RAPTURE A REWARD CONTROVERSY - Faith and Forfeiture of what accompanies Salvation

A THEOLOGICAL DEFENSE
Faith and Forfeiture of what accompanies Salvation

by Luis B. Vega
vegapost@hotmail.com
www.PostScripts.org

The purpose of this study is to provide a rebuttal to a critique of one’s article that posed the question, ‘Is the Rapture a Reward?’. One will go over, piece by piece of what was stated by the Critic, named as such and respond to all that was addressed in that post that accused one of confusing the Church, not preaching the ‘True’ Gospel and ‘cherry-picking’ verses that only supported one’s question. From the outset, the Critic misrepresented all that one had written and stated. One will reiterate those positions here again and start with the statements made by the Critic.

1. NOWHERE DO I SEE A CLEAR DECLARATION OF THE TRUE GOSPEL FOR THE AGE OF GRACE.

One’s intent, as stated in the prior articles, of which there are several, is to show and point to clear examples of Brethren’s Faith and how they ended-up, that were saved and were/are of the Faith, in the Faith and suffered loss. One’s intention was not to ‘Preach the Gospel’ as it is understood from where one presupposes that it is the case that they, as we are living under the ‘True Gospel of the Age of Grace’. If it was taken that one is not even preaching the ‘True Gospel’, what Gospel does the Critic think one was under the assumption of needing to preach?

To reiterate, as stated in one’s discourse, Followers and Believers in Jesus are living under the ‘True’ Gospel of the Age of Grace, ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’. In one’s estimation, one cannot lose one’s Salvation, if it is the case there has been a sincere conversation. One’s whole point is about those that have it and yet lose their Faith, not their Salvation, and if such would or will lose the ‘Rapture Ride’.

Perhaps one was not clear enough in one’s ‘lengthy’ articles, but one will reiterate one’s supposition here for the Critic. One’s conjecture is that there are plenty of Scriptural Warnings by way of Parables even given by Jesus and other examples of saved Brethren abandoning their Faith, their Commitment, not their Salvation. And as such, they suffered losses. One gave clear examples, no ‘what ifs’. One’s suggestion is that the Rapture is Reward, all-inclusive of what one deems the ‘Salvation Package’. Here is one’s conjecture. The Rapture is a Reward one can forfeit for not keeping one’s commitments, not earnings. So, nowhere in one’s discourse about it has ever stated that the Rapture is a Reward to be earned by works but saved unto works.

Again, one’s intention of posing the question, if the Rapture is a Reward in one’s articles is devoid of needing to explain the Gospel. What one did to ‘rightly divide’ was what constitutes one’s Salvation, past, present and future, i.e., Justification, Sanctification and Glorification, etc. So, to reiterate one’s supposition is/was based on clear examples of Brethren in Scripture that were/are saved regardless of what delineation the Critic thinks the Gospel ‘truly’ is. Which is it then? The Gospel of the Kingdom or that of Grace? Which one did Jesus preach?

One is aware of this topic and contention even of what the ‘supposed’ Gospel is. But for the sake of this ‘True Gospel’ argument, say that indeed Jesus came to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, to Israel only, and He did. It was not to the Gentiles as they were not His Covenant People. Jesus only came to the ‘Lost House of Israel’. That being the case, what were Jesus’ 1st words? ‘Repent’. Why? The Kingdom can be lost or given to another, which it was. As a collective people, Israel did not repent. Israel forfeited their ‘Reward’ in that they lost their Temple, their City and got evicted from their Promised Land.

This proves one’s point that even if one uses the ‘rightly divided’ Gospel, there is loss to be had for unfaithfulness, i.e., Parable of the 10 Virgins, Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree, Parable of the Wedding Guest, etc. So, to reiterate, one is not coming from the perspective of which Gospel one is needing to delineated from according to the Critic. If that were the case, you would have to factor in the ‘Everlasting Gospel’. That is what the Angel that will be flying around the globe will be warning the people with, to not take the Mark of the Beat. So, what Gospel is that to rightly divide it?

