The IONS of our Faith

What is an ion?  It is a group of atoms that carry an electric charge.  Atoms are the foundation or makeup of our faith.  In this series, we will be looking at the makeup or foundations of our faith as Chrsitians.  These are elements ending in ION that are the key elements of transformation in the lives of believers.  These elements will start after salvation and end when we reach heaven. 

The IONS of our Faith

1. Regeneration
2. Justification
3. Adoption
4. Sanctification
5. Glorification

Taking a $20 dollar bill, ask the audience who would like to have this $20.  Then take the bill and crumple it, step on it and rub it in your arm pit.  Then ask again.  Then take out your disgusting kit: rub mud, old food and anything else gross.  Ask the students who still wants it.  Then take out a new 20 and ask which one they would like.  Regeneration is not taking an old sinful person and cleaning it off, it is making that person new again. 

REGENERAT-ION

John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Regeneration is the new birth into a new life.

Jesus here is introducing the need for a spiritual birth to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  He uses the term born again, which is a hard concept for Nicodemus to understand.  That is the reason for his question about entering again into the womb.  But Jesus responds by illustrating the new birth is one that contains the water and Sprit.  Water was an image of life to those in that day since their climate was hot and dry and it also represented the cleansing power of the Spirit to a believer’s former life.  He illustrates further and illuminates that regeneration is an experience like the wind blowing, one we may not be able to see but we can know it exists. 

Grudem says regeneration “… is an instantaneous event. It happens only once. At one moment we are spiritually dead, and then at the next moment we have new spiritual life from God. Nevertheless, we do not always know exactly when this instantaneous change occurs. Especially for children growing up in a Christian home, or for people who attend an evangelical church or Bible study over a period of time and grow gradually in their understanding of the gospel, there may not be a dramatic crisis with a radical change of behavior from “hardened sinner” to “holy saint,” but there will be an instantaneous change nonetheless, when God through the Holy Spirit, in an unseen, invisible way, awakens spiritual life within. The change will become evident over time in patterns of behavior and desires that are pleasing to God.”[1]  I think this statement is important to students because so many of you are in search of proof of your salvation.  Many of you are Christians but question that because there was not that drastic change in behavior when you were saved.  But know that there was an invisible birth that took place that washed away those sins in your life that separated you from God.   

If I had a car with the engine that was ready for the grave, I’d have a new engine put in. I’d take the car into a mechanic who would put it in for me. If when I got that car back, it ran just as poorly, I’d begin to wonder if the old really had been replaced or just cleaned up. It is not different with our new lives in Christ.[2]

Regeneration is instituted by God, not us. 

Titus 3:5 (NKJV) 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

In some of the elements of the application of redemption, we play an active part.  In conversion, we see the nature of our sin and our separation from God and we put our trust in Jesus’ sacrifice to save us and we repent from those sins that separate us from God.  In sanctification, we put forth energy and time into growing in our knowledge and understanding of God and the HS works that change in our lives.  But in the work of regeneration, we play no active role at all. It is instead totally a work of God.  Paul tells us in Titus 3:5 “not be works of righteousness which we have done” is our means of salvation.  We are fallible humans, suffering in our sins, we cannot possible do enough good things in life or live up to a life of moral living that would match the standard of PERFECTION that God requires. 

Regeneration involves not only a new birth but also an old cleansing

Cleansing illustration- Austin Powers, Dr. Pepper and Oxyclean. 

“The text indicates that “washing” is an activity of the Holy Spirit and that this washing involves “rebirth” (palingenesias) and “renewal” (anakainoseos). The Greek term for “rebirth” denotes “a new creation” (cf. Matt 19:28), and Paul used this analogy with reference to salvation (2 Cor 5:17). The Greek term for “renewal” refers to an internal change, which in this context may suggest a process begun within the believer from the moment of conversion.”[3] So I think of this as the new birth is for our acceptance by God into heaven and our justification with Him in His eyes, and our renewal is the change that will take place internally while we begin to change externally as we finish our race on this earth.    

