Your Questions!
By God’s Grace…
My Answers!
By Pastor F. M. Riley
“…..I am set for the
defense of the gospel,” Philippians 1:17.
“…..ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once
delivered unto the saints,” Jude 3.
Your
Questions
Q. Do we live in the church age?
A. Of course we do. See Revelation 2 – 3.
Q. Do we live in the age of grace?
A. Of course we do. See Ephesians 3:1-7
Q. Did God pour out His wrath on His own
Son as the ultimate sacrifice and payment in full for mankind?
A. Of course He did. See Psalm 88:1-7; Isaiah 53:5-6; 53:8; 53:10-12, and
many other passages in God’s Word that teach this truth.
Q. Is God in the business of beating
up His own people?
A. Of course not! God isn’t in
the business of “beating up” anyone, neither the saved nor the
lost. But He most certainly is in the business of “justice
and judgment,” Psalm 89:14. God was in the business of
“justice and judgment” in
the past, He is in such business today, and He will be in such
business in the future. God most certainly does chasten and
scourge His children today, Hebrews 12:6-7, and He continues to exercise
“justice and judgment” against
the wicked who have rejected the pardon Christ
obtained for them.
God’s “justice
and judgment” did not cease when Christ died on
the cross as the ultimate sacrifice and payment in full for the sin of mankind.
Why? Because most of humanity has steadfastly refused Christ’s
payment for sin, and have continued right on in sin and rebellion against
God. A “pardon” is
only effective if that pardon is received by the object of the pardon.
If a pardon is rejected by the person being pardoned, then the pardon
becomes null and void, and ceases to be of any benefit to that person. This
is a legal precedent that is clearly set forth in God’s
Word, and which has been upheld by every court of law throughout
human history.
Puny man is hardly qualified to be the
judge of whatever it is that God uses to bring about chastisement or judgment.
God alone sees the whole picture, and knows what He wants to accomplish,
and what is required to accomplish it. If God chooses to use fires, floods,
hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, nuclear bombs, car wrecks, or
any other means to accomplish His purposes, what man is qualified to
sit in judgment on the Almighty and tell Him that He is wrong? That question
has already been settled in The Book
of Job. Read it!
Q.
Would God pick the USA out of all the nations
of the world to punish?
A. Of course He would! Why not? God
is the sovereign Judge over all the nations upon earth, and all “the
nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance: behold He taketh up the isles
as a very little thing,” Isaiah 40:15. I don’t think
the so-called “great” USA
is any exception to this truth. The Lord has stated truths that apply equally
to all nations. “Righteousness
exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach
to any people,” Proverbs 14:34. “The wicked shall be
turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God,” Psalm 9:17. I really
don’t think the Lord is going to make an exception for the USA.
Whether
some like it or not, these Scriptures vividly describe the course taken
by this nation [USA] over the past
forty years. This nation has become one of the wickedest nations
on earth. Once America
was a shining example of moral righteousness and goodness for the whole
world to emulate. But over the past forty years this country
has infected the entire world with its wickedness. Abortion, rock-n-roll,
drugs, sexual immorality, drunkenness, legalized gambling, prostitution,
euthanasia, homosexual perversion, atheism, humanism, witchcraft, materialism
and greed, blasphemy of all that is good, and God only knows what else.
If it is rotten to the core, America has approved and
embraced it over the past forty years. Such wickedness has spread from
the shores of America like a plague infecting the whole world.
Such were the sins of ancient Israel,
and God plainly stated in Jeremiah 5:9, “Shall
I not visit for these things?
saith the Lord: and shall
not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?” Read
the whole chapter carefully. If God refused to overlook the sins of His
own chosen nation, what makes you think He is overlooking, or will overlook,
the sins of America?
Well??
Q.
Since most missionaries
come from the USA
and the gospel is being preached
primarily
from this nation, wouldn’t it be counter productive to beat up the
voice that speaks forth the gospel in the earth?
A.
Friend, you have assumed some things that are just not true.
First, the United States has
never sent out a single missionary in its entire history.
Every missionary
that has ever gone forth from the shores of this country was sent out by
a local church, ministry, or mission group. Not one was ever sent
out by the nation. Give credit where credit is due.
Second, there are many
Christian churches and ministries today in other countries all over the
world that are preaching the gospel and sending out missionaries. Christians
in the United States
only flatter themselves if they think that America is the only country
in the world from which “the gospel voice” is going forth.
I would suggest that Christians in this country would do well to get rid
of their pride and attitude of “superiority,” and look around
to see how God’s people in other lands are being used of the Lord
to carry His precious Word to the far corners of the earth. In fact, this
nation [USA] has become
so morally vile and corrupt that God’s people in other countries are
now actually sending missionaries to America. Is this plain enough?
