The Daily Word of Righteousness

Our Christian Pilgrimage, #32

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (II Thessalonians 2:8)

Antichrist will have his day on the earth, but the Lord Jesus will destroy him with "the brightness of his coming."

The filling of the visible heavens with the Glory of Christ, and the entrance of the Glory of Christ into His saints, mark the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon. The Light will descend to the Mount of Olives and then move to the plain north of Jerusalem where the battle will be fought. The nations that resist the invasion of Christ and His saints will be destroyed. This is the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

The nations that are left after the Battle of Armageddon will understand, from what they have witnessed, that God has sent Christ and that God loves the saints as He loves Christ and has given of the Glory of Christ to them. It may be observed that God indicated His choosing of Moses and Aaron by revealing His glory in association with their ministries, and also by smiting those who rose up against them in any manner.

There is a season when God deals kindly and gently with people. At such times God speaks of His love toward them, and also warns them of His wrath toward sin and rebellion.

Then there is another season when God acts in fierce anger. This is true for individuals and for nations.

Because of what they have seen and experienced the nations of the saved now will be willing to come to the Light of God that they behold in God's chosen people. The saints will receive the nations of the saved as an inheritance and will minister the Person, truth, ways, and blessings of God to them. In that day the saints will be trees of life to the nations of the earth, bringing Divine Life and healing to them.

The nations and the farthest reaches of the earth are the inheritance of the Lord Jesus. We are coheirs with Him. The nations are our inheritance, although Satan is inhabiting them in the present hour.

There is no other inheritance that can be compared in value with the gift of people.

A mighty warrior. Current doctrines are producing self-centered spiritual babies. Someone spoke of the "eternal spiritual babyhood of the believers."

The reason for the "eternal babyhood" is that error is being preached. Some of the errors are as follows:

No matter how badly and treacherously we behave, the Lord will receive us as good and faithful servants.

Being saved, being born again, receiving eternal life—all mean that when we die we will go to Heaven, there to dwell in a beautiful mansion.

The Lord will "rapture" us to Heaven before the great tribulation because He loves us too much (above the other suffering saints of history and those being tortured and murdered in our own day) to allow us to suffer.

It is the Lord's will that all His servants be wealthy and enjoy perfect health at all times. The Lord is our servant and is compelled to give us what we want when we ask "in faith."

The above errors occupy a great portion of current Christian teaching. They produce self-centered spiritual babies who believe they have found a way around the cross. They have been taught that grace is "God's riches at Christ's expense." Christ suffered so they never will be obliged to suffer. Christ became poor in the world's goods so they may be rich in the world's goods. Christ walked in holiness and obedience so they may walk in uncleanness and disobedience without any fear of Divine judgment.

To be continued.