Any Time Now

 

One of the many resources I use in my studies is the website unsealed.org.  If you have never visited it I would highly recommend that you do.  It is full of information that will not only educate, but encourage anyone who is concerned with the times we are living in and watching for the return of our Lord snd Savior Jesus Christ.  I want to share an article with you today written by Gary of unsealed.org which I believe everyone interested in the return of Christ should read.  Enjoy.

Jesus Is On The Way

by Gary

A revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave to Him to show to His servants what things must quickly come to pass; and He signified [it],having sent through His messenger to His servant John, who testified[to] the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, as many things as he also saw. Blessed is he who is reading, and those hearing the words of the prophecy, and keeping the things written in it, for the time is near! (Rev. 1:1–3, LSV)

There are three great lies told about the Book of Revelation. The first is that the things contained therein are only to be taken figuratively and allegorically. To the contrary, the prophecies of Jesusʼ first coming were fulfilled literally and to the letter. The second is that the prophecies in the book were already fulfilled since it was recorded that these things would “quickly come to pass.” When God says quickly He means quickly. But soon to man is not soon to God (2 Pt. 3:8–9). And third, that these prophecies are only for some far-off generation in the distant future. No. These prophecies point squarely to this very generation in which we now live—the final generation that will witness the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Given the nearly 2,000 years that have transpired since the words were first penned on papyri, it is tempting for a Christian to believe any or all of these lies, but they shouldnʼt. God has had a perfect track record in times past, and His word will only prove out just as perfectly in the times shortly to come.

Super-Imminency

A clarification on the doctrine of imminency: this is a doctrine that my fellow pre-tribbers emphasize, and rightly so, but it is often defined in a confusing, even misleading way, as that Jesus could return at “any moment.” Sometimes this is taken to an extreme to mean that there are no signs to occur or prophecies to be fulfilled before Jesus removes the Church from the earth. Ironically, there are some who are even watching for and calling out signs while simultaneously defining imminency in this way. This causes confusion and is misleading some.

There is growing confusion because some are teaching that Jesus can come “at any moment” and that nothing else needs to happen before the rapture, while simultaneously pointing to various prophetic signs that have transpired over the course of this present dispensation, such as the gospel being preached in every nation and the rebirth of Israel in 1948. That is not a coherent message.

When we search the Scriptures we get a strong sense that the New Testamentʼs authors had expected Jesus to return very soon. This constant expectancy is offered as evidence that the disciples did not expect to be hanging around during the extent of the seven-year Tribulation.  Thatʼs right.  Thatʼs good. Scripture does teach expectancy and imminency. But it does not teach randomness. “Any moment” implies that God is flying by the seat of His pants and hasnʼt got this thing figured out yet. Pardon the bluntness, but thatʼs absurd. Itʼs even out-of-sync with more important doctrines like the omniscience and sovereignty of God. God has predetermined how everything plays out (Acts 17:24–28; cf. Rm. 8:29–30; 9:6–29) and has already determined the dates and times of every prophetic event (e.g., Acts 1:7; Rev. 9:15). You better believe almighty, all-knowing God has the rapture planned out. Not only does He know the day, but He knows the very nanosecond it will occur, for Heʼs told us in His word that it will occur in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:51–52). More than that, Heʼs already told us everything and exactly what will transpire after it occurs.

The idea that the rapture is a signless event, prefaced by nothing, is unsupported by Scripture, and as mentioned above, even contradictory to more essential doctrines about the nature of God. The rapture will occur at the fixed time the Lord has set for it, and many things have prefaced it, including about half of the New Testament, the gospel being spread all around the world, the rebirth of Israel, and the convergence of signs pointing to the onset of the Tribulation. We donʼt worship a God of arbitrariness.

We need to teach imminency, but we need to teach it correctly. Etymologically, the word imminent means “to overhang”—in other words, to be so close itʼs right on top of you. It means to be close, soon, about to happen. It doesnʼt mean “to occur at a random time” or “any moment” (see Wiktionary, Merriam-Webster, and Collins). Notice that Jesus says He is coming soon, which is exactly what the word imminent means (Rev. 1:3; 22:6–7,12,20). He doesnʼt say Heʼs coming at any moment, randomly, or with any permutation of arbitrary arrival.

