Beloved Adventist friends, Lord Bless. Remember: the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure! GOD IS ETERNAL! Remember: God, had a plan of salvation. Jesus, executed that plan. God the Holy Spirit, sealed our salvation. And no one breaks the seal of God. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— (Ephesians 2:4, 5 ESV) Sin, separates us from God. Jesus is the only link to our father God. Jesus has redeemed us. This is why we accept Jesus as our personal Savior. And ask for forgiveness of our sins. When God forgives our sins, He forgets them. We are a new creature of God. Clean slate. He declared us righteous, and thus starts the process of sanctification. even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— (Ephesians 2:5 ESV) Now a days, when someone suddenly dies, man jump starts their hearts and resuscitates them. Here we are dead in sin and trespass. In enmity against God, by nature. Yet, He loves us so much, that He jump started our heart: when God the Holy Spirit quickened our hearts to repentance. made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— (Ephesians 2:5 ESV) You see the beauty of it!!! In our sinful state we cannot come to God, therefore God the Holy Spirit quickens your heart unto repentance. Thereafter The Holy Spirit is resident in you. He will give you the gift of FAIFTH, a perseverant faith, coming from a God that is Faithful and truthful. Feels you with eagerness to follow The Lord. And you hunger for His word. The beauty of this is the following: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV) God, as we know created us. Man sinned and are destined to hell. Yet, God redeemed us through His sons death on the cross. He rescued us from eternal damnation. It is Gods plan of salvation, He deserves the Honor and Glory, and our praises. We did nothing to deserve it, it's a gift. We cannot boast about it. Pray for God the Holy Spirit to continue to work in your life. And He will guide your steps. God the Holy Spirit, is the only one that can raise you up from the state of being dead in sin. QUICKENS YOUR HEART. We cannot do it on our own. The Holy Spirit reveals Himself in a peaceful manner. You will experience the peace of God. Overwhelming joy. You feel Gods forgiveness. We will not lead a life to deliberately sin against God. Yet, we live in a sinful flesh. God gave His Son, Jesus did not die in vain. If you feel you have sinned, confess your sin to God, He is rich in mercy, to forgive you. We Honor God, when we admit to our sins, and ask Him for forgiveness. The Blood of Jesus was not shed in vain. You have not lost your salvation. The devil is capable of shooting his darts of doubts. Protect yourself with the word of God, which is a sword and your Faith which is your shield. In conclusion, I pasted this from a bible lesson: (c) Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be un-regenerated. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken away. (d) The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (John 14:17; Romans 8:9) and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). For a believer to become unsaved, he would have to be "un-indwelt" and detached from the Body of Christ. (e) John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never "eternal" at all. Hence if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error. (f) For the most conclusive argument, Scripture says it best itself, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure! Based upon this biblical truth, there is no such thing as an investigative judgement. When Jesus returned to heaven, He entered the Most Holy place once, with our sins, thereafter Jesus sat down to the right hand side of His Father. You are saved. Jesus forgave your sins at the cross. They are blotted out. If you accept the complete work of Jesus on the cross, His blood covered you, God sees you through Jesus, unblemished. Having said so, what is there to investigate about you, if you are covered by His blood. An investigative judgement would be in conflict with the Love of God bestowed on us through Jesus. John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." It's that simple!!!!!! The Holy Spirit becomes resident in us, and writes the commandments of God in our hearts. The Holy Spirit is there to guide you, teach, and console you. The presence of God the Holy Spirit in your life will teach you not to sin against God. We live in s sinful flesh, but now we go through a sanctification process. And one day will be perfect like Jesus is. That's our goal, to be perfect like Jesus, since we are redeemed by God to be like His son. We belong to the family of God. And bestows His Love on us like He does on Jesus. Therefore, since He saved you and forgave your sins, and His blood covers you, there is no investigative judgement to face NEVER DOUBT YOUR SALVATION. Hebreos 9:12 Reina Valera Contemporánea (RVC) 12 y no por medio de la sangre de machos cabríos ni de becerros, sino por medio de su propia sangre. Entró una sola vez y para siempre en el Lugar Santísimo, y así obtuvo para nosotros la redención eterna. Hebrews 9:12 King James Version (KJV) 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. You start like a new person. Don't let the enemy cast doubts in your mind. YOU ARE SAVED!!!!!! YOU ARE SAVED!!!!!! YOU ARE SAVED!!