RealityJerk
New member
If Jesus has already reconciled us and the world unto God then what good is Calvinism, Catholicism or any religion? The Gospel of reconciliation makes all doctrines and religions worthless.
"And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and has given unto us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation" 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19.
The word or ministry of reconciliation is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the preaching of the Gospel that brings people to Christ and reconciles them to God.
Reconciliation is a two way street. Just because you have been reconciled unto God by Jesus Christ does not mean that you are saved. God has extended his hand of forgiveness to all who will receive his Son Jesus Christ as their savior. To reject Christ is to reject God's offer of reconciliation. Nothing is ours until it is received by faith, John 1:12.
HOW JESUS HAS RECONCILED US AND THE WORLD UNTO GOD.
In the Gospel Jesus comes into the world as God's new Adam and our new humanity. The old Adamic humanity was put to death in Jesus Christ, Romans 6:6. Jesus's mission is to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves because we are sinners, Romans 3:23. God does not accept the works or the obedience of sinners. Jesus in our name and on our behalf fulfills every jot and tittle of God's Holy Law, Matthew 5:18, It was the life of Christ that was lived for our justification, Romans 3:26.
As wonderful as that is, it was not enough. Something had to be done about our sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus took our sins and the sins of the whole world upon himself and atoned for them, 1 John 2:2. As far as God is concerned sin, death and the devil have been destroyed. Jesus now sits in heaven as the, "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" Revelation 19:16. ALL THINGS have been reconciled unto God by his Son Jesus Christ.
"And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile ALL THINGS unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in the earth, or things in heaven" Colossians 1:20.
God now sees ALL THINGS in his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is our new representative humanity, 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is indeed a sad thing for Calvinist, Catholics and others that are trying to be reconciled unto God by some other way than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your religion has been destroyed by the reconciling power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you want to be saved, believe in and call on the name of the Lord and you shall be saved. Romans 10:13.
Double speak. It's not God that is extending, it's those who claim to represent him who are doing the extending and preaching. Those who claim to represent God, often do it quite poorly. God would never rely on fallible, flawed, human beings to redeem His creation. Through the first Adam, we were consigned to disease and death. Corruption. Whether we knew it or not, whether we had faith in the first Adam or not, his disobedience resulted in our destruction. However, the second Adam, His obedience brings us resurrection and life. Jesus, the second Adam, is resurrection and life, whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, one day you will rise from the dead and live again.
The elect are those who hear the good news of Christ's work and are drawn by the heavenly Father to faith and repentance (re-generation, a change of mind). These unique individuals, don't experience the 1st nor the 2nd death. When an actual disciple of Jesus Christ dies, they wake up in heaven with Christ. They are the ones, "born above". The term "born again", in the Greek is more accurately translated "Born Above" or "Born Again Above". So, every true Christian is just not here on earth. There is a part of them that actually exists in heaven and will be fully realized when their mortal bodies die. They have a spirit body, and this spirit body will in the day of resurrection unite with their resurrected body (all human beings are incomplete, until they are united with their resurrection bodies. Our nature is a composite unity, not fully spirit, not fully material. Both. ).
The elect, are members of Christ's royal family and they will reign over the nations as angels,alongside Christ, who is the King of Kings. Those who are not of the elect, experience the first death, where they enter into a sleep like state, that is extremely unpleasant. It's not "soul sleep" or unconsciousness, it's rather a state of slumber, on the brink of non-existence. The demons can summon human souls that are in this state, to torment them, use them..etc. This is the first state of the human dead. We are a composite unity of body, mind and spirit. So we are incomplete without our bodies.
The only ones that can live in the human realm/mansion of heaven, are the regenerated human elect in Christ. And even they will be re-united with their resurrected bodies and made complete, in the first resurrection. Both the earthly righteous (good people), and the human elect in heaven will be united with their resurrected bodies at that time. Everyone survives the first death, both the righteous, those that are good, meeting God's standard of righteousness for human beings and the wicked. Both of these two groups of human beings, eventually survive the first death. One of them however will be forced into the lake of fire, or in other words, will be annihilated, in what the bible calls the "Second Death". The second death is reserved for Satan and his minions, both spirit and human.
The righteous are those that, even though they weren't perfect, they met God's standard of righteousness for fallible human beings. They suffered for their sin in the first death and are risen from the dead thanks to Christ's work on the cross. Without Christ's suffering, their suffering would be of no value. It would be useless in raising them from death. There wouldn't be enough merit or value there for them to raise themselves up. That takes a jolt or jump start of merit or divine glory and power, that only Jesus can deliver. But nonetheless, the righteous suffer in the first death and when they resurrect, their torment is over. They inherit the earth and every planet in this galaxy.
This universe is ruined. The ruins of a cosmic battle. The fallen angels entered into this dimension and contaminated the nursery. This is a nursery for baby angels. This is the place where angels are born. Angels are born here in the physical realm, then they evolve and eventually ascend into the spirit realm. But the war, disrupted that process and the nursery was burned down. Very few of the infants survived. The archangel needed a special place to incarnate, hence Israel was created, to create a holy place, free of idolatry and demonic worship. Worship of the fallen ones.
The archangel wasn't going to allow Himself to be sacrificed to an idol, as the idolaters often did. Offering their children to demons. Israel had to create an environment free of idolatry, demon worship. They achieved it by the first century and the angel of the covenant incarnated among the Israelites. Salvation is of the Jews. It comes through them, in Christ. Jesus Christ, the salvation of YHWH, the eternal LOGOS and Archangel. Micha'El/LIKE-GOD. The one who is Like God. The one who bears the Name of YHWH. The angel that once held the position of Lucifer, tried to usurp the position of the Archangel, and was defeated. He thought he could take His place, but he was wrong and a large number of angels fell into His error.
They tried to destroy the nursery, but they failed. In the end, God will win, and this universe will be restored. The true Christians, the genuine disciples of Jesus Christ, in this life, reign with Jesus over the nations. They are members of Christ's royal family. They are among the angels, and will guide the righteous of the nations, that were not consumed by the second death of the wicked.
With fear and trembling, make your calling and election sure, that you may not suffer the first or second death. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Even though you die, you will live. To be dead in Christ, is to be alive and present with him in the celestial realm. You have a realm or "mansion", reserved for you, in the upper worlds. Only the elect have this. True Christians. The good news is that Jesus Christ, is the resurrection and the life, and paid the ransom for all of humanity. He holds the keys.