THE BIG DEAL ABOUT REGENERATION:

1. Focus not on the old life, but the new life given
2. No effort of ours can lead us to salvation, nor regeneration
3. Given a new life, we should have internal change that affirms our salvation.

Justification 

Recap : Regeneration: New life /past tense/ No work needed

            Justification: Innocence /past tense/ No work needed

Last week, when talking about regeneration, we focused on God the Creator, giver of life.  Today, we will focus on God the Judge of all mankind.  In the world today, a judge is someone who has completed law school, served as lawyer for many years and is an expert in the world of Law.  An earthly judge compares the law of our nation and judges peoples crimes against that law. 

God is much more than that because he judges peoples based upon the Law he created.  Because He wrote the Law, our sin is committed on a personal level.  We sin and that sin is against the character of God.  We make it personal and so our sin separates us from God.  God looks at us and sees our sin.  We are walking around with a big invisible tattoo GUILTY!  We must be punished and that punishment is eternal life in hell.  Because we all sin, it would seem that we are eternally separated from God.  But Jesus stepped in and through His death on the cross and our faith in that sacrifice; we can be justified or made right in the eyes of God.  Tonight we talk about being declared innocent by the Judge of all judges. 

Word Justify: JUST- to make right, vindicate, IFY- appear to be

Elements of Justification:

¨      Sins are forgiven (past to future), No condemnation

Condemnation is God declaring us guilty for our sins.  So then the opposite of condemnation is justification, God declaring us righteous. 

Romans 8:1 there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Paul quotes David when he wrote: Romans 4:7-8:  7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

¨      We are imputed righteousness of Christ- with forgiveness of our sins only; we would not meet the criteria to stand in the presence of God.  We still have to be perfect, holy and blameless before God.  So we must receive the righteousness of God.  That is when God sees us, he does not see our sin that marks us as guilty, he sees Christ instead and his righteousness. 

It is kind of like if you worked at Captain D’s, and you suck at your job of cleaning the deep fryer and one day a co-worker cleans the fryer for you spotless and yet you receive the praise for it. 

First, when Adam sinned, his guilt was imputed to us; God the Father viewed it as belonging to us, and therefore it did. Second, when Christ suffered and died for our sins, our sin was imputed to Christ; God thought of it as belonging to him, and he paid the penalty for it. Now in the doctrine of justification we see imputation for the third time. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us, and therefore God thinks of it as belonging to us. It is not our own righteousness but Christ’s righteousness that is freely given to us.

Justification is unconditional

Vs. 21-23, Notice how Paul makes the case using the word ALL for the unconditional state of salvation, justification because of the unconditional state of our depravity of sin.  We are all sinners so we all need to be saved and justified and we all can be saved and justified through faith in Jesus. 

Justification by faith alone, not by works we do

V. 24 says that justification is given  “Freely by Grace.”  A great adjective to describe that grace is a free gift.  We are not good enough to earn our salvation or a right standing before God. 

On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther, the great reformer of the Protestant faith, was the one to stand up against the Roman Catholic doctrine and practice of indulgences, which was paying money to the church to seek forgiveness of sins.  But at the heart of the reformation, was Luther’s disagreement with the issue of Justification.  The Roman Catholic Church understands justification as something that changes us internally and makes us more holy within. “According to the teaching of the Council of Trent, justification is “sanctifying and renewing of the inner man.”’ In order for justification to begin, one must first be baptized and then (as an adult) continue to have faith:[4] With this doctrine, you had to continue in faith to maintain justification or risk losing it. 

Catholics

"If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema(excommunicated)." (Canon 14).

James’ Justification

James 2:24 says “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”

So is there a big disagreement in the Bible; Paul says “faith alone” and James says “faith and good works” earns justification?  The truth is when Paul uses the word justify, he is using it in the sense of declaring one to be righteous and to be declared righteous by God, it must come by faith alone.

 But James uses the word justify in a different way.  He uses it to “demonstrate the already attained righteousness.” James illustrates his idea of faith followed by good works with the story of Abraham sacrificing his son, Isaac.  Now we know that in Genesis 15:6 when God opens the womb of Sarah and allow her to conceive a son, that Abe’s faith was his salvation and justification.  So in James 2:21, James is telling us that Abe demonstrated his righteousness by sacrificing his son.     

