Hey Doves,
 
Not long ago someone asked the question:
 
Is more required of us today to be saved and also be ready for the rapture than was required of the thief on the cross? He merely believed on Jesus and he was accepted immediately, as we all know.
 
This question was asked as part of the ongoing debate over whether every Christian will be included in the rapture or whether there will be Christians who fail to enter in etc.
 
At the time I, being one who believes that not every Christian will be ready, quickly responded to this person's question by assuring him that we today are saved the same way that the thief on the cross was and that the standard, while being the same, is not what some have been thinking it was, etc.
 
Well, this morning, I woke up with a series of thoughts that have made me have to change my mind about my answer. I know that this person was saying that we who believe as we do seem to be suggesting that more IS required of us than was required of earlier generations of believers and I was quick to say no, that is not true. Because we get saved by grace through faith same as they did. And of course that part remains always true. However, as far as successfully making that step from unbelief to belief is concerned, there is a difference in the standard by which we will be judged as compared to previous generations. Therefore, having considered this, I am changing my previous answer.
 
Because in my haste I forgot to consider that those who have been given much will have much required of them. I believe that God holds different generations to different standards according to what each generation had to work with for knowing the facts about God.
 
We all know that Jesus said that the generation of Sodom and Gomorrah will rise up in judgment against the cities of Jesus' generation because had He gone to them and done the mighty works and miracles there that He did in their cities, they would have repented and gotten saved. Therefore the cities of Jesus day that rejected Him will receive greater condemnation than Sodom and Gomorrah on judgment day. Jesus also gave examples such as the queen of Sheba traveling far to hear the wisdom of Solomon and a greater than Solomon was with them etc. The standards do change given what you have available to you.
 
What can that tell us about us today? How many generations of mankind would have repented if they could have seen the prophecies fulfilled that we have all seen? How many generations of mankind would have repented if their eyes could have seen the things that our eyes have seen?
 
If Jesus could tell His disciples in His day that they were blessed and privileged because they saw things that many prophets of old and even angels desired to look into and were not able to, what about us? Not only do we have the 20/20 vision of historical hindsight to look back on and see that God does what He says He will do, we also have the technology to lay at our feet untold vastness of never-ending information such as was not dreamed of in the thief on the cross' day. We have more Bibles and access to God's word; more Bible teachers and teachings from God's word; more multi-media presentations of God's word, and how it relates to us in everyday life than ever before; more reasons than any other generation since the creation of Adam to believe God; more fulfilled prophecies than any generation before us... I am not gifted enough a writer to wax eloquent in what I am trying to say here, but I hope you get what I am trying to say.
 
I woke up this morning with it being impressed on me that we indeed have much to answer for. We have been given MUCH! How am I wrong if I therefore suggest to you that from us MUCH will be required at the judgment? Do you want to tell some doubting Thomas who lived in the dark ages and had none of the benefits of God's word like you have why you refused to take God at His word when the chance was given you? I sure don't. Do you want to explain to someone from long ago who merely believed because God said it, why you wouldn't give up your worldliness when you had so much more information and reason why you should have taken God at His word than untold millions who went before you had? You who can see that every single thing that God said would happen is now happening right before our eyes... Even the History channel is doing a bang-up job right now showing that we are the last generation before God's judgments are released on this world on "Armageddon Week". I tremble and pray God have mercy on me for my slowness to believe and act on His word given all the benefits He has given me and reasons to believe.
 
Surely there will be a higher standard for this generation than any other generation before it for having failed to come to God and believe Him and follow His directions. No other generation has been given so much.
 
Barry Amundsen