Author’s note: This article was originally posted in 2010. The thoughts expressed are even more relevant today, while issues and events are literally exploding all around us, pointing to the soon-coming time of Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week).
One of the most false and cutting accusations launched at the belief that the Bible teaches that a person cannot lose his or her salvation when truly born again (John 3:3) is: “If you believe once saved, always saved, you are saying that people can live any way they want without fear of punishment.” Or so the line of condemning criticism goes.
The absolute assurance of eternal security, of course, engenders no such thought within the mind truly regenerated by the saving power of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that the Lord convicts His children in their spirits and that habitual, unrepented-of sin will result in severe penalties–even physical death, in some cases. The Heavenly Father’s patience is longsuffering, but it is not infinite.
A person who is a child of God cannot sin without severe repercussions if repentance isn’t forthcoming. But that person will never be kicked out of God’s family. Never.
A kindred sort of accusation is thrown at those who believe in the Pre-Trib view of Bible prophecy. The Pre-Tribulation view, of course, is the one we at Rapture Ready believe God’s Word teaches. It is the view that Jesus Christ will call all who are born again to Himself before the Tribulation, which is the last seven years of history leading to the Second Advent (Rev. 19: 11).
The angry diatribe against the Pre-Trib Rapture view–by even genuine Christians, in many cases–usually goes something like this: “People like you, who believe that the Lord is going to rapture them before the Tribulation, think you can live however you want, because you think and teach falsely that you are going to be rescued before God’s judgment and wrath fall, no matter what.”
The non-Christian accusers who castigate those of us who hold the Pre-Trib rapture view have their own version. It goes something like: “Christians who believe like that don’t care anything about making the world better. You even hope for things to get worse and worse. You wish for earthquakes, famines, pestilence, war in the Middle East, and for Armageddon to hurry up and get here so you will go to your pie in the sky and watch the rest of us get ours.”
Although the first criticism is absolutely not true, I have to admit that, regarding the second, too often I’ve sensed–even heard–such sentiments from some of those who believe in the Pre-Trib rapture. And it is entirely the wrong attitude for the Christian to hold. There are no excuses for wanting the Christ-rejecting world of non-believers to be the recipients of God’s judgment and wrath. It is only by God’s unfathomable grace that every one of us isn’t headed into that time of unprecedented horror.
No matter how–to use Lot’s King James Version word–“vexed” we become by the debauched, debased actions of the lost world around us, our job as Christ’s children–His representatives here on earth–is of a completely different nature than wanting to see them “get what’s coming” to them. The changed nature produced by being born again into God’s eternal family should make you and me do just the opposite of wanting them, in our vexation, to get what we see as coming to them.
The Christian whose spirit is attuned to the Holy Spirit’s desire for the lost doesn’t want to see them “get what’s coming to them” either during the Tribulation or upon death. Rather, we want to do all within our power to keep them from having to go through the coming time of God’s judgment and wrath. That’s what Christ’s Great Commission to His disciples before He ascended to sit at the Father’s right hand is all about, you see. That is what God’s love–love that those who have Christ indwelling them possess–is all about. (Read Matthew 28:18-20.)
In the same vein, that’s what Bible prophecy is all about. Prophecy given in God’s Word has purpose–profound purpose. Bible prophecy has at its center the commission from the Lord to forewarn of God’s judgment and wrath to come upon all who oppose Him–the Lord of Heaven and Creator of all things. It is not the hatred of God for the lost people of this fallen planet that drives prophecy. It is the love of God that powers His prophetic Word. It must be the Christian’s desire, therefore, to study Bible prophecy and put forth those forewarnings out of a spirit of God’s love, not through an anger-filled abhorrence of those who are lost.
Christians who do study prophecy–and they seem to be few these days, I’m sad to have to say–are often heard wondering about when Christ will call the church (born-again believers) in the rapture. Everything seems so ripe for His plucking His people from this sin-darkened sphere.
Nothing and no one can change God’s timing for His next catastrophic intervention into Earth’s history. It will happen exactly on time, as He has determined since before the foundation of this world. However, we might as believers look to ourselves for the Lord’s–often in our view–delay in calling us as outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
The apostle Peter gave the heart of the reason Christ hasn’t raptured His church: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
The purpose of Bible prophecy is to show the love of God to a lost and otherwise doomed world. God is not willing that anyone should perish (die in his or her sins) but that all should come to repentance (accept Jesus Christ as the one and only sacrifice for sin that God will accept).
The Lord is “longsuffering.” The reason, I’m convinced, that the Lord seems so “slack” to many in His coming is because those same people have neglected their duty to share the love of God with the lost–the lost whom God loves so very much that He sent His only begotten Son in order that they not perish.
It is well past the time for God’s people to begin investing in getting the message of the love of God to those who will otherwise not hear the warning of deadly things soon to befall this Christ-rejecting planet. Considering these times that so dramatically are signaling the coming Tribulation, Bible prophecy can and must be used as a productive tool for evangelism.
*** Important Notice! ***
God The Holy Spirit is turning on the Light of God’s Truth in Pakistan and other areas of the Spiritually darkened world.
Again, I’m appealing to you, who understand through Holy Spirit Enlightenment just how late is the prophetic hour, to help us print and distribute the little book Prophecy Power: Strength From God To Face Your Future to the people of Pakistan.
Pastor Anil Jasper worked diligently to translate the Sunday school quarterly sized book into his native language. The results have been powerful in helping turn on that Light of understanding about Jesus and His soul-saving Sacrifice. Anil reports that the book distribution is reaping great rewards in terms of his people accepting Christ –something that might not have happened if not for the presentation in our little book.
