Capital Punishment

God is a strong advocate of capital punishment.

"The wages of sin is death...

But let's be clear. Death by capital punishment comes to a swift end. God is not an advocate of cruel and unusual punishment like the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. God loves His enemies and after the death penalty is administered, He intends to give them eternal life.

...but the free gift of God is eternal life..." (Romans 6:23)

This "free gift" was one of the mysteries revealed by God to the Apostle Paul.

"When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations..."(Ephesians 3:5)

Down through the years only a few people have tortured others. Much of the torturing was done by political or religious leaders in their wrath against "infidels." But that behavior is how wicked men treat their enemies, not God. When God's wrath is poured out on wicked men it is swift and always ends in the death of its object (i.e. capital punishment). But death is not the end for its objects. Paul tell us...

"I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked." (Acts 24:14-15)

God and religion differ on what happens to the righteous and the wicked after they are resurrected? Religion teaches the righteous go to heaven and the wicked to hell. God's plan, however, is to reconcile and save all mankind by His grace, both Jew and Gentile.

"For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly... This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel...To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church..." (Ephesians 3:1-9)

The "church" long ago ceased teaching this "manifold wisdom". It has become another religion teaching that the righteous go to heaven and the wicked to hell. But if you want to read a summary of God's plan, the good news that the church was intended to proclaim, it is found in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 where it is revealed that "all die", and "all will be made alive" so that God ends up "all in all".

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive...so that God may be all in all."

Capital punishment is good - it removes the wicked from society. Religion adds eternal torment to their sentence which is bad, but the mystery of God's grace is that He will raise both the "righteous and the wicked" up as a rehabilitated new creation, and give us all the "free gift" of eternal life.

"And He who sits on the throne said: Behold, I am making all things new. And He said: Write, for these words are faithful and true." (Revelation 21:5)

Ignorant People - Not Who You Think

"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery..that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved...God has shut up ALL in disobedience so that He may show mercy to ALL." (Romans 11:25-32)

The mystery was that ALL Israel would be saved, but not until the FULLNESS of the Gentiles has come into a knowledge of their Salvation. It was God who made ALL mankind disobedient so that He can show his MERCY to all.

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!...For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory...Therefore... do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, so that you may PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 11:33-12:2)

It is God's will to "show mercy to all" .  How?  By saving "all mankind".

"...trust in the living God who is the Savior of all mankind, especially believers" (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

That is totally different from present church doctrine which would only bestow salvation on those who make a free will decision to be saved. Those who believe in limited salvation are not the "believers" Paul is referring to above.  I only know a small number of these "believers".

Paul says we need to have a "RENEWING" of our minds, and see things from God's perspective. By doing so we will see that it is the "will" of God to reconcile and save "ALL mankind" by "GRACE" through Christ Jesus his Son.

"...in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE he made known to us the mystery of his will... to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ…according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (Ephesians 1:7-11)

His will is to save sinners and unify all mankind in Christ.  That is His "plan" and "purpose" - who is going to stop it?  So pray and be thankful for "all mankind"...

"I exhort therefore, that...prayers...and giving of thanks, be made for ALL mankind...For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have ALL men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself A RANSOM FOR ALL, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not; a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity" (1 Timothy 2:1-7)

Few Christians believe the above "truth", but it is still the truth. One only has to seek the "renewing of your mind" and then conform it to the mind of Christ rather than the doctrines of religion.  Place your faith in God and reject the traditions of any Church that denies the "truth" because in the final analysis what you believe will be "manifested" at the "dais of Christ".  Failure to believe that God is showing His "mercy to all" by being the "the Savior of all mankind" and that Christ Jesus "gave himself a ransom for all" will be three of those "bad" things put into "practice through the body" by remaining "ignorant of this mystery".

"...God has shut up ALL in disobedience so that He may show mercy to ALL ...we must be manifested in front of the dais of Christ, that each should be requited for that which he puts into practice through the body...whether good or bad" (Romans 11:32; 2 Corinthians 5:10 CLNT)

Who Will Jesus Deny?

"Whoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)

The context is NOT salvation. Jesus was speaking to the house of Israel concerning the promise of God to Israel to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel ON THE EARTH at some time in the future. The JEWS who do not confess that Jesus is their Messiah will be denied entrance into that Kingdom when it is restored by Jesus at his 2nd coming. The timing of this restoration of the Kingdom was the last thing the JEWISH apostles asked Jesus about before he ascended into heaven after his resurrection.

"So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:1-10)

After the ascension of Jesus, Peter told the JEWS that if THEY would repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus he would immediately return and restore the Kingdom as promised by their "holy prophets from ancient time".

