SOME ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH FROM ITS BEGINNING – THE CHURCH’S HOME AND WHAT LIES AHEAD - PART 8
[1]. THE CHURCH’S HOME - INTRODUCTION
Maybe in this next posting in the series I might say some things that are new to you, but just follow along and search out these scriptures. Very little these days is mentioned in churches about the future for Christians except, “We go to heaven to be with the Lord.”
If you ask Christians, what is their home (that is their spiritual home) I suppose most of them will say heaven. Ask them what their eternal home will be and you would probably get the same answer. Is that fully scriptural? I want to share some thoughts with you. Before we begin, I wish to stress that this is my view as I understand the bible, and as it is all future, we can not have full absolute certainty on all these things.
We know that when the Rapture occurs, the Church is taken to heaven, but most of the Church is there already. The Old Testament righteous people are in heaven having been taken there from Paradise with the ascension of the Lord Jesus – {{Ephesians 4:8-10 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, and He gave gifts to men.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”)}} “Descended into the lower parts of the earth” means his burial, for Jesus went to hell – {{Psalm 16:10 “for You will not abandon MY SOUL TO SHEOL. Neither will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”}}. That is a Messianic Psalm that talks prophetically of the Lord. Sheol (Hebrew) is translated Hell in some other translations.
When Jesus died He went to Paradise with all the righteous souls. At His ascension He took them all home because His sacrifice made it possible for them to enter heaven. This next verse is an interesting one – {{John 3:13 “NO ONE HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man.”}} That was fully true because Enoch and Elijah ascended to Paradise. There was no human being in heaven prior to the ascension. All the dead in Christ for the past 2000 years, the believers of the Church age, go straight to heaven.
[2]. THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
Let me ask a question about the Judgement Seat of Christ – does that happen for a believer immediately he enters heaven, or will all that happen for everyone in the seven years from when the Church is raptured and taken to heaven, before she returns to earth with her Lord at the Second Coming? I think I would conclude that it is a subject we have not really thought about.
All believers will appear before the judgement seat of Christ. I know this frightens some Christians because they will be under the spotlight and that is daunting. It might make us a bit afraid. I have a full article on the Judgement Seat that I don’t think I have yet posted, but today this will be brief. I want you to understand this – the Lord is not sitting on the judgement seat with a rod or a strap in His hand. He sits there lovingly to reward faithful service and want to give out rewards.
When the time happens that the Church is at home in heaven, the Judgement Seat will take place. For all those taken in the Rapture (those who are still living, caught up in the Rapture), they will appear before the Lord at that Judgement Seat (sometimes called the “Bema” by Christians) in the 7 years between the Rapture and the Second Coming, but God being God, all that could happen all together for everyone but appears as separate for each person. What about those who reside in heaven right now, some of them having been there for ages? It is my opinion that when a person enters heaven, then he and she will appear before the Lord. The Lord will fix the not-so-good things in our lives and it seems out of place that people would be waiting in heaven “unfixed”. Without saying any more we will look at this event from scripture.
Firstly we have this verse – {{Romans 14:10 “But you, why do you judge your brother, or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt FOR WE SHALL ALL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF GOD.”}} That is an indication that our judgement of another Christian is taken into account. It becomes a bit scary, doesn’t it? Most of what we say about the Judgement seat is speculation to some extent except the direct teaching from the word.
These are the direct verses – {{1Corinthians 3:10-15 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it, but let each man be careful how he builds upon it, for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES, WOOD, HAY, STRAW, EACH MAN’S WORK WILL become evident, for the day will show it because it is to BE REVEALED WITH FIRE, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it, remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”}}
In a previous section in this series, we looked at the foundation of the Church and the building on the foundation, and Paul harkens to that. As an Apostle he was used by God to establish the foundation with Jesus Christ being the Cornerstone. This is the imagery of the Spiritual House we looked at previously. The foundation has been established, but then, all of us are building on that foundation. How are you building on God’s foundation?
What materials are we using? One day the fire will test those materials. Paul mentions six of these building materials - gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw (AV stubble). He says that each man’s work will become evident. There will be no hiding or concealment. It will be on display.
We know in earthly buildings the quality of workmanship varies, as do the materials used. If an earthquake happens it can reveal shoddy workmanship or inferior materials in construction, and a court case may ensure. Are there lazy Christians doing shoddy workmanship in God’s House? Are some Christians using poor materials because they don’t want to devote the time and effort to the things of God? Are any thinking that straw will be good enough when they should have been using silver.
Let us consider this further. Our entire life as a Christian will be exposed in the judgement and all those years of being a Christian will be subjected to the test of fire. How will you fare? Is it possible you might be ashamed at what you have not done for the Lord? There you stand and the fire tests your works. What will the fire leave behind? Will it be precious or will it be ashes?
What will you have to show for your Christian life? You know, when the fire begins, the straw will be gone in an instant, nothing of substance in a life that was saved but did next to nothing for the Lord.