Justification through faith in Christ is the only fair way

Vs. 25 whom God set forth as propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

God set forth: Christ’s death was not a secret, God wanted it to be made known

Propitiation: act of reconciling with God through shedding of blood

Vs 26-  that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

All this was done in a fair and just way and God, having to punish all sin, put his son on the cross so you could be free. 

Adoption

Here is a picture of my dad (use ugly picture first)!  Tell me what traits do we have that are similar? The problem is that this is my real dad.  We are going to look alike because that is my blood.  We share the same jeans-Jinco jeans to be specific.  But what about someone that is adopted?  Will that person begin to share resemblances with their parents when they do not share the same blood or genes?  YES!  Why because we become like those that we are intimate with, those that lead us and those that care for us. 

In our series, we have talked about:

Regeneration: New life /past tense/ No work needed

            Justification: Innocence /past tense/ No work needed

            Adoption: New Father and family/ Present tense/ no work needed

John 1:12 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

ROMAN ADOPTION

In the Roman culture of Paul’s day, however, an adopted child, especially an adopted son, sometimes had greater prestige and privilege than the natural children. According to Roman law, a father’s rule over his children was absolute. If he was disappointed in his natural sons’ skill, character, or any other attribute, he would search diligently for a boy available for adoption who demonstrated the qualities he desired. If the boy proved himself worthy the father would take the necessary legal steps for adoption. At the death of the father, a favored adopted son would sometimes inherit the father’s title, the major part of the estate, and would be the primary progenitor of the family name. Because of its obvious great importance, the process of Roman adoption involved several carefully prescribed legal procedures.

1. The first step totally severed the boy’s legal and social relationship to his natural family, and the second step placed him permanently into his new family. (The death of our family linkage to sin and our new beginnings in the family of God)
2. In addition to that, all of his previous debts and other obligations were eradicated, as if they had never existed. (Forgiveness of sin and justification)
3. For the transaction to become legally binding, it also required the presence of seven reputable witnesses, who could testify, if necessary, to any challenge of the adoption after the father’s death.[5] (testimony of the Holy Spirit)

Romans 8:14-17- 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Adoption provides us:

1. Being led by the Spirit in life (V.14)
2. Access to God as our Father (v. 15)
1. Spirit connecting with His spirit
3. Heirs with God and Christ
1. Our inheritance= 1 Peter 3:3-5: 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
2. Our inheritance is our life we will live with God. Just like a home is great because of the walls, or things that fill a house but the relationships in that house that make it comforting and great.  We will experience the ultimate inheritance, better than any money or gold, or possession, we will inherit an eternity living a perfect relationship with God. 

1 John 3:1-3 1Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

1. We are a family of God through our adoption and we are different to the world.  They will not understand us or what we stand for. 

From their experience with us, the people of the world, while recognizing us as Christians, children of God, do not come to an understanding and appreciation of the nature of person we are, since unsaved people never have had a saving relationship with and knowledge of God. Intimate understanding and knowledge of another person is based upon fellowship with him. Since the people of the world have nothing in common with the children of God, they have no fellowship with them, and therefore have no intelligent appreciation and understanding of them.[6]

1 Cor. 1:10 10Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1. We are a family of God and we should act like a Godly family would act

This concept of the church as God’s family should give us a new perspective on the work of the church; it is “family work,” and the various members of the family never should compete with each other or hinder one another in their efforts, but should encourage one another and be thankful for whatever good or whatever progress comes to any member of the family, for all are contributing to the good of the family and the honor of God our Father[7]

THE BIG DEAL ABOUT ADOPTION

1. You are now a child of God
1. with access to God
2. guidance from God
3. an inheritance from God
2. You are a part the family unit of God which is
1. Distinct from the world
2. Designed to work for the glory of God
3. Demanded to love one another.

Sanctification

Previously we have talked about instantaneous events like regeneration, justification, adoption but tonight we will discuss a process of a different nature. As we can see in the chart below:

Meaning of Sanctification

1. Separation from Evil

¨      Sanctify means to “set apart”.  It is evident from these scriptures that sanctification has to do with the turning away from all that is sinful and that is defiling to both soul and body.