4. I THINK THE WRONG QUESTION IS BEING ASKED. PERHAPS "BELIEVERS" LEFT BEHIND WERE NOT SAVED IN THE FIRST PLACE. FOR EXAMPLE IF I BELIEVE I AM SAVED BECAUSE I GAVE MY HEART TO JESUS THEN I WILL DEFINITELY BE LEFT BEHIND. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE "BLOOD"

No, one believes one is asking the right question. One will reiterate one’s position and question again. ‘Can the Rapture be forfeited?’ This is based on one’s unfaithfulness as shown in various Brethren’s lives to be taken as examples of what not to end up as, i.e., Ananias and Sapphira, Demas, those shipwrecking their Faith, not their Salvation. Or of that son in Corinth that was having a sexual relation with this Mother-in-Law, etc.

He was given over to Satan to be killed like Ananias and Sapphira so that his soul could be saved for the Resurrection-Rapture event. Dispute one’s exhausting repetition of using examples of clearly saved Brethren from Scripture and how such conditions are from where one launches to ask and come to believe that the Rapture can be forfeited, the reply is always the same. Obviously, one does not possess ‘Absolute Knowledge’ to know who will ‘make it’ to the Rapture. Again, it is not about forfeiting one’s Salvation as the Blood is what has purchased one’s Spirit, Soul and Body.

It is a Gift, not of works, but unto Good Works. And as the entire Salvation Package is a Gift. Thus, according to Romans, the Gifts of Jehovah are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 Salvation cannot be ‘lost’ or forfeited, in one’s understanding. Now, if Jesus Himself would have not warned of a possible loss, then He needed no to warn Israel of what they could have lost and did nor the 7 Churches. Because of Israel’s neglect, the Gentiles ended up marrying their Messiah and being the Co-Heir of all that the Son has and is. And as to the 7 Churches, their position and privilege could forfeited. One is just asking, will the Rapture Ride be as that ‘Ticket’ that can be rescinded?

5. ANOTHER THING NOT BEING ADDRESSED IN YOUR LENGTHY ARTICLE IS WHAT ABOUT BELIEVERS SAVED IN THE AGE OF GRACE WHO HAVE DIED BUT DID NOT LIVE UP TO YOUR STANDARDS.

What the Critic stated, that one's articles are ‘lengthy’ is the only true thing he said about what one has discorded regarding one’s Rapture question and supposition. He has misrepresented what one has said. Where in all of one’s ‘lengthy’ articles did one declare that in order to ‘earn’ the Rapture, Brethren have to keep one’s Standard? What is that Standard? One does not even know one had a ‘Standard’ to measure others to see if they qualified for the Rapture. As this is now libel, the Critic needs to retract this statement. In one’s Spirit, one senses a measure of pride and a disingenuous jab because he got agitated about his theology being challenged.

6. PAUL CLEARLY STATES THAT WE & THEM ARE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER. THE JUDGEMENT OF OUR BEHAVIOR TAKES PLACE AFTER THE RAPTURE, NOT PRIOR TO OR AT THE SAME TIME AS THE RAPTURE. OTHERWISE THERE WOULD BE A BUNCH OF ZOMBIES WALKING ABOUT DURING THE TRIB.

One is presuming that the ‘they’ are those that one is arguing could be forfeiting the Rapture due to willfully abandoning their Faith, again, not their Salvation. No, judgment of one’s behavior does take place before the Rapture or the Bema Seat of Christ, exclusively. One is not sure what ‘Walking Zombies’ means. But in this context of Judgment, it is really defined as Discipline.

Believers and Followers of Jesus have been saved from Divine Judgment at the Cross of Calvary, i.e., the Blood of the Lamb, etc. Or else, why would Jesus have the Church be put on notice that ‘Judgment begins in the House of the LORD’. What then were all the warnings of loss of position given when the resurrected Jesus diagnosed the 7 Churches of Asia? No, this is precisely one’s point and the admonition of the Apostles in their Epistles to ‘examine yourself if you are indeed in the Faith’, etc.

7. SO, I AM NOT SAYING TO STUDY ONLY PAUL'S GOSPEL ALTHOUGH EVEN THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. IT IS GOOD AND RIGHT TO STUDY ALL OF GOD'S WORD BUT CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING.

It is that since Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, we have more material and directives from him. It is he who was given the directive to reveal and explain the Mystery Age of Grace. The Apostle Paul was given the Mystery of the Rapture to the Church. It was he who even described himself as a sort of ‘Spiritual Midwife’, assisting in presenting Believers as the Bride, as a pure uncompromised Bride. And as a gestation type, in how Christ Jesus’ image was to be born in every Believer, etc.