Hay is a bit more compact and seems like it might endure for a time but the fire exposes it for what it is, and it also ends in ashes. Some Christians think they have substance in their lives but sadly, on that day, the substance will be no more than ashes. I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty, for I am picturing myself before the judgement seat and know there will be ashes. I know some of those absolutely worthless things my life has had, even worse than worthless. I can not reverse that BUT I CAN PRESS FORWARD GIVING ALL FOR THE LORD. Here is one of my poems -
FORGETTING THE PAST, LOOK AHEAD
You cannot change the past, my friend,
Or change those things you now regret.
But there can be a different end,
So with the past, you must not fret.
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You must not rest on “grovel ground,”
Recalling all your past mistakes.
So leave those failures in God’s pound;
It’s trust, your misery then breaks.
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Oh! Catch the sight of renewed hope,
Begin the journey now again.
God’s will lies right within your scope;
His guiding light can never wane.
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From here go on with Christ your Guide,
And trust His loving, caring hand.
Now in His word you must abide;
His love and mercy, understand.
R E Ferguson
I have a back deck that is made of a timber called belian. It is a very hard wood and you realise that, once you try sawing it. It takes ages to burn and looks like it might endure the fire but it will not in the end for the fire is very searching and searches our motives and work. Some Christians appear to be of good standing but have they constructed with hard wood?
The three that remain and tested thoroughly by fire are gold, silver and precious stones. Yes, there are different qualities in those three and God’s choice saints will have gold. When I read of some of the martyrs who endured unspeakable tortures and torment under the Roman authorities and under the Roman Catholic Church, my heart goes out to them. They endured the flames and the torture seat and just so much horror. They lived honourable lives for the Lord and they died honourably as well. They are the gold. If you have a moment, search for Blandina, and see what she endured in France.
Well, Christian, I am not judging, except myself. We all have to give account of our lives and how we served the Lord. Please seek God’s help for the days or years that remain for you, but remember the Rapture is very close.
I think this about the Judgement Seat of Christ. The Lord is not there to take a whip to you or to punish you. He will not do that to a Christian. The purpose of that event is to give rewards for faithful service. The Lord wants to reward you. He really does. He is gracious and loving to all His children and seeks the best for them.
Do you remember these verses that won’t happen until after the Second Coming that ends the Tribulation when the Lord separates the sheep and goat nations – {{Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger and you invited Me in, naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick and you visited Me. I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink, and when did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or naked and clothe You, and when did we see You sick or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, EVEN THE LEAST OF THEM, YOU DID IT TO ME.’”}}
Do not forget this also – {{Matthew 10:42 “Whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, HE SHALL NOT LOSE HIS REWARD.”}} Just a cup of water . . . .
The Lord wants to reward His children, but on a serious note, what will He find in your life to reward? Yes, these things are daunting but they are real. Get real for your Saviour, out of your selfishness and slackness. Precious is the Lord. He is worth far more than you could ever give.
When we get to heaven either through death or in the Rapture, there will be a refining in heaven so that each saint will undergo the cleansing and appraisal, so that by the end of it, the Church will be dressed in fine linen of total purity and righteousness. She will then be present at the marriage Supper of the Lamb but we look at that shortly in a following posting. What comes out of all this is the closeness and tenderness the Lord has for His Bride. It is a very real thing.
If you want to disagree with me about this next part then do so only if you have studied the word of God carefully and have sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit..
After the Rapture there are seven years in heaven for the refinement and preparation of the Bride to get ready for the Marriage Supper in Revelation 19, but on earth the situation is grim because the terrible judgements of the Tribulation are happening. You have these detailed in Revelation chapters 6 to 19. After those seven years, the Bride returns with her Lord at the Second Coming when Jesus leaves heaven for the Battle of Armageddon and His return to Israel. {{Revelation 19:11 “I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.”}}
The righteous ones who died in the Tribulation are raised. This is then said of them – {{Revelation 20:6-7 “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison.”}} Jesus will then reign for 1000 years in the Millennial Kingdom.
Following the new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem descends from heaven – {{Revelation 21:2-4 and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, MADE READY AS A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND. I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and HE SHALL DWELL AMONG THEM, AND THEY SHALL BE HIS PEOPLE, AND GOD HIMSELF SHALL BE AMONG THEM, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall no longer be any death. There shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things have passed away.”}}
The New Jerusalem is almost beyond our comprehension. The precious stones in it are mind-boggling and the thickness of the walls is immense. In all, it is a cube with a side of 1500 miles, meaning it would 1500 miles high (2400 km) as well. Read the descriptions in Revelation 21 and 22. The Lord will dwell with His people forever.
I feel certain that the New Jerusalem will be the eternal home of the Bride, the Church that Christ redeemed. From the time of the Rapture, the Church will never be absent from the Lord, and where He is then the Church, His Bride, will be. How blessed are those who are part of the Bride, forgiven and exalted in their Lord. We have such glories and gifts we never deserve and we will have them for all eternity.
I do not know if there is someone reading this who has never repented of sins and turned in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. You have read here of the glory God has for His Church, what the Church’s home will be. You can be part of that by repenting and giving your whole life to the Saviour. The alternative is terrible. It is to be separated from God for all eternity. We pray you will come to the Lord. Time is very short for the Rapture of the Church is just so very close.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
