleaning" (Leviticus 19:9-10). It consists of those believers martyred during the Tribulation will be resurrected. The resurrection of the Old Testament Saints will also happen at this time (Daniel 12:1-3, Job 19:25).
  4.  Believers who live the entire thousand year period and at the end of the Millennia will be transformed from mortal to immortal which is four of the first resurrection. This phase closes out the first resurrection of life (Revelation 20:5). 


The people living during the thousand year Millennial Kingdom are those survivors who had not followed the Antichrist during the seven year Tribulation. The only reason someone would suffer an early death in phase four would be because they are being judged for some flagrant sin (Isaiah 65:20). Those born during the Millenia will also need to accept Christ before being resurrected to join the other believers in the second Creation. During this time Jesus will rule with swift punishments for those who sin because there will be no prisons in the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 2:27).


  • "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin." Romans 6:5-7

More on Jesus Resurrection...

Both Bodily & Spiritual Resurrection

Christianity is the only faith that makes a big deal about a resurrection being both bodily and spiritual. The only thing the resurrection is about is bringing our bodies into an eternal, immortal state. Even if you were burned up or eaten by a shark, Jesus knows exactly where that matter is, so he can merge it back together in the last days. Please understand that once you believe in Christ, your spirit has already been resurrected and will be joined with your eternal, immortal resurrected body. Our servant Job from the Bible was a contemporary of Abraham and there was no written scripture that we know of in those days, only stories passed down for generations. It's amazing that he had the great insight of faith for someone living in ancient times. Job knew that he needed a redeemer and that one day he would be resurrected bodily to meet his redeemer again.


  • "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; " Job 19:25

More on Bodily Resurrections...

Second Resurrection of the Unbeliever

The second resurrection is for unbelievers which occurs at the end of the Millennial Kingdom's 1,000 years. It is the resurrection of damnation (Revelation 20:12-14). Every unbeliever from the beginning of time until the end of time will be raised bodily from the ashes and will stand before The Great White Throne to be judged by Jesus Christ based on their works since they rejected His free gift of pardon.

More on The Great White Throne...

"Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase."


— Martin Luther King, Jr. 

American Baptist Minister & Activist

a Two-Creation Faith

two creations, the fall, original sin, new heaven, new earth, space-time dimensions, eternal life

Two Contrasting Creations

 Christianity differs from other faiths in that it's a two-creation model whereas all other world faiths are a one creation model. When we examine other faith-based holy books like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Baha'i , etc. you'll notice that they are consistently a one creation model. In Christianity this was enacted so that our Creator could completely eradicate all evil and suffering while enhancing human free will. Once billions of people have had this experienced in the first creation, God will take believers from this temporary creation into a more advanced, eternal second creation where evil and suffering will never exist again. A creation where we won't be constrained by gravity, thermodynamics (law of decay), electromagnetism or by four space-time dimensions*. We will be brought into a realm where we can express our free will (no constraints) in a much greater capacity than we can today. 


  • "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride (believers) beautifully dressed for her husband (Jesus). Revelation 21:1-2


Other faiths do talk about a Heaven, but it's in a context that can be comprehended of what we experience in this creation. Christianity talks about Heaven on Earth in the new, second creation, in a way that's impossible for us to comprehend in the context of the physics or space-time dimensions of our universe. It's completely beyond what we can grasp or imagine. This is another unique feature of the Christian faith.


  • "However, as it is written: What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Corinthians 2:9


* Represented by a set of coordinates x, y, z and t. space time is thus four dimensional.

What does God say about loving the World in the first creation?


  • "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world." 1 John 2:15-16

Read more about The Second Creation...

"If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both."


—  Horace Mann

Educational Reformer (1859) 

First Creation: Suffering

suffering, faith, book of Job, eternal life meaning, salvation, end times, rapture, end church age

Why God Allows Suffering

Why would an all-powerful, all-loving God subject us to so much suffering?


In the first creation, humans are subjected to pain and suffering so that (1) God can teach the angels a lesson through our human experiences about His grace and (2) so humans free will can be tested with God salvation offering required to enter the second creation. The angels are learning from our experiences here on Earth because they cannot experience God's grace themselves. God allows unexplainable problems to come into our lives so that the angels can see that an inferior creature (us) can trust and believe God in the midst's of our suffering. Nothing can touch a believer life that God doesn't allow. He does this in order to continually test our faith so it will become stronger. Faith is like a muscle in that we must workout in order to build the muscle and make it stronger.


An example of why God allows good people to suffer is in the Book of Job. God typically picks a wise, mature person to undergo the toughest challenges. In the Book of Job God allows Satan to use everything in his power to get Job to curse God, Satan's only restriction is that he cannot kill Job. Job is subjected to immense loss and suffering to the point that Job curses the day he was born, but he never curses God. God allows the same suffering and loss at the hands of Satan to disrupt our lives in a similar way especially to those He calls His own. 