Besides causing confusion by misdefining the word and introducing contradictions with more important doctrines, some interpretations of the doctrine of imminency also discourage urgency rather than encourage it. The goal of imminency is of course to create a strong impetus for us to evangelize and live sanctified lives, as well as encourage us with the knowledge that we will soon be with the Lord before all hell breaks loose on earth. But think about it: if Jesusʼ coming was just as relevant to the disciples as it is to us today, because Heʼs coming “at any moment,” then there is no genuine urgency or building crescendo toward His appearance. His coming could just as easily be 10,000 years from now as it could have been 2,000 years ago. Thatʼs not right. Scripture says our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed and the Day is approaching (Rm.13:11–12; Heb. 10:25).

1. God declares, and therefore knows, the end from the beginning (Isa.46:10). Jesus knows, too. Heʼs God. God knows when the rapture will occur. He planned it Himself.

2. The rapture is imminent to us in three ways: first, because in the grand scheme of things a much greater proportion of history occurred prior to the Church Age than will occur during the Church Age. The time prior was at least double (4,000 vs. 2,000 years; see how God considers this imminent in 2 Pt. 3:8–10). Second, because Christʼs coming for the Church precedes the Tribulation and His physical return to Israel. In other words, because we donʼt know exactly how long this dispensation lasts, there actually is a certain sense in which the rapture will occur at any moment from our human perspective only. The rapture is only the next event to occur when every other necessarily preceding event has transpired, but it is the next major event and we donʼt know when exactly it will occur. We must watch and be ready. Third, the rapture is imminent to us because it actually isnʼt random. Weʼre 2,000 years closer to it than the first-century disciples were.

3. In fact, since we are so much closer to it than the disciples were, and because the signs preceding it have clearly and unequivocally converged inthe specific day and age we live in unlike any other generation, I want to introduce you to the doctrine of super-imminence!  Yes, you heard it here first folks: you happen to be part of the one and only generation in the history of the world that can say that the rapture of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is super-imminent!

Two Prophecy Extremes

It's my observation that Christians tend to fall into two extremes when it comes to watching for the Lordʼs return. The first extreme is the repetitious use of the Olivet Discourse-derived phrase “no man knows the day or hour” devoid of all context and other pertinent Scriptures in an effort to silence and stifle any practical application of the command to watch. The second extreme is the proclivity to set dates with surety rather than with humble speculation. We canʼt have the prophesied scoffers without the first extreme and we canʼt have false prophets without the second.

Just as the two Christian extremes of legalism and lawlessness both subvert the gospel at the same point (atonement), so too these prophecy extremes subvert prophecy at the same point: the command to faithfully watch. You canʼt actually and practically watch as scripturally commanded if youʼve convinced yourself of the first extreme, nor can you faithfully watch if youʼve bought into the second extreme, because youʼve blinded yourself from all other speculative possibilities. At Unsealed we will continue to speculate about when the Lord might return, because we are actively watching and we believe there is clear scriptural warrant to do so (e.g., Dan. 9:24–27; 12:4–13; Am. 3:7; Mt. 24:42–51; 1 Thess. 5:4; Heb. 10:25; Rev. 1:1–3, 19; 3:3; 4:1; 11:1–3; 12:6, 14; 22:10).

This doesnʼt mean we know when exactly He will appear, or even that we think we can know with certainty, but it does mean we are watching in the truest sense of the word. This watchfulness breeds urgency, and this urgency breeds a great desire to share the gospel that many, many believers lack. And as long as we continue watching with humility we can also avoid the pitfalls of the second extreme. Donʼt ever put all your hope in a date. But neither give up in watching, looking, and longing. Are the signs not painfully obvious now? And have major prophetic events of the past not occurred on days of incredible significance? Has the God who numerally pinpointed days in times past suddenly gone silent? By no means.