Please consider again supporting this effort, as time looks to be short, according to all prophetic stage-setting signals in the world today. We want to one day hear the words from our Lord: “Well done, good, faithful servant.”
Please go to the following to read more and contribute.
https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2024/10/04/please-help-in-our-pakistan-missionary-effort/
Terry James Prophecy Line 
So well said and such a helpful and comforting reminder that we can not lose our salvation. God is the One who holds on to us. To paraphrase Charles Spurgeon, He who has written our names on the palms of His hands before the foundation of the earth, will never forget or forsake us.
I have often said here, no matter how angry I become with another person’s behavior, I do not wish Hell upon them. This is because, at the moment of my salvation God graciously gave me a brief vision of the anguish the unredeemed will experience at His coming. No, I did not see Jesus coming in the clouds, and this was no new type of biblical revelation. I briefly saw and felt the hellscape on earth, right before His coming, and witnessed and felt the torment of the damned. It was palpable, overwhelming, and ghastly. Therefore I can never wish that hopelessness and regret upon anyone in human history.
Perhaps the Lord gave me that glimpse into the future to soften my hard heart after running from Him, and living as a great sinner for 57 years. I don’t know. But I do absolutely know that I am saved by His grace, and there but for that grace go I.
Yesterday my daughter and granddaughter were both baptized. PRAISE THE LORD! I’m not a big fan of the church they attend (it is Laodicean Light) but I am grateful for their movement in the right direction. It is comforting to know that sanctification is a process and the Holy Spirit will do His amazing work in them at His time and pace. What matters is they have publicly confessed Jesus as their Savior. This is an answer to almost 7 years of continuous prayer. I say again…PRAISE THE LORD!
The thought of anyone we love being left here to suffer even a tiny part of Jacob’s Trouble is deeply distressing. Praying for the lost, sharing the gospel and encouraging the Saints is our #1 priority. How very important this is as they are the only things we carry into eternity.
Every day more people are being saved; that is reason enough to remain steadfast and refrain from grumbling about the condition of the world. The past few weeks I have been especially convicted (no matter how ‘vexed’ I become) to not complain about politics, or people’s behavior, and to not judge another person regardless of their wickedness. BTW, I just finished reading Jude and he recounts the story of the archangel Michael who did not rebuke Satan while contending for the body of Moses, but instead asked God to do that. There is a very strong lesson for us in that story. We are repeatedly commanded by Jesus Christ to pray for the lost instead!
Today I pray for all my brothers and sisters who read your message, Terry, to take it to heart. Not to be sidetracked by what the unsaved say and do. We can’t expect them to be any different while they are still lost!
We must keep our eyes on Jesus and put on our spiritual armor so clearly described in Ephesians 6. These are the days to go into the battle with determination to be a living example of Christ in all we say and do. We must speak humbly and respond to evil with good, and look upon the lost with compassion and patience. This is the way set forth by our Lord. He is faithful, and we can be faithful when we call upon Him.
Maranatha!
Congratulations on the baptisms of your daughter and granddaughter which represents their acceptance of the biblical Jesus. Even if their church is a “Church Lite,” how many times do we see God using flawed tools to get the job done? Matter of fact they all are, except for Jesus himself, right?
One of the big pieces of evidence that the Bible is the “real deal” is that it honestly shows us all the wrinkles the giants of the faith had throughout history. This is unlike the current Orwellian Ministry of Truth the Democratic want with the tearing down of statues, rewriting history and the news in their own image.
Of course the modern church has been doing the same thing for a long time in erasing Scriptural authority while presenting demonic doctrines instead.
What struck me about Terry’s article is that instead of being dated, it has become even more relevant some 14 years later. That is remarkable. I expect some major shaking up of America post-election and have no doubt the repercussions will affect the world, no matter who wins. I imagine it’ll be even more devastating if Harris and Walz win not only nationally, but especially in the Middle East.
I intend to batten down the hatches, to be sure, and keep in mind that God is always in charge, all the while looking up for his arrival.
Thanks Ed, I’m overjoyed at their baptisms! It lifts a very heavy burden from my heart.
In my daily Bible studies, I am reading God’s words through Jeremiah (poor Jeremiah, what a burden he carried!) God clearly states He is using Babylon to exercise His judgment and when He restores Judah back to their land, He will destroy that nation too. He says clearly He is going to judge all the nations, and will bring to ruin all those who go against His chosen people.
We are down to the home stretch regarding God’s plans for our nation as well. Big changes are coming. This election is going to be earth-shaking one way or another. I still stand behind my supposition that even when Trump wins the election (and he will unless they try to steal it), the satanic globalists will never allow him to retake office…unless God permits it. They will gladly burn this nation down, which is what they want anyway, before they will let him undo all the damage they have done and turn back their “progress.”
Perhaps when Trump wins, people will be saying all over the world, “At last, peace and safety.” And then we might be taken home. Most would not be expecting it, and many Christians would be in the frame of mind of gladly sticking around a while longer.
Not me, I want to be with Jesus.
Well, Robin, Jeremiah no doubt would feel kin to all of those today who are prophetically literate and have been sounding the alarm about what is coming and are either ignored or ridiculed.
I agree that what follows this election will be turbulent, no matter who wins. It is just a matter of severity and duration. Thought it might sound awfully “America-centric” on my part, one cannot deny that, unlike Las Vegas, what happens here doesn’t stay here. It affects the rest of the world, even now in our diminished state.
I also agree with you that the globalists and their in-house proxies here will do everything to stop President Trump from being President Trump again. However, if God wants that to happen, it will because he is ALWAYS in control. Nebuchadnezzar finally figured that out and he was a tough sell!
At the point of sounding repetitive, I think our departure must be exceedingly close now. I am very much looking forward to that upward call and finally being on my way home!