  • "Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.” Job 1:8-9

Reasons We are Called to Suffer

God uses our free will to test us through suffering in order that we may become more and more like Him. Most people think that we are only suffering because God's is disciplining us for our sins, but that's only one of many reasons for suffering. Unfortunate difficulties don't always happen to people because they are a worse sinner than someone else, but punishment does happen because they do not repent (Luke 13:1-5). God tests us through suffering so that...


  • We will turn to Him in repentance and not perish for eternity (Luke 13:1-4)
  • Sin can be judged as a result of mankind's rebellion against God (Genesis 3).
  • God may motivate us to follow Him (Hebrews 5:8).
  • We might be a comfort to each other (2 Corinthians 1:6).
  • Our faith might grow stronger (1 Peter 5:10).
  • Our suffering brings us into deeper understanding and relationship with God (Book of Job).
  • We will become a testament of faith to others (Hebrews 11, 2 Timothy 2:10).
  • We can know Christ more fully (Philippians 3:10, 1 2 Timothy 3:12, Peter 2:19-21).
  • God can prepare believers for the glory of Heaven (2 Corinthians 4:17). 
  • We will cease our jealousy and hatred of those who reject the Christian faith (Acts 7:54-60). 
  • We sometimes suffer from the wrong decisions of other human beings, though God uses it for good eventually (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28).
  • We (applies to the Israelites) will not disobeyed the Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 28).

God's Not Excluded from Suffering

God didn't exclude Himself from the pain and suffering that we endure, He sent His only begotten son to Earth, wrapped in human flesh, to suffered and die on the cross to atone for our sins. Jesus Christ willingly did this so that we would have an opportunity to join Him in eternity. God sacrificed Him so that we could all be given the opportunity to be reconciled in the second creation.


  • "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:13


Before Jesus was crucified, the Romans soldiers tortured and beat Him beyond recognition.


  • "See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him, his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being  and his form marred beyond human likeness. 15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand." Isaiah 52:13-15


  • "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,  a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces  he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain  and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God,  stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:1-5 written 740 B.C.

Read more about Jesus Flogging...

Suffering Limited

God puts limits on the amount of temptation and suffering we endure. Even as we go through suffering we should also give thanks even though we may not understand why this is happening.


  • "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." ... He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand." 1 Corinthians 10:13


  • "Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Read Why the Man Born Blind Suffered...

"We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full."

― Marcel Proust

Novelist (1871-1922)

First Creation: Redemption

redemption, redeemed, eternal security, garden of Eden, hades, Tree of Life, Tree of Knowledge

Human Redemption Transpired before Creation

God was working on our redemption through Christ before he created the universe and laid down the foundation of the Earth. God created humans for the primary purposed of redemption.


  • "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace" Ephesians 1:4-6


  • "He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." 2 Timothy 1:9


  • "in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time," Titus 1:2

Our Redemption Test

The first creation was never intended to be a permanent home for human beings. God designed the universe so that (1) billions of human beings could be redeemed, (2) for evil to be eternally eradicated, (3) for humans free will to be enhanced and (4) for angels to be instructed about God's grace. These are the four primary purposes for the first creation of which there are many others such as: 


  1. For Humans to exist and survive
  2. For diverse life to exist and survive
  3. Classroom to teach humans spiritual lessons
  4. To demonstrate God's divine nature (Romans 1)
  5. To show us our own human nature (sin, evil)
  6. For global, high-technologic civilization
  7. To display God's glory and goodness
  8. To make possible the rapid, efficient conquest of evil
  9. To amaze us with God's grace (we are getting more than we deserve)
  10. To personally initiate our rescue from sin (Christ)
  11. To instruct the angels about grace (angels do not experience God's grace)
  12. Prepare the redeemed humans (Christians) for the new creation


God could have kept Satan out of Eden and the Earth forever, but He had higher goals for humanity than simply to experience paradise in Eden for eternity. Adam and Eve lack one thing that follower of Jesus Christ have today. They did not have eternal security because they were not subjected to the most challenging test, the opportunity for redemption. God purposely invited the most powerful and intelligent being He had ever created into the Garden of Eden. Lucifer (Satan, devil, dragon) was the first being to rebel against God and the first one to sin. God knew that by allow Satan in the Garden of Eden that Adam, Eve and their decedents would be exposed to the most challenging test. If we pass the test of being tempted by Satan and his demons (fallen angels), then there is nothing else that could ever persuade us to abandon our relationship with Jesus Christ. The only people that enter the second creation are those who have been subjected to the most difficult test and passed it. God knows we are no match for Satan and his demons, so He provided a way to pass this most difficult test if you come to Him for help. God the creator is all powerful and is more than a match for Satan (who cannot create), so if we come to Him we are guaranteed to pass.


Those people born during the thousand year Millennium, while Satan is bound in Hades, will also be subjected to the same test when God releases Satan and his demons at the end of the thousand year period. This is to test the children born during the Millennium because without being subjected to the test, they cannot have a eternally secure relationship with God in the second creation either.


