11/01 Reading - Thoughts & Comments DX3

Does the message of the New Testament mean that there is no more wrath coming from Heaven against the sin and wickedness of men? Absolutely not!
1-Nov Ezekiel 7-8, John 1-2, Psalms 21-25, Proverbs 1

Ezek 7:1-6 (NIV) 1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. 3 The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. 4 I will not look on you with pity or spare you; I will surely repay you for your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 5 "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming. 6 The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. It has come!

Ezekiel records God's "END OF PATIENCE" with Israel as these two chapters give clear detail that God will bring disaster upon the nation for their sins.  Indeed, God never changes, and I think it's important to understand fully how Old Testament judgment works in a New Testament world.

To make a very long story short, God never changes.  His love for mankind is the same today as it was thousands of years ago.  God has a sovereign plan for man, and He has a will for man to follow.  Anything outside of His will is sin, rebellion, and disobedience.  Any prolonged disagreement with God's will invokes consequences.  It's built into everything created under the sun.

If you mess with the DNA, you're going to pay the consequence.  If you mess with the structure of male/female, you're going to pay the consequence.  If you destroy life, God will destroy yours. God is not mocked, a man reaps what he sows.  Destroy the temple and God will destroy you in hell.  These are His words clearly written in the New Testament:

Col 3:5-6 (NIV) 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

Romans 1:18-20 (NIV) 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Inside of Christ is salvation from sin and the wrath of God.  Outside of Christ where unbelievers and those who turn from the truth live, is filled with wrath and destruction, where the consequences of sin is death.  The New Covenant only applies to a person who accepts Jesus as their savior and Lord.  However, the full wrath of God rests upon the old adamic nature of fallen man.  Contrary to popular belief, the old adamic nature does NOT get to go to Heaven.  Adam was judged by God and removed from the garden.  The only way for man to come into God's kingdom now is to die.  This is why Jesus died on the cross, taking all men to the cross with HIm.  Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. But not I, Christ who lives within me."  This is a great key.  The old man doesn't get to come to Heaven, but only the new man. And that new man is raised to life IN CHRIST, where there is no further judgment or wrath of God.  Everything on the outside is still under wrath and judgment of God.  Good luck out there, for all who choose to live outside of the protections of God's salvation.

Matt 7:13-14 (NIV) 13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.


If the road is narrow, we should therefore be disciples of Christ, follow His Word and will, and walk the straight, narrow road.  COMPASS GUIDE will help us to find God's dream, to think like Him, to make critical pathway decisions the way He would make them, and to be found standing with Him in the day of death and destruction.  This is the true life of the FOLLOWER OF CHRIST!

Tomorrow's Reading:
2-Nov Ezekiel 9-10, John 3-4, Psalms 26-30, Proverbs 2