The book of Isaiah tells us quite a bit about the conditions in the Millennium. In this sermon, we will discover what Isaiah was inspired to write pertaining to a future time about which most people have no understanding.
Salvation
The Feast of Trumpets in Isaiah
We will explore today what the book of Isaiah tells us about the conditions of the modern houses of Israel and Judah just before and at the time of Christ’s return, and what the Church’s responsibility is in light of that understanding.
Confidence in the Bible?
Is the Old Testament part of God’s inspired, timeless and preserved Word of God? Who was commissioned with the preservation of the Old Testament Scriptures? Can we prove from the Old Testament that Jesus is the Christ; and how to obtain salvation and entrance in the Kingdom of God? Who canonized the New Testament Scriptures? Do we have God’s promise that the New Testament Scriptures would also be preserved for all times?
Paul’s Letter to the Philippians – Part 8
In this final installment, we discuss how Paul learned to be content and self-sufficient, and to be full and hungry. We will also see how our gifts abound to our account; and why God views our gifts to others as acceptable sweet-smelling sacrifices.
Did King Saul commit the unpardonable sin ?
In two recent Q&As, we discussed the question whether Judas might have committed the unpardonable sin, dealing with the issue whether Judas is lost http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/10163, and whether he rejected his chance for salvation when he betrayed Christ http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/10136.
We concluded that Judas did not commit the unpardonable sin, mainly because he never received God’s Holy Spirit prior to his death. Please read or re-read our Q&As, which also explain the nature of the unpardonable sin.
One way to commit the unpardonable sin is to permanently refuse to repent, after one has obtained the knowledge of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This kind of sinful conduct cannot be forgiven, as one refuses to repent and therefore cannot repent, and God only forgives us our sins upon repentance. Paul tells us in the letter to the Hebrews that there is no further sacrifice for us, when we fall away after we have been enlightened and tasted the powers of the world to come and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, as we would then require Jesus Christ to die for us again (compare Hebrews 6:4-8). But the Bible says that Christ died once and for all (Hebrews 9:28).
Based on this understanding, it will be difficult to dismiss the idea and escape the conclusion that King Saul might very well have committed the unpardonable sin—but of course, the final determination of that question is not to us, but to God only—the Judge of the living and the dead.
But notice what the Bible tells us happened to King Saul. Let us focus first, in contrast, on King David. We know that King David received God’s Holy Spirit, even though he committed many grievous and terrible sins. But we also read that upon realizing what he had done, he bitterly repented of those sins (although he still had to live with the consequences of his bad conduct).
Still, we read that God accepted his repentance, and He inspired the prophet Nathan to tell David that he would not die. David’s repentance was genuine, and he pleaded with God not to take His Holy Spirit away from him. We read how he prayed, in Psalm 51:10-11: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
God listened to his prayer and did not take His Holy Spirit away from David, and so we are told that David will be in the first resurrection, and that he will be given a high rulership position in the Kingdom of God.
We read nothing remotely similar about the future of King Saul, even though we are told that God had initially decreed that Saul should be king over His people (1 Samuel 9:17), and we also read, that King Saul received God’s Holy Spirit. We read in 1 Samuel 10, beginning with verse 1:
“(Verse 1) Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: ‘Is it not because the LORD has anointed you commander over His inheritance?… (Verse 6) Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. (Verse 7) And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you…’ (Verse 9) So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day…”
However, it did not take long for Saul to rebel against God, because of fear and lack of trust in God. He offered sacrifices which were the distinct responsibilities of Samuel. We read in 1 Samuel 13:7-14:
“And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, ‘Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.’ And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, ‘What have you done?’ Saul said, ‘When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, “The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.” Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.’ And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.’”
Notice that Samuel said that if Saul had continued to obey God, his kingdom over Israel would have been established forever. But because of his disobedience, the kingdom would be given to another man—namely David.
Subsequently, King Saul failed again to obey God by carrying out the instruction to kill the king of the Amalekites, Agag (a cruel mass murderer), and all the animals. Saul was not in any way reluctant to kill per se; but he had different ideas when it came to King Agag. And so we read first about God’s specific instruction, in 1 Samuel 15:3:
“’Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
Now notice how Saul acted, in verses 7-11:
“And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, ‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.’ And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.”