When Adam and Eve were in the Garden, God gave them a choice to either eat form the Tree of Life or from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They decided to rebel against God, introducing sin and evil into their personal experience. What God was trying to communicate to them is that there are two ways you can learn about evil, you can experience it personally or you can receive instruction from Me. They chose to experience sin and evil personally when God's intent was to be the one who instructed them. Because they made this choice God said from now on you're are going to experience more pain, more work, and more wasted time to undo the damage caused by sin. God knows that we simply lack the resources within ourselves to be able to avoid the expression of sin and evil to pursue virtue. We need external help from an all knowing God who has a way and is loving enough to deliver us from sin and evil because He knows we are incapable of passing the most difficult test on our own. That's why He sent His only son Jesus Christ to enter into the world, become flesh, suffer and die for our sins. Death through Adam, eternal life through Christ. 


  • "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned."... 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! " Romans 5:12-15


In the first creation, we are being trained for an unimaginably challenging, fulfilling and rewarding role in the second creation. In the second creation humans will be ruling over the angels and teaching them. We humans will be managers over what God creates in the second creation. As believers we should have our minds focused on the second creation; eternal security, future rewards and the new roles we will be given. This should motivate us to take advantage of this brief period of suffering God is putting us through to ideally take the position, instead of despising suffering, we should embrace it for the benefits you personally receive and the benefits it has for others.

A Personal Test

I have noticed once you become a Christian the pain and suffering doesn't go away. In my life it has increased especially in the past few years. I believe it has increased because God is drawing me closer to Him to help others make a decision for God before the Church rapture. I've labeled this suffering as being in "no man's land". He is causing me to suffer in order to mold me for eternity. This suffering inspired me to develop EternalLife.info. and in writing it, I have learned more about God's character, the truth and about myself. My hope is that it will also help others with understanding why God created us and the plans He has for our future. For without pain and suffering, there would be little to no reason for us to seek God for instruction.


Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself, I reflect on the Book of Job and all the suffering he endured. Not once through all the suffering did Job curse God. For his faithfulness, God restored Job to a level that was better than before just like we will be rewarded in the second creation for our faithfulness in this one.


  • "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" Romans 8:18

"The question is not Can they reason, nor Can they talk, but Can they suffer?"


― Jeremy Bentham

Jurist & Philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832)

The Second Creation

suffering, faith, book of Job, eternal life meaning, salvation, end times, rapture, end church age

The End of Suffering

The second creation will happen at the moment when God brings the full number of human beings into a redeemed state. At that moment he will replace the entire universe with a new creation. God designed the new creation so that evil and suffering will never occur and the free will capability of humans and angels to express and experience love will be exponentially enhanced. Humans are imperfect beings, but through redemption we become perfect in the presence of a perfect God in the new creation.


  • "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4


Entry into second creation requires suffering and subjection to the most difficult test experienced in the first creation. This process is designed to prepare us for greater responsibilities (future career) in the new creation. Those who receive entry into the new creation will never again need to be tested for their obedience to Christ. This is our eternal security. God's goal is to make eternally secure relationships.

“In a free country there is much clamor, with little suffering: in a despotic state there is little complaint but much suffering."
 

― Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot (1753)

Statesman & Engineer 

Read more about The Second Creation...

A Spiritual War

Lucifer, Satan, dragon, devil, morning star, pride, proud, adversary, ultimate test, spiritual war

Lucifer's Insurrection

Lucifer is called the "morning star" and is God’s greatest, most powerful creation. Lucifer is an incredibly impressive, angelical being, but he is no match for His Creator. The Bible tells us that this "king" was a created being and left the creative hand of God in a perfect state (Ezekiel 28:12,15). And he remained perfect in his ways until iniquity was found in him. What was this iniquity? “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor” (Ezekiel 28:17). Lucifer became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone. The sin that corrupted Lucifer was self-generated pride. 


  •  "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 


Lucifer wanted to be like God, and he convinced many of the lesser angels that they could be like God too. He brought charges against God saying that he was not loving and was unjust. Lucifer's act of pride represents the beginning of sin, preceding the fall of the humans by an indeterminate time. Sin originated from Lucifer free will in which he chose to rebel against His Creator and was illusive enough to convince one-third of all the angels to rebel with him against God. Considering that the angelic host numbers more than 10,000 x 10,000 (100 million angels), that is a sizable group. The difference between when humans sin against God and angels do, angels' sin is for all eternity because they have no plan of redemption or savior, they are immediately condemned.


