All men await Judgment Day. Yet, when Messiah appears a second time to judge the world, He will also establish a redemption without reference to sin, namely, the redemption of our bodies. It is important to notice that the latter part of Hebrews 6:2 states that eternal judgment and the resurrection should be considered elemental teachings of Messiah . . .
Almighty God laid down a plan for salvation from before the foundation of this world, (Eph 1:1-14). Not only was the Father meticulous in how He would establish redemption for man, but He also determined the exact seasons (precise time) to administrate His salvation. It is fascinating to study the Feasts of the Lord and discover that a blue print for the elementary doctrines of salvation, as laid out in Hebrews 6:1-2, was laid down in the Jewish Feasts . . .
Inevitably, every human being will appear before the eternal Judge to give an account for his life on earth (Mat 16:27; Rom 14:12), for Almighty God will finally judge the whole world with equity, (Ps 75). Judgement is a court procedure. Adam sinned, and since the fall, every human being has fallen short of the glory of God, (Rom 5:14-18; Rom 3:9-23). ‘There is no partiality with God,’ thus every man will render an account for the choices he made . . .
If our faith is anchored in this life only, we are most pitied among men. We have a future and a hope, for the Father promised a new creation in which righteousness dwells! Yet, this incorruptible, eternal inheritance cannot be inherited by corruptible bodies. The resurrection, so to speak, will be the grand finale of our salvation…
Having included the practice of laying hands on people should draw our attention, for it would not be among the list of elementary doctrine if it did not have spiritual significance. Although it formed an essential part of the ministry of our Messiah, it was also well understood and practiced by the Apostles and early believers . . .
Baptisms, it seems, would become one of the greatest controversies in the Body of Messiah. There are two extreme doctrines on water baptism, marginalizing Believers into those who believe that baby baptism seals children into the covenant of salvation, and those who immerge repentant Believers into water as a testimony of their identification with the death and resurrection of Messiah. Many sincere Believers assert . . .
Jesus Christ our Messiah did not only lay the foundation on teachings about repentance and faith; He very specifically laid the foundation for instructions on baptisms, not only the immersion into water, but also the immersion into His promised gift, the Holy Spirit . . .
‘And without faith it is impossible to please Him,’. What a powerful statement! Faith is indeed the breath of life for the righteous. Not only are we justified because we believe, but every step in our daily walk with God has to be grounded in faith, for we cannot please Him in any other way . . .
Faith without establishing change is powerless. In fact, such a faith will produce an underlying feeling of guilt and the risk of falling into religious rites producing dead works. It is thus the first and most important stone laid in the elementary teachings about the Messiah, namely, that ‘faith toward God,’ will always be coupled with ‘repentance from dead works,’ . . .
One does not need to do a wide search to find evidence that this generation is indeed living in the fulfillment of end-time prophecies. Through genetic manipulation and artificial intelligence (AI), man is ultimately striving to provide means to establish “eternal existence,” and thus ultimately to overcome the sting of death. This quest is known in the scientific world as “transhumanism.” It seems like science fiction, but it is not; it is real, it is a threat, and it is an abomination . . .
In reality, the foundation of any building determines the stability of what will be built upon it. A firm foundation will render a stable building. On the other hand, a shallow or compromised foundation will inevitably render instability in the building. It is thus a mutually exclusive equation! Moreover, Scripture states clearly that whatever is being built on the foundation WILL BE TESTED . . .
‘For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish it.’ (Is 9:6-7) . . .
We do not need a keen discernment to take notice of the times we live in. Lawlessness is everywhere, and lawlessness is sin! Political correctness and human rights have become the law of the modern era and altered the mind-set of the global community, having a profound effect on the modern day gospel.
The good news of the Gospel can never be severed from the basic understanding of the aforementioned principle – man is a sinner and is separated from God due to sin, (Is 59:1-2). This has always been and should remain the message of every one who claims the office of an evangelist.
If a teacher adheres to the foundation of the gospel as laid down by the 12 Apostles, namely ‘that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared,’ having shown Himself as the resurrected Son of God (1 Cor 15:1-8), we carefully proceed to judge how he continues to build on this foundation, for false teachers will eventually . . .
‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes forever’ (Heb 13:8), indeed, ‘Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,’ (1 Cor 1:24). If these statements are indeed true, and if Jude calls us to ‘contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3), can we still reach a postmodern generation with “the same Savior” and “the same powerful message”? Can we claim to present the same message and have the same powerful influence on this present generation . . .
Can a house without a foundation stand? (Mat 7:24-27). A vivid description of a spiritual house being built by living stones, having Messiah as the cornerstone of the building, appears in the first epistle of the apostle Peter, (1 Peter 2:4-8). It becomes evident, in the context of this passage, that this “House” represents the Kingdom of God, for those who are built into this “House” as living stones, are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God’s own possession,’ (1 Peter 2:9). The author of Hebrews laid down the same concept of a “House,” explaining that ‘Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end,’ (Heb 3:6).
Grace, according to Scripture, is the enabling power to initiate, continue, and complete salvation for those who choose to believe in the only begotten Son of the Most High God, (Heb 5:9-10). Grace provides the amazing free gift of atonement . . .
Obedience, as an outcome of faith, remains a choice (James 2:14-26), and disobedience and willful sin will affect our fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-10), and our eternal reward (Heb 4:1-3; Heb 6:4-8; Heb 10:26-30), for how we build (by faith through grace) on the foundation (Jesus Christ), will be tested by fire on Judgment Day, (1 Cor 3:10-15). Does grace indeed nullify the Law?
Grace, as we all know, means that Almighty God showed unmerited favor to humanity by providing salvation from sin. But truly, what does this mean? Grace provides the atonement needed to be justified in Almighty God’s Court of Justice on Judgment Day. Grace also provides holiness in conduct (sanctification) to enter into the presence of a most holy and awesome God.
About Liezel
Liezel is a motivated and passionate student of the Word with a strong zeal for the truth. Her end time study on the book of Revelation developed into a few Women’s Study Groups, mainly in Jerusalem. Eventually, after 16 years of study, the teachings were transcribed into a study book; Autumn Feasts in Revelation – Unveiling the Glory of God. The book encourages a self-study, guiding the reader through the book of Revelation in the light of the Old Testament prophecies, and New Testament predictions of the end times. Under the authority and covering of her husband, she has taught many Bible studies since the Lord has led them to minister in Israel. She also counseled many people, guiding them back to biblical principles.