Between one-quarter and one-third of the Bible could be directly classified as prophetic in genre. But when we look deeper, we can find prophetic types, shadows, and themes in just about every passage. There are literally dozens and dozens of signs listed in Scripture that indicate the nearness ofJesusʼ return along with a number of commands to “Watch!” (Matt. 24:42-44, 25:10, 13, Mk. 13:35-37, Lk. 12:37-39, 21:36, Rev. 3:3).

For those of us watching for Jesusʼ appearing, what confuses us the most about the ad infinitum repeat of “no one knows the day or hour” (Mt. 24:36; Mk. 13:32) as an argument against actually, practically watching, is why so many Christians base their entire theory of eschatology on just two verses when there are literally dozens of other Scriptures that paint a different picture. And the verse itself is taken out of context, possibly even mistranslated, and interpreted in such a way that denies the full deity of Jesus Christ.

Firstly, “knows” (οἶδεν in the Greek) is in the perfect tense in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32. The perfect tense describes something that was true or completed in the past and is still presently true, but not necessarily true in the future. In other words, no one knew the day or hour, Jesus included, before He spoke those words and no one presently knew the day or hour at the time Jesus spoke those words. However, His statement cannot be taken as a dogmatic statement about whether or not we can know the day or hour in the future. Itʼs not in the future tense.  It clearly doesnʼt say “no one will know” or “no one will ever know.” Compare to the future tense of this Greek verb in Hebrews 8:11. These two verses do not give us enough information to determine whether or not believers in the 21st century can know. For the answer to that question we need to look to other Scriptures.

Secondly, context is king. What was Jesus referring to when He uttered the words “no one knows”? The rapture?  The Abomination of Desolation?  His second coming?  The end of the world?  There are a number of significant prophetic events still to come and blindly applying “no one knows” to just one event (the rapture) seems like a stretch. The context in the Olivet Discourse could point to any of these events:

1. The rapture. Some pre-tribulation proponents see Matthew 24:36–51 as applying to the rapture or the general beginning of the Day of the Lord. This view has fallen out of favor, but if true then the context for “no one has known” might be the rapture.

2. The end of the world. The verses immediately preceding Matthew24:36 and Mark 13:32 mention the end of heaven and earth. This is an event that occurs sometime after Satanʼs 1,000-year banishment(Revelation 20:1–21:1).

3. The second coming. This view is the futurist scholarly favorite for several reasons. First, because the disciples asked Jesus three questions that have little if anything to do with the rapture: “when will this happen [the destruction of the Second Temple], and what will be the sign of your coming [Jesusʼ return to establish the Kingdom] and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3). Second, because the signs described in the Olivet Discourse seem to describe events during the Tribulation, some types and shadows of which occurred leading up to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. Third, because the rapture was not clearly revealed until the Apostle Paul delivered the message to the primarily Gentile Church (1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thess. 4:13–18).

Thirdly, if #1 was the correct context, “no one knows the day or hour” may have been an idiom for the Feast of Trumpets. Of the seven major feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23), the Feast of Trumpets is the only divine appointment that begins on the new moon. While the case for this being an actual Jewish idiom is not unquestionably established, the logic behind it is pretty sound. The first sighting of the waxing crescent of the moon by two witnesses began the Feast of Trumpets. The sighting cannot be perfectly predicted because of atmospheric conditions and so Yom Teruah (the Feast of Trumpets / Day of Shouting) can begin on either of two days, which is why the Jews celebrate what is supposed to be “the first day of the seventh month” (Lev. 23:23-25) over a two-day period because it is “the day no one knows the day or hour.”

If perhaps Jesus was referring to the rapture event, or all future prophetic events, we still have to come full circle to the translation issue—that this was spoken in the perfect and not present or future tenses. And we know from Scripture that the exact days and hours of certain future events will be known (e.g., Dan. 9:24–27; 12:4–13; Rev. 3:3; 9:15; 11:1–3; 12:6, 14). And Jesus will certainly know them. So the interpretation that “no man knows the day or hour” as a blanket and perpetual statement of truth is fundamentally flawed.  We are not in the darkness and that day will not overtake us as a thief. If we should watch.