  • "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand." Revelation 5:11


  • "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!" Isaiah 14:12


  • "Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon (Satan) stood in front of the woman (Israel) who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." Revelation 12:4,9


Lucifer was rightfully judged by God: “I threw you to the earth” (Ezekiel 28:18, Luke 10:18). This doesn’t mean that Lucifer could not access Heaven. Scripture verses clearly indicate that Lucifer maintained this access to God even after his fall (Job 1:6-12; Zechariah 3:1,2). Lucifer's access to Heaven is removed at the end of the Great Tribulation. As a result of his sin against God, Lucifer became very corrupt and his name changed from Lucifer to Satan (adversary or dragon). His power became completely perverted and his destiny, following the second coming of Christ, is to be bound in the Abyss during the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom in which Christ will rule the earth (Revelation 20:3). After the Millenia Satan will be be thrown into the lake of fire with his demons (fallen angels) and all unbelievers.


  • "He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time." Revelation 20:2-3


  • "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:41

The Adversary is Mankind's Ultimate Test

Does Lucifer's story of rebellion sound familiar? God gave Adam and Eve free will, they too rebelled against God and were cursed. God had given Adam the title deed to the earth and when Adam chose to followed Satan, he relinquished the title deed to the earth to Satan along with the authority over mankind. When Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind, He purchased back the title deed to the earth from Satan and regained all authority over mankind. His death of the cross gave mankind the opportunity to become redeemed. God wants every human being to become redeemed so He can demonstrate to Satan that a far lesser being can overcome Satan's deceptive power and choose to worship Him through His son.


In this creation we find ourselves in the middle of a spiritual war between God (good) and Lucifer (evil) to determine where we will spend eternity. Satan's (Lucifer) goal is to take everyone to hell with him to be tormented for eternity. Because all humans are born spiritually dead, we must be spiritually reborn through the Holy Spirit, so we can ward off Satan's advances and solidify a eternal relationship with Christ. Satan cannot create humans or anything else, so his scheme is to distract humans from making a decision for God by constantly deceiving us, so we will focus our attention on the temporary pleasures of this world. If he can keep us from reading God's Word (Bible) and knowing about Christ's free offer of salvation, he will be able to recruit vast numbers of people over to his side for all eternity. He already knows his permanent address is Hell and he selfishly wants us there with him. 


Satan is the father of all lies and the source of mankind's blindness to knowing the light of Christ. Everyone including Christians are under the power of Satan, it's only through the Holy Spirit that we can begin to fend off his advances.


  • "We know that we are children of God (Christians), and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 John 5:19


  • "You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil (Satan). He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God (unbelievers)." Ephesians 2:2


  • "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4


If Satan was able to recruit one-third of the angels then us humans are a much easier target. The one thing he didn't plan for was God's grace in delivering His sons death on the cross for sin to given mankind an easier path to salvation. Satan's only objective is to prevent you from knowing the truth until your passing, so you will forgo the free gift of salvation by default. Satan is so powerful that it is impossible for us humans to resist his temptations without outside assistance. God knows this and wants us to look to Him for help (Ephesians 6:10-12). Resisting Satan's temptations for the sin in our lives is the hardest test we will ever confront and it's impossible to pass it alone. If we pass the ultimate test, God's welcomes us into eternity with Him because He knows there will never be a more challenging test than Satan that could ever persuade us to rebel against Him. Humans are exposed to the ultimate tests of sin and evil throughout our lives and struggle resisting it. Because some of us decide to ask God for help to pass this ultimate test that we cannot pass on our own, we can now experience God's grace and undeserved favor from Him to do what we cannot do for ourselves.


  • "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8


  • "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10

Angels are Watching Us

The righteous angels are watching God’s grace playout through our human experience. Angels can’t experience God's grace, but they are intently observing us to learn about the mystery of God's grace. God could have kept Satan and his demons away from earth for all eternity, but if He had done that, we would not have an eternally secure relationship with our creator. Because we are experiencing God's grace, He is training us to one day, rule over the angels so we can teach them in the second creation what we've experienced in the first creation. This is why we need to make the most of our time her on earth. We are laying the ground work for our future positions in eternity. 


Eternal security requires that we are exposed to the most challenging test. Humans are gaining something Adam and Eve did not possess before they were exposed to Satan. They did not have eternal security before they were exposed to Satan. Through this first creation experience, we are given the opportunity to choose to accept God’s help through His son, Jesus Christ, to pass the ultimate test and spend eternity with Him or we have the free will to reject His offer of salvation. The Holy Spirit currently keeps Satan in check by restraining evil, so that he cannot wipeout mankind completely. As we approach the end times, the Holy Spirit will give Satan more and more freedom to cause havoc on this Earth to the unbeliever (see Revelation). 


  • "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3

More on Angelical Beings...

Spiritual Tug of War

Satan's objective throughout the Old Testament is to stop the birth of the Messiah who would defeat him. To do this Satan must destroy and/or corrupt the bloodline of the coming Messiah. If he can destroy the image of God or end the blood line of King David, he can prevent the birth of Jesus Christ. Below are a few examples of this spiritual battle between God and Satan.


