Spiritual Nuggets For

12-14-2008

101. Those who have their names in the book of life are described, but in the negative:

Nothing impure will ever enter it [New Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Rev. 21:27)

Hence, those blessed people who can enter New Jerusalem and who also have their names in the book of life are described as:

● not impure (but pure). See Mt. 5:8, Acts 15:9 and 1 Tim. 5:22b

● don’t do what is shameful or deceitful

Remember: one’s spiritual identity changes at the point of repentance. Though one does shameful and deceitful things, if he sincerely repents that wickedness is wiped clean and forgotten. He is purified spiritually.

102. Annihilation of the wicked dead is not taught in the Bible, even though certain false religions like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and the followers of Armstrong teach this. Of the various Scriptures which refute such is:

Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. (Rev. 22:11)

NOTE: Those who enter New Jerusalem or get thrown into the lake of fire are described there. The ones who get thrown into the lake of fire are vile and will continue to do wrong. Hence, for them to continue to do wrong shows they will not be annihilated in the lake of fire. There will be no pleasure in their sins then as there is now for a short time (Heb. 11:25). They will be in torment and agony in fire prepared for the devil and his angels forever while they sin.

Rev. 22:11 also shows the ones who enter the Holy City (New Jerusalem) will continue to be holy and do right. Hence, it will be like it was for Adam and Eve before the devil tempted them. (At this point the devil will also be in the lake of fire and will never be around to tempt or cause trouble again. THANK YOU LORD!)

This also means those who enter New Jerusalem will dwell there forever and never commit sin. Besides Rev. 22:11, we read this:

Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. (Rev 3:12)

103. In the very end one will either be in the city of New Jerusalem or outside New Jerusalem:

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Rev 22:14,15)

The dogs mentioned in v. 15 are also referred to in Phil. 3:2:

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

Only when comparing Scripture to Scripture can we see that false teachers who opposed Paul and other Christians were called “dogs” and will be damned! (Unless we use all the Scriptures we probably will develop a wrong understanding.)

104. The first and last warnings in the Bible refute THE HERESY (once saved always saved). Those warnings are about spiritual death and going to the lake of fire. Here they are:

And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Gen 2:16,17)

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Rev 22:18,19)

In spite of those two warnings, and perhaps a hundred others in between, multitudes embrace the eternal security fairytale to their own destruction and to the destruction of those they love the most.

105. Revelation is both very frightening and very encouraging. The last generation will be action packed. It will be filled with destruction, pain and suffering unlike at any other period. The encouraging part of Revelation is the last couple chapters where we learn the antichrist and devil will be defeated and thrown into the lake of fire. The wicked will be separated from the righteous. While the spiritually dead have horrible days ahead, the righteous will enter a time far beyond their wildest dreams of delight and joy. It will be a crime-free, disease-free, problem-free, just and holy environment of perfect love, peace and joy plus much more. In the end, it will be apparent that the followers of Jesus were the real winners. They were wise because they chose to do God’s will in this wicked society.

If you are in sin, repent and fully submit to the Lord Jesus now while you still have time. Turn from your idols to serve the living and true God. Make your life count for God. (The joy and fulfillment of serving God is without equal.) God’s retirement plan is out of this world, but only for the pure in heart.