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Bible Quiz 5


1.  Can I be what God wants me to be and still be what I want to be? Ans.

2.  If I were to be left behind (on Judgment Day), what would I have to do to show God that I believe and that I want to serve Him? Ans.

3.  Do I have to serve God in the spiritual war against good and evil? Ans.

4.  Will I have to pass a certain test to be approved of God? Ans.

5.  Do I have to confront Christ Jesus (i.e. "face Him") and be judged by Him? Ans.

 

Answers:


1.  Here's a question: Can a child who lives in their father's house with established 'rules' setup to benefit the whole family just go and do what they want to do, and still honor their flesh father? As long as the child 'knows' the rules, and does not go out and do anything against them, then they are under their father's will, even living according to it, bringing their father and their family 'honor' and blessings. The result is true peace, a life which the father naturally wants the child to have. When they fail, repentance is necessary, and then trying to do better, for we all fall short.
     That good family situation is no different between our Heavenly Father and 'us', His children, of all races, tongues, and nations. God gave His Letter The Word to each one us, for each to study, so we would know, understand,... and do that which He knows is best for us. So why wouldn't we want to follow His Ways that He outlined for us? When we do, it always brings blessings from Him, for we will be in His Will.

I John 5:14    And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us:
15    And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

     Notice above "according to His will, He heareth us". Does that mean if we pray for a brand new car that God will give it to us? Well, we of course have to go out and work for it, but if it's according to His Will, He hears us. Notice it still didn't say we are going to get what we prayed for. It depends if it is according to His will for us or not. Then also, if we pray for something that He knows will harm us, or is not in His Will, loving us, He won't do it. So how do we know what to pray for then? Studying His Word for ourselves will show each one of us. That's why He sent His Word to us. God has setup His Ways during this flesh age time, which we cannot just steer around. That's why when we don't study His Word, not knowing what is best for us, we can go out and try to be something we are not, or that isn't best for us, and it just will not work. We can cause 'conflict' in our lives which will bring misery upon ourselves. Is it God doing it, or of ourselves when that misery happens? Other than periods of temptation and testing by the evil one that all 'in Christ' must suffer at times, with most, we ourselves often bring misery on ourselves by not being in God's Will.
     God sent one of Satan's "messengers" to buffet Paul, keeping him in line for his chosen Mission. Paul prayed to our Heavenly Father three times to remove it. God told Paul His 'Grace' for him was good enough. So there's our example in praying for help in a matter (2 Corinthians 12:6-10). After petitioning God in the matter after three times, and we still run into a 'wall' with it, then it most likely is not according to God's Will; at least not at that time. We need to thank Him for the Grace He has given us in Christ Jesus, and 'press on', trying to do the best we can.
     So the other 'side', with one who leaves God out of their lives, and goes out to be what 'they' want to be and not caring about God's Will; they break the 'house rules', and wind up dishonoring their family, while bringing turmoil upon themselves. And for one who claims to be Christian, our 'family' is the Body of Christ. The 'key' - study 'all' of God's Word to know how to be in His Will, then He will add to us those things we need, and often, before we even ask. Paul taught in 1 Cor.10, going back to God's People in the wilderness, how they were 'under the cloud' of God's Glory then, but still many refused to be under His Will. Paul then said about all those events of the Old Testament:

1 Cor 10:11   Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12    Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

     Another level to this question of "Can I be what God wants me to be...", i.e., being one of God's servants vs. doing what we want to do with our own lives. There's many examples in God's Word where certain ones were 'chosen' for a specific Mission by our LORD; i.e. Moses, Jonah, Job, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, Christ's Apostles, etc.
     Paul in Acts 9 was one such example. Christ intervened 'directly' in Paul's life, taking his 'free-will' choice to believe, or not to believe, away from him. Paul (named Saul then), was actually persecuting Christians at the time before Jesus struck him down on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Our Lord said Paul was His 'chosen vessel' (Acts 9:15). Thus, Paul had a special Mission for Christ. Jonah was in the same situation, with being a chosen one, with a Mission for our Father. Neither Paul, nor Jonah, got out of performing that Mission. They had no choice in the matter.
     Some children may grow up later to fulfill some special Mission 'in Christ'. It might not be on Paul or Jonah's level or type, but none the less important to our Father. A chosen servant will bring 'much more' suffering on themselves by staying outside God's Will for them, vs. one who is not chosen. They will not 'get out of their duty'. God will bring calamities their way, until they get back in line. Our Father will naturally bring those to the forefront, making them easily recognizable. So they need to be properly 'instructed' about examples such as Paul, and Jonah. In the Book of Jonah, it's revealed that Jonah tried to get out of doing what God told him to do. God commanded him to go preach to the pagan city Nineveh. Did Jonah fulfill it? There's your example for a 'chosen' one. (see also Romans 9; 11; Jeremiah 1; all of the Book of Jonah).