  • The death of Abel and the banishment  of Cain. Seth became the replacement male to carry on the human race and the future birth of the Messiah. (Genesis 4)
  • The Nephilim (angelical beings) were mating with the daughters of man (human females) in disobedience. Their offspring distorted the image of God in which would eventually effect the offspring or bloodline of the coming Messiah (Genesis 6). The Messiah had to be fully human and fully God in order to fulfill the title "Son of God" in the scripture. He couldn't be part angelical being which was Satan's attempt to impurify the bloodline. King David eliminated the last of the Nephilim with the death of Goliath.
  • The slaughter of  Ahaziah, king of Judah, and his relatives by Jehu. Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah who wanted to avenge her sons death by destroying the royal family which would have ended the Messiah's bloodline by killing Joash, the only surviving son of Ahaziah. Ahaziah sister rescued Joash and put the boy and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him so he was not killed. They remained hidden at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. Afterwards, Jehoiada the priest had Joash crowned king. (2 Kings 11) 
  • Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod and the Magi (three kings) from the east came to Jerusalem and ask Herod where is the one born the king of the Jews because they saw the star and wanted to come worship him. Herod became disturbed and all of Jerusalem. Herod consulted the high priests and teachers of the law to determine where the Messiah would be born. Micah 5:2 prophecy says "In Bethlehem in Judea" so they were sent to go search for the child and report back to Herod. The Maji left Bethlehem returning home without notifying Herod. Furious, Herod ordered every child under the age of two to be killed in Bethlehem. Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt with Mary and the child and stay there until King Herod death. This was another attempt by Satan to eliminate the Messiah.

More on the Messiah's Bloodline...

First Recorded Murder

Satan's objective was to eliminate all of Adam's offspring. Eve had two sons named Cain and Abel. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices to God, each of his own produce, but God favored Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's. Out of jealousy (sin), Cain killed his brother, for which he was punished by God with the curse and exiled outside of Eden in land of Nod (Genesis 4:1-16). Satan thought that by using the the sin of jealousy he could eliminate mankind therefore ending the possibility of the birth of a savior. Seth was born after Abel's murder and Eve believed that God had appointed him as a replacement for Abel to carry on the human race. This is just one of many examples throughout the Bible of a tug of war between Satan and God. We are are in the middle of the same tug of war between them for where we spend eternity.

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”


― Charles Baudelaire

French Poet, Art Critic, Philosopher,

“Le Figaro” Newspaper, 1864

“If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.”


― Corrie ten Boom

Dutch Christian Watchmaker & Writer 

A Two-Judgement Faith

judgement seat of Christ, New Testament, Lambs Book of Life, believer, Jesus return, tribunal

Judgement Seat of Christ

Judgment always comes after resurrection. Before believers are judged, every evil deed we've committed is removed. God has already forgiven every sin that is past, present or future. He cuts it away and destroys it forever before we come into His presence. Therefore, we will not have to give an account for these evil deeds. The Judgment Seat of Christ is not designed to punish believers, but rather it is a time of examination for assigning eternal rewards based on our service to Christ. The participants in the judgment seat of Christ are members of the New Testament Church and whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life. They are believers who have trusted Christ as Savior from the Day of Pentecost until the rapture of the Church. This event will occur immediately after the rapture of the Church, but before the second coming of Christ to the earth (Revelation 19:7,8). It does not include the Old Testament believers (people who lived prior to Christ's ministry) who will have a separate time of judgment and receive (or lose) rewards according to their deeds.


  • "For we (Believers) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10 (Also see Matthew 16:27, Psalm 62:12, Ephesians 6:8)

 

All believers will stand before Jesus Christ to be individually judged on their deeds after becoming a believer since the good deeds we performed before we became a Christian were not done in His name.


  • "You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat." Romans 14:10


Some time in the near future, Jesus will return momentarily to take away or rapture the deceased believers and those believers living in current times for Judgement (see Rapture section). We are caught in the clouds with Him so Jesus never physically touches the earth. He will change believers bodies from corruptible (decayed) to incorruptible (eternal). After this momentous event, believers will immediately go to the judgment seat of Christ.


  • "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain (living), will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17


It's important to understand that entry into Heaven is only obtained by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works. This is not a judgment to determine who will enter Heaven. The sins of believers will not be an issue since they have already pass the test and their sins have been forgiven (Psalm 103:10-12, Micah 7:19, John 3:18). There is no condemnation for those who have believed in Christ (1 Peter 2:24). Those who have trusted Christ now possess eternal life (John 5:24) and the curse of a sin nature has been removed (Galatians 3:13). Jesus presented Himself as a sin offering on our behalf before God (2 Corinthians 5:21). 


