Bible FORENSICS --- ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE
WHAT IS OUR REWARD? IS IT HEAVEN? The Bible says...
THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH
"...the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight
themselves in the abundance of peace."
Psalms 37:9-11
QUESTION: Does the Bible say good people will go to heaven and stay there forever?
Well....the Bible says something a bit different.
It says that the meek shall inherit the earth. And did you know that a new heaven and a new earth are coming. In fact, the Bible says that the old heaven and earth will not be remembered or even come to mind anymore! Isaiah 65:17 says, "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind." Ok, so are we going up to heaven, new or old? Neither. Let me ask you this, did you know that God is going to come down from heaven and live on the earth with men? You have been taught that we are going up to heaven, but the Bible says God is coming down to the earth to live! Read Revelation 21:1-4!
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:1-4This futuristic vision of the new heaven and the new earth is after the Great White Throne Judgment. All the wicked will have been burned up permanently, fulfilling the type of chaff being burned up.
So we see that the Holy City New Jerusalem will descend from heaven to earth and becomes God's permanent dwelling place! This is the truth. This earth is a jewel. A beautiful creation, but the God Family couldn't risk both members. Christ could have sinned and lost His life eternally. So to protect the Family, God the Father has never ever had contact with men. John 1:18 says that “No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” We would know nothing of the Father, if Christ hadn't revealed His presence. Christ is the one who took all the risks. He is the one who has dealt with man, from the Garden of Eden on. Christ went with Israel when they left Egypt. I Corinthians 10:1-4 says,
"I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
Jesus Christ died after having lived a perfect life. If we accept His sacrifice by being baptized (symbolic burial of our old self) and repent of our sins, we can receive His Holy Spirit, which He gives to those who obey Him. If we keep the Passover every year, we symbolically partake of His body (unleavened bread) and blood (Passover wine) and we have His perfection counted toward us, which means we have eternal life in us. Only the perfect and sinless will be counted worthy to be in the first resurrection. To maintain this perfection, we must keep Passover every year. Does this mean that we don't have to keep the law anymore, because we are "perfect." "God forbid" is what Paul said to that question.
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Roman 6:1,2
KEEPING THE LAW PREDICTS YOUR EXISTENCE IN THE COMING NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH! THE CHAFF ARE THOSE WHO CAST AWAY GOD'S LAW and they will be burned up!
The law has it's part in your salvation as well. Those that reject God's law become chaff in God's sight.
TO BE SAVED, WE MUST BE HUMBLE
We know we need Christ's sacrifice applied to us pictured by baptism. We know we need to keep the law, but one more thing is very necessary to dwell forever, we must walk humbly before our God. THE MEEK WILL INHERIT THE EARTH!
GOD CALLS THE MEEK AND THEY WILL INHERIT THE EARTHFor ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
God has a plan, He will work it out. We can be part of it if we are meek, keep His laws and accept Christ by repenting of our sins and being baptized. The first place to start is to keep the 7th day Sabbath on Saturday. That is the fourth commandment. It is the starting place.
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:5
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