Here, the Critic accused one of being ‘self-centered’. And is it because one has insinuated or the Critic has taken it that one is taking ’every word’ to be addressed to ‘us’? If the directives, instructions, warnings, examples, of the New Testament do not pertain to ‘us’, presuming the Body of Christ, then why have and read the New Testament? Just throw it away then. Sorry, one does not understand what the Critic mean about ‘we have to then sell everything and own nothing’.

If one could refer that to when Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to sell everything? Here is another gross misinterpretation of Scripture. Brethren fail to comprehend that it was what Jesus asked of him, the Rich Young Ruler, to do, not any other person. But if Jesus does, then yes, do so. But the Will of Jesus for that Rich Young Ruler is different from what the Will of GOD, of Jesus is to be and should be for one’s own individual life.

That being said, this proves one's point again of there being a loss and that perhaps, the Rapture could be too. Perhaps that Young Jew was ‘saved’, in Covenant relationship with Jehovah, yet he forfeited Jesus, the Messiah, the Kingdom, his position and privilege to by with Messiah, etc. This is exactly what one has sought to transpose about the Church in how once in Covenant Relationship, due to the New Covenant, there is still faithfulness to be measured in keeping to one’s Vow, just like in a Marriage. And thus, position and privilege can be willfully forfeited and lost. What about the Rapture? Can that, will that be forfeitable? That is one’s question and inclination.

Obviously, we fail and ‘Cheat’ on Jesus, but as the Holy Spirit is faithful to convict us. We repent because we honor and come to our senses and we recommit to our Groom, our Husband, Jesus, etc. This is if one esteems ‘So Great a Salvation’. One’s point is that many Brethren do not. One has not provided any ‘what ifs’ that leave room for interpretation or ambiguity. Again, one is speaking about those saved Brethren that apostate and decide to stay there.

What one is talking about is those ‘Christ Cheaters’ who willfully decide to ‘divorce’ their relationship with Jesus and willfully disavow and trample the Blood of Jesus underfoot as the Epistles warn. Are these the pure and spotless Virgins the Groom is to only take in? Of such a spiritual condition, could such Brethren loose or forfeit the Rapture because of it? And to back that presumption, one only cited true and Biblical examples precisely given as warning so what not to end up firefighting or losing one’s privilege.

I am not sure what selling one’s Earthly Belongings has to do with one’s topic about who gets to go on the Rapture or not. The Critic asserts that one has ‘cherry picked’ verses to support ones’ Rapture question. And that one has done so to ‘control behavior’. Again the examples one has given were neither isolated nor singular examples. And the problem was that contrary to the Critic’s objection, they did not control their behavior.

If you get to the point in your relationship with Jesus that it is all about controlled behavior, you do not love Jesus and you need to repent. Now, as to, ‘if I have sold all of my earthly possessions?’ Yes one has. Have you? Coming to Jesus has cost me everything: family, jobs, wife, brothers, sisters, nation, riches, etc. To start off with, one had nothing to sell in the first place. I am an Immigrant to this great nation of the USA. We started off as Farm Workers.

For all of its national sins and flaws of the USA, one would not want to live anywhere else. Although living in California has become hostile to professing and exercising one’s Christian Faith. So, one grew-up working in the field picking your vegetables, fruits and nuts. One was lucky to go to College when it was a College. And as one came to Jesus, like the ‘Rich Young Ruler’, only in one’s case, the ‘Poor Young, not a Ruler’ was directed to sell everything and to ‘follow the Lamb wherever He went’.

One has preached the Gospel since one got saved back in 1980. All during the 1990s one was involved with a Church group that witnessed twice a week at the Farmer’s Market, Door-to-Door or at the Beach boardwalks for at least a good decade. How about you? When was the last time you preached the Gospel to someone and let them to Jesus? Which Gospel do you use?

1. The Gospel of the Kingdom?

So, have I sold everything? You be the judge. Because one immersed oneself in the ‘Work of the LORD’, one could not afford to buy a house. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment and still drive my 1988 Ford Ranger. I only buy food in bulk and the bare essentials. I shop at GoodWill for my clothing. I have only recently bought my new pair of shoes as my old ones got worn down after 10 year of walking to work.

I walked so much to go to work because my Truck broke down as the fuel pump went out. I did not have the $1500 US to fix it, so I walked to work. During COVID, fellow Brethren were made aware of this and donated a reliable car to me; much appreciated. During the COVID Lockdowns, the LORD provided for my needs like Elijah. In my apartment complex, next to the Mail-Room, a small refrigerator was placed and stocked with meat and water bottles on the table counter. I have 5 dollars in my savings account.