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2.   I'll cover this question in two parts: the first is - "If I were to be left behind (on Judgment Day)..." 
     There are 'two' judgments (not per person, but two different times for different groups), because there are those of the 'first resurrection', who receive their 'reward' by Christ at His coming. Those are the 'sheep' on the right hand of Matt.25. Then there are those of the second resurrection, those who come to Christ during His thousand year reign. They will not experience the 'second death', which is the casting into the 'lake of fire' at the end of that thousand year period. Thus their 'reward' in Christ comes at the end of the thousand years, after Satan is loosed again for a short time (see Rev.20 for all this).
     Firstly, the Judgment of God's Great White Throne Judgment happens at the 'end' of Christ's thousand year reign on earth (Rev.20:11). 'Final' Judgment does not happen with Christ's return. The final Judgment will cast anything evil which is against God's Kingdom into the 'lake of fire'. That includes Satan, hell, i.e. the 'pit', his followers, etc.
     That idea there of being 'left behind' is a tradition of man not written in God's Word (study 1 Cor.15; 2 Cor.5 about being 'absent from the body'; Eccl.12 about what happens to each at death today, the flesh going back to the 'elements', and the 'spirit' going back to God).
     Read Zechariah 14 and Acts 1 together, to discover just 'how', and 'where' our Lord Christ returns. Discover from 1 Cor.15 just on which 'trumpet' our Lord Christ returns on (the "last trump", or 'trumpet' Paul wrote in 1 Cor.15, which is the "seventh" angel sounding of Rev.11:15). The Left Behind Series books and movies are against God. The deception message taught in them is not from our Heavenly Father and His Christ. Fanciful reading though, hmm? How silly it is to put man's books over God's Word! And that's exactly what many do when they have not thoroughly studied God's Word for themselves, but instead seek to some popular tradition which the world creates.
     The judgment of appearing before Christ, which happens at our Lord and Savior's return, is one of reward for His servants, but wrath to the 'goats' put on the left hand (see Matt.25:31-34). But that is not the The White Throne Judgment Day of God which happens later, written of in Rev.20:11. Do not leave out the 'thousand years' Millennium of Christ's reign, for it is clearly written of in God's Word:

Rev 20:2     And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3    And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4    And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5    But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6    Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
7    And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

     At the end of Rev.20, after God's White Throne Judgment, which is at the 'end' of Christ's thousand year reign, that's when anything evil, including the devil, his abode of hell, etc., will go into the 'lake of fire', and be no more. The burning forever idea is an 'idiom' for those rebellious who refuse our Righteous KING Christ Jesus. They will not be remembered any more; they'll be merely 'blotted out' as if they had never existed. That's when GOD's Kingdom will be setup, and this old earth made 'new'; refreshed is what the Hebrew and Greek meaning is (Psalms 37; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev.21:1; Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22).
     Our Lord's teaching about the 'sheep' being put on His right hand, and the 'goats' being put on the left hand, means during Christ's thousand year reign, there is going to be a separation between His, and those who refused Him today. We will all be in a 'spiritual' Kingdom under Christ Jesus as KING (see Rev.11:15; Rev.19:16; Rev.20 - 22). The unrighteous will not go into the 'lake of fire' yet, for God's People are going to help our Lord Christ to do a little 'boot camp' drill, trying to get those unrighteous deceived straightened up. Satan being locked in the 'pit', will not be allowed to prevent the great teaching of God's Word during that time (Rev.20:3). Isaiah 13-14 speaks of this 'day of the Lord', which is the beginning of Christ's thousand year reign, but there is much 'metaphor' in those Chapters of Isaiah. I did some studies of them on my website, explaining many of the metaphors.
     God loves all His children He created, and doesn't wish to lose any of us. That's what Christ's thousand year reign is for. All those who won't, or can't come to His Truth today, will know during that thousand years. God is most loving, and most fair. It is wrong to teach that the 'lake of fire' event happens when our Lord Christ returns, and that tradition is not according to His Word. We serve a Just GOD, most fair and long-suffering. None will perish until they have a 'chance' to hear the full 'Wine' of God's Word, untainted, with 'full' understanding. Many today do not have that 'chance' of clearly understanding God's Word for themselves. That's what the thousand year reign of Christ is for. The last nine Chapters of Ezekiel reveal Christ's thousand year reign of the future. Ezekiel 44 reveals that separation during Christ's Millennium reign also. Those Ezekiel 40 - 48 Chapters link with Rev.22.

The second part of the question - "...what would I have to do to show God that I believe and that I want to serve Him?"
     To show God that we believe, and want to serve Him only;... get into His Word He sent to each one of us, learning how to do it His Way, and not the way 'we' think He wants. There's only ONE WAY to be in God's Will, and that is to know what He said do, and what He said not to do. It's as simple as that. Those who don't care to study It for themselves, at least trying,... well who do they have to blame? Themselves, for they don't know what God wants them to do, for they haven't read God's Word! Part of the 'big test' is just opening His Word up for ourselves, and trying to understand It, asking His Guidance.

Isa 1:18    'Come now, and let us reason together', saith the LORD: 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19    If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20    But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.'

