Sunday, April 22, 2012

How studying God's Word will help you in the future

I was asked about how what we're learning in the bible study we're doing currently in A Gift For You, Take 2 will help in the future.

There's actually a lot of other ways what you're learning will be useful to you now and in the future:

1. What you're doing is not just "learning"; not just "adding to your knowledge" but gaining a closer relationship with the Lord, and that's always good and always something to strive for. Those who don't study daily tend to have an "on and off" or "hot and cold" relationship with the Lord. Only through daily study with Him can we have the kind of relationship with Him that He wants us to.

2. it's through study with the Lord like what we're doing, that the Lord changes us from the inside; and obviously the more He changes you, the more your life itself will be a testimony of His love and grace without you saying a word


3. The Lord commands us to study His Word with Him, so if you don't do so, you're not in His Will and are sinning, which isn't a good place to be and does have consequences...even more so once we're aware that He commands us to do this. So by being obedient, you're pleasing the Lord and avoiding the consequences of sin.

4. The Lord expects us to know His Word and we will need that knowledge after the rapture. A lot of folks have the idea that once the rapture happens we will all suddenly "know everything", I used to think that too. But, it's not true. We all quote this verse to "prove" it; 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV) — Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Problem is, when we do that, without realizing it, we take it out of context, because that's not what it's saying. When taken in context of the surrounding verses and of the whole bible, what we discover is that we will have perfect understanding when we get to heaven. In other words, we'll be able to understand all that we've learned and all that we are told or learn then perfectly, because we won't have our sin nature clouding things up for us anymore. We are NOT going to suddenly become "all knowing" like God is. So, if we don't know His Word before we get to Heaven, we're going to be pretty lost. We won't understand what's happening to us or others, we won't understand the why's and wherefore's or what we'll be preparing for when we return to the earth with Him, we won't know what He's going to do on the earth or what we're supposed to be doing or how to act or where to go etc. and on and on.... I'm afraid there's going to be a lot of confused Christians in heaven. which bring us to the next reason..

5. One of the jobs of those who have been obedient and know His Word, will be to help all those who weren't obedient and to explain to them what's going on and what's going to happen next etc. So in other words, one of our jobs will be to teach those who were disobedient here, what they should have already known. Trust me, the Lord isn't going to stop the universe to explain to His disobedient children, what's happening, when they should have already known.

6. because we've been obedient and studied His Word and so can help those who didn't, we'll be receiving rewards for that at the Bema Judgment-- the Bema judgment is one of the things we'll be explaining to those who didn't study and telling them what's going to happen and why, etc. so, we're going to be pretty busy even when we first get there!

7. after the Bema judgment, and after we've returned to the earth with the Lord, we'll also be helping those who survived the Tribulation to understand what's happening to them, why, what's going to happen next, etc. The only difference will be that the Trib saints will most likely know a lot more then most of the recent batch of Christians do, even though they will have had only 7 years at the very most to have studied. But there will also be new Christians who won't know much of anything who were saved toward the end of the Trib, so we'll have to help them.

8. once the Millennium has started, those who are suited to it and that the Lord chooses for it, may still have jobs teaching His Word to those on earth and to the children born to them. There's also the possibility that the Lord may have someone or several people write a new testament for the Millennium people. While everything they need to know is already in His Word, His Word currently doesn't cover what their place will be in the Kingdom at the end of the Millennium since they're not part of the Church, or what happens to them if they die during that period and are saved...His Word doesn't say if they'll get their new body immediately or will have to wait till after the final judgment or what etc. So, while not absolutely necessary, it does create the possibility that He may have someone write a new testament for them....or, He may decide that's something they have to take on faith. I have no idea, just giving you the possibilities here.

9, Although we won't automatically know everything when we get to heaven as I said, our minds will have been expanded and cleansed from the effects of sin. You know how the scientists say that we only use about 1/10th of our brains now? Well, in heaven, we'll be able to use all of our brains and our ability to learn and understand things will probably seem almost miraculous to us compared to how we are now. So we will be able to learn new things about our Lord and His Word and I'm sure that's something that we'll continue to do throughout eternity. We'll always be learning more about Him, His Word, our relationship with Him, each other, etc. It will be very exciting!

So, knowing all that, which group of Christians would you like to be in when the rapture happens? The group that doesn't have a clue because they were disobedient and didn't study His Word? Or the group who will hear, "Well done" from our Lord with a tone of pride in His voice, and be busy helping all the other ones?

I know which group I want to be in! That's why I study so hard especially now, because I honestly don't think we have very much time left at all!