One cannot afford to retire as being Christian and standing for Christian morality and principles over 30 years at my University has cost me promotions and salary increases. I owe $40,000 on my dental work that insurance does not cover and will be paying for the next 5 years as all of my salary goes toward it, aside for rent, utilities and food. I have a flip-phone. I can go on-and-on. Then my Wife’ divorce left me with $40,000 in debt that I will never recover from. So, yes, I trust Jesus to provide. Have you? Do you need to?

10. SO, BE CAREFUL MY FRIEND, IT IS BETTER TO LIVE AND SPREAD THE TRUE GOSPEL FOR OUR AGE THAN TO GO INTO A LOT OF "WHAT IFS" THAT IN THE LONG RUN CAN ONLY CAUSE CONFUSION IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.

What does one need to be ‘careful’ about? I better live? You did not explain your position nor offer a concise and scripturally backed critique to counter what you did not agree about. Again, you are libeling me in that you are presuming one has not what you surmise is one does not ‘spread the true Gospel for our Age’. So, how many ‘what ifs’ do you want or would be the threshold to no longer be ‘what ifs’? For your sake, and that of others, one will list some instances, starting with Jesus of how there is a loss to be had for unfaithfulness, if not checked. And that perhaps, the Rapture could be one of those.

Sorry, but these are not ‘what ifs’ nor ‘cherry picked’. And one had included one’s Wife in the question. She was a Preacher's Daughter. She knew and grew-up with the Gospel. She professed Jesus as Savior and LORD. She vowed to marry me and join me in helping me in my Ministry, etc. Yet, 1 day, she left her Faith, not her Salvation. She adamantly now denies Jesus, Christians and went full-on radical Feminist. She supports Abortion at any stage, is pro-LGBT, Gay Marriage, anti-Marriage and the destruction of the Patriarchy.

She destroyed her Father’s Church. He died of a broken heart. She destroyed our Marriage and the holy vows made by making a mockery of it with her repeated Adultery. And when caught, one was to blame, of course. So, one’s only question was/is, will she be in the Rapture? Has her losing Faith, willfully, like that of all those other Brethren cited and suffered loss be no different for my Wife? Will she be raptured along with those other women like in Nigeria that kept their faith, been raped, beaten, kidnapped, sold in the sex market and held their vows unto Martyrdom, be counted in the Rapture, just the same? That is my question.

But according to the Critic, I am asking the ‘wrong question’. One is not talking about a Follower and Believer of Jesus that is struggling with sin, addictions or other issues such as doubt, depression, having ‘little faith’, etc. But such persons are still repentant and are ‘walking with the LORD’. One is contrasting to Brethren that say they are, and are and yet willfully have decided abandon their Relationship with Jesus, etc. But if the Critic is so offended that he thinks one is confusing the Church with mere ‘what ifs’?

Then we need to take Christian websites down, and all others because it is nothing but ‘what ifs’. The Church Body is already confused. If you do not notice, specifically in the USA and Western Europe, we are living in the Laodicean Church iteration where Jesus has been voted out of His House. And the only way to open the door is from the inside. The western Church especially is so confused like the world because it has let the world come in and take Jesus’ place and headship.

It is ruled by what Jesus exposed them as, either by Jezebels concerning perverted sex or the Nicolaitans concerning your issue of ‘controlling behavior’ as in Legalism. One’s attempt has been, is and will be to only share one’s perspectives. So, if you have insinuated that one needs to be ‘careful’ in not confusing the Church with the False Gospel, what is the ‘True Gospel’ according to your standard? Please refrain from dictating how one should live, what questions one is so inclined to ask and what Gospel I need to ‘rightly divide’. I do not know you nor your work. I have no idea who you are and am not accountable to in this regard.

If you do not like my teachings and studies, please pass them up. In the 1st paragraph, one always state one’s theory, thesis or question for that purpose. One is not asking you or demanding that you or anyone else accept one’s studies, conjectures or questions, that is not ‘confusing’ the Church. On the contrary, one has sought to provide a measure of clarity and context because there is so much ‘what ifs’ and confusion, etc. If this sort of topic and question is instilling ‘confusion’ on your part, then again we must shut down all Christian blogs, boards, websites, podcast because it is nothing but confusion as you see it and think.