2 Chron. 29:5,15-16 5and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place

15And they gathered their brethren, sanctified themselves, and went according to the commandment of the king, at the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord. 16Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and brought out all the debris that they found in the temple of the Lord to the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook Kidron.

¨      Sanctification is the plan God has for you.  What is God’s plan for your life?  For you to be sanctified- set apart for His service, growing more in His image

1 Thess. 4:1-3  1Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

¨      John shows us that after regeneration, sanctification seperates the habitual sin in a Christian’s life.  It is impossible to continue in a life of habitual sin and not be affected by it if you have saved.  We can never say we are 100% free from sin but we cannot say that sin has defeated us.  As a Christian, I could never give up and say well, I will always have a bad temper or problem with lust.  Sin cannot defeat those who are given new life. 

1 John 3:9- 9Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

Roles in sanctification:

God’s Role- In the previous weeks, we have discussed ways that we are united with God through salvation.  We are given new life so we can unite with God, we are declared innocent and given the righteousness of Christ so we can enter the presence of God, and we are adopted into his family and been given the right to communicate with Him through the Holy Spirit.  Now that we are Children of God, we should expect the discipline from a Father that all children receive when there is disobedience. 

Heb. 12:5-11 5And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Why should we not despise discipline?

¨      It shows God’s love for us (v.6)

¨      It confirms our salvation (v.8)

¨      Discipline is not joyful but rewarding (v.11)

There is nothing harder in my life right now than when I have to discipline Grace Ann.  She usually cries because I use my stern voice and eyes.  But when she says “sorry daddy” I know she means it and I fight back the tears because she learned something. 

Our role with God: Symbiotic relationship

(CLIP).Finding Nemo, the clownfish has a symbiotic relationship with the sea anemone.  The clown fish plays an active role in dwelling within the anemone and protects it from anemone eating fish.  The anemone plays a role as well as serving as a home for the clown fish and protecting it from predators.  They both play a role.

We are passive in total dependence on God in our sanctification but we also play an active part by putting energy into our own growth.  We must not become COUCH POTATO CHRSITIANS and wait on God to put forth all the effort. 

Phil. 2:12-13:  12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

As you can see we work out our salvation with wholesome serious caution.  Those who sit around and expect God to grow them without any physical or mental effort will not be growing but will remain undernourished babes in Christ.  We give God the effort to change, God gives us the power. 

How do we work out our salvation?

We are to strive for holiness, (Heb. 12:14- 14Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord).  That includes following the commands of God and obedience to those commands.  Many do not grow because they do not know the commands of the Lord. 

2 Peter 3:18: 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

We are to grow in the knowledge of God’s word. 

For example: Did you know that God only wants you in relationships with believers? 

2 Cor. 6:14 says “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.”  This means that we should seek relationships with fellow Christians-friend and intimate.  Now if you don’t follow this command, and you date a non-believer, and you marry them, then you have kids with them and then you keep your kids from Church b/c you can’t agree on church or weekend trips to the lake, then you fight about money because the spouse does not see any need to tithe, then you commit adultery, which leads to divorce.  All of that started with dating a non-Christian.  Life is about obeying God and many people call living a life of holiness-legalism.   I say using legalism is an excuse to live unholy. 

Striving for Holiness

¨      Bible reading and meditation (Ps. 1:2; Matt. 4:4; John 17:17)

¨      Prayer (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6)

¨      Worship (Eph. 5:18–20)

¨      Witnessing (Matt. 28:19–20)

¨      Christian fellowship (Heb. 10:24–25)

¨      Self-control (Gal. 5:23; Titus 1:8)

2 Cor. 3:18- 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

As we grow in the knowledge of God’s Word and strive for the holiness of God, we will be transformed into a mirror reflection of Jesus. 

Glorification- Finish what He started

Long ago when God created Adam, we created differently than you or I appear to be.  Adam was a perfect creature, made after the image of God.  He did not get sick, nor sad; He did not get pimples.  He was probably somewhat attractive and in good physical health.  He lived in a perfect world that was a garden of endless food and enjoyment.  He was created to worship and fellowship with God. 