When Samuel confronted Saul, he did not repent of his disobedience. His concern was not so much to please God, but to be honored before the people (verse 30). Saul had rejected the word of God, and so God rejected Saul from being king over Israel (verse 26). We read in verse 35 that “the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.”
God was very displeased with Saul because he took a lot of things upon himself that he should not have. This is quite similar to some men today who are given a small measure of authority and who step way over that authority, beginning to “lord it over” others.
When God rejected Saul from being king over Israel, notice what else happened, in 1 Samuel 16:14: “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.”
When God’s Holy Spirit departed from Saul, God allowed that a demon would begin to trouble him. (For an explanation of the concept that an evil spirit “from the LORD” came upon Saul, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” under “The World of Demons” and “A Demon from God?”). God saw to it that David would be brought to Saul to calm him down through his music, when Saul was troubled, but in due time, Saul became David’s enemy continuously and tried to kill him on numerous occasions. In his rage and hatred toward David, and suspecting conspiracy against him at every turn of the way, he even had the priests of God killed (compare 1 Samuel 22).
Finally, after Samuel had died and God refused to listen to wicked Saul and answer his prayers (as He did not see any genuine repentance in Saul), he practiced witchcraft and consulted a medium who spoke to him through a demon who pretended to be Samuel. The demon told him, through the witch, that he and his sons would die in battle (compare 1 Samuel 28:3-25), and that is what happened (1 Samuel 31:1-6). For a thorough explanation as to what happened during that séance, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”, under “Communication with the Dead?”
Throughout King Saul’s life, after the Holy Spirit had departed from him, we do not see any signs of genuine repentance or a desire to serve God. Even in his final days, we are told that he totally rejected God and engaged instead in witchcraft, apparently following the “guidance” of the evil spirit or demon which continuously troubled him.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 summarizes the reasons for Saul’s fall with these telling words:
“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD [at least not in the right way; that is, with genuine repentance and a desire to obey God]; therefore He killed him, and turned his kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
We note that Samuel and David are both mentioned in Hebrews 11, as being among those who will be in the first resurrection, but Saul is not mentioned, as God had removed His mercy from him. There is no record in the Bible that he ever repented, nor is there even any indication given that he did so. We read in 2 Samuel 7:15-16 that God promised David that His mercy would not depart from David’s son Solomon, as He “took it from Saul,” and that David’s house and kingdom and throne would be established forever.
Based on the biblical record, it therefore appears that Saul has committed the unpardonable sin (but the final determination is not with us, but with God).
Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Rene Messier
The Footsteps of Christ
The importance of walking in the footsteps of Christ, using the fruit of the spirit as a guide to accomplish that task to ensure we are staying on track.
Why was man created?
In previous Q&As, we discussed the nature of God—that God is a ruling and governing Family—the “Kingdom of God”—consisting of two Spirit beings, the Father and the Son. We also learned that the Holy Spirit is not God or a Person, but the power of God, emanating from both the Father and the Son. Please see for further information:
“Did Jesus Exist Prior to His Human Birth?”
In this Q&A, we want to explain the fact that God is a GROWING Family. He wants to enlarge His Family by bringing many sons and daughters into His Family. When God gives His Holy Spirit to His followers, they become BEGOTTEN members of His Family. Those who are called to salvation in this day and age will be BORN into His Family—thereby becoming Spirit beings and full-fledged God beings—at the time of Christ’s return.
We need to begin our discussion on the destiny of man by briefly addressing first the “born again” question.