"...repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you (Israel), whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time...It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant of God made with your fathers" (Acts 3:20-25)

We Gentiles have no part in this covenant, and Israel did not repent and eventually blindness came upon Israel and remains today - nearly 2000 years later. Paul tells us that this blindness was a "mystery", but Jesus would someday return and "all Israel shall be saved".

"For I would not, brethren that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Romans 11:25-26)

The Bible is full of the details of what happens just before the return of Jesus to restore the Kingdom to Israel. That is what the book of Revelation is all about. But even that age and Kingdom ends after 1000 years.

"Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection...but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6)

Israel is the only nation whom God assigned "priests", despite the so called "priesthood of the believer" doctrine taught in some denominational churches.

As far as the "salvation" of ALL mankind from death (both Jew and Gentile), the knowledge of it was brought to ALL mankind when Jesus came the first time. 

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men..." (Titus 2:11)

This "salvation" will be manifested only when those who are still dead after the "first resurrection" are raised to immortal life, and so all death is "destroyed". 

"And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken...This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation...The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (Isaiah 25:7-9; 1 Corinthians 15:26)

What is left after death is "destroyed"? Life. Abundant, immortal LIFE - for ALL! That is the good news we are supposed to be sharing.

So, to whom will Jesus deny this salvation? Not one soul.

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

Is that what is taught and believed where you assemble together? 

A place where they "prescribe and teach these things" is hard to find...I'm still looking. I agree with Jesus when he said...

"...when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

Very little it seems to me.

Behold I Tell You A Mystery

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel… they all shall know Me...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34)

This of course is a promise to ISRAEL. Remember them? They are the ones who delivered Jesus their Messiah to the Romans to be crucified. I cannot think of a greater sin than this. However, God says He will "forgive their iniquity" and their sin He will "remember no more".

"Father forgive them, they do not know what they doing" (Luke 23:34)

Jesus said this from the cross and his request included both ISRAEL and the ROMAN empire who conspired together to crucify Jesus. Jesus asked God to forgive them because the cross was God's plan to save sinners. Christians think God is going to put them in hell and torture them forever unless they repented and accepted Jesus as their Savior before they died, because that is what they would do to them. But God delivered Jesus up "for us all"...

"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all......this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again" (Romans 8:32; Acts 2:23-24).

All those "godless men" who had part in the crucifixion of Jesus died for their sin, just like Jesus did, and we will all eventually die for our sin. The amazing thing about God, and what separates Him from men, is he is going to save those "godless men". This truth had remained a mystery until revealed to the Apostle Paul...

”...we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people...Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57)

Now that should get a standing ovation for God and Christ Jesus, the Savior and Redeemer of the whole world!

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

God's Plan - Unity Of All Things

"Out of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things" (Romans 11:36)

"...in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE he made known to us the mystery of his will... to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ…according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (Ephesians 1:7-11).

The Bible says that everything is out of God and is proceeding just as He wills and "according to the plan". Jesus is the Son of God and "…the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). Through His Son, the living Word, God made everything.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-3,14)

Since all things are "out of Him", it was God who allowed Adam and Eve to bring sin and death to all mankind by their disobedience. This was done to demonstrate His "mercy".

"For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all." (Romans 11:32)

But “in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE” God had a plan "to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ".

Since God is operating everything “according to the plan” we should trust and believe Him in all things (easier said than done I know). And we are told …

"...supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men…this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

God knew from the beginning that mankind would become sinners and that He would send Jesus "as a ransom for all" in order to save them all. We know God planned it that way because “Out of Him…are all things”. 

He will succeed and that is why we are instructed to pray for "ALL men", not just the ones we think deserving. Everyone is a part of God's plan to "bring unity to all things" - and all will be saved by God, reconciled to God and pronounced righteous in Christ "in accordance with the riches of God's GRACE".

Repentance that Matters

"...Christ Jesus... from whom we have received GRACE ...." (Romans 1:1-7)

"...do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance" (Romans 2:4)

The repentance of religion comes from the fear of the doctrines of men who tell us to repent or be damned. However, that kind of repentance does not save anyone from the penalty for sin, which is death - and we all die. 

"For all have sinned...the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

The "repentance" referred to in Romans above comes AFTER we realize that God is far better to us than we deserve and is not the angry god worshipped by many Religions.  The real God, the one of the Bible, will save all sinners out of death by his grace.  He sent His Son to die "for the ungodly" 2000 years ago, and will send Jesus again to free us from sin's penalty - death. 

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God...upon this rock I will build my ecclesia, and the gates of hades (death) shall not prevail against it...You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us..." (Matthew 16:16-18; Romans 5:6-8)

We can depend on what God, through Jesus, has DONE and will DO for sinners.  "At just the right time" God will once again send Jesus for all sinners and Jesus will "raise them up at the last day". 