  • "Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1


  • "For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14


At Judgment Seat of Christ, each person will give an account of what we have done (1 Corinthians 3:10-13). The "judgment seat" is also known as the "bēma". The word is also translated court or tribunal. The platform could be either public (John 19:13) or private (Acts 25:22). The bēma is a tribunal for rewards. In the large Olympic arenas, there was an elevated seat on which the judge of the contest sat. After the contests were over, the successful competitors would assemble before the bēma to receive their rewards or crowns. The bēma was not a judicial bench where someone was condemned; it was a reward seat. Likewise, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judicial bench. The Christian life is a test, and the divine teacher is Jesus Christ. Each believer has already passed the most critical test, so now He gathers us before the bēma for the purpose of examining each one to be giving our proper reward(s). Not everyone will receive the same reward, there will be those who suffer loss and the judgment will be by fire. Fire is used in scripture as a symbol of judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah were judged with fire (Genesis 19:24, Revelation 1:14, Deuteronomy 4:24). You can lose your reward, but not your salvation (Revelation 3:11)


  • "If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:15

Victory Crowns

The eternal rewards believers will receive in Heaven are called crowns. Every Christian receives at least one crown for being a believer. The most we can receive is seven crowns, but this requires that we become a martyr. Crowns have different levels and degrees based of faithfulness. It is thought that once we are given the crown, we will place it at the feet of Jesus acknowledging His sacrifice for us on Calvary.


  • Full Reward: Believers will receive a full reward for their deeds of faith (2 John 8).
  • Position Of Honor: All who experience the judgment seat of Christ will possess the privileges and honors as children of God. Jesus said He will acknowledge those who have believed in Him before His Father, and before the angels (Matthew 10:32).
  • Rewards Proportionate: The rewards that the believer receives will be proportionate to the faithfulness they show in this life. The key is faithfulness to the gifts God has given (1 Corinthians 4:2).
  • Different Degrees of Rewards: Jesus spoke of different degrees of rewards in the Parable of the Ten Minas. (Luke 19:16-22).


Crowns Defined:

  1. (Salvation) Redeemers Crown: Every believer receives this crown.
  2. (Victors) Incorruptible Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25): Self-discipline requires the ability to say “No” when necessary and not just to things that are sinful. Serving God involves narrowing our focus to those things with the highest eternal value. Life is full of good things that take our focus off the best Christ has to offer and It is up to us to identify them and choose accordingly. Those who exercise such discipline will receive the Victor’s Crown. 
  3. (Soul Winner's) Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19): It’s often called the Soul-Winner’s Crown and it’s the reward given to those who reach out beyond themselves and lead others to Christ.
  4. (Anticipation) Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8): A special reward is given to the righteous who long to see the face of Jesus and are preparing for His return.
  5. (Martyrs) Crown of Life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10): Any believer who has kept the faith in Christ when it was costly to do so, anyone who has suffered, endured, persevered, and encouraged others.
  6. (Elders) Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4, 1 Corinthians 9:16-17): This crown is given to faithful shepherds of God’s people; pastors, elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, ministry team leaders, greeters, choir and more. It will reward those who answer the call of leadership. Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). 
  7. Old & New Testament Crowns (2 Corinthians 4): Focus on the blessing that one receives through God on this Earth. Those who have walked a long time with the Lord in this life.

Read what happens after death....

"Get busy living or get busy dying."


― Stephen King

American Author described as the "King of Horror"

bema, crown rewards, great white throne judgment, unbelievers, martyrs, Old Testament saints, wicked

Great White Throne Judgement

There will be those who have aligned themselves with Jesus Christ during the Millennia. They will enter into His eternal kingdom along with the Tribulation martyrs and the Old Testament Saints. The following groups will be judge after the Millenia and before the Great White Throne Judgment. 


  1. The Millennial Believers (Revelation 20:6)
  2. Old Testament Saints (Daniel 7:27, Revelation 20:4)
  3. Martyrs (Saints) from the Great Tribulation (Revelation 20:4)


When the Bible speaks of the last judgment, it is not similar to taking a final test to see whether we pass or fail. That type of judgment has already taken place. This last judgment is the public recognition of decisions long-since been made. The last judgment is also known as the Great White Throne judgment that  will come at the close of the Millennial Kingdom. Jesus spoke of the eventual judgment of all humanity.


  • "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned." John 5:28-29


The purpose of this judgment is to judge all the wicked dead who have ever lived. After the Millennia, there is a final rebellion against Christ in which Satan is defeated (Revelation 20:7-9).  First, the books are opened; Book of Genealogy, Book of Remembrance, Book of Life for Every Human ever Created, Lambs Book of Life and finally the Book of Life. The Book of Life and the Lamb’s Book of Life are essentially one and the same. All the books are opened so the unbelievers can plead their case to Christ (John 5:22). The books have a record of every thought, every deed and every thing you've ever said. 


  • "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." Revelation 20:11-12


The following people will be judge by Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment.


  1. The Unsaved Dead of all time, (Revelation 20:13)
  2. Satan who joins the Antichrist and Fales Prophet in the Lake of Fire, (Revelation 20:10) 
  3. The Fallen Angels, (Jude 1:6, Peter 2:4, Matthew 25:41)

 

Some are condemned who never heard the message of salvation since God already knew that they would reject His offer of salvation because during their entire life they never sought Him out for a relationship and redemption. Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life is thrown into the lake of fire called "Gehenna". These people experience a physical death and an eternal death. This is the second death.