Most professing Christians and even some members of the true Church of God are confused about this vital question of “being born again.” They sincerely believe that they are already born again today. But they are sincerely wrong. The Bible does not teach this. Our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?”, explains in much detail from the Bible WHEN true Christians become “born again.” For space limitations, we can only quote a few excerpts from this booklet, but we strongly recommend that you read or re-read it in its entirety:
“In John 3, Jesus Christ explained… that no human being could be IN the Kingdom of God, and that in order to enter God’s Kingdom, one had to become a Spirit being—a member of the God Family… Jesus answered Nicodemus in John 3:3, 5–6, 8: ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit… The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit’…
“Christ could not possibly have spoken about a ‘born again’ experience in this physical life. Notice it again: One who is born of the Spirit IS spirit. He is like the wind which cannot be seen but can be felt—like a powerful hurricane or tornado. Christ also said that unless one is born again, he could not see nor enter the Kingdom of God. In other words, as long as someone is flesh and blood—not spirit—he cannot see or enter God’s Kingdom…
“Although we will be born again at the time of our resurrection or our change to immortality, something else must happen first so that we CAN become born again. The Bible describes this prior event as spiritual conception or ‘begettal.’ Simply put, before we can be born again, we must be begotten again—a spiritual begettal. This spiritual begettal takes place at the time of our baptism, after repentance, and after coming to an understanding of, and belief in, Christ’s sacrifice and the gospel of the Kingdom of God. At the time of baptism we then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, through the laying on of hands, as a down payment—a guarantee (Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 5:5)— of our ultimate new birth at our resurrection to spirit…
“With the receipt of God’s Spirit, we acquire God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), but there is still another step in the process. Just as an embryo must grow and develop, we must also grow spiritually and develop the fruit of the Spirit—the actual character of God. God considers those who have received His Spirit as being His children (2 Corinthians 6:17–18). Finally, Spirit-begotten children become SEPARATE SPIRIT BEINGS upon being born again—at their resurrection and change to immortality…
“Notice Luke 20:35–36: ‘But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, BEING SONS OF THE RESURRECTION.’ We will be born-again children of God when we have been resurrected—not before then. Christ calls us the ‘sons of the resurrection’ for a reason!”
Many claim, erroneously, that the Greek word, translated “born,” refers to a BIRTH prior to Christ’s return. However, they are mistaken. The Greek word is “gennao” and means, “born” or “begotten”—depending on the context—and it can even describe the process from “begotten” to “being born”—the process of the entire “pregnancy,” lasting from conception until delivery. It is strictly the translator’s choice to use the word “born” or “begotten,” when translating the Greek word, “gennao,” but when the word “birth” is used for and applied to the “pregnancy” prior to the actual time of the “delivery,” then the translator made the wrong choice. In every such case, the expressions for “begotten” should have been used.
What will actually happen to true Spirit-BEGOTTEN Christians, when they will be BORN AGAIN or BORN ANEW at the time of Christ’s return? What is their destiny? Why was man created in the first place, and why were Christians begotten with the Holy Spirit?
Please note the following quotes from chapter 8 of our free booklet, “The Mysteries of the Bible”:
“1 John 3:1–2 tells us: ‘Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.’
“God’s Word says that we will be LIKE Him. Many translations… state that we will be ‘equal with Him.’ To most people, the very concept that we can be ‘like’ or ‘equal with’ God is a great mystery! But Colossians 1:15 explains to us that Christ ‘is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.’ The Greek word for ‘image’ is ‘eikon.’ It means, ‘likeness, representation, profile.’ Christ said that he who sees Him sees the Father.
“As Christ is the image of God the Father, so we are to become the image of Christ. Romans 8:29 says: ‘For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.’… Paul elaborates further on the fantastic future change of man in 2 Corinthians 3:18: ‘But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord’…
“We will actually become God, that is, a God being—a full and total image of God the Father and Jesus Christ, much like a physical child is often recognized as being an image of his or her parents. Those who are called and chosen in this day and age are already [begotten] children of God, awaiting their change to a full Spirit being at the return of Christ.”
Our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” explains in much more detail what is in store for true Christians at the time of Christ’s return:
“Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 15:50: ‘Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.’ Are you still human? If so, you cannot inherit the Kingdom of God as you are. So then, how can we enter the Kingdom?… Paul explains in verses 51 and 52: ‘Behold, I tell you a mystery…we shall 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’ That is, how we can enter the Kingdom of God. Our human bodies need to be changed. But changed to what?
“Verses 42-49: ‘So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body…(verse 47) The first man [Adam] was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man [Jesus Christ] is the Lord from heaven…(verse 49) And as we have borne the image of the man of dust [human], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man [spirit].’
“… the Bible is very clear that whoever is in the Kingdom of God must actually be God. We must become God beings, sharing in Christ’s glory, the firstborn of many brethren. That is indeed a mystery that only very few understand today—that God is a Family, consisting presently of God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ, but that God is enlarging His Family. We are already called His children, but we have not been glorified yet. And when we are glorified at the time of our resurrection to eternal life, we will be entering the Kingdom of God, as literal God beings, as glorified sons and daughters of God, made immortal… God the Father tells Jesus Christ in Genesis 1:26, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’ God is a Family, and when He created man, He began His awesome work of adding to His Family…That we are to become members of the God Family, or God beings, is clearly taught…
“In Psalm 17:15, we read about man’s potential: ‘As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.’ David understood that we will look like God when we are resurrected. Also [Philippians] 3:20-21: ‘For our citizenship is in heaven… [Our names are written in heaven, where God is. We belong to Him, we are His children. We belong to a different country, a heavenly government, which will come down to this earth when Christ returns.]…from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.’ We already read that we shall bear the image of Christ, we will look like He does, in His glorified state.
