Fellowship In The Synagogue
"I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken." (John 12:46-48 NLT)
There are some, like my wife and I, who quit going to church without quitting God, and most of humanity have never gone to a church. Nevertheless if they trust in Jesus "to save the world", they are not "in the dark".
It is rejecting the "message" that Jesus came "to save the world" and will succeed in what He came to do that "will be judged".
"For God did not dispatch His Son into the world that he should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through him..." ... "For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified..." ... "God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of conciliation"(John 3:17 CLNT; 1 Corinthians 15:22 CLNT; 2 Corinthians 5:19)
This "word of conciliation" is the free gift of salvation to the world which resulted from the blood of the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. It is a done deal, whether people in the Synagogue believe it or not.
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
Failing to obey all the laws and rituals of religious institutions will not be judged, however there will be a judgment that will take place based on the "message" and "truth" about Jesus, the "Lamb of God".
Again, the message and truth that will be judged is that God sent Jesus to be the "Savior of the world", and He succeeded. This message first came to the Jews through the Apostle John, then to the Gentiles through the Apostle Paul.
"And we have gazed upon him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched the Son, the Savior of the world..." ... "Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.." ... "we rely on the living God, Who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching." (1 John 4:14 CLNT; 1 Timothy 1:15 CLNT; 4:10-11 CLNT)
The "day of judgment" will concern itself with whether this "truth" was believed when heard, and those who do will receive the reward of "the praise of God".
Judgment is not to condemn anyone to eternal punishment, but to reveal and burn up the heretical teaching of religious men composed of "wood, grass and straw" used to build upon Jesus Christ who is "the Way and the Truth and the Life".
"Jesus is saying to them - I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one is coming to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 CLNT)
Fire will consume all false teaching. Those who build with them will themselves be saved, yet what they taught will be "made apparent" and burned up in the revealing fire. And those teachers of false doctrine, whether sincere or not, will not receive the "praise of God" for their work, regardless of how long they labored...
"For other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone is building on this foundation gold and silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, each man's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident, for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing each one's work - what kind it is. If anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get wages. If anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
Christians talk of judgment as synonymous with God being Just. And they teach that a Just God must cast unbelievers into a never ending torture chamber they call hell. Does a just father torture his children? - of course not, such a father is put in an insane asylum or put to death. The meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words translated "just" in the bible means to do what is "right". It is right for a loving God to save His sinful children when He has the power to do so, and it would be wrong for Him to punish them forever.
Such teaching is heresy, pure and simple, not "truth". The "truth" that will be the basis of judgment is whether people believe that God succeeded in sending His Son to "save the world" from its sin.
Most Christians believe in Jesus but few will admit that Jesus is the "Savior of all mankind" because of what they hear in the church. And some fear they will be censured from fellowship if they bring it up. They are right to fear, it happened to me. They remind me of those of the Synagogue who believed in Jesus...
"Many people did believe in him, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43 NLT)
There was fellowship with other unbelievers in that "synagogue", but God will not praise anybody for attending.
There are some, like my wife and I, who quit going to church without quitting God, and most of humanity have never gone to a church. Nevertheless if they trust in Jesus "to save the world", they are not "in the dark".
It is rejecting the "message" that Jesus came "to save the world" and will succeed in what He came to do that "will be judged".
"For God did not dispatch His Son into the world that he should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through him..." ... "For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified..." ... "God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of conciliation"(John 3:17 CLNT; 1 Corinthians 15:22 CLNT; 2 Corinthians 5:19)
This "word of conciliation" is the free gift of salvation to the world which resulted from the blood of the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. It is a done deal, whether people in the Synagogue believe it or not.
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
Failing to obey all the laws and rituals of religious institutions will not be judged, however there will be a judgment that will take place based on the "message" and "truth" about Jesus, the "Lamb of God".
Again, the message and truth that will be judged is that God sent Jesus to be the "Savior of the world", and He succeeded. This message first came to the Jews through the Apostle John, then to the Gentiles through the Apostle Paul.
"And we have gazed upon him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched the Son, the Savior of the world..." ... "Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.." ... "we rely on the living God, Who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching." (1 John 4:14 CLNT; 1 Timothy 1:15 CLNT; 4:10-11 CLNT)
The "day of judgment" will concern itself with whether this "truth" was believed when heard, and those who do will receive the reward of "the praise of God".
Judgment is not to condemn anyone to eternal punishment, but to reveal and burn up the heretical teaching of religious men composed of "wood, grass and straw" used to build upon Jesus Christ who is "the Way and the Truth and the Life".
"Jesus is saying to them - I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one is coming to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 CLNT)
Fire will consume all false teaching. Those who build with them will themselves be saved, yet what they taught will be "made apparent" and burned up in the revealing fire. And those teachers of false doctrine, whether sincere or not, will not receive the "praise of God" for their work, regardless of how long they labored...
"For other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone is building on this foundation gold and silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, each man's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident, for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing each one's work - what kind it is. If anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get wages. If anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
Christians talk of judgment as synonymous with God being Just. And they teach that a Just God must cast unbelievers into a never ending torture chamber they call hell. Does a just father torture his children? - of course not, such a father is put in an insane asylum or put to death. The meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words translated "just" in the bible means to do what is "right". It is right for a loving God to save His sinful children when He has the power to do so, and it would be wrong for Him to punish them forever.
Such teaching is heresy, pure and simple, not "truth". The "truth" that will be the basis of judgment is whether people believe that God succeeded in sending His Son to "save the world" from its sin.
Most Christians believe in Jesus but few will admit that Jesus is the "Savior of all mankind" because of what they hear in the church. And some fear they will be censured from fellowship if they bring it up. They are right to fear, it happened to me. They remind me of those of the Synagogue who believed in Jesus...
"Many people did believe in him, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43 NLT)
There was fellowship with other unbelievers in that "synagogue", but God will not praise anybody for attending.