  • "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15


  • "Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:7-8


Every human being ever born name is written in the Book of Life. If a person becomes a believer their name is crossed out and a new entry with their name is made into the Lambs Book of Life. This is God's Heavenly accounting system. For those who rejected God's free gift of salvation their names are blotted out of the Book of Life.


  • "Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous." Psalms 69:27-28 also see Exodus 32:32-33, Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8


The Great White Throne is the final judgment. Those who are judged are assigned to their final state and there are no more opportunities for redemption after this final judgment. Ultimately, where we spend eternity, it's our choice.

Double-edged Sword Metaphor

The Bible repeatedly states a metaphor that God's Word is sharper than a double-edged sword. The reason the sword isn't a single edge sword means that it's hard to escape it if it has two sides likening it to a roman soldier's sword because you're going to get cut. One side of the sword represents the righteous and the other side represents the wicked. Having two sides exposes everything and also gives it an aspect of mercy. At the Judgement Seat of Christ, He uses that sword to cut away the sins of the believer before judgement when we come into His presence so what's remains (the good) comes in to be judged. This is an act of mercy. 


Just the opposite is true for the unbeliever. Before the wicked are judged at the Great White Throne, God will use the same sword to cut away everything that is good because the wicked man said in his heart that he wants to live his life without God. There is a lot of good people or sinners living this type of life, but they are not being good on Christ's behalf. The good deeds done in pride will not to be counted against the wicked, God in His mercy cuts it away. The sword represents God's, justice, holiness, judgement and wrath on one side, and His mercy, love and kindness.

"You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everyone dances with the Grim Reaper."


― Robert Alton Harris

American car thief, burglar, kidnapper & murderer

Executed at San Quentin State Prison, 1992 

Read more about Judgement Day...

Christianity in the Americas

judgement day, millennia, book of genealogy, book of remembrance, book of life, Gehenna

America's Rich Judeo-Christian History

The United States of America was founded on religious freedom by the Pilgrims (1620), Puritans (1630), Quakers (1650), Catholics (1789), Episcopalian (1789), Lutherans (1820), Methodist (1784), Presbyterian (1789), Protestant (1700), Judaism (1820), Shakers (1772), Church Of Jesus Christ LDS (1830), Seventh-Day Adventist Church (1863), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1870) and the southern colonists were settled by a mixture including Baptists (1638), Anglicans (1607), Church of the Nazarene (1908) and Pentecostal (1906).  We believe this is the primary reason why God blessed America. The original settlers of the United States of America primarily left England for religious freedom from persecution during the reign of King James I (1603–1625) and of King Charles I (1625–1649).


Contrarily, South America was colonized primarily by Spain spearheaded by the Spanish conquistadors, France and Portugal (Brazil), founding was much different from the United States. From 1492 to the 1800's, Spanish explorers were the bullies of the New World. Spain's primary colonization goals were to extract gold and silver from the Americas to stimulate the Spanish economy and make Spain a more powerful country. Due to war and disease, the native populations were decimated. Spain's also aimed to convert Native Americans to Catholicism. It is our belief that this was primarily the reason why South America never flourished like its northern counterpart. 

Denominations Implies Divisions

What does God say about having multiple Christian denomination? The reason there are so many denomination is that Christians can't agree on one doctrine and follow God's advice to avoid divisions. There should be only one Church denomination that teaches sound biblical doctrine called Christianity. In general we endorse non-denominational Churches that teach sound Biblical doctrine.


  • "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them." Romans 16:17


  • "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10


  • "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:4-6

 "Wrongs are often forgiven, but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever." 


― Lord Chesterfield

Statesman and Writer

Forgiveness

forgiveness, prayer, Atheist, Agnostic, eternal life meaning, eternal life, salvation, end times

Commanded to Forgive Others

Forgiveness is a Christian behavior that all believers are commanded to practice. Forgiveness is the Godliest act a person can perform. It is not an impossible standard required for salvation. The greatest offense that has ever occurred within the entirety of God's realm are the rebellions (sin) of billions of humans against Jesus Christ. The greatest offense was Christ's crucifixion on the cross required to pay for our rebellion. It wasn't only His physical pain and suffering on the cross we could visualize, but it was also His atonement price for 100% of all the sins that every human being has ever committed past, present and future. No one has been offended greater than Jesus Christ and yet He forgave us. 


  •  “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32


  •   “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." Matthew 5:7


When Christians refuse to forgive an offense done to us by another human being what we are saying in our heart is that we have been offended greater than we have offended Jesus Christ. That is denying what Christ did for us on the cross. God recognizes that we will have difficulties forgiving one another. If we are prepared to go to God and ask the Holy Spirit or other believers for help through prayer, we will be able to forgive at some point. Forgiveness is an act that could take years, but being able to forgive removes the burden from our hearts so we can heal. True forgiveness is when we forgive as if the act never took place which will have an amazing healing effect on others. By not forgiving, we open the door for Satan to fill us with growing hate and bitterness.