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!! BLESSED BE HIS NAME!!!! Maximiliano Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. God the Holy Spirit inspired the bible. If you are in Christ Jesus, and are not condemned, what is there to investigate about you? Investigative judgement entails that your salvation is pending and your sins are not blotted out. Which is in absolute conflict with God's plan of salvation, Redeeming blood of Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit sealing our salvation. If you believe in such an investigative judgement in essence you deny believing in God's forgiveness of sins through Jesus, since your sins are not blotted out, the Holy Spirit cannot be resident in your life. Part 2 Here are some problems with Adventist teachings regarding Investigative Judgment. 1. God already knows who are His own - Adventists teach that God must make an investigation to determine whose names to keep in the Book of Life, and whose to blot out. The Bible teaches that God already knows who the righteous are: I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep… (John 10:14) The Lord knoweth them that are His. (2 Tim. 2:19) The Bible is very clear that God already knows exactly who is righteous and who is not. He does not need to carry out any investigation to determine who the righteous are. 2. God Knows Everything - One of the attributes of God's nature is "omniscience" which means that God knows everything that is possible to know. There is nothing that God does not already know. Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world. (Acts 15:18) Can any hide himself in secret, that I shall not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord. (Jer. 23:24) The word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and laid open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Heb. 4:12,13 O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. (Ps. 139:1-4) Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man. (John 2:24) Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him. (John 6:64) In 1844, God already knew everyone that was saved. In fact, before the world even existed He already knew the exact list of which humans would be saved and which ones would be lost. Why would God need to "investigate" something He has known since before the dawn of time? 3. When are sins blotted out? - The Adventist Church teaches the sins of the righteous are not blotted out until after the Investigative Judgment.2 The Bible teaches that our sins are blotted out when we repent: I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. (Isaiah 44:22) Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19) …and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) 4. Atonement completed at the Cross - The Adventist Church teaches that the Atonement is not finished until the Investigative Judgment is completed just prior to the second coming of Jesus. The Bible teaches the Atonement was finished when Jesus died on the Cross: Jesus said, "It is finished." (John 19:30) But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Heb. 10:12-14) The Bible teaches that Christ's atonement on the cross has perfected (past tense) His children. Christians are not made perfect during the Investigative Judgment period. If we are "in Christ," then we were made perfect 2,000 years ago through Christ's perfect sacrifice on Calvary. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom. 8:1) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Rom. 5:9) 5. Eternal life begins at conversion - Adventists teach that no one should say they are "saved" because our salvation will not be certain until we pass through the Investigative Judgment. The Bible teaches that whoever accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior has (present tense) eternal life: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth in death. (1 John 3:14) 6. Cases of the Righteous have already been decided! The Adventist Church teaches that "all" must pass through the Investigative Judgment to determine whether or not they will be saved.3 Adventists claim the Investigative Judgment started in 1844, but the Bible clearly shows that the cases of the righteous have already been decided long prior to the Investigative Judgment: Thief on the cross: Jesus declared to the thief on the cross, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 22:43). How could Jesus make a determination on the case of the thief prior to the Investigative Judgment? The thief's case was determined some 1800 years before the "Investigative Judgment" when he repented and accepted Jesus on the cross. This proves that Christ needs no Investigative Judgment to determine who will be with Him in heaven. Why would He treat us any differently than He treated the thief on the cross? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: The Bible says Abraham was justified (accounted righteous) by faith (Rom. 4:2-5). Nearly 1800 years before the Investigative Judgment supposedly began Jesus declared: And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 8:11) Jesus did not need an Investigative Judgment to determine the cases of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so why does He need one to determine our destiny? Enoch: Adventists claim that Enoch was taken to heaven (Gen. 5:24). How did God know Enoch could be taken to heaven without an investigation? Moses: Adventists claim that after Moses sinned and died he was resurrected and taken to heaven (Jude 9). If everyone's sins are not blotted out until after the investigative judgment, then how could Moses enter heaven? Elijah: The Bible says that "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (1 Kings 2:11). How could God take Elijah before the Investigative Judgement was completed? 