Maranatha.

https://www.unsealed.org/2021/06/jesus-is-on-way.html

Keep Watching

Rescue Me

 

 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  Romans 7:24  NKJV

 

Have you ever found yourself in a position which could be considered “life threatening”?  When I was very young I experienced an incident in a pool before I knew how to swim and I can assure you the feeling of absolute terror is never forgotten.  Strange as it may sound, I not only learned to swim after that event but even worked for a short time as a lifeguard.  While studying this passage written by Paul, I was surprised to find that the Greek word rhyomai, used for “deliver” here means “to draw to one's self, to rescue, to deliver”.  In essence, Paul is describing his feelings about living in this body, in this present world, as desperately needing to be rescued,

 

“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; “and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.”     Deuteronomy 7:9-10  NKJV

 

I have heard and read the feelings of many in the body this past year or so which certainly show desperation to be rescued much like Paul has described.  To be sure, I too am finding myself entertaining these feelings of desperation wondering how long it is going to be before we the Church hear the call to come home.  Watching the direction this world in general and this country in particular are going, I simply cannot help but echo the lament of many of the Old Testament saints; “How long O Lord?”. 

 

“My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD--how long? Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!”    Psalm 6:3-4 NKJV

 

As I have considered all that we have seen occur lately, especially the moral free-fall in our country,  I couldn’t help but remember Jesus describing the last days as resembling the “Days of Noah” in Matthew 24. One question that has always puzzled me about the inhabitants of the days of Noah is the fact that it would appear they either had absolutely no clue that their actions were an offense to the God of the universe, or if they did, they somehow believed God would allow their offenses to go unpunished.  Not to mention the fact that God had the patience to wait until Noah and his family were the last believers on earth!

 

It follows then that this past week my thoughts concerning our country and its leaders, as well as the events unfolding around the world, somehow began to remind me of this same question. Does the majority of this nation, and the world as a whole, actually believe their decisions do not offend God, or do they simply believe God will do nothing to show His displeasure? On the other hand, the more I read, the more it appears that many believers are of the opinion that God has indeed already begun to remind us that He alone is omnipotent and is perfectly willing to judge those who offend Him. Yet, like David, it's hard not to ask God...”how long”?

 

Something I have been passionate about over the years is my personal study of the Old Testament.  It probably has something to do with my interest in history, which was my major in college, but I have always enjoyed studying events from our past.  There are many reasons to study the Old Testament, but one I regard as my primary motivation is that it is the best way I know to learn about, and begin to understand, the nature of God.  The books of the Old Testament are full of passages where God tells us what He is like, and also reveals His nature to us.  I believe the better we begin to know God, the more reassured we can be about what we see as we watch where the world is going today.  Paul seemed to understand this when he wrote the following passage in the book of Romans.

 

“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”                        Romans 15:4  NKJV

 

You might ask, hope in what?  Obviously we are concerned with our own deliverance, but we can also rest assured that God will, in His own time, judge the world for its actions. Our God is a just God, and He will never let sin go unpunished. He has judged in the past, and He will judge again in the future. We can ask “how long” with the knowledge that although we are waiting, and most likely impatient, God promises to do His will.  God has a plan, and a timetable for administering it.  It is up to us to persevere, and trust in God’s faithfulness.

 

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end [intended by] the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”    James 5:11 NKJV

 

Personally, what helps me the most is the knowledge of “the end intended by the Lord”. David may have prayed to the Lord expressing his sorrows and frustrations, but he always ended by acknowledging the fact that he knew that not only God was faithful, He also had a plan and it would unfold just as He ordained. I have often shared that I enjoy studying the life of David because while God described him as a “man after my own heart”, it is also obvious that David suffered from the same emotions we often do and was perfectly willing to share them with God.

