No Happy Temporary Life.
Choose.
One way leads to life everlasting.
One way leads to eternal nothingness.
The many agonies of this temporary life are guaranteed regardless of the choice made.
The choice for life everlasting is made for eternity NOT for this temporary life.
The promise is for eternity NOT for a happy temporary life.
The only true happiness in our temporary life is the guarantee of our eternal happiness after our temporary life - upon the return of our Savior to resurrect us, to redeem us.
True happiness in hope.
Our hope- Christ Jesus, eternal.
********
The Unbelievers…
When they knew God…
…they glorified him not as God
…neither were they thankful.
But became vain…
in their imaginations…
…and their foolish heart
was darkened.
But they obeyed not…
…neither inclined their ear,
but made their neck stiff…
that they might not hear
nor receive instruction.
Seeing many things, but thou observes not…
…opening the ears,
but he heareth not.
Yet they did not obey or incline their ear…
but walked,
each one,
in the stubbornness of his evil
But they refused to pay attention
and turned a stubborn shoulder
and stopped their ears from hearing.
Of whom we have many things to say
and hard to be uttered,
seeing ye are dull of hearing
For the heart of this people is waxed gross
and their ears are dull of hearing
and their eyes have they closed
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and should be converted
and I should heal them.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine
but wanting to have their ears tickled
they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires
and will turn away their ears from the truth
and will turn aside to myths.
Because they regard not the works of the LORD
nor the operation of his hands
he shall destroy them
and not build them up.
*******
(Excerpt EJ Waggoner)
'The Cause of Idolatry.
How is it that if God has so clearly revealed himself and his truth, there are so many who are in utter ignorance of him?
The answer is given, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful."
Rom_1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
There is one thing which God has given as the seal and sign of his divinity, and that is the sabbath.
Speaking of men, he says, "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Eze. 20:12. This is in keeping with what we have learned in Romans; for our text tells us that God's power and divinity are perceived by thoughtful people through the things that he has made; and the sabbath is the great memorial of creation. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work; . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:8-11. If people had always kept the sabbath as it was given, there would never have been any idolatry; for the sabbath reveals the power of the word of the Lord to create and to work righteousness. (End Excerpt)
Choose.
One way leads to life everlasting.
One way leads to eternal nothingness.
The many agonies of this temporary life are guaranteed regardless of the choice made.
The choice for life everlasting is made for eternity NOT for this temporary life.
The promise is for eternity NOT for a happy temporary life.
The only true happiness in our temporary life is the guarantee of our eternal happiness after our temporary life - upon the return of our Savior to resurrect us, to redeem us.
True happiness in hope.
Our hope- Christ Jesus, eternal.
********
The Unbelievers…
When they knew God…
…they glorified him not as God
…neither were they thankful.
But became vain…
in their imaginations…
…and their foolish heart
was darkened.
But they obeyed not…
…neither inclined their ear,
but made their neck stiff…
that they might not hear
nor receive instruction.
Seeing many things, but thou observes not…
…opening the ears,
but he heareth not.
Yet they did not obey or incline their ear…
but walked,
each one,
in the stubbornness of his evil
But they refused to pay attention
and turned a stubborn shoulder
and stopped their ears from hearing.
Of whom we have many things to say
and hard to be uttered,
seeing ye are dull of hearing
For the heart of this people is waxed gross
and their ears are dull of hearing
and their eyes have they closed
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and should be converted
and I should heal them.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine
but wanting to have their ears tickled
they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires
and will turn away their ears from the truth
and will turn aside to myths.
Because they regard not the works of the LORD
nor the operation of his hands
he shall destroy them
and not build them up.
*******
(Excerpt EJ Waggoner)
'The Cause of Idolatry.
How is it that if God has so clearly revealed himself and his truth, there are so many who are in utter ignorance of him?
The answer is given, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful."
Rom_1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
There is one thing which God has given as the seal and sign of his divinity, and that is the sabbath.
Speaking of men, he says, "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Eze. 20:12. This is in keeping with what we have learned in Romans; for our text tells us that God's power and divinity are perceived by thoughtful people through the things that he has made; and the sabbath is the great memorial of creation. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work; . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:8-11. If people had always kept the sabbath as it was given, there would never have been any idolatry; for the sabbath reveals the power of the word of the Lord to create and to work righteousness. (End Excerpt)