“But more than that—we will actually BE GOD BEINGS…Those of you who are familiar with us know that we have been preaching this truth for a long time. Herbert W. Armstrong, the late human leader of the Church of God in the 20th century, wrote a book entitled, ‘Mystery of the Ages.’ On page 170, he wrote: ‘Consider why God created mankind in the first place. God is reproducing Himself through man. He is creating in Man God’s own perfect holy and righteous spiritual character. And that, in turn, is purposed to restore the government of God over all the earth. And further, to create BILLIONS OF GOD BEINGS …’
“This knowledge that it is man’s potential to become God has also been understood by several Christian authors over the centuries. In her book, ‘A History of God,’ former Catholic nun Karen Armstrong [not related to Herbert Armstrong], quotes several early professing Christian writers who believed and taught this truth. She writes on page 98: ‘Clement [of Alexandria, ca. 150-215 A.D.] also believed that Jesus was God… If Christians imitated Christ, they too would become deified: divine, incorruptible and impassable. Indeed, Christ had been the divine logos, who had become man, “so that you might learn from a man how to become God.”’
“She also quotes, on page 129, Maximus the Confessor, who lived from ca. 580-662, as saying, ‘The word was made flesh in order that “the whole human being would become God, deified by the grace of God become man.”’
“Theophilus (A.D. 115-181) wrote: ‘A man, by keeping the directions of God, may receive from Him immortality…and become God.’
“Further, the most recent Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, which was published in 1994 under the auspices of Pope John Paul II, states that the official Catholic position is, that man is to become God. Now this might not be very well known even among Catholics, but here are some quotes from the Catechism: “…For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods”’(pp. 128-129, Section 460. The last quote is attributed to Thomas of Aquinas.).”
The Bible reveals that God IS a Family, and that man has the potential to enter the God Family—the Kingdom of God—as born again members and Spirit beings. It is man’s potential to become God—to become, in that sense, “equal” with God. This is a great mystery which has been hidden from the overwhelming majority of non-Christians and professing Christians alike, but from time to time, certain aspects of this knowledge were understood and communicated.
Today, the true Church of God is preaching and proclaiming this tremendous understanding in all the world as a witness to all nations. True converted Christians, who are still alive at the time of Christ’s return, will be changed from physical beings to immortal God beings. They will become born-again members of the very Family of God. The same is true for those who died in Christ and who will be resurrected from the dead, when Christ returns. They will also enter the Family of God as immortal God beings at that time.
Those who have lived and died before Christ’s return, without ever having had an opportunity to accept Christ as their personal Savior and to receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, will be given such an opportunity at a later time—during the Second Resurrection or the “Great White Throne Judgment” period (compare Revelation 20:11-12). At that time, they can also fulfill their potential—if they make the right choice—to become immortal God beings in the Family of God. THAT IS why God created all of mankind—to become GOD–born-again members of the FAMILY OF GOD.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
Sorrow
We all feel sorrow sometimes. Why do we experience sorrow and more importantly: how can we use it for our own spiritual growth?
Inherit the Promises Through Faith and Patience
God has called us for a special purpose. We are to develop our minds in order to be able to live our lives as Christ lived in the flesh – To think as Christ thought. In so doing, we will begin to develop within us the faith and patience of Jesus Christ. Through faith and patience we are to inherit the promises.
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Is Overcoming a Priority For You?
God’s people today are a people called to overcome sin in their
lives! If one succeeds in this calling, God will give to him the gift
of eternal life as a member in the Family of God!One does not earn eternal life through this process of overcoming.
What one does earn should he fail in this endeavor to which he is
called, is what the Scripture refers to as the second death – eternal
death! This must never be our personal choice relative to our calling.
However, if we are successful in our calling through the power of God’s
Holy Spirit, God will give to us the gift of eternal life!Another very important thing one is able to earn, should he be
successful in His calling of God during this lifetime, is a position of
rulership in the coming Kingdom of God!
