Rapture of the Church (Part 2)

 

Most churches contain people who do not yet believe.  Some are moving in the direction of belief, and others are simply pretending.  Imposters, however, are not to be removed (Matthew 13:28, 29), for that is the Lord’s work alone.  The Good News about Jesus Christ will save us if we firmly believe it and faithfully follow it.

Paul established the Corinthian church on his second missionary journey.  In this study of 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, we will see that the church in Corinth needed the same reassurance as did the Thessalonians regarding their fellow believers who had fallen asleep (died).

Rapture of the Church (Part 1)

The rapture and the second coming of Christ are often confused.  Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is referring to the rapture or the second coming.  However, in studying end-times Bible prophecy, it is very important to differentiate between the two.

The rapture is when Jesus Christ returns to remove the church (all believers in Christ) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.  The second coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. The second coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.

To understand fully the scriptures that deal with the rapture of the church, there will be two separate Bible studies.  In Part 1 we will study and meditate on 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; and in Part 2, we will be studying and meditating on 1 Corinthians 15: 50-54.

Are Christian’s Required to do Good Works?

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.  These things are good and profitable to men.  (Titus 3:8)

In Titus 3:8, “This is a faithful saying”, Paul is emphasizing that what he has written (Titus 3:4–8) is a trustworthy statement, one that is central to the Christian faith.  There are four other places in the Pastoral Epistles where Paul labels his teaching as a faithful saying (1 Timothy 1:15, 3:1, 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11–13).  It is significant that the faithful saying in Titus includes an admonition to maintain good works, the theme of the letter.  These things are good and profitable: This emphasizes the practical benefit of good works.

Christian Love

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)

Our society confuses love and lust. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is possible to practice this love only if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts, so that we can give love while expecting nothing in return. Thus the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.

What about different denominations?

The reason there are different denominations within Christianity is because the Bible allows for us to have differences of opinions. Within Christianity there are very few essential doctrines that define what it means to be a Christian. These essential doctrines are:

1. Jesus is both God and man (John 1:1,14; 8:24; Col. 2:9; 1 John 4:1-4).
2. Jesus rose from the dead physically (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:14).
3. Salvation is by grace through faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 3:1-2).
4. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:8-9).
5. There is only one God (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8).
6. God exists as a Trinity of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
7. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary (nature of incarnation).

Click here to read the rest of the article by Matt Slick.