 

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, [Having] sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?”    Psalm 13:1-2 NKJV

 

I don’t believe we as believers should be shy about sharing our sorrow and frustrations with God because after all, doesn't He already know what we are feeling?  He understands our emotions and what we are feeling and if we share that with Him, He will hear our cry.  It is also important to note that not only does He hear, He will respond to our crying out to Him.

 

“Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, When He heard their cry; And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.”   Psalm 106:44-45 NKJV

 

One of the most reassuring things about God is the fact that He is always faithful to answer our cries and to demonstrate His mercy towards His people. I have always enjoyed having my daughters ask me for help, and even now that they are grown and living elsewhere it still is nice to get a call and be asked to do something that is helpful in some way. Do you really believe God is so busy that He doesn't want to hear from us when we need some help? Ask and see just how faithful our God is.

 

“Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, My precious [life] from the lions. I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.”    Psalm 35:17-18 NKJV

 

Of course David well knew that when God provided, He alone was due the glory and the thanks. What better witness could we have but to give God the glory when He delivers us as well?

 

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom [be] glory forever and ever. Amen.”                                  Galatians 1:3-5 NKJV

 

What better to help us endure than the knowledge that God promises to deliver us from this “present evil age”.  While it may be difficult to sit by and watch where this world is going, we can rest assured that we have His promise that we will be saved from that terrible judgment which is to come upon the whole earth.

 

“O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? [Take it] out of Your bosom and destroy [them].”                            Psalm 74:10-11 NKJV

 

Just as David knew God had the power to judge and destroy His enemies, so we too have the knowledge that while it looks as if we are losing the battle, God will avenge Himself upon those who turn their backs on Him.

 

“The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed."                     1 Samuel 2:10 NKJV

 

Is it wrong to be impatient while waiting for God's return? While we know that God will do His work in His own time, David certainly had no problem expressing the difficulty he felt while waiting.

 

“Return, O LORD! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!”                 Psalm 90:13-14 NKJV

 

While we look at what is going on all around us and wonder why God is waiting, we should never forget that He loves those who sin against Him and is compassionate towards them with a patience we cannot begin to comprehend.  Our God is not willing for any to perish and we need to keep that in mind whenever we are tempted to ask “how long”?

 

“The LORD [is] gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD [is] good to all, And His tender mercies [are] over all His works.”      Psalm 145:8-9 NKJV

 

What does God expect from us during this time of waiting? I think it revealing that in this passage from Luke we find that Jesus asks a very unusual question.

 

"And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"    Luke 18:7-8 NKJV

 

Has the thought ever occurred to you that we should just give up? We are losing the fight so why bother anymore? David never gave up although at times it looks like he believed the entire world was against him. Yet David knew God was faithful to fulfill His promises because he never asked "if" God was going to act, only "how long" until He would act, and we should know that as well. Although it may appear that we are fighting a losing battle, the battle is not over until the Son of Man comes to take us away. Will He find faith? Why would He ask that question unless some would be tempted to give up?  If He promises to be faithful to us, is it too much to ask for us to be faithful to Him?

If you are reading this today and your desire is to spend eternity in heaven, but you have never made the decision to accept the gift of salvation God has offered you by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, I urge you to do it today.   You can do that by simply asking Him to make you one of His own by praying a prayer like this.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen. 

Keep watching.

Change in the Wind

 

I am away this weekend but thought I would share a link to an article which asks the question many are asking today as a new era in Israel's government begins.  While I may not know the answers to the specific questions of many, I certainly know what the Word of God says is going to happen in Israel and the rest of the world.  Does this change in government signify the events foretold in the Bible are close at hand?  Only time will tell but I am of the opinion that is a very distinct possibility.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/evangelical-supporters-of-israel-concerned-as-netanyahu-being-ousted-from-power/

Keep watching.

