Correspondence: Rev. 3:3; Heb. 12:14

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 6
Listen from:
• BibleTruthPublishers.com
W. W.
Ans. 1 Thess. 5:2 tells us that "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." The day of the Lord is His coming in judgment with His saints-His appearing. When He comes thus, we shall appear with Him. He comes for His heavenly saints long before this. To them He is the bright and morning Star. "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:44But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:4). Rev. 3:33Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3) shows us how the Church has sunken down and become like the would, with a name to live, but dead, as a Church. All that are His own will be taken out of it. (John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3); 1 Thess. 4:15-1715For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For 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: 17Then 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑17).) Those who are left behind, are left for judgment. (Matt. 25:10-1210And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (Matthew 25:10‑12); 2 Thess. 1:7-97And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9).) They are not Christians except in name.
Heb. 12:1515Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (Hebrews 12:15) is a warning to the Hebrews to see that they stand in the grace of God. Forms of religion will not avail; they are to see that divine things are real to them and appreciated by them.
2 Tim. 3:55Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:5). Those described here are a mark that we are now in the last days of the Church's history. Real Christians are to separate from such company.
Ans. This would suggest to us that we cannot feed on Christ apart from the thought of His blood which shelters us from judgment. The sprinkling of the blood, and the feeding on the lamb go together. (See also John 6:53, 5453Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53‑54).)
Ques. What does Heb. 12:1414Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (Hebrews 12:14) mean, special reference to the later part of the verse "Follow... holiness, without which no man can see the Lord"?
A. E.
Ans. This holiness or sanctification is the practical outcome of the divine life which is in every believer. Every believer is born of God, and has thus in him a life that is given him from God. (1 Peter 1:2323Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23).)
While the Epistle to the Hebrews does not mention life, it implies it. This we see in such verses as: Chapter 3:6,14; where the confidence of faith carries the believer on steadfast to the end. And in Chapter 6:9, 10, this divine life is seen in its work and labor of love toward God's name and to His saints. In Chapter 10:18 its faith to live by is seen.
And here its desire for a holy life; practical sanctification is put before the believer as what he is to follow.
No one could be a true believer without these desires, for they flow from the life given from God. And no one but a true believer has these desires, without which no man shall see the Lord.
The law demanded holiness and man could not give it. Grace meets the sinner's need, supplies the desire for holiness and works it in the believer.
Though sin is still as a root in the believer, yet the believer is no longer under its power. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath set me free from the law of sin and death." Rom. 8:22For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2).
In Heb. 12:5-115And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Hebrews 12:5‑11) we see how God's chastening love deals with His children to make them partakers of His holiness. And by His exceeding great and precious promises we become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3,43According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3‑4).)
What a blessed portion is ours in Christ. Our sins all washed away in His precious atoning blood; sip, the old nature in us, condemned and put to death in the death of Christ, (Rom. 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6),) and we have now life in Christ, risen from the dead, so that we should no longer live unto ourselves but unto Him who died for us and rose again." (2 Cor. 5:14,1514For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15).) His love is the constraining power to live by.
Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.