7. When did Christ enter the Holiest? Seventh-day Adventists teach that Jesus entered two times into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary--once at His ascension, and once again in 1844 at the beginning of the aypical Day of Atonement. The Bible truth is that Christ entered only once: But by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12) But this man {Christ}, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:12) Bible Truth about the Investigative Judgment While the Bible never teaches an Investigative Judgment, it does describe a pre-advent judgment. The first angel of Revelation 14 announces that the time for God's judgment has come (Rev. 14:6). In heaven a court sits and the books are opened (Dan. 7:10) and a judgment takes place. What is the purpose of this judgment? The Bible is very specific: But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his [little horn power] dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. (Dan. 7:26) The wicked are weighed in the balances of heaven's court and are found wanting. The purpose of the judgment is to show that the wicked have filled up the cup of God's wrath and God is justified in bringing punishment upon them, taking away their dominion and giving it to the saints (Dan. 7:27). There is absolutely nothing in this passage about a judgment of the righteous. The one being judged is the little horn power, a political power that ruled the earth. This is further proven by Revelation 14, which expands upon the judgment theme presented in Daniel 7. In Revelation 14 we find the punishment of the wicked is clearly indicated in the third angels' message: The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. (Rev. 14:10) The Bible truth is that there is nothing in Daniel 7 or Revelation 14 describing an Investigative Judgment of the righteous. We challenge any Seventh-day Adventist to show us one verse in these passages that talks about a judgment of the righteous. There is none, because the only judgment described in these passages is the judgment of God upon the wicked. The whole purpose of the pre-advent judgment is for God to show the Universe that the wicked power ruling the earth has "filled up its cup" and reached the point where God can no longer permit it to rule the earth. The heavenly court finds that the wicked are unfit to rule the earth, they have passed the limits of God's forebearance, and their kingdom is taken away from them and given to the saints. Conclusion Jesus, as our substitute, was judged in our place on the cross. He paid the price for all sin for all time. His righteousness has been credited to our account. The good news of the judgment is that all who believe and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ can say with assurance, "I've been acquitted!" We have already been judged in Christ. Those who reject the gospel, judge themselves unworthy of eternal life. Those who accept the gospel have passed from death into life and will not enter into the condemnation of judgment (John 5:24). Your Questions about Investigative Judgment QUESTION: Is Satan the Scapegoat of the Day of Atonement? Does God place all of our sins on Satan at the end of the Millennium? ANSWER: Two goats are involved in the ceremonial Day of Atonement. One is sacrificed as a "sin offering" (Lev. 16:9), and the other is to bear the sins of the Israelites into the wilderness: He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place. (Lev 16:21-22 NIV) All scholars agree that Christ represented the first goat. Many agree that Jesus, not Satan, represented the Scapegoat. Here is why: 1. The Bible says repeatedly that Jesus "bore" our sins. The purpose of the Scapegoat was to be the sin-bearer: "And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities..." (Lev. 16:22) Jesus is also described in the Bible as the sin-bearer: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:6 NIV) After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (Isa 53:11 NIV) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Pet. 2:24 NIV) 2. The purpose of the Scapegoat was to make Atonement: But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, [and] to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. (Lev. 16:10) Nowhere in the Bible is Satan ever described as making an atonement for sin. Jesus is the atonement for our sins: And he {Christ} is the propitiation {atonement} for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world. (1 John 2:2) 3. The Scapegoat was sent out of the Israelite camp, and likewise, Jesus suffered outside the city: And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. (Heb. 13:12,13) Jesus was called by John the Baptist the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus was the Scapegoat who "took away" our sins and suffered "outside the camp". Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. |