Third, don’t be
too proud of the “voice” that is being carried by missionaries
going forth from this country today. The quality of modern day missionaries
is no better than the quality of the pastors filling the pulpits
of America.
What quality is that? Read Revelation 3:15-17. You might also read
2 Timothy 3:1-5 and 1
Timothy 4:1-3. Many
of the “voices” sounding today cannot be trusted, because the
message they are preaching is not the truth of God’s Word.
Read 2 Peter 2:1-2 again, and this
time believe it.
This is not a
blanket condemnation of all pastors and missionaries. I am well aware that
God still has His remnant of very Godly and dedicated pastors and
missionaries today, and I thank God for every one of them. It takes the
grace of God to stand true to the Lord today. Praise God that there are
still some true men of God daring to uphold the whole truth of God’s
Word in the face of this sickening, compromising, Laodicean apostasy that permeates the ranks of “Christianity”
(?) today. But the number of these faithful men of God grows smaller with
every passing day. The true shepherds are being taken away, Isaiah
57:1, and the people of this nation are swiftly becoming “as sheep without a shepherd,” Mark 6:34. God have mercy
on the people in this country. When all of the true men of God are
taken away, then who is going to show the people the real truth of God’s
Word and the way of salvation??
Q. Why didn’t God zap Hitler?
A. He did! Anyone who has ever seriously
studied the World War II era understands that from a logical viewpoint,
the Allied Forces should have been defeated by Hitler’s war machine.
At the outbreak of World War II, Germany
and Japan
were the most technologically advanced and well equipped military powers
on earth. [The U.S. military was still using mules to
pull their big guns]. Yet Almighty God enabled the U.S.
and other Allied Forces to “catch up” technologically in a short
time under the most difficult circumstances, and defeat both of those “superior”
military powers. Hitler ultimately resigned his position in disgrace and
defeat, and took his own life. Ditto for Hirohito. And you don’t believe God zapped Hitler?
Get into God’s Word and get real!
Q. Why doesn’t God zap Iran?
A. He will! When He gets ready!
God is still watching over the affairs of the nations, and He knows exactly
when, where, and how, to intervene. I don’t! And you don’t
either! A good dose of true humility might be in order here. I don’t
think either of us are qualified to tell God how
to run things.
Have you never read
Ezekiel 38:1-6? Persia [modern Iran]
is specifically mentioned as one of the nations allied with Russia at the time of the invasion of Israel. This horde of nations,
including Iran, will be destroyed on the mountains of
Israel, Ezekiel
39:4. Is this plain enough?
Q. If God is in control, why did He
come to destroy the works of the enemy?
A. What do you mean, “If
God is in control?” Either He is or He isn’t!
Has there ever been a time when God was not in control of His creation?
If God is not in control, then all of us are in trouble. “The
Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom ruleth over all,” Psalm 103:19. Your
implication is ridiculous!
Further, Christ came
to destroy the works of the devil [1 John 3:8] in order to ultimately eradicate sin and rebellion
from the Kingdom of God.
Such eradication was guaranteed at Calvary when Christ shed His blood, but the process of eradication is
ongoing and is still being carried on by the Lord until this very day.
It won’t be finished until the very last enemy of God has been removed
from His Kingdom. Read Ephesians 1:7-12 and 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. Think about it!
Q. If the fiery darts of Satan represent
the “controlling will of God,” then why does God give us faith
to quench those darts?
A. Who said that “the fiery darts
of Satan” represent the “controlling will of God?”
Where is such written in God’s Word? Book, chapter,
and verse, please? Such an idea is “”just another assumption on your part.
Further, God does
not unconditionally give us faith “to quench the fiery darts of Satan.” What the
Scripture actually says is, “Put on the whole armor of God…..Wherefore
take unto you the whole armor of God.....Above all, taking the
shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked,” Ephesians 6:11-18. Yes, God does
supply the faith, but God’s people have a responsibility to respond.
We are told to “put it on” and “take it up,” clearly
indicating a deliberate choice and action on our part. No obedience! No
blessing!
Q. If storms are of God, why did Jesus
rebuke them?
A. Oh come now!
Get real! The Lord rebuked one storm during His personal
ministry, and He did it on behalf of His disciples, Matthew
14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21. Do you really believe
that only one storm occurred during the entire personal ministry
of Christ? Is there any record that He rebuked them all? Well?? Does
His rebuking of that one storm mean that He has rebuked all storms?
Does His rebuking of that one storm mean that no storms are ever
sent by God, or are subject to the will of God? Well??
Friend, it appears to
me that you have never read, or else just don’t believe, Nahum
1:3-6, Psalm 148:7-8, and Job 38:22-23. Well??
Q. If God desires that we lose everything
in the storms of life, why does He exhort us to be doers of the Word in
order to stand firm and pass through those storms, and He explains that
those who are not doers of the Word suffer loss and calamity?