  • "In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" Ephesians 4:26


  • "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14

Forgiving the Son who Murdered my Family Story...

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”


― Corrie ten Boom

Dutch Christian Watchmaker & Writer

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”


― Oscar Wilde

 Irish Writer & Playwright 

Prayer

forgiveness, prayer, Atheist, Agnostic, eternal life meaning, eternal life, salvation, end times

Our Most Powerful Weapon

Prayer is basically a process of determining God’s will for a particular situation or set of circumstances. God wants to partner with us and wants us to discern His will. 


An important first step in developing a fruitful prayer life is consistent Bible reading. When we read the Bible, we begin by asking God to speak to us as we read. We should ask him to teach us, to grant us understanding, to rebuke us, to redirect our plans, to show us what we should be praying for.


Second, it is important to take time to listen to God when we pray. Prayer is intended to be a two-way communication. It is important that we do not do all the talking.


Third, God wants us to pray with progressively greater specificity. For example, we can begin with a general request. However, do not be surprised if you sense God saying, “Exactly how do you want me to fulfill your request?” God wants us not only to discern His general will, but His specific will. He wants us to discern the precise steps and the order of those steps in bringing about his will in a particular situation.


Fourth, the power of prayer becomes greatly magnified when we fast. Fasting is where we sacrifice food, drink, sleep, or pleasures in order to dedicate extended focus on prayer. Some of our greatest experiences with God have occurred when we have dedicated an entire day to fasting and prayer. EternalLife.info was created through days of prayer and fasting.

The Value of Prayer Study

The National Academy of Sciences Journal published and article about the value of prayer in 2018. In the study a few scientist work with a sample of 482 people in the Carolina's in the damaged area right after Hurricane Florence hit. The hurricane victims were put through a test where each person was offered $5.00 to either keep, or use the $5.00 to have a Christian they never met to pray for them as they recover from this disaster, or use the $5.00 to make sure no-one prays for you. The $5.00 will not be given to the person praying for you and they will be located in a different state. They used an incentivized multiple price list (MPL) to elicit participants’ where the MPL entailed 13 choice pairs where participants chose between two alternatives: an intercessory gesture and a monetary gain, or no gesture and a monetary gain. 


The results from the study showed that those in the sample that identified themselves as Christians were willing to pay money to have a stranger who is a Christian pray for them, but were not willing to pay money for an Agnostic or Atheist pray for them. Those subset of people who identify themselves as Agnostic or Atheist were indifferent to having someone pray for the unless they were a Christian. So Agnostic and Atheist were willing to pay $5.00 for the guarantee that no Christian will pray for them in the mist of their trials. The scientists concluded that Christians value other Christians praying for them and Atheist's devalue Christians praying for them because they are willing to spend money to ensure it doesn't happen. The scientists were expecting the Atheists and Agnostics to just pock the $5.00. Atheist could be making a hostel, cultural stand?


We believe the study is implying spiritually and philosophically that people who identify as Agnostic are not really neutral towards Christian prayer since they use their money the same way and Atheist does. I can understand why a committed Atheist would not want a Christian praying for them, but not an Agnostic. One plausible reason might be that the Agnostic and Atheist don't like Christian's or they don't like the Christian God of the Bible. They're ok with some other God, but not the Christian God. It could also be that the Agnostic or Atheist growing up in the Bible Belt states of the Carolina's have been exposed to Christianity and had an early bad experiences with it and are willing to pay money to avoid it. One would think if Atheist's were really convinced that the God of the Bible didn't exists they would keep the $5.00 implying that it really made no difference to them...in fact they are not treating the Bible like a bunch of fables or a myth without any scientific or historical support because if they were they would pocket the $5.00. Something is motivating them to spend their money and it implies that they really do think there is something to the God of the Bible.


A number of Scholars have pointed out that people who are Public Atheist (in North America) all have a story about a bad early experience with their earthly father. The Christian faith makes an analogy between our father in heaven and our earthly father according to Paul Vitz who wrote "Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism".  If your earthly father treated you well and loved you then it makes it easier to accept the fatherhood of God, but if your earthly father was abusing you then it becomes much more challenging.

The Value of Thoughts nd Prayers Article...

A Question to Atheists & Agnostics

Is it rational and logical to let a human being that the Bible declares is sinful and full of evil get between you and a God who has no sin, no evil and has a desire to have a compassionate, loving relationship with you? Make sense? 


Don't let a bad experience with a Christian(s) stop you from having a relationship with God and the opportunity to spend eternity with Him.

"Churches are hospitals for the spiritually sick."


― Michael Crist

Commoner


  • "On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13 

The Value of Thoughts nd Prayers Article

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