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day...Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive..." (John 6:39; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Corinthians 15:22)

The result of true repentance is to humbly thank him for the salvation we did not earn, and to humbly wait for our certain death to be "swallowed up victory" at the return of Jesus!

"Behold I show you a mystery...the dead shall be raised...for the corruptible must put on incorruption, and the mortal must put on immortality...then shall be brought to pass the saying, death has been swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

Comfort one another with these words.

The Savior of the World

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit ... This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 3:2-6)

And what is "the promise"?

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—" (1 Timothy 1:15)

Did he get the job done?

"Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ...And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world's Savior." (John 1:29; 1 John 4:14)

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Yep, he got er done!

"He said, "It is finished!" Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." (John 19:30)

“…and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things…” (Ephesians 3:9)

The “mystery” was NOT hidden in the Scriptures, but was hidden “in GOD”. This mystery could not have been discovered by studying the Old Testament.

“I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has NOW been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit…” (Ephesians 3:1-5)

And what was the Mystery?

“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6)

The job of preaching to EVERYONE this HIDDEN mystery of God’s Grace for all mankind was given to Paul...

“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for EVERYONE what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:7-11)

The mystery of the Salvation of both Israel and Gentiles (together referred to as the church) would make known to the “rulers and authorities in heavenly places” the wisdom of God. So what exactly would happen that would make known to the angels and other spirit beings in “heavenly places” this wisdom of God?

Well the context clearly indicates it is the “promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” which is the good news promise that Christ would return to resurrect the dead.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery… in the twinkling of an eye…the dead will be raised imperishable…I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope…For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Corinthians 15: 51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

What Have You Learned Lately?

"...always learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth...for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires." (2 Timothy 3:7; 4:3-4)

 What have you learned lately? And who from?

Learning from the Bible is a great thing, and if we haven't learned anything new lately, it is most likely because we have refused "the truth" when presented to us by one who has "come to a knowledge of the truth".  Our study of the Bible may be continuous, "line upon line, hear a little, there a little" but in all our meticulous study we may never learn antything new, but in fact fall "backward, and be broken, and snared"...

"And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept...line upon line, here a little, there a little that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." (Isaiah 28:13)

There was a progression in God's revelation to mankind. Paul received the final hidden truth, or "mystery" as the Greek word is usually translated. Peter says we should "grow" in that "grace and knowledge".

"I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, the MYSTERY that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints, to whom God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this MYSTERY, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom...grow in the grace and knoledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."  (Colossians 1:25-28; 2 Peter 3:18)

When this "mystery" is presented and rejected, there is no more "growing in grace", but one falls "backward" into some mixture of law and grace. Paul said of those who rejected the truth of salvation by grace alone...

"...I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really no gospel at all." (Galatians 1:6-7)

This is the status of Christianity today - both Protestant and Catholic - they have fallen "backward" and have ceased to "grow in grace".  Talking about it is not growing in it. 

Here is Paul's progression in his understanding of the grace of God.

First, Paul says that the gospel of Christ is the power of God that brings salvation to both Jew and Gentile (Romans 1:16).

Second, in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul tells us that the God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers in order to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ's salvation.

Third, in Ephesians 3:8-10, Paul tells us that grace opens the eyes of the blind and brings to light the mystery of the eternal purpose of God in saving both Jews and Gentiles through the finished work of Christ Jesus.

Fourth, in 1 Timothy 2:3-6; 4:9-11, Paul tells us he and other believers were called to teach that God is the savior of all mankind.

Any finally, in 1 Corinthians 15:22-29, Paul summarizes all that God had revealed to him about His plan to make all alive and become all in all....

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death...so that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:22-28)

Believing that Christ Jesus is your personal Savior is great, and a measure of peace can be found therein, however, believing that Christ Jesus is the Savior of the whole world is growing "in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ".

The Mystery of God’s Wisdom

"...we declare God’s wisdom, a MYSTERY that has been HIDDEN... these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit... so that we may understand what God has FREELY GIVEN US.... if any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 2-3)

Paul was speaking to those in Corinth about God’s grace and His free gift of salvation. They believed the gospel but still had all kinds of sin going on among them. Much of this letter is to advise them on how to correct those problems. However, as carnal as they were, they were still called saints and were recipients of the free gift of salvation by the grace of God. This was part of the MYSTERY that had been hidden until revealed to Paul, by Jesus after his ascension to heaven.

Although we may lose rewards and be shamed for bad living and false doctrine at the return of Jesus, we are still saved.  For Christ "came into the world to save sinners" - and he succeeded!

"...and the GRACE of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:14-15) S