A. Another assumption! Where does the Scripture say or teach that “God
desires that we lose everything in the storms of life?”
I’ve never found such stated or implied in God’s Word. Book,
chapter, and verse, please?
God exhorts His children
[those truly saved] to be “doers of the Word” in order to be the right kind
of witnesses to others, as well as to be in a position to receive and rejoice
in His blessings. No where do the Scriptures state that if we are
not “doers of the Word,” we are going to “suffer loss and calamity.” It is likely that
we will suffer some loss, or bring down upon ourselves some calamity. But
then we may not. God alone knows best how to “chasten”
His children. Sometimes He may prosper them with material gain far
beyond their ability to handle such prosperity. In such cases He does it
to show His children the vanity and emptiness of a life lived in
disobedience to His will for them. Proof? King Solomon and The
Book of Ecclesiastes. I suggest you assume less and study more, 2
Timothy 2:15.
Q. If God is in control, then why does
He declare that His people [are] destroyed for lack of knowledge?
A. Simple! Because God does not force
people to hear, study, search, learn, and believe His Word. If people
choose to be ignorant, God will allow them to have their desire.
However, letting them have their own way does not take away the consequences
of their choice. Such people will be [and are being] “destroyed.” Notice what the
passage you referred to actually says, “My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected
knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt
be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten
the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children,” Hosea 4:6.
It is obvious from the
wording of the verse and the context in which it occurs that God is referring
to the Jewish people. They were “His people” only in the sense
of being His chosen nation. They were not “His people” in the
sense of having experienced His saving grace. They had God’s Law
in writing, and God had mercifully raised up prophet
after prophet to teach them the truth of His Law and His will for them,
but the Lord Himself said that they had “rejected
knowledge.” Knowledge was available. They could have
had it. They didn’t have to be “destroyed.”
They made their own choice!
Many today are “God’s
people” only in the sense of having made a “profession,”
and joined some church or religious organization. They proudly wear the name “Christian,”
but don’t really know a thing about the saving grace of the
Lord. These people never get serious about studying the Word. They
have no appetite for it. It is there for them, but they make a deliberate
choice to be “willingly ignorant,”
2 Peter 3:3-5. They too will be “destroyed,”
just as were the ancient Israelites. The wages of sin have never
changed in all of human history, Romans 6:23.
Q. What difference does it make how smart
or ignorant we are if God is going to do what He wants anyway?
A. Friend, God is going to do what
He wants to do, and it is true that our level of intelligence is not going
to alter what God has purposed to do, Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 14:24-27. But it is
not ours to question the actions of the Lord. It is ours to seriously
study His Word, learn the purpose and goal towards which the Lord Himself
is working [Ephesians 1:7-12], seek His will for our
own lives, and yield ourselves to Him in total faith that He knows what
He is doing and how best to do it, and seek to share His wonderful Word
with others.
What difference does
it make…..? Well, you can’t very well share God’s Word
unless you know what God’s Word says. Serious study does take
a smattering of intelligence. But God has provided that too, provided
that we will study His Word and look to Him, Colossians
2:2-3; John 16:12-13; James 1:5-6.
What difference does it make….?
It makes a big difference in the rewards we will receive in glory. I would
like to receive “a full reward,” 2 John 6-8. Isn’t
that what you want?
What difference does
it make…..? It is the difference between being able to meet the Lord
at His coming with joy and rejoicing, or being “ashamed”
before Him when He comes, 1
John 2:28. Which do you want?
Conclusion
By the grace of God
I have answered all your questions. I think God’s Word is quite clear
that Almighty God is still dispensing “justice
and judgment” even in this present dispensation of grace,
and that He is perfectly right and just in doing so. He is still upholding
His part of the Covenant that He made with Abraham many centuries ago, even
though the seed of Abraham have repeatedly violated and broken their part.
He is still taking vengeance on those that “touch
His anointed, and do His prophets harm,” 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm
105:15. He is still using His creation to administer judgment
upon the wicked, and to chastise His children, Psalm 148:8; Job 38:22-23. Hurricane Katrina
displaced some 850,000 people in the USA
just two weeks after some 8,500 Jews were
displaced by the Sharon government under pressure from the Bush administration.
Now Hurricane Rita is bearing down on Bush’s home state of Texas. And, You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet! I stand by what I wrote
in the study entitled, “God Has A Law…” and I
do so without apology to anyone.
I trust that the Lord will use these
answers to speak to your heart [and to the hearts of others] and to build
you up in the faith. God knows that I have written, not out of any desire
to condemn, but rather to clarify and edify. May God add His blessings
to this message as He sees fit. In the love of Christ,
Pastor F. M. Riley
fmrglorybound@centurytel.net
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