Isa 55:1   Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2    Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3    Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4    Behold, I have given Him for a Witness to the people, a Leader and Commander to the people.
5    Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for He hath glorified thee.
6    Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:

     Those verses are not just towards old Israel; they are for us today just as much; to all who call upon The Name of The LORD, of both Jew and Gentile (Romans 2:10).

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3.    Well...yes! That is... if one wants to be part of His Family in Christ. Paul taught us about the powers given by Satan over this flesh world, about a 'battle':

Eph 6:10   Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
11    Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12    For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.


     The whole reason we are born of woman in this flesh is to make a 'choice' of who we will serve, whether that be Christ our Lord, or defaulting to Satan, the controller of 'this' world (Luke 4:1-8). There is NO in between! There is no 'my' side, or 'our' side of neutrality. What did our Lord Christ say to the Church of Laodicia about spewing them out of His mouth, because they were neither 'hot' nor 'cold', but 'lukewarm' (Rev.3:16). Our Lord is teaching there to 'choose'. Pick which side you want to be on; make up your mind. Those who make no choice, naturally 'default' to Satan's side, regardless of whether they like it or not. The false teaching that each one can be their own 'individualist' just won't work in this matter with our LORD. Choose.

Eph 6:13    Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14    Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15    And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16    Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17    And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18    Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;


     Notice Eph.6:13 above says to "take" 'the whole armour of God'. Does that mean by only believing on Christ Jesus as our Savior, that we will just be given God's Armour, with no work? No...we must "take" It. We must spiritually 'eat' The Book, His Word, taking It into our minds and hearts (see also Rev.10:9-10).
     Being Christ's servants means doing work for Him, according to His Will. 'Works' are very important to being 'in Christ'. We are not saved by our 'works', but by 'grace', a 'gift' which we did not merit, a Precious Gift from our Lord and Savior. But... our 'works' do follow us to Heaven, for they are our just rewards. We will be judged by our 'works' (Rev.14:12; Rev.20:12-13; Rev.18:6). A good 'work' for Christ can be something as simple as a smile to comfort a brother/sister who is depressed, etc. So 'works' do not necessarily mean going out and becoming an El Cid (though God does send those).
     Is it any different than joining up to play school sports? Do we go through weeks of training just to sit down or throw it all away when game time comes along? Of course not. It's no different with God's servants. This life is our 'game' Which we enjoy, because we have a Perfect Winning Strategy from the Best COACH (Christ Jesus) in the league, so we naturally would want to get out there and sweat a little, getting ourselves 'in shape', so we can be part of HIS TEAM! And what A COACH we have in Him! A Perfect Coach! Likewise, those who want to serve God have to learn how to run the 'playbook' (Bible), having It locked away in the heart and mind. One may begin on the fourth string, but working hard, they'll soon be first string starters in doing His 'work'. And when God's Team wins, all His Body of members win together, as we all have the same inheritance in Christ (Eph.3:6; Gal.3:7-9; Romans 12; 10:12-15; Acts 20:32). And... we already 'know' Who wins.

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4.  Pass a test to be in God's service?

1 Cor 10:13    There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

     There is... a big test coming upon all of during these latter days. It's been steadily growing for quite some time now. Will our Father test us? Yes:

Judg 2:20   And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, 'Because that this people hath transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto My voice; 21    I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22    That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23    Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered He them into the hand of Joshua.


     Our Heavenly Father is definitely 'in control'. Make no mistake about it. Satan only can do what God allows him to do. Our Father has 'stepped in' many times with His People to change the results of history. Those events are written all throughout His Word.

II Th 2:10    And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11    And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12    That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

     What? "God shall send them strong delusion"? Test? You bet! Put on The Gospel Armour; all of It, from both New and Old Testament Books. So what is this "lie" which God shall send? It is The Antichrist. And that "lie" is a 'specific' test for the latter days. So I can't deny in teaching this, for it is well written, especially covered in the Book of Revelation and in Daniel, and in the Books of the prophets. Even our Lord Jesus taught of it in His Gospel of Mark 13; Matthew 24; Luke 21, which give the 'seven signs' of the endtime, paralleled with Revelation Chapter 6.

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5.   Yes. Clearly yes.

2 Cor 5:10   For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

     Each will 'receive' according to their works. For those 'in Christ', that means 'rewards' of righteousness. So 'judgment' for those in good standing with our Lord Christ, is going to be a good thing!

I Jn 2:28   And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

1 Pet 4:17   For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18    And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19    Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.


     We all fall short, as we all are sinners in this flesh, even still. If it were not so, then why would we need the Perfect Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Through repentance, asking Him to forgives us of our sins, having a change of heart and trying to improve, doing better... then we are counted 'perfect' in God's sight, the slate being wiped clean (see Romans 7, where Paul said he constantly found battle between his flesh and his spirit, as we all do.) So by that, if that righteous group scarcely be saved, then what of the ungodly and sinners (habitual sinner) who love to sin against God? Stay in Christ Jesus, on The Rock.

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Footnotes:

All references to "Strong's nos." are from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, PC Study Bible, Biblesoft, 1993-1996.

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