Our Common Struggle

 

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”                      Ephesians 6:12  NKJV

 

One of the unfortunate facts of life that we live with as believers is the struggle inside of all of us between our sin nature, and our desire to live a holy and acceptable life for our Father in Heaven. If you have spent any time at all reading and studying the writings of Paul the Apostle you will find he often describes the Christian walk as a lifelong struggle between two opposing forces.  This struggle plays out in every believer’s life as a battle between our redeemed spirit and the body with its sin nature which we must live in until the day of our redemption.  At that time, we will receive our new bodies which are free from the sin nature we now possess.

 

One of the most encouraging things to me about Paul the Apostle is that although many might look at him as an example of a believer who had it all together, he none the less makes clear that he himself struggled just as we do.  He explains that situation and the reasons for it in the book of Romans where he describes for us his own personal struggle, and tells us that he is guilty of sinning much the same as we are regardless of the fact that we are believers.  While many might believe that as long as we still sin, there is no difference between the saved and unsaved, the truth is that the struggle itself proves you are a believer.

 

“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.”                    Romans 7:14-16  NKJV

 

Paul wants to make the point that while the law of the old covenant was good to show man his need for salvation, it couldn’t save us.  What it could do was to show us our need for salvation, and the grace given to us by a loving God.  That, says Paul, is the difference between the law of the old covenant and the grace of the new covenant.  It is impossible to keep the law, but the law shows man the need for grace. Yet Paul still asks the same question most of us have asked and that is if he is a believer saved by grace, why can’t he stop sinning?

 

“But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”                      Romans 7:17-19  NKJV

 

While believing that the sacrifice made for us by God’s Son, Jesus Christ will result in our eternal salvation, Paul also makes the point that we are still stuck with our fleshly bodies which also carry the baggage we call our sin nature.  While grace can provide for our eternal salvation, it can’t remove the sin nature inside of this body.  This is the reason Paul gives us to explain why he himself, and we too, struggle to do what is right but often fail.  I think an important point he makes in this passage is found where he tells us that he cannot find the answer of how to do good when he looks for the strength to do that inside of himself.

 

“Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”                          Romans 7:20-23  NKJV

 

Only born again believers experience this fight.  The struggle inside is between our minds which are committed to Christ and desire to do right, and our sinful flesh with its sin nature which desires to do wrong.  I have an old truck that I have been slowly restoring, and the best part about it is the new motor I put in.  I never have any problems with the motor because it is new, but it is the rest of the truck that gives me problems because it is old and trying to fall apart.  As believers, we have a new, transformed mind which is, unfortunately, stuck in an old body with its sin nature.  How long will this struggle continue?  The uncomfortable truth for us is that we must wait until we get our new bodies delivered to us at the rapture of the Church before this struggle will end.

 

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”                      Romans 7:24-25  NKJV

 

The Greek word for wretched literally means exhaustion as a result of toils and troubles.  Paul wants us to know that he himself, as well as each of us, will struggle with our sinful nature as long as we inhabit this fleshly body.  It has often been said that we are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners.  It is our nature to sin, and once we realize this we can feel the relief that Paul is trying to share with us.  Because Paul wrote these words under the direction of the Spirit, it is God telling us He understands our struggle and has provided the solution by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”         Romans 8:1  NKJV

 

Being saved does not mean we are no longer able to sin, rather being saved means that when we do sin, God does not hold it against us.  He sees our sin as a result of our sin nature, and instead takes pleasure in watching us try to live in a manner that pleases Him, as a way of expressing our gratitude for the gift He has given us.  Paul goes on later in Romans to explain that this is what we as believers should choose to do as our gift to God.

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Romans 12:1-2  NKJV

 

All believers struggle with their sinful nature, yet how many look at this struggle as a sign of their salvation?  As much as we would like it to end, our struggle with sin will continue as long as we inhabit our earthly body.  The difference for us as believers is simply this, that because of God’s grace towards us, our sins are forgiven; past, present, and future.

 

“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”  Romans 4:7-8  NIV

 

If you have never accepted the free gift of God’s grace, and the forgiveness of your sin, you can do it today.  Just pray a simple prayer like this and believe that He will do as He has said He will.  Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.

 

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