In our conclusion of the series Ions of our Faith, we come together tonight to talk about the conclusion of our salvation.  Yes, I said the end of our salvation.  One day God will finish what he started in the Garden of Eden and Christians will experience our glorification.  We have been talking in the last few weeks about many stages in Christian salvation.  After we accept Christ as our savior, we are given new life, renewed innocence, a new family, and growth toward a new lifestyle.  The end of this process is when Christ comes back one day and Christians are glorified.  The goal that we as Christians strive for and look forward to is the day that Jesus will snatch us up from this polluted world of sin into a paradise that we truly cannot imagine.  There will be no more death, hurting, pain, disease. 

1 John 3:2= 2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Glorification is when Christ returns to earth for the bodies of those who have died in Christ and reunites them with their souls that have been in heaven. Our glorification is when our salvation is complete and we receive new bodies like Christ.

The Glorified Body of Christ

What do we know about Jesus’ after he dies on the cross for our sins, rose again and appeared to his friends and disciples?

1. His physical appearance was different:
1. Mary thought he was a gardener because she “did not recognize Him” John 20:14-15
2. His disciples did not recognize Him on the shore near the Sea of Galilee. John 21:4
2. He had a physical body with physical qualities
1. Luke 24:39- Jesus shows the disciples that he is flesh and blood, not a spirit. 
2. He ate in their presence (Luke 24:43) although hunger would not be an issue

The Glorified Bodies of Believers:

1. 1. Who have already died:
1. 1 Thess. 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
2. God will first glorify the bodies of those already in the grave.  Those bodies, or what is left of them, will rise from the graves and ascend to heaven to be united with their souls and transformed into new resurrection bodies. 

                                                              i.      1 Cor. 15:42-44- 42So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

                                                            ii.      Incorruption- Our old bodies decay and die, our new bodies are free from decay.  If you spend time with your grandparents, you see their bodies are decaying and falling apart. 

                                                          iii.      Glory- Our old bodies are dull and unattractive, our new bodies will be radiant and will shine like the sun.  Every being in the bible that is represented from heaven has a physical shine or radiance that is abnormal from everyday oily skin.  We are talking radiation in the bloodstream type of shine. 

                                                          iv.      Power- Our old are weak and powerless, yet our new bodies will be strong, powerful, not godlike, but more powerful than our earthly strength.  It is important to know that our strength will not be thought of in a arrogant, I am a strong man type of way because pride is sin and sin will not enter into heaven. 

                                                            v.      Spiritual- Our old bodies are plagued with sin, separating us from true unity with God, but our new bodies are made to connect spiritually with God.  That is how God originally designed us was to have true unity with Him, like Adam. 

1. who have not died yet:
1. 1 Cor. 15:51-52= Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The Glorified Creation

Romans 8:19-21=19For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Creation has also had to suffer for the sins of Adam and it will be freed from the misery of destruction and decay.  In this renewed creation, there will be no more thorns or thistles, no more floods or droughts, no more deserts or uninhabitable jungles, no more earthquakes or tornadoes, no more poisonous snakes or bees that sting or mushrooms that kill. There will be a productive earth, an earth that will blossom and produce food abundantly for our enjoyment.[8] 

The Resurrected Bodies of Unbelievers:

1 John 5:28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29and come forth— those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

The unbelievers will also be resurrected from the grave but they go, not be glorified but to face judgment for their sins.

Rev. 20:11-15=11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

----

[1]Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Page 701. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 1994.

[2]Galaxie Software. 10,000 Sermon Illustrations, Biblical Studies Press, 2002; 2002.

[3]Lea, Thomas D., and Hayne P. Griffin. Vol. 34, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus. electronic ed. The New American Commentary, Page 323. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1992.

[4]Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Page 727. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 1994.

[5]MacArthur, John. Romans. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996, c1991, c1994.

[6]Wuest, Kenneth S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English Reader, 1 Jn 3:1. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997, c1984.

[7]Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Page 741. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 1994.

[8]Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Page 836. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 1994.