Catechisms

The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are assurance of God's love, peace of conscience (Rom. 5:1, 2, 5), joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5, 17), increase of grace (Pr. 4:18), and perseverance therein to the end (1 John 5:13; 1 Pet. 1:5).


The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness (Heb. 12:23), and do immediately pass into glory (2 Cor. 5:1, 6, 8; Phil. 1:23; Luke 23:43); and their bodies being still united to Christ (1 Thess. 4:14), do rest in their graves (Is. 57:2) till the resurrection (Job 19:26, 27).


At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory (1 Cor. 15:43), shall be openly acknowledged, and acquitted in the day of judgment (Mt. 25:23; Mt. 10:32), and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in the full enjoyment of God (1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 13:12) to all eternity (1 Thess. 4:17, 18).


The souls of the wicked shall, at their death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day (Luke 16:23, 24; Acts 2:24; Jude 5, 7; 1 Pet. 3:19; Ps. 49:14).


At the day of judgment the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels for ever (John 5:28, 29; Mt. 25:41, 46; 2 Thes. 1:8, 9).

(from http://www.founders.org/library/pcat.html)
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Aren't these wonderful truths? I admit to almost putting the second one listed above ("the souls of the believers at their death made perfect...) as my Facebook status. But I stopped myself.

I wondered if it was because I was embarassed, but I knew that was not the case. I was too scared to put the one about what happens with believers without putting what happens to the wicked. Too long the "church" has gave all the good sides of things, but neglect the bad sides of things.

Some pastors will openly admit to not calling lost people even "lost people" because of its harsh tone. Let alone "sinners," "wicked," "ungodly," et cetera. I suppose this may be fine (however unchurched may not be the best way to put it), but we must proclaim what the Bible proclaims if in fact is TRULY IS our final auhority of all things. I am pushed to as whether or not it is for many churches.

I figure that preachers are afraid to be accuses of "brow beating." What preacher would want to be labeled as a harsh jerk only looking for results? Well, I doubt the harsh part, but we should all be looking for results. In fact, it seems to me that results are inevitable so long as we are not straying from God's pure will, unless God is teaching us a lesson, which is beside the point.

Should we not tell our children if they do run off in the mall or cross the street without dad's hand that they will get slapped on the hand or spanked or put in a few minutes of time out? WHY? Because we, being common sensed adults, know what could happen! Kidnapped, hit by a car. WHY? We love them and care about them.

Pastors, we say we are a loving church and seek to bring people into God's love and care. So, should not we be warning them what will happen if they live life without God?

Of course, let all believers explain and actively express what happens when we are believers! As the first and second catechisms I posted above. How happy it is to say what wonders God has personally done for us in our lives. But the Bible is very clear about what will happen to the unbeliever. It is sad, but true. All will earn their part in the lake of fire, lest they have trusted the Lord and actively given their life to trusting Him.

Is this scaring people into the church? I suppose I am not quite sure, although God's grace seems irrestible to me. But I do know this: If I was about to go jogging into a warzone with bullets blazing, but I did not even know I was gonna jog through a battlefield while I not knowing what the explosion sounds were or what a bullet or gun was, and no one explained to me the dangers while knowing I was about to jog through that warzone, I would be inclined to believe they did not love me.

Feed me, clothe me, invite me to lunch, pick me up for the Bible study with free coffee... but please, warn me if I am about to be cast into the unspeakable torments of hell.

Obviously there are correct and incorrect ways to speak with people about this touchy issue, but that does not mean we should stray from the Word of God.

God's grace is pretty astounding. And hellfire and brimstone were not the only things that thrusted me into